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    $\begingroup$ What about the clues with '?' at the end? Are they anything in particular? $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 9:08
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    $\begingroup$ @boboquack: Typically they indicate that the definition part has some form of alternate intepretation required - for instance, "mental block" cluing a Rubik's Cube, or "flower" cluing a river (flow-er). It's still a valid definition, just one that's tricky to intepret even after separating it from the wordplay part. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 9:10
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    $\begingroup$ This answer is great. But I have a general worry about this kind of beginner's explanation of cryptic clues that jumps straight into taking about 'specific rules' without an overall justification ("a cryptic clue is a sort of riddle usually using wordplay to lead to an answer in a deceptive way" or similar). After all, the 'rules' didn't come first, they're just the ways of doing a clue that naturally developed. Otherwise it's a bit like explaining what a novel is by saying "well it will be one of these seven things: overcoming a monster, or rags to riches, or a quest, or..." $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 13:04
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    $\begingroup$ @Deusovi yes I guess it pretty much does – must have skipped over that on the first read, sorry. I suppose what I meant was that even the definition/wordplay split is more of an emergent general pattern than an inherent rule, and not all clues have it – &lit type clues as you mention, but also 'cryptic definition' clues (eg "Die of cold" for ICE CUBE), which are pretty common in UK cryptics. Anyway this is probably unnecessary nitpicking on my part, this is a great post as is $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 23, 2016 at 16:26
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    $\begingroup$ I don't think a carrot is a fruit $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 15, 2021 at 2:36