The solutions page
Solving notes
Everything worked out properly enough to write down, newest at the top. The first entry dates from 9 February 2025; earlier scribbles lived in the margins of old newspapers and went out with the recycling.
4 entries29 minutes of readingClue types covered: charades, hiddens, containers, anagrams
- 1CHARADES
Charades, and what two solvers at one pub table get right together
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.
Written 23 Aug 2026Last corrected 12 Sept 20264 parts, 8 min
- 2HIDDENS
Hidden words, and learning to read a clue on a moving train
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.
Written 18 Jan 2026Last corrected 7 Mar 20264 parts, 7 min
- 3CONTAINERS
Containers, insertions and the many jobs of a small word like about
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.
Written 20 Jul 2025Last corrected 2 Nov 20254 parts, 7 min
- 4ANAGRAMS
Learning anagram indicators one notebook page at a time
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.
Written 9 Feb 2025Last corrected 14 Jun 20254 parts, 7 min
Every example clue on these pages was written for the notebook. Nothing is copied from a published grid, and how corrections are made is explained in the note on method.