Australian Crosswords

Piecing together cryptic clue wordplays is a fundamental part of cryptic crossword solving. A well-written clue should be solvable from its wordplay alone, so structuring a wordplay so that solvers are given enough information to reconstruct the answer is crucial to the whole process. When teaching people how to solve, I take a different approach to the usual one of explaining how a clue resolves to an answer. The key for me is learning about clue structure: the definition and wordplay and associated cryptic devices and how to spot them. Once someone can recognise wordplay devices through the common kinds of indicators they use, they are well on the way to being able to solve any clue in any puzzle. Take 26-across:

Cold, rough sea is not for lightweight boat enthusiasts (9).

Put your mind into identification mode and label the cryptic possibilities of the most obvious components:

 
It doesn’t matter whether the labelling is exactly right – the process is done to identify the likely structure of the clue. Since abbreviations and indicators are the domain of the wordplay part of a clue, it’s easy to see where the wordplay is and therefore where the definition is likely to be. Identifying the definition is key to unravelling any cryptic clue. This may look idealistic and too easy, but I guarantee this technique will work in most cases, as most clues use indicators of some kind. There are indicators for containing, positioning, mixing up, truncating, subtracting and others, and the only clues that don’t have them are cryptic definitions, double definitions and some charades – therefore the absence of indicators is also a pointer to particular types of clues.

If you have trouble working out some clues, have a go at identifying possible abbreviations and indicators and using that knowledge to pin down the definition. I know it works.

The internet is a fascinating place. It allows all people with a connection the ability to get involved, either as an originator or a contributor, or both. It shouldn’t surprise us that there are thousands of niches out there just waiting for interested people to find them. Recently a couple of overseas crossword friends pointed me to the Kickstarter website where projects of all shapes and sizes are birthed. I was surprised to find a number of crossword projects (almost all American), that sometimes involved a theme, or a collaborative effort, or a set of crosswords by just one person. The premise is simple: raise funds for a defined project over a relatively short period and reward contributors differently depending on their pledge. What really struck me was the response to a US cryptic crossword Kickstarter project last year which raised almost double the minimum requirement in just 30 days. A total of 240 people pledged a combined US$7,397 for a set of 12 cryptic puzzles. The US doesn’t have any home-grown daily cryptics and just one home-grown weekly cryptic, so this response suggests they may be a demand beyond what is currently available.

Would you support a Stickler Kickstarter project?

What do you see when you look at the word INSPECTOR (15-down)? If I asked you for clueing ideas, what would you come up with? IN + SPECTOR (Beatles record producer),  or maybe anagrams like PC IN STORE or PR SECTION? The truth is, with a word like this, there will be dozens of potential wordplays, so how do you pick one? The starting point is rarely the wordplay (although word selection may be based on wordplay availability), it’s the definition. As a cryptic clue is the (hopefully seamless) combination of definition and wordplay, attention must be given to finding as many options as possible in order to end up with the best clue. So, the first task is looking up every reference and reading INSPECTOR entries, arming yourself with as much fodder as possible: the more you have the easier it will be to join with one of the many wordplays available. INSPECTOR has its limitations – it can only be a noun, for example – but nonetheless there are over 20 thesaurus entries, general inspectors (whose who inspect in any way), appointed inspectors (those who inspect as a job), and ranked inspectors (in the police force etc), so a lot to work with. Next, it’s time to explore the wordplays to see if any of them have a natural relationship with a possible definition. For example, an anagram of PC IN STORE would tie in nicely with ‘(police) officer’ thus: “PC in store updated senior officer (9)”. The aim here is to give the solver a complete picture so that breaking down the clue into wordplay and definition isn’t that obvious. Sometimes their isn’t a seamless marriage between definition and wordplay, which means tinkering with the definition, finding new wordplays or (last resort) settling on a clue that you know is deficient. It all takes time but is well worth the effort.