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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Today's Parseword clue has actually made me quite cross, because I think it is so bad as to be unpublishable. I'd be interested to hear fellow Cryptic solvers'/setters' views. Heard soft rock flow (4) Answer and discussion below.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Good morning from Magpie HQ. Sorry for the radio silence, I am now back to work after the summer break and it has thus far been unrelenting. Hoping to get back to publishing crosswords soon. Hope everyone is doing well. Here's a little clue for today: Day one meal containing slice of apple (6)

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Good morning solvers! Here's my latest grid, I'm very pleased with this one. Sample clues: French wine and French bottle (5) Ironing late in the day? (7) Do have a go if it's your thing and let me know what you make of it. #cryptic #crossword #crypticcrossword www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3812

mycrossword.co.uk

Cryptic crossword No 3,812 · MyCrossword

Solve Cryptic crossword No 3,812 on MyCrossword. 15x15 grid with 30 clues by MagpieLinguist. Published Wed 19 Aug 2026. Features annotated solutions. Free to solve online.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Sorry for radio silence, folks - have been on holiday. Here's a quick clue until I get back to setting properly: Do food (4)

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

A massive thanks to @liari.bsky.social for solving one of my grids on Twitch - a genuinely wonderful experience to watch someone solve your puzzle in real time and incredibly useful to see which bits work and don't, and which prove to be a stumbling block. www.twitch.tv/videos/28335...

twitch.tv

Solving crosswords from MyCrossword | !unch - liari77 on Twitch

liari77 went live on Twitch. Catch up on their Crosswords VOD now.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

If I might call on the assembled wisdom of people who know more about cryptics than I do: here's one from today's Guardian. Woman needs a large beer delivered (7) - solution ABIGAIL Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [delivered] of A BIG ALE (‘a large beer”)

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A non-puzzle post - but I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone for their comments, feedback, advice and encouragement both on here and on MyCrossword. The world of cryptics can be a daunting one and so the encouragement from everyone has lovely.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Happy Monday - here's a grid I'm quite pleased with in terms of the quality of the surfaces. I don't seem to be getting any better at making them tough, but for now I'll take the improvements in the surface. www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3734 #cryptic #crypticcrossword #crypticcrosswords

mycrossword.co.uk

Cryptic crossword No 3,734 · MyCrossword

Solve Cryptic crossword No 3,734 on MyCrossword. 15x15 grid with 32 clues by MagpieLinguist. Published Mon 27 Jul 2026. Features annotated solutions. Free to solve online.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

For devotees of #cryptic crosswords: how do we feel about indirect anagrams? For instance this clue I've seen in puzzle today: Radically vocalize timeless truth of humanity's beginnings. (6) The intended answer here is AFRICA: Radically = anagram; vocalize = AIR; timeless truth = FAC(t)

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Good morning all from Magpie HQ. I've published another Cryptic, complete with checking and fully annotated solutions, available on the frankly excellent MyCrossword site - grateful thanks for those who made me aware of its existence. Happy solving! www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3677

mycrossword.co.uk

Cryptic crossword No 3,677 · MyCrossword

Solve Cryptic crossword No 3,677 on MyCrossword. 15x15 grid with 32 clues by MagpieLinguist. Published Mon 13 Jul 2026. Features annotated solutions. Free to solve online.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Here's the link for the cryptic I made at 8am (thanks, summer. Thummer). xlufz.ratnakar.org/exost/xwd-ae...

xlufz.ratnakar.org

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Sorry for quietness. Now the summer break is here for those of us fortunate enough to get one, I'll be back to posting language trivia and perhaps other things. I've been compiling cryptic crosswords lately. Would that be something people would be interested in? If so, let me know!

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Today at Magpie Linguist HQ I have been thinking about the Discworld guild mottos. For those not familiar, it's a well-known phrase, translated none-too-accurately into Latin to give it an edge. Examples from Pratchett's work include "fabricate diem, punc" (make my day, punk) for the Watch 1/x

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

No language trivia for the moment but the Magpie Linguist would like to know if anyone has a heated clothes airer and if they're any good please and thank you

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Little thread on rebracketing to brighten up (probably not) your miserable Friday. If you've not come across it, rebracketing is the phenomenon by which a word either gains or loses a letter due to what precedes or follows it. It derives from elision, which is a natural part of sound-change.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

This is Sky, the official Magpie Linguist dog. Sky would like you to know that the oft-repeated fact that the butterfly used to be known as the flutterby, while charming, is in fact certifiably nonsense. She would also like you to know that she once ate one and wasn't very impressed.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Good morning from Magpie HQ. Today I thought I'd do a thread on backronyms. These are words which have evolved as words in their own right, but which humans have come up with (often very pleasing, sometimes trite) things that they supposedly stand for. Strong language ahead in a couple of examples.

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Goodness, thanks for all the love and follows as a result of my little thread about Lichfield. I'll try and do them regularly - they won't always be about place names, it's likely just to be anything that steals my attention momentarily. 😊

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Will - the Magpie Linguist @magpielinguist.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

This weekend we found ourselves in Lichfield, which has always struck me as an odd name for a place.

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