Clued In (Blogs)

Clued In #337 | May the force be with the solver

 |  01 July 2021

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Here’s a clue with a couple of examples of how a setter often uses terms in unconventional or uncommon ways.

Was the above clue fun to solve? Did you get a kick out of understanding how to work out the answer to a cryptic crossword clue? Did you enjoy being given a random sentence that ultimately leads to a completely unexpected but totally decipherable answer? Do you feel like you could use some help to guide you towards the answer for each of the 20-30 clues that usually bamboozle you in each puzzle? Well, look no further!

Ok, look just a little further. Because, every Sunday, The Hindu Crossword Plus posts a ! Go ahead and bookmark that link and play the latest puzzle.new The Hindu Cryptic puzzle with annotations for each clue

Each annotation will give you helping hints and hold your hand as we work out the answer together. If you liked the long-winded explanation to the above clue, then you will surely enjoy the crisper versions we give you in puzzles, when you click the button ‘Reveal’ and then ‘Show a hint’.The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday

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The Hindu Cryptic #13289 | Arden | 23 DownForce to stop a rake and villain (5)CLUE:Clue explained:

: abbreviation, insertionClue types

: villainDefinition

:AnswerROGUE

We’re looking for a 5-letter word that means ‘villain’. Let’s see how that can be worked out from the wordplay.

A example of a force is gravity, which can be abbreviated as G.

Besides referring to the gardening and leaf-clearance tool, the word ‘rake’ can also mean a gadabout person with lecherous tendencies, who could also be called a ROUE.

‘To stop’ is playing at being an insertion indicator over here, as it suggests some sort of interruption. Which means, we insert the G into ROUE.

That spells ROGUE, a 5-letter synonym for a ‘villain’!