Index

A master list of articles on Crossword Unclued arranged by category. This includes a beginner's section with descriptions of cryptic clue types, indicators, abbreviations and other crossword information to help you with crossword solving.

If you're new to cryptic crosswords, you might want to start with the 7-Step Guide to Tackling Cryptic Crosswords. If you're tried solving for a bit and aren't happy with your progress, try More Tips For Solving Cryptic Crosswords.

For an overview of how to navigate the site, scroll towards the end of this page.

Clue Types At A Glance

The table below gives an overview of types of clues that appear in cryptic crosswords.

Each clue type link in the table opens a new page with its details – clue structure, tips for solving and examples.

Most cryptic clues have "indicators" that help you identify the clue type. The links under the Indicators column will give you a list of common indicators for that clue type.

Clue Type	Quick Description	Indicators
Anagrams	Letters are jumbled up to give the solution e.g. TRAP* = PART	Anagram Indicators
Homophones	Solution sounds like another word/phrase indicated in the clue e.g. WHERE {~WEAR}	Homophone Indicators
Hidden Words	Solution is hidden within the clue e.g. "pop artist" gives PART	Hidden Word Indicators
Deletions	Letters deleted to give the solution e.g. {-p}ART = ART	Deletion Indicators
Charades	Words placed in sequence form the solution e.g. FAT + HER = FATHER	No indicator in general, except words like 'before', 'under' when the word sequence is to be changed
Substitutions	Letter(s) substituted for another e.g. {-p + c}ART = CART	Substitution Indicators (coming soon!)
Containers	Word within another word e.g. EAT within TRY = TREATY	Containment Indicators
Acrostics	Solution formed from first letters of a sequence of words e.g. Put Away Redundant Things = PART	Acrostic Indicators
Reversals	Word reversed to give the solution e.g. PART <- = TRAP	Reversal Indicators
Letter Sequences	Selected letters from the clue give the solution e.g. mAsCoT gives ACT	Letter Sequence Indicators
Letter Shifting	Letter moved to form a new word e.g. First letter of HEART moved to the end to form EARTH	Phrases like 'from top to bottom'.
Letter Exchange	Two letters switch positions to form a new word e.g. T and P of TAPE switch positions to form PATE	Words like 'switching', 'internal exchange'
Double Definitions	Two definitions for the same word e.g. quick writer = SWIFT	No indicator
Cryptic Definitions	Lateral definition for the solution.	No indicator, sometimes ends in ?
Cryptic Double-Definitions	Two definitions, at least one of which is a lateral definition	No indicator, sometimes ends in ?
&lit	Wordplay and definition overlap.	No indicator, sometimes ends in !

Browse through the posts tagged clue types to see a wider list including more complex clue types.

Abbreviations And Other References

You need some "general knowledge" to solve cryptic crosswords, but the good news is that you can do pretty well with only surface knowledge. (You might not play golf for example, but if you pick up the basic jargon you can comfortably answer golf-related clues.)

A few articles to help you with the domain knowledge:

• Cricket And Cryptic Crosswords:  Cricket is a favourite subject of crossword setters. This three-part series of articles covers cricket terminology and how its fits into cryptic clues.
• Cryptic Abbreviations: An overview of standard abbreviations that are commonly used in cryptic crosswords.
• French Words In Crosswords: Reference list of French words that frequently show up in crosswords.
• NATO Phonetic Alphabet In Crosswords
• Crosswords And The Game Of Bridge

Browse through the posts tagged words to familiarize yourself with typical cryptic crossword vocabulary.

Cryptic Wordplay

Some devious devices crossword setters use to lead the solver astray.

• Tricky Indicators
• How To Interpret Punctuation In Clues
• The Significance of Apostrophe-S
• Wordplay Inversion
• False Capitalization
• Inter-Grid References
• Spoonerisms
• Cockney Speech and Rhyming Slang

Read posts tagged wordplay and crossword twists for more.

The Crossword Grid

A selection of articles about attributes of a cryptic crossword grid.

