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Original poster

Can you do cryptic crosswords? Beginner in need of help.

237 replies

Flamingoose · 03/10/2021 00:42

Substances left from evaporation are absorbing uranium (7)

Last letter is E.

I sort of want it to be RESIDUE, because that's a substance left from evaporation. If we assume 'absorbing uranium' means put a U in it, then I've put a U in RESIDE - but I have no idea where the RESIDE came from, so maybe RESIDUE is wrong?

Any help?

OP posts:
cricketball · 04/10/2021 10:35

I love a good beginner cryptic (no way am I up to the Times yet) but just wanted to add that you can buy books of cryptic crosswords including the Times quick cryptic ones and the Daily Telegraph ones.

CraftyGin · 04/10/2021 11:16

@PurpleDaisies

This is a nice one from a recent crossword (I raided the recycling!).

LAMBS BITE LIONS? WHAT’S IN THEIR HEARTS? (8)

Ambition?
PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 11:16

That’s right.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Games
WithMyEncyclopedia · 04/10/2021 11:41

Thanks all.. I was distracted by the idea that "munch" came into it

FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 12:26

So which cryptics are people doing today?

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 12:36

I might grab the T2 from the work canteen if nobody else has snaffled it…

CraftyGin · 04/10/2021 13:06

@FoxgloveSummers

So which cryptics are people doing today?
I did the Times Quick Cryptic. I didn't really enjoy it as there were a couple of obscure words, and no anagrams.

I think obscure or arcane words are what separate the beginner cryptics from the more seasoned ones.

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 13:29

No spoilers please @CraftyGin, I haven’t got my hands on it yet! 😂
It does help to have an obscure vocabulary and a lot of less well-known ‘general knowledge’. One of my work colleagues in my previous job saw me doing them and wanted to learn, but she struggled, especially with anagrams, as she’s slightly dyslexic. Very intelligent so always got it when I explained the thought process, but she was missing on some of the weird facts that I probably have in my head just by virtue of being nearly 15 years older than her.

Cooroo · 04/10/2021 13:39

I didn't get 1 ac in Times Quick - which is embarrassing as it was my job for 30 years!

Press employee, sort with dog in tow (10)

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 13:43

@Cooroo

I didn't get 1 ac in Times Quick - which is embarrassing as it was my job for 30 years!

Press employee, sort with dog in tow (10)

Did you get it in the end?

That “sort” initially made me think anagram but then saw what it was.

vajingleberry · 04/10/2021 13:43

I'll be doing the Guardian cryptic this afternoon.

Monday is always the easiest one and they get progressively trickier up to Friday.

I did manage to complete the prize one this Saturday (with just a little bit of help from Mr Google)

I like doing the big Times one on a Saturday, but find the TImes in the week a bit of a struggle.

Fifteen squared is quite good for parsing (explaining) clues.

www.fifteensquared.net/2021/10/02/independent-10912-by-rodriguez/

FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 13:44

I’ve done most of the Guardian Quiptic (online)

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 13:44

Explaining what parsing means is very meta!

FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 13:44

@Cooroo

I didn't get 1 ac in Times Quick - which is embarrassing as it was my job for 30 years!

Press employee, sort with dog in tow (10)

I was trying to anagram it too. That’s quite sweet isn’t it! (Interesting job?)
CraftyGin · 04/10/2021 13:54

@Sunbird24

No spoilers please *@CraftyGin*, I haven’t got my hands on it yet! 😂 It does help to have an obscure vocabulary and a lot of less well-known ‘general knowledge’. One of my work colleagues in my previous job saw me doing them and wanted to learn, but she struggled, especially with anagrams, as she’s slightly dyslexic. Very intelligent so always got it when I explained the thought process, but she was missing on some of the weird facts that I probably have in my head just by virtue of being nearly 15 years older than her.
I'm not good at solving anagrams (or don't have the patience). I can tell when there is an 'anagrind' so put the words into an anagram solver. Does that make me a cheat? Grin
CraftyGin · 04/10/2021 13:56

@Cooroo

I didn't get 1 ac in Times Quick - which is embarrassing as it was my job for 30 years!

Press employee, sort with dog in tow (10)

In retrospect, it was a pretty straightforward clue, but I didn't get it until I had all the other letters in. D'oh!
Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 14:32

Well I learned a new word in there!

FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 14:33

@CraftyGin that's what makes you crafty! I do that too if I'm short of time, I have it in my "not cheating" pile along with "I think X is a word, it fits, maybe it's a kind of lizard, so it's ok to google and check".

ErrolTheDragon · 04/10/2021 14:38

"I think X is a word, it fits, maybe it's a kind of lizard, so it's ok to google and check".

That's definitely not cheating - actually, I think that's one of the best 'buzzes' about doing crosswords, when you logically deduce the existence of a word you'd not come across before.

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 14:39

I quite often work backwards by guessing a word that fits and seeing why it fits with the clue.

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 14:40

And once you’ve completed everything you possibly can, it’s also fine to Google the clue to find out what the answer is, as that helps you learn for the next one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

ErrolTheDragon · 04/10/2021 14:58

@Sunbird24

And once you’ve completed everything you possibly can, it’s also fine to Google the clue to find out what the answer is, as that helps you learn for the next one. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Unless it's a prize puzzle, and you submit it, of course!
NatriumChloride · 04/10/2021 15:11

Omg this thread moved fast! Can someone please explain how you got spiral arms from the clue?

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 15:11

Grin Yeah, definitely that, but you’d hope the answers to prize puzzles wouldn’t be online so soon!

NatriumChloride · 04/10/2021 15:12

Meant to add I can’t see anyone explaining the solution, sorry if someone has and I’ve missed it