Welcome, fellow wordplay enthusiasts, to another dive into the fascinating world of cryptic crosswords! There’s nothing quite like the thrill of unraveling a beautifully crafted
crossword clue
, especially one that initially seems to defy all logic, only to reveal its elegant solution through clever wordplay. Today, we’re setting our sights on a particularly intriguing challenge that has been making the rounds and prompting many a thoughtful frown: “Save tree centre with broken cues (6)“.
At first glance, this
crossword clue
might appear deceptively simple, yet it holds layers of classic cryptic trickery that are a delight to unpack. The number in brackets, (6), immediately tells us our target is a six-letter word. This crucial piece of information is your anchor in the stormy seas of ambiguity, guiding your efforts and helping you eliminate possibilities.
Let’s begin by dissecting the first part of this compelling
crossword clue
: “Save”. In the realm of cryptics, one part of the clue nearly always serves as the definition. Could “Save” be our direct definition here, pointing us towards a word meaning to rescue, preserve, or perhaps even store away? Keep this in mind as we explore the constructive elements that will build our answer. The beauty of a well-designed cryptic
crossword clue
lies in how the definition blends seamlessly with the wordplay, often making it hard to distinguish at first glance.
Next, we encounter “tree centre”. This is a classic indicator of a common cryptic device. The word “centre” often signals that you need to extract the middle part of the preceding word. So, what’s at the very heart of “tree”? If you meticulously pull away the outer letters, you’ll be left with a single, central letter. This kind of element-extraction is a staple of many a challenging
crossword clue
, requiring precise parsing and a keen eye for detail. It’s not about the whole word “tree” here, but rather its innermost core.
Finally, we arrive at “with broken cues”. Here, the word “broken” is our prime suspect, often acting as a powerful indicator of an anagram. Anagrams are the rearrangement of letters to form a new word, and “broken” is just one of many signals a setter might use to tell you that the letters of “cues” need to be jumbled up to form part of your answer. Other common anagram indicators you might see in a cryptic
crossword clue
include words like ‘mixed’, ‘jumbled’, ‘rearranged’, ‘confused’, or even phrases like ‘in disarray’. The letters of “cues” are the ‘fodder’ for this anagrammatic transformation. The skill lies in taking these specific letters and seeing what new combinations they can form.
So, for this captivating
crossword clue
, we have a potential definition in “Save”, a specific letter extracted from “tree”, and a set of letters (“cues”) that need to be put through an anagrammatic grinder. The challenge, and the immense satisfaction, comes from fitting these pieces together to form a coherent six-letter word that perfectly matches our definition. How do the central letter of “tree” and the rearranged letters of “cues” combine to give us something that means “Save”? That’s the puzzle at the heart of this particular
crossword clue
.
It’s a testament to the setter’s artistry when all these disparate elements conspire to create a single, elegant solution. Tackling a sophisticated
crossword clue
like this is not just about finding the answer; it’s about appreciating the linguistic craftsmanship involved. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the mechanics of this brilliant
crossword clue
and reveal how these individual components coalesce into a single, satisfying solution.
Available Answers:
RESCUE.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Thursday, 19 June 2025