Today’s cryptic challenge, “Northern town with meat past its sell-by date? (6)“, is a magnificent specimen of the art of the
crossword clue
, designed to both delight and deceive. This six-letter brain-teaser immediately flags itself as a prime candidate for lateral thinking, blending a straightforward geographical pointer with some wonderfully evocative, if slightly unappetizing, imagery.
At first glance, the instruction to find a “Northern town” seems simple enough. Our mental map of the UK starts to narrow down options, focusing on those six-letter locales above, say, the Watford Gap. But the genius of this particular
crossword clue
lies in its second half: “with meat past its sell-by date?”. Here, the surface reading paints a vivid picture of something gone off, decayed, perhaps even a bit… well, rotten. It’s a phrase that instantly conjures a specific state, a decline from freshness, which is where the real wordplay begins.
The question mark at the end is a crucial signal in cryptic
crossword clues
. It often indicates that you’re not dealing with a direct definition or a standard anagram, but rather a pun, a double meaning, or a less literal interpretation. For this specific
crossword clue
, the challenge is to bridge the gap between that unappetizing state and the name of a real place. How can the description of food that’s no longer fit for consumption lead us to a specific Northern town?
This is where the seasoned
crossword solver
learns to listen carefully. Is there a sound-alike hidden in the phrase? Could the concept of “meat past its sell-by date” be interpreted in a way that, when spoken aloud, resembles part or all of a town’s name? It requires us to set aside the literal image and explore linguistic connections, considering how words sound rather than just what they mean on the page.
To unravel this kind of cryptic
crossword clue
, you need to think about the essence of the “meat past its sell-by date” scenario. What happens to food when it goes bad? How might that state be phonetically linked to a geographical location? It’s a classic cryptic technique that asks you to play with sounds and concepts, twisting expectations to reveal a surprising answer. The key is to detach from the direct meaning and embrace the playful, often mischievous, nature of cryptic crosswords. Get ready to flex those lateral thinking muscles; this
crossword clue
is a cracking example of how misdirection leads to pure solving satisfaction.
Available Answers:
OLDHAM.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Thursday, 4 December 2025