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Comment by tokamak-teapot | Hacker News Reader

For those who do cryptic crosswords, CrosswordGenius [1] on iOS (Android coming apparently) will solve clues for you - and explain the logic it used!

This is extremely helpful when you aren’t familiar with a particular setter’s style. If you’ve guessed an answer (and if you’re on a mobile app you might have already been able to verify that it’s correct) you may not be sure how the clue maps to it.

Example:

Digital projection tempered elation (7)

I believe the answer is:

TOENAIL 'digital projection' is the definition. (protection on a digit of the foot)

'tempered elation' is the wordplay. 'tempered' indicates an anagram (temper can mean to adjust or modify). 'elation' is an anagram of 'TOENAIL'.

[1] https://www.crosswordgenius.com/

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Usually my approach is: 1) try to answer straight away, 2) try to answer once I have some letters from other clues, 3) use a thesaurus, 4) use an anagram solver, 5) wait for tomorrow's paper. I already feel wretched about 3/4, I'm not sure I want to cheat more than that.

But sometimes this completely falls down and I have no idea where something comes from, e.g.: "Theatre of war where activity was uncovered (8)" is WINDMILL which still baffles me.

fifteensquared.net is great for explained answers, see eg http://www.fifteensquared.net/2018/03/09/independent-9798-ph... for the WINDMILL explanation.

Oh, lovely, thank you. I figured it had to be the theatre and still didn't get it. This hobby regularly makes me feel dumb. :)

btw, do you happen to be British?

The reason I ask is that only British people seem to add "lovely" in their sentences.

Also, I now learnt that the WINDMILL answer refers to something in London. I don't know how outsiders — say a random person from Argentina — is supposed to know that.

Yeah sometimes they test vocabulary, sometimes they test general knowledge (or at least your ability to google or have an anagram solver). So you do learn while solving, which is a plus.

Also yes, your Britometer is operating correctly.

You probably meant "Britometre" :)

Don't forget the question mark at the end of the clue, it's quite significant!

My approach was to try to write a bunch of cryptic clues of my own. That way I got more practiced at recognizing the various wordplay indicators.

Crossword genius is outstandingly good at cryptics.

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