Saturday, September 5, 2009 - Mixed Bag

Introduction

There appears to be no discernible theme to today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon. I did find some of the wordplay to be a bit tricky to figure out.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

7d A sin involving a bit of rapacity? (7)

This is almost an &lit. clue, one in which the entire clue is both a definition and a cryptic clue.

As a cryptic clue, it is of the container type - as signalled by the indicator involving.

7d A sin [V^ICE] involving (container indicator) A bit of (first letter of) Rapacity? (7) [A|V(A|R)ICE]

As a definition, the clue may be a bit on the weak side, in that avarice is the sin of rapacity. If we were to define avarice as involving only a bit of rapacity, it would raise the question of what to call a sin involving more than a bit of rapacity.

If not truly an &lit. clue, then it is definitely a cryptic definition with strong &lit. traits.

23d Offhand remarks in Senate picked up by assistants (6)

While one might be tempted to think that the word "in" is an indicator of a container-type clue, that is not the case. Rather, it is a linking word joining the definition ("Offhand remarks") and the wordplay ("Senate picked up by assistants"). Although this is a container-type clue, the indicator of this is the phrase "picked up by".

I used to be troubled by this sort of construction in a clue, where the word "in" essentially expresses equality between the definition and the wordplay and, as such, could be replaced by "is" or "equals". Recognizing that such a substitution would spoil the surface reading, and having encountered this type of wording innumerable times in clues, I have come to expect (and accept) it.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1ac PAST|A S|A|LAD

6ac HARP - debut of (first letter of) Hans + ARP

9ac GIRTH* - RIGHT with adjustment

10ac TR|ENCHANT - endlessly (delete last letter of) TRy + ENCHANT

12ac T(I|TAN)IC

13ac MAR|TIN|I

14ac MAR(LOW)E

17ac AVER|T - AVER + start of (first letter of) Truce

19ac CAROM - through (hidden word indicator) RebecCA ROMance

21ac ELECTRA* - stirred TREACLE

24ac IMP|EACH

26ac AMADEUS - a rather weak CD, methinks

28ac PASTE|LIST - here tip means lean, as a ship might do

29ac I|VIED

30ac DIDO - DD

31ac FIB|RE|G|LASS - think in terms of an auto body shop, not a gym

Down

1d PI(GS)TY

2d STR(A|T)UM - STRUM taking (surrounding) A + Teacher's first (first letter)

3d ASHEN - here chicken means cowardly

4d ART|I|CHOKE

5d ABE|AM - Abe: Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the U.S.

7d A|V(A|R)ICE - A + VICE involving (surrounding) A + bit of (first letter of) Rapacity

8d PAT|RIOTS - New England Patriots: National Football League team; pat: completely and perfectly (e.g., have something down pat)

11d CURRANT

15d RAM|PAGE

16d EVE|R AFTER - rafter: river runner

18d SCRIMPED* - chopped MDS PRICE

20d RE(POS)ED

22d A|M(ERIC)A

23d A(S)IDE

25d HEIDI - in (hidden word indicator) tHE IDIot

27d A|WING

Signing off for today - Falcon