Tutor; John McKinnon

This is an introductory stroll down the twisted path that is cryptic crossword solving – playing with words, thinking laterally, and relishing wit.  We start with the basics and build step-by-step towards more advanced concepts.  The aim is to demystify the dark arts of cruciverbalism but we will pause to savour some roses along the way.

The instructional part of the course consists of 7 modules:

1.    Cryptic History, Cryptic Thinking and Double-Definition Clues
2.    Anagram Clues, Signposts, Solving Strategies and Resources
3.    Charade Clues with Symbols, Abbreviations, Shorthands and Exotics
4.    Homophone Clues and Hiddens
5.    Reversals, Hybrids and Spoonerisms
6.    Word Surgery – Container Clues, Codes and Manipulations
7.    Single-Part Clues (Puns and Rebuses) and Punctuation

When these are completed, we will move to a more interactive format with a view to establishing an ongoing “Cryptic Club”.

The course involves weekly Zoom sessions each lasting around 1 hour.  If anyone is unsure about accessing Zoom please contact John Parker on 0408 364 159.

All sessions have practice exercises and graded puzzles to be completed offline.  Assistance, if required, will be available via email exchanges with the tutor.
John McKinnon is a retired computer programmer and teacher of English Literature.