Thanks Lowdown ... your "Aliens prepare sex trial with clones (17)" is very good ... I'd just add in "with *several* clones" to show there aren't 2 or 3 of each (I don't think a clue should *rely* on enumeration for that info, generally). Now there's a good letter bank I *will* try to remember!
@mycrossword.co.uk's latest 'Featured' puzzle is from the ever-entertaining Baldur: www.mycrossword.co.uk/featured/6
And nicely blogged by Leedsclimber over at 225: www.fifteensquared.net/2026/03/09/m...
Interested in setting cryptic crosswords, or improving ... or just finding out more? Part 5 of my blog looking at how & why cryptics work is now up at @mycrossword.co.uk:
mycrossword.co.uk/blog/setting...
New Fez – The Guardian are calling it "pure, pure pleasure"*
He's never taken seriously (7)
Caught one enjoying an ice cream with alcohol (6)
Experimental composer of music, a genius (4)
At Raider's magical @mycrossword.co.uk: www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3173
* the theme, not the puzzle 😕
This week's Listener, #4909, is "Fragments" by Cranberry - thrilled to make my debut there 🙂 Many thanks to Roger, Shane and all the team!
New Fez – The Guardian are calling it "pure, pure pleasure"*
He's never taken seriously (7)
Caught one enjoying an ice cream with alcohol (6)
Experimental composer of music, a genius (4)
At Raider's magical @mycrossword.co.uk: www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3173
* the theme, not the puzzle 😕
They may well say the same about "business leader" or "redhead", because even though imho those are too much of a convenient / inaccurate fudge for the setter, they can at least be *justified* ... but I can't see any way that "first lady" can be justified ... elided comma, "first, lady"? Not for me
Which is not to say that crosswords need some sort of secret code to interpret, just that you need to develop a certain way of thinking that *isn't* quite the same as everyday language
She would if she did crosswords though 😜
I don't really see much difference between "first of [T,E,C,H,...]" and "[T,E,C,H,...], primarily" - it only becomes problematic if you mistakenly try to assign some real-world meaning to those letters?
So perhaps you're not picking out individual components of an object, but individual objects from a set - and adverbs do that nicely?
I doubt they'd actually use that language, but it makes perfect sense I'd say.
There's no "select each" involved that wouldn't work. But your houses/street examples fall into trap of thinking of *actual* houses. "[H,O,U,S E,S], primarily" - with the letters as a sort of mathematical set of elements - I think does make sense, if not quite (as per Henri) an 'everyday' usage.
It parses as "the set of letters LADY, primarily" - the token resolves to the set/string of letters, which I think you can then refer to with "primarily" being the first member?
Yes indeed - many thanks, hope you enjoy!
Many thanks to Bert & Joyce for super blog of recent Cranberry IQ#1947 "Four-Letter Word"
www.fifteensquared.net/2026/02/24/i...
That'll be Italian vermouth ... a gin & it is old-school but apparently enjoying something of a revival www.anthonygladman.com/all-hail-the...
New Cranberry today: "Four-Letter Word", #Inquisitor 1947 in @theipaper.com. Many thanks to @enigmatistelgar.bsky.social & team!
... for you to then play with: it isn't now further *divisible*, as mixing or splitting it up in any way disrupts what you've stated. I'll admit I'm still working on the most appropriate way to bring this into the 'system' but hopefully by the next blog post there'll be a decent explanation!
Homophones are tricky! But consider "rule on the radio" for RAIN. The *token* is "rule", which would normally resolve to REIGN, but we add a *qualifier* ("on the radio") to update/clarify the token as a soundalike, so it resolves to RAIN. *But* this doesn't simply provide the letters RAIN ...
I referred to "building blocks" although given you might be mixing and reducing etc perhaps just "material" would cover it? So you have fodder as 'direct material' and tokens as 'indirect material'?
Yes that'd do a similar job I think the advantage of @charliemethven.bsky.social's "token" concept is that it is pretty much 'catch-all' - a token is often a synonym but also, say, "name" for N as an abbreviation, "expressed delight" as a phrase for COR, "drummer" as a description of RINGO, etc
Interested in setting cryptic crosswords, or improving ... or just finding out more? Part 4 of my blog looking at how & why cryptics work is now up at @mycrossword.co.uk:
www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/setting...
Glad to have set MyCrossword’s Featured Crossword #4 with clues including:
Suspended when investigation's head probes (2,3)
Unattractive Conservative posing no threat (9)
Close item worn formally? Quite the opposite! (7)
Solve here: www.mycrossword.co.uk/featured/4
New Fez. You don't need to be afraid ...
He's given tips to young journalist on Evening Standard (3,3)
Restraining large dog that's usually on a lead (4)
Northern Irish settler finally thrown in cell (6)
On Raider's fab @mycrossword.co.uk:
www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3096
It's a debut (so one or two very slight quibbles) & pretty tough, but I can highly recommend Fossil's puzzle
New HenriWords email has just gone out with a free barred thematic #cryptic #crossword puzzle called ‘Hobby Horse’ 🐴
If you’re a subscriber, check your inbox* 📨
* and/or your spam folder, I don’t know how twitchy your spam filter is…
Interested in setting cryptic crosswords, or improving ... or just finding out more? Part 3 of my blog looking at how & why cryptics work is now up at @mycrossword.co.uk:
www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/setting...
I set today’s Inquisitor crossword which you’ll find in #iWeekend @theipaper.com
Yes "tokens" is very useful ... will be taking that up (with acknowledgement of course!) when discussing 'elements' of a clue - ie the 'things' providing the pieces to be arranged/manipulated are either "tokens" (synonyms, abbreviations, etc) or "fodder" (collections of letters)
