Clue Connectors

As I mention elsewhere in the site, the transition from the definition to the wordplay half a clue is a common place to find extra words creeping in. (It’s because nouns are most often used to clue nouns, verbs for verbs, etc.)

For example:

Bird and swine time (6)

The solution is PIG + EON — a valid charade — but the word “and” is extra. “Bird swine time” makes no sense, however.

The clue connectors help us bridge this gap: not by adding to either half of the clue, but using words between to help generate the cryptic clue’s instruction:

Bird emerges from swine time (6)

These connectors come in two flavors:


CONNECT DEFINITION TO WORDPLAY

A BY-PRODUCT OF

APPEARS IN

ARISES FROM

ASSEMBLED FROM

BUILT FROM

COMES FROM

COMES OUT OF

THE CONCLUSION OF

THE CONSEQUENCE OF

CONSTRUCTED FROM

CRAFTED FROM

CREATED BY 

CREATED FROM 

DERIVATIVE OF

DERIVED BY

DERIVED FROM

DESCRIBED BY

DEVELOPED FROM

EMERGES FROM 

EQUALS

FABRICATED BY

FASHIONED FROM

FORGED FROM

FORMED FROM

FROM

FRUIT OF

GENERATED BY 

IN

IS (also ‘S)

ISSUED FROM

MADE FROM

MADE UP OF

MATERIALIZES FROM

OF (as in “out of”)

OUT OF

THE OUTCOME OF

IS OUTPUT FROM

PRODUCED BY

PRODUCT OF

RESULTING FROM

SET UP WITH

SHOWS UP IN

STEMS FROM

UNFOLDS FROM

XX

CONNECT WORDPLAY TO DEFINITION

ASSEMBLES

BECOMES

BEGETS

BREEDS

BRINGS ABOUT

BRINGS ON

BRINGS YOU

BRINGS YOU TO

CATALYZES

CAUSES

COMBINES INTO

COMES TO

CONCOCTS

CONSTRUCTS

CONTRIVES

COOKS UP

CRAFTS

CREATES

ENGENDERS

EQUALS

ERECTS

ESTABLISHES

FABRICATES

FASHIONS

FOR

FORGES

FORMS

IS THE FOUNDATION OF

FOUNDS

GENERATES

GIVES YOU

INSTITUTES

IS (also ‘S)

LEADS TO 

MAKES

MAKES UP

MANUFACTURES

PIECED TOGETHER INTO

PRODUCES

PROMPTS

PUT TOGETHER FOR

RAISES

REARS

RESULTS IN

REVEALING

RIGS TOGETHER

RIGS UP

GIVES RISE TO

SETS UP

SPAWNS

YIELDS

xxx

xx

xx

xx

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