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.
322
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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 ...
- 69.4k
12
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
- 69.4k
5
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
user40528
16
votes
2
answers
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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. Sir ...
- 69.4k
6
votes
2
answers
366
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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 ...
- 3,660
12
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
- 21.6k
12
votes
1
answer
231
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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 ...
- 69.4k
15
votes
2
answers
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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. While ...
- 69.4k
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votes
1
answer
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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.
- 4,166
13
votes
3
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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 ...
- 69.4k
9
votes
3
answers
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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.
...
- 69.4k
7
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
- 69.4k
9
votes
1
answer
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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 ...
user40528
15
votes
1
answer
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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.
...
- 69.4k
8
votes
3
answers
875
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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 ...
- 407
13
votes
1
answer
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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.
...
- 69.4k
5
votes
1
answer
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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....
- 6,714
5
votes
2
answers
197
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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 ...
- 460
14
votes
4
answers
2k
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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 ...
- 69.4k
29
votes
1
answer
715
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 ...
- 143k
10
votes
2
answers
1k
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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 ...
- 203
11
votes
2
answers
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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 ...
- 69.4k
9
votes
2
answers
548
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Keeping you safe
Complete the grid and find a two-word final answer.
Across
1. Ability to move first to northern aristocracy (8)
4. Animal to rip a short tail back (5)
5. Oral tradition about the origin of Indus ...
- 69.4k
11
votes
2
answers
1k
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X marks the what?
In the following clues, a certain term been replaced with $X$. Find out the meaning of $X$ and solve the crossword.
Down
Deadly $X$ (5)
White heroine or cocaine (4)
Introduction of good ...
- 69.4k
8
votes
3
answers
436
views
Help the Monkee get to the bandanas
Micky Dolenz, drummer and vocalist of 1960s pop band The Monkees, has lost his headwear collection. It has been hidden in a maze whose walls are in unknown places. To find out the location of the ...
- 69.4k
23
votes
2
answers
2k
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Emojional cryptic crossword
ACROSS
3. 🌟½☥🐪🚫👣 (9)
7. 🏆❌🖽⚔️ (3)
8. ½🍔🇫🇷🌊🏢 (6)
11. ♉½🇬🇷✉️ (3)
12. 🔫⭐⏺️♥️🗽🎭 (5)
13. 🍈♥️🇨🇴🏙️⏮️🍟🔚💐 (6)
14. 👂♀️🦌💰 (5)
16. 🎩👦♻️🐴🦄☝️🗾🏝️ (6)
19. 🐏💪🔀 (3)
...
- 69.4k
11
votes
4
answers
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Sailing the cryptic seas
So, I've built myself a ship. The image shows it from above. (Look, use your imagination, ok?)
With the clues below, try to figure out whether my ship is headed toward the top right or toward the ...
- 69.4k
6
votes
1
answer
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The Wild Bogeyman's Crossword
Solve this cryptic crossword and find the common theme:
The wild bogeyman dropped his bag in the bank (5)
God returned the small animals (4)
The insect stayed in the hospital and became a family ...
- 4,098
8
votes
1
answer
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No, nay, never, no more
A short one to celebrate an upcoming holiday.
1. A loud, wild rover's intense passion (6)
2. Needlessly spent, under the influence of whiskey and beer (6)
3. I'm returning with gold ...
- 69.4k
11
votes
2
answers
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Cryptic Crossword with Missing LUGs
Inspired by jafe's Cryptic with missing capitals and Tzu Li's Tokyo Metro puzzle:
Solve the clues and fill the grid. Each clue is missing a different London Underground Station
As jafe has noted in ...
- 21.6k
20
votes
3
answers
1k
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Cryptic with missing capitals
Solve the clues and fill the grid. Each clue is missing a different European capital city.
Across
1. Funny beret men strike $??$ to convene (4)
3. Containers found in a $??$ plaza (...
- 69.4k
11
votes
3
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Cryptic with some cross words
Across
1. Philosopher rejects Vietnamese soup, producing gas (5)
3. A penguin's formal attire (3)
5. Primate's kiss is the greatest success (4)
7. Meet not in extreme Korean clothing (3)
10. ...
- 69.4k
18
votes
3
answers
1k
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Cryptic cross... with words
Solve the clues and fit the answers into the grid.
Far north Silicon Valley's research & development leaders surround Jessica (8)
Pop star loses British-American distribution ...
