Cracking the Cryptic

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Title unashamedly stolen from a Youtube channel I like which does some cryptic crosswords. Link to a playlist of solves (but they're quite advanced): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK1PFaZYiRg&list=PLK-l8O0YikOnokwrak27g-kR-GtEGKf7w

I started doing cryptic crosswords in February and love them. So I'll try here to get people introduced to them by posting a clue every day or two. They will all be from the Guardian's Quipics and Cryptics which I print out and take with me to cafes / work. I'll keep them handy so maybe some people will get into them.

Crossword basics:

• For the vast majority of clues, the definition can be found at the start or the end.
• A lot of clues have indicators that suggest what word play is being used. Some examples would be "extremes" or "heartless" meaning use the outer letters of a word. "North" in a down clue, or "West" in an across clue suggests reversing a word. Words like "moving", "cooked", "off" or "rude" suggest anagrams. Etc. Link to clue types.

Some examples of a cryptic solve:

Difficulty: Easy
Across: Type of book that's difficult to finance (8)

Definition: Type of book
Clue type: Charade [Bits of answer coming from other words: Synonyms / Abbreviations usually]
Indicator: There isn't always an indicator but "that is" suggests that the answer is a result of word play to the right
Answer: HARDBACK
Reason: Difficult = hard. Finance = back (to back someone's business)

Difficulty: Medium
Across: Guilty party's rip-off concealed by religious group (8)

Definition: Guilty party
Clue type: Charade + Container
Indicators: 's suggests that the answer is to the right. concealed suggests word within a word. off suggests anagram. (Something changes when it goes off)
Answer: CULPRIT
Reason: Religious group = Cult. Rip = Pri. Put Pir inside Cult and you get CUL PRI T.

Difficulty: Medium?
Across: Animosity Summit Announced (5)

Definition: Animosity
Clue type: Homophone
Indicator: Announced ie. It's spoken so we don't know how it's spelled.
Answer: PIQUE
Reason: A summit is a peak. But spoken, it sounds like pique.

Difficulty: Hard (in my opinion)
Across: One left standing (6,9)

Definition: All of it
Clue type: I think it's called a Pure Cryptic. Pretty rare in easier crosswords.
Indicator: None, which suggests it could be this type.
Answer: LABOUR CANDIDATE
Reason: Labour is a left-wing party and standing means you're standing for election.

I'd suggest this app for anyone interested in learning. It's excellent. I'll try to cover all the clue types with accessible answers and hints given.

Let's get started.

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Across clue: Confront air conditioning price (6)

Definition:

Confront

Word play:

Synonyms

Post answers as spoilers.

Deja Boo

Great idea Ads by Google, look forward to play

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Across clue: Confront air conditioning price (6)

Definition:

Confront

Word play:

Synonyms

Post answers as spoilers.

Answer ?

accost

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Down clue: Letter of thanks following article (5)

Definition:

Letter

Word play:

Charade (Synonyms)

Hint 1:

"following" is an indicator that you put something after something else to build a word.

Hint 2:

Article as in grammar.

Hint 3:

A classically British thank you.

Hint 4:

It's a Greek letter.

I like the surface reading of this one.

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Down clue: Mythical creature somewhere in Arizona (7)

Definition:

Mythical creature / somewhere in Arizona

Word play:

Double definition

Hint 1:

Bird

Deja Boo

Well I was gonna say 'chupacabra', but....

that's not a bird

Is it...

Phoenix

?

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Across clue: Vicar in wrong circle (6)

Definition with extra characters so the width of the spoiler tag doesn't give it away:

---

Vicar

---

Word play:

Anagram

Hint 1:

Wrong suggests something else is spelt wrongly.

Deja Boo

New Mod error: I just edited then inadvertently deleted Ads post, when all I meant to do was simply quote it.... Very sorry.

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It's fine. It was just a confirmation you were correct.

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Across clue: Get back to CV (6)

Definition:

All of it

Word play:

Double definition

Hint 1:

A word that means to get back to doing something and CV.

Hint 2:

Same spelling mostly but different sound.