Thursday, March 7, 2019 — DT 28852

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28852
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, September 24, 2018
Setter Mister Ron (Chris Lancaster)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28852]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

This is a rather very confusing day for me. Not only am I reviewing this puzzle which appears today in the National Post but I am monitoring comments on a second puzzle that I reviewed (DT 28992) which appears today in The Daily Telegraph. Attempting to keep the clues from the two different puzzles straight in my mind is proving to be a challenge.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Apparently, It Bears Repeating

In a contribution to the thread at Comment #1 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops repeats some advice that he claims to have originally delivered in 2015. In a strange coincidence, he reprises those very same words today in a comment on DT 28992^* on Big Dave's Crossword Blog.

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^* DT 28992 was published today in The Daily Telegraph and should appear in the National Post 28 weeks from now in mid-September.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

Click here for an explanation of conventions and symbols used in explaining the parsing of clues.

The purpose of this article is to explain the conventions and symbols that I use on this blog in explaining the parsing of clues.

Legend: The following symbols are used in reviews: "*" anagram "~" sounds like "<" indicates that the preceding letters are reversed "( )" encloses contained letters "_" replaces letters that have been deleted "†" indicates that the word is present in the clue

The review of a clue takes the following general structure:

#a/d   Clue containing parsing markup (num^*)

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^* num = numeration

Explanations pertaining to the wordplay (or first definition in a double definition)

(Horizontal separator)

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Explanations pertaining to the definition (or second definition in a double definition) and solution.

Explanatory Box

An explanatory box provides additional information about the clue. In most cases this information will not necessarily help in solving the clue but provides information about the clue. In the case of the weekday syndicated Daily Telegraph puzzles, such information is often intended to help the North American solver appreciate how the clue may be perceived by a British solver. These boxes may also provide information on people, places, films, television programmes, works of art and literature, etc. mentioned in the clue. Although the titles of these boxes will usually be drawn from a standard list, I do occasionally throw in a title specifically suggested by the subject at hand. The standard titles include: Scratching the Surface - an explanation of the surface reading of the clue Delving Deeper - in-depth information pertaining to a subject mentioned in an explanation The Story Behind the Picture - for weekday puzzles, information about an illustration found on Big Dave's Crossword Blog What did he/she/they say? - for weekday puzzles, an explanation of a remark made in a review or comment on Big Dave's Crossword Blog What are they talking about? - for weekday puzzles, an explanation of a discussion on Big Dave's Crossword Blog One box that may provide information that could prove helpful in solving the clue is the following: Here and There - for weekday puzzles, discusses words whose British meaning differs from their North American meaning

Note that there are many types of cryptic crossword clue and it is not my intention to exhaustively go through all of them here. I will only deal with clue types to the extent necessary to explain the conventions and symbols used on the blog. Furthermore, be aware that, in the world of cryptic crosswords, there seems to be an exception to every rule.

With one exception that I can think of, cryptic crossword clues provide two routes to the solution. These are commonly referred to as the definition and wordplay. While these terms serve well for most clues, there are some cases where the more formal terms of primary indication and subsidiary indication may be more appropriate.

Most cryptic crossword clues consist of a definition (primary indication) and wordplay (subsidiary indication). The definition may be a "precise definition" (a definition that is either taken straight from a dictionary or at least phrased in a non-misleading fashion) or it may be a "cryptic definition" (a definition misleadingly phrased so as to misdirect the solver either with respect to the meaning of the definition as a whole or to an incorrect sense of a word used in the definition).

The only type of clue that I can think of where there are not two ways of finding the solution are those in which the entire clue is a cryptic definition.

I identify precise definitions by marking them with a solid underline in the clue and cryptic definitions by marking them with a dotted underline.

