The Stickler Weekly 70 Solution

I bet if I asked you for your favourite cryptic clue, or you were asked for an example of a cryptic clue, it would either be a cryptic definition (where there’s a disguised definition and no wordplay) or an &lit (where the wordplay and the definition overlap entirely). These two clue types may be seen at each end of the cryptic spectrum as the rest of the clue types fit somewhere in-between. Neither would be considered a typical form of cryptic clue and it’s quite likely that you won’t see them often in your everyday cryptic crossword. So why do these clue types get labelled as favourites or used as examples? It’s quite common for cryptic solvers to be asked by non-solvers about their hobby/obsession and there’s a need to have some examples tucked away for these situations. How would you “explain” cryptic clues briefly based on the two-part wordplay/definition breakdown that we are all familiar with? It’s difficult, as without some cryptic understanding, the inquirer is likely to be bamboozled even in regard to a basic concept like the anagram. However, a cryptic definition can be understood by all without any cryptic insight – the inquirer just needs to alter their thinking a little. Pointing them in the right direction can lead to the answer that clearly equates to the clue. To some extent an &lit is the same as the whole thing represents the definition – something everyone can understand. Cryptic definitions are also easy to remember and provide that “aha” moment that some solvers crave. Can you imagine someone trying to explain a container and contents clue with anagrammed fodder involved – no hope – yet these types of clues are what cryptics crosswords are all about.