Acrostic indicator
starters
“starters” is an acrostic indicator in cryptic crosswords.
Also called letter-selection: you read the initial or final letters of consecutive words to spell part of the answer. Indicators point to beginnings, ends, or leaders.
- Clue types
- Acrostic
- Subtlety
- moderate
- Part of speech
- noun
“Lean bacon and no ketchup for starters (4)”
Answer: BANK
Definition: "Lean" — to tilt to one side, as an aircraft does. "for starters" signals that only the opening letters count. "bacon and no ketchup" supplies the four words to take initials from. Their first letters, in order, are B, A, N, K. Reading those starting letters straight off gives BANK.
Related indicators
- at first
- at last
- at the end
- at the end of
- at the outset
- at the start of
- backs of
- begin
- beginnings of
- borders of
- bottom of
- bottoms of
- capitals
- characters
- conclude
- conclusions of
Explore indicator types
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