• ABC of the Crossword Grid: Overview of basic grid properties – shape, size, symmetry, black space distribution.
• Checking and Connectivity: What they mean, and how the affect the "fairness" of the puzzle
• Pangrammatic Grids
• Barred Grid vs Blocked Grid
• Nina: Secret message coded into the grid
• Create your own Crossword Grid, without using any software
• Quick way to count the words inside a grid
• How to put words into the grid, when creating a crossword puzzle
• On the grid: where to start?

Browse through the posts tagged grid for more.

Crossword Tools

A look at tools useful for crossword setters and solvers:

• Crossword Compiler and CrosswordMan
• BG Crossword Puzzle, a crossword solving tool for the blind
• Across Lite for interactive crosswords
• How to embed interactive crosswords in your website/blog

Browse through the posts tagged tools for more.

What Else?

Patterns/interesting trends in crosswords, interviews with setters and expert solvers, crossword book reviews, evaluation of setters' styles, and there's more. Visit the site archive for a chronological listing of all articles.

How To Navigate The Site

You can browse through the content in many easy ways:

• Looking for something specific? Use the "Search" box in the header.
• Want a bird's eye view of everything ever posted on Crossword Unclued? Navigate via the sidebar section "Archive" to view all the posts in date-wise order. [or click here: Quick Archive]
• Want to read the most popular articles on Crossword Unclued? Look at the selected links in the sidebar filed under relevant headings.
• Looking for all articles from a particular category? Go to the sidebar section "Labels" and click on the label that matches the category name. e.g. All articles meant for beginners can be accessed by clicking on the label beginners.
• Want to try a randomly picked article from Crossword Unclued? Click the "I'm Feeling Lucky!" icon on the sidebar.

Remembering Chaturvasi / Gridman / Rishi

I learned of CV Sir’s passing through messages from crossword friends last Wednesday. I had not been in touch with him since over a year, and infrequently even before that.

And yet, his absence feels like a huge personal loss.

I found myself going back to our email exchanges over the years, thinking about how our interactions evolved with time.

I met CV Sir first on Orkut in 2007, before this blog existed. He and TSG (Ganesh) managed a cryptic crossword community there. Joining their community was a transformative experience for me. I felt like a lone Martian stranded on Earth discovering my planet’s settlement.

CV Sir was brimming with ideas for the crossword community. He had a point of view, a distinct personal style, and he was always up for a challenge. My mailbox twelve years ago would find messages like this from him:

TSG and I would of course go along with the “superannuated man”.

Interestingly, my interactions with CV Sir were not always conflict-free. When I started this blog, CV Sir had strong views about content and writing style and would have liked me to follow them. I did not quite agree and did not follow them. Through the years, I have often sparred with him over what I saw as occasional want of sensitivity in his clue surfaces and social commentary.

His response to non-acquiescence and criticism from someone less experienced than him is something many of us can learn from. He knew how to keep debate civil and never let differences over ideas affect our regard for each other.

CV Sir had great personal pride and childlike enthusiasm, at the same time the groundedness and maturity to seek inputs for improvement. He would reach out when he was unsure about a clue, and would receive suggestions with open-mindedness and appreciation.

(I now googled to check what finally happened with this clue: found that he did revise it.)

Our interactions of late had dwindled to his alerting me to interesting discussions in various forums. This is the last communication I had from him, in 2019 (Viresh – it mentions you):

Remembering CV Sir has prompted me to reconnect with other crossword friends who knew him since the 200x early internet days. (Anokha - I was unable to reach you. If you read this, please drop me a line, would love to have your inputs too.)

