Questions tagged [cryptic-crosswords]
Cryptic crosswords are a special type of crossword puzzle where clues combine a definition with wordplay. Use [crosswords] where the clues don't obey the conventions of cryptic crosswords; [cryptic-clues] or [crossword-clues] for clues not assembled into whole crosswords.
153
questions
7
votes
2answers
169 views
Keep it simple!
Across
5. A retired grandmother accommodating man with amazing deal and great price (2,3,3,1,3)
10. Fourteen pounds – unlimited amount of weight (3)
11. Civil engineer is somehow very sour (8)
...
12
votes
1answer
454 views
White to mate in 2
This is a cryptic crossword puzzle. Clues are normal, however some entries clash with one another. Each such clash is resolved by adding the clashing letters using the standard A1-Z26 numerology, ...
7
votes
1answer
147 views
Jazz and all that
Across
1/4/9. Isn't Satchmo sad during the final parts of Miles Davis song? (5,5,5)
7. Baron von Richthofen's rank above the king? (3)
10. Assistants have a bit of chlorine added to aqua regia ...
8
votes
2answers
590 views
What would Abe say?
Across:
1. Way to defeat everyone (5)
4. Performer's departing could be melodramatic problem (7)
8. Primarily deploying Uranium in the destruction of bed lice can be reasoned out (9)
10. ...
8
votes
1answer
666 views
Italian coin collector
Across
3. Extraordinary claim: He is 13 across after 9 down (7)
6. Crashed ashore, sounding rough (6)
8. Got away from David and Edward going separate ways (6)
10. General supermarket chain ...
10
votes
1answer
679 views
Have you met Vera?
Across
1. Maybe St. Paul's Hospital admitted Polanski's wife, approximately half-hour missing (5,7)
7. Moving canoe to the sea (5)
8. Natural bottled water brand is all about having tea (6)
10....
6
votes
1answer
143 views
Group of invaders
Across
4. Singer Tom serves food with delays (5)
7. Told secrets upon deep rambling (6,2)
10. Group of invaders to be at the French shores, finally? (7)
11. Pass around the tales to ...
5
votes
1answer
132 views
Family left in prison
Across
1. Distinction of common man lost in siege of Paris (10)
8. Apprentice and a lead tamer injured a lion of global interest (13)
9. Caesar's greeting met with fury, setting initial ...
15
votes
1answer
1k views
Elves, Hobbits and Dwarves
Across
1. Nice ladies kiss without men? (11)
6. Ask about a music style (3)
7. Messy ski campsite, without a doubt (10)
10. Performance of Cats troubled after loss of leading star (3)
11. Be ...
3
votes
1answer
144 views
A game of cross-dominos
The grid above shows the final layout of a domino game played with a standard $28$-tile (dominos $0-0$ to $6-6$). The first domino played, the $4-4$ double is given, and solvers must complete the ...
7
votes
1answer
428 views
Dying for Caesar
Across
1. Smoothening the rest of the day? (7)
8. Tune's introduction omitted by exotic Croatian instrument (7)
10. Secretly agree to meet… (5)
13. …and not to be indoors every second (3)
14....
7
votes
1answer
209 views
A Butcher's Brawl
Beastly brawl begets batch of black and blatantly blue butchers. Crack the coming crossword to create curious clues, then tally total troublemakers that tussled:
Clues:
Across:
1. Vote to mention ...
8
votes
1answer
325 views
China's Paramount Leader
Across
1. Non-living bot infiltrates CIA from the back to collect informant's head (7)
5. Linux extremist behind pressure associated with revision of ISO standard (5)
8. Contained in ...
9
votes
1answer
428 views
British lady in a strange land
Across
1. Where people are shown in delight (8)
5. Stray people of Indo-Aryan heritage putting one foot in front of the other (4)
8. Loop back of static web address (4)
9. Wings of sparrow ...
9
votes
2answers
384 views
Twelve Labours - #09 House of Hippolyta
This puzzle is part of the ‘Twelve Labours’ series, but can be solved independently. Previous instalments can be found here: Prologue | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08
The House of Hippolyta ...
11
votes
3answers
601 views
Arabia and the Middle Ages
Across
1. Kind of direct language; used in the Middle Ages (8)
8. Stadiums are small beyond the limits of NBA (6)
9. A blowgun destroyed small house (8)
10. Frog King decapitated a kind of ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
Nominally, he has only half a life at 59! - British cryptic crossword question
I believe cryptic crossword questions are valid here, though do forgive me if I'm wrong!
NOMINALLY, HE HAS ONLY HALF A LIFE AT 59! (5)
The "(5)" denotes the amount of letters in the answer.
HINT:
...
9
votes
2answers
344 views
Double feature: Bibliophile edition
This puzzle is part 12 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will conclude in "Double features: The wrap-up".
Rules of Tents and Trees1
Place a number of tents ...
8
votes
1answer
422 views
Double feature: Computer problems
This puzzle is part 11 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Bibliophile edition".
Rules of Statue Park1
Insert eleven of the ...
6
votes
1answer
384 views
Double feature: Health shakes
This puzzle is part 10 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Computer problems".
Rules of Slitherlink1
Draw a single continuous ...
9
votes
1answer
451 views
Cryptic Battle: Welcome to PSE!
Inspired by jafe's Double feature series.
The following is a hybrid Star Battle and diagramless cryptic crossword. Solve the clues and the grid, then place the clued words in the grid in a logical ...
11
votes
1answer
630 views
Double feature: Unpopular
This puzzle is part 9 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Health shakes".
Across
2. A victory is found in path leading to hardship (...
6
votes
1answer
240 views
Double feature: Going postal
This puzzle is part 8 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Unpopular".
