I could never understand the Guardian ones because they're too fucking British. I follow UK news and TV, but I can read the clues and see the answers and still have no idea.
The Guardian has about 4 different crosswords of various types. Your final sentence makes me think you might be talking about the cryptic ones which have their own hidden rules for how a clue works that no one explains for some reason.
Seems purposefully obscure to me, though I enjoy them and make a point of explaining there's rules to anyone who shows some interest.
Googling now, it seems the guardian has a blog for beginners that covers this:
I understand how cryptics work. I do cryptics from other newspapers.
I have seen the Guardians solutions and even their explanations, but they depend on things I don't understand, dated references, how tiny parts of the UK talk or worse, sports or celebrity crap I don't want to know.
