The Weekly Cryptic Crossword Lesson

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[@de8o]

Please do more crosswords!!! I love these. But keep doing the sudoku as well. I want them all 😂

[@longwaytotipperary]

Yes!!

[@longwaytotipperary]

I ❤watching Simon’s knowledge, wit and remarkably quick brain solve these! Pure entertainment!

[@davidrattner9]

It is just astonishing to see him solve these!! :-) Did you see that the stretch goal of him reading poetry was officially met!!! Woohooo!! :-)

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@davidrattner9 yes! 🎉 Also there will be a new podcast!!! 🎉🤗

[@glum_hippo]

You should be absolutely choughed at solving this puzzle.

[@mitnehmerrippe]

As someone who is not from Britain and has never visited beyond the southeast and London, I was so damn proud of myself for getting Eigg (the island that’s part of the Scottish Inner Hebrides) before Simon did. The Isle was bought by its inhabitants in 1997 (and is now owned by a communal trust), sources most of its energy from renewable sources and has ca. 10k visitors a year but only ~100 inhabitants total. It also has a fairly interesting Twitter account filled with interesting tidbits about the Eigg communal ownership model, ferry transit weather warnings and some fantastic sunsets and landscapes.

[@GeoffCanyon]

You shouldn't judge yourself. Your speed at coming up with the answers, and the fact that every one was correct, is off the charts.

[@Shudnawz]

I took the Alice and Mad Hatter to heart, so I tried my best to get "Cheshire Cat" instead of Persian Cat.

[@Anne_Mahoney]

Yeah, I wondered about that too, and there just wasn't enough space. Meow!

[@louisesuth8141]

You are so right that a lot of solving is about your cultural frame of reference. . . hack to me is horse first, not journalist. No cricket or English town/country references for me, so lovely to see Simon unfold this

[@poppyholly1759]

Hack to me is breaking (into) a computer program.

[@Ruddigore]

A 'Doll' is indeed a racecourse hurdle. Well solved. There were two words in this crossword that I would have stumbled over, The Times Cryptic Crossword is just out of my reach, I'm much better at solving the Times Quick Cryptic Crossword. I do hope this becomes a regular feature.

[@davidkay6655]

A doll is a barrier. If a fence is damaged they doll it off so it can't be jumped

[@Ruddigore]

@@davidkay6655 Yes you are right.

[@greekgodedess]

I love the crosswords! Thank you so much for this!

[@HeroDarkStorn]

I think it's quite fitting that in crosswords, where the most ridiculous ancient word can have a meaning, "bing" can be a search engine :D

[@Ogrecrusher]

I like the Hack Food? clue also alludes to the horsemeat scandal that the newspapers loved writing about. Very clever.

[@emilywilliams3237]

Enjoyed this very much. A thought: for those of us who don't know much about cryptic crosswords, doing an "easier" one might be helpful. Not because you will explain everything in excruciating detail, but because getting some perspective on what is a difficult crossword as compared more simple ones. As for your brain, well, your brain, Simon, your brain ... I am speechless.

[@epd807]

Please, more cryptics on cracking the cryptic! Love your videos!!

[@alfreddabson957]

As an amateur birdwatcher who has visited the small isles, I got Eigg and chough straight away (but everything else much much slower). I know this was a crossword written for a British newspaper, but to preserve the cryptic crossword as a puzzle form I think it needs much wider appeal, and a puzzle like this with so many references to British geography will alienate anyone not from these shores!

[@Enkil01]

I do hope the title means that the cryptic videos will be more regular. Only clue got before you was Screen wash!... And that was because you got the 'screen' part of word first! I'm still taking it as a win 😂

[@michaellott3575]

Courageous Simon to tackle this under scrutiny. Like you I never did fathom the Doll answer so relieved that it is correct.

[@masheroz]

"microscale" sounded weird to me, and then I remembered it is in the title of my PhD thesis!

[@chris_wicksteed]

I've just started doing cryptic crosswords, and wondered why after 15mins, I only had two clues filled in ('cuppa' and 'murmur')! Really enjoyed solving alongside this video, as much more fun than googling (or indeed binging) answers. I got the last two clues instantly, by the way!

[@erickehr4475]

A couple of homophones in the clues, but also an unintentional one by Simon at 2:28 “I really should have gone to C U P first”!

[@onlyonewayrm]

What always amazes me is I hardly ever get any of the clues but if I do it's the ones like chough where Simon says oh it must be a bird and suddenly it makes sense to me but not Simon. Cryptic Crosswords are definitely a two player game for me 🤣

[@robbybobbyhobbies]

Screenwash for me. I was screaming (inwardly) at the iPad throughout.

[@GordonjSmith1]

Loved it, and shared your struggles all the way through! More Cryptic please! I don't even really mind if they don't go very well!