In clues in which both definition and wordplay are present, the two parts of the clue combine to provide an overall meaningful statement (the surface reading) which usually bears no relationship to the underlying cryptic reading of the clue. In some cases, an extra word or phrase will be inserted into the clue to create a meaningful link between the definition and wordplay. I define clues which contain such a link word or link phrase as having an explicit link and clues which contain no link word or link phrase as having an implicit link.

I mark the existence of an explicit link by enclosing the link word or link phrase between forward slashes (/link/) and mark the existence of an implicit link with double forward slashes (//) positioned between the definition and wordplay.

Examples

A few examples may help to illustrate these points more clearly.

The first example is a clue used by Jay in DT 28573:

• 4d   Fellow left work // a failure (4)

Here the definition is "a failure" which is marked with a solid underline to show that it is a precise definition. The wordplay parses as F (fellow; abbrev.) + L (left; abbrev.) + OP (work; abbrev. used in music) which gives us the solution F|L|OP. The double forward slashes (//) between the definition and wordplay indicate the existence of an "implicit link" between the two parts of the clue (that is, no extra words are inserted into the clue to form the link).

The second example is a clue used by Giovanni in DT 28575:

• 29a   Female going to match // travels with mother in advance (10)

Here the definition "female going to match" is cryptic (the setter is attempting to misdirect our thoughts to a sports event rather than a marriage ceremony) and thus is marked with a a dotted underline. The wordplay is {RIDES (travels) + (with) MA (mother)} contained in (in) BID (advance) giving us the solution B(RIDES|MA)ID. As in the first example, the double forward slashes indicate the presence of an implicit link.

The third example is a clue used by Rufus is DT 28583:

• 18d   Knight caught by misplaced big blow /is/ staggering (8)

Here the definition is "staggering" which is marked with a solid underline to show that it is a precise definition. The wordplay parses as N ([chess symbol for] knight) contained in (caught in) an anagram (misplaced) of BIG BLOW producing the solution WOBBLI(N)G. Finally, forward slashes mark the link word (/is/).

I also use distinctive underlining to mark &lit.^[7] and semi-&lit. clues. Note that the reviewers on Big Dave's Crossword Blog generally prefer to refer to these clue types by the less pretentious names of all-in-one or semi-all-in-one clues respectively.

In an &lit. clue^[7] (or all-in-one clue) the entire clue provides not only the definition (when read one way), but under a different interpretation also serves as the wordplay.

In future, I will mark such clues with a combined solid and dashed underline. Although this is a departure from past practice, it would seem to make more sense than using a dotted underline as I have in the past). Henceforth, the dotted underline will be reserved for cryptic definitions.

In a semi-&lit. clue (or semi-all-in-one clue), either:

• the entire clue acts as the definition while a portion of the clue provides the wordplay; or
• the entire clue acts as the wordplay while a portion of the clue provides the definition.

For these clues, I will mark the definition with a solid underline and the wordplay with a  dashed underline. This means that a portion of the clue may have a solid underline, a portion of the clue may have a dashed underline and a portion of the clue may have a combined solid and dashed underline.

One final clue type is what I characterize as a cryptic definition comprised of a precise definition combined with cryptic elaboration. For example, in DT 28560 (setter unknown) the following clue appears:

•  26d   Heroic exploit, whichever way you look at it (4)

As the entire clue is a cryptic definition, it is marked with a dotted underline. The 'precise definition' is "heroic exploit" and is indicated by a solid underline.

Given the numeration, the precise definition could give rise to at least two solutions, DEED or FEAT. However, the 'cryptic elaboration' ("whichever way you look at it") indicates that the solution is a palindrome thereby immediately eliminating one of the two obvious choices.

Note that the part of the clue that I have called 'cryptic elaboration' does not provide a second independent route to the solution (as the wordplay would do in most other types of clue). Rather it merely provides a piece of additional information (elaboration) related to the 'precise definition'.

Again, this approach is a departure from past practice, but like the other changes mentioned previously is intended to remove inconsistencies in the way that I have been applying parsing markup to clues. The markup rules that I have been using until now evolved bit-by-bit over a long period of time resulting in some degree of internal inconsistency.

