This list contains the coded expressions used to select letters from a word or words in cryptic clues (eg ‘a little crossword’ = C). Solvers may encounter any of these indicators; setters should note that some crossword editors will not accept certain of the more questionable ones (eg ‘piece’ indicating the first letter – it could be argued that a ‘piece of cake’ could just as well be A, K or E as C).
Date last modified: 04/09/24
Recent changes: (19/01/24) added stripped for first/last letter selection (strip = ‘to empty’), (07/03) added terminus for last letter selection, (04/09) removed heartless, lacking heart, disheartened, gutless, cored, disembowelled, filleted.
| Indicator | Selection | Example | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | First or second half | 50% chance = CHA or NCE | Standard |
| alpha and omega in | First and last letters | alpha and omega in that = TT | Standard |
| at first | First letter(s) | tired at first = T | Standard |
| at heart | Middle letter(s) | young at heart = U | Standard |
| at last | Last letter(s) | free at last = E | Standard |
| at the edges | First and last letters | frayed at the edges = FD | Standard |
| back from/of/off | Last letter | back from holiday = Y | Standard |
| backside of | Last letter | backside of Kim = M | Standard |
| banks of | First and last letters | banks of river = RR | Advanced |
| beginner in | First letter | beginner in class = C | Standard |
| beginning in/of/to | First letter | beginning of day = D | Standard |
| belly of | Middle letter(s) | belly of whale = A | Standard |
| big end of | First letter (capital) | big end of Mondeo = M | Standard |
| bit of | First letter | bit of chocolate = C | Standard |
| borders of | First and last letters | borders of country = CY | Standard |
| both sides of | First and last letters | both sides of story = SY | Standard |
| boundary for/from/of | Last letter | boundary for Root = T | Standard |
| bounds of | First and last letters | bounds of possibility = PY | Standard |
| butt of | Last letter | butt of joke = E | Standard |
| cap from/of | First letter | cap from boy = B | Standard |
| capital of | First letter (capital) | capital of Spain = S | Standard |
| case for/of | First and last letters | case for defence = DE | Standard |
| casing of | First and last letters | casing of shell = SL | Standard |
| central ingredient of | Middle letter | central ingredient of salad = L | Standard |
| centre for/of | Middle letter(s) | centre for tourists = RI | Standard |
| centrepiece of | Middle letter(s) | centrepiece of event = E | Standard |
| character facing | First letter | character facing trial = T | Standard |
| chump | Last letter | chump from Cambridge = E | Advanced |
| cleared out | First and last letters | they cleared out = TY | Standard |
| close of/to | Last letter | close to home = E | Standard |
| closer to | Last letter | closer to London = N | Standard |
| closure of | Last letter | closure of factory = Y | Standard |
| clothing for/from/on | First and last letters | clothing on line = LE | Standard |
| coasts of | First and last letters | coasts of France = FE | Standard |
| conclusion of/to | Last letter | conclusion of lesson = N | Standard |
| confines of | First and last letters | confines of ship = SP | Standard |
| core of | Middle letter(s) | core of reactor = C | Standard |
| cover from/of | First and last letters | cover of magazine = ME | Standard |
| covering from/of | First and last letters | covering of snow = SW | Standard |
| crown | First letter | crown of king = K | Standard |
| crust from/of | First and last letters | crust of bread = BD | Standard |
| crux of | Middle letter(s) | crux of issue = S | Standard |
| dash of | First letter | dash of Scotch = S | Standard |
| depleted | First and last letters | depleted side = SE | Advanced |
| discharged | First and last letters | discharged rifle = RE | Standard |
| disheartened | First and last letters | disheartened fans = FS | Standard |
| drained | First and last letters | drained vegetables = VS | Standard |
| drop of | First letter | drop of rum = R | Standard |
| early sign of | First letter | early sign of danger = D | Standard |
| early signs of | First two letters | early signs of revival = RE | Standard |
| edges of | First and last letters | edges of bat = BT | Standard |
| edging on/to | First and last letters | edging to victory = VY | Standard |
| element of | First letter | element of risk = R | Standard |
