A Brilliant New Cryptic Crossword

*** Today's Puzzle ***

In a bonus video, Simon attempts a recent Independent crossword by Filbert - this was recommended to us by the Independent crossword editor, Mike Hutchinson. And it is VERY clever!

Give it a try at the link below:

This puzzle appeared on 24 July 2022.

*** STOP PRESS: PATREON REWARD + STEAM RELEASE ***

August's monthly reward was released yesterday and we've already had about 800 correct entries! It is a Genuinely Approachable set of Sudokus with Puzzle elements - we're calling it GASP! The feedback so far has been great with lots of people managing to finish the monthly reward for the first time.

Join us on Patreon for as little as $2/month to try it out here:

Also, our new app was finally released on Steam today! Link 1 is to a free pack of puzzles and Link 2 is to Domino Sudoku, the game we've been working on for over a year. Enjoy!

*** Our New App Is OUT ***

Our new app is OUT on App Store AND Android AND ON PC (via Steam)!! We've completely revamped the interface. Now you download the basic app free and you can choose to download additional content. So there's a FREE pack of puzzles by Prasanna Seshadri and a paid pack: DOMINO SUDOKU!!! Prasanna's free pack includes one puzzle for each variant of our existing apps (so there's a killer sudoku, a miracle sudoku, a thermo sudoku, etc). Domino Sudoku is a pack of 100 handmade puzzles (40 on launch, 5 added each month for a year) by some of the best constructors in the World: Phistomefel, clover, jovi_al, Christoph Seeliger, Qodec, Sam Cappleman-Lynes and Richard Stolk have all contributed sudokus!!

▶ Contact Us ◀

Twitter: @Cracking The Cryptic

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Simon Anthony & Mark Goodliffe
Box 102
56 Gloucester Road
London
SW7 4UB

(Please note to use our real names rather than 'Cracking The Cryptic'.)

▶ SUDOKU PAD - Our New App ◀

It's OUT on Windows via Steam here:

You can now input your own classic sudoku puzzles into our software using our new App. The app also comes with 12 handmade puzzles from us and we're also releasing occasional bonus puzzles too. Already available on IOS and Android.

*** Our Book ***
The PDF is available as of today and the physical copy shouldn't be far behind. If you don't own the book then it can still be ordered here:

You can get the German language edition of the book here:

**************************************************************

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[glum_hippo]

That ‘inst’ clue is exactly the kind of thing that compels me to continue admiring cryptic crosswords from a safe distance

[randomjunk]

Watching Simon solve one of these and explain how some of these answers tie fully into every little word of the clue is like watching the world's most deranged conspiracy theorist talk about how the illuminati is leaving hidden messages everywhere except actually correct for once.

[pedders]

1a - Doctor Doctor, I'm a photograph that needs processing to see
5a - Well then, cure is to be developed

Genius concept for a cryptic

[DerIntergalaktische]

First time I see this kind of cross word and I never felt this stupid before. I don't think I would have figured out even one of these. This needs some kind of dark magic to be solved XD

[ChrisRemo]

Very happy to see more cryptic content on the channel! Thanks for a great video, Simon.

Regarding 19d, the wordplay arguably parses in a Times-worthy manner:
Wheeze (PLOY) is “lifting” (holding above it) “myself up” (ME reversed).

[benyoung]

I think the 19 down confusion at 29:50 is that PLOY (wheeze) is underneath (lifting) ME backwards (up) to give EMPLOY. The ‘lifting’ and the ‘up’ are different instructions - more sneakiness from this crossword

[iabervon]

There's a Star Trek movie where they talk about "transparent aluminum" as a lightweight strong transparent material, which sounds ridiculous initially, but it turns out that corundum (which is what rubies and sapphires are) is a crystal of aluminum oxide (a.k.a. alumina), and is clear if it doesn't have any impurities, and synthetic corundum is used for exactly the applications Star Trek described. Anyway, because of the Star Trek reference, I knew the mineralogy trivia in that clue.

[bluerizlagirl]

"Effing" and "blinding" are the two types of swearing in English: Effing (as in the F-word) refers to using those words that are biological in origin (think: body parts, natural functions), and blinding (as in "God blind me!" which became "Blimey!") is using words that are theological in origin (think: irreverent "instant prayer").

[KeplersDream]

Did anyone else spot how 5A is the punchline to the 1A Doctor, Doctor joke?

[jensschmidt]

I lived in the US for a total of three years and am fluent in English (although no native speaker), but these puzzles are about as intuitive to me as a Phistomefel sudoku 🙂

[AshleySmith-dwwh]

I was worried at 6:18 not going to lie

[nathanweston]

Preposterous as a reversal indicator is new to me, but lovely. Nice solve, some fantastically misleading surfaces in there.

[harrygoodwin]

I love the cryptic crossword vids! Would love to them regularly

[teamcyeborg]

Someone PLEASE take a clip of Simon saying "You're sexy. You're hot. Hot. Hot legs" at around 17:12 out of context

[th.nd.r]

I agree, 14 across was my favorite as well! Brilliant crossword Filbert, brilliantly solved Simon, you and Mark blow me away with these cryptic solves! I for one would love to see more cryptics on the channel.

[dkamm]

19D Seems perfectly sensible. 'Wheeze' (ploy) is literally lifting 'myself up' (em) above its head.

[mooseteeq]

Never heard of effing and blinding? Also, that Rush/Aldridge reference is magnificent.

[leileleileleile]

I love watching crosswords (cryptic or not) solved--more of this please! I enjoyed it so much!

[Thoms-]

Love this. Thanks a lot. Keep them coming!

[houdiniG]

As someone that learned English in school and not as my mother tongue, I can confirm this is hard to keep track of