Oh, what a morning it’s been! The coffee is brewing, the birds are singing (or maybe that’s just my neighbor’s terrible karaoke practice), and I’m nestled in my favorite armchair, tackling the daily grid. Usually, it’s a serene ritual, a gentle mental warm-up before the chaos of the day truly begins. But every now and then, a
crossword clue
comes along that demands more than just a gentle nudge; it calls for a full-on wrestling match with my grey matter. And let me tell you, today delivered a champion contender.
We all have those moments, don’t we? That specific square, that single line of text, that absolutely refuses to yield its secret. It glares back at you, smug and enigmatic, daring you to unravel its carefully woven deception. Today, for me, that nemesis was the seven-letter beauty: “Some hitches I met in returned list (7)“.
Just reading that
crossword clue
aloud, you can almost hear the gears grinding, right? “Some hitches…” immediately suggests something less than smooth, perhaps obstacles or difficulties. But then, the intriguing “I met in returned list” adds layers of complexity. Is it a hidden word? An anagram playing with the letters of “I met”? Or is “returned list” some kind of indicator for reversal, or perhaps a reference to a type of list that is ‘returned’? The possibilities, for a seasoned solver, begin to multiply faster than rabbits in springtime.
The brilliance of a truly great
crossword clue
lies in its ability to mislead, to send you down a rabbit hole or two, only to reveal a perfectly logical and often humorous solution that was staring you in the face the whole time. This particular
crossword clue
had me doing exactly that. I pondered anagrams of “list”, reversed “met I”, and even considered what kind of ‘list’ might be ‘returned’ in a literal sense. My brain went on a miniature scavenger hunt, sifting through synonyms for “hitches” and trying to find a seven-letter word that fit snugly into the linguistic puzzle presented.
It’s the kind of
crossword clue
that makes you put the paper down, grab another sip of coffee, maybe even stare blankly out the window for a few minutes, hoping for divine inspiration. You run through the classic cryptic mechanisms in your head: is it a charade (pieces joined together)? Is it a container clue (one word inside another)? Or is it, as many of the best often are, a delightful bit of wordplay disguised as something far more straightforward? The number in parentheses, (7), is your only concrete hint, the one immutable fact in a sea of clever misdirection. Seven letters. That’s it. And yet, so much hinges on those seven letters.
This particular
crossword clue
wasn’t just a challenge; it was a masterclass in elegant misdirection. It tested my patience, my vocabulary, and my ability to look beyond the obvious. It’s a prime example of why we love crosswords so much – the sheer satisfaction when the penny finally drops, and the obscure becomes gloriously, undeniably clear.
So, if you’re staring at “Some hitches I met in returned list (7)” on your own grid today, take a deep breath. Appreciate the craft of the clue-setter. Think about those “hitches” and that “returned list.” What could they
really
mean in the world of cryptic crosswords? Don’t rush it. Savour the journey. Because the answer, when it comes, is truly satisfying. And I can’t wait to share my thoughts on how I finally untangled this magnificent
crossword clue
with you!
Available Answers:
ITEMISE.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Metro Cryptic Crossword Clues Friday, 8 August 2025