I was reminded a few weeks back that as a setter I must not only cater for a huge range of solvers with different abilities but consider where people may be at in their lives and what experiences they may have had. Even though I look at words as being made up of other words and letters, the words and answers I use, and the clues I phrase can mean different things to different people. I’ve often wondered whether I could get into trouble for writing a cryptic clue that reads as a disparaging remark yet the answer and how it’s derived bear no resemblance to the original clue. In theory the clue is a puzzle, and only the definition (and answer) means something, but a casual reader could easily be offended if they didn’t have cryptic insight. Some publications have crossword rules about acceptable answers that include the non-use of diseases etc and anything that may cause offence, which is rather broad. A cryptic crossword setter may get away with a risque word as the right clue will soften the blow creating a kind of inside joke.
One non-crossword word puzzle app I’ve done work on excludes words related to alcohol, tobacco, magic, religion, death and sex in order to secure a “G” rating. The context doesn’t matter so a word like “undertaking” can’t be used due to its association with death. It’s a black-and-white world when it comes to such things, with no exceptions. Thankfully with crosswords a setter provides a context and ultimately determines which definition is at play even if a clue may appear to be pointing in a different direction.
Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | DARLINGS | |
Girls and spoilt people very much loved (8) | Anagram of GIRLS AND | |
5 | ISHTAR | |
This restored art greatly depicted goddess long ago (6) | Anagram of THIS + (AR)E | |
10 | OUTED | |
Versatile vehicle used in middle of flooding may be exposed (5) | UTE inside FLO(OD)ING | |
11 | EMOTICONS | |
Returned book is about kid’s typical facial expressions (9) | TOME reversed + (IS outside CON) | |
12 | RELEVANCE | |
Adjusted lever can close to make connection (9) | (Anagram of LEVER CAN) + MAK(E) | |
13 | KNEAD | |
Work shortage revealed through announcement (5) | Sounds like NEED | |
14 | SADDLE | |
Cut of meat doubled initially (doubled!) in demand (6) | [(D)OUBLED x 2] inside SALE | |
15 | LANTERN | |
Tailless land and sea bird is light? (7) | (LAN)D + TERN | |
18 | OVER-AGE | |
Newspaper’s reporting, except for leader, is too old (4-3) | C(OVERAGE) | |
20 | LAPTOP | |
Computer retrieved money won by gambling friend (6) | (POT + PAL) reversed | |
22 | ROSTI | |
Slices of taro stiffened potato dish (5) | taRO STIffened | |
24 | RIGMAROLE | |
Set up part in play after graduate’s performance (9) | RIG + (ROLE after MA) | |
25 | ALLOTMENT | |
Share everything with tot upset around people (9) | ALL + (anagram of TOT outside MEN) | |
26 | TAINT | |
Colour drawn around a black mark (5) | TINT outside A | |
27 | TRANCE | |
Ecstasy not originally presented in evidence (6) | (N)OT inside TRACE | |
28 | INGRATES | |
King short of capital judges selfish people (8) | KING minus K + RATES | |
Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | DOOSRA | |
Ball that spins across, from right to left, clipping edge of stumps? (6) | [(A + ROOD) reversed] outside (S)TUMPS | |
2 | RETALIATE | |
One, after returning, satisfied a basic need to settle accounts (9) | (I + LATER) reversed + ATE | |
3 | INDIVIDUALISTIC | |
One form of identification used in civil suit and confused with original (15) | I + (ID inside anagram of CIVIL SUIT AND) | |
4 | GREENIE | |
Environmentalist that is backing new generation of energy mostly (7) | IE after [anagram of (ENERG)Y] | |
6 | STICKING PLASTER | |
Criticism in Survivor about doctor’s medical cover (8,7) | (STICK + IN + LASTER) outside GP | |
7 | THOLE | |
Oar’s fulcrum and starboard side of boat split (5) | BOA(T) + HOLE | |
8 | RESIDENT | |
Local power removed from leading figure (8) | PRESIDENT minus P | |
9 | DO WELL | |
Pin used to fasten large boom (2,4) | DOWEL + L | |
16 | ECONOMIST | |
Green not taking minutes is a government adviser, possibly (9) | ECO + [NOToutside (M + IS)] | |
17 | POT ROAST | |
Dish of braised meat and taro cooked in stock (3,5) | Anagram of TARO inside POST | |
19 | EARNED | |
Auditor mounted study and made money (6) | EAR + (DEN reversed) | |
20 | LIGHTEN | |
Illuminate lift (7) | Double Definition | |
21 | TESTIS | |
Nut is attached to back of screen (6) | IS after TEST | |
23 | SALSA | |
Dance group in rehearsal, say? (5) | rehearSAL SAy |