Puzzled by Cryptic Crosswords?

They’re actually quite fun once you get to know their nuances.

Created by Author on the Teachers Corner

Back in my twenties in New Zealand, I used to love tackling a weekly cryptic crossword that was featured in the TV magazine.

My Dad religiously completed the crossword each week. He would get mighty peeved if he couldn’t complete it within a couple of hours.

As a youngling, I would watch and wonder how on earth he extracted the answers from the clues. It was all so, um — cryptic!

Ironically, the answers lie in each of the clues. They’re cleverly structured, whether it’s a play on words — such as an anagram or homophone or the letters spelled backwards — a word formed from within the phrase or alternative meanings of the words used.

This is a classic example (courtesy of The Guardian)

screenshot by Author

Give them a try!