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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