How To Play The Cryptic Crossword

Entering Words

To enter a word, simply click on the square in which you want to begin typing. The color of the selected square will appear in yellow, with the rest of selected word appearing silver. The corresponding clue will be highlighted in a red box, and the clue for any intersecting word will also appear in red.
To switch direction between Across and Down clues, simply click the right mouse button.
Type the word you believe is the correct answer for the clue represented.
Alternatively, you can simply click on any clue, and type your answer.

Browsing Clues

Use the two scroll bars to the right of the clues to scroll up and down the clues.

'Restore' Button

If you have previously saved a partially completed crossword using the Save button, then clicking on the Restore button will restore that saved version. Otherwise, clicking on the Restore button will clear all the answers you have entered, so you can start over from the beginning.

'Save' Button

Clicking on this button will save the current state of the crossword. When you return to the crossword at a later time, the saved version will be restored, and you can carry on where you left off.
Note 1. On some browsers, you may have to click the Refresh or Reload button on your browser's tool bar in order to restore your saved version.
Note 2. For the save feature to work, you must have cookies enabled in your browser.

'Check' Button

Clicking on this button will clear any squares containing incorrect letters.

'Reveal Letter' Button

Clicking on this button will insert the correct letter for the currently selected square.

'Reveal Word' Button

Clicking on this button will insert the correct answer for the currently selected clue.

'Solution' Button

Clicking on this button will display the complete crossword solution.

Printer-Friendly Page

If you prefer to solve the crossword the old-fashioned way with pencil and paper, click on the Printer-Friendly Page links, and print out those pages from your browser.

Across Lite Download

Click on this to download the puzzle for use with the Across Lite player (available free for Windows, Mac, OS/2 and Unix) if you have it installed on your computer.