Do a crossword puzzle

Crosswords divide into two quite different activities. A quick crossword tests vocabulary and general knowledge; a cryptic tests whether you can parse a clue written to a strict formula. To do a crossword puzzle of the cryptic kind is far more learnable than it appears, because the formulas are finite and repeat constantly.

Why do a crossword puzzle is worth an hour

Every cryptic clue contains a definition, at one end or the other, plus wordplay that reaches the same answer by another route. Once you know that structure you stop reading clues as riddles and start looking for the split. Anagram clues are the easiest entry point because their indicators, words meaning confused or broken, are a short memorisable list.

How to do a crossword puzzle step by step

1. 1

   Start with the fill-in-the-blanks

   Quotation and phrase clues are the easiest. Solving a few gives you crossing letters for everything else.

2. 2

   Find the definition end

   In a cryptic, the definition sits at the start or the end of the clue. Identifying which halves the problem.

3. 3

   Learn anagram indicators

   Words meaning mixed, broken, confused or odd. Anagram clues are the most approachable type by a distance.

4. 4

   Use every crossing letter

   Fill what you know first. A three-letter word with two crossings is usually solvable by inspection alone.

5. 5

   Check answers rather than stalling

   Looking one up teaches you the clue type, which is worth more than an hour spent stuck on it.

Tips to get more out of it

• Do the same setter regularly. Setters have distinct styles and familiarity improves your solving substantially.
• Keep a note of recurring abbreviations: compass points, chemical symbols, Roman numerals. Setters reuse them constantly.
• Pencil, always. Confident wrong answers in pen make the whole grid harder to correct.

Ways to mix it up

If cryptics are too much, quick crosswords build vocabulary with no parsing required. If you want to learn cryptics properly, beginner-friendly puzzles with explained solutions exist specifically for that and are the fastest route in.

Do a crossword puzzle: frequently asked questions