Sharing their thoughts as sent to me:

Ganesh (TSG), THC setter Neyartha:

I got introduced to Mr. Rishikesh in early 2005 through the Orkut Hindu Crossword Community. Around that time-frame (in the early days of social networking), I had just started out graduate school in the US and Orkut was the online meeting-place of choice for youngsters. Having joined it a few months earlier, I created discussion groups for something I used to attempt every day - the daily cryptic crosswords from The Hindu and The Economic Times. Other Indo-centric crosswords discussion fora such as Yahoo! Groups and Mayyam also existed. Mr. Rishikesh was an active participant in all these sites, pitching in to help clarify any questions that members had with the annotations of the clues. In those days, there were few online resources to explain cryptic crosswords, and Mr. Rishikesh's posts helped drive up the analytical capabilities of the forum members significantly. As one of the administrators of the Orkut communities, I developed a personal line of communication with Mr. Rishikesh, as he provided inputs on how to make the communities more appealing. Slowly, I sharpened my crossword skills enough to act as a test solver for the puzzles he was contributing to The Hindu. This gradually helped me to start writing clues and eventually prepare puzzles for private events. Mr. Rishiskesh was already quite adept at using technology for his crossword compilation tasks, and I was able to share findings from my own research (in terms of software tools) for him to evaluate further.

In early 2006, I made my first visit to India after joining grad school. I took the opportunity to meet up with Mr. Rishikesh in person at his residence in Gopalapuram, Chennai along with a few fellow enthusiasts as part of a 'Chennai Orkut Crosswords Club Meet' - a precursor to the THCC meets that pop up now and then on The Hindu Crossword Corner. We had an enjoyable discussion, and Mr. Rishikesh also gifted me a few crossword books from his collection.

After I flew back to the US, I continued to act as a test solver for Mr. Rishikesh's puzzles while slowly building up a library of my own compilations with his guidance and mentorship. The retirement of a few puzzle contributors to The Hindu around the end of 2007 opened up slots for new compilers, and Mr. Rishikesh was kind enough to recommend my name to the publishers for the same. I am indebted to Mr. Rishikesh for opening up this opportunity - his encouragement and inputs have enabled me to keep improving at my job over the course of 14+ years and 240+ puzzles.

With the development in our personal rapport, we exchanged family visits whenever I was in India. He also graced my wedding with his presence in 2008, and called up with personal wishes after the birth of my daughter. Over the last few years, as my trips to India became more spaced apart, our communication was limited to regular e-mails. I used to send each puzzle compiled for The Hindu to Mr. Rishikesh for vetting. He graciously took time out to point out inconsistencies and issues with the clues, if any.

His passing has left me, as well as the global cruciverbalist community, bereft of a treasured guide. His online contributions (including his comments in The Hindu Crossword Corner blog posts over the last couple of years) were always courteous, mild-mannered, and witty - a combination of qualities that has become difficult to find in today's online discourses. He will be fondly remembered by many, and his public posts will continue to guide crossword enthusiasts well into the future.

Tony Sebastian, THC ex-setter Cryptonyte:

Long ago, in a time before Facebook, IPL, and Crossword Unclued, a 19 year old put up an amateurish crossword (with a skeleton he has copied) on his blog with the 30 minutes internet access he had in the college library. Little did he know that a few squares in black and white in an obscure corner of the internet would summon a real life superhero - Gridman!

That's how I first interacted with CG Rishikesh AKA Chaturvasi AKA Gridman and TBH, I was in awe. A few words of encouragement, a nudge to try creating skeletons, and efficient guidance from a superstar in the Indian crossword scene like Gridman is an unimaginable feat in any field today. And yet, he made no big deal out of it. He pointed out nuances and ways of improving from time to time though he was by his own admission "up to eyebrows in work". But he continued to guide me and the many others around him, always hoping that there would be new and original setters from India.

Looking back now, the kindness, patience, and guidance he gave a young setter he had never met or known in person, was rare and very special. And special is what Gridman was. The many who know him from the crosswords he's set will know him as fair and approachable for 20 years. To me, he was a guide and mentor who pushed me to keep improving my clues, nudging me to seek all possible avenues to publish my crosswords. A gentle guide who reminded me that he himself got an opportunity to set a crossword for The Hindu only in his third decade(!) of setting grids. And in the end, made sure that I and several better setters did get our chance to put our pseudonyms in The Hindu.

Time sometimes moves too fast, and at other times too slow. And rarely, you find moments when you wished it would stand still - where everything was black and white. With one fair clue and only one correct answer. With a beautiful, symmetric grid and the man who took pride in making them all just right. Go well, Gridman. You've left us, but you've made sure we're not clueless.

