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Quiz about Tricky Cryptics
Quiz about Tricky Cryptics

Tricky Cryptics Trivia Quiz


As a long-time cryptic crossword lover, I hope this submission of original cryptic questions meets all the criteria to warrant publication. All the rules of cryptic solving apply! Good luck and good solving!

A multiple-choice quiz by Bwebster. Estimated time: 12 mins.
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Author
Bwebster
Time
12 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
117,654
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Impossible
Avg Score
7 / 25
Plays
701
Question 1 of 25
1. An easy first clue: "Agitated, tense adolescents". (5)

Answer: ((Too easy...no hint!))
Question 2 of 25
2. Great oak! Darn me and you! (10)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 3 of 25
3. Free rent again. (7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 4 of 25
4. Wild sex is prone to utterance. (10)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 5 of 25
5. One Jamie is a long way off, I hear. (4)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 6 of 25
6. Lecture puts 'em in a rage.(7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 7 of 25
7. Represented and fought. (8)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 8 of 25
8. Moreover, Mr. Caesar is in Queens. (7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 9 of 25
9. "Unwrap?", nope! (4)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 10 of 25
10. "Native's mind", I answered, obviously. (7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 11 of 25
11. Dwelling needs rice tossed. (9)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 12 of 25
12. Ceased, then deduced secretly. (5)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 13 of 25
13. VanGogh's loss: L listener? (4,3)

Answer: (Two Words)
Question 14 of 25
14. Poe elects perplexed stargazer. (9)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 15 of 25
15. Ms. Derek is after site of false medication. (7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 16 of 25
16. Night light makes liquor. (9)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 17 of 25
17. Utter chilly word: "I hear sword". (5)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 18 of 25
18. Peruses oboes' sounds. (5)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 19 of 25
19. "Smear his mud". Get it? (6)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 20 of 25
20. Lazy follower is St. James. (5)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 21 of 25
21. Was she at home secreting the sword case? (6)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 22 of 25
22. A limo's morning activity? (7)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 23 of 25
23. Sea eagles follow Ollie to cold winds (9 letters).

Answer: (One Word)
Question 24 of 25
24. Daily distribution warns Pepe. (9)

Answer: (One Word)
Question 25 of 25
25. Steering wild pig in lot. (8)

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. An easy first clue: "Agitated, tense adolescents". (5)

Answer: Teens

Anagram of "tense" (teens).
2. Great oak! Darn me and you! (10)

Answer: Tremendous

Homophones. Literal clue is "great", and the wordplay is "oak"=tree, "darn"=mend and "me and you"=us. (tree-mend-us)!
3. Free rent again. (7)

Answer: Release

This is a double meaning: "free"=release and "rent again"=re-lease. Get it?!
4. Wild sex is prone to utterance. (10)

Answer: Expression

Another anagram: "wild"(indicating an anagram)of "sex is prone" to mean "utterance", you get "expression"!
5. One Jamie is a long way off, I hear. (4)

Answer: Afar

This is a homophone: Literal: "long way off"; wordplay: "One Jamie"(sounds like "A Farr"). See, it's easy when you,ok, maybe it's not easy!
6. Lecture puts 'em in a rage.(7)

Answer: Seminar

This is a "container". The letters to the correct answer are right there in the question! "Lecture" is the literal clue and the last letter of "puts" start the answer "seminar"!
7. Represented and fought. (8)

Answer: Defended

Double meaning here. Represented can mean "defended" and fought can mean "defended". See? Double meaning!
8. Moreover, Mr. Caesar is in Queens. (7)

Answer: Besides

Another container(with a simple crossword clue): The literal clue is "moreover". The wordplay is Mr. Caeser(Sid) in Queens(bees). Put "sid" into "bees" and you get "besides"(moreover).
9. "Unwrap?", nope! (4)

Answer: Open

This is what cryptic lovers call an "and lit". It means that the literal clue is also part of the wordplay clue("unwrap" means "open")and also indicates an anagram(of "nope"); Hence the answer "open"! Fun, huh?
10. "Native's mind", I answered, obviously. (7)

Answer: Indians

The word "obviously" leads solvers to look for something that is right there!(which it is!); it's another container. "Natives" is the literal clue, and contained within the clue appears the letters "Indians"(meaning "natives").
11. Dwelling needs rice tossed. (9)

Answer: Residence

As in all cryptic clues, there is one literal clue and one wordplay clue. In this one the literal is "dwelling" and the wordplay is "needs rice"(anagrammed, as eluded to by "tossed") gaining "residence". (The best part of cryptic puzzles is determining which part is which!)
12. Ceased, then deduced secretly. (5)

Answer: Ended

Simply another container; the answer is right there! "Ceased"(literal), thEN DEDuced(wordplay). Answer "ended"!
13. VanGogh's loss: L listener? (4,3)

Answer: Left ear

This clue is a combination of categories: 1)Literal(VanGogh's loss),2)"L"(means "left") and 3)"listener"(means "ear"). The question mark usually indicates that there is some kind of a pun. When you see that, you better be willing to explore ALL possibilities of pronunciation and usage. These are the toughest. The answer...."left ear".
14. Poe elects perplexed stargazer. (9)

Answer: Telescope

This should be easy to you by now...Perplexed denotes some sort of scrambling: Scramble "Poe elects" and you get "telescope"(meaning "stargazer").
15. Ms. Derek is after site of false medication. (7)

Answer: Placebo

Simple crossword clues arranged cryptically: "Ms. Derek"(=Bo), placed "after" "site"(=place) gets you "placebo",(false medication).
16. Night light makes liquor. (9)

Answer: Moonshine

...but still...(is a good hint!) Another double meaning: "Night light(moonshine) and "liquor"(moonshine).
17. Utter chilly word: "I hear sword". (5)

Answer: Sabre

This is the first cryptic clue I ever produced! It is a homophone: "Utter" indicates "sound", so the meaning of "utter chilly word" is "say Brr", hence "sabre", meaning "sword".
18. Peruses oboes' sounds. (5)

Answer: Reads

Double meaning: "peruses"(literal),and oboes' sounds(reeds)=reads.
19. "Smear his mud". Get it? (6)

Answer: Smudge

Great clue! Once again a container! The answer is right in front of you!(hiS MUD GEt it)....Smudge!(meaning "smear").
20. Lazy follower is St. James. (5)

Answer: Susan

This is another "and lit". "Lazy follower"=Susan(lazy Susan)and St. James=(Susan).
21. Was she at home secreting the sword case? (6)

Answer: Sheath

Hmmm...."secreting"?....(a good hint). "Secreting" should lead you to look inside the letters. There you will find SHE AT Home(sheath), meaning "sword case".
22. A limo's morning activity? (7)

Answer: Stretch

Armstrong?(Another cool hint!). This is a double meaning with a pun: "Morning activity"=stretch, and "a limo"=stretch!(Funny?)!
23. Sea eagles follow Ollie to cold winds (9 letters).

Answer: Northerns

This is a toughie. It is two crossword clues attached to a cryptic clue! "Cold winds" is the literal clue; The play is "sea eagles"(erns) follow(meaning after), "Ollie"(North);You get "Northerns".
24. Daily distribution warns Pepe. (9)

Answer: Newspaper

A simple anagram."Daily" is the literal clue, and "distribution" implies "spreading out" of "warns Pepe". Giving "newspaper".
25. Steering wild pig in lot. (8)

Answer: Piloting

Same as Q24: "Steering"(literal), "wild"(anagram)of "pig in lot"; You get "piloting"! Thanks for playing my quiz. Hope you enjoyed it! Bwebster.
Source: Author Bwebster

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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