Cryptic Crossword Glossary
A comprehensive A–Z reference of cryptic crossword terminology. Whether you are a complete beginner or brushing up on unfamiliar jargon, this glossary covers every term you are likely to encounter — from standard crossword vocabulary to Parseword-specific concepts. Each entry includes a concise definition and, where helpful, a brief example.
A
- Across
- A clue whose answer reads horizontally, left to right, in the grid. Across clues are numbered separately from down clues and listed first in the clue list.
- Anagram
- A clue type where the letters of one or more words (the fodder) are rearranged to form the answer. For example, 'LISTEN' is an anagram of 'SILENT'. Always signalled by an anagram indicator.
- Anagram indicator
- A word or phrase in the clue that tells you to rearrange letters. Indicators suggest disorder, change, or movement — for example 'broken', 'crazy', 'mixed', or 'dancing'.
- Answer
- The solution to a clue, which the solver writes into the grid. The answer must satisfy both the definition and the wordplay in a cryptic clue.
C
- Charade
- A clue type where the answer is built by chaining smaller pieces together in sequence, like the parlour game. For example, FOOT + BALL = FOOTBALL.
- Checking letter
- A letter in the grid that belongs to both an across and a down answer. Checking letters help confirm answers — if the crossing letters match, you are likely correct.
- Clue
- The complete text a setter writes for each answer in the grid. In a cryptic crossword, every clue has two parts: a definition and wordplay. Both parts lead independently to the same answer.
- Compiler
- Another word for the setter or crossword constructor. Some publications credit the compiler by name or pseudonym.
- Container
- A clue type where one set of letters is placed inside another to form the answer. For example, placing AT inside CORN gives ACORN (C-AT-ORN). Signalled by container indicators like 'inside', 'around', or 'holding'.
- Crossing
- The point in the grid where an across answer intersects a down answer, sharing a single cell. Good grids ensure roughly half the letters in each answer are checked by crossings.
- Cryptic definition
- A clue that consists entirely of a misleading or punning definition with no separate wordplay component. For example, 'Flower of the Nile?' for LOTUS or RIVER (a river 'flows').
D
- Definition
- The part of a cryptic clue that provides a straight synonym or description of the answer. The definition is always at the very beginning or very end of the clue — never in the middle.
- Deletion
- A clue type where letters are removed from a word to produce the answer. For example, removing the first letter from 'PRICE' gives 'RICE'. Signalled by deletion indicators like 'beheaded', 'endlessly', or 'losing'.
- Deletion indicator
- A word that signals letters should be removed. Different indicators specify what to remove: 'beheaded' (first letter), 'endlessly' (last letter), 'heartless' (middle letters).
- Double definition
- A clue type consisting of two separate definitions side by side, both leading to the same answer. For example, 'Country dance' gives JIG or REEL, which means both a dance and something else.
- Down
- A clue whose answer reads vertically, top to bottom, in the grid. Down clues are listed after the across clues.
E
- Enumeration
- The numbers in parentheses at the end of a clue, showing the letter count of the answer. For example, (7) means a seven-letter word; (3,4) means two words of three and four letters.
F
- Fodder
- The raw letters that the wordplay operates on. In an anagram clue, the fodder is the set of letters to be rearranged. In a hidden word clue, the fodder is the phrase that conceals the answer.
G
- Grid
- The pattern of white and black squares into which answers are entered. British-style grids typically have more black squares and fewer checking letters than American-style grids.
H
- Hidden word
- A clue type where the answer is spelled out consecutively inside the clue text. For example, 'Observe the planets HE EDITS carefully' hides HEEDS. Signalled by indicators like 'in', 'part of', or 'some'.
- Homophone
- A clue type where the answer sounds like another word. For example, 'Sounds like a flower' could give ROWS (sounds like ROSE). Signalled by homophone indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'on the radio'.
- Homophone indicator
- A word or phrase that signals the clue involves a word that sounds like the answer. Common examples: 'we hear', 'reportedly', 'on the radio', 'say', 'sounds like'.
