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Uncle, without niece, at first is upset, but gives a hint

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:40 pm
by brogine
Any fans of cryptic crosswords? If you’re familiar with the WSJ or Harper’s puzzles, I can direct you to some that make those look like a crossword puzzle in My Weekly Reader.

Subject, in a word: clue

Re: Uncle, without niece at first, is upset, but gives a hint

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:10 pm
by Slava
I like crossword puzzles, but have never been able to get into cryptics. I'm stodgy in my take on these, I don't particularly like the modern, asymmetrical versions that pop up on indie puzzle sites, either.

Re: Uncle, without niece, at first is upset, but gives a hint

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:49 pm
by brogine
Slava, try the ones - about every other Saturday - in the Wall Street Journal online. They’re a great introduction to cryptics. The cluing is just so interesting, and there’s always an overall scheme or gimmick and often a final ‘Easter egg’, a clever and amusing denouement to the affair.
Some clues you will get immediately. Otherwise, you could look at the answers and you’ll soon understand the different types of dirty tricks setters use.

Re: Cryptic crosswords

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:32 am
by Audiendus
I have always been a fan of cryptic crosswords. I often do the ones in the British Daily Telegraph and the London Evening Standard. Some of the clues are really ingenious!

Here are a few cryptic clues (not from crosswords) that I have made up myself. Can you solve them?

It's rapid, but no longer alive (5)
Eleven plus two rearranged (6,4,3)
Musical work, not Opus 1 (5)
Common site of the proverbial London bus (7)
It's madness to use only four letters (13)
Austrian composer – or painter, as his compatriots would say (6)
Not a bag but a trombone (7)
Dishonestly fall to the ground in disarray during a goalless draw in Spain (6)

Re: Uncle, without niece, at first is upset, but gives a hint

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 5:53 pm
by brogine
I got ‘sackbut’. As for the rest, well, I’m no Endeavour Morse. But I shall persevere.

You might enjoy the following:

Journal puzzles available here:
https://www.wsj.com/news/puzzle (Search for ‘cryptic puzzles’)

A couple of samples:

 https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/docu ... 022021.pdf


https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/docu ... 302021.pdf


Kevin Wald’s at

http://www.math.uchicago.edu/%7Ewald/concryptics.html

A sample:

http://www.math.uchicago.edu/%7Ewald/conl2_20a.pdf

(One of his later efforts. Earlier puzzles are a bit less complex.)

Harper’s Magazine puzzles, similar to the WSJ ones, are available by subscription. Or, up until a few years ago, in print editions you may find in a library.

Re: Cryptic crosswords

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:07 am
by Audiendus
Thanks for the links. I'll have a look at them.

Re: Uncle, without niece, at first is upset, but gives a hint

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 6:37 am
by Slava
Here's a site I get some regular puzzles from. There are some cryptics, too. Free and downloadable:

https://squarepursuit.com/