Questions tagged [crossword-clues]
A question relating to interpretation of clues in a crossword puzzle, or to generation of clues in a crossword puzzle. Use [cryptic-clues] for clues obeying the conventions of cryptic crosswords, [crosswords] or [cryptic-crosswords] for whole crosswords rather than individual clues.
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A Message to the SE Admins
We're graduating! I feel the only appropriate way to respond is a Stack Exchange themed puzzle:
Albertan politician who succeeded Lucien Maynard (6, 7 or 6, 8)
Approved for passport authorization (6)
...
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Want to See My Crossword? Too Bad!
I had a wonderful crossword all prepared for you.
But... you suck. >:( So I'm just going to tell you about it.
It was an 8-by-8 American-style grid with white and black squares, ...
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Spaced Out and Obfuscated
In this puzzle I took an English phrase, spaced it differently, then replaced the resulting words with synonyms or definitions. This is an example to show you what I mean.
Spaced out and obfuscated:
...
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The Video Gamers' Double-Duty Crossword
"OK, so I know that you two are always arguing about what type of crosswords to do- 'Normal crosswords are too boring!' 'Cryptics are too esoteric!!' Trivia vs wordplay, yeah, I've heard both ...
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The Video Gamers' Double-Duty Crossword 2
See the original HERE
Video games — Trivia vs Wordplay — one more time:
Here are twenty crossword clues that describe twenty video games. Solve them if you'd like! Or, if you treat each clue as ...
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BBC's Regular Expression Puzzle
Rather than use traditional hints, each square must be a match of the regular expression associated with the row or column.
Source
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(11 of 11: Meta) What is Pyramid Cult's All-Time Favorite?
Dear PSE users and moderators,
I’m new here in PSE, but I really need your help. There was this person who gave me a black envelope consisting 10+1 pages of puzzles, and also a scribble saying: “Find ...
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Fortune tellers have dinner
I've seen these before somewhere (maybe here?), but they're all mixed up!
Who/what is being described by the clues below?
Consequence of a disastrous harvest
What a mathematician might do to ...
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Salon workers, for short?
The clue is "Salon workers, for short?", and
the answer is "EDS".
I've spent hours trying to find an EXPLANATION for this answer.
Why are there so many sites that simply GIVE you the answer without ...
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Split: A puzzle-hunt style word puzzle
The answer is a six-letter word. You're strongly encouraged to discuss and collaborate on the puzzle in this chat room.
I've had this puzzle playtested before, but I still welcome feedback and ...
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Moons and messages
This puzzle is part 15 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
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Why is "trapeze" the solution to this cryptic crossword clue?
I was doing a cryptic crossword this morning and I came across the following clue:
Circus equipment has chimpanzee, say at the centre
The answer is "TRAPEZE" (confirmed by "check answers"). The ...
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A new adventure awaits! Let's go!
UPDATE: To make this puzzle fairer, the pieces have been modified to include additional hints. If you want to try and solve the puzzle with the original non-clued pieces, click here.
A tale is being ...
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How is a crossword clue to be interpreted when it contains (… includes part of #-Direction)?
Given crossword contains two examples of these clues. This crossword is complete and correct.
43 Across reads:
Component of a teacher's interview (... includes part of 28-Down)
Clue for 28 down:
...
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Drums and punctuation
This puzzle is part 19 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
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A Smuggled List of S'S
Smuggled this strange list from [redacted] 's place. Maybe he is making a puzzle. Who is the victim?
Scarlet covers
Swindler's imprecation
Sour disordered equipment
Smash journal
...
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Monstrous Morphemes
Below are thirteen clues that describe paired words. The first word in each pair is an atrocious attribute. The second word is a fearful figure. The words in the pair share a sort-of stem (or simply a ...
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The Dice Star Strikes Back
This puzzle is based on another one: called A star made of dice from a popular Italian puzzle maker @Alenanno (Who also helped me with this one). However there have been some modifications to make ...
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What rules are there for clue composition in a British cryptic?
Growing up on the cryptic crosswords I found in Games magazine and The New York Times, I'm used to a very rigid rule for clues: Every clue comprises two parts, one of which directly (if opaquely) ...
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Why is “AFTS” the solution to the crossword clue "Times before eves, in ads"?
I was doing a crossword from the NY Times (from Mon, Feb 11, 2019 by Portia Lundie / Will Shortz) and I got the following clue.
51 ACROSS - Times before eves, in ads
The answer is "AFTS". ...
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A sequence of three letter words/abbreviations
I have ten three letter words/abbreviations in a sequence, numbered 0-9, each of which differ by precisely one letter from their previous and next words. Here are clues for each of the words:
The ...
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Thousands and thousands of words
This puzzle is part 25 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
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cryptic clue: mammal sounds like relative consumer (8)
While solving this cryptic I figured out the answer to 1-across (mammal sounds like relative consumer) without solving the subsidiary indication. (I used down constraints and the standard part of the ...
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A burglar's sunglasses, a lady's odyssey
This puzzle is part 17 of Gladys' journey across the globe. Each part can be solved independently. Nevertheless, if you are new to the series, feel free to start at the beginning: Introducing Gladys.
...
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A nice 5x5 word square
Clues:
type of Indian cows;
what's done to money;
needs a good groom;
more than deserved;
needs a good groom.
Construct the word square! (I created it myself; hoping the above is enough info to ...
