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Quiz about Decrypting Cryptics  Final Clues
Quiz about Decrypting Cryptics  Final Clues

Decrypting Cryptics - Final Clues Quiz


This is the last of my quizzes, which explain how to understand cryptic clues. If you haven't already done so, you might want to try the earlier ones before doing this quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by Lottie1001. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Lottie1001
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
381,645
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
461
Question 1 of 10
1. 'Head' and 'tail' or 'end' indicate the first and last letters of a word. For example, "Thanks pigtail for label. (3)" gives the answer "tag", which is a label; 'thanks' is 'ta' and the 'tail' of 'pig' is 'g'. Now try this one:-
Beside head boy on ponytail. (2)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 2 of 10
2. So 'headless' or 'endless' tell you that a word from the clue has lost its first or last letter. For example, "This instrument makes Tim panic endlessly. (7)" gives the answer "timpani" by removing the last letter ('c') from 'Tim panic'. Now try this one:-
Endless crowd boast. (4)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 3 of 10
3. Letters can be lost from the middle of a word, too. For example, "Spend drama without left. (3)" gives the answer "pay". A 'drama' is a 'play'; removing the 'l' for 'left' leaves 'pay' which means 'spend'. Now try this one:-
Attempt serving platter losing article. (3)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 4 of 10
4. Sometimes it's the letters from a whole word which are taken away. Try this one:-
Move charmingly without lying this month.

Answer: (One Word)
Question 5 of 10
5. Very short common foreign words sometimes appear in the answer to a cryptic clue. The French articles are 'le' and 'la' for 'the'; the Spanish definite article is 'el'; the Italian is 'il'; and the German definite articles are 'der', 'die' and 'das'. The word 'article' may not appear in the clue. The French also have 'du' meaning 'of the'. For example, "The German south expires. (4)" gives the answer "dies". Here the word 'German' after 'the' indicates that we want the German word for 'the'. In this case we need 'die'. South is 'S'. So we get 'die-S' or 'dies', which means 'expires'. Now try this one:-
Fight of the French on the Spanish. (4)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 6 of 10
6. You can also find foreign words for 'yes' and 'no'. The French words are 'oui' and 'non'; The German words are 'ja' and 'nein'; both Spanish and Italian have 'si' for 'yes'. The word 'and' is translated as 'et' in French and 'und' in German. For example "Yes! French arranged acknowledgement of a debt. (3)" gives the answer "IOU", which is an anagram of the French word for 'yes'. Now try this one:-
American prison? Yes! German on the Italian. (4)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 7 of 10
7. As you have seen, clues can contain several different elements. For example "And German in the right noise from a storm. (7)" gives the answer "thunder". 'The right' is 'the-R'. 'And' in German is 'und'. Putting 'und' after the 'th' gives 'th-und-e-R' or 'thunder', which is a noise heard during a storm. Now try this one:-
The French follow a very soft fruit. (5)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 8 of 10
8. If you're still not convinced that cryptic clues make things easier, consider the following as an 'easy' clue - 'Fragrances (6)'. You can be fairly certain that the sixth letter is 'S', but what about the first five? 'Aroma', 'smell' or 'scent' all fit, but, unless it's going into a crossword grid and you have enough of the other letters, you're stuck. Now try these clues:-
Argon, nothing on mother's fragrances (6).

Answer: (One Word)
Question 9 of 10
9. Here's the next clue:-
Move one thousand and fifty less fragrances (6).

Answer: (One Word)
Question 10 of 10
10. Here's another clue:-
Small coins heard fragrances (6).

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. 'Head' and 'tail' or 'end' indicate the first and last letters of a word. For example, "Thanks pigtail for label. (3)" gives the answer "tag", which is a label; 'thanks' is 'ta' and the 'tail' of 'pig' is 'g'. Now try this one:- Beside head boy on ponytail. (2)

Answer: By

The 'head' or first letter of 'boy' is 'b'. The 'tail' or last letter of 'pony' is 'y'. So the solution is 'b-y' or 'by', which means 'beside'.
If you imagine the word written vertically from top to bottom rather than horizontally from left to right, you can understand why the word 'on' in that clue indicates that the 'b' goes before the 'y'.
2. So 'headless' or 'endless' tell you that a word from the clue has lost its first or last letter. For example, "This instrument makes Tim panic endlessly. (7)" gives the answer "timpani" by removing the last letter ('c') from 'Tim panic'. Now try this one:- Endless crowd boast. (4)

