Solver's notebook, north London
Cryptic clues taken apart on the train and argued over at a pub table.
A cryptic crossword solver's notebook from north London: anagrams, containers, hidden words, charades, learning indicators and solving on a crowded train.
Solved in Islington, north London, United Kingdom. Notebook kept since 2021. Latest correction 12 Sept 2026.
Across the notes, newest first
- 1
Charades, and what two solvers at one pub table get right together (8)
Charade clues build answers piece by piece. Notes from a weekly solving pair in Islington on splitting clues, sharing the work and knowing when to give up.
C - 3
Hidden words, and learning to read a clue on a moving train (7)
Notes on hidden-word clues from a daily commute through north London: how they are signalled, reversed hiddens, and why the easiest type is the one I miss most.
H - 5
Containers, insertions and the many jobs of a small word like about (10)
Container clues put one piece of wordplay inside another. Notes on spotting the instruction, the abbreviations that fill them, and why about and around mislead.
C - 7
Learning anagram indicators one notebook page at a time (8)
How I built a list of anagram indicators from real solving, why small words like out and about are traps, and the habit of counting letters before writing in.
A
Down rules pinned inside the cover
- 2
Find the definition first; it is almost always at one end.
- 4
Count the letters before trusting a lovely answer.
- 6
Write down the parse, not just the word.
- 8
A clue abandoned on Thursday deserves a second look on Friday.
Thursdays, corner table
Most weeks there is a Thursday evening, one printed grid and two solvers who disagree about containers. Nearly every note on this site started there, or on the morning train the day after.
- Where
- Islington, north London
- Since
- 2021
- Solvers
- Two, one grid
- Pens
- Blue and black