Welcome back to the grid, fellow word-hunters! If you’ve been staring at your morning paper or your favorite app and feeling a bit stumped, you’re certainly not alone. Today, we are taking a deep dive into a specific
crossword clue
that has been making the rounds and causing a fair bit of head-scratching among even the most seasoned solvers.
The
crossword clue
in question is:
“Biscuit Errol regularly made cooler (5).”
At first glance, this might seem like a bizarre piece of trivia about a famous Errol—perhaps Flynn?—and his snack preferences. But in the world of cryptic crosswords, we know that the surface reading is almost always a clever disguise. To crack this
crossword clue
, we need to put on our detective hats and break the sentence down into its mechanical components.
Understanding the “Regularly” Indicator
In any challenging
crossword clue
, certain words act as “indicators.” They tell you exactly what to do with the other words in the clue. When you see the word “regularly,” your cryptic-solving alarm should go off immediately. In the language of the grid, “regularly” is a frequent signal for an alternating letter sequence.
This means the solver is expected to take either the odd-numbered or even-numbered letters from a specific string of text. When you apply this logic to a
crossword clue
, it’s a matter of testing which letters provide a coherent word. In this case, the instruction is being applied to the phrase “Biscuit Errol.”
Finding the Definition
The next step in solving this
crossword clue
is identifying the definition. Cryptic clues almost always consist of two parts: the wordplay (which we just identified as the “regularly” instruction) and the definition. The definition is usually found at either the very beginning or the very end of the clue.
Here, we have two candidates: “Biscuit” or “cooler.” If “cooler” is the definition, we are looking for a 5-letter word that means “more cold” or perhaps a term for a device that chills things. If “Biscuit” is the definition, we are looking for a snack. However, given how “regularly” is positioned, it’s much more likely that the first two words are the fodder for the wordplay, leaving our definition at the end.
Putting the Pieces Together
When you take the phrase “Biscuit Errol” and systematically pluck out every second letter, a very chilling word begins to emerge. This is the beauty of a well-constructed
crossword clue
; the answer is hidden in plain sight, woven into the very fabric of the words you’re reading.
If you are struggling with this specific
crossword clue
, try writing out the letters of “Biscuit Errol” in a straight line. Start with the second letter, skip the third, take the fourth, and so on. By the time you reach the tenth letter, you’ll have a five-letter word that perfectly fits the definition of “cooler.”
This type of “alternating letter”
crossword clue
is a favorite among compilers because it allows them to write smooth, evocative surface readings that lead the solver’s mind away from the literal mechanics. Whether you’re a novice or a pro, mastering these indicators is the key to filling in those pesky blank squares.
Happy solving, and may your pencil lead never break! Keep practicing, and soon enough, every
crossword clue
will feel like a piece of cake—or in this case, a biscuit.
Available Answers:
ICIER.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Monday, 19 January 2026