Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28588 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, November 18, 2017 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28588 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28588 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)crypticsue (Review) | |
BD Rating
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| 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
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Introduction
This proved to be a rather fun solve although it has enough British content to make it a bit trickier on this side of the pond than the one to two stars for difficulty that crypticsue has awarded it.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
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 parsing and explaining the clues.
The purpose of this article is to explain the conventions and symbols that I use on this blog in parsing and explaining the clues.
| Legend: The following symbols may appear in reviews:
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The review of a clue takes the following general structure:
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.
#a/d Clue containing parsing markup (num*)
* num = numeration
Explanations pertaining to the wordplay (or first definition in a double definition)
(Horizontal separator)Explanations pertaining to the definition (or second definition in a double definition) and solution.
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 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:
One box that may provide information that could prove helpful in solving the clue is the following:
- 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
- Behind the Picture - information about an illustration found on Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- What did he/she/they say? - an explanation of a remark made in a review or comment on Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- What are they talking about? - an explanation of a discussion on Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- Here and There - discusses words whose British meaning differs from their North American meaning
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.
ExamplesI 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.
A few examples may help to illustrate these points more clearly.
The first example is a clue used by Jay in DT 28573:
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).
- 4d Fellow left work // a failure (4)
The second example is a clue used by Giovanni in DT 28575:
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.
- 29a Female going to match // travels with mother in advance (10)
The third example is a clue used by Rufus is DT 28583:
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/).
- 18d Knight caught by misplaced big blow /is/ staggering (8)
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)
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.
hide explanation
Across
1a Bolshie // footballer (4-6)
Bolshie[5] (also spelled bolshy) is a dated, informal British term for a Bolshevik* or socialist.
* Historically, a Bolshevik[5] was a member of the majority faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party, which seized power in the October Revolution of 1917.
A left-winger[1,2,5] is an attacking player on the left side of a team on the field in soccer, rugby, and field hockey* ⇒
a skilful 26-year-old left-winger.
* One might have added (ice) hockey to the list had the definition not specifically mentioned "field". Besides, hockey players are expected to play a two-way game — not merely "attack".
What did he say?
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In his hints review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Big Dave writesAfter consulting my stable of dictionaries (including The Chambers Dictionary which serves as the bible for The Daily Telegraph crossword puzzles, I could find nary one that spells the word without a hyphen. Although the footballer may play at left wing[1], he or she is known as a left-winger[1].With the hyphen it’s a bolshie or person with radical views, without it’s a player in football. |
6a Outrageous Australian /with/ English genetic make-up (4)
Having seen "her" perform here in Ottawa, this "lady" from Down Under was no mystery to me.
Dame Edna Everage[7] is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured or "wisteria hue" hair and cat eye glasses or "face furniture", her favourite flower, the gladiolus ("gladdies") and her boisterous greeting: "Hello, Possums!"
Humphries has regularly updated Edna, originally a drab Melbourne housewife satirising Australian suburbia; then he caused the Edna character to adopt an increasingly outlandish wardrobe after performances in London in the 1960s through which his Edna character grew in stature and popularity. Following film appearances and an elevation to damehood in the 1970s, the character evolved to "Housewife and Superstar", then "Megastar" and finally "Gigastar". Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dame Edna became increasingly known in North America after multiple stage and television appearances.
9a Cure a troublemaker from the Fifties // with an obsession (7)
Ted[2] is short for Teddy boy[5], a slang term originally applied to a young man belonging to a subculture in 1950s Britain characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff* and a liking for rock-and-roll music.The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the term Teddy boy[2] is now applied to any unruly or rowdy adolescent male.
* Quiff[3,4] is a chiefly British term for a prominent tuft of hair, especially one brushed up above the forehead.
10a Very good fashion designer, // sharp (7)
Pi[5] is an informal British short form for pious.
Dame Mary Quant[7] is a Welsh fashion designer and British fashion icon who became an instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod and youth fashion movements. She was one of the designers who took credit for the miniskirt and hot pants, and by promoting these and other fun fashions she encouraged young people to dress to please themselves and to treat fashion as a game. Ernestine Carter, an authoritative and influential fashion journalist of the 1950s/60s, wrote: "It is given to a fortunate few to be born at the right time, in the right place, with the right talents. In recent fashion there are three: Chanel, Dior, and Mary Quant."
