#cryptic crossword

[thatpollguy]

Do you enjoy doing crosswords?

I love them

I like them

They're okay I guess

I dislike them

I hate them

I've never done a crossword

Voting ended onFeb 2

[mambodork]

I made a desert duo themed cryptic crossword, and people seemed to enjoy it, so i'm posting it here as well :3

Not everybody is familiar with how to play cryptic crossword, so here I've made a cryptic crosswords crash course for beginners !

There is also an interactive/typeable version!

And finally: the answer sheet! Including explanation on how each clue works :3

I hope you have fun !!!

[shortace]

Me trying to study: omg I can't concentrate Me trying to compile an Artemis Fowl-themed cryptic crossword: *devotes my entire afternoon to this, has a wonderful time*

[oneefin]

discord-to-tumblr repost

[abelzumi]

Magic: the Crypticing

So I may have been turned on to Cryptic Crosswords by an old friend of mine. And I may or may not have gotten a bit obsessed with making them. It takes a certain angle of brainerating, but for those who are curious (or already initiated), here's a general rundown of how these things work.

I also love puzzle engagement which is why I've foisted this upon everyone I can at my LGS to little to no avail. Hopefully the internet fares better. Reminder that (X, Y) means two words, the first of which is X letters long and the second of which is Y letters long.

This puzzle requires both constructing and deconstructing MTG lingo, jargon, and card history, as well as a general knowledge of Cryptic clues, acronyms, abbreviations, etc. Enjoy!

ACROSS

1. Promo for Kamigawa set: heretical sorcerer controls direction of plane. (3-4)

5. Change your mana after topping Wickerfolk's surveil. (7)

9. When mechanics first arrive, they appear to raise ethical question left unknown? (15)

10. Lands untapping cinches two points for Elves? (7)

11. Bottom-up sets anger rock singer. (5)

13. Belligerent takes arose? (6, 3)

16. Wildfire land sweep allows +2 from Chandra. (4)

17. Number after declaring Ascend could be zero? (2, 2)

18. Check legality of pitch sequence because fourth Force of Will could partner with Twin. (6, 4)

21. Landcycle Mardu finisher before Final Revels (5)

23. Toothed hunters sound doubly fishy? (7)

26. Only designer quality silver & diamonds top gown and royal handle. (7, 8)

27. Target changes east after red energy sweeper. (7)

28. Grounded still on a flyer? Victor wouldn't have... (4, 3)

DOWN

1. By the way, I'm piloting Rakdos Tokens. (4)

2. Auras make draw power sound mid; brew with one who shuffles. (3, 12)

3. Odd Commander goal after long set-up, say. (7)

4. Glimmerwasp heresy within the bounds of New Phyrexia. (7)

5. Shreds of Sanity doesn't use any P1P1 Wandering Mind effects. (4)

6. Large birds supposedly equip tokens. (5)

7. Where there's time to study erotica, many a lad exploded. (8, 7)

8. How to (historically) empower a deer/pony hybrid? (3, 3, 3)

12. Some of these indicators take a second—left stranded? (4)

13. Big rogue belly-up wearing some hat and risque clothing backwards. (9)

14. Powerless power for brewing black? (4)

15. Cut when head replaces knight. (3) 

19. Valakut makes this Eldraine legend from OTJ take the resolution. (7)

20. Elenda fears dance moves while firing. (7)

23. Salty beginner affirms combo with a second-turn Plains after initial misplay. (5)

24. "Gitaxian Probe, Putrid Leech...no attacks?" (4)

25. Even Hatebears beginner uses 3/2 Mindsparker to sideboard. (4)

[just-illegal]

STOP MAKING CRYPTIDS

CROSSWORDS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN RIDDLES

YEARS OF CROSSWORDS yet NO REAL-WORLD USE FOUND for getting more complicated than STRAIGHTFORWARD CLUES

Wanted to go more complicated anyway for a laugh? We had a tool for that: it was called "The Spiral"

"Once again, study about king of tragedy, John the Fourth" - Statements dreamed up by the utterly Deranged

"Hospital residents make knot in pants"

They have played us for absolute fools

[sluttypatrickstar]

i am never going to be good at cryptic crosswords but i am going to smash my head against them for as long as i enjoy it

[anotherclassicpretence]

For the last day of @tes-summer-fest, there is no prompt, so I've created (more or less acceptable) cryptic crossword clues from the world of TES, most of them Skyrim-based!

Y'all can answer in the replies/reblogs!

