As for the difficulty, libertarian indications may seem impenetrable to solve inexperienced. But what is more important is the Setter himself. The times and Daily Telegraph`s crossword puzzles are published anonymously, so the crossword editor ensures that the clues match a consistent house style. Inevitably, each setter has an individual (and often very recognizable) approach to writing warning words, but the way word games are used and displayed is maintained in a set of defined rules. Here, the index seems to say one thing, but with a slight change of view, it says another. For example: There are notable differences between the United Kingdom and North America (including Canadian crypts). American cryptic is seen as maintaining a stricter set of building rules than British rules. American cryptic generally requires all words in a note to be used for wordplay or definition, while British words allow more foreign words or support. In American crypts, an indication is only permitted to have an alternative indication, but in British crypts, the occasional indication may have more than one; Z.B. considers that a triple definition would be considered a fun variant in the United Kingdom, but that it was not sound in the United States.

If the answer is displayed in the notice, but is contained in one or more words, it is obscured. For example, there are many „code words“ or „indicators“ that have special meaning in the cryptic context of crossword puzzles. (In the example above, „about,“ „unfinished“ and „ascendant“ all fall into this category). Learning or recognizing them is a useful and necessary part to become a skilled cryptic crossword decryptor. It is very common for a clue to use more than one wordplay method. Example: x – Designates a compiler who works in this publication without a pseudonym. A typical cryptic crossword puzzle is usually 15×15, with a semi-rotating rotation symmetry. Unlike typical American crossword puzzles, where each square is almost always verified (i.e. each square offers a letter for a across and a top-down response), only about half of the squares are checked into an enigmatic crossword.

Most of the UK`s major national newspapers carry cryptic and concise (fast) crossword puzzles in each issue.