The I-do-it Box

//We’ve always wanted to speak through this site, but then what would Shuchi do?

We all know there are two ways of saying the same thing – some people see a glass half-full and some others see it half-empty (and as the SMS joke goes, the engineer says the glass is twice as big as it should be.) Similarly there are two ways of indicating an anagram with extra letters.

1) DULL – Deletion of Unwanted/Leftover Letters

Solvers would have encountered many clues of this type which say “A – B = C” or “Anagram Indicator + Fodder – Extra Letters = Definition “
This clue from Diogenes for instance -

Disarmament collapsed in the absence of a strategist (10)
Highlight this line to see the solution : Disarmament* – a = Mastermind

2) FRESH – Fodder = Result + Extra/ Superfluous Humbug

Any sensible human (other than Cryptonyte) refers to this kind of clue as a Composite Anagram. Here the setter is telling the solver, Extra letters together with the answer will give the fodder anagrammed – “A = B +C”. This kind of clue is uncommon but a regular feature in advanced cryptic crossword. We have a typical example in Azed 1937. Clue 9 Down reads

Ah, this valve has transformed the radio (6)
Highlight this line to see the solution : Ah + triode = (the radio)*, &lit, Answer = Triode

Some more examples and explanation of the Composite Anagram can be found here. Will TIB #18 contain a composite anagram clue? There’s only one way to find out – Hack into our online doc (and when you find it blank, it would be great if you could make Cryptonyte’s share of clues.)

Cheers!