Anish Madhavan (Maddy), THC ex-setter Spiffytrix:

As I try to wrap my head around the terrible news, I am transported back in time some 12-13 years ago, when my first interactions with CV Sir began over the Orkut groups, Col’s blog, Crossword Unclued followed by many many exchanges over emails. The lively discussions over the small Orkut group while solving/commenting on an old Times crossword (syndicated in The Hindustan Times) are among my fondest memories from that era. His contributions to popularizing crosswords and making it accessible is unparalleled and the fact that there is now a respected sub genre of original Indian crosswords with a desi feel and tadka is all credit to him.

It was CV Sir who molded and morphed me into a setter from a casual solver. In fact, I just realized I was one of the very first setters, if not the first, who got empaneled for the Hindu Crossword purely due to his mentoring and recommendation. Once I ceased setting/regular solving of crosswords in the last 7-8 years due to my work commitments and busy schedule, our regular correspondences also petered out till we reconnected about a few months back. How I wish I could turn the clock back and make amends for not being in regular touch for so many years.

Gridman going off the grid is truly the passing of an era. But his legacy will live on not just through his impressive volume of work but also through the work of many many others whom he has mentored and converted into setters. Au revoir Sir, you will be missed, They don’t make ’em like you anymore.

Richard Lasrado, THCC regular:

The news of our dear Rishi's passing away was a shocker. We had become friends pretty much before we met in person. I had happened to bump into Col Deepak's blog by sheer chance, a few months after it was launched. The earliest regular participants in the daily discussion were CV, Suresh Dorbala, Shuchi and a few others.

Having been a cryptic crossie aficionado since college days, I too began chipping in with my two-pence. Whenever there was a difference of opinion or doubt, Chaturvasi aka CV had the last word. As time rolled, I got to discover the genius in him. We began to regularly communicate by email. Both of us having had the background of journalism might have led to a strong rapport being built between us. The _nom de plume_ Chaturvasi had impressed me to the core. He breathed and lived within the confines or protocol of the _chatur_ (four) corners of the crossword grid. In one of his initial emails alone, he revealed an additional facet of his identity. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that one of the most popular setters on The Hindu panel, Gridman, was none other than CV himself. That took my admiration for him a few notches higher.

Before I first met CV, I somehow had visualized him as a tall, well-built man with a booming voice. But our first conversation changed all that in entirety. Here was a fine gentleman, soft-spoken in nature and receptive in temperament.

Although I drifted away from crossword-related activities during the last few years, I was in communication with CV through e-mail. There was a motive, call it selfish or whatever. For many years, I have been planning to bring out a book. I could not think of a more suitable person to edit and fine-tune the text than Chaturvasi. He graciously agreed to do it for me. But, alas, he has left this world, with a question mark looming large on my project.

Fare thee well, CV. I am sure you are not the one who would rest quietly. You may have found many other crossie enthusiasts already, with an old acquaintance like Raju Umamaheswar in company, to engage others in the battle of words. Om Shanti: Brother!

Col Gopinath of THCC:

I am still getting used to the fact that Rishi is no longer with us. It came to me as a rude shock.

He was amongst the first few to have commented on my blog and had been taking keen interest in the upkeep and well-being of the blog. He had sent me a message just a few days ago on the 11th pointing out a spelling mistake. He would sound me out occasionally on unwanted comments on the blog even though he had full admin rights.

His dedication to crosswords was unparalleled and he was in touch with me even while in hospital during his illness in March.

His absence will be a great personal loss to me and my blog.

CV Sir, you will be deeply missed. I am remembering your full-throated laughter as I write this and breaking into a smile.

Pic above: at Col's home (2010): CV Sir on the right, Dr DS on the left.

