Printer's Impishness #1
This is my first try at a 'Printer's Devilry'. The standard PD is a barred 12x12 grid, but I decided to practice by making a 5x5 mini with a cryptic-style block pattern, hence 'Printer's Impishness'.
Printer's Devilry puzzles use a very different cluing style to that found in American crosswords and cryptics. Their nearest cousin is the 'hidden' cryptic clue, but they operate in reverse. Here's my version of the general instructions:
Each clue in this puzzle is a complete sentence from which the constructor has removed a hidden word, closing up the gap and sometimes changing the punctuation but leaving the remaining letters in their original order. When reconstructed, the original sentences should make reasonable sense.
Example: Cases are a staple of action movies. Answer: ARCH – Car chases are a staple of action movies.
If you haven't done a PD before, and want to see one deconstructed, here's an analysis of a recent example by Guardian crossword setter Azed.
Like cryptics, Printer's Devilry puzzles offer ample opportunity for writing entertaining, twisty surfaces. However, it's also quite challenging to find words that 1) break nicely across two or more words (ideally not at the beginning or end) and 2) produce a 'devilled' passage with (mostly) proper grammar and syntax. Cluing just the six entries in this puzzle took a couple hours, so doing a full-sized one seems like it would be a formidable challenge. Nevertheless, I had fun making this, and hope to offer more like it on a (somewhat) regular basis.
Enjoy!
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