Australian Crosswords

If you are a cryptic crossword solver (and it’s likely you are if you are reading this), then you’ll know that you are part of a minority group. You know because if cryptic crosswords come up in conversation among a group of unfamiliar people, then you are likely to be the only serious solver there. Some may have dabbled, or do straight crosswords regularly, but you’ll be the only one who has a firm grip on the art of cryptic solving. Some will dismiss your hobby with no interest, but others will be very interested and fire off multiple questions. And remember, I’m not talking about me, I’m talking about you, the solver. Cryptics are nowhere near as popular as they used to be, with the younger generations needing quick-fix puzzles and social games, which don’t fit with cryptic crosswords. Add the lessening influence of our UK ancestors in Australia who showed many the cryptic way, and you have a pastime that less and less people find joy in.
Imagine me at a gathering, just like as above. If proficient solvers are rare, setters are like hen’s teeth. In fact, those who write for newspapers and magazines would number about ten in Australia. I try to avoid saying what I (used to) do for a living because I know I’ll get lots of questions, which is Ok but once I start I tend to dominate the conversation which is a little anti-social. Occasionally, though, I get to be a fly on the wall and hear someone who is a cryptic solver trying to explain the ins and outs to an enquirer. Of course, they don’t know who I am, which allows me to listen in and take the opportunity to probe the mind of a solver with open questions like: “what makes a good cryptic clue”, “are all crossword writers the same”, and “which papers and magazines have the best crosswords”, or more specific questions like: “how many crosswords do you solve a week”, “are you a member of a club” and “do you solve online crosswords”. Rare insights for me.
I’m happy for a solver to explain how cryptics work as long as they say the right thing. One time someone suggested a “how to solve” book that doesn’t hit the mark for me, so I suggested a different book. Another time someone suggested the old “check the answers and work backwards” approach, which may be helpful for some, but doesn’t really help form a mechanism for how to solve or establish basic principles. My first suggestion is to find someone who is good at solving and join them in the process, picking their brains as they go. Of course, finding such a person isn’t as easy as it used to be…

It might surprise you to know that it unsettles me when solvers express their concerns over certain clues, especially when they feel they have the answer and can’t work out the wordplay. For me, that’s a failure, as no clue should be that difficult or convoluted that it can’t be worked out from the wordplay alone, so to have the answer and still not be able to reconcile, means a flaw in the clue. Such happened this week, apparently, with 14-across: Sour one with quirky behaviour (6) = ACE + TIC. Oddly enough I felt unsure about this clue, but went with it anyway. Sour as the definition wasn’t explicitly stated in all my references; one = ACE probably needed a context like golf or cards; and quirky behaviour = TIC worried me the most as I was playing on “quirk” = “individual peculiarity or mannerism” and stretching this to a TIC that can be “an involuntary habitual response” or “a personal quirk”, as well as a medical condition. I guess any one of these three components could cause an obstruction, and together they most definitely did. Lesson learnt. The second thing that came up was about words not in general use, specifically, BENGAL the material in 20-across. I’ll save talking about that one until next week.