The basics - how cryptic clues work

[@at8ax]

Perhaps "cropper" more in the trimming a photograph sense than agricultural?

[@m4cdemos]

Academic point, but the clue specifically contained the word 'cutter' - don't think that many people think of cropping a photo as 'cutting' it, would you say?

[@markknowles1998]

@@m4cdemos Well, yes, that’s specifically what you do when you physically crop a photo.

[@alisonshanahan9529]

I thought chopper rather than cropper, both mean to cut something.

[@m4cdemos]

But 'river' would have to be a clue to the letter 'h', which wouldn't work...

[@ilexdiapason]

"now simpson immediately means to most people wallace simpson who -" and other sentences that instantly date you, or otherwise label you as someone who really doesn't interface with american pop culture