Links to guest posts written by CV Sir on this blog:

• Make your own crossword grid from scratch
• How to put words in a crossword grid
• So the slips might not show...
• Books crossword setters used in days bygone

More about Gridman / Chaturvasi from the blog archives:

• Gridman trivia
• THC 9442 (Gridman) dated 29-Jan-2009: Solution blog
• GridmANalysis: Grids used by Gridman

Tributes from other sites:

• Clued In (Blogs): Recollections from The Hindu Crossword setters
• The Hindu: ‘Gridman’ goes off the grid, crossword community loses a giant
• Special crossword by Incognito for Gridman
• 1ACross: RIP Gridman

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 7 – Solution and Winner

We have received your answers and your feedback to Prize Puzzle: Hindi Crossword 7. It is time to give out the solution, reflect on your responses, and announce the name of a lucky winner.

आर-पार

क्रमांक	संकेत	उत्तर	टिप्पणी
1	थोड़ी मुश्किल है, थोड़ा झेलिये, और शब्द बताइये एक मेरे लिए (2)	मुझे	मु (of मुश्किल) + झे (of झेलिये); Definition: मेरे लिए
2	आप और मैं अंग्रेज़ी भुगतते हैं, ये रेल या बस में साथ चलते हैं (5)	हमसफ़र	हम (आप और मैं) + सफ़र (भुगतते in English); Definition: ये रेल या बस में साथ चलते हैं
5	देसी खाने को जब सीने से ना लगाया तब आँखों ने क्या किया? (2)	देखा	'देसी खाने' without 'सी ने'; Definition: आँखों ने क्या किया
7	गंभीर रॉय, शुरू से घोष के सर के पीछे पड़े (2)	घोर	र (start of रॉय) after (घो head of घोष); Definition: गंभीर
8	ये हुआ तो शेष, कुछ हकलाया तो शिशु? (2)	बचा	The answer, when stuttered, becomes बच्चा (शिशु); Definition: शेष
10	लड़की यूँ हिली कि टहनी मिली (3)	लकड़ी	Anagram (यूँ हिली) of लड़की; Definition: टहनी
12	गाय के सर पर तिनके का टुकड़ा पड़ा है, बूझो तो जाने कि उसकी रफ़्तार क्या है? (2)	गति	To ग (the head of गाय) is attached ति (a piece of तिनके); Definition: रफ़्तार
13	सूजी नहीं! ये होना, मतलब चले जाना (3)	रवाना	रवा (सूजी) + ना (नहीं); रवाना होना means चले जाना
15	करुणा के लिए हाथ, कुछ ममता के साथ (3)	करम	कर (हाथ) with म (कुछ ममता); Definition: करुणा
17	आपने तकल्लुफ़ बिन, शुरुआत में रखी संस्कृत लेकिन जब अंत का अवसर आया मुझे हरियाणवी से रंगा पाया (3)	तुमने	तु (संस्कृत 'लेकिन') + मने ('मुझे' हरियाणवी से रंगा); Definition: 'आपने' तकल्लुफ़ बिन i.e. informally
20	बनके राजा इंदौर का, खोया हिस्सा लाहौर का (3)	होकर	होलकर (राजा इंदौर का) lost ल (हिस्सा 'लाहौर' का); Definition: बनके
22	मशहूर शायर अमरोही की कलाम बड़ी अनोखी (3)	कमाल	Anagram (बड़ी अनोखी) of कलाम; Definition: मशहूर शायर अमरोही
23	नहीं नहीं, लगाना पड़ेगा मानद प्रत्यय जभी परिवार के वरिष्ठ सदस्य मिल गये (3)	नानाजी	ना + ना + जी (मानद प्रत्यय); Definition: परिवार के वरिष्ठ सदस्य
25	एक आँख वाली निगले थोड़ी मिश्री ताकि वह बन सके एक सुंदर स्त्री (3)	कामिनी	कानी (एक आँख वाली) swallows मि (a bit of मिश्री); Definition: सुंदर स्त्री
27	बेवक़ूफ़ दफ्तरकर्मिंयों के मुखड़ों को आग लग जाएगी तब कहीं जाके वो साफ़ बन जाएगी (3)	बेदाग	बे द (the fronts of बेवक़ूफ़ and दफ्तरकर्मिंयों) + आग; Definition: साफ़
28	सोने का पर्याय, जो सीधा-उल्टा समान नज़र आये (3)	कनक	कनक is a palindrome, and a synonym (पर्याय) of सोना
30	बहस में उलझे कुछ अक्षर उनको रिहा कर या बर्दाश्त कर (2)	सह	Anagram of हस from बहस; Definition: बर्दाश्त कर
31	एक प्राणी का नाम तुम कहना जो कूदके बन सकता है वरना... (3)	वानर	Anagram of वरना; Definition: एक प्राणी
33	सीता शायद ऐसी थी, धीरे धीरे बोलती थी, पंक्ति का पहला अक्षर लेती थी, और भोली भाली बनती थी (2)	सीधी	First parts of the first two lines: सी and धी; Definition: भोली भाली
35	मामी का एक हिस्सा और दादी का एक हिस्सा, दोनों असल मे क्या है, यही है किस्सा (2)	मादा	मा (मामी का एक हिस्सा) + दा (दादी का एक हिस्सा). Both मामी and दादी are female.
36	इसको पहनोगे आप यदि, तो दिखेगी एक छोटी नदी (2)	चश्मा	d&cd; you wear a चश्मा to see, and चश्मा is also a rivulet
37	पहले-पहल मेजर हरिवंश राय बाहर निकलता, और बहुत दयालु दिखता (4)	मेहरबान	Acrostic - initial letters from 'मेजर हरिवंश राय बाहर निकलता'; Definition: दयालु
38	कुछ मेघ नाकाम होते है, लेकिन वह ठोस होते है (2)	घना	Hidden in 'मेघ नाकाम'; Definition: ठोस

