This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle is the 2nd Quick Cryptic from Garson, first met in July with #119. This puzzle has anagrams and hidden word(s) with all the letters in the clues. The other clues, where the words and letters need to be found by the solver, are double definitions and cryptic clues, seen here for the 6th time, previously seen in September 2025 with #76. I either see cryptic clues immediately or I don’t have the general knowledge, and find there’s no word play to get a foothold. Last time Garson produced a pangram, this time there’s a theme.
The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here – those rules include not posting solving times.
This blog was developed in response to suggestions. We hide the answers and the wordplay descriptions (parsing) too. To find the solution click on “Answer” and to find how the word play works, click on “Parsing” which will reveal the hidden information. You can choose to reveal everything using the “Expand All” button. If you have partially revealed the page, refreshing it will clear that, and allow you to expand all. The definition is in bold and underlined, the indicator is in red.
For additional help click here
There is a summary of the tricks used in the first six months here, if I ever stop for long enough, I’ll build another one, and a Guardian Crossword blog called the ultimate beginner’s guide has tips which may be useful for some solvers.
For abbreviations and clue tips click here
Fifteen Squared uses several abbreviations and jargon tricks, there’s a full list here, of which I’ve used the following in this blog:
- underlining the definition in the clue – this is either at the beginning or end of the clue
- indicators are in red.
- CAPITALS to indicate which bits are part of the answer, e.g. haVE ALtered for the example.
- anagram – letters being used shown in brackets (SENATOR)* for the clue below to give TREASON.
- anagram minus – letters being used are shown as capitals in brackets, with the unused letter in lower case and square brackets – so fluttering (OWLET[s])* becomes TOWEL.
- anagrind – anagram indicator – in the case below it is “arranged”
- soundalike – is indicated by “Wilde” – so in the example, Oscar “Wilde”, the playwright and author, is indicating the soundalike WILD.
- charades – the description below only gives the example of words being added together, but charades can be more complicated, adding abbreviations or single letters to another word. Examples previously used in this series are: Son ridicules loose overgarments (6) S (son) + MOCKS (ridicules), Get rid of dead pine (5) D(dead) + ITCH (pine) – D ITCH, and early on DR (doctor) + IVE (I have) to give DRIVE.
- reversals – the reversal element of a clue is indicated by < – so in the example clue below, VieTNAm <.
- CAD or clue as definition– where the whole clue gives the definition, sometimes called an &lit. These are rare.
- DBE or definition by example – e.g. where a dog might be clued as a setter – often using a question mark, maybe, possibly or e.g. to show that this is an example rather than a definition.
- surface – the meaning from reading the clue – so often cryptic clues use an English that could only be found in a cryptic crossword, but a smooth surface is a clue that has a meaning in English, which can be pointed or misleading.
TODAY’S TRICKS – from the crossword site – because the clues have moved on from the clue descriptions below, I am now adding more to the descriptions hidden above. Clues begin or end with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these:
- Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON (crime) - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL. - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR. - Cryptic definition Whole clue is playful definition
‘Pair of braces? (4)’ gives FOUR – a brace is two, two x two = four.
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Fools, they often have a drink in them (4)
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AnswerMUGS |
Parsingdouble definition a word that can mean both fools and also drink containers. |
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| 3 |
Talk at length with small furry animal (6)
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AnswerRABBIT |
Parsingdouble definition the first definition brings to mind this song and is from Cockney Rhyming Slang, the other is a literal definition and a theme solution. |
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| 7 |
Coastal iceberg covering girl who fell through hole? (5)
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AnswerALICE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (covered) in coastAL ICEberg for the second themed solution. The definition refers to the theme. |
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| 9 |
Person involved in box-ticking exercise? (5)
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AnswerVOTER |
Parsingcryptic definition – referring to someone who ticks a box, for a specific reason. |
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| 10 |
Rod, Dawn and Len cavorting in marvellous place (10)
|
AnswerWONDERLAND |
Parsinganagram of (ROD DAWN [and] LEN)* (ignoring the “and”) with an anagrind of “cavorting”, for another thematic answer. This trick of including an extra joining word in anagram fodder is worth noting. |
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| 13 |
Darts venue, drunken escapades (10)
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AnswerADVENTURES |
Parsinganagram of (DARTS VENUE)* with an anagrind of “drunken” for another themed solution. |
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| 17 |
Claw hit earth that holds chalky colour (5)
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AnswerWHITE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (that holds) in claW HIT Earth – and this is another theme word. |
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| 19 |
Entertain, performing as Emu (5)
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AnswerAMUSE |
Parsinganagram of (AS EMU)* with an anagrind of “performing”. |
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| 20 |
Take note of moment in time (6)
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AnswerMINUTE |
Parsingdouble definition for the first think of a verb relating to formal meetings, the second is a noun. |
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| 21 |
Give direction for starring role (4)
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AnswerLEAD |
