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.
294
questions
5
votes
1answer
141 views
Bikini life – A letter from Gladys
Letters from Gladys are geography-themed standalone crosswords. Each puzzle has five thematic answers, which are places, sights or landmarks in or around a certain location (in this case, a city). ...
11
votes
1answer
309 views
Wintering – A letter from Gladys
Letters from Gladys are geography-themed standalone crosswords. Each puzzle has five thematic answers, which are places, sights or landmarks in or around a certain location (in this case, a province). ...
6
votes
1answer
319 views
Just thought of you – A letter from Gladys
Letters from Gladys are geography-themed standalone crosswords. Each puzzle has five thematic answers, which are places, sights or landmarks in or around a certain location (in this case, a city). ...
13
votes
1answer
377 views
PSE Advent Calendar 2021 (Day 23): Gee, I Really Wonder Where We'll Land
This puzzle is part of the Puzzling StackExchange Advent Calendar 2021. The accepted answer to this question will be awarded a bounty worth 50 reputation.< Previous Door Next Door >
To fully ...
12
votes
1answer
406 views
It was someone else
Across
1. "In coordination and cooperation"? The New Yorker uses these strange terms all over article (6)
6. Try to capture a cow, perhaps abruptly – it stands outside (6)
12. Presents ...
18
votes
1answer
652 views
PSE Advent Calendar 2021 (Day 10): The distracted gridsmith
This puzzle is part of the Puzzling StackExchange Advent Calendar 2021. The accepted answer to this question will be awarded a bounty worth 50 reputation.< Previous Door Next Door >
My grid ...
9
votes
1answer
306 views
Cryptic crossword: Hydrophilia
Three answers must be thematically shortened before entry in the grid; wordplay gives the shortened version. The contents of one cell in the completed grid should be suitably replaced to highlight the ...
2
votes
1answer
182 views
Crossword Day puzzle
This article is a stub. You can help StackExchange by expanding it.
Crossword Day is coming! (Maybe a better name for this regional holiday is "cryptic crossword day".)
Here is a themed ...
7
votes
1answer
386 views
How about a crossword featuring Mickey Mouse?
Across
1. Packed and set up a tent around river's bank (7)
5. A crush of Rome? (5)
9. Suppress repeated 7 down taking? We object (4)
11. Soldier in news story, retreating: "Go back!" (7)
12. ...
11
votes
1answer
597 views
Guess the extra rule in this crossword!
Six "across" clues need to be modified in some way before solving. However, I'm not telling you which ones, or what the required modification is. You'll have to figure it out on your own.
...
10
votes
2answers
719 views
How do I get Quinapalus to give me words that are 'anagram of word_a' in 'word_b'?
I would like to use the Quinapalus Matcher to look for words that are made (with some prior jiggerypokery) from two letter sets, let's call them $word_a$ and $word_b$.
The letters in $word_a$ can be ...
8
votes
1answer
275 views
Fanatically following f...?
Eighteen answers are printer's devilry, others are regular cryptic clues. Can you fill in the last word of the title?
Across
1. Kay's satisfied getting fortune (6)
4. Accelerate around place of ...
12
votes
1answer
630 views
Eurasian nomads
Across
1. Theatrical musical interrupted by a tram construction (12)
10. One-time Vatican resident's right to boycott Toyota vehicle (4)
12. Exhausted courier crammed small boxes (6)
13. Hong Kong ...
14
votes
1answer
374 views
Don't know what to call this crossword
I seem to have forgotten the name of this puzzle. The only thing I do remember is that every answer is different. Can you find out what it's called? Why do you think that name is appropriate?
Across
7....
8
votes
1answer
329 views
Criminals and lawsuits
Across
1. Merely suitable or exactly right (4)
4. Throw dance party after Lent? (8)
10. Happening near Alberto Fujimori's home: Eating shaved ice with the last bit of fruit punch (8)
12. Share load of ...
8
votes
1answer
446 views
Trig's amuddle!
As in most cryptic crosswords, each clue here has a wordplay portion and a direct definition. The definition clues the answer that goes into the grid; the wordplay, on the other hand, yields one ...
7
votes
1answer
247 views
Breaking the law
Across
2. Mary Jane is head over heels, pursuing pair of jazz musicians who play in a southern style (2,3)
5. A vote cast by the end of third round (6)
9. In Cabo, Peter missed out on short drive ...
11
votes
1answer
388 views
And the wheel keeps on turning
Across
1. Ask me about glacial landforms (5)
4. Invalidate start of automobile race's first round (7)
9. Luciferous phenomenon shown by conservative TV network, with strong displeasure (7)
10. Someone ...
12
votes
1answer
677 views
Left wanting more
This is part 14 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. This is the final puzzle in the series and solving it requires knowing the answers to the previous puzzles.
Previous ...
10
votes
1answer
380 views
Cryptic Crossword: Askew
Another cryptic crossword, with a twist! Each 2x2 group of yellow tiles forms a room, which are each assigned a number via the Roman numerals found in a room's lower-right corner. More details about ...
8
votes
1answer
350 views
Cryptic Crossword: Parallel Universes
This is my first post! Feel free to let me know of any points of constructive criticism you have.
Cryptic Crossword: Parallel Universes
What you see before is not one puzzle, but four: each from an ...
7
votes
1answer
233 views
The end of a wild ride
This is part 13 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
My long trip is finally over. This is my last destination before ...
9
votes
1answer
424 views
Rich and unique
This is part 12 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Unfortunately I’m nearing the end of my trip. Next week’s ...
