Cryptic crosswords: A puzzling British obsession
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Are these the ultimate brain teasers? Norman Miller explores the appeal of cryptic crosswords – containing mind-bending clues that offer unique Eureka moments.
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Let s begin a playful language journey with a dip into the mind of John Halpern, whose brain-teasing puzzles grace the UK s top newspapers under various pseudonyms. Halpern tells me about the day he met his wife. When she told me her name, the first thing I thought was it s an anagram of entail – though I didn t tell her that! he reveals. Instead I asked where the name came from. She told me Armenia . Most normal people would immediately think: Interesting – tell me something about Armenia . Instead, my first thought was It s the word men inside the word aria . I see wordplay patterns in the street, on the bus, at parties.
Last modified on Tue 23 Feb 2021 05.34 EST
In the sample clues below, the links take you to explainers from our beginners’ series. The setter’s name often links to an interview with him or her, in case you feel like getting to know these people better.
The news in clues
Picaroon has given us a puzzle that’s topical in the sense of “cheeringly topical”, rather than “I come to the crossword to avoid this kind of thing”. If fresh starts are your thing, so is the theme.
And even if “avoiding this kind of thing” is your thing, you can only admire the construction of this clue …