| emptied | First and last letters | emptied bin = BN | Standard |
| empty | First and last letters | empty bottle = BE | Standard |
| end for/in/of/to | Last letter | end of term = M | Standard |
| ending in/of | Last letter | ending in chaos = S | Standard |
| environs of | First and last letters | environs of city = CY | Standard |
| essential character of | Middle letter | essential character of place = A | Standard |
| essential ingredient of | Middle letter | essential ingredients of cake = AK | Standard |
| essentially | Middle letter(s) | big eaters essentially = ITE | Standard |
| evacuated | First and last letters | evacuated building = BG | Standard |
| exhausted | First and last letters | man exhausted = MN | Standard |
| extreme of | Last letter | extreme of joy = Y | Standard |
| extremes of | First and last letters | extremes of emotion = EN | Standard |
| extremities of | First and last letters | lady's extremities = LY | Standard |
| face of | First letter | face of innocence = I | Standard |
| far side of | Last letter | far side of room = M | Standard |
| final | Last letter | final of cup = P | Advanced |
| final bit from/of/off | Last letter | final bit of pudding = G | Standard |
| finale of/to | Last letter | finale of act = T | Standard |
| finally | Last letter(s) | finally seen = N | Standard |
| finish of/off/to | Last letter | finish of game = E | Standard |
| finishing touch for | Last letter | finishing touch for cake = E | Standard |
| first in/of/to | First letter | first of all = A | Standard |
| first pair of | First two letters | first pair of guests = GU | Standard |
| first show of | First letter | first show of colour = C | Standard |
| first sign of | First letter | first sign of life = L | Standard |
| flanks of | First and last letters | flanks of horse = HE | Standard |
| focus of | Middle letter | focus of attention = N | Standard |
| foremost in/of | First letter | foremost in group = G | Standard |
| fringe of | First letter | fringe of party = P | Standard |
| fringes of | First and last letters | fringes of society = SY | Standard |
| front of | First letter | front of house = H | Standard |
| glimpse of | First letter | glimpse of stocking = S | Standard |
| gutted | First and last letters | they're gutted = TE | Standard |
| half (of) | First or second half | half soaked = SOA or KED | Standard |
| half concealed | First or second half | half concealed grin = GR or IN | Standard |
| half-cut | First or second half | chap half-cut = CH or AP | Standard |
| half-hearted(ly) | One of central pair lost | half-hearted boos = BOS | Standard |
| head for/from/of/off | First letter | head of music = M | Standard |
| heading for/to | First letter | heading for trouble = T | Standard |
| heart of | Middle letter(s) | heart of glass = A | Standard |
| heel of | Last letter | heel of shoe = E | Standard |
| hint of | First letter | hint of desperation = D | Standard |
| hollow | First and last letters | hollow laugh = LH | Standard |
| hull from/of | First and last letters | hull of ship = SP | Standard |
| inane | First and last letters | inane speech = SH | Advanced |
| initial | First letter | chap's initial = C | Standard |
| initially | First letter(s) | initially unhappy = U | Standard |
| initiation of/in/to | First letter | initiation of member = M | Standard |
| introduction from/to | First letter | introduction to play = P | Standard |
| last drop of | Last letter | last drop of gin = N | Standard |
| last from/in/of/to | Last letter | last of Mohicans = S | Standard |
| last shred of | Last letter | last shred of dignity = Y | Standard |
| lastly | Last letter(s) | then lastly = N | Standard |
| latest in/of | Last letter | latest in couture = E | Standard |
| lead character in | First letter | lead character in drama = D | Standard |
| lead from/to | First letter | leads to serious issue = SI | Standard |
| leader in/of | First letter | leader of pack = P | Standard |
| left extremity of | First letter | left extremity of alien = A | Standard |
| limit of/to | Last letter | limit of ambition = N | Standard |
| limits of/to | First and last letters | limits of decency = DY | Standard |
| lists of | First and last letters | lists of people = PE | Advanced |
| marches from/off | First and last letters | marches off singing = SG | Advanced |
| middle of | Middle letter(s) | middle of town = OW | Standard |
| minimum of | First letter | minimum of food = F | Standard |
| nip of | First letter | nip of scotch = S | Standard |
