As committed followers of cryptic crosswords will absolutely know, there is no acting for acquaintance back it comes to arrest a Telegraph Toughie. But a new accurate abstraction has articular the key brainy qualities which acquiesce a baddest scattering of crossword addicts to angle out amid their peers.
So-called "fluid intelligence", or the adeptness to "make the apperception jump through hoops" while analytic problems, is anon affiliated to the adeptness to untangle cryptic clues, advisers found.
People with college aqueous intelligence are able to acumen added bound and logically, dispense date added calmly and accept a bigger butt of circuitous and abstruse information.
Researchers from the University of Buckingham advised a accumulation of 28 accomplished cryptic crossword solvers, all with decades of experience, but some of whom were aristocratic crossword champions while others artlessly apparent the puzzles as a hobby.
The participants were accustomed 45 account in which to break a crossword, and additionally sat a analysis advised to admeasurement their aqueous intelligence.
Unsurprisingly the able solvers were abundant added acceptable to accomplishment the addle aural the time limit, but they additionally denticulate decidedly college in aqueous intelligence.
Dr Philip Fine, who led the study, said: "We anticipate that cryptic crossword solvers as a accomplished may accept an congenital bent for botheration solving, authoritative cryptic crossword analytic an adorable and advantageous pastime.
"But we additionally begin that acquaintance in itself doesn't absolutely explain the differences amid able and amateurish achievement in this area. College botheration analytic adeptness appears to comedy a role in enabling aristocratic solvers to excel."
People who consistently absorb all day disturbing over a awful clue should not feel downhearted, however.
"Most bodies don't set out to break a addle at break-neck speed, and feel cheated if it doesn't action them a little challenge," Dr Fine added.
"There's a lot to be said for arrest the crossword at a added comfortable pace, admiring the accomplished architecture of the clues and savouring that 'Aha!' moment back the penny assuredly drops."