Printer's devilry

Printer's devilry (PD) is a popular cryptic crossword variant in which the clues do not contain a definition or readily identifiable wordplay, but suppose instead that a certain sentence (the "undevilled" sentence) has had a certain word or phrase removed by the "printer's devil", and after shifting the letters about and taking some punctuational liberties, provide the resulting sentence as the clue itself (the "devilled" sentence). The solver must then ascertain exactly what the printer's devil removed, such that replacing it in the sentence and shifting the letters about once more results in a meaningful and grammatical sentence; this removed word or phrase is then the clue's solution. It is considered good cluing practice on the part of the setter to leave the solver hints, such as by giving a part of the devilled sentence slightly odd grammar to suggest the area from which the solution has been taken, or by adding extra words to the devilled sentence which provide additional context to assist in confirming that the solver has answered correctly.

Invented by Ximenes as one of his specials, it remains arguably the most popular variant of all, and has been most notably mastered by Azed, who on occasion sets a PD-themed crossword for the Observer on Sunday.

As a rule, standand cryptic crossword puzzles do not include printer's devilry-style clues, but "higher tier" crosswords such as the Listener may include them without warning, though the norm is to provide a brief explanation of their mechanics and forewarning of their presence.

Example
Consider the clue A galling remark – an effective riposte is difficult (7), taken from Azed 1888. Here, the solver is expected to find the answer INSTATE, which, when placed between the 'a' and 'l' of 'galling', and after some reshuffling, yields the undevilled version Against a telling remark, an effective riposte is difficult, a natural, grammatical sentence whose context confirms the answer's correctness.