Does anyone here understand cryptic crosswords

[tAAC]

I've tried so many times to 'get' it, but its like reading another language.

Is there some key you need to know first? How do you do it?! Or is it just a talent?

Sorry about that, I do love a decent puzzle. Yes, you just have to practice, Observer is a good starter. If you do enough of them, you get to know how the compiler thinks and constructs clues so you do get better at solving them. The Guardian is good, they have several different compilers, the greatest of whom was Aurucaria now sadly departed. Oh he was clever.

Useless

Can be both parts = answer. Like a play on words.

To reduce consumption.

Use less

Useless = No good.

Because reduce less = use less. No good = useless

Araucaria was Impossible! Agree start with the observer, you might just manage a couple of clues at first. Keep last week's and work out why they were the answers.

Following as I need answers to new clues and to get more tips. I sometimes manage a few of the Times quick cryptic which my mother does in a couple of minutes.

Cryptic crosswords were a BIG DEAL in my family when I was little. Whole weekends doing the bank holiday jumbo or Saturday jumbo (tended to do The Times).

Met a really interesting crossword setter at a memorial service once - he used to/perhaps still sets the observer crosswords and wrote a book about them. The clues/tells/codes (quiet can be P, ten X etc). We bonded over live for Araucaria in The Guardian.

Don’t forget also as you go through the crossword you get the letters from the ones you’ve filled in. Sometimes you see the word and then fit it to the clue...

Imprisoned wrongly in old age (6)

Board is to make progress (3,2)

GAOLED - anagram of old age. Means imprisioned. Wrongly = anagram.

Can’t do the second though 😁

I recommend the i cryptic - only 60p for the paper and it's blogged at idothei so you can see how to parse the ones you didn't get. Puzzles by Dac and Phi are generally less tricksy - Phi is usually the setter on Saturdays (although the paper does cost £1 then!)

Get on (board)

Doh! Sometimes I find myself fixating in one meaning - like here the idea of board being rent rather than other alternatives. 8 think it’s why we used to take time working through a large crossword - com8ng back with fresh eyes.

I got the last two! (albeit I thought get on due to the number of letters and then saw it fit the clue)

I'm usually crap but feel inspired to have a bash.

If you go on iplayer there is an episode of inside number nine about a crossword compiler. It's amazing

Board Get On

I used to do loads of these, mainly The Guardian, although I can’t do Araucaria at all. Haven’t done a cryptic crossword for a while but I got tirade below.

Once you know that the answer is one end of the clue and about the rules as pp have described it’s easier.

Thanks OP. Have just ordered a collection of Auracaria puzzles as my Christmas present to me. Good luck. Persist. Its very rewarding when you complete a puzzle.

I'm another who just can't. I can usually understand how the clue is constructed after knowing the answer, but I can't get to the answer from the clue. Oh well. /fires up Red Dead Redemption 2 instead.

Er spoon . . . Thats a game and not a clue, right?

If the clue uses the word “general,” the answer may contain “lee.”

So “in general” can mean “le(other letters)e.”

tourist sight etc. is TOWER OF LONDON

longwayoff Yep! Fancy cowboys game, much easier than word puzzles. Plus you can play poker round the campfire.

Enjoy