6
votes
1answer
430 views
Going in circles
This is part 11 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Don’t ask me how or why, but this week I have ended up at almost ...
9
votes
1answer
506 views
Cryptically Coping
Tetchy that jafe just outputs one puzzle per week? Well, think twice! jafe's jamming quite quickly, seemingly superhumanly! However here's my mollification, another attempt. Hearty hopes thou takest ...
9
votes
1answer
708 views
Traveller's fatigue
This is part 10 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
I have noticed that the longer a trip lasts, the harder it is to ...
8
votes
1answer
339 views
Fun Cryptic Crossword
You purchase a tabloid-ish newspaper from a stand at your local station, hoping desperately there's a cryptic in the back to sate your crossword desires. You begin pencilling in some obvious anagrams ...
5
votes
1answer
232 views
Enjoying the ride
This is part 9 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Nine destinations down, four to go. As you may have noticed, my ...
12
votes
1answer
764 views
Eh, void or something? – Rubbish cryptic crossword
I threw this out in 2020 but then regretted it, so I decided to post it now. Enjoy. I guess.
Across
1. Desert mother with pet, being surrounded by guns which shoot flyers from behind (7)
5. Icon of ...
5
votes
1answer
364 views
Almost interplanetary travel
This is part 8 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
How have you been?. My trip is going really well. Even though you ...
9
votes
1answer
308 views
King Albert VII
This is a themed cryptic crossword, with six answers following the theme. For further instructions and details, scroll past the crossword and clues.
ACROSS
1. Without everyone, head off in area where ...
6
votes
1answer
567 views
She must be tripping
This is part 7 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
As you have probably noticed, I visit quite a lot of different ...
5
votes
1answer
585 views
Take nothing but pictures
This is part 6 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
”Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.” – unknown
Dear Puzzling,
...
7
votes
1answer
880 views
Endless party… famous last words
Twelve of the clues are missing song titles, all different from one another, substituted by boldface question marks, one question mark per word. Each missing song was, as a single, in the top ten in ...
8
votes
1answer
366 views
The world's best and brightest
This is part 5 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Hi, it's me again! I don't know if you have noticed, but there are a ...
4
votes
1answer
242 views
Gladys loves Pink Floyd
This is part 4 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
I hope you are well. This week’s puzzle is a little different from ...
7
votes
1answer
294 views
At the Top of Their Game
Do you like cryptic crosswords and new ██████? So do I! Enjoy!
Note: While it's (hopefully) possible to deduce the missing word in the flavour text, doing so is a bonus challenge that isn't required ...
8
votes
1answer
533 views
All-round traveller chickens out
This is part 3 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
As I'm sure you know, I am pretty much an all-round traveller. I'm ...
8
votes
1answer
398 views
Your weekend bite-sized cryptic
Just a mediocre 5x5 cryptic. Nothing fancy, no theme, and hopefully I didn't do anything funky with the conventions of cryptic clues.
Clues:
1A Nothing held by fake-rich group (5)
4A Code from an ...
8
votes
1answer
439 views
Roaring walls of water
This is part 2 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Time really does fly when you are having fun. It seems like only ...
9
votes
1answer
681 views
Living the traveller’s dream
Dear Puzzling,
How have you been? I'm excited to tell you about my new trip. For the next three months or so, I will be visiting a total of 65 exotic destinations. I’m so happy to be travelling again! ...
8
votes
1answer
283 views
Monday Morning Cryptic Crossword
Nothing special, just a cryptic crossword. Hope you enjoy!
ACROSS
1 Small stones accent trail border (6)
4 Deceitful spouse breaks down and admits beginnings of cheating and infidelity (8)
10 ...
7
votes
1answer
328 views
Highlights and group dynamics
There are no horizontal word boundaries in the grid. Answers to "across" clues must be written on their correct row, in the order given, with no spaces.
Six "down" clues have had ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Communists and Christians
Across
1. Singer Collins is performing leads for Prince (6)
5. Broken spine leads to aches (5)
10. Say, 33 across and Cuiabá's northern tip, described by excellent lyric poems (9)
11. Predecessor to ...
11
votes
1answer
248 views
Awake – a cryptic crossword
This crossword is a tribute to the 1994 album Awake by Dream Theater.1 No knowledge of the music itself is required for solving.
Some clues are missing a part which has been replaced by two question ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
Don't mess with Germans
Across
3. High-pitched sound of loud automobile coming around too regularly (8)
7. Old TV show prosecutor's entertaining everyone (6)
9. Town in Arcadia orders one to retire (6)
10. Shake alien's ...
9
votes
1answer
581 views
Africa just kept coming up
No tricks this time, what you see is what you get. The "around" answers are simply written in the coloured cells clockwise.
Across
1. City on the British Isles, excluding the island on which ...
22
votes
1answer
714 views
A cryptic crossword is in order
There are no word boundaries in the grid. Answers are placed on the row or column indicated by their number in the order given (first a, then b etc.). Successive answers on the same row or column are ...
9
votes
1answer
732 views
Fountain of Wealth
Based on the following crossword, find a word to describe those with fancy titles and lots of money.
Across
Down
1. Clear area for brightest star in constellation (6)
1. Refuse time off once at ...
13
votes
2answers
2k views
I want to play a game
I've been playing a lot of video games lately. After solving this crossword, you should know which video game I want to play next. Thanks to Deusovi for test-solving and general feedback!
Across
Down
...