5 easy ways to tackle cryptic crossword puzzles

Cryptic crosswords are an immensely satisfying form of mental exercise, a battle of wits between you and the creator of the puzzle. Here are five techniques for tackling those difficult crossword puzzles.

The key to cryptic crosswords is that no element of a clue is superfluous.

• A crossword setter will call on a number of conventions when devising a clue, so the first step to becoming an aficionado is to learn the main ones.
• The ones listed here account for perhaps half the answers in any given cryptic crossword.

The answer is often a synonym for the first or last word or phrase in the clue. Think: "What is the answer going to mean?"

• In "Roughly put down cheap wine," the answer is a synonym for both parts of the clue: plonk.

Many clues are disguised anagrams, and these are often the easiest to spot.

• Look out for words that might point to an anagram, such as "confused," "about," or "mixed," then see if there are words in the clue that add up to the right number of letters.
• The solution to "Claimed USA plotted conflict" is "postulated" — an anagram of "USA plotted" signalled by the word "conflict" (and a synonym for "claimed").

Cryptic clues make great use of common abbreviations or colloquialisms.

• "Politician"can imply the letters MP; "fashionable" or "home" suggest IN;"about "implies CA or RE; C can be derived from"hundred"(Romannumeral) or"cold"; "father" can be PA; "mother" is MA; "soldier" is GI orRE(RoyalEngineer); "doctor" can be MO, MD or DOC.
• If interpreted correctly, these letters, combined with other elements of the clue, will then feature in the solution.

Sometimes the solution is actually spelled out in the clue, but split across one or more word breaks.

• The solution to "Find a seat in stalls of arena," for example, is SOFA, its letters hidden in "stalls of arena."

Every crossword puzzle is different, but most follow certain conventions. Keep these common solutions handy and solve difficult puzzles with ease.