Cryptic crosswords are easier to solve than you think! The key point about a cryptic crossword clue is that it contains two clues. One straight clue, plus one cryptic clue mean that you have two ways of reaching the answer. You know if you have a right answer as it answers both of these. For a simple example: Road rat I mangle creates heat (8) The simple clue is creates heat. The ‘cryptic' part of the clue is road rat I mangle. Mangle may indicate an anagram - and there are 8 letters in road rat I. Is there a word that is an anagram of road rat iI which creates heat? How about ‘radiator'?

Another example of how a clue works: Water surrounds very quiet laryngeal lump (4′1, 5) The simple clue is laryngeal lump - I can only think of one word for a laryngeal lump, and that's Adam's apple. So if we look at the cryptic part of the clue, we find water surrounds very quiet. A phrase for water is Adam's ale - and if you put it around the letters pp (very quiet in musical notation), you get Adam's apple. Two clues, one answer - how simple is that?

From the next post we're going to look at some simple types of cryptic clues and their indicators - all part of my mission to show you how easy cryptic crosswords really are.

Solving cryptic crosswords can make you feel mentally agile and alert - definitely more fun and more rewarding than most puzzles!