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Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
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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 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 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.
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 word or series of words that signify the removal of a letter, letters, word or words (or their equivalents) from other parts of the clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: taken from, decreased by, less.
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 type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.
A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.
The clue has two parts, each one defining the answer without using cryptic devices. Ideally each definition should have no etymological relationship.
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.
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 answer is found by removing a letter, letters, or a word (either found directly in the clue or derived) from a word or words (or their synonyms). Subtractions involving synonyms must be done with contiguous letters, that is, a word will subtract directly unless specifically indicated. A subtraction indicator is present to initiate the action.
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.
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.
19a seems like an obvious straight read from the clue but it’s not giving me a solve and everything else seems spot on. Need a little help here.
Hi Michael,
Yes , there is really only one way to read 19ac, which is an &lit.
I can’t find any spellings in this one that might trip you up, so all I can suggest is to double-check your answers, making sure both the definition and wordplay are perfect fits.
Best
Stickler
Thanks. I put the &lit answer in and this time I got the solved box so maybe there was a computer glitch on my end. Plus I never knew the second meaning of the more common word that answers 11a.
This week it is a great puzzle. I decided I would give my awards for clues to short words this week. There is a feast of them, so it will take time to finalise. I intended to comment on 19a which works beautifully.
Meanwhile I am stuck in the Northwest corner with 5 words to go.
11a I have a word which fits part of the clue, but I am unable to parse.
I’ll have that cup of coffee, and see what percolates.
I resorted to the clue hint for 18-dn and then kicked myself. No problems with the rest of it, though I, too, had to confirm 11-ac before entering it.
Given one meaning of “crafty”, 10-ac could conceivably be shorter.
Thanks for another excellent puzzle. (Twiddles thumbs for a week.)
Steve = : ^ )
I’m thinking 19a is a hidden clue.
Hi Lyn, I agree but I’ve noticed what appear to be perfect hidden clues described as &lit here before. Perhaps David can clarify this.
Yes, it’s a hidden clue, which is also an &lit. “&lit” means that the entire clue is the definition, and the entire clue is also the wordplay (in this case, in the form of a hidden clue).
There at last. But it is only Wednesday so what was the panic. NW corner provided most challenge.
9a needed the clue hint by David. So obvious once I got the direction.
7d I had to google the small religious group. I could not get away from one word which was not working.
2d How could I have missed that?
11d caught me napping because of my previous occupation. Google confirmed the word, which gave it a new meaning.
The cluing for 15a, 19a, 24a, 28a, 1d, 4d (wrong computer company) 5d, 13d (special mention as I wanted Siberia) 16d and 17d, maintained a high standard with all being solvable with reasonable diligence and experience.
7 Days to the net fix.
Quite a challenge again. Finally turned to the hints for 17d and 18d which cleared the blockage, but the hint for 23a which I had already allowed for left me just as confounded. Shamefully turned to solver only to find it was a matter of a spelling alternative to a word I was trying previously but which didn’t fit (and didn’t parse either). 11a came directly from the clue and surprisingly the definition checked out. The most pleasing rewards for hard work came from 1d and 15a.
I am always amazed how what looks so impossible at first glance slowly, bit by bit, reveals its secrets and hence the enjoyment. Thanks again David.
Very Happy for all you Guys (he said)
while still struggling over entire Western Half.!!!
In passing, much analysis of – 19a.
I can see the &lit & also a hidden clue, both with same result & both fit.
Am I missing something?
As said, I agree, and it does check out. I suppose ‘&lit’ (as given above by David as the only way to read 19a) should be taken literally as ‘(something else).. AND literally’?
I often struggle to identify an & lit clued, but 19a is an excellent example. The definition and the word play overlap.
As I see it, Read it once and it is a hidden clue (with a marginal indicator of a hidden clue). Read it again and it could be a cryptic clue – but you still have a bit of work to do (and no clear guidance as to what is involved). The ? suggests you look very closely as it is not straightforward and there is something else at play here
Remember this is only my understanding of an &lit clue, and David has given us a few in recent puzzles.
18d is new for me, should have asked my son! Been busy, so the rest will have to wait for the w/e.
Yes Wendy, 18d – bit of a trick this one. Needed Clue Hints for last Three letters.
Was on a different track thinking Document Op. System.
Would still have given a solve, but incorrectly.
You keep coming up with challenging grids and well written clues, thank you David. Personal favourites this week are 15a, 1d, 4d and 18d ( haven’t written those for years) ??
No wonder I was struggling. On arrival 8.00am Thursday all Picks of Week
except for 10a & 15a ( two fine examples of The Craft) were in that Left Half.
11a: A new definition for me
19a: For me, a perfect clue (see my following comment)
18d: Fairly easy for me as a techie. Possibly not so easy for others…
25d: Nicely deceptive.
Overall, the answers seemed to come more quickly than the previous week. Maybe I was less distracted.
There’s been some discussion on this page about &lit clues – so here’s a quick tutorial. By the way, everything I know about &lit clues, I learnt from David.
* In a normal cryptic clue, the definition is at the beginning or end, and the wordplay is the remainder of the clue.
* In an &lit clue, the whole clue is the definition, and the whole clue is also the wordplay. 19a is a beautiful example of an &lit, with the wordplay in the form of a hidden clue.
* You can also have a semi-&lit clue, where the whole clue is the definition, with part of the clue being used for the wordplay. Here’s a good example from #212:
This part of stair is erect (5)
The answer is RISER, which is defined by “This part of stair is erect”. The wordplay is “part of stair is erect”, indicating that RISER is hidden within “stair is erect”.
Thanks Greg. & lit is hard to get the mind around, but it is a treasure.Your examples, coming from David’s puzzles, should help to simplify it.
Thanks Greg and Arthur, I think I’ve got it now.
Stuck in NW and SE corners. Baffled.com.
Just had a few lightbulb moments. Now only left with 21d.
Got 21d now, so must have an error elsewhere as not getting the congrats.
I had 4d and 18a slightly wrong. Got the congrats now. ?
No “cheating” at all needed this week.