What is a cryptic crossword?
There can be no one-line solution to this question indeed it is the subject of complete books. But, very briefly: unlike the quick clue which requires some general knowledge and a good stock of synonyms, the cryptic crossword solution is concealed in a short phrase. Clues can sometimes be extremely obscure and occasionally require specialist knowledge of, for example, literature and the arts. The solution may be hidden in an anagram, and in a British style cryptic the anagram may be pointed to by other words in the clue such as ‘broken’, ‘rewritten’ or ‘smashed’. It may be that the clue will yield a word which is itself a clue to the final solution. There are no rules on just how difficult the clue should be to solve. The experienced crossword solver will try to get on to the compiler’s wavelength and this can certainly help, but at times we all get the feeling that only ESP will help solve some clues.
