Minute Cryptic answer
A Minute Cryptic answer is valid only when the definition and the construction both produce the same string.
People search Minute Cryptic answer when they want a spoiler, and Minute Cryptic answer explained when they want the parse. This page is the method. Dated spoilers live on answer today and in the archive.
The two-gate test
Gate one: does this word mean the definition? Gate two: can you point to every letter in the wordplay? If a candidate passes only gate one, it is a regular crossword guess, not a cryptic solve.
After you check on the board, the explanation names indicator, fodder, and type. Read it even on clues you got cold. That is how indicator vocabulary sticks.
Explained bank
- Keep a broken vase (4) Keep is the straight definition. Broken tells you to anagram VASE, which rearranges to SAVE.
- Pause found in forest ranger (4) Pause defines REST. Found in points to a hidden word: foREST ranger contains REST in order.
- Time going back to send out (4) Send out is EMIT. Going back reverses TIME into EMIT.
- We hear a pair of fruit (4) Fruit is PEAR. We hear marks a homophone of PAIR.
- Current flower (6) Both Current and flower define STREAM. In cryptic setting, a flower is often a river.
- Endless fear is distant (3) Distant is FAR. Endless removes the last letter of FEAR, leaving FAR.
- Support initially very old Tory effort (4) Support is VOTE. Initially takes the first letters of Very Old Tory Effort.
- Insect found in a pantry (3) Insect is ANT. Found in points to the consecutive letters in pANTry.
- Mixed maps is junk mail (4) Junk mail is SPAM. Mixed anagrams MAPS into SPAM.
- Loot sent back is a device (4) Device is TOOL. Sent back reverses LOOT.
- Grade on exam is a fight (7) Fight is CONTEST. A school grade C sits on TEST (exam), giving C + ON + TEST.
- Wild rages for cogs (5) Cogs are GEARS. Wild anagrams RAGES into GEARS.