नीचे की ओर

क्रमांक	संकेत	उत्तर	टिप्पणी
1	मुझे कुछ लफ्ज़ पहले जोड़ के दिखाओ, कली के लिए एक और शब्द बताओ ( 3)	मुकुल	Acrostic - initial letters from 'मुझे कुछ लफ्ज़'; Definition: कली
2	प्रत्येक सरहद-वासी ऐंठा हुआ है वह राज़ छुपाए बैठा हुआ है (2)	हर	Wordplay 1: Hidden (छुपाए बैठा हुआ है) in 'वह राज़' 2. Wordplay 2: Hidden (वासी) jumbled (ऐंठा हुआ है) in 'सरहद'; Definition: प्रत्येक
3	संगीत के सुर सात ही, मगर सातों में बद्ध अवरोही (4)	सरगम	Hidden (बद्ध) reversed (अवरोही) in 'मगर सातों'; Definition: संगीत के सुर सात
4	अरबी की छाल फेंक दो, छिपा हुआ ख़ुदा देख लो (2)	रब	Remove (छाल फेंक दो) of 'अरबी' to find a hidden रब (ख़ुदा)
6	ले कोठरी के भीतर रखना, फिर इसे निगल जाना (1,2)	खा लेना	ले inside खाना (कोठरी); Definition: निगल जाना
7	जो उसकी जान तक ले जाए वर, बारातियों के बीच मिले वो जानवर (2)	घोड़ी	CD - reference to the Indian wedding tradition of the groom arriving on a mare.
9	समाचार में दिखे समान, ये है इस संख्या की पहचान (2)	चार	समाचार with no समा (i.e. समा न); Definition: संख्या
11	जिसको खाने से बात का वजन बढ़ जाता है, उसका पेट काटने से कम हो जाता है! (3)	कसम	क[स]म = कम; Definition: जिसको खाने से बात का वजन बढ़ जाता है, a reference to कसम खाना
14	बहुत अच्छे! जब मिली पहली कमाई सामान ले जाने का साधन ले आई (3)	वाहक	वाह (बहुत अच्छे)+ क (the first of 'कमाई'); Definition: सामान ले जाने का साधन
16	नसीरुद्दीन शाह की पत्नी को हाथ लगे बहुमूल्य हीरे जवाहरात के खान मिले (4)	रत्नाकर	रत्ना (नसीरुद्दीन शाह की पत्नी)+ कर (हाथ); Definition: बहुमूल्य हीरे जवाहरात के खान
17	तुरंत लाओ नाश्ते के पहले वाले निवाले तो तुमको एक अलग तरह का उपमा मिले (3)	तुलना	First bits of 'तुरंत लाओ नाश्तों Definition: upma = simile, comparison
18	"आज़ाद हिन्द फौज" के नायक बने अभिनेता जीतेन्द्र दिल से, कुछ हद तक (3)	नेताजी	Hidden within (दिल से, कुछ हद तक) 'अभिनेता जीतेन्द्र'; Definition: "आज़ाद हिन्द फौज" के नायक
19	"चलते चलते" तुम याद रखना, कभी यह लफ्ज़ ना कहना (4)	अलविदा	CD - reference to the lyrics of the song 'चलते चलते...कभी अलविदा ना कहना'
20	त्यौहार में होगा जिसका दहन, वो है प्रह्लाद के पिता की बहन (3)	होलिका	CD - reference to the legend of Holika
21	गड़बड़ नीरज का किया, नाम निशा का दिया (3)	रजनी	Anagram (गड़बड़) of नीरज; Definition: निशा
