Clue Types

Understanding this section goes to the very heart of the crossword and much like a foreign language
it involves both a strict discipline and hard work to extract those winning clues time and time again.
A Numeration is included at the end of each clue to aid the solver with the number of letters in the
answer, (5) is five letters, (2,3) is two words of two and three letters each and (5-4) is two words of
five and four letters joined by a hyphen.

1 Single Definition Clues

This is the simplest clue that can be formed where a simple substitution takes place using a
synonym; this is a word that can be exchanged for another with the same meaning. This style of
clue is used for quick crosswords as well as the easy part of any two-speed crosswords. Although it is
called a single definition clue, it is in actual fact a confirmation to the solver that they have the right
answer. If I showed the clue as a diagram it would look like this:

If I needed to form a clue for the word CARTON then from a Thesaurus l can substitute any of the
following words:
Box, Case, Container, Pack, Packet, Package and Parcel
I can now form a simple clue:
word: Carton

clue: Container (6)

This style of clue is very popular because solvers are comfortable with the easy flowing style. But
lets be blunt and a little honest with ourselves, eventually every solver in the world will know that
there are only seven other words that can be substituted for the word CARTON. This however is the
basic foundation to the incredibly complex cryptic clues we will be looking into later.
Consider these clues that use this simple substitution of one word for another word:
word: Urn
word: Nudge
word: Pavement
word: Traveller
word: Apartments
word: Angry
word: Giant
word: Inspect

clue: Vase (3)

clue: Prod (5)
clue: Sidewalk (8)
clue: Sightseer (9)
clue: Flats (11)
clue: Irate (5)
clue: Enormous (5)
clue: Search (7)

To stop any boredom setting in with our solver, there are a number of thought-provoking techniques
that can be introduced into these basic clues.
Lesson 1 Understanding Cryptic Crosswords

One technique moves away from the Thesaurus and uses General Knowledge.
word: Cell
word: Breakfast
word: Richard
word: Pulley
word: Abraham
word: Ross

clue: Room for a prisoner (6)

clue: Morning meal (9)
clue: English King whose nickname was The Lionheart (7)
clue: Block and tackle wheel (6)
clue: In the Bible, the father of Isaac (7)
clue: A sea in Antarctica (4)

A second popular technique is the fill in the missing blank. Consider these clues that employ this
method:
word: San
word: Bengal
word: Garbo
word: Sikes
word: Delhi
word: Wonderland

clue: City, _____ Francisco (3)

clue: _____ Tiger (6)
clue: Greta _____ , Swedish-born actress (5)
clue: Bill _____ , the villain in Oliver Twist (5)
clue: New _____ , capital of India (5)
clue: Alice in _____ (10)

Triplets are also popular. This type of clue works by giving only one part of a two-part word and then
the solver has to find the missing word that links both parts together. Consider these Triplet clues:
word: Run
word: Pay
word: Night
word: Under
word: Mud
word: Tea

clue: Dry, long or ski (3)

(Dry run - Long run - Ski run)
clue: Load, packet or roll (3)
clue: Club, light or school (5)
clue: Dog, ground or study (5)
clue: Bath, flat or pack (3)
clue: Bag, cloth or leaf (3)

Another technique is to force the solver to search for the solution from a larger list of possible
answers. You can see this with these next clues:
word: Elm
word: Libra
word: Piano
word: School
word: Carp
word: Zebra

clue: Shady tree (3)

clue: Zodiac Symbol (5}
clue: Musical Instrument (5)
clue: Building (6)
clue: Fish (4)
clue: Zoo animal (5)

This technique may not seem fair, but if any checking letter are in place the solver needs only
consult the right list of words to find the answer. Lets say we have these letters already in place in
the grid for a clue:
Word: _ r _ a _

and is clued as Staple food (5)

There are many books published today containing lists of words with everything from trees to fish,
from presidents to politicians, from planets to musical instruments, these word lists are endless.
They are also sorted alphabetically as well as by number of letter order, so our answer would came
from the staple food list of five letters b r e a d

Lesson 1 Understanding Cryptic Crosswords

Theme crosswords are also very popular as all the answers are related to each other and can
embrace any subject under the sun. Consider these themed clues:
Movies:
word: Athos
word: Marriage
word: Roger
word: Oriental
word: Norma

clue: One of the three Musketeers (5)

clue: ________ Italian Style starred Sophia Loren (8)
clue: Actor, ________ Moore (5)
clue: The ________ Express (5)
clue: A forename of Marilyn Monroe (5)

word: Terrapins
word: Jerboa
word: Fin
word: Jaguar
word: Urus

clue: Water tortoises (9)

clue: Desert rodent (6)
clue: Fish propulsion part (3)
clue: American Wildcat (6)
clue: Extinct wild ox (4)

word: Total
word: Tractor
word: Tarantula
word: Ten
word: Tress

clue: The entire amount (5)

clue: Piece of farm machinery (7)
clue: Large poisonous spider (9)
clue: A number (3)
clue: A braid of hair (5)

word: Crib
word: Ogre
word: Mince
word: Lantern
word: Donkey

clue: Babys cot (4)

clue: Villain of Pantomime (4)
clue: Christmas pie filling (5)
clue: Christmas decorations (7)
clue: Marys transport (6)

Fauna:

The letter T:

Christmas:

Whatever the Theme subject is History, The Sciences, Jazz, People, Gardening or Opposites, the
choice is as big as your imagination. These puzzles are both enjoyable to put together as well as to
solve and will make your solver invest in books containing many lists of words.

Puns
Puns are another way of making the solver think about the solution. The dictionary describes a pun
as a clever and amusing use of words so that what you say has two different meanings. In this
instance we are only looking for a single meaning. Consider this first clue:
word: Ram

clue: Farm butter (3)

In the first clue, a Ram is renowned for butting other rams, fences and people. So we have picked up
on the nature of the ram to butt and when he does it often (as those who have ever owned rams will
know) he becomes a butter. Then finally he also lives on a farm, hence the clue farm butter.
Puns can be very difficult as well as frustrating to solve, a nice way to understanding them is to think
outside the box. Puns may or may not be indicated with a Question Mark before the numeration it
is up to the clue setter.
Lesson 1 Understanding Cryptic Crosswords

Consider these other clues:

word: Tent
word: Defrock
word: Degree
word: Hearses
word: Incan

clue: Guys will hold it up (4)

clue: Bring the revs down? (7)
clue: Educational measure? (6)
clue: End carriages (7)
clue: Gaoled Peruvian? (5)

The second clue picks up on the fact that tents are held up by ropes between the tent and tent peg,
these ropes are called the guy ropes or more simply guys. There are a number of guys holding up the
tent and there you can see where the clue comes from. The surface reading is clever because you
immediately thing of guys as being a group of men or boys.
See if you can understand what the other puns are saying.
Puns you either love them or hate them. They can be exceedingly infuriating, yet when you realise
the answer you will achieve that perfect ahhh moment and never forget it.
Now you have understood this simple clueing techniques, you are ready to being the incredible
journey into the fascinating world of cryptic clues.

Understanding this foundation will help you understand where cryptic clues come from. In the next
lesson we will look at putting two separate definitions together to form a clue that is intentionally
misleading.

Les Taylor for Cryptic Crossword Society with help from Mona Sogal

Lesson 1 Understanding Cryptic Crosswords