An offer upon no enviable terms (6)

Without any mercenary (6)

Dark force user is everywhere (6)

Firstborn flees after tangled, endless dualing (6)

Code sounds lack leader's advice (6)

Advisor to teach a skill (7)

Infiltrator manages to anger and confuse (3)

Breeze will lead to a regal city (8)

City has the first move in brisk walk (8)

Mortal along with half vampire village (7)

Faction friends (10)

Parting at the middle of the ale break in the region (3,4)

Y'all heard the ruler (4)

Art within the least heir (6)

First years join crazy dons of institute (5)

Location note: The garbled sound of wrath (8)

His kin graduates from city (8)

Leader hears principal (4)

First ring before race (6)

Deity nixes new talons (6)

Dynastic gold? (6)

School needs change (10)

Mutant dreamer, odd not even? (7)

Prison break at sword-point (9)

Book of two mysteries (4,7)

I've tried to take words unique to TES, so many are proper nouns. I've also strictly followed the rule of including the definition and number of letters, which has oversimplified many of them, but I hope it's a fun challenge!

I'll share the key if I'm asked, in a couple of days. If you think any clue is invalid, let me know, I'll update!

Update: Answers under the cut!

Astrid (An "off"er for people- assassin. Upon is the synonym for Astride, then "no enviable"- no e, so it leaves Astrid)

Mercer (&lit clue, he is basically a mercenary, either as a noun or adjective, he just cares about money. Without "any"- remove those letters from mercenary and you get his name)

Sithis (Dark force user- Sith, the "is" is given in the sentence. The definition here is a little vague but the DB views him as filling the Void, so "everywhere")

Alduin (Firstborn of Akatosh; tangled is an anagram indicator, and "endless" dualing is dualing without a g. The remaining letters form "Alduin")

Kodlak ("sound" indicates homophone, so "code lack" give the word; the definition is "leader", but since the harbinger also offers advice, I included it as a phrase)

Haskill (Hidden word clue, teac "h a skill"; definition is advisor, referring to the Shivering Isles questline)

Vex (def is infiltrator, the word itself means anger and confuse; kinda double def)

Windhelm (def is regal city, because of the Palace of the Kings; breeze is wind, "helm" in the verb form means lead, also in the noun phrase "council with him at the helm", for example)

Whiterun (this one is admittedly too indirect. City is the def, having the first move in chess means you're playing White, and brisk walk is a run)

Morthal (Mortal along with "h"alf, since along with usually means first letter. Def is vampire village, don't @ me that's what it is)

Companions (probably the easiest, double def) The Rift (sorry for the long clue. Both " the region" and "parting" are defs, "the" is given, and "break" gives "rift")

Jarl ("heard" is a homophone indicator, I personally pronounce jarl and y'all in a very similar way. Def is ruler)

Martin ("art" within "the least"- minimun- min, so m"art"in. Def is heir)

Synod (First letter of "years" joins crazy-anagram indicator- of "dons", rearrangement gives the answer. Def is institute)

Markarth (ignore punctuation; def is location, then "note" as a verb is a synonym of "mark"; garbled and sound are anagram and homophone indicators respectively, so you have wrath- rath- arth)

Skingrad (hidden word- Hi"s kin grad"uates, def is city)

Mane (def is leader, principal suggests main, and "hears" indicates homophone)

Chimer (stuffed clue- "ring" suggests "chime", and "first ring" also suggests adding r to the word. Def is race)

Talos (def is deity, nixes indicates removal of the first letter of the next word from the other clue, so "talons" minus n)

Septim (dynasty, money, you get it)

Alteration (a school of magic, literally means change)

Dremora (mutant indicates anagram, "odd not even" suggests replacing an e with o in the word; so rearrangment of "dreamor")

Chillrend (Winterhold's prison is called the Chill, rend is a synonym of break; def is sword)

Twin Secrets (straightforward, def is book and "two mysteries" are direct synonyms)

Disclaimer: you're welcome to correct errors in the question setting, but please note that the clues expect you to know the basics of both cryptic crossword and the lore!

Definitions are the starting point to decrypting the clue, but if you don't know that Whiterun is a city, for example, you won't get the answer purely through the word construction clues. Same with Chimer- if "race" doesn't bring the suggestion of that word to mind, it's very difficult for "ring" to lead to "chime" independently).

Similarly, if you're unfamiliar with indicators, you'll find it difficult.

But if you've never tried, give CC a shot, it's a great workout for divergent thinking. I'm a beginner myself, but the best setters have clues that will kill you with their elegance and logic- even if you can't solve it, just reading the reasoning gives you a high. Try it out!