Cryptic Crosswords: Hidden Word Clues
This sounds like it would be far too easy, but actually these answers can be very hard to spot - even when you know the answer.
They are also quite common so definitely worth looking out for - typically there is one per puzzle, although there can be two or even more on rare occasions, whilst some puzzles might not have any.
How do you spot them? Well there will be some sort of indicator that the answer is in the clue. The sorts of words to look for are: concealing, extract, featuring, hiding, in, inside, internal, partially, selection, smuggling, veiled and within.
Once you know to look out for these words as hidden word answers, then they get a lot easier, as there are a manageable number of indicators used to show something is hidden inside: probably twenty or so words that are used in most instances, like the examples we've given you above.
Of course, they can still be hard to spot even if you know what indicators to look out for, and can be very clever constructions indeed: often spanning across several words. Remember that these clues still contain a straight definition part, too so do let that help guide you towards the answer too.
Also remember that the answer doesn't need to be hidden between words, it could just be a substring of a single word: thus you might be required to take 'ones' from 'honestly' if the clue is 'Singles come across honestly, in part': singles is ONES and it is also hONEStly in part.
Hidden word clue are loved by some solvers and loathed by others, partly because some people just find them so much easier to spot than others.
If a clue just doesn't seem to be allowing you any progress under a standard cryptic clue analysis, then consider if it could be a hidden word clue.
Also, because hidden word clues clearly lead you to the answer when you spot them, then some solvers like to quickly scan the grid at the start looking for hidden word indicators and then writing those in if they find them to give them some letters for other clues in the grid.
Do you like this clue type? Have you come across any particularly good examples? Please do share your thoughts with us below.
Date written: 17 Apr 2015
Comment on this post
You must be logged in to comment - please Register or Login
Tips On Solving A-Z Puzzles
Every A-Z puzzle starts the same: with a completed crossword grid, save for the small matter of 26 squares being blank, and you as the solver must decide which letter from A-Z fits in each empty square, with the important caveat that each letter appears...
Added: 02 Apr 2015
Cryptic Crossword Solving: General Tips
In the series of articles on cryptic crossword solving, we've covered a huge range of different clues, with articles that look at each type of clue. So by now you should be familiar with the types of clue that might be thrown at you, if you've been...
Added: 10 Apr 2015
Wordwheel Solving Tips
When it comes to solving wordwheel puzzles, then there are only really two methods you can use to solve the puzzle: systematic or random.
The random method is probably the more common: here you simply look at the letters in the grid, and allow your...
Added: 09 Apr 2015
Dictionaries And Help With Writing Crossword Clues
For anyone who has written crossword clues, or anyone who is about to, there is one great realisation that dawns on you fairly on in your clue-writing career: dictionaries are surprisingly ineffective at helping you write crossword clues.
There are...
Added: 28 Apr 2015
Cryptic Crossword Anagram Indicators
When solving a cryptic crossword one thing you can be sure of is that there will be some anagram clues, or partial anagram clues, in the solving mix.
Some cryptic crosswords have over 50% of the clues containing anagrams in some form, whilst even the...
Added: 16 Apr 2015
Back to Puzzle Blog
Puzzle Types:
