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Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
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The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
A question mark has been used to indicate "language abuse", that is, a word or words in a clue are used in a technically incorrect way, but the meaning can be still inferred.
Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is hidden inside the clue in reverse order. There are two indicators: one to signify that a hidden word is present; the other to reverse the letters.
The answer is found by using the sound of a word or phrase. Sounds-like indicators point the way.
The answer is hidden among the words of the clue. No spare words should be present. A suitable hidden indicator will point to the buried text.
Examples: part of, associated with, types of.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
I think a cryptic clue is very much like an algebraic expression, where the wordplay is represented by the various symbols on one side of the equation that should equal an answer on the other side of the equation. It makes sense, then, that a cryptic clue should be completely verifiable, and able to be declared as unquestionable. However there doesn’t seem to be anything set down that allows solvers to consistently evaluate and grade cryptic clues. That is, there isn’t a formula that can be applied that will quantify a clue and give it a rating of some kind. Unlike a mathematical equation that can clearly be defined as valid and universally accepted as so, the same cryptic clue can elicit vastly different responses depending on who solves it, no matter what kind of construction is used in the wordplay. The only definitive aspect of a clue that I believe can be assessed and accepted is whether it contains a mistake – all other aspects come down to opinion. For example, a clue that may be technically accepted by all may have a suspect surface reading, making it for some a deficient clue; another may contain a definition that some don’t accept as good enough and others are happy with; yet another may be sound, read well and be perfectly acceptable to most but be considered “boring” by an experienced solver – so is such a clue a good one or not? I believe most aspects of cryptic clues are judged on a solver by solver basis, and no one clue will be considered the same way by all solvers. Note the setter doesn’t really have any control here – no matter their reasoning or justification for clue components, the solvers are the ultimate judges. A setter may be able to point to a particular definition of a word that justifies its use as an anagram indicator, but if a solver doesn’t like it, then the clue from the solver’s perspective (the one that matters) isn’t a good one.
Exploitation. The job of a setter is all about exploitation. They exploit everything involved with crosswords, from language quirks, word classes, shapes of letters and things related to the orientation of answers in a grid and grid structure. They even introduce themselves on occasion. All these things incorporate valid devices that must be justifiable and solvable without making too bigger leaps. It’s important to remember that the fundamentals of the English language are always in play and should be relied upon by solvers. For example, solvers would always assume they are dealing with an answer that runs left to right and horizontal as this is the way we read words, write words, solve clues and mentally think of words. The answer may be put into the grid vertically but this doesn’t necessary change how the solver would normally approach solving, unless the setter makes an issue of it. A down answer is one entered vertically, not an answer with any special quality, no matter how the setter helps a solver derive it. The setter’s exploitation of an answer’s orientation in the grid is just another device that doesn’t dictate how we would normally approach solving clues. Thus all clues should be thought of in the horizontal, and only those that the setter chooses (by way of indication) may be considered in the vertical.
