The "Daily Telegraph" Big Book of Cryptic Crosswords: Bk. 14

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

How do cryptic crosswords work?, 2008-10-05
Have you ever wondered about those "Cryptic" crosswords that have such devotees? Have you ever wondered if you should buy a book of them and then not be able to understand the clues, let alone solve them? br / br /I have been doing the British-type cryptic crosswords for over 40 years. br /There is a simplified Canadian version if you can find it. br /They are called 'cryptic' because their meanings are hidden. Often they are hidden in ways you would never think of at first. And then when you do get it, you scratch your head and say, "Well yes he's right of course, but I didn't think he meant that." Exactly. br / br /) Almost every clue in British cryptic crosswords is written in two parts. One part is the meaning, and you have to work out what that is. The second part is unique to crossword puzzles. It contains information on how to spell the answer! But you never know which part is which. Are you reading the part that you must decipher, or are you reading the instructions on how to spell the answer? br /But when you do get the answer, there is never any doubt, because the meaning is clear and the spelling is already in the clue. If only you were thinking straight. br / br /) Except -- sometimes the second part of the clue is just another way of looking at the first part. For example, the clue is "Tidy animal". The answer is 'neat'. Why? Because not only does 'neat' mean 'tidy' but a 'neat' is -or was- a bovine animal. (Neat's foot oil is used for tanning leather.) br / br /) You must know every meaning of every word in the language. This means you must know that a given word can be a noun or an adjective or a verb or an adverb. For example, did you know that the word 'meet' is not only a verb, it is also an adjective, meaning 'fitting'? br /Again, the word 'object' can be the name of a thing, or it can be a verb meaning 'to protest', depending on where you put the accent. The expression 'I object' means what you think it means, namely I disagree'. But in cryptic crossword puzzles, 'I object' can be the accusative case - the object case - of the pronoun 'I', namely, 'me'. So in this case 'I object' means 'me' br /Here's a simple clue, and the answer has only four letters: "I object to Eastern Time, although it may be fitting." What is the compiler saying? There are clearly two parts to the clue, but which is which? The answer to the clue is the word "meet". Why? Because 'I object' means the objective case of 'I', namely 'me'. Eastern Time is abbreviated 'ET'. Put them together and "I object to Eastern Time" becomes 'meet', which means 'fitting'. br / br /) The clues either contain no punctuation marks, or they are in the wrong place. The whole idea is to make you misread the clue and hide the meaning. (After all, that is what 'cryptic' means!). A missing punctuation mark will make you run words together when in fact they are not related. You have accidentally joined two words when one of them is part of the definition and the other is part of the spelling of the answer. br / br /) American history has appeared in British Cryptic crossword puzzles. For example, the clue is: "General protection from the wind." The answer is "Lee". br / br /) The names of American states can appear in abbreviated form. "State a tail-less dog runs the range." Answer: 'gamut'. (Georgia mutt with a missing tail.) br / br /) If you buy a book of cryptic crosswords, you need to know some of the history of Britain, including the names of politicians going back many decades. This is because some of the clues were written a long time ago. So you are forgiven if you look at the answers at the back! br / br /) You need to know some British slang, some of which is now out of date. For example, the clue is "The strange graduate does a dance." The answer is 'rumba'. Why? Because, in British slang the word 'rum' means 'strange'. So a 'strange graduate' is a 'rum BA'. Simple, right? br / br /

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The very best crosswords!, 2006-12-26
These puzzles are brilliant - there is such satisfaction in solving each twisted clue - really great brainteasers! Keep up the good work Daily Telegraph! I've been doing these puzzles for about 30 years! I never tire of them - perfect for long car trips.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Exercise your brain!, 2006-03-20
Research shows that the brain should be exercised just as the rest of the body is exercised for long-term health and function. English crosswords do more than test your trivia knowledge; they make you look into word origins, puns, anagrams, and regional language, as well. The Daily Telegraph puzzles are challenging and amusing, giving you 2 clues to each answer so you know when you have found the right word or phrase. One really gets better with practice, but they remain challenging for me after 40 years of doing them. Carry them around in your pocket for those times when you are waiting for an appointment, and see the time race by!