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Crossword Help Forum
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hperk

21st June 2024, 20:10
(No official puzzle)

I'm new to cryptics, and I'm struggling to understand how to best parse clues that have multiple indicators. Is there a rule?

For instance, I have been presented with this clue:

Produces sample of greens amid red vegetables (6)

"Sample of" is one indicator, "amid" is another. I'm guessing that either Produces or vegetables is the definition word, but I'm confused about what to do next to find the answer. This feels like the kind of thing I'll run into often, right?
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candledave

21st June 2024, 20:18
You’re approaching it in the right way and practice and experience will get you there but things to think about here.

Looking at where the indicators are will guide you as to the most likely definition.

“Amid” means something going in another part of wordplay.

“Sample of” is a slightly loose indicator for the first letter

So you have the first letter of “greens” inside “red vegetables”, which gives a G in BEETS and the answer is BEGETS
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hperk

21st June 2024, 20:21
Thank you!

That makes a lot of sense. Just going to take some repetition, I think.

I'm quite proficient at "American-style" crosswords, as I've been doing the NYT crossword for 25 years. Somehow I thought cryptics would come more naturally to me...

I'll continue to give it time and practice. Thanks again for your help
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geeker

21st June 2024, 21:20
I made the switch from American crosswords (I'm from USA) to cryptics years ago.
Happy I did, but it definitely takes time to build up a solver's toolkit. Especially for the UK-centric clues (I am American).

"225" (fifteensquared.net) is a great resource, also sites like cryptipedia and crosswordunclued.
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spoffy

21st June 2024, 21:22
I would recommend tackling something like the Guardian Quiptic, freely available on the Guardian website. Have a crack at it, and then check the relevant blog at fifteensquared.net, where all the answers are explained.

Once you can solve the Quiptic unaided, move on to something like the Guardian daily cryptic - again the puzzle is blogged at fifteensquared, and commented on by other solvers.
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