102 Cryptic Crosswords (Mensa) (Spiral-bound)

by Fraser Simpson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Tired of the same old crossword clues? Want to put some spice into your solving? Then try this follow-up to the popular 101 Cryptic Crosswords, from former puzzle editor of The New Yorker Fraser Simpson. Unlike conventional crosswords, these quirky puzzles use clues that combine straightforward definitions with clever wordplay. For example, “Hit friends back” is the clue for SLAP, which means “hit” but is also PALS reversed (“friends back”). You’ll also encounter homophones, hidden words, charades, deletions, pig Latin, and more. These mind-twisting puzzles are sure to give you hours of head-scratching, pencil-chewing fun.

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Product Details Spiral-bound: 96 pages Publisher: Puzzlewright; Spi edition (November 4, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 1402754892 ISBN-13: 978-1402754890 Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,640 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #3 in  Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Crosswords > Cryptic

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	84% buy the item featured on this page: 102 Cryptic Crosswords (Mensa) $7.95
	7% buy The Atlantic Cryptic Crosswords $8.95
	3% buy Mensa Cryptic Crosswords 2 (No. 2) (Mensa Puzzle Books) 4.0 out of 5 stars (5) $7.95
	3% buy Terribly Twisted Crosswords (Mensa) 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) $7.95

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4 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Cryptic Heaven, December 21, 2008 By  Puzzler "Cryptic Fan" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews I love this cryptic crossword book. Lots of puzzles, tough but within reach. I recommend this for any cryptic fan. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Teensy Puzzles, January 27, 2009 By  I. Zawilski - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I am a big cryptic crossword fan, of the American style. (Too many puns and obscure sayings in the British variety.) There's nothing wrong with these puzzles, except they are pretty small, with two puzzles to a page. I prefer a larger puzzle. With the scarcity of good cryptic crossword books, I'd still recommend this collection. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars great fun for the word-lover , January 24, 2009 By  Carol C. "ccjello" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)       Oh my gosh, these are so much fun to do! They're challenging but not at all impossible. (Don't let the "mensa" in the title scare you off -- these are within reach of most any word-lover, genius or not.) They are great fun for a word-lover. If you're not familiar with cryptic crosswords, I would recommend reading a how-to guide before trying to tackle even the easiest puzzle. They're quite unlike standard American crosswords. Cryptic clues generally have two parts and are not to be taken literally. The solutions may be found in anagrams of the clue, hidden in the clue, homonyms of referenced words or in a number of other ways. If you approach these like traditional crosswords, you'll be frustrated in no time. Once you get the hang of it, though, they're so much fun. Solving cryptics requires you to think outside the box a bit, and the clues are often deliciously witty. The format of this book is great. It has a high-quality spiral binding so that it lies perfectly flat. The paper is high-quality and will hold up to anything your eraser wants to dish out -- though you may not need to use the eraser, as there is plenty of white space around the page for scribbles and trying to figure out anagrams. The puzzles are two to a page. The solutions, along with a brief (sometimes too brief) explanation, are in the back. Everything you need! The book is about the size of typical magazine or 8 1/2 x 11" spiral notebook -- not small enough for me to stick in my purse, but easy to stick in a tote or briefcase. Fantastic book -- lots of fun -- good entertainment value for the money!		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars OK This is a big book, and will take even a quick solver a while to work through. Like all cryptics, they require a lot of concentration, but they are not challenging in the way that... Read more Published 13 days ago by Seth A. Jacoby Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 96 pages
• Publisher: Puzzlewright; Spi edition (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402754892
• ISBN-13: 978-1402754890
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,640 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #3 in

  Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Crosswords > Cryptic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cryptic Heaven, December 21, 2008

By	Puzzler "Cryptic Fan" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews

I love this cryptic crossword book. Lots of puzzles, tough but within reach. I recommend this for any cryptic fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teensy Puzzles, January 27, 2009

By	I. Zawilski - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a big cryptic crossword fan, of the American style. (Too many puns and obscure sayings in the British variety.) There's nothing wrong with these puzzles, except they are pretty small, with two puzzles to a page. I prefer a larger puzzle. With the scarcity of good cryptic crossword books, I'd still recommend this collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great fun for the word-lover , January 24, 2009

By	Carol C. "ccjello" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Oh my gosh, these are so much fun to do! They're challenging but not at all impossible. (Don't let the "mensa" in the title scare you off -- these are within reach of most any word-lover, genius or not.) They are great fun for a word-lover.

If you're not familiar with cryptic crosswords, I would recommend reading a how-to guide before trying to tackle even the easiest puzzle. They're quite unlike standard American crosswords. Cryptic clues generally have two parts and are not to be taken literally. The solutions may be found in anagrams of the clue, hidden in the clue, homonyms of referenced words or in a number of other ways. If you approach these like traditional crosswords, you'll be frustrated in no time. Once you get the hang of it, though, they're so much fun. Solving cryptics requires you to think outside the box a bit, and the clues are often deliciously witty.

The format of this book is great. It has a high-quality spiral binding so that it lies perfectly flat. The paper is high-quality and will hold up to anything your eraser wants to dish out -- though you may not need to use the eraser, as there is plenty of white space around the page for scribbles and trying to figure out anagrams. The puzzles are two to a page. The solutions, along with a brief (sometimes too brief) explanation, are in the back. Everything you need! The book is about the size of typical magazine or 8 1/2 x 11" spiral notebook -- not small enough for me to stick in my purse, but easy to stick in a tote or briefcase.

Fantastic book -- lots of fun -- good entertainment value for the money!