Parseword - for those who would like to be better at cryptic crosswords!

[UnaOfStormhold]

I am definitely not good at cryptic crosswords but feel this is both fun and a good way to get better

www.parseword.com/

Parseword #179
⚡️ 55s
💎 Perfect

That was a hard one.

Parseword #180
⚡️ 30s
💎 Perfect

Parseword #180
⚡️ 43s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

I didn't get yesterday's!

Parseword #181
⏱️ 1m28s
✅ 1 Assist
🥚 Learn Mode

I felt like this was a bit of a cheat as you could only select all the indicators and get any sense.

Parseword #181
⚡️ 15s
💎 Perfect

Today's did not make sense to me! There seemed to be a step missing to get to the final word and I can't see what was meant to prompt it.

Parseword #181
⏱️ 3m54s
✅ 3 Assists

I thought it was odd too - I've PMd you.

If I'd not inadvertently seen @drspouse post before playing the puzzle, I'd probably have been floundering too.

Agree @drspouse

Parseword #181
⏱️ 1m5s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Parseword #182
⚡️ 35s
💎 Perfect

That's more like it

Parseword #182
⏱️ 1m27s
⭐️ No Assists
🥚 Learn Mode

By the way, when I do crosswords with my dad, I look up synonyms or "words ending -ium" on my phone but he looks them up in his crossword dictionaries and thesaurus. Help with cryptic crosswords has an old and honourable history - my grandfather was born in 1910 and he did these things too.

If you are doing Minute Cryptic - I just got it but thought I was wrong because I spelled the answer wrong - if I had bothered to look at all the letters in the anagram I would have worked out what I was substituting but I didn't, I just randomly went "that looks right, it has some of the same letters".

I got today's Minute Cryptic on even par, 3 hints. I didn't know where to start without the hints, especially as the first indicator went completely over my head.

My granddad was a very skilled cryptic crossword solver, kept his brain active all his life. I wish I had done more with him!

Parseword #182
⏱️ 1m40s
⭐️ No Assists
🥚 Learn Mode

Parseword #182
⏱️ 1m18s
⭐️ No Assists

Parseword #183
⚡️ 51s
💎 Perfect

My grandmother was the same @UnaOfStormhold
I wish I had been as good at cryptic crosswords as she was

Parseword #183
⚡️ 35s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode

Brava! 35s was fantastic!

Minute Cryptic - 31 July, 2026
"Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly" (7)
⚪️⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 2 hints – 1 under the community par (73,195 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Parseword #184
⚡️ 32s
💎 Perfect
🥚 Learn Mode
(What happens when I switch off learn mode? How do I switch it off?)

Minute Cryptic - 31 July, 2026
"Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly" (7)
⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 1 hints – 2 under the community par (90,153 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

I picked the right hint MC for me today.

Parseword #184
⚡️ 38s
💎 Perfect

Parseword #185
⏱️ 1m4s
⭐️ No Assists

Minute Cryptic - 1 August, 2026
"Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on" (6)
⚪️⚪️🟡🟡🟡🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏋 5 hints – 4 over the community par (70,000 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

I was really set on the wrong thing for too long.

Minute Cryptic - 1 August, 2026
"Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on" (6)
⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🤝 1 hints – matched the community par (77,400 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share

Parseword #185
⚡️ 52s
💎 Perfect

I got about 4 clues in yesterday's Times Quick Cryptic (there isn't one on Sat) and had to look up a very technical term so I sent the definition to my dad!