Cryptickle is a quick daily cryptic crossword designed to help people learn the basics of cryptic crosswords. I try not to use any words that are too obscure and to keep the wordplay simple and fair. If you have no experience wih cryptics, below are descriptions of some of the wordplay that you may find.

Cryptic clues

Clues will always start or end with a synonym (or sometimes a description) of the answer's definition. Some words can also provide an indication of how you should solve the puzzle. These are called indicators:

Anagram Indicators

Words like shuffled, mixed, confused, broken, drunk, smashed & upset can all indicate you should find an anagram.

Homophone Indicators

Phrases such as: sounds like, I hear, I say, outspoken & reportedly can all indicate the use of a homophone.

Reversal Indicators

These words suggest you should reverse a word or some letters: reflected, flipped over, come back, knocked over & around.

Hidden Word Indicators

Phrases like 'buried in', 'surrounded by', 'part of' & 'a bit of' can indicate a word is hidden within another.

Selection Indicators

Certain words indicate you should select the first, last or first & last letters of a word. For example 'front of line' = L, 'back of line' = E, 'edges of line' = LE

Deletion Indicators

Some words indicate you should remove some letters from a word, such as excluding, without, dropped & cut. Other words can refer to letter positions such as opener, head, tail, end, half & center, which can indicate you should build a word out of letters from other words.

Hints

When I write a clue, I also write a series of hints that explain the clue that you can find at the bottom left of the mobile keyboard, or below the clue on desktop. With all hints revealed, you should always be able to find the answer, I hope... GOOD LUCK!