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Crossword LinksHere are a few links that may be of use to anyone learning either how to solve or how to compile cryptic crosswords.
Back to My Crosswords |
1Across.org
"A group on Facebook [...] started on July 28th 2014, mostly out of boredom and an idea to have a small group of crossworders post and solve some interesting cryptic clues while socializing. We’ll be featuring puzzles created by the members of 1ACross on this site."
I am an avid member of the Facebook group myself and have contributed puzzles to the site. For those who are interested in joining the group, click here
I am an avid member of the Facebook group myself and have contributed puzzles to the site. For those who are interested in joining the group, click here
OneLook
Comprehensive dictionary search engine that leaves no stone unturned.
CROSSWORD SOLVER
Use this crossword helper to enter crossword clues, search for specific words by the number of letters, or read the guide to learn new, different strategies for solving your daily crossword.
UNSCRAMBLERER
A very useful resource incorporating high quality word lists and unscrambling tools. Perfect for anagramming, Scrabble solving or crossword setting.
Fifteen Squared
Handy crossword discussion forum with links to everyone who's anyone in the world of cryptics.
Big Dave's Crossword Blog
For anyone trying to learn how to do cryptic crosswords, take a look at this site, which provides daily walk-throughs of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph crosswords.
Phi Crosswords
One of my favourite setters, whose site provides a wealth of useful info and links to puzzles.
Thesaurus.com
Brilliant time-saving online thesaurus which makes setting a breeze and could be equally useful for solving.
Morewords
An user-friendly database enabling you to find words containing particular letter strings.
Internet Anagram Server
This site is indispensable for creating brilliant anagrams and solving them. Without it, I would never have discovered that 'pterodactyls' is an anagram of 'Lady Prescott'...
Acronym Finder
Database that is equally useful for solvers and setters.
Cryptipedia
A wiki made by crossworders for crossworders. (The lists of indicators are especially handy.)
NYTCROSSWORDS
A blog featuring answers to the New York Times crossword.
What's That Word?
Great anagram/crossword solving search engine providing direct links to definitions and related Wikipedia pages
Best For Puzzles
A brilliant site both for free puzzles (not just crosswords) and solving tools.
Crossword Solver
...because everyone needs to cheat once in a while.
Crossword Brain
Useful for anyone wanting help with crossword clues from US daily papers.
"CrosswordBrain is the world's best destination for crossword clues and answers. From The New York Times, LATimes, Daily Themed, and Washington Post. We have the world's largest collection of crossword clues and answers, with more than 650,000 clues in our database. And more than 100,000 words. Come back daily for more crossword clues and answers from your favorite national publications."
"CrosswordBrain is the world's best destination for crossword clues and answers. From The New York Times, LATimes, Daily Themed, and Washington Post. We have the world's largest collection of crossword clues and answers, with more than 650,000 clues in our database. And more than 100,000 words. Come back daily for more crossword clues and answers from your favorite national publications."
Two Girls, One On Each Knee (7)
A must-read for setters and solvers alike. This book covers the entire history of the cryptic crossword in plenty of detail and is lit up with humour and wit throughout. I loved every minute of it.
From Amazon.co.uk: "Two Girls, One on Each Knee: A History of Cryptic Crosswords is an audaciously constructed book on the pleasures and puzzles of cryptic crosswords and their linguistic wordplay, from Alan Connor, the Guardian's writer on crosswords. On 21 December 2013, the crossword puzzle will be 100 years old. In the century since its birth, it has evolved into the world's most popular intellectual pastime: a unique form of wordplay, the codes and conventions of which are open to anyone masochistic enough to get addicted. In Two Girls, One on Each Knee, Alan Connor celebrates the wit, ingenuity and frustration of setting and solving puzzles. From the beaches of D-Day to the imaginary worlds of three-dimensional crosswords, to the British school teachers and journalists who turned the form into the fiendish sport it is today, encompassing the most challenging clues, particular tricks, the world's greatest setters and famous solvers, PG Wodehouse and the torturers of the Spanish Inquisition, this is an ingenious book for lovers of this very particular form of wordplay. Alan Connor writes twice-weekly about crosswords for the Guardian."
From Amazon.co.uk: "Two Girls, One on Each Knee: A History of Cryptic Crosswords is an audaciously constructed book on the pleasures and puzzles of cryptic crosswords and their linguistic wordplay, from Alan Connor, the Guardian's writer on crosswords. On 21 December 2013, the crossword puzzle will be 100 years old. In the century since its birth, it has evolved into the world's most popular intellectual pastime: a unique form of wordplay, the codes and conventions of which are open to anyone masochistic enough to get addicted. In Two Girls, One on Each Knee, Alan Connor celebrates the wit, ingenuity and frustration of setting and solving puzzles. From the beaches of D-Day to the imaginary worlds of three-dimensional crosswords, to the British school teachers and journalists who turned the form into the fiendish sport it is today, encompassing the most challenging clues, particular tricks, the world's greatest setters and famous solvers, PG Wodehouse and the torturers of the Spanish Inquisition, this is an ingenious book for lovers of this very particular form of wordplay. Alan Connor writes twice-weekly about crosswords for the Guardian."
IQ TEST PREP
Completely free to take. This site combines questions from several of the most popular types of IQ tests. They can be taken to view sample questions, prepare for an upcoming test, or just for fun.
Wechsler IQ TEST
Focuses specifically on questions from the Wechsler IQ test. Both of these sites are great for anyone trying to find out more about, and enhance, their cognitive abilities.