24	"गणना न कर" मानो याचना है म्हारी कल्पत किस्सों में अक्सर होती हूँ इच्छाधारी (3)	नागिन	गणना न कर = ना गिन; Definition: कल्पत किस्सों में अक्सर होती हूँ इच्छाधारी, alluding to shape-shifting snakes in folklore
26	कुछ हद तक शामिल नहीं फिर भी यह संगम सही (3)	मिलन	Hidden in 'शामिल नहीं'; Definition: संगम
27	एक-एक चुटकी बेसन, हल्दी, तिल और राई के डालो, सब जुड़ जाएं तो अच्छा बना लो (4)	बेहतर	Acrostic - pick and join the tops from 'बेसन हल्दी तिल राई'; Definition: अच्छा
28	नैतिक वचनों में निमग्न हैं इस रक्षक के वर्ण जिसके प्रख्यात भेंटकर्ता हैं दानवीर कर्ण (3)	कवच	The letters (वर्ण) of this protector (इस रक्षक) are hidden (निमग्न) in 'नैतिक वचनों'; Definition: जिसके प्रख्यात भेंटकर्ता हैं दानवीर कर्ण, alluding to the story from Mahabharata
29	एक रस्सी के अंतिम हिस्से लो दोनो बांध के खिंची हुई कर दो (2)	कसी	Pick and tie together the last letters from 'एक रस्सी'; Definition: खिंची हुई
31	11 जैसा ही एक और बार, ये आधे से कम स्वादानुसार (2)	वादा	under 50% of 'स्वादानुसार'; Definition: synonym of 11d (कसम)
32	चना जोर की चाट जो ना खाए, उसे सृष्टि कहकर बुलाया जाए (3)	रचना	Anagram (चाट) of (चना जोर) without जो; Definition: सृष्टि
34	गधी! मेले में कुछ ढूंढ ले जवाब पाओगी हौले हौले (2)	धीमे	Find the answer inside 'गधी मेल'; Definition: हौले हौले
35	नाम को कर डाला रद्दी, फिर भी मिली प्रसिद्धि (2)	मान	Anagram (कर डाला रद्दी) of नाम; Definition: प्रसिद्धि

The Theme

The grid packs within it a Nina: तुमने मुझे देखा होकर मेहरबान, the opening line of Rafi’s song from the film Teesri Manzil (1966).

Our alert solvers who identified the theme correctly:

Himanshu Rajurkar
Narayan Mandyam
Vasant Srinivasan
Supriya Mithal

Looking back at the puzzle…

This puzzle was voted as tougher than our previous ones [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] by many of you – and we can see why. Clueing as couplets is not just hard for the setter, it also adds a layer of complexity for the solver.

We trust you enjoyed the challenge nevertheless. One kind solver wrote:

More than the novelty of a Hindi cryptic, I liked the usage of couplets in setting the clues. This was extremely creative and led to some funny clues as well (if you just were to read these as mere couplets instead of clues). In particular, I found these quite funny: 7D, 35D, 27A and these very clever: 2A, 17A, 8A.

