Homoglyph cryptic clue
Play with what a letter looks like: W is an upside-down M, C is half an O.
How it works
Play with what letters look like rather than what they mean: an M turned on its head is a W, a C is half an O, a b mirrored is a d. Indicators: upside-down, turned, on its head, half.
This is the rarest device for a reason — the setter needs two shapes that cooperate. When one appears, it is usually the centerpiece of the clue.
Worked example
Flip a word physically and three letters become an exclamation.
Wow! Mom stands on her head (3)
AnswerWOW
- Definition: the exclamation — WOW.
- Stands on her head: flip the word MOM upside-down.
- M becomes W and O stays O: MOM → WOW.
Spotting it in the wild
- Useful flips: M↔W, b↔q, p↔d, n↔u.
- Half or curtailed can mean shape, not letters — C is half an O.
- Sketch it. This is the one device where drawing on paper genuinely helps.