Amazon.co.uk: Reference books to solve and explain cryptic crossword clues

Reference books to solve and explain cryptic crossword clues
A Listmania! list by Peter Biddlecombe "peterbiddlecombe" (Bucks, UK)

1. Oxford Dictionary of English by Catherine Soanes

The list author says:
	"My fave one-vol dictionary. Not an official reference for any puzzles I know, but should have most answers for any daily paper puzzle. Includes proper nouns. Like all these books, I own and use it."

Used & New from: �17.82

(42 customer reviews)

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2. Concise Oxford English Dictionary: 11th edition revised 2008 by Oxford Dictionaries

The list author says:
	"If you want a cheaper and smaller dictionary than the one-voume heavyweights, this is the one to go for. It will explain many of the word-meanings exploited by setters of daily paper puzzles."

Used & New from: �8.16

(25 customer reviews)

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3. Collins English Dictionary: 30th Anniversary Edition

The list author says:
	"One of two "official" dictionaries for the Times xwd (COED is the other). Good but not as good as it used to be for encyclopaedic proper noun entries, so I'm still using the 1991 3rd ed."

Used & New from: �29.41

(29 customer reviews)

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4. The Chambers Dictionary by Chambers

The list author says:
	"The standard reference for barred-grid cryptic crosswords, so much so that we just call it C. Essential if you want to get to grips with Azed or Listener puzzles."

�26.00 Used & New from: �14.19

(38 customer reviews)

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5. Roget's International Thesaurus by Barbara Ann Kipfer

The list author says:
	"My copy of the third edition is the thesaurus I use most often - it includes some lists of the kind you'd find in Crossword Dictionaries"

�13.90 Used & New from: �11.08

(11 customer reviews)

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6. Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary by Anne R. Bradford

The list author says:
	"Current edition of the UK's best crossword-specific dictionary. Based on decades of Times championship finalist Anne Bradford's solving experience"

�13.29 Used & New from: �6.82

(37 customer reviews)

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7. Chambers Crossword Dictionary by Hazel Norris

The list author says:
	"The nearest rival to Bradford - produced by computer rather than personal experience but a good source"

Used & New from: �7.08

(4 customer reviews)

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8. Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Elizabeth Knowles

The list author says:
	"Many of the quotations used in thematic barred-grid crosswords are included, and most references to quotations in daily paper puzzles can be explained by finding the right quote in ODQ"

�19.50 Used & New from: �13.65

(17 customer reviews)

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9. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by Chambers (ed.)

The list author says:
	"A written "lumber room" containing huge amounts of the kind of information used in crosswords, and everyone's favourite "browsing reference book"."

Used & New from: �20.98

(18 customer reviews)

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10. The Dent Dictionary of Fictional Characters by William Freeman

The list author says:
	"A dictionary of fictional characters, useful for more literary references. Out of print but similarly titled books from other publishers should be good too."

Used & New from: �1.02

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11. The Oxford Companion to English Literature (Oxford Companions) by Dinah Birch

The list author says:
	"Another one for literary stuff - main works of authors, plot summaries of well-known books"

�22.75 Used & New from: �19.08

(4 customer reviews)

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12. The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1918 by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch

The list author says:
	"Famous poetry collection with complete text of poems sometimes referenced in puzzles"

Used & New from: �0.01

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13. Palgrave's Golden Treasury by Francis Turner Palgrave

The list author says:
	"Another classic poetry collection"

�7.35 Used & New from: �0.43

(2 customer reviews)

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14. The Chambers Dictionary and Thesaurus by Chambers (ed.)

The list author says:
	"Not perfect but a pretty useful reference/cheating tool for barred-grid puzzles. Replaces the next four paper books."

Used & New from: �43.93

(1 customer review)

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15. Chambers Words for Crosswords and Wordgames by John Chambers

The list author says:
	"Words from Chambers, sorted first by length and then alphabetical order. Like the next 3, has no definitions"

Used & New from: �14.01

(1 customer review)

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16. Anagrams: For Crosswords and All Word Games by Chambers (ed.)

The list author says:
	"Words from Chambers, sorted by their letter content in alpha order - you look up acehorrst to see that carthorse and orchestra are anagrams. Like the other 3, seems to use most but not all words in C"

Used & New from: �3.91

(2 customer reviews)

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17. Chambers Crossword Completer by Chambers (ed.)

The list author says:
	"Words sorted first by length, then by alternate letters - so lookiing up O?A?I finds you OKAPI and OMANI. Useful for crossword setters as well as solvers (true for all of these)."

Used & New from: �59.00

(6 customer reviews)

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18. Chambers Back-words for Crosswords

The list author says:
	"Words sorted by length, then by alpha order of their reversals, so all the ????ING words are listed together. Possibly the most useful of these for really hard puzzles"

Used & New from: �37.31

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19. Chambers Fiction File by Roger Prebble

The list author says:
	"Very nifty if you can get it (out of print). Three lists: Authors, showing their books; Books, showing authors and main characters; Characters, showing the books they're in"

Used & New from: �0.01

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20. Chambers Phrase File by Roger Prebble

The list author says:
	"Out of print again, but excellent for phrases, which are listed twice. Once in the same way as Chambers Words, and once with all (e.g.) 6,2,3,4 phrases listed together"

Used & New from: �0.01

(2 customer reviews)

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21. Biographical Dictionary (Chambers) by Chambers (ed.)

The list author says:
	"Excellent for confirming information about people - e.g. someone you don't know, whose "famous" exploits are central to a Listener or similar themed puzzle"

Used & New from: �0.74

(5 customer reviews)

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22. The New International World Atlas: Twenty Fifth Anniversary Edition (New International Atlas (Deluxe Edition)) by Rand McNally

The list author says:
	"This looks like the same atlas as the Rand McNally one I picked up cheap years ago - as good as the Times ones, I think"

Out of stock

(1 customer review)

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23. The Penguin Concise Encyclopedia by David Crystal

The list author says:
	"A good encycopedia of moderate size - various others would be fine too, but in the days of Wikipedia and Google, you might save your pennies."