Guardian Prize Crossword

[Kubes]

I was looking at last Saturday's Guardian Prize Crossword on the train yesterday and came across these two very topical clues!

High above London, Britain hasn't one ugly side (8,3,4,6)

Workman learns about old footballer (4,9)

Answers in 10 minutes if no-one gets them.

 

[Sausage]

Well... Brighton and Hove Albion..but the second one bothers me...Alan something?

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Brighton and Hove Albion

Mark Lawenson

 

[Sausage]

Of course !!

R in Lawrenson, mind.

 

[Razi]

I never get cryptic crosswords. Even looking at those questions and the answers, I still cannot work out how people arrived at that result.

 

[strings]

I've never really understood cryptic crosswords, so I'll take my opportunity to ask.

How does "High above London, Britain hasn't one ugly side (8,3,4,6)" mean Brighton and Hove Albion?

And with "Workman learns about old footballer (4,9)" I can see the old footballer link to Mark Lawrenson, but where does the workman fit in?

Cryptic crosswords seem, well, cryptic to me. But I'd love to understand - it would fill my lunchtime brilliantly.

 

[Gazwag]

I can see they are both anagrams, to answer part of the two questions above, but don't understand the rest of the clue

 

[Mileoakman]

I've never really understood cryptic crosswords, so I'll take my opportunity to ask.

How does "High above London, Britain hasn't one ugly side (8,3,4,6)" mean Brighton and Hove Albion?

And with "Workman learns about old footballer (4,9)" I can see the old footballer link to Mark Lawrenson, but where does the workman fit in?

Cryptic crosswords seem, well, cryptic to me. But I'd love to understand - it would fill my lunchtime brilliantly.

There both anagrams

 

[Gazwag]

There both anagrams

yes but there are loads of extra letters

 

[strings]

There both anagrams

Thanks, what about the 'High above London' bit?

Edit... got it, but why the extra letters?

 

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

I don't know how to do cryptic crosswords either. One day I'll learn.

But can I just point out, to those saying they'd like to learn - you are on the internet right now. There might be more thorough places to teach you than NSC!! There are certain formula that alert you to anagrams etc. Some of the knowledge of how to do cryptics is learned and remembered!

 

[Mileoakman]

yes but there are loads of extra letters

In the first one it says 'hasn't one' which means remove the i and you then have 21 letters left which is B&HA

 

[Gazwag]

In the first one it says 'hasn't one' which means remove the i and you then have 21 letters left which is B&HA

Riigghhtt, how does "Hasn't one" mean "remove an i"

And where does the "ugly side" fit in then

 

[Kubes]

"hasn't one" indicates you take an i out of "High above London, Britain" and then it's an anagram - ugly indicates the anagram and Mark Lawrenson is an anagram of "Workman learns". Nice touch from "Paul" the setter to mark our first league game at the Amex - wonder if he's a fan!

 

[Mileoakman]

Riigghhtt, how does "Hasn't one" mean "remove an i"

And where does the "ugly side" fit in then

Well in cryptic land an i is the same as a 1 cause they look the same. The ugly side must mean the crossword setter saw us play at Huddesfield when we lost 7 - 0. No actually the word ugly is the clue to it being an anagram. Ugly means, (again in cryptic crossword land), mixed up.

 

[maltaseagull]

And where does the Y go in BHA?

 

[The Large One]

I never get cryptic crosswords. Even looking at those questions and the answers, I still cannot work out how people arrived at that result.

I'll start you with a classic example. You have to think literally.

It's the title of a book about cryptic crosswords, and the clue reads...

Pretty girl in crimson rose (8)

There are variables as to how to ascertain the answer, but the most common one is to realise that the synonym is either at the very beginning or the very end of the clue. In this instance, the answer is REBELLED. How? You have to look at it literally.

'Pretty girl' is a BELLE
'crimson' is RED

The instruction in the clue (Pretty girl in crimson) is to place 'BELLE' in 'RED'. Hence REBELLED.

Someone who rises up is someone who is rebelling. Using the perfect tense of these verbs, 'Rose' is a synonym for REBELLED.

There are other ways of solving the clues, and the way to do so is often contained in there (anagrams being an example - the hint that it is an anagram as per the two above are contained clues).

Clear?

 

[Gazwag]

Oh ok, think I'll stick with "Take a Break"

 

[The Large One]

Riigghhtt, how does "Hasn't one" mean "remove an i"

And where does the "ugly side" fit in then

Words like 'ugly' or 'broken' or 'ruined' or other negative destructive connotations imply an anagram. It means to destroy the order of the letters and re-assemble them yourself.

 

[Mileoakman]

And where does the Y go in BHA?

It don't. The word ugly isnt used, its just there to suggest an anagram