cryptic crossword
- noun
- /ˈkrɪptɪk ˈkrɔːsˌwɜrd/
:
crucigrama críptico
- To improve his skills, he started reading books about techniques for solving cryptic crosswords.
I can guarantee you the cryptic crossword puzzles were ace in ancient Greek times.
- I can guarantee you the cryptic crossword puzzles were ace in ancient Greek times.
Examples
-
My unpredictable knowledgeability occasionally came in handy on quiet nights when they were trying to solve the newspaper cryptic crossword with befuddled regulars.
Fiction book (1997) -
I enjoy solving the cryptic crossword in the Sunday newspaper, as the clues often require clever thinking.
-
I can guarantee you the cryptic crossword puzzles were ace in ancient Greek times.
-
She found the cryptic crossword challenging because the clues were full of puns and wordplay.
How Difficult
58
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the adjective 'cryptic' (having a hidden or unclear meaning) with 'crossword' (a word-grid puzzle), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a crossword with hidden/puzzling clues. While full genre conventions (specific clue wordplay) require exposure, the core meaning is directly compositional and therefore immediately understandable.
Etymology
Cryptic crossword comes from cryptic meaning 'hidden' or 'secret' and crossword meaning a word puzzle grid. That's why a cryptic crossword is a puzzle where each clue is a little riddle that hides the answer using tricks like hidden words or mixed letters.