Container clues in cryptic crosswords - Solution for 11 April cryptic crossword clue

Rock guitarist casting spell across two US states (7)

Solution – Hendrix

The solution was a name of a rock guitarist – but to find out which one you had to solve the second part of the clue.

Hex = casting spell

Across was a hint that “hex” was around the remaining 4 letters needed for the solution

2 US states – with only 4 letters needed this meant the abbreviation for 2 states ie ND for North Dakota and RI for Rhode Island.

Jimi Hendrix was American but I couldn’t discover any particular link with those states – if there had been the clue would have been even more clever.


This is an example of a container clue.

In container clues there are 4 parts to the clues.  As always there is a definition of the solution, then there are two or more definitions of other words – one of which will be found inside the other (ie contained).  And there will be a container indicator – something that points to the clue being a container one.

Examples of container indicators that point to a word being put inside another are: Held, occupying, inside, amidst, circled, entering, filling, included in, surrounded, taken in.

In this clue "across" was the container indicator.

Examples of container indicators that point to a word being put outside another are: admitting, outside, about, captures, houses, round, without, takes in.