ICTUS (sonIC TUSsle)
Set the scene for we and she, objectively (5)
USHER (us + her)
Detective investigates our helicopter crash (7, 6)
HERCULE POIROT (our helicopter anagram)
Draw neck cloth (3)
never mind
Draw neck cloth (3)
TIE (double) definition
+++++
Killing Eve around Inspector Morse (9)
Endeavour (anagram of ‘eve around’)
We personally are Santa’s helpers after hours, he heard (9)
OURSELVES (hours + elves)
Stole broken branch in chimney (8)
Stole broken branch in chimney (8)
VESTMENT [VE -STME (stem anagram)- NT]
+++++
Democrat entering The Green Party is quite extreme (3, 6)
NTH DEGREE (D + the green)
Mr. Fantastic Dick gets into oboes (4, 8)
Aside: Upthread someone said anagrams should always be words in the clue and it’s considered unfair the require someone to both guess a synonym for a word and anagram it, as this clue does. Is that not a generally held notion?
The cryptics in GAMES magazine do that frequently. It makes my grind my teeth, but also gives me a huge sense of pride when I figure it out. If I can do a cryptic in less than an hour, I feel cheated, so I’ve grown to appreciate the extra challenge.
The latest GAMES had a diagramless crytpic where the definition word was one letter different from the real word, and the changed letter indicated which row or column the answer would go in. After 3-4 days of struggling, I finally had to peek at the answer.
There is a point where it’s no longer fun, and I certainly don’t want to ruin this thread game for anybody. But sometimes what I think may be too hard gets figured out in minutes, so results vary.
REED RICHARDS (Richard inside reeds)
Irish staple tool (4)
In a cryptic variety puzzle there are usually only a few unchecked letters. So I think there is room for some leeway with the anagram rules. If a puzzle has too many unfair clues however, it does cease to be fun for me.
Fair enough. I’m new to this so trying to figure out the “rules”.
If you haven’t worked on cryptics before, I highly recommend finding puzzle magazines like GAMES that include them. You’ll get more of a sense of the nuance and creativity the professional designers use.
UK crosswords are done cryptic style, but you have to know a lot about British history and pop culture to solve them.
Irish staple tool (4)
SPUD (Double definition)
+++++
Author whimsically ousted cross. (6 5)
DOCTOR SEUSS (anagram)
Rice’s last vampire relocates to city (7)
SEATTLE (anagram of Lestat + e)
Xerxes’ queen had rollicking triplets (6)
Xerxes’ queen had rollicking triplets (6)
ESTHER (Threes anagram)
+++++
Repost inaccurately about her television show (3, 6)
The Ropers (her inside repost anagram)
Pirates only pillage this individual. (11)