| No. 1 for/in | First letter | No. 1 in charts = C | Standard |
| not half | First or second half | not half good = GO or OD | Standard |
| on vacation | First and last letters | time on vacation = TE | Standard |
| onset of | First letter | onset of winter = W | Standard |
| opener for | First letter | opener for Notts = N | Standard |
| opening for/in/of | First letter | openings for smart lads = SL | Standard |
| origin in/of | First letter | origin of species = S | Standard |
| original | First letter | Werther's original = W | Standard |
| originally | First letter(s) | originally seen = S | Standard |
| outer wear | First and last letters | hiker's outer wear = HR | Standard |
| outside | First and last letters | postman's outside = PN | Standard |
| overture from/to | First letter | overture from Nutcracker = N | Standard |
| piece of | First letter | piece of cake = C | Standard |
| pinch of | First letter | pinch of salt = S | Standard |
| preface to | First letter | preface to autobiography = A | Standard |
| primarily | First letter(s) | fun primarily = F | Standard |
| principal character in | First letter | principal character in play = P | Standard |
| principally | First letter(s) | principally yellow = Y | Standard |
| principle of | First letter | principle of gravity = G | Standard |
| rear in/of | Last letter | rear of year = R | Standard |
| rind from/of | First and last letters | rind of lemon = LN | Standard |
| scrap of | First letter | scrap of cloth = C | Standard |
| second | Second letter | Striker's second = T | Standard |
| shell from/of | First and last letters | shell of mollusc = MC | Standard |
| shred of | First letter | shred of evidence = E | Standard |
| sides of | First and last letters | sides of paper = PR | Standard |
| skin of | First and last letters | skin of teeth = TH | Standard |
| skirts of/on | First and last letters | skirts of ladies = LS | Standard |
| slice of | First letter | slice of ham = H | Standard |
| snap of | First letter | snap of family = F | Advanced |
| source of | First letter | source of amusement = A | Standard |
| spot of | First letter | spot of something = S | Standard |
| start of/off/to | First letter | starts to go away = GA | Standard |
| starter of | First letter | starter of melon = M | Standard |
| stern of | Last letter | stern of ship = P | Standard |
| stripped | First and last letters | stripped pine = PE | Standard |
| suggestion of | First letter | suggestion of dinner = D | Standard |
| suspicion of | First letter | suspicion of theft = T | Standard |
| tail of | Last letter | tail of tiger = R | Standard |
| taste of | First letter | taste of honey = H | Standard |
| term of | Last letter | term of endearment = T | Standard |
| terminal to | Last letter | terminal to ambition = N | Standard |
| terminus of | Last letter | terminus of route = E | Standard |
| tip from/of/off | First letter | tip from passenger = P | Standard |
| tips from/of | First and last letters | tips of leaves = LS | Standard |
| to begin with | First letter(s) | angry to begin with = A | Standard |
| top of | First letter | top of head = H | Standard |
| topside of | First letter | topside of beef = B | Standard |
| touch of | First letter | touch of class = C | Standard |
| trace of | First letter | trace of spin = S | Standard |
| train of | Last letter | train of thought = T | Standard |
| turned out | First and last letters | things turned out = TS | Standard |
| ultimate in | Last letter | ultimate in fashion = N | Standard |
| ultimately | Last letter(s) | good time ultimately = DE | Standard |
| vacant | First and last letters | vacant possession = PN | Standard |
| vacated | First and last letters | vacated bar = BR | Standard |
| vacuous | First and last letters | vacuous type = TE | Standard |
| void | First and last letters | trump void = TP | Standard |
| voided | First and last letters | voided insurance = IE | Standard |
| what gets ... going | First letter | what gets him going = H | Standard |
| what gets ... started | First letter | what gets party started = P | Standard |
| what winds up | Last letter | what winds her up = R | Standard |
| what's behind | Last letter | what's behind this = S | Standard |
| wings of | First and last letters | wings of dove = DE | Standard |
| wrapper for/from/of/on | First and last letters | wrapper from Twix = TX | Standard |
| wrapping for/from/of/on | First and last letters | wrapping on present = PT | Standard |