Tag Archives: solution

While Australia has been solving cryptics for just about as long as anywhere else in the world, we have never really embraced them to the extent that we would say they are part of our culture. Say “have you done … Continue reading →

Not long ago I talked about the problems that can occur in cryptic clues if care isn’t taken to avoid potential issues that may cause offence. While a cryptic clue is usually not to be considered as a statement/phrase in … Continue reading →

I’ve done a piece on my clue for LOUNGE, a word that appears to have options and not hard to clue, but presented me with a few problems. A bit of time and effort produced a good clue that I … Continue reading →

I’ve talked before about the dangers of offending people through the content and clues of a cryptic crossword. A cryptic clue isn’t meant to be taken as a whole phrase, as it’s generally a two-part puzzle, usually presented in a … Continue reading →

A few weeks back I was looking through a local crossword and came across this clue: Dawn is grieving without you (7) (SMH 18/4 by LR) I was taken back instantly to my early cluing days where I didn’t realise … Continue reading →

I’m on record (somewhere) as saying that you can’t construct a good cryptic crossword without putting a lot of thought into the choosing of the words in the grid. There are a couple of key reasons for this: a good … Continue reading →

A while back a device was used in a DA crossword that caused a little discussion on the Australian Crossword Club forum. He uses many devices that I don’t subscribe to, but this one I quite like. DA first mentioned … Continue reading →

Deception is what we setters like to use as often as possible in a cryptic crossword. You might think that’s necessary in EVERY clue, but truthfully, to experienced solvers most clues may not be deceptive at all. A setter goes … Continue reading →

Writing clues over a long period has pluses and negatives. On the plus side, a mental formula develops that helps get to a reasonable clue in the most efficient way. Basically, you get better at writing them the more you … Continue reading →

Doing my usual cryptic crossword search recently unearthed a keynote speech by Dr Alan Finkel, Australia’s chief scientist, a government position of some note. I was intrigued and excited and scanned through looking for the cryptic reference. When I found … Continue reading →