Our series for those tempted or daunted by cryptics discusses those times when we take the letters from the beginning and end of a word
In the example clues below, I explain the two parts of each one: there is a definition of the answer, given in bold type, and there is some wordplay – a recipe for assembling its letters. In a genuine puzzle environment, of course, you also have the crossing letters, which hugely alleviate your solving load. Hence “crossword”. Also, the setters’ names tend to link to profiles of the individuals behind the pseudonyms.
If you have chosen crosswords as a thing to do while being a human stuck in 2020, you may have enjoyed an earlier instalment in our beginners’ series: in June, we looked at clues that ask you to strip off the first and last letters from some word. “Naked words”, we called them.
22dNothing on sides of coffeemug (4)
[wordplay: abbreviation meaning “nothing”, next to (“on”) first and last letters (“sides”) of COFFEE]
[FA next to CE]
[definition: mug]
26acEdges of Estonian flagintact (6)
[wordplay: first and last letters (“edges”) of ESTONIAN plus synonym for “flag”]
[EN + TIRE]
[definition: intact]
1ac SauceI don’t know at all, edges of label cut off (7)
[wordplay: synonym for “I don’t know” plus AT (“at”), then ALL without first and last letters of LABEL (“edges of label cut off”)]
[PASS + AT, then ALL without LL]
[definition: sauce]
2dPressingunder guarantee, not only banks (6)
[wordplay: just the first and last letters (“only banks”) of UNDER, GUARANTEE and NOT]
[UR + GE + NT]
[definition: pressing]
The next competition will be in a fortnight’s time, as next week will be a tribute to a setter.
Here is a collection of all our explainers, interviews and other helpful bits and bobs.
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