Clue-answer notation

Clue-answer notation is a convenient short-hand representation of the inner workings of a cryptic clue which often removes the need to resort to a verbal explanation.

Notation key
Though many variants on the notation exist, the most frequently seen are detailed in the table below. Where multiple possibilities exist, the most common are listed first.

Example
For the down clue A message from the setter, hauled up with broken arm after heroin withdrawal (8), yielding the answer TELEGRAM through the wordplay THE next to LEG reversed next to an anagram of ARM, all with H (heroin) removed, could be concisely represented in clue-answer notation as follows: T[h]E,GEL&lt;=,(ARM)*.