Consider this clue for an 8-letter word: retiring astronaut irks NASA, showing tongue (8) The answer: SANSKRIT. Or these clues: Defer balance initially deposited in account (5)Answer: TABLE; Just clench one’s teeth somewhat (6)Answer: HONEST. Obviously, this is a different breed of crosswords. Cryptic puzzles are sometimes called British crosswords because of their origin. Each clue contains a “regular” clue (the kind we’re used to), plus wordplay. The wordplay could be an anagram, a hidden word, a homophone, or some other tricky construction. We’ll take a look at how these clues are constructed and see how a solver might “decode” them. You will try your hand at a couple of clues. As Stephen Sondheim wrote in 1968 (yes, *that* Stephen Sondheim, who was instrumental in introducing cryptic crosswords to American puzzlers): “A good clue can give you all the pleasures of being duped that a mystery story can.”
((Cherie Maharam - Tuesday - In Person))
