Ah, the cryptic crossword. There’s a special kind of quiet satisfaction that comes with filling in that last square, but there’s an equally potent, slightly maddening feeling when you’re staring at a single, stubborn crossword clue. It sits there on the page, a jumble of seemingly nonsensical words, taunting you from behind its grid-lined cage. We’ve all been there. You’ve sailed through the anagrams, spotted the hidden words, and then you hit it: a crossword clue so elegantly constructed it feels impenetrable.
Today, we’re diving headfirst into one such little gem. It’s a classic example of how a setter can weave together different types of wordplay into a compact and challenging package. The crossword clue in question is this:
Reversal of vessel carrying the French for you (1-4)
At first glance, the surface reading paints a strange picture. A boat of some sort, perhaps, performing a U-turn while transporting a French person who is… for you? A gift? It makes no sense, and that’s precisely the point. The first rule of tackling a cryptic crossword clue is to ignore the literal meaning and look for the instructions hidden within. Every cryptic crossword clue is a mini-puzzle in itself, containing both a definition and a wordplay component that lead to the same answer.
Let’s break down the machinery of this beautifully crafted crossword clue. The key is to identify the different parts and what they’re telling us to do. We’re not reading a sentence; we’re following a recipe.
First, we have an indicator word right at the beginning: “Reversal of…” This is a clear, unambiguous instruction. It tells us that whatever we construct from the rest of the clue needs to be written backwards. It’s a signpost for the solver, a critical piece of the puzzle’s architecture. Keep that instruction on standby; we’ll need it at the very end.
Next up, we have “vessel.” In the world of crosswords, words like this are a gift. They are wonderfully flexible. A vessel could be a ship, a pot, a jug, a vase, or even a vein or artery in a medical context. The solver’s job is to sift through the common synonyms and find the one that fits the wordplay and the letter count. This is the container for our next piece.
And what is it containing? The clue tells us it is “carrying the French for you.” The word “carrying” is another standard indicator. It functions like “in,” “holding,” or “around,” telling us to place one piece of the wordplay inside another. So, we need to put the next element inside our “vessel.”
The final piece of wordplay is “the French for you.” This is a delightful bit of misdirection. The clue isn’t talking about a person; it’s a direct instruction to perform a translation. We need to find the common French word for “you.” This little snippet of French will be the “cargo” that our “vessel” is carrying.
Putting it all together, the wordplay part of the crossword clue instructs us to take a synonym for “vessel,” insert the French word for “you” into it, and then reverse the entire resulting string of letters.
And what about the definition? In this style of clue, often called an “all-in-one” or “&lit.” clue, the entire phrase can sometimes double as the definition. The answer we’re looking for will, in some way, fit the description of the full sentence.
Finally, don’t ever forget the numbers in the parentheses: (1-4). This is arguably the most helpful part of any crossword clue. It tells us the exact structure of the answer. We are looking for a five-letter solution, formatted as a single letter, a hyphen, and then a four-letter word. This structural hint is invaluable. It confirms the length and provides a powerful check on our final construction.
So, the challenge is set. The instructions are clear. We have all the component parts identified. Now it’s just a matter of finding the right words to fit the recipe. Good luck
Available Answers:
UTURN.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Wednesday, 12 November 2025