Rules of Yajilin1
Shade some cells in the grid.
The ...
9
votes
1answer
391 views
Double feature: Weightier
This puzzle is part 7 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Going postal".
Rules of Statue View1
Insert the four given pieces (<...
10
votes
1answer
394 views
Double feature: Legal trouble
This puzzle is part 6 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Weightier".
Rules of Hitori1
Shade some cells in the grid.
No ...
9
votes
2answers
443 views
Double feature: In cold blood
This puzzle is part 5 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Legal trouble".
Rules of Nurikabe1
Shade some cells in the grid.
...
5
votes
1answer
260 views
Double feature: Hot stuff
This puzzle is part 4 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: In cold blood".
Rules of Heyawake1
Shade some cells in the grid.
...
8
votes
2answers
346 views
Double feature: In concert
This puzzle is part 3 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: Hot stuff".
Rules of Ripple Effect1
Fill the grid so that each cell ...
8
votes
1answer
282 views
Double feature: Russian desman
This puzzle is part 2 of the Double feature series (first part here). The series will continue in "Double feature: In concert".
Rules of Masyu1
Make a single loop which goes through ...
12
votes
1answer
586 views
Double feature: Braaains
This puzzle is part 1 of the Double feature series. The series will continue in "Double feature: Russian desman".
Rules of Akari (also known as Light Up)1
Insert light bulbs into any ...
5
votes
1answer
150 views
Cryptic crossword (jigsaw fill)
This is a cryptic crossword jigsaw fill: the clues are listed below, grouped by length (the only clues to have length in the standard parentheses are those having two words) and in alphabetical order ...
13
votes
2answers
869 views
3D cryptic featuring Mao, Stalin and Simba's uncle
This is a three-dimensional cryptic crossword. The eleven squares above represent the layers of a $11\times11\times11$ cube.
Across
21. Tribunal's way to imprison you in the old days (10)
25. ...
6
votes
2answers
323 views
Light Themed Cryptic
This crossword is themed, and in fact, the theme is revealed in the unclued answer. Note that some of the clues won't make a lot of sense without knowledge of this theme, as I couldn't find much in ...
12
votes
1answer
156 views
A Cryptic Not-so-mini Cube
A quick teaser, enjoy!
Across
3 Dance bores serious (5)
6 Light angry look (5)
11 Finally asked it to agree (5)
12 Rails - cunning homes of thieves (5)
15 Trap saner design (5)
16 Kingdom with real ...
11
votes
1answer
191 views
3D devilry, DIY edition
This is a diagramless three-dimensional cryptic crossword. Solve the clues and then fit the answers into a three-dimensional grid.
The numbering of the clues starts from the #1 (nearest) layer. On ...
13
votes
2answers
450 views
A cubeful of three-dimensional devilry
This is a three-dimensional cryptic crossword. The seven squares represent the layers of a $7\times7\times7$ cube. The clues are a mix of Printer's Devilry and normal cryptic clues.
Across
13. ...
8
votes
1answer
668 views
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.
12
votes
3answers
711 views
3D Crossword, Cryptic, Statue View & Maze
The following image depicts the layers of a $5\times5\times5$ cube. Using 3-dimensional thinking, can you find the way out of the cube?
Empty version with no crossword numbers
Empty version ...
7
votes
3answers
710 views
Lady G's amazing mazings
This puzzle is part 20 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.
...
7
votes
1answer
649 views
Prince of Darkness goes cryptic
No tricks here, just a small cryptic.
1. Reveal dance club around large museum's centre (8)
2. The coast is safer not intoxicated (8)
3. Party's conclusion to stand by alternative green ...
8
votes
1answer
353 views
Cryptic crossword (printer's devilry edition)
All but nine of the clues are normal. The remaining nine are printer's devilry clues, whose answers are thematic. Solvers must fill the grid correctly and use the thematic material to identify an ...
13
votes
1answer
292 views
For the price of one
This puzzle is part 12 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.
...
7
votes
3answers
862 views
Missouri raptors have wild hairdos
Across:
1. URL for commercial clothes (7)
3. Steal each commodity (6)
5. One gut was queasy, you can stick it out (6)
7. Throw caution to the wind and sell art (7)
9. Endlessly care for ...
12
votes
1answer
475 views
A cryptic tricolour
This puzzle is part 8 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.
...
5
votes
1answer
124 views
Little cryptic with no words involved
ACROSS:
?) Around the world - almost the answer to reversed scary room.
?) Poker deck, oh, for poker deck with 20 more squared with 20 more.
?) Smaller beast is lone, beheaded within infamous order....
4
votes
2answers
138 views
Providence Pentominoes Puzzle By Andrew Bradburn (Jigsaw)
I came across this apparently well known cryptic crossword with a twist but was unable to solve it. I also haven't been able to find a solution anywhere online so I was wondering if anyone here could ...
13
votes
4answers
2k views
Disembodied hand growing fangs
Across
2. Puzzle expert breaks first dilemma partially (7)
10. Nobleman bandleader (4)
13. Lead singer, AC/DC's second; extremely over-the-top (5)
18. Actor Morgan and organ lying on the same ...
28
votes
1answer
531 views
Arc (&) Reactors
(Note: This puzzle may require a small amount of research if you aren't familiar with the work from its theme.)
It was exactly 11 years ago -- April 14, 2008, in Sydney -- that the first Iron Man ...
10
votes
2answers
923 views
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 ...
11
votes
2answers
689 views
Collected fruit by Seine's banks
Across
1. Double-decker reversing in front of soldier's watercraft (9)
5. Sectarian salt dispenser (6)
10. Opposed to machine learning amid mental angst (7)
11. New York city – why to be ...
