How to Tackle an Anagram Clue in a Cryptic Crossword

It's always good to come at something new armed with a few tools. Here you'll just get some basic information, but anything that can help make a cryptic crossword less intimidating, the better. There are numerous articles online and books to buy on the topic of how to spot and solve individual clue styles. I recommend having an eyeball at those, too to build your resources.

Most people looking at a cryptic for the first time won't even realise there are different types of clues to look out for. We just see a bunch of nonsense sentences and feel like running far away from the crazy word salads. Well, I want you to stop running and just have a look. Come on, they won't bite.

Anagrams

Anagrams are when words are mixed up in a way to disguise them. We need to un-mix them to get the correct answer. Anagrams usually have a signpost, also known as anagrinds, hinting to the clue. A signpost will be a synonym or sort of synonym that means to mix up, break, bash or even explode. They can also use words meaning to renew or freshen. The words to be unscrambled are almost always right next to the signpost, either before or after, and are called the fodder. I'll use the words anagrind and fodder a lot in my posts. Here are a couple of anagram examples from Best For Puzzles:


Go near fresh fruit (6)

Here we can see fresh as our anagrind. Our answer has six letters so we can assume "fruit" is our definition and "go near" is the fodder. Mix up "go near" to get ORANGE.

 Keeps dissolving in tears (7)

Here we can see the word "dissolving" and it has anagrind potential as something dissolved is broken down from its original form. "Keeps" doesn't have enough letters for our answer so looking at the other side "in tears" does have seven letters. Mixing those up reveals RETAINS, a synonym of keeps.

Those are simple anagram clues. We sometimes get partial anagram clues in puzzles so if you see a sign post but it's only got a five letter fodder and you need eight for the answer, perhaps one of the other words provides a synonym that fits with your anagram. Here's one from 26/6/14 in The Age by DP:

Organised help came before a graduate dessert (5,5)

"Organised" is an anagrind with "help came" being the fodder, but it's not enough letters. Notice it comes "before a graduate" a common abbreviation for graduate is BA (bachelor of arts) and we can mix all of those letters up to get PEACH MELBA for our "dessert"


Some people like to write the letters to be unscrambled into a circle and then look for the right word that way. I prefer to separate words where consonants are lined on the top and vowels below and will mix up those lines until the word pops out. Longer words or strings of letters, I'll put through an anagram solving tool. Just be aware those do not always work.

Best thing to do is keep solving, encounter many types of anagrinds and you'll soon be able to hawk eye them easily. Just be aware that compilers know we seek out anagrinds and fodder, so they'll write clues to be sneakier and harder to crack. Here's a good article about how compilers write anagram clues and how to make them harder to crack. It also shows some of the grammar rules if that's your thing. Some people find grammar hints helpful in clue solving.

When I solve clues I will underline what I think the definitions are. I will circle anagrinds or instructions and I'll put a wiggly line under fodder. It does look like grade school grammatical breakdowns of sentences but it absolutely helps me break down a clue and make sense of them. If you are new to solving, I recommend you try this as well. So what if you have to erase and try a couple times? That's why pencils have erasers. We get better when we let ourselves make mistakes.

Also I do work through The Age cryptic crossword which is not a free puzzle. You can however get your hooks into the Guardian puzzle for free. Benefit being instant gratification as the solutions are immediately available and a handy "cheat" mode for individual clues. These are great practice and help develop skills without any up front cost. I still find them quite hard, but perhaps I should practice more, too.

Hope this helps. I'll try and cover other clue types soon.