Minute Cryptic
About Minute Cryptic
Cryptic crosswords can look terrifying. Thirty clues staring back at you, all of them sounding like riddles from another planet. Minute Cryptic takes away that pressure. You only get one clue a day, with hints and explanations, so you can actually learn how these puzzles work without drowning in them.
How a Clue Works
Every cryptic clue has two halves: a definition (a straight hint) and some wordplay (a sneaky way of building the answer). The wordplay uses:
Fodder: the letters you mess with
Indicators: the words that tell you what to do
The clue is wrapped in something called the surface - a sentence that looks normal but is really just a disguise.
The Main Tricks
Here are the classic moves you’ll run into first:
Anagrams – scramble letters into a new word.
Selectors – take certain letters (like “first of April” = A).
Hidden words – the answer is sitting right inside the clue, letter for letter.
Reversals – read letters backwards.
Why It Works
One clue a day means no overload. You spot the patterns, learn at your own pace, and slowly build confidence. Before long, you’ll see that cryptics aren’t impossible - they’re just clever games with words. And once they click, they’re addictive.
Minute Cryptic makes sure you enjoy the puzzle instead of fearing it.
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