[@RobOwenKing]

31:19 "All the comments will be about how everybody got this instantly and isn't Simon a bit stupid". Me, who didn't get Sutton Coldfield despite having lived less than 10 miles away for most of my life: Yes, it's definitely him that's the stupid one here. 😆

[@Anne_Mahoney]

Yaay, a crossword! And I even figured out one or two of the clues after Simon provided broad hints -- that's a victory. I do like watching these.

[@aligalad9907]

Simon is wondering why his brain ‘let him down’ im wondering when my brain my actually start or if it’s still there 😂

[@patrickhazlehurst8472]

Yes, don't know how he considers that was letting him down.

[@cumulus888]

I am always amaze watching you doing crossword. Even you give me the answer, I still have no clue how the clues work!

[@grenvillephillips6998]

I was definitely grateful to have a few of the clues explained, especially 12 down.

[@mjkluck]

I really like these solves. More please.

[@longwaytotipperary]

Good news for a Friday morning! Also looks like the kickstarter level for a podcast was reached! Yay!

[@masheroz]

Morning!? I'm delaying bed for this!

[@davidrattner9]

Morning wonderful news indeed !! Bring on the infamous podcast of them 2 !! Hooray hooray

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@davidrattner9 FANtastic!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@masheroz you must be on the other side of the world from where I am. Nitey night and sweet dreams! 😴

[@LandOfForeverSummer]

Well done. I am always impressed by these puzzles

[@archivist17]

I was shouting the last two at the screen, as I'd got them when you first visited that corner. No room to be smug, though. There were several I would not have got, including the month.

[@daconor91]

‘Game’ is fairly common word for ‘willing’ at least in my friend group. Like you might say “yeah I’m game” if asked if you wanted to go to the pub

[@nidoking042]

I was quite proud of guessing "Abingdon" as soon as I saw the clue. Granted, I know it from the name of a Japanese band, but you can't choose where random facts pop into your head from.

[@pelahnar4]

I'm about 95% sure that I've read the word "gamesome" before. I'm wanting to say it was in the Chronicles of Narnia? The Silver Chair maybe? I could see Eustace saying it. But on the other hand, I think "I'm game" and "winsome" are words/phrases that I read first in Chronicles of Narnia, so I might just be combining them.

[@michaelbaker9347]

Yay! Not enough cryptic content on this channel

[@Hemigoblin]

13:45 Simon, since you like both Cloud Atlas and well-written literary puzzles, I’m recommending that you someday read The Book Of The Long Sun tetralogy by Gene Wolfe. This was the one clue I got immediately, since a bird who is a “night chough” is one of the key characters, despite being limited to speaking in two-syllable sentences and…being a bird. If you do choose to follow the whim of a KZbin commenter, be prepared for it to start slowly, and to be a bit bewildered at the beginning. I’ve never recommended a book series in a KZbin comment before, but I genuinely think you’d enjoy it.

[@zachswanson6643]

As an American enjoyer of cryptics I would have hated this puzzle because I've never heard of any of the British places, but also I'm not nearly good enough to do this even if I did. Very impressive lol

[@keyaanmatin4804]

What's Simon typing at 7:37 ?

[@bobblebardsley]

I'd have no chance on most of these but funnily enough I got 'horsemeat' quite fast because I thought 'hack meat?' might mean 'scandal', as in 'food for journalists' and as it was obviously -meat I immediately thought of the horsemeat scandal. Maybe that was partly intended, based on the question mark being there?

[@JohnWayne-ri4ik]

I do have to agree with Simon. Trying to solve this without being immersed in british culture feels borderline impossible.

[@poppyholly1759]

It's borderline impossible even if you are immersed in British culture :(

[@mclarenguy22]

7:35 Nice typo :)

[@Raven-Creations]

7:36 you very skilfully avoided acknowledging your Freudian slip, I noted. I did get the last two easily, but assuming you don't maintain your own car, you probably never have to buy screenwash, and horsemeat is probably not your idea of food. The way you got some of the other clues definitely rules out "stupid". You didn't look up "doll". It's a temporary barrier on a racecourse, such as to remove a broken fence from the course and make the riders go around it.

[@B1GB1RDB4G3L]

Yay Simon

[@henrymarkson3758]

It's unreasonable to expect solvers from say, the USA, Australia, Ireland etc to know the names of obscure English towns. We might as well get asked to guess the name of the setter's cat.

[@henrymarkson3758]

Having said that, great solve

[@rhysbart]

I got the geography ones (and Thelma & Louise) all pretty quick. Choughed as mintballs.

[@bristolrovers27]

Excellent puzzle Well solved I only beat you on three, screenwash, horsemeat and Persian cat ....the rest I was hardly in the frame

[@richardlyons7582]

The only one I got was screen wash and Persian cat, never been able to do cryptic crossword, but your thoughts on these helped.

[@DontMockMySmock]

"thelma and louise, that's quite a modern film" bro it's thirty-one years old.