…which made me recall how setting / reviewing these clues had me chuckling!

Conjunct consonants: A chicken-and-egg problem

This crossword highlighted a peculiar predicament we face with Hindi grids, in the use of conjunct consonants. We make an effort to place words with conjunct consonants in the grid as they bring in variety and freshness, but these characters tend to go into unchecked slots - it is nearly impossible to find crossings for them. You would notice this happening with चश्मा (36a), रत्नाकर (16d).

So, even though 36a and 16d are 50% checked, the checked vs unchecked cells for them are unequally balanced because of the nature of characters filling them.

Many solvers stumbled over the answers for 36a and 16d in this puzzle.

There is no clear way out of this situation, except that as setters, we can be mindful of keeping the clues for such words accessible.

Aisa karam na kijiye…

The unchecked first cell for 15a and its not-too-obvious definition (करुणा) seems to have caused confusion. This clue received the maximum variations in the submitted solutions: मरम, नरम. कृपाम…

Upma uproar

In your responses, 17d (तुलना) was easily the most talked about clue of this crossword. The setter's trick here was to position "upma" as the breakfast dish on the surface, when actually referring to "comparison" in its cryptic reading.

तुरंत लाओ नाश्ते के पहले वाले निवाले
तो तुमको एक अलग तरह का उपमा मिले (3)

Many solvers cited this as their LOI, and they reacted to the penny-drop with a range of responses: "very deep", "very smart" to “gender error” – upma is masculine when we talk of breakfast (सूजी का उपमा) , but feminine in the sense of comparison (जिसकी उपमा ना दी जा सके). Should the gender on the surface match that of the answer? The jury is out on this one, but I understand if this is considered unfairly misleading, much like the "to" connector issue in English cryptics.

Such a mismatch can be circumvented by framing the clue differently (or shall we say, एक अलग तरह का) to avoid a gender reference altogether. Note to self for the future.

No two-threes, please!

A regular solver sent in this request:

…please spare us the two and three letter words and if possible, create a software to solve online, as One Across group. It is such a nuisance, to get a printout and the flipping and flitting between the clues and the grid…

You might as well have asked us for a million dollars and world peace. Much as Kishore and I would like to address these wishes, doing so is beyond our capabilities. To set a Hindi crossword grid with the fundamentals of symmetry, checking, connectivity in place, without any word suggestion software to help, is a task so tough that it takes enormous will and effort to bring it to fruition. Please read this article to see what we are up against: Why Hindi and cryptic crosswords do not mix. The only way we manage is with two and three letter words surrounding the longer ones. I can hardly imagine how we would set without these little helpers!

Software to solve Hindi crosswords interactively: if such software already exists, or someone can help to build one, we would love to try it out. Please let us know.

Those who solved it all…

Kudos to the solvers who got all, or nearly all, answers correct:

Sanjay Sinha	Lakshmi Vaidyanathan
Vidyadhar Gadgil	Himanshu Rajurkar
Vinayak Rao Ekbote	Narayan Mandyam
Ramki Krishnan	Vasant Srinivasan
Raju Umamaheshwar	N Anantakrishnan
Shalini Vasant	Balwant Singh
Supriya Mithal

A special applause for first time/non-regular cryptic solvers. Even if you did not make the shortlist, it is impressive that you solved as much as you did. I hope you enjoyed tackling the puzzle even if each clue did not fall.

The draw of luck

Of the 13 above, 11 got every detail right - one lucky winner of them will get the prize. Let's see who...

For the draw, we used a Java program with the Random class and executed it online. The program and the draw in action are available in the embedded video. [RSS/email subscribers: You may have to go to the blog for the video.]

Hearty congratulations, Sanjay Sinha! Please write to me and claim your prize.

Related Posts:

• A collaborative Hindi crossword
• Crossword software to make puzzles with multiple letters per cell
• Shajarur Kanta, and the mystery of the PORCUPINE anagram
• Setting crosswords in Hindi: Lessons learnt and recommendations

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