TODAY’S TRICKS Clues begin or end with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these: Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram ‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON ...

The mere mention of “cryptic” crossword clues can be enough to put an amateur puzzler off their game before pencil has hit paper. As The Telegraph celebrates its crossword centenary, is it time for ...

Crosswords, inexplicably, are more popular than ever. The New York Times alone apparently has more than 28 million people playing its word games. (Speaking of which, have you tried Slate’s?) Something ...

Welcome to Fifteen Minutes first-ever (to my knowledge) cryptic crossword. Cryptics are the trickier and weirder British cousin of normal crosswords. Whereas a normal crossword’s clues only have a ...

Tensions mount, uncertainty looms, words take on a rather threatening aspect. HT Puzzles' Kabir Firaque writes on being stuck ...

Cryptic crosswords look tricky, but there are conventions that can help newcomers. Most clues comprise a cryptic part and a straight definition (often a synonym of the answer). Consider the following: ...