Cryptic Crosswords & How to Solve Them

by Fred Piscop

Welcome to the world of cryptic crosswords, where no clue is as simple as it seems. Here's where you can uncover the secrets to solving these tricky puzzles and then test out your new-found skills on some of the toughest examples you've ever seen! For the first part of the book, in-depth, step-by-step notes and annotations explain how to solve each type of clue. Learn how to recognize "flags" signaling hidden words, anagrams, charades, homophones, reversals, containers, deletions, and double definitions. Then, practice on the samples where the clues may appear to make sense on the surface, but dig deeper and you'll see that each one has at least two meanings. One definition is obvious--but to figure out the other, you'll have to engage in some wordplay. Once you've fully grasped cryptic logic, try the real thing with 19 increasingly difficult, bigger puzzles. 96 pages, 70 b/w illus., 5 3/8 x 8 1/4.

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Denise Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is nice and clear, and friendly. It has a good selection of practice crosswords, arranged by clue type, and good explanations of all the clue devices generally found in the standard sorts of cryptics. It's also a rarity — written for the American market, where cryptics are not widely done!