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Across

1a   Strong // jump to follow marine creature, we hear (6-5)

9a   Cheat dealer? (4-5)

How do you spell that ...
... seemingly anyway you damn well please. According to various dictionaries, the solution is spelled card-sharp[1,2], cardsharp[3,4,10,11,12], or card sharp[5].

10a   Question // model (5)

11a   Make priest // fix radio before noon (6)

Several dictionaries list either one or both of  n^[1,2,12] and n.^[1,11] as an abbreviation for noon.

12a   One favouring trees all over the place? (8)

I interpret the entire clue to be a somewhat cryptic definition — or, at least, a definition that is more elaborate than absolutely necessary — in which the wordplay is embedded. The wordplay parses as FOR (favouring) + an anagram of (all over the place) TREES.

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops shows the definition as merely "one favouring trees". However, given my interpretation of the wordplay, this would produce a situation in which the definition overlaps, without being entirely embedded in, the wordplay:

• 12a   One favouring trees all over the place? (8)

which I believe is not acceptable as it would require some of the words in the clue to do "double duty". Double duty is clearly accepted when one element of the clue (wordplay or definition) is totally embedded in the other but not when they overlap as they would in this case.

Miffypops' definition would work were one to consider the word "for" to be a noun defined as "one favouring" (the 'fors' and the 'agins' perhaps), in which case the clue could be parsed with the entire clue being wordplay in which the definition is embedded:

• 12a   One favouring trees all over the place? (8)

which would be acceptable.

However, I could not find even one single, solitary dictionary that defines the word "for" as being a noun.

13a   Book // flight (6)

Exodus^[5] (abbreviation Exod. or Ex.^[5]) is the second book of the Bible. (show more )

It recounts the departure of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, their journey across the Red Sea and through the wilderness led by Moses, and the giving of the Ten Commandments. The events have been variously dated by scholars between about 1580 and 1200 BC.

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15a   Officer/'s/ information on armed criminal (8)

Gen^[5] is an informal British term for information ⇒ you’ve got more gen on him than we have.

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A gendarme^[5] is a paramilitary police officer in France and other French-speaking countries ⇒ he was hauled off by a gendarme to the police station [or perhaps to the gendarmerie].

The French Canadian Connection
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police[7] is known in French as la Gendarmerie royale du Canada.

18a   Remake of ET, anyhow, /is/ in progress (2,3,3)

Scratching the Surface

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. (show more ) The film tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government. hide

19a   Bad // detectives legged it first (6)

"detectives" = CID (show explanation )

The Criminal Investigation Department (seemingly better known by its abbreviation CID^[2]) is the detective branch of a British police force.

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Leg it^[5] is an informal British^* term meaning to run away ⇒ he legged it after someone shouted at him.

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^* Although it is not entirely clear from the entry in Oxford Dictionaries Online that the descriptor "British informal" applies to this sense of the term, I assume that it does. At any rate, I did not find the expression in any of the American dictionaries that I consulted.

21a   What a footballer usually won't want for free (8)

In association football [soccer], a free transfer^[5] is a transfer of a player from one team to another without a fee. As Miffypops explains in his review, the player would be entitled to a cut of any transfer fee, so would be less than happy if moved through a free transfer.

23a   Check // rower's bench (6)

A thwart^[5] is a structural crosspiece forming a seat for a rower in a boat.

26a   Let on about // John? (5)

Sir Elton John^[5] is an English pop and rock singer, pianist, and songwriter; born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; full name Sir Elton Hercules John. His many hit songs include ‘Your Song’ (1970) and ‘Nikita’ (1985). His tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, ‘Candle in the Wind’ (1997), became the highest-selling single in history.

27a   Stop country // curse (9)

28a   'Act // proper' for man celebrating to some extent (11)

Down

1d   This person's upset about dress // that's very small (7)

"this person's" = IM (show explanation )

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.

