The Hidden Code of Cryptic Crosswords

196 Pages·2003·5.84 MB·English

by  Francois Greeff

the
cad e
cryptic
crosswords
hero stands among them anonymously!
^ « O .P-
A
francois greeff

the
hidden
code
of
cryptic
crosswords
This book is dedicated to Uncle Caspar who told me:
'Cryptic crossword clues are simply an encoded message, and
all one needs to do is to decode the message/
This book explains the code.
the
hidden
cojde
cryptic
crosswords
francois greeff
foulsham
The Publishing House, Bennetts Close, Cippenham,
Slough, Berkshire, SLl SAP, England
ISBN 0-572-02778-8
Copyright © 2003 Francois Greefif
All rights reserved.
The Copyright Act prohibits (subject to certain
very limited exceptions) the making of copies of
any copyright work or of a substantial part of such
a work, including the making of copies by
photocopying or similar process. Written
permission to make a copy or copies must
therefore normally be obtained from the publisher
in advance. It is advisable also to consult the
publisher if in any doubt as to the legality of any
copying which is to be undertaken.
Printed in Great Britain by Creative Print and Design (Wales), Ebbw Vale
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Why solve crossword puzzles?
How to use this book and gain value from it
PART ONE: AN EXPLANATION OF THE WAY CRYPTIC
CROSSWORDS WORK
1. The Anatomy of Cryptic Clues 10
Key to fonts in this book 12
2. The Original Straight Clue 13
The mythical origin 13
Straight clues 14
Straight and cryptic clues compared 17
3. Hooptedoodle 20
Synonymcrux 20
Keyword 20
Exposition 23
Fulcrum 24
Num 26
Clue number 29
Caveat 31
4. Crossletters 33
Maximising crossletter availability 34
Using crossletters well 35
5. Concord 37
Pasop 38
Concord as an aid 39
Part of speech 39
PART TWO: CROSSWORD DEVICES
1. Devices Used to Construct Answers 41
Genus and specie 41
Macaroni 42
Numer 45
2. Devices Used to Deconstruct Clues 60
Pasop 60
Stacking 62
3. Devices Used to Reconstruct Ciues into Answers 64
Abbreviation 64
Parabrebit 76
Parabreve 79
Anagram 80
Apostrophe 82
Bitword 83
Reversal 88
4. Nonconstruction Devices 89
Cognation 89
Ellipsis 89
Geograph 90
Halph 91
Homograph 92
Hyphen 94
Olapsek 96
Paraphrase 96
1. Construction-type Clues 99
Buildword 99
Concon 100
2. Deconstruction-type Clues 101
Undix 101
Beheadment 101
Curtailment 102
Disheartenment 102
3. Reconstruction-type Clues 103
Acronym 103
Anagram 103
Hidden words 108
Partwords 108
Backword 108
Reversal 110
Splitword 110
Bridgeword 111
Interclue 113
Palindrome 116
Partbits 116
Addix 116
Condix 118
Transdeletion 119
Transinsertion 120
4. Nonconstruction-type Clues 121
Ammel 121
Antonym 123
Classical allusion 123
Debono 124
General knowledge 125
Homophone 127
Humer 129
&Lit 148
Nosek 149
Phrase 151
Quotation 154
Synonymtwin and homograph 154
Extended synonymtwin 155
THE FINAL WORD: A CAVEAT 157
PART FOUR: APPENDIX
Comparative table of differences and similarities in
nomenclature of segments or word parts 159
Glossary 163
Acknowledgements 179
Bibliography 181
Index 183
Personal Notes 191
Introduction
" ...it remains an internationally recognised benchmark of
Intelligence, wit and a facility for lateral thinking... " James
Fergusson, referring to the ability to complete The Times
crossword in 'How to do The Times crossword,' Mensa Quest,
April 1998, pi6.
Why solve crossword puzzles?
How many of us eagerly look forward to the weekend newspapers
and the chance to pit our wits against those devious-minded
masters of the crossword? How many of us give up in disgust after
a few hours of almost fruitless brainstorming, only to start all over
again the following week? It is at these people that this book is
mainly directed.
Crossword solving is a form of mental gymnastics and, as in
physical gymnastics, there are certain rules and guidelines one
should follow if one hopes to achieve any degree of competency
in this sport. As with most things in life there are those Individuals
who appear to the rest of us to have a natural flair. This is true to a
certain extent, but what we do not see when we watch the
graceful gyrations of the world's finest, is the hours of practice and
study of technique that go into the preparation for the final
performance. I am not suggesting that the following pages
provide a stringent training programme for the champion - on the
contrary. The purpose of writing this book is to take the frustration
out of crossword solving by providing a few basic techniques.
However, whether you are one of those who aspire to
championship level, or whether you are just a weekend
sportsman or woman wishing to improve your game, I believe
that this book will be of great value to you.
Introduction
H(nv to tise this book and gain
value from it
Work backwards. Always start with the answer to a clue and
consider it to be the problem. Work from the answer toward the
question to figure out how the answer justifies the clue. This book
was written because cryptic clues made no sense, not even when
I had the answers to them. I once thought this clue (which recurs
on page 29) to be typically nonsensical:
One before nine taking in a novice who is queuing up (2,1,4) =
In a line
I learned the rules of the game by figuring out how the clues
work from the answers instead of figuring out the answers from
the clues. By finding out how clues work one learns the rules of
this game, and only then can one begin to play it.
Secondly, accept that the slightest interest you may have in
crosswords will require not that you know the meaning of every
word that exists, but that you look it up immediately. In reading
this book you must use the Glossary.
Thirdly, the shortest chapter in this book is just three pages
long. It Is the most important chapter in the whole book. If you
read nothing but pages 10-12, The Anatomy of Cryptic Clues, you
will already have done yourself a great service. The chapter is
succinct and devoid of the 'hooptedoodle' that Mack deplores in
Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday. The hooptedoodle is, as Mack
suggests it should be, in a separate chapter all of Its own. True to
the nature of hooptedoodle, it restates what has been said in The
Anatomy of Cryptic Clues, but says it with more detail, example,
repetition and circumlocution. Mack also suggests that the
hooptedoodle should be skipped over if you do not like it. But if
you do read it you will find out why parts of the clues in this book
are bold, underlined, in italics, or double underlined. If you forget
the function of a font, go back to Hooptedoodle (1) or consult the
Key to fonts on page 12. These altered fonts indicate the functions
of words in the clues, as one might highlight the verbs in