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They’re a genre of crosswords that have what are essentially riddles instead of regular clues!
For example: “chopped up melon fruit (5 letters)” would be the clue for “lemon” because a lemon is a “fruit” that consists of the letters in “melon” anagrammed (as indicated by the phrase “chopped up”)
It’s those lightbulb moments that make it so fun!
Feb 28, 2024
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are you bored of normal crosswords? love mind-bending riddles? maybe you're just looking for another way to hurt your brain?
i've always been fascinated by puzzles, riddles, ciphers, and other things that require solving through creative thinking. i vividly remember reading a crossword clue that made absolutely zero sense. for lack-of-memory reasons, i'll use a different clue that would probably spark just as much confusion: "Part of limb I bend to drink (6)". what six letter word could possibly define this? well, IMBIBE of course. duh.
now if you're just like me and you aren’t albert fucking einstein, it should be clear that the clue makes NO sense. the trick? there isn't really a trick, but it's essentially a learning process that i'd say is worth. with "Cryptic Crossword Clues," there's wordplay, anagrams, reinterpretation, etc. i'm honestly not the best at explaining how to solve these, so i would recommend checking out Minute Cryptic. they have a guide on the website as well as in-depth solves on their socials. click here for the explanation on how you get "IMBIBE"!
it's super satisfying to solve these clues, it's kind of like turning a jumble of nothing into something that makes clear sense. yeah this was a random ass rec
Oct 2, 2024
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Another word game rec - Minute Cryptic is my favorite. Solve a cryptic crossword clue a day! They are like riddles, you have to decode the hidden definition and the wordplay to get at the answer. They are so satisfying when you get them right!
The guy who does them also does a short video on how to solve it each day. So of you can’t figure it out, you can go and watch the video!
Feb 24, 2025
Jan 29, 2024
Top Recs from @radianthippo
Aka typography that is still legible after some sort of transformation/shift in interpretation.
For example, here’s one by the amazing John Langdon (it reads “Angels & Demons“ both right side up and upside down!)
It sounds harder than it is and honestly feels like wizardry when it finally clicks.
Feb 6, 2024
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Such a cliche answer I know but it really helped me get my life together as a constantly disorganised person!
Feb 8, 2024
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Sandel’s ability to distill complex philosophical ideas into coherent, intuitive concepts is nothing short of a magic trick.
Feb 6, 2024