Order — Before

Just as you can use Clue Connectors to fill a gap between the definition and wordplay halves of a clue, these “Before” indicators can fill the gap between two separate cryptic elements.

Technically, these words are telling you to decode the clue in the order that it’s presented in, which is what you would do anyway.  Therefore, as far as the cryptic nature of the clue is concerned, these indicators are really just filler.  But they are useful (and valid) filler.

For example:

• Instead of Want it church,” you can write:

Want it before church (4) [1]

• Instead of “Idiot return of open country,” you can write:

Idiot leads return of open country [2]

zz

NOTE: The verbs on this list in present tense (PRECEDES) also work as indicators in the past (PRECEDED) and present participle (IS PRECEDING) tenses.

xx

ABUTTING

ACCOMPANYING

ADJACENT TO

ADJOINING 

ALONG WITH

AND

AND THEN

ANNOUNCES

ANTECEDES

ANTEDATES

AT THE VAN

AT THE VANGUARD

ATTACHED TO

BEFORE

BORDERING 

BY

CLOSE TO

CLOSEST TO

CONNECTED TO

CONNECTING 

CONTERMINOUS TO

CONTIGUOUS TO

ESCORTS

FLANKS 

FLUSH TO

FLUSH WITH 

FOREGOES 

FRINGES

GUIDES

HEADS

HEADS UP

HERALDS

IMMEDIATE TO

IN ADVANCE

INTRODUCES

JOINED TO

JOINED WITH

JOINING 

JUXTAPOSED 

JUXTAPOSED WITH

LEADING TO

LEADS

LEFT OF

LINKED TO

NEAR

NEAR TO

NEARBY 

NEAREST TO

NEIGHBORING 

NEXT TO

NEXT-DOOR TO

NIGH

OVERLOOKS

OVERSEES

PILOTS

PRECEDES

PREDATES 

PREEXISTS

IS SINISTER TO

SKIRTS

IS SUPERIOR TO

THEN

TO THE LEFT OF

TOUCHING 

UNITED TO

USHERS

VERGES

VERGES ON

WEST OF

WITH

x


[1]  IT + CH

[2] ASS + YRIA (R)

xx

xx

© Copyright 2022 by Alex Kolker.  Copying and distribution for personal use is permitted. All other rights reserved.  Not for publication or resale.