Literally So cryptic crossword clues - Solution for 18 May cryptic crossword clue

One who assesses stock of corporate raider (5)

Solution - rater

This is an example of quite a rare type of cryptic crossword clue – the “literally so” clue.

Literally so clues are quite hard to explain – and relatively rare.  The entire clue is its definition.  They may have an exclamation mark (!) at the end.  They may contain anagrams or hidden words.  The clue will contain the word play and also be the definition in its entirety.  Only by seeing examples can you really work out what these sorts of clues are all about.

So here the whole clue can be said to define a “rater” being a financial analyst within a rating agency that rates companies or shares of companies (ie stock) and those companies could include corporate raiders.

But then there is also a hidden word at work here.  Part of “corporate raider” includes the solution word “rater”.  And “stock of” could be said to be the indicator that there is a hidden word.

Is your brain tired yet?  Mine is, the clue is too clever by half.

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