Substitution cryptic clue
Swap one letter of a real word for another. The indicator flags the change; the build shows the exact replacement.
How it works
One letter of a real word is swapped for another. The indicator flags the surgery — with a change of heart, after replacing one letter — and the clue usually names the exact replacement.
Unlike a deletion, nothing is lost: the word stays a word. You are looking for the minimal edit that turns the fodder into the answer.
Worked example
One letter swap turns a small bed into a scissors job.
Trimmed: a small bed with a letter changed (O to U) (3)
AnswerCUT
- Definition: trimmed — CUT.
- A small bed = COT; the parenthetical says swap O for U.
- C-O-T becomes C-U-T (3).
Spotting it in the wild
- House style names the swap in parentheses: (O to U), (P to G).
- A change of heart = the middle letter; head and tail can be swapped too.
- Both the fodder and the answer are real words — that constraint is what makes it fair.