In the example clues below, I explain the two parts of each: the definition of the answer, given in bold type, and the wordplay – the recipe for assembling its letters. In a genuine puzzle environment, of course, you also have the crossing letters, which will greatly alleviate your solving load. The explanations contain links to previous entries in this series on such matters as spelling one word backwards to reveal another. And setters’ names tend to link to interviews, in case you feel like getting to know these people better.
Hello again! Setters can often be kind souls. They might, for example, direct you to a word that is pretty much the one you need to write in the grid, just with an extra letter to remove. Here’s Chifonie:
21ac Pretence produces endless embarrassment (4)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘embarrassment’ minus its last letter (‘endless’) ]
[ SHAME minus its last letter ]
[ definition: pretence ]
We think of another word for “embarrassment”, lop off the end, find that it matches the definition, and confidently write SHAM in the grid.
Likewise, Imogen asks for something similar …
17ac Draw level shortly (3)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘level’ minus its last letter (‘shortly’) ]
[ TIER minus its last letter ]
[ definition: draw ]
… and remove the R from TIER for TIE.
Naturally, they’re not always that kind. The setter might ask you to also use one of the other devices we’ve been looking at in this series. That includes one cryptic staple, of course. Here’s Arachne:
21d Most weirdly, bats return to natural habitat (6)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘bats’) of most of WEIRDLY ]
[ anagram of WEIRDL ]
[ definition: return to natural habitat ]
This time, we’re don’t find a synonym of “weirdly”; we take WEIRDLY itself, drop the Y and jumble it into REWILD.
And just as “bats” doesn’t immediately read as meaning “crazy”, there are sneakier ways of asking you to remove the last letter than “endless” and “shortly”, such as this one from Everyman:
4ac Swindle rascal detailed (4)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘rascal’ minus its last letter ]
[ SCAMP minus its last letter ]
[ definition: swindle ]
We de-tail – remove the tail from – SCAMP for SCAM. More puckish still, from Puck …
2d Pagan with Manx feline, I’d suspect (7)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘suspect’) of FELINE minus its last letter (‘Manx’) & ID ]
[ anagram of FELINID ]
[ definition: pagan ]
… just as a Manx cat has no tail, so does FELINE lose its E before becoming part of the anagram of INFIDEL. Finally, here’s an old favourite from Paul …
2d Going further shaking bottom, extremely cute singer (7)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘going further’ minus its last letter (‘shaking bottom’) + first and last letters of (‘extremely’) CUTE ]
[ BEYOND minus its last letter + CE ]
[ definition: singer ]
… for the mononymous BEYONCE. “Docked”, “abruptly”, “not quite”, even “scratching backside” are others. Do seasoned solvers and setters have any examples they would like to share? And beginners: any questions?
