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Crosswords for beginners: from Inspector Morse to Barbara Windsor, it’s all Latin to me
Classical abbreviations are perfect for specifying particular letters in a clue – continuing our series for those tempted or daunted by cryptic crosswords
In the example clues below, I explain the two parts of each: there is a definition of the answer and there is some wordplay – a recipe for assembling its letters. In a genuine puzzle environment, of course, you also have the crossing letters, which hugely alleviate your solving load. Hence “crossword”. Also, the setters’ names tend to link to profiles of the individuals behind the pseudonyms.
The first words Inspector Morse says to DS Lewis are about a crossword clue. “Have a look at 14 down.” Fourteen down, Lewis sees, is:
Take in bachelor? It could do (3)
‘“Bachelor” – that’s BA and “take” is the letter “r”, recipe in Latin. Did you never do any Latin?’‘No, sir.’‘Do you think I’m wasting your time, Lewis?’Lewis was nobody’s fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity. ‘Yes, sir.’
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