- 69.4k
25
votes
8
answers
4k
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Headless horseman claims new head
Solve the clues and fit the answers into the grid so that each of the coloured squares contains exactly four different letters.
Sahara desert capitals of historically African region in ...
- 69.4k
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votes
1
answer
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Where can I find cryptic crossword answers explained?
Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but I'm not sure where else I might be able to get an answer.
I've recently gotten into cryptic crosswords. However, one thing keeps ...
- 103
15
votes
1
answer
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views
Colourful cryptic
No numbers in this grid. The clues are grouped into 12 squares by the location of the word's first letter. No guesswork is needed – if you have the correct answers, there's only one way to fit ...
- 69.4k
11
votes
1
answer
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Not even Cuba a true island nation
ACROSS
Country's initial trade union with endless value (6)
Arrangement before wordplay backfires (6)
Hiding in a Uruguayan Republic (5)
Pacific nation to place friend before treasure (...
- 69.4k
10
votes
1
answer
741
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Walking-related cryptic crossword
Across:
Telephone lacking automobile (5)
Toy company to put level head before self-importance (4)
Airport wanderer with large heart eliminates 007 (5)
Down:
Vehicle ...
- 69.4k
7
votes
2
answers
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Intermediate's Cryptic Crossword
My second attempt at making a cryptic crossword using the tips I was given in my first attempt.
I'm not sure if they adhere exactly to the rules, as there are a couple occurrences of homophones.
...
- 7,274
4
votes
2
answers
275
views
West is /a/ direction, but is it /one/ direction?
I want to clue the letters "FOWEST". Clearly,
Return of direction
would be fair, and so, IMO, is
Return of a direction
but is it fair to make the slight change to
Return of One Direction
...
- 4,873
19
votes
2
answers
926
views
The friendly cryptic where nobody has to die!
Warning: This puzzle may contain spoilers about Undertale and its plot. Please don't proceed if you don't want to be spoiled, since nothing will be in hide tags!
Undertale was released for the Switch ...
- 2,106
68
votes
1
answer
3k
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The Two-Trench Truce
This is an entry into the Fortnightly Topic Challenge #41.
The 100th anniversary of the end of World War I just passed a few days ago! In memory of this, in this puzzle we're going to reconstruct an ...
- 2,106
28
votes
1
answer
635
views
A Ghastly Cryptic
Oh no! Hallowe'en has weakened the borders between this realm and the spirit realm, allowing some tenebrous nogoodnik to release several ghosts from other universes upon you!
In this cryptic, each ...
- 7,009
2
votes
2
answers
261
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A Probably Pretty Badly Made Cryptic
I finally tried my hand at a cryptic crossword.
I don't really have any experience with cryptic crosswords, or crosswords for that matter so I probably broke like 300 rules.
For example, 17 down is ...
- 2,939
3
votes
4
answers
228
views
Is it fair to interlink clues?
Is it fair to link clues both ways? E.g. can I do:
1a. Local girl gives 8 (4, 4)
8d. 1 gives smooth head (5, 5)
I'm quite libertarian. What could I get away ...
- 4,873
19
votes
1
answer
300
views
Getting All Riled Up
Recently, there's been an awful lot of Riley riddles across PSE. Why are they so prolific? I think there's three main reasons: they're quick to write, quick to solve, and apart from its minor gimmick ...
- 2,106
4
votes
1
answer
237
views
Generic Cryptic Crossword
Here's a cryptic crossword. I was originally planning on having some sort of overarching theme, but the words were just not fitting together how I wanted. Good luck!
ACROSS
1. Interpreter from the ...
- 14.4k
18
votes
1
answer
1k
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Is this a puzzle? If so, what is the solution?
In the 2032th xkcd comic Cueball utters a sentence that may (and probably does) contain a word puzzle.
[Cueball and Megan standing together, musical notes hanging in the air as if music is ...
- 431
11
votes
1
answer
190
views
Creative Accounting
Sometimes, you just need to make your numbers look a little better. Exaggeration is a mathematical concept!
Across
1. Hesitant to drop ninth scolding (6)
4. Bird is eating element 108 (4)
8. Score ...
- 2,106
1
vote
1
answer
247
views
How to choose a crossword grid
I have two clues whose surfaces run together very neatly (no relation between the answers). How do I go about choosing a grid so they appear next to each other? E.g.
[Down clues]
4. Jay-Z is worried ...
- 4,873