Today, the setter has made the scenario slightly more complicated by combining "this person" with the verb "to be" producing "this person's" (a contraction of "this person is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").

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"about" = C (show explanation )

The preposition circa^[5] (abbreviation c^[5] or ca^[5]), usually used preceding a date or amount, means approximately [or about] ⇒ (i) the church was built circa 1860; (ii) Isabella was born c.1759; (iii) he was born ca 1400.

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2d   Mum, visibly embarrassed? // A bit (5)

Mum^[1,3], an interjection^* meaning 'not a word', is used as a command to stop speaking.

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^* Although I found it defined as such in only one British and one American dictionary. All other dictionaries that I consulted listed it as an adjective or noun, the latter in the idiom mum's the word.

3d   Tiredness /of/ girl on 'The X Factor' due to dance (9)

X factor^[5] denotes a noteworthy special talent or quality ⇒ there are plenty of luxury cars around, but the S-Type has that special X factor.

It^[5] denotes exactly what is needed or desired ⇒ (i) they thought they were it; (ii) you've either got it or you haven't.

Scratching the Surface
The X Factor[5] is a British reality television music competition to find new singing talent. The contestants are aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in 2004 and has since aired annually. "X Factor" refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality. There is also a spin-off US version of the show.

4d   Black 2 /in/ card game (4)

"black" = B (show explanation )

B^[5] is an abbreviation for black used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ 2B pencils.

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The numeral "2" is a cross reference indicator to clue 2d (show more ).

To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light^* identified by the cross reference indicator.

The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.

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^* light-coloured cell in the grid

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Brag^[11] is an old English card game similar to poker.

5d   Like flatbread, perhaps, // not made to stick (8)

Prove^[5] means (in reference to bread dough) to become aerated by the action of yeast; in other words, to rise.

6d   Swindle involving Republican, // one on the (big) fiddle? (2,3)

"Republican" = R (show explanation )

A Republican^[5] (abbreviation R^[5] or Rep.^[5])  is a member or supporter of the Republican Party^[5], one of the two main US political parties^*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.

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^* the other being the Democratic Party

In the UK, republican^[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland but the abbreviation does not seem to apply to that usage.

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Jacqueline du Pré^[7] (1945–1987) was a British cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity. Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time. Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at the age of 28. She battled the illness for many years until her death at the age of 42.

7d   Source of hot air exposed /in/ Scottish town (7)

Airdrie^[7] is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland that is situated approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of Glasgow.

8d   Mysterious // drunk seen in East Morecambe? (8)

The British comic duo Morecambe and Wise^[7] (also known as Eric and Ernie), comprised of Eric Morecambe (1926-1984) and Ernie Wise (1925–1999), were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. They have been described as "the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced".

Scratching the Surface
Born John Eric Bartholomew, Morecambe[7] took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire, England.

14d   People rejected // unfashionable actors on first part of show (8)

16d   Strange paradigm about hospital /displaying/ body part (9)

"hospital" = H

17d   Exotic dancer welcomes a student /for/ series of dates (8)

"student" = L [driver under instruction] (show explanation )

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

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18d   Endless meatloaf served up /as/ breakfast food (7)

20d   Deem the end -- then, oddly, // a lessening of tensions (7)

22d   Dawn/'s/ a star at university (3-2)

In Britain, up^[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒ they were up at Cambridge about the same time.

24d   A Welsh girl // from somewhere out east (5)

Siân^[7] (also Sian, Shân, Sharn, and Shan) is a Welsh feminine given name, equivalent to the English Jane, Scottish Sheena or Irish Siobhán.

25d   Something to shoot // unlimited meat (4)

Gammon^[5] is a British term that can denote either:

• ham which has been cured or smoked like bacon ⇒ gammon steaks.
• the bottom piece of a side of bacon, including a hind leg ⇒ a whole gammon on the bone.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
^[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon