Welcome!

I am hoping this group will be the start of a lifelong affair for all of you with crosswords. A quick note on crosswords and what I have in mind for this group:
We shall talk about cryptic crosswords (cc), not quick (or straight) crosswords here. CCs are frequently fiendishly difficult and as a beginner, about 16 years ago, I found that I could not solve even one clue. But I persisted and I request you to do the same – trust me, it will get easier very soon for I shall be your “hamrahi” in this journey. 🙂 I plan to send you 2 or 3 clues every week, and I shall follow up after a day or two with how you should approach it, and follow that in turn after a day with the actual answer. If you solve them, please send me your answers privately so the others get a chance to flex their thinking muscles for some time.

Don’t be anxious about this hobby – all you need is a decent vocabulary, some general knowledge and a good understanding of how crossword setters think. You have the first two in spades; you will acquire the third with some practice.

Without further ado, here are 2 clues to get us started (with approach and answer).
A clue from the Guardian:
Some fanciful name for part of the arm (4)
This clue tells me that the answer is 4 letters long. And that the answer must likely be the name for a part of the arm. The word “some” indicates to me that the answer must be some of the letters that follow. So, if I look at the letters that follow closely, I will see UL NA, which is a bone in the arm.
A clue from the Financial Times:
Prone to deceit (5)
The answer is 5 letters long and means both prone as well as deceit. This is an example of a dd or double definition. The ans is LYING.

Here’s a clue for you to try on your own:
Girl protected by parents offers a view (8)
Hint: think of a girl called Nora.