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Cryptic Crossword Dictionary : B
A dictionary of words and phrases often encountered in cryptic crossword clues - words that may mean something more, or something other, than is indicated by their surface meaning.
BACHELOR
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B or BA.
- Sample clue:
- American uncle taking bachelor to dance (5)
BACK
1. Possibly a reversal indicator.
- Sample clues:
- Composer taking taxi back to hospital (4)
- They keep together but may be cut back (4)
- Verbose professional beginning to lead team back (6)
2. Possibly a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the final letter of a word, for example:
| Back of beyond = D |
| Back from travel = L |
| Broken back = N |
BACKED
Possibly a reversal indicator.
- Sample clues:
- Father backed a horse - he's a heathen (5)
- Swimmer backed by party leader or prime minister (4)
BACK END
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter K.
BACKING
Possibly a reversal indicator.
- Sample clues:
- Commendable attempt to get party backing (4)
- Collection I'm backing for little children (5)
- Middle east country is backing king (6)
BACK OFF
Possibly a subtraction indicator signifying the removal of a final letter.
BACK TO FRONT
Possibly a reversal indicator.
Alternatively, it may be be an instruction to move the last letter of a word to the front - for example, "cars back to front" would give "scar".
BACKWARD
Possibly a reversal indicator.
BAD
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clues:
- Bad man a girl found frightening (8)
- Hear Nick mock bad Indian meal (7,5)
BADLY
1. Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clues:
- Badly aligned in front (7)
- Witness cops treat badly (9)
2. Possibly a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ILL.
BANANAS
Possibly an anagram indicator: ('bananas' = 'crazy').
- Sample clue:
- Get out of bed for our top bananas? (6)
BANKER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the name (usually short) of a river - frequently DEE, DON or EXE. (For other names of rivers, see Rivers of the British Isles and Rivers of the World.)
BARRIER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters DAM.
BASTARD
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Untidy bastard reads diary (10)
BATS
Possibly an anagram indicator: ('bats' = 'crazy').
- Sample clue:
- Bats need ears for the evening air (8)
BATTERED
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Gin with battered fish (7)
BATTING
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters IN.
BATTY
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Nora Batty, flower of Italy! (4)
BEARING
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter N or E or S or W or a group of letters such as NE or SW or SSE.
- Sample clue:
- Father bearing fruit (5)
BEATEN
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Confer with beaten player (6)
BEATEN UP
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Rent man beaten up in scrap (7)
BECOME
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Has Colin become a saint for Christmas? (8)
BECOMES
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Aunt Sal becomes an eastern ruler's wife (7)
BECOMING
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Let us admit becoming aroused (10)
BED
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters COT.
BEER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ALE.
BEFORE
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ERE or PRE or ANTE.
BEGINNER
1, May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter L.
2. May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the initial letter of a word, e.g. raw beginner = R.
BEGINNING
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the inital letter of a word.
BEGINNING TO GO
Possibly a subtraction indicator signifying the removal of an initial letter.
BEHEAD
May be a subtraction indicator indicating that the initial letter is to be removed from a word.
- Sample clue:
- Eager to behead king of Israel (4)
BEHEADED
May be a subtraction indicator indicating that the initial letter is to be removed from a word.
- Sample clue:
- National prime minister beheaded (7)
BEHEADING
May be a subtraction indicator indicating that the initial letter is to be removed from a word.
- Sample clue:
- Egyptian god beheading singers (5)
BEND
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Doc wants to bend low (8)
BENDER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter S.
BENT
Possibly an anagram indicator.
- Sample clue:
- Fix bent rapier (6)
- Sample clue:
- Decree to besiege island with artillery (9)
- Sample clue:
- Bizarre growth in seaside resort (8)
- Sample clue:
- Fully developed blend of tea and rum (6)
- Sample clue:
- What's been fresh is blended for use in cooking (5,6)
- Sample clue:
- Marines get to boil sprouts (10)
- Sample clue:
- Boiled rice needs a home (9)
- Sample clue:
- Boiling raw rice for jet set (7)
- Sample clue:
- Old Greek box, light brown (7)
- Sample clue:
- Restraint for scoundrel? Bravo! (4)
- Sample clues:
- Woman left before break of day (4)
- Come after break for stuffing (9)
- Sample clues:
- Quickly taking break in river (6)
- First lady taking break on mountain (7)
- Sample clues:
- Recall breaking into wine store (6)
- A bone can keep breaking (7)
- Sample clue:
- Unyielding soldier breaking free (5)
- Sample clue:
- As much as one can take of such malt brew? (10)
- Sample clue:
- Green tea brewed for a youngster (8)
- Sample clue:
- Grain as used for brewing drink (7)
- Sample clue:
- River always bridged by bridge partners (6)
- Sample clue:
- A news broadcast with right to reply (7)
- Sample clue:
- Transport needed by Santa - his leg is broken (6)
- Sample clue:
- Got a hundred to build a ship? (11)
- Sample clue:
- Stone that's great in building (7)
- Sample clue:
- Nice organ got built for those in church (12)
BESIEGE
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BESIEGED
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BESIEGES
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BESIEGING
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BIGHEAD
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BISHOP
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BIZARRE
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BLACK
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B (as in pencil grade) or the letters JET.
BLAME
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters RAP.
BLEND
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BLENDED
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BLOCKHEAD
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BLUE
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters SAD.
BLUNDER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ERR.
BOARDING
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BOIL
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BOILED
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BOILING
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BOLT
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter U.
BOND'S BOSS
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter M.
BONE
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter T.
BOOK
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BORN
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B or the letters NEE.
BOTTLE OPENER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BOWLED
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
BOX
1. Possibly a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters SPAR.
2. Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BOXED
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BOXER
Possibly a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ALI or DOG.
BOXES
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BOXING
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BRAVO
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B.
(See NATO Phonetic Alphabet).
BREAK
1. Possibly an anagram indicator.
2. Possibly a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters REST.
BREAKING
1. Possibly an anagram indicator.
2. Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BREW
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BREWED
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BREWING
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BRIDGE
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BRIDGED
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BRIDGE OPPONENTS
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters NE, NW, SE, SW, EN, ES, WN or WS.
BRIDGE PARTNERS
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters NS, SN, EW or WE.
BRIDGE PLAYER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating N or S or E or W.
BRIDGES
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BRIDGING
Possibly a container-and-contents indicator.
BRITAIN
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters GB or UK.
BRITISH
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter B or the letters BR or UK.
BROADCAST
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BROKEN
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BROTHER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters BR or BRO.
BROUGHT ABOUT
Possibly a reversal indicator.
BROUGHT UP
Possibly a reversal indicator (in a Down clue).
BROWN
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters TAN.
BUDDHISM
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters ZEN.
BUILD
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BUILDING
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BUILT
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BUTTER
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letters RAM.
BY
May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter X.
BY ARRANGEMENT
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BY MISTAKE
Possibly an anagram indicator.
BY THE SOUND OF IT
Possibly a homophone indicator.
Errors or omissions? Please let us know
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