Answer: Crow

Without the last letter 'crowd' becomes 'crow', which is another word for 'boast'.
3. Letters can be lost from the middle of a word, too. For example, "Spend drama without left. (3)" gives the answer "pay". A 'drama' is a 'play'; removing the 'l' for 'left' leaves 'pay' which means 'spend'. Now try this one:- Attempt serving platter losing article. (3)

Answer: Try

The 'serving platter' is a 'tray'. The article is 'a'. Removing the 'a' from 'tray' leaves 'try', which is another word for 'attempt'.
4. Sometimes it's the letters from a whole word which are taken away. Try this one:- Move charmingly without lying this month.

Answer: March

Removing the letters 'l', 'y', 'i', 'n' and 'g' from 'charmingly' leaves 'charm'. This needs re-arranging, indicated by the word 'move', to get 'March', which is a month of the year.
5. Very short common foreign words sometimes appear in the answer to a cryptic clue. The French articles are 'le' and 'la' for 'the'; the Spanish definite article is 'el'; the Italian is 'il'; and the German definite articles are 'der', 'die' and 'das'. The word 'article' may not appear in the clue. The French also have 'du' meaning 'of the'. For example, "The German south expires. (4)" gives the answer "dies". Here the word 'German' after 'the' indicates that we want the German word for 'the'. In this case we need 'die'. South is 'S'. So we get 'die-S' or 'dies', which means 'expires'. Now try this one:- Fight of the French on the Spanish. (4)

Answer: Duel

'Of the' in French is 'du'. 'The' in Spanish is 'el'. Imagine the answer written vertically from top to bottom instead of horizontally from right to left, and you realise that 'du' comes before 'el', giving 'du-el' or 'duel', which is a fight.
6. You can also find foreign words for 'yes' and 'no'. The French words are 'oui' and 'non'; The German words are 'ja' and 'nein'; both Spanish and Italian have 'si' for 'yes'. The word 'and' is translated as 'et' in French and 'und' in German. For example "Yes! French arranged acknowledgement of a debt. (3)" gives the answer "IOU", which is an anagram of the French word for 'yes'. Now try this one:- American prison? Yes! German on the Italian. (4)

Answer: Jail

'Yes' in German is 'ja'. 'The' in Italian is 'il'. Putting the two together gives 'ja-il' or 'jail', which is the American spelling of a word for 'prison'.
7. As you have seen, clues can contain several different elements. For example "And German in the right noise from a storm. (7)" gives the answer "thunder". 'The right' is 'the-R'. 'And' in German is 'und'. Putting 'und' after the 'th' gives 'th-und-e-R' or 'thunder', which is a noise heard during a storm. Now try this one:- The French follow a very soft fruit. (5)

Answer: Apple

The French word to be used here is 'le'. It has to go after 'a very soft', i.e. 'a' and 'pp', giving 'a-pp-le' or 'apple', which is a fruit.
8. If you're still not convinced that cryptic clues make things easier, consider the following as an 'easy' clue - 'Fragrances (6)'. You can be fairly certain that the sixth letter is 'S', but what about the first five? 'Aroma', 'smell' or 'scent' all fit, but, unless it's going into a crossword grid and you have enough of the other letters, you're stuck. Now try these clues:- Argon, nothing on mother's fragrances (6).

Answer: Aromas

Argon is 'Ar'. 'O' is nothing. Mother is 'Ma'. Putting them all together we get 'Ar-O-Ma's' or 'aromas', which is another word for fragrances.
9. Here's the next clue:- Move one thousand and fifty less fragrances (6).

Answer: Smells

One thousand and fifty is 'ML' in Roman numerals. 'Move' indicates an anagram. Re-arranging 'ML less' gives 'smells', which is another word for fragrances.
10. Here's another clue:- Small coins heard fragrances (6).

Answer: Scents

A small coin in many currencies is a cent, which sounds the same as 'scent', so the answers is 'scents', which is another word for fragrances.
Source: Author Lottie1001

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Decrypting Cryptics:

A series of quizzes which help to explain some of the basic cryptic clues found in crosswords and elsewhere.

  1. Decrypting Cryptics - the Basics Average
  2. Decrypting Cryptics - the Next Stage Average
  3. Decrypting Cryptics - Some More Hints Average
  4. Decrypting Cryptics - Further Hints Average
  5. Decrypting Cryptics - Final Clues Average

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