How to... DO A CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Don’t let it get you too down or (a)cross: the wicked wordplay is all part of the fun

It's all about cracking the coded language of each clue. Start by studying answers, and you’ll begin to recognise a few devious means. The definition (as found in a regular crossword) will likely be at either the start or end of each clue. Try some word association once you think you’ve found it. Everything else is the ‘subsidiary indicator’, a devilish bit of word play that reinforces the definition. Here, keep your eyes peeled for specific cluewords: Hidden words found within the words of the clue might be indicated by the use of ‘some’, or ‘in’ or ‘within’. ‘Muddle’, ‘transfer’ etc might suggest there’s an anagram, or even a word in reverse, if it talks about ‘coming back’, ‘going west’ or ‘on reflection’. ‘Sounds like’, ‘spoken’ and the likes could suggest you’re after a homophone (two words that sound the same but mean different things). Some words indicate abbreviations. ‘Computer’, for example, is likely to mean ‘PC’, and ‘Image’ ‘PIC’. Search ‘crossword abbreviations’ on Wikipedia for a handy list. Keep thinking laterally: ‘beginning’ or ‘Initially’ might indicate using a first letter; the use of ‘ring’ or ‘egg’ point towards using the letter ‘O’, and so on...