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Cryptic crossword guide

Cryptic crosswords have a reputation for being fiendishly complicated but the knack is to learn the conventions and methods. We are aficionados of the Guardian crossword, in particular those by Araucaria who is widely considered to be the best setter around. Each newspaper's crossword has a distinctive character and the Guardian differs from others by showing the pseudonyms of the setters, who have their own particular styles.

Cryptic clues look like nonsense because they are not normal sentences. Most are made of two parts: a definition of meaning as you get in a regular crosswords (although perhaps less helpful!) and constituent parts of the answer. Thus if you've never heard of the answer before, it's possible to work out what it is from the constituent parts and then check the meaning.

It's a good idea to make sure your answer agrees and accounts for all parts of a clue. These parts are not mixed up so the definition will either be at the beginning or end of the clue. There are also general clues without constituent parts but they are rarer.

Most constituent clues are exclusively or a combination of: