I learnt the basics of cryptic crosswords from doing the ones in the Metro and The Standard everyday and checking against the answers the following day. Now have a good base knowledge, which I have used to teach my other half the basics.
these are great puzzles but it's important to know that the standard puzzle gets much harder as the week goes on. monday's puzzle is pretty easy and a great one to learn with, friday's is pretty hard and I've rarely totally completed it
Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
I don’t believe it.
I was going to post that clue.
Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time
Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
Episode called “the trial” (available on YouTube) a solo performance by Richard Wilson as the only person in the whole episode
That episode, and the one in the traffic jam, used to crack me up. Especially the traffic jam one when he plays a cassette and the car mechanics has put an insulting song over it
Mad poet mugged by banjo player sees red when eating pickles
I don’t believe it.
I was going to post that clue.
Absolutely love that scene. One of the most underrated TV shows of all time
Is that when he got covered in Biro ink?
Episode called “the trial” (available on YouTube) a solo performance by Richard Wilson as the only person in the whole episode
That episode, and the one in the traffic jam, used to crack me up. Especially the traffic jam one when he plays a cassette and the car mechanics has put an insulting song over it
I tried my hand at the Guardian cryptic crossword on Saturday, got a few fully, a few more without fully understanding and cheated on a few more not always understanding, so if anyone wants to help explain some of these (they are the correct answers) , feel free :-) I understand that cricket and chess references are often used.
First of all there is some sort of over all clue, "Wordplay in 15 clues lacks something crucial in one form or another'. A few of the answers contain the word "CROSS" and some contain the letter "X", so I think that is what that one is referring to, as in crossing something off a list because it is lacking something ... perhaps.
5a One article carried by climbers primarily? ICE-AXE - fits the whole clue but don't get the cryptic nature of it. Maybe One is "I" and article is "A", climbers primarily could be the "C" - doesn't get me far though!
9a Such a tyre goes soft? Extremely likely. CROSS-PLY is type of tyre, but I don't understand the clue.
12a Castrate last of brood - Siamese not seeing Thailand once DESEX - full cheat this one, obviously means castrate, don't get the rest, perhaps the "S" is something to do with "Siamese" and maybe "not" means "X"?
4d Musical's essential element SILICON - got it purely because an element, no idea of the cryptic meaning.
15d B___ sick as a parrot? No, a finch. CROSSBILL - this is a finch and Cross could be sick as a parrot, but don't get how "B__" means bill.
17d Returning at first reluctantly, almost becomes part of the woodwork. CROSSBAR - is part of the woodwork, don't get the rest
I'd better not go on! In keeping with the thread, here is a good one I heard - Some job at hand? We'll soon see (4,3,5)
I tried my hand at the Guardian cryptic crossword on Saturday, got a few fully, a few more without fully understanding and cheated on a few more not always understanding, so if anyone wants to help explain some of these (they are the correct answers) , feel free :-) I understand that cricket and chess references are often used.
First of all there is some sort of over all clue, "Wordplay in 15 clues lacks something crucial in one form or another'. A few of the answers contain the word "CROSS" and some contain the letter "X", so I think that is what that one is referring to, as in crossing something off a list because it is lacking something ... perhaps.
5a One article carried by climbers primarily? ICE-AXE - fits the whole clue but don't get the cryptic nature of it. Maybe One is "I" and article is "A", climbers primarily could be the "C" - doesn't get me far though!
9a Such a tyre goes soft? Extremely likely. CROSS-PLY is type of tyre, but I don't understand the clue.
12a Castrate last of brood - Siamese not seeing Thailand once DESEX - full cheat this one, obviously means castrate, don't get the rest, perhaps the "S" is something to do with "Siamese" and maybe "not" means "X"?
4d Musical's essential element SILICON - got it purely because an element, no idea of the cryptic meaning.
15d B___ sick as a parrot? No, a finch. CROSSBILL - this is a finch and Cross could be sick as a parrot, but don't get how "B__" means bill.
17d Returning at first reluctantly, almost becomes part of the woodwork. CROSSBAR - is part of the woodwork, don't get the rest
I'd better not go on! In keeping with the thread, here is a good one I heard - Some job at hand? We'll soon see (4,3,5)
I think that the theme that you mentioned, X and CROSS is key because it appears to me that the wordplay only refers to the answer without the X or CROSS. For example 15d - B - is B and sick as a parrot is ILL, so the wordplay gives BILL. A CROSSBILL is a finch.
17d - The first letters of Reluctantly Almost Becomes (RAB) are returned to give BAR. CROSSBAR = part of the woodwork.
I’ve never known where to begin with cryptic crosswords!
Is there a formula to solving the clues?
1st rule that I'm not sure anyone posted is that the answer means the same as the first or last word(s) of the clue, and you need to use the rest to construct the answer.
Comments
I was going to post that clue.
Sung by the incomparable Eric Idle (along with the theme song, obviously)
Preview of a setter's bollocks (9).
I understand that cricket and chess references are often used.
First of all there is some sort of over all clue, "Wordplay in 15 clues lacks something crucial in one form or another'.
A few of the answers contain the word "CROSS" and some contain the letter "X", so I think that is what that one is referring to, as in crossing something off a list because it is lacking something ... perhaps.
5a One article carried by climbers primarily?
ICE-AXE - fits the whole clue but don't get the cryptic nature of it. Maybe One is "I" and article is "A", climbers primarily could be the "C" - doesn't get me far though!
9a Such a tyre goes soft? Extremely likely.
CROSS-PLY is type of tyre, but I don't understand the clue.
12a Castrate last of brood - Siamese not seeing Thailand once
DESEX - full cheat this one, obviously means castrate, don't get the rest, perhaps the "S" is something to do with "Siamese" and maybe "not" means "X"?
4d Musical's essential element
SILICON - got it purely because an element, no idea of the cryptic meaning.
15d B___ sick as a parrot? No, a finch.
CROSSBILL - this is a finch and Cross could be sick as a parrot, but don't get how "B__" means bill.
17d Returning at first reluctantly, almost becomes part of the woodwork.
CROSSBAR - is part of the woodwork, don't get the rest
I'd better not go on!
In keeping with the thread, here is a good one I heard - Some job at hand? We'll soon see (4,3,5)
To egg on......5 letters.
Answer......Toast.
M...w..l
Tricky one.
Two girls, one on each knee (7)
Hint: think medically for each one.
will repeat this as it's a good one:
Bust down reason? (9)