Ever stared at a crossword clue that just seems to twist your brain into a pretzel, yet you can’t help but smile at its sheer cleverness? You know the feeling – that perfect blend of frustration and fascination that keeps us coming back to the daily crossword puzzle. Today, we’re diving into a particularly delightful brain-teaser, one that exemplifies the very best of cryptic wordplay. It’s a crossword clue that, at first glance, might seem like a chaotic jumble of words, but beneath the surface lies a beautifully constructed challenge, waiting to be unravelled.
Our spotlight crossword clue for today is:
‘Old record held to rig out bighead’s jaunt (3,4)‘
Just reading it aloud, you can almost hear the gears turning. ‘Old record’ – immediately, your mind races through various meanings. Is it a vintage vinyl disc? A historical achievement? Something from the distant past? That’s the beauty of a well-crafted crossword clue; the surface reading is designed to mislead, to send your thoughts down several plausible, yet ultimately incorrect, paths. Then you hit ‘held to rig out bighead’s jaunt’. Now
that’s
a phrase that begs for deeper scrutiny. What on earth does a ‘bighead’s jaunt’ have to do with an ‘old record’? And how does ‘rig out’ fit into this intricate puzzle? It’s the kind of complex phrasing that makes a seasoned solver sit up and take notice.
This isn’t just about matching synonyms; it’s about understanding the elaborate dance of definitions and indicators that define a truly satisfying cryptic crossword. Is there an anagram lurking, hidden within those seemingly random words? Could ‘held to’ be a subtle instruction for how to manipulate letters, a common device in many a tricky crossword clue? Or perhaps ‘rig out’ serves as a signal, pointing to a different type of wordplay altogether? Seasoned solvers know that every single word in a cryptic crossword clue is there for a reason, a breadcrumb leading to the elusive solution. It’s about piecing together these fragments, recognising the grammatical function of each part of the clue, and trusting that the setter has given you all the tools you need, albeit cleverly disguised, to solve the crossword clue.
The elegance of this particular crossword clue lies in how it weaves together a seemingly disparate collection of ideas into a cohesive, logical answer. It’s the kind of clue that makes you pause, perhaps grab a pen, and start scrawling possibilities in the margin. You might feel a slight flicker of recognition, then a momentary setback, before that glorious ‘aha!’ moment when all the pieces finally click into place. That feeling, the satisfaction of unlocking a cleverly constructed brain-teaser, is precisely why we keep coming back to these challenges day after day. It’s more than just filling in squares; it’s a mental workout, a linguistic adventure, and a testament to the power of words when expertly manipulated in a brilliant crossword clue.
So, take a moment. Reread the crossword clue. Let the words tumble around in your mind. Consider the possibilities for a (3,4) answer that perfectly fits both the definition and the intricate wordplay. It’s a challenging one, but entirely fair, and the solution is wonderfully apt once you discover it. Dive in, and see if you can decipher the brilliant construction behind ‘Old record held to rig out bighead’s jaunt (3,4)‘. This particular crossword clue is a masterclass in misdirection and precise linguistic engineering.
Available Answers:
EGOTRIP.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Wednesday, 10 September 2025