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Spaced Out and Obfuscated: Afterwards Phone Number Abbreviation Heredity Unit Portion
This is, I think, the last of the series. The description of how these works is here. The answer is an English sentence. Enjoy.
exclamation confined chop enclosed by index
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Spaced Out and Obfuscated 2
If you haven't seen it already, my explanation of a spaced out and obfuscated puzzle is here. I have a sequel. Here is my spaced out and obfuscated version of an English proverb:
pasture ...
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Cryptic clue: Are you bowled over by this beauty?
Can you solve the following cryptic clue?
...... (6)
Hint 1:
Hint 2:
Hint 3:
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Puzzle Hunt 02: Echoes of Change
This is part two in my clichéd treasure island puzzle series. The story carries directly on from part one.
You take an incredulous look at the map.
spoiler for part one
"That's a bit of a cliché. "...
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Crossword clue from today
A splendid clue from today's "London Times" crossword:
One my Dr's treated? (8)
Bonus point if you know the technical name for this kind of clue!
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A message to a Puzzling User
I have decided to send a message to a fellow Puzzling User.
Solve the following clues to find out the message:
An intense request for a bargain (4)
Shorten this great community without ...
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Cryptic clue: Boil rocks in wood scrap (7)
I'm newbie to cryptic crosswords and I'm a bit lost as to how "abolish" is the answer to the clue "Boil rocks in wood scrap (7)."
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single cryptic crossword clue... sofa besmirched with urine? Nasty [9]
single cryptic crossword clue.
Sofa besmirched with urine? Nasty [9]
This was a clue in a recent cryptic puzzle I saw in a newspaper. I reproduce it here as I thought it might be of interest.
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Laddergram to start off your day?
I thought I'd try my hand at creating a Laddergram, a format of puzzle I've seen in Dell's Pencil Puzzles and Word Games. The rules here are: on each row, there are three words given by clues. The ...
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Something's missing
I recently received an e-mail from my cousin who knows I am into puzzles. The body of the puzzles was weird and only thing I know is that he talked about being excited about something the last time I ...
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Cryptic Clue - "One who will succeed with melody, we hear" Answer - "Heir"
obviously I understand the definition part "One who will succeed". But can someone tell me how the word play part works in this clue?
"with melody, we hear"
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Crossword-style rebus puzzle
The following image represents a word, in a way that makes sense in American English but not in British English.
What is the word?
Hint:
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Cryptic clue "Injured person's mostly easy-going (8)"
I'm stumped on the last clue in another cryptic crossword. The clue is
Injured person's mostly easy-going
The (confirmed) cross-clues give C_S_A_T_. Normally I can guess at a part or at least the ...
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Cryptic, then Crossword, then Clues
Answer is one word.
{1}{2}{3}{4} (6)
{1} [a] (7)
{2} [b][c][d][e] (6)
{3} [f] (3)
{4} [g][h][i] (6)
[a] Bonding family in cod (7)
[b] Container fight (3)
[c] Considering ...
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Crossword Clue for ERECS
I'm designing a crossword right now and am looking for a clue for the word "ERECS." It has appeared in a crossword before, but I'm not exactly sure about "ERECS" as "Sets up." Is there any chance "...
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Friends or Foes?
Text version of clues:
Center of the hearth?
Year ring? Yes!
Crazy place?
Sound sleep?
Summer house?
Twenty winds?
Wave hello?
Ten times an unknown?
Only ground?
Strong by chance?
Soul-nourishing ...
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Help with a "tougher tuesday" crossword puzzle on "animal opposites"
I assume this must be some obscure word play that I can't figure out. The overall clue of this NYT style crossword puzzle is "Animal Opposites".
The three clues relevant to this overarching clue and ...
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A Howler's Disposition
An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #37: Rare and Endangered 1
I've made a 5X5 word square, meaning that each word is 5 letters long and the words are the same in those positions horizontally and ...
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Crossword puzzle clue Y's guys?
In the New York Times Tuesday October 14, 2008 crossword puzzle, 18 across, 4 letters, is "Y's guys?" and the answer is:
It must be fairly obvious but I can't figure out what this means. The question ...
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Why is “HADAT” the solution to the crossword clue "went after"?
I was doing crossword from NY Times, from Mon, Feb 11, 2019 by Howard Barkin + Will Shortz and I got the following clue.
Went after
The answer is "HADAT". However, I can not find ...
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Mean to confine flower that's fibrous (7)
From the Guardian Cryptic crossword No 26,271, set by Chifonie:
Mean to confine flower that's fibrous (7)
The confirmed answer is
I can see the definition, and I think part of the wordplay, but ...
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7X7(Borrowed words Puzzle)
7X7(Borrowed words Puzzle)
Note : The main purpose of this puzzle is not just for someone to answer it, but I hope someone can also Tell what types of this puzzle is exactly,as you can see i just ...
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Cryptic Crossword Clue: Mind reading Pop Star is fashionable (7)
Here is a British-style (cryptic) crossword clue:
Mind reading Pop Star is fashionable (7)
Let me know if you can figure it out.
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Explain this NY Times Mini Crossword clue from Sept 20, 2022
In The Mini Crossword in the New York Times for Tuesday, September 20, 2022, there is a clue:
What "taxes," "wonkery" and "I mean" are each anagrams of [5 letters]
And ...
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