I
- Indicator
- A word or phrase in a cryptic clue that signals which type of wordplay is being used. Without the indicator, the solver would not know whether to rearrange letters, reverse them, or apply some other operation.
- Indicator word
- Synonym for indicator. The specific word that flags the wordplay mechanism. Each clue type has its own family of indicator words — for example, anagram indicators suggest chaos or change, while reversal indicators suggest backward movement.
- Insertion
- The act of placing one set of letters inside another in a container clue. The indicator tells you which piece goes inside and which piece wraps around it.
L
- Light
- A white space in the grid where an answer is entered. Setters sometimes use 'light' to refer to a specific answer slot, as in 'a seven-letter light at 3 across'.
- Literal clue (&lit)
- A rare and prized clue type where the entire clue text serves simultaneously as both the definition and the wordplay. Written with an exclamation mark. For example, 'Cast nine, say, for an angler!' — the whole clue defines FISHERMAN while also encoding the wordplay.
- Learn mode (Parseword)
- A Parseword game mode where hints are available at each step and there is no time pressure. Ideal for beginners who want to understand how each transform works before attempting timed solving.
P
- Parseword
- A daily word puzzle that teaches cryptic crossword skills by breaking a cryptic clue into a sequence of individual transforms (steps). Players apply each transform in order, learning the building blocks of cryptic solving.
R
- Reversal
- A clue type where a word or phrase is spelled backward to give the answer. For example, reversing 'STAR' gives 'RATS'. In across clues, indicators suggest leftward movement ('returning'); in down clues, they suggest upward movement ('rising').
- Reversal indicator
- A word that signals letters should be read backward. Direction matters: 'returning' and 'back' work for across clues, while 'rising' and 'up' work for down clues.
S
- Selection
- A clue type where specific letters are picked from the fodder — typically first letters, last letters, or alternating letters. For example, 'Starts of every xylophone and mandolin' selects E, X, A, M.
- Setter
- The person who creates the crossword puzzle and writes its clues. In a clue, the word 'I' or 'me' often represents the setter. Famous setters include Araucaria, Azed, and Enigmatist.
- Solver
- The person attempting to solve the crossword. In some clue conventions, 'you' refers to the solver.
- Straight clue
- A non-cryptic clue that provides a simple definition or synonym, as found in quick crosswords. Also called a 'concise' clue. Some crosswords mix straight and cryptic clues.
- Substitution
- A clue type where one or more letters in a word are replaced by others to form the answer. For example, changing the first letter of 'COLD' from C to G gives 'GOLD'. Signalled by indicators like 'replacing' or 'for'.
- Surface reading
- The apparent meaning of the clue when read as a normal English sentence. A well-crafted clue has a convincing surface reading that misleads the solver, concealing the boundary between definition and wordplay.
- Step (Parseword)
- A single transform operation in a Parseword puzzle. Each step takes the current text and applies one wordplay operation — such as an anagram, deletion, or insertion — producing a new intermediate result.
T
- Translation
- A clue type where a word is converted into an abbreviation, a foreign-language equivalent, or a symbolic representation. For example, 'love' translates to O (from tennis scoring) or 'king' to K.
- Timed mode (Parseword)
- A Parseword game mode where the solver races to complete all steps as quickly as possible. Scores are based on speed and accuracy, encouraging fluency with cryptic techniques.
- Transform (Parseword)
- The fundamental unit of a Parseword puzzle. Each transform corresponds to one cryptic clue mechanism — anagram, charade, container, deletion, hidden word, homophone, reversal, selection, substitution, or translation.
U
- Unch (unchecked letter)
- A letter in an answer that does not cross with any other answer. Unches make the clue harder because the solver cannot verify them through crossing entries. British-style grids typically have more unches than American-style grids.
W
- Wordplay
- The part of a cryptic clue that is not the definition. The wordplay provides an alternative route to the answer through operations on letters — anagram, reversal, container, hidden word, and so on. Together with the definition it forms the 'two paths' that make cryptic clues fair.
Keep learning
This glossary covers the vocabulary you need to read and discuss cryptic crossword clues confidently. To put these terms into practice, explore the guides and tools below.