Every seasoned crossword solver knows that feeling: the moment a new cryptic crossword clue lands on the page, promising a delicious mental workout. Today, we’re dissecting a particularly intriguing one that recently caught my eye: “It is clear that old boy has five debts (7)“. Just seven letters, yet brimming with potential and the kind of elegant misdirection that makes cryptic crosswords such an addictive brain teaser.
At first glance, this particular crossword clue presents a narrative snippet. An “old boy” with “five debts” – it paints a vivid, if slightly sympathetic, picture. This surface reading, however, is merely the charming veneer of a cryptic crossword, designed to lull you into a false sense of security before the true wordplay begins to unfold. The real fun, as always, lies beneath the surface, where definitions dance with indicators and hidden meanings.
The first crucial piece of information, as with any crossword clue, is the number in parentheses: (7). This immediately tells us we’re looking for a seven-letter word. It’s the anchor that keeps our wilder guesses tethered to reality. Without it, the possibilities would be infinite; with it, we have a concrete target for our mental gymnastics.
Now, let’s break down the components of this wonderfully constructed crossword clue. In a cryptic, every word often serves a purpose, either as part of the definition or as an element of the intricate wordplay. We need to identify both.
Consider “It is clear that”. Could “clear” be our primary definition? It’s a common tactic for a cryptic crossword clue to present a straightforward synonym as the solution, with the rest of the phrase acting as the intricate wordplay. If “clear” is the definition, what kinds of seven-letter words spring to mind? Evident, distinct, lucid, obvious – these are all in the right ballpark, offering a starting point for exploration. The “that” often acts as a separator or simply completes the grammatical flow of the surface reading, guiding us towards the definition.
Then we move to “old boy has five debts”. This is where the magic of cryptic wordplay often shines. “Old boy” is a classic phrase in crossword circles. It frequently abbreviates to ‘OB’, a familiar term for an alumnus or former pupil of a school. Could this be a component of our solution? Many a cryptic crossword clue leverages such common abbreviations to build its wordplay.
Next, “five”. Numbers in cryptic clues are incredibly versatile. They could signify a Roman numeral (V for five), or simply the number five itself. Sometimes they hint at a letter’s position, or even form part of an acrostic. The beauty of a challenging crossword clue is in discerning which interpretation is intended. Is it the letter ‘V’ we’re looking for, or something more abstract related to the number?
Finally, “debts”. This word opens up another avenue for wordplay. Common representations of “debts” in crosswords include ‘IOUs’, which is a lovely three-letter arrangement that fits neatly into many constructions. Or it could be a broader synonym for financial obligations. The presence of “has” is also an important indicator. In cryptic language, “has” can often imply containment – one word ‘has’ or ‘contains’ another. “Old boy has five debts” could be signalling that the ‘old boy’ component somehow
contains
or
is adjacent to
the ‘five debts’ element.
The task of solving this crossword clue, then, becomes one of weaving these disparate threads together. We have potential definitions around “clear,” and an elaborate system of possible wordplay elements: ‘OB’, ‘V’, ‘IOUs’, and the container indicator ‘has’. The challenge, and the immense satisfaction, comes from discovering how these pieces interlock perfectly to form a single, elegant seven-letter word that satisfies both the definition and the cleverly constructed wordplay. It’s a testament to the art of the crossword compiler, presenting a seemingly simple statement that, upon closer inspection, reveals layers of linguistic ingenuity. This is the kind of crossword clue that truly exemplifies why we keep coming back for more.
Available Answers:
OBVIOUS.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Wednesday, 17 September 2025