[@bibliopolist]

Can anyone explain the "Barrier of course" as a definition of "doll"? I couldn't find anything.

[@AragornN30]

From what I found, a doll seems to be a type of barrier on a racecourse.

[@TimWalton0]

I can cope with cryptics in the Mail and the Express, but the Times is a bit too much for me. Really enjoy watching the solves though. Also if you're looking for a slightly more approachable cryptic crossword, the Big Issue is ideal.

[@CrankyOtter]

More power to you. It’s interesting watching you solve these but these clues just make me mad & I maintain my longstanding aversion to cryptic crosswords as being irritating to do.

[@CrankyOtter]

“screenwash” isn’t a thing. no reason to get it.

[@craftsmanwoodturner]

Simon, please can you explain the wordplay for the screenwash clue? It's the only one you didn't cover...

[@amyworrall9246]

Cryptic definition. If you’re driving fast on the (motor)way, screen wash will improve the transparency of your windscreen.

[@steveunderwood3683]

@@amyworrall9246 That's a pretty woolly explanation. Screenwash improves transparency regardless of what your car is doing.

[@Raven-Creations]

@@steveunderwood3683 How would you know it was about cars if it weren't for the cryptic hint? Replacing "With rapid progress on the way" with "On a car" would be far too obvious. The form of words was chosen (I assume) to make the form of clue less obvious. I.e. it reads like a composited clue where a synonym for "rapid progress" is added onto say "ST", or since it's a down clue, "on the way" suggests it may end in "RD" or "ST".

[@KestrelQ]

You're being really hard on yourself I feel. Perhaps 12 down was a difficult one but there were like 30 other ones you got quicker than most people can even understand the clue. Be kinder to yourself sir :)

[@capistro5]

Wow - I used to have an open mind - by my brain kept falling out. Thats my feeling now.

[@wangmanting]

Are there any significantly simpler, beginner level of Cryptic Crossword (like the GAS level for Sudoku's)? I just can't get a single clue in the crosswords that are demonstrated here.

[@ahope1]

Not *significantly* simpler (that I know of). But try reading the Chambers Crossword Manual by Don Manley. And then try doing the daily Telegraph (UK newspaper) cryptic crossword.

[@Stickmuncher]

The Guardian has something called a Quiptic crossword which they put out Sunday/ Monday depending on your time zone. It's usually easier than the standard cryptic and free to do.

[@orosma868]

It helps if you can find a crossword that has both cryptic and straightforward clues with the same answer to help you navigate. I know some newspapers do them but can't think which ones. Alternatively, get the answer the next day and work backwards.

[@SnugglesPlays]

You forgot to check the doll one!

[@Phelpenstein]

i really love these crossword solves and it’s a shame they’re so infrequent, perhaps a dedicated crossword day could be implemented but i’m not sure about the logistics on that one

[@TheFrogfather1]

The island's pronounced 'egg' btw :)

[@donnarawiri]

Horsemeat screenwash

[@sarahnash7174]

Why your brain let's you down so regularly? I think this is simple. You use your brain so often, and so hard, nothing is infallible, even a great mind, and because you use yours more often than most and we're used to it being perfect, it's bound to show little slips more often!

[@KumaKaori]

8:33, "very hard" and yet you No Scope it. XD. just wow XD!!!

[@Jennifer-ri9nc]

18:19

[@davidkay6655]

A doll is a barrier if a fence is damaged they doll it off so it can't be jumped

[@pkrish82]

I didn't quite get Simon's explanation for 10A. Can someone explain how he got the ch?

[@declanr]

Its from taps as in water taps - cold and hot

[@pkrish82]

@@declanr Ah, that makes sense! Thanks a lot!

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@declanr thank you!

[@andrewgrant6516]

Perhaps if he used some screenwash on his glasses, Simon would have seen more clearly.

[@longwaytotipperary]

Didn’t understand the answers/clues to these: doll - screen wash - cosset. Can someone please elaborate? Many thanks!

[@zmaj12321]

DOLL - a type of racetrack barrier. Party = DO, lines = LL. SCREENWASH - cryptic definition. If you're moving quickly on the motorway, a screenwash may be used to improve the transparency of your windshield. I'm less sure about the SET in COSSET. COSSET - to spoil (a child, for example). Function = COS (mathematics), formal = SET (???). "Set" has a lot of definitions, so there's probably one that means "formal".

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@zmaj12321 thank you, so much!

[@davedeegan6987]

@@zmaj12321 All Haulage /Transport yards have a big container of detergent marked Screenwash where drivers fill up before a trip.

[@henrymarkson3758]

The one about tiny rodents and old Carl's nuts was a bit risqué for this family friendly channel

[@user-yl3pp8fy9w]

Thelma and Louise modern xD? ...

[@cinemaker321]

test

[@KingJakenator]

First?