Parsingdouble definition the first is a verb, the second a noun, and this is a particularly useful word as there are so many other pronunciations and definitions that could be used. |
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|
DOWN
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| 1 |
Catcalls? (6)
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AnswerMIAOWS |
Parsingcryptic definition this feels very literal, but it could be hoping for confusion with the misogynistic calls from building sites. |
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| 2 |
Engineering nerd with gin smiled (7)
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AnswerGRINNED |
Parsinganagram of (NERD [with] GIN)* with an anagrind of “engineering” and I suspect this and the previous clues may be thematic clues, through this character. |
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| 4 |
Inhuman villain holding blacksmith’s tool (5)
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AnswerANVIL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (holding) in inhumAN VILlain and a surface that suggests this sort of cartoon scene |
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| 5 |
Hit flying mammal (3)
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AnswerBAT |
Parsingdouble definition the first definition is a verb, the second a regular in crosswords and a noun. And I suspect this could be thematic from this poem that features in the book. |
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| 6 |
Biting dessert? (4)
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AnswerTART |
Parsingdouble definition with the first an adjective and hte second a noun, a possible dessert. |
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| 8 |
First Lady (3)
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AnswerEVE |
Parsingcryptic definition – the first lady in the Bible (often clued this way in cryptic crosswordland). |
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| 11 |
Rearing against nature? (7)
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AnswerNURTURE |
Parsingcryptic definition or possibly a double definition – from which is now regarded as outdated, but is referenced and lampooned in the theme book. |
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| 12 |
Rise for boisterous dances (6)
|
AnswerASCEND |
Parsinganagram of (DANCES)* with an anagrind of “boisterous”, and there surface references the mad wonderland where up is down and the Lobster Quadrille. |
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| 14 |
Eleven troopers guarding sports activity (5)
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AnswerEVENT |
Parsinghidden word(s) (guarding) in elEVEN Troopers – and the surface summons up the image of the Croquet match with card soldiers. |
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| 15 |
Awkwardly ate meal (3)
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AnswerTEA |
Parsinganagram of (ATE)* with an anagrind of “awkwardly”. And for the theme, possibly this clip from the early cartoon version. |
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| 16 |
Advance in school? (4)
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AnswerSWIM |
Parsingcryptic definition – the key to this is that a school is a group of fish, and Alice swims in a pool of her own tears from when she was 9 foot tall. |
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| 18 |
Pub hidden by ruin nearby (3)
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AnswerINN |
Parsinghidden word(s) (hidden by) in ruIN Nearby – and this makes up the full title. |
The theme is ALICE’s ADVENTURES IN[n] WONDERLAND, with the WHITE RABBIT and various other words that could be thematic: TEA – the Mad Hatter’s TEA party, Twinkle twinkle little BAT, SWIM, the nature vs NURTURE debate (a theme of the book), various EVENTs (the trial, the croquet match), the TARTs that were stolen by the Knave of Hearts and the GRIN[ned] of the Cheshire Cat.
I suspect I’m not the only one who put in MEAOWS, a variant spelling of MEOWS. No way of knowing whether it was that or MIAOWS.
Otherwise, a quick and fun, surprisingly packed Alice-themed puzzle.
Lovely puzzle. I didn’t look for a theme, I should have spotted it anyway!
I put in MIAOWS 😉
Excellent Quick Cryptic. Loved the theme.
Lovely puzzle. I like cryptic definitions, but they are the harder type of clues, as you just need to see them. But they are usually fun when you get them. I had miaows immediately, but was not sure how to spell it. Thanks Garson and Shanne
Am I the only one who has never heard of 3? The Thesaurus came in handy.
21 LOI; it took me ages…
Andrea @5 – you can tell when I suspect that things may not be widely known from how many links I add in.
Looks like I’m the only one so far who didn’t enjoy this one. I thought 1d, 8d and 6d were very weak.
Very enjoyable, and I actually spotted the theme as I was doing the clues (unusual for me). SWIM and MINUTE were my last in and I needed all the crossers. I was looking blankly at them for a while until the doh! moment hit LOL. Thanks Garson, and to Shanne.
I thought I was going to get nowhere with this. But slowly managed almost all of it.
I rarely do quick cryptics now but popped in and I must say – bravo to Garson! A themed Quick Cryptic is a rarity, but a theme worked so well and comprehensively is a double rarity. Thanks also to Shanne; a superb blog as always. I must say I couldn’t parse NURTURE, having forgotten about that debate
Thanks Garson and Shanne. Lovely, and with a theme. MIAOW, v. meow, was new to me but fair enough.
Lovely quick cryptic this week. I didn’t spot the theme until opening these comments-doh! This is my first post but I’ve really enjoyed the fifteensquared explanations and comments from the start. Thank you Shanne, the Grauniad and all the lovely people in this community.
Welcome to Stuie!
Brilliant qc – thanks Garson. And thanks to Shanne for your great explanation of everything that I wasn’t sure about – including all the theme words!
Son and I spotted the theme, which surprised him because he’d never seen a themed puzzle before. Lots of fun despite a lot of tricky dds and cds.
Thank you, Garson and Shanne.
I enjoyed the theme!
9A sounds like rather a dark joke: there are countries in which elections have become a formal and fictitious procedure.
Thanks for the explanations about nurture vs. nature and about rabbit (I found it in the dictionary, but it didn’t say it was Cockney Rhyming Slang).