Yahoo News Cryptic crosswords for beginners: a little bit of politics
In the example clues below, I explain the two parts of each one. There is a definition of the answer and there is some wordplay – a recipe for assembling its letters. In a genuine puzzle environment, of course, you also have the crossing letters, which hugely alleviate your solving load. Also, here, the setters’ names tend to link to profiles of the individuals behind the pseudonyms.
I tend to think that if I’ve read much of the rest of the newspaper, I ought to know everything I need to solve the crossword. And one staple of the “news” sections that appears in the clues time and again is politics.
‘Member’ = MP
Here’s Nutmeg with one of her characteristically neat clues …
12a Member behind review of spots to stay under canvas (6)
[ wordplay: abbrev. for ‘member’ after (‘behind’) reversed (‘review of’) synonym for ‘spots’ ]
[ MP after reversed ACNE ]
[ definition: to stay under canvas ]
… for ENCAMP. Other words in clues that might indicate an MP in the answer are “representative” and, straightforwardly, “politician”. (And it should be noted that a “member” might equally indicate ARM, LEG and the rest of it.)
‘Party’ = CON
Here’s Paul with a clue …
18a Strain, say, behind party rivalry (10)
[ wordplay: soundalike (‘say’) of synonym for ‘strain’ after (‘behind’ again) abbrev. for a political party ]
[ soundalike of ‘tension’ after CON ]
[ definition: rivalry ]
… for CONTENTION, and an opportunity to note that a “party” can of course also be LAB, just as a “prisoner” can be a different (unless you’re Jeffrey Archer) kind of CON.
‘Workers’ = TU
What about, as they used to ask, the workers? Here’s Brendan …
4d Laws in parts of US covering organisation of workers (8)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘parts of US’ containing (‘covering’) abbrev. for ‘organisation of workers’ ]
[ STATES containing TU ]
[ definition: laws ]
… spelling it out as “organisation of workers” in a clue for STATUTES, but that abbreviation for trade union might equally be indicated by “workers”, just as those handy letter-strings NUM and NUT might cause there to be a “miners” or a “teachers” in your clue.
‘Taxman’ = IR
Nowadays, more often “old taxman”, since the Inland Revenue merged with HM Customs and Excise in 2005. So here’s Harpo with a clue …
18d Old tax office work finally getting a little tedious (7)
[ wordplay: abbrev. for ‘old tax office’ + last letter of (‘finally’) WORK + synonym for ‘a little’ ]
[ IR + K + SOME ]
[ definition: tedious ]
… for TEDIOUS and a remark that the letter-string HMRC is much less useful to setters.
‘Revolutionary’ = CHE
There’s really one revolutionary I think of straight away when I see that word in a clue. So it goes in this clue from Vulcan …
21d Revolutionary spray dispenser (7)
[ wordplay: familiar name of a revolutionary + synonym for ‘spray’ ]
[ CHE + MIST ]
[ definition: dispenser ]
… for CHEMIST.
Seasoned solvers: any familiar abbreviations or conventions I’ve missed? Beginners: any questions?
More guidance
Cryptic devices: hidden answers; double definitions; cryptic definitions; soundalikes; initial letters; spoonerisms; containers; reversals; alternate letters; cycling; stammering; taking most of a word; naked words; first and last letters; middle letters; defining by example.
Bits and bobs: Roman numerals; Nato alphabet; Greek letters; chemistry; abbreviations for countries; points of the compass; playing cards; capital letters; boys and girls; apostrophes; cricket; alcohol; the church; Latin; royals; newspapers; doctors; drugs; music; animals; cars; cities; rivers; boats; when the setter’s name appears; when the solver appears; “cheating”.
Individual letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M.
The Shipping Forecast Puzzle Book by Alan Connor, which is partly but not predominantly cryptic, can be obtained from the Guardian Bookshop.
