# Minute Cryptic - another word game, quite different! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 16, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901 "2025-11-16T15:23:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/1 "2025-11-16T15:23:50Z")
[Minute Cryptic - a new(ish) word game](https://www.minutecryptic.com/) I stole a description from elsewhere: “Minute Cryptic is a bite-sized cryptic crossword designed to be solved in just a few minutes. Each puzzle features a small grid and clever, wordplay-driven clues—just like a traditional cryptic crossword, but faster, friendlier, and perfect for a quick brain workout anytime.” Today’s, which I’ll spoil was: > [@](#): > > Former partner ate mostly quinoa for special date (7) Former partner lead us to “EX”. Ate lead us to put E at the beginning and X at the end(like EX ate something). Mostly Quinoa meant to use most of Quinoa’s letters in the solution. Special Date is a synonym of the meaning. Answer: **EquinoX** There are three basic hints and I almost always use all of them because they help me know what is what in this thing. Anyone else play? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/2 "2025-11-17T00:55:23Z")
I was actually going to start a thread this weekend on this, but I’m not a regular on posting to the daily puzzle-type threads. I’d seem some Reels of someone doing these daily - and while at first they were utterly confusing, after a few weeks of sporadically seeing them, I started seeing the patterns, and downloaded the app. These are fun - there’s a really steep learning curve for the many different things going on in these puzzles, but I think it’s worth the effort to slog through. This thread should be helpful. Some more helpful hints: Roman numerals: uses of spelled out words (i.e. “one”, “fifty”, etc.) tend to be their Roman numeral equivalent (“i”, “L”, etc., respectively). “Indicators” are the enemy here. Words like “party” and “fluid” and “moving” and “confused” are anagram indicators - the nearby fodder is going to be mixed up as an anagram (and then other fodder is going to be inserted or deleted or added to it). There are several other types of indicators, and nearly every puzzle will have them. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/3 "2025-11-17T15:14:03Z")
That was fun (I did the one with the girlfriend), thanks for sharing it. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/4 "2025-11-18T19:33:21Z")
November 18, 2025 Today’s clue is apparently a “rebus” type, which I normally associate with picture clues. I got it this morning with some hints. Clue: “Shape of \_ountain” (4) The answer is: FORM Later during the day it dawned on me how the clue works. You can fill in the blank with a couple different letters - specifically, F or M. And that’s what the answer is - “ForM”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/5 "2025-11-19T03:14:18Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Later during the day it dawned on me how the clue works. You can fill in the blank with a couple different letters - specifically, F or M. And that’s what the answer is - “ForM”. :smack: Wow, that is neat. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/6 "2025-11-19T11:07:55Z")
I got today’s without a hint, but the answer does rely on a chiefly British definition of ‘waffles’ . ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/7 "2025-11-19T14:17:39Z")
Not sure what prattles means. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/8 "2025-11-19T16:20:19Z")
I hadn’t heard it as a synonym of waffles. It means to talk on and on and on, usually about stuff that isn’t important to the person listening. “She prattled on and on about her boyfriend issues,” said the strangero n the bus. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/9 "2025-11-19T16:42:37Z")
After answering it I confirmed that in British English it (the clue word) also has that meaning. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/10 "2025-11-19T16:56:10Z")
Blimey, what a load of bollocks! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/11 "2025-11-19T19:00:36Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Blimey, what a load of bollocks!. Stop waffling on about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/12 "2025-11-23T16:25:38Z")
Got today’s with only the definition, then my only guess. “Out-of-control carousel catapults you” declared fortune tellers (7) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/13 "2025-11-23T21:04:30Z")
I got this free and clear. I caught “out of control” as an anagram indicator, with “you outspoken” as just the letter U, and deleting U from carousel. I’m terrible with anagrams, but managed to unscramble it. If I arrange the letters alphabetically it’s easier to see them as random letters to move around in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/14 "2025-11-23T22:14:21Z")
I would say I’m pretty mediocre at this game, but I like that it is kind of its own unique thing. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/15 "2025-11-24T05:22:28Z")
Good one on Monday; first I’ve gotten without a hint. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/16 "2025-11-24T23:41:07Z")
I struggled. I get it now I see the solution. I just struggle sometimes to determine what to do. I get this one was reflection, so I went backwards. But I didn’t see what to do specifically, as in use the first letters backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/17 "2025-11-25T00:12:23Z")
I think they’re going to start getting easier as you become more familiar with the indicators. Words like start, eject, insert, initial, final, etc. are starting to be more obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/18 "2025-11-25T00:48:32Z")
When I started doing cryptics many years ago, the first clue I ever got was Picasso beginning to paint a blue lake orange. (5) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/19 "2025-12-14T16:41:07Z")
I do not get or understand today’s: Sweetheart leaving honey all over appendage? Sounds nice! (7) ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901/20 "2025-12-14T16:51:39Z")
Think of sweetheart as the “heart” of the word sweet. Remove that from HONEY. Place over ARM. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minute-cryptic-another-word-game-quite-different/1024901.md?page=2)