Tag Archives: cryptic crossword

Last week I talked a little about cryptic definitions and comments made by Braze on his blog. Basically, like the rest of the world, North America struggles to really embrace cryptics but this isn’t a current phenomenon, it’s always been … Continue reading →

I think most know that I’m not a big fan of “cryptic definitions”, not because they aren’t (in most cases) clever once solved, but because I find it hard to slot them into a standard cryptic template. I’m not a … Continue reading →

Solvers may be totally capable of solving a crossword but not necessarily be able to explain their results. I believe it’s the haphazard way that most people learn about solving cryptic crosswords that creates an imperfect methodology, one that only … Continue reading →

Most of my crossword career has been dedicated to producing top-quality cryptic crosswords, always remembering that the solver is much more important than me. To this end, and with the help of the right web tools that allow solvers to … Continue reading →

Some weeks ago, a NZ setter, David Tossman, wrote on his weekly blog about purging “anachronisms” from his setter’s toolset. (David writes a cryptic for The Listener in NZ and his blog format for solutions inspired my weekly ramblings). David … Continue reading →