As well as being a C++ enthusiast, I’m a bit of a cruciverbalist. I do the Guardian cryptic every day (not in a particularly competitive time — I’d count sub-20 minutes as a good day), and sometimes others when I can. Like many Brits, I learned to do cryptic crosswords as a teenager. It’s true they seem impenetrable at first, but I was an instant fan and eventually I managed to completely solve one. Since then it’s been a hobby. And I love wordplay and language in general — anagrams live rent-free in my head and new ones show up all the time. I’m the sort of person who knows not just that CARTHORSE anagrams to ORCHESTRA, but also that MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO anagrams to INCOMPATIBLE DINOSAUR.
Anyway about ten days ago I woke up at 1am, thinking — for whatever reason — of cryptic clues that overlap with C++. I was up for about three hours in the middle of the night with my brain racing. I scribbled ideas on the pad I keep by the bedside. And unfortunately I woke my wife. But sometimes, you just have to get things out of your head.
So, here is the cryptic crossword I created last week, with a C++ theme. I hope the approximately seven people in the world who a) know C++ and b) enjoy doing cryptic crosswords get a kick out of it. To be honest, not much C++ knowledge is strictly required, but the puzzle has a good C++ flavour, I think.
You can either solve it online at crosshare.org, or if you’re old school, you can print out the pdf and solve it on paper.
If you want to try, but you have no previous experience with cryptics, I’m sorry in advance — it’s going to be tricky. I suggest watching the Friday videos from the Cracking the Cryptic Youtube channel, and/or finding a friend who knows how cryptics work. Solving with a partner or a small group of friends is fun and a good way to start. If you know cryptics, but don’t know C++ (how did you find this blog?), you still have a good chance at doing this puzzle. Especially if you are Simon Anthony, who seems to solve every week without being sure of a couple of the words, and pieces them together correctly anyway! Keep up the good work, Simon (and Mark).
I’ll post the solution and an explanation of the making process next Friday. Until then, thanks to my friends Scott and Tristan for beta-testing the puzzle, and to everyone else, good luck, have fun!