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Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8): A Memoir of Love, Exile, and Crosswords
This work is a personal reminiscence and a guide to solving crossword puzzles. Each chapter starts with a clue and uses anecdote, history and autobiography to solve it, in the process describing something of what it means to love England.
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First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 30, 2016
This is the book I foist on people who are interested in getting into cryptic crosswords. It's a wise, gentle memoir of multiculturalism in which Sandy Balfour, a TV producer, uses crosswords as the unlikely prism through which to write about leaving South Africa and making a new life for himself in London. It's very sweet and engaging and also serves nicely as a sort of 101 to the uniquely British style of cryptic crossword clue.
Balfour is taught originally by his girlfriend on the long journey across southern Africa. The book's title is the classic first clue that she uses to induct him into the mysteries: Pretty girl in crimson rose (8).
Cryptic clues always have a definition part, which tells you the answer. This part has to come at the beginning or end of a clue. Crossword clues are designed to mislead you, but they can't cheat.
In this case, as his girlfriend tells him, the definition happens to be at the end – the answer will be an eight-letter word that means ‘rose’.
The rest of the clue gives you another way of getting the same letters. Another word for ‘crimson’ is RED, another word for ‘pretty girl’ is BELLE. Put BELLE inside RED and you get REBELLED, which is another word for ‘rose’.
Balfour's mind is blown.
From there, his journey across the world is mirrored by a journey into the complexities of cryptic crosswords and the people who set them. As a devotee of the Guardian puzzle, I was happy to see that he, too, found himself gravitating to the Guardian's setters, who, unlike those of some other newspapers, are identified by their pseudonyms so that you can start to get a sense of their different personalities. It was also nice to read about someone else who sometimes needs to spend days or even weeks trying to work out a difficult clue.
This is a well-known classic, usually attributed to a setter called Enigmatist. The answer is . If you get the same grin when you work this out then you'll understand why crosswords can become so addictive.
Many of the wittiest clues are of the kind known as ‘&lit’, meaning ‘and literally so’. Here there is no definition as such, but the whole clue taken together works both as a cryptic solution and as a definition. So ‘Some careless language (5)’ would be SLANG, because slang is some careless language but it's also some of ‘careless language’.
The most tricksy of these are often indicated in the clue with a question mark, which means, as Balfour puts it, that the setter ‘is not being entirely fair, but that you will let him off when you get it.’ His girlfriend's favourite clue is a wonderful example.
The answer to this cheeky number is . In touching on these and similar clues, Balfour meets and interviews some of the most famous setters (including the recently-deceased and much-missed John Graham, a.k.a. Araucaria) and also investigates some of the best-known classic clues of recent times, like Araucaria's famous ‘Poetic scene has, surprisingly, chaste Lord Archer vegetating (3, 3, 8, 12)’, or this beauty from Bunthorne:
Answer: . Oh yes! While we're on brilliant clues, I can't resist mentioning my own current favourite, from a Rufus puzzle a couple of years back:
When I finally realised that this was I literally shouted with delight. Balfour's story is interesting enough, but the best thing about his book is that it walks you through that moment where the penny drops on a great clue, helps you relive it, and best of all induces you to run off and discover many more of your own.
Balfour is taught originally by his girlfriend on the long journey across southern Africa. The book's title is the classic first clue that she uses to induct him into the mysteries: Pretty girl in crimson rose (8).
‘It means that we have a pretty girl and she is wearing something red, or pink,’ she says. ‘She is wearing something that suits her prettiness. Prettiness, girls, roses – they all go together.’
I nod. ‘Got it,’ I say.
‘That,’ says my girlfriend, ‘is what they want you to think it means. What it actually means is either the first word or the last word. What it actually means is “rose”.’
Cryptic clues always have a definition part, which tells you the answer. This part has to come at the beginning or end of a clue. Crossword clues are designed to mislead you, but they can't cheat.
In this case, as his girlfriend tells him, the definition happens to be at the end – the answer will be an eight-letter word that means ‘rose’.
The rest of the clue gives you another way of getting the same letters. Another word for ‘crimson’ is RED, another word for ‘pretty girl’ is BELLE. Put BELLE inside RED and you get REBELLED, which is another word for ‘rose’.
Balfour's mind is blown.
From there, his journey across the world is mirrored by a journey into the complexities of cryptic crosswords and the people who set them. As a devotee of the Guardian puzzle, I was happy to see that he, too, found himself gravitating to the Guardian's setters, who, unlike those of some other newspapers, are identified by their pseudonyms so that you can start to get a sense of their different personalities. It was also nice to read about someone else who sometimes needs to spend days or even weeks trying to work out a difficult clue.
I say nothing (3)
This is a well-known classic, usually attributed to a setter called Enigmatist. The answer is . If you get the same grin when you work this out then you'll understand why crosswords can become so addictive.
Many of the wittiest clues are of the kind known as ‘&lit’, meaning ‘and literally so’. Here there is no definition as such, but the whole clue taken together works both as a cryptic solution and as a definition. So ‘Some careless language (5)’ would be SLANG, because slang is some careless language but it's also some of ‘careless language’.
The most tricksy of these are often indicated in the clue with a question mark, which means, as Balfour puts it, that the setter ‘is not being entirely fair, but that you will let him off when you get it.’ His girlfriend's favourite clue is a wonderful example.
Bust down reason? (8)
The answer to this cheeky number is . In touching on these and similar clues, Balfour meets and interviews some of the most famous setters (including the recently-deceased and much-missed John Graham, a.k.a. Araucaria) and also investigates some of the best-known classic clues of recent times, like Araucaria's famous ‘Poetic scene has, surprisingly, chaste Lord Archer vegetating (3, 3, 8, 12)’, or this beauty from Bunthorne:
Amundsen's forwarding address (4)
Answer: . Oh yes! While we're on brilliant clues, I can't resist mentioning my own current favourite, from a Rufus puzzle a couple of years back:
Pound of sultanas? (5)
When I finally realised that this was I literally shouted with delight. Balfour's story is interesting enough, but the best thing about his book is that it walks you through that moment where the penny drops on a great clue, helps you relive it, and best of all induces you to run off and discover many more of your own.
September 13, 2020
I was interested in reading this especially for the cryptic crosswords aspect. It was, as expected, focused on British cryptics. I'm sure a lot of it was lost on very American me. I love American cryptic crosswords. I think American style clues have more straightforward rules and are, in may ways, stricter and more "fair."
At some points in the book, a clue and answer would be given and I still wouldn't understand - because of some British-ism.
There is also a lot of politics in this book. Politics mainly about South Africa. I am lacking in knowledge about that. And this book did not seek to educate about it, but more used it as extended metaphors for crossword clues. Again, I was more lost than not.
When describing this book to others as I was reading it, I kept referring to this: At some point in the first chapters, the author says that he and his girlfriend hitchhiked from their home in South Africa to London. I suspect an entire adventure/road trip novel could come from just that bit. But going forward we got very few details about that trip and, that was that.
There were some lovely moments, comparing different cluing methods to the author's life events that I did get. The last three chapters of the book were quite good. But it felt like a long time to get to those good bits.
There's a self-indulgence to the whole effort that left me rather cold. I basically forced myself to read through this. There was nothing compelling. There was no plot point that made it interesting to read from one chapter to the next.
The end involves the author having a cryptic crossword published that was "the story of his life." Sadly, I wasn't interested at all in the crossword or the story, by the end of all this.
There's also a little annoying aside that the author never names his girlfriend, even though she is an important character and his constant companion. This is probably deliberate in some way that pays homage to crossword setters who, in the English newspapers, go by noms de plume. So her nom for the book was "my girlfriend," I guess.
I'm passing this along to a friend who cosolves American cryptics with me. I'll be interested to hear his take on it all.
At some points in the book, a clue and answer would be given and I still wouldn't understand - because of some British-ism.
There is also a lot of politics in this book. Politics mainly about South Africa. I am lacking in knowledge about that. And this book did not seek to educate about it, but more used it as extended metaphors for crossword clues. Again, I was more lost than not.
When describing this book to others as I was reading it, I kept referring to this: At some point in the first chapters, the author says that he and his girlfriend hitchhiked from their home in South Africa to London. I suspect an entire adventure/road trip novel could come from just that bit. But going forward we got very few details about that trip and, that was that.
There were some lovely moments, comparing different cluing methods to the author's life events that I did get. The last three chapters of the book were quite good. But it felt like a long time to get to those good bits.
There's a self-indulgence to the whole effort that left me rather cold. I basically forced myself to read through this. There was nothing compelling. There was no plot point that made it interesting to read from one chapter to the next.
The end involves the author having a cryptic crossword published that was "the story of his life." Sadly, I wasn't interested at all in the crossword or the story, by the end of all this.
There's also a little annoying aside that the author never names his girlfriend, even though she is an important character and his constant companion. This is probably deliberate in some way that pays homage to crossword setters who, in the English newspapers, go by noms de plume. So her nom for the book was "my girlfriend," I guess.
I'm passing this along to a friend who cosolves American cryptics with me. I'll be interested to hear his take on it all.
November 21, 2008
Not at all what I thought it would be. It's a very interesting and intellegent book. So much in fact, it made me feel very stupid. I like crosswords. Or at least I thought I did. I've since learned that I don't. I thought the idea of crossword clues was to help you immediatly identify the answer. "star of Forrest Gump" - Tom Hanks. This book showed me a world of people who scoff at those kinds of clues as childish.
Very well written. The history of crosswords and also the history of the author were woven together seamlessly. I found the history of the author more accessable than the history of the crossword.
Very well written. The history of crosswords and also the history of the author were woven together seamlessly. I found the history of the author more accessable than the history of the crossword.
February 27, 2012
The author's style was a bit melodramatic -- a plethora of one-line paragraphs, an insistent conviction that cryptics are bursting with narrative significance -- but it was enjoyable when he focused on the art of the crossword itself. I liked the inside perspective he got from interviewing setters of cryptics, and there is a small treasure of famous setters' "favorite clues" which are treated with appropriate admiration in the text.
August 22, 2020
I started in on this book hoping it might give me insights into the crossword puzzles I occasionally take on. It turns out that the crosswords of the title are British cryptic crosswords, a type of crossword puzzle I never knew existed. Well, now I do. I also know now that I cannot solve them. They are quite fascinating but waaaaay beyond my brain's ability to handle. I will observe and admire them from afar.
The commentary on the puzzles is woven through an interesting memoir that I enjoyed even though I had only the sketchiest idea who the author was.
So I guess I came for the crosswords and stayed for the memoir.
The commentary on the puzzles is woven through an interesting memoir that I enjoyed even though I had only the sketchiest idea who the author was.
So I guess I came for the crosswords and stayed for the memoir.
December 12, 2020
A very interesting memoir, involving both the ponderings on the author's life and an in-depth look at cryptic crosswords and how they work. I enjoyed the crossword parts more, which I found fascinating - if I'm honest, I probably could have read a book with the entire focus on the mechanics of cryptic crosswords. I wasn't as interested in the memoir side although it was good - I enjoyed the perspective of a South African living in London though, and it did bring some story and narration into the inner workings of the crosswords, which I guess mirrors how the clues work themselves. I learnt a lot about crosswords, and did not realise quite how much depth is behind them!
August 19, 2022
I don’t want to be harsh about this book… it really got me into cryptic crosswords which I now love!! It had opened up a whole new world to me… and for that I give it 5 stars… I’m super grateful….
… however, the biography part was dull… I found myself sludging my way through the book waiting for the next crossword clue. Sandy gave us very little reason to be invested in his story.
That being said, I don’t regret reading it at all. This book has had an impact on me, in that I now have a new hobby and a fun distraction!
3.5 stars
… however, the biography part was dull… I found myself sludging my way through the book waiting for the next crossword clue. Sandy gave us very little reason to be invested in his story.
That being said, I don’t regret reading it at all. This book has had an impact on me, in that I now have a new hobby and a fun distraction!
3.5 stars
March 15, 2020
Lovely book about a man's journey, travelling through the world and crossword puzzles. Felt specifically relevant, being a South African living in London, as well a lovely context for Cryptic Crosswords, which I have just started attempting. Explains a lot of the concepts around solving the very cryptic nature of British crossword clues within the setting of the story, and creating the stage around how the setters build the clues. Inspired me to continue my own cryptic journey!
July 5, 2020
A very quick and easy read, and intriguing! Of course, Sandy has had an active professional life, but he only tells us how that life relates to cryptic crosswords. Which is fun and entertaining. Meeting the crossword setters was very interesting. And the very best ones are a vanishing breed. Clever and enjoyable..
May 14, 2021
What a delightful and charming little book - probably most enjoyable for those who love a cryptic crossword - combining the author’s search for his own sense of identity and place with the layers of intrigue in solving a cryptic crossword, peppered with interesting anecdotes, interesting snippets of info and even clues to solve.
January 11, 2025
Whenever I try to explain to someone how a cryptic crossword, or just one clue, works, they usually seem more confused than they were to begin with. Perhaps it's the way I tell it, or perhaps it's just the fact that cryptic crosswords aren't always easy to get the hang of from the outset. The would-be solver needs to put in a bit of time to understand just what's going on, and this is a book which, the first time I read it, did that for me.
The first thing to point out is that this book is not merely about cryptic crosswords, but also about Sandy Balfour's travels to many a far-flung place and his search for his own identity, having been born in South Africa to a Scottish father, and now living in England. He uses his stories about the many places he visits to illustrate, often symbolically, the vagaries of cryptics, providing examples of the various clue types along the way.
As the book progresses, so does his obsession with crosswords, leading him to seek out the well-known setters and editors. He gives us their stories, their quirks, what makes them tick and how they think about the clues they're producing.
The strength of the book is that it's not some dry technical manual for solving cryptics. It's an entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story that can easily keep us engaged while teaching us the skill we're trying to learn.
The book was a great help to me on first reading it many years ago, so I can attest to the fact that it can do its job as a training manual. But I've re-read it several times for the entertainment value alone. If you've ever fancied yourself as a solver of cryptics, but want to avoid some of the drier material out there, this might just be for you.
The first thing to point out is that this book is not merely about cryptic crosswords, but also about Sandy Balfour's travels to many a far-flung place and his search for his own identity, having been born in South Africa to a Scottish father, and now living in England. He uses his stories about the many places he visits to illustrate, often symbolically, the vagaries of cryptics, providing examples of the various clue types along the way.
As the book progresses, so does his obsession with crosswords, leading him to seek out the well-known setters and editors. He gives us their stories, their quirks, what makes them tick and how they think about the clues they're producing.
The strength of the book is that it's not some dry technical manual for solving cryptics. It's an entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story that can easily keep us engaged while teaching us the skill we're trying to learn.
The book was a great help to me on first reading it many years ago, so I can attest to the fact that it can do its job as a training manual. But I've re-read it several times for the entertainment value alone. If you've ever fancied yourself as a solver of cryptics, but want to avoid some of the drier material out there, this might just be for you.
September 20, 2020
Awestruck and impressed. A very clever book. It hit all the buttons for me - memoir, and a clever puzzle. And as a South African expat myself, the similarity of his search for home was profoundly moving. I loved it. Thank you, Sandy!
January 25, 2023
Whilst I really enjoyed trying to decipher the crossword clues, I had not realised that this was an autobiography. I’m sure the author has done many interesting things, but he never quite captured my attention.
June 30, 2025
Like with cryptic crosswords themselves, I couldn't fully make up my mind on whether I thought this book was clever or a lot of self-indulgent wankery, but ultimately I come down on the side that I just think it's nice when people have hobbies.
June 26, 2017
If you have even a passing interest in cryptic crosswords this is a great read. Highly recommended.
July 12, 2020
An enjoyable mix of crosswords, their clues, the characters that set them and the life of Sandy Balfour, journalist and his travels. I enjoyed this - easy reading.
January 27, 2021
South African video journalist traces his path creating home and family while exploring the world and cryptic crosswords
January 28, 2024
Rated XL, heard before XL days of (9)
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December 7, 2010This book is listed as "a memoir of love, exile and crosswords". I came for the crosswords but I stayed for the love and the exile. This caught my eye when it was heavily reviewed when it came out a few months ago, I put it on my list of "books to look for when they turn up in paperback" but recently decided to reserve it at the library instead.
It's pretty good stuff, not my usual fare, but I do enjoy biography and especially autobiography so long as it's not coupled with celebrity. Balfour tells his life story from the point where he leaves South Africa aged twenty one to avoid having to join the army up to his fortieth birthday last year. Crosswords bind the whole tale together and make what might have been an interesting read anyway into an absorbing one.
Balfour refers to his girlfriend all the way through the book as just that "my girlfriend" - a little odd but quite endearing in the end. I did wonder whether the lack of a first name was because the name changed over the years but I really don't think it did, I think the girlfriend who leaves South Africa with him is the same one he's still with twenty years later.
I should really read more "cover-to-cover" non fiction.
August 22, 2025
Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8). What does it mean? A pretty girl that is wearing something red (or pink)? No.
I do not understand cryptic crosswords, but I want to.
What is another word for crimson? Red. Furthermore, 'in' implies one word in another . RE _____________ D.
What is another word for pretty? Belle. RE - belle - D. That is, a pretty girl IN red .
The title is very beautiful. There are also lots of Sandy Barfour's favourite clues. For example, potty train? (4). Loco. This word means potty (i.e. crazy) and a train (i.e. locomotive).
In 1924 the New York correspondent of The Times estimated that Americans spend 5 million hours every day doing crossword puzzles. He argues that these should in fact have been working hours.
Why do the crossroad? If you do it, you already know why. If you want to understand why, read this book.
I do not understand cryptic crosswords, but I want to.
What is another word for crimson? Red. Furthermore, 'in' implies one word in another . RE _____________ D.
What is another word for pretty? Belle. RE - belle - D. That is, a pretty girl IN red .
The title is very beautiful. There are also lots of Sandy Barfour's favourite clues. For example, potty train? (4). Loco. This word means potty (i.e. crazy) and a train (i.e. locomotive).
In 1924 the New York correspondent of The Times estimated that Americans spend 5 million hours every day doing crossword puzzles. He argues that these should in fact have been working hours.
Why do the crossroad? If you do it, you already know why. If you want to understand why, read this book.
January 3, 2015
I hate books that make me feel stupid. Not that this does, exactly, but it comes close.
Why?
Because I've never been able to do one of those cryptic crosswords. I can, and have, done the NYTimes crosswords (a moment's bragging: several I've done the Sunday in ink in less than an hour). But cryptics? Not a chance.
What the author here suggests is that might be in part because I don't understand the common language of the puzzle, or the setter. Now, in this memoir/instruction manual, he's talking mainly about the British cryptics but it does hold for American ones. If you don't understand the layers, or the hidden clues to it being an anagram, a "& lit" or a "double lit", you're lost.
Consider me lost. In admiration, of course, for anyone that can do them.
Why?
Because I've never been able to do one of those cryptic crosswords. I can, and have, done the NYTimes crosswords (a moment's bragging: several I've done the Sunday in ink in less than an hour). But cryptics? Not a chance.
What the author here suggests is that might be in part because I don't understand the common language of the puzzle, or the setter. Now, in this memoir/instruction manual, he's talking mainly about the British cryptics but it does hold for American ones. If you don't understand the layers, or the hidden clues to it being an anagram, a "& lit" or a "double lit", you're lost.
Consider me lost. In admiration, of course, for anyone that can do them.
February 8, 2012
I have no idea where i got this book from, but i found it on my shelf, so i read it. I also have no idea who Sandy Balfour is, really. However, i really enjoyed the book. It is a memoir told through a story of crossword puzzles. I found the background stories (Balfour's life, revolution in South Africa, a bit of English life) to be interesting and well told. I also quite enjoyed the sprinkling of crossword clues, although with solution details, to be interesting. I have never really gotten into cryptic crosswords, and now i have some understanding of why (there are a lot of conventions that are non-obvious to those of us more used to the straight forward crossword puzzles)
A side effect of the book is that i have a compulsion to buy another Games Magazine soon.
A side effect of the book is that i have a compulsion to buy another Games Magazine soon.
December 30, 2010
A memoir woven around the theme of cryptic crossword puzzles as a metaphor for everything. Balfour seems to have led an interesting enough life but we only get to see widely spaced snippets. He quotes some fun clues in the context of his discussions about crosswords and his portraits of some the star “setters” in the British crossword community are interesting, but he misses the mark (in my opinion) with some of his musings about the process of creating and solving cryptic puzzles, and his ongoing attempt to find an overarching metaphor that links life and crosswords just doesn’t work.
January 10, 2012
I wish Balfour had concentrated more on his love of crosswords and less on the memoir. The crossword discussion and examples were fascinating and educational. I've learned a great deal on the art of solving the cryptic variety of crosswords. By the end of the book my chances of solving these clues had gone from none to slim. The deciding factor now is a matter of culture. So many of the clues in the British puzzles relate to British culture and/or slang as well they should. I'm fairing better with the clues in the Games Magazine cryptic crosswords which is a huge step forward for me.
May 30, 2014
Always believed I was useless at cryptic crosswords and yet now I see there is a glimmer of hope if I was prepared to work at it.At least I have the logic to work out the reasoning once presented with the answer.I was delighted to solve a clue during the course of reading this book.Potty Trained (4) = Loco. It looks obvious now but my was I proud of myself.Some setters are fiendishly clever and I did gasp with amazement at how clever at times.Read for yourselves and see Amundsen's Forwarding Address.(4)
May 8, 2008
For those interested in cryptic crosswords, this is the book to read. Sandy Balfour creates this autobiography in the form of a cryptic crossword, pondering how to solve the cryptics and ending the book with a whole crossword about himself! This is a bona fide crossword that was placed into a newspaper – and if you can’t solve it, the solution is also provided.
Oh, and Sandy is a man ... pretty vain for his gender, methinks!
Oh, and Sandy is a man ... pretty vain for his gender, methinks!
August 17, 2014
I didn’t know the history of the crossword…or the real difference between English and American crosswords. English crosswords are fascinating! The author's history as a South African and as a journalist around the world also made for very interesting reading – as did his personal relationship with his girlfriend and children.
January 24, 2016
I found this a quirky and entertaining read - part memoir, part musing, part non-fiction regarding the art/science of crossword compilation - and it included one of my favourite clues ever - "Play Ankoolger" (4, 4, 2, 5). Pleasant as it was, I didn't get a massive amount of enjoyment from it over a length of time, as it was short and sweet.
December 1, 2007
If you ever wondered what cryptic crosswords are all about then try reading this little book. It might just inspire you to have a go at a cryptic puzzle, and it certainly gives some interesting pointers and background. Nicely packaged in a biographical tale too.
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