12a Act to restore // control say people wanting Brexit ultimately (13)
Scratching the Surface
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Brexit[5] is a term for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union ⇒ (i) the debates barely touched on the impact a Brexit might have on the City [the London financial district used as a metonym for the British financial markets]; (ii) the report warned that Brexit would reduce the EU's potential GDP. This term was coined in 2012 (originally as Brixit), a blend of British (or Britain) and exit, probably on the pattern of Grexit (coined earlier in the same year). Grexit[5] is a term for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the eurozone (the economic region formed by those countries in the European Union that use the euro as their national currency) ⇒ renewed fears of a Grexit have been shaking the financial markets. The term was coined in 2012 as a blend of Greek (or Greece) and exit. |
14a Power cut /is/ heartless shocking thing (6)
15a Somehow get vet in // profile (8)
17a Contains nuts, // OK (8)
Sanction[5] is an interesting word, effectively being almost its own antonym. It can mean either official permission or approval for an action or a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.
19a Is suffering setback having consumed affected // seafood (6)
22a Honed Toughies in cryptic style, // not popular (2,3,8)
Scratching the Surface
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24a Biblical villain's // exercises (7)
Pontius Pilate[5] (died circa 36 AD) was a Roman procurator of Judaea circa 26-circa 36. He is remembered for presiding at the trial of Jesus Christ and authorizing his crucifixion.
25a Desire to restrict snake/'s/ stinging (7)
A Nest of Snakes
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Asp is a name applied to at least four different species of snakes:
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26a Legal documents cited // posh hotel (4)
César Ritz[7] (1850–1918) was a Swiss hotelier and founder of several hotels, most famously the Hôtel Ritz, in Paris and The Ritz Hotel in London. His nickname was "king of hoteliers, and hotelier to kings," and it is from his name and that of his hotels that the term ritzy derives.
27a One predicts future // star remixing old record by Queen (10)
"Queen" = ER (show explanation )
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
hide explanation
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
hide explanation
Down
1d Fine to be carried in illuminated // hoist (4)
"fine" = F (show explanation )
F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].
hide explanation
F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].
hide explanation
2d Trade Secretary leads 1 Across // a merry dance (7)
The numeral and directional indicator "1 Across" is a cross reference indicator directing the solver to insert the solution to clue 1a in its place to complete the clue. The directional indicator is customarily included only in situations such as this where both Across and Down clues start in the light* that is being referenced (although, as we saw yesterday, that is not always the case).
* light-coloured cell in the grid
Liam Fox[7] is a British politician belonging to the Conservative Party who has been serving as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade since 2016.
3d A gentler twist disrupted // mainly straight road (7,6)
Delving Deeper
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| Apparently Roman roads are remarkable for their straightness. A discussion on the website of the British newspaper The Guardian alludes to this and also gives some insight into Roman surveying techniques. "When the Romans built roads in England, they ran in practically straight lines between strategic locations many miles apart. ... How did [the Romans] know, for instance, that they had to strike out north-west from London to get to Chester? Watling Street, although it proceeds in a series of shallow zig-zags, is never very far from the direct line between those two towns." |
4d New German car's failing to start on motorway // being out of gear (6)
Audi AG[7] is a German automobile manufacturer that is now part of the Volkswagen Group. The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen" in German, becomes "audi" in Latin. The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union.
Motorway[2,5] (abbreviation M[5]) is a British, Australian, and New Zealand term for a dual-carriageway road [divided highway] designed for fast-moving traffic, especially one with three lanes per carriageway [direction of travel] and limited access and exit points [controlled access].
5d Decisive // impact he could produce (8)
7d Face shock treatment /in/ a manner of speaking (7)
ECT[5] is the abbreviation for electroconvulsive therapy[5], the treatment of mental illness by the application of electric shocks to the brain ⇒
a course of electroconvulsive therapy.
8d Contrary // contribution to Christian tithes I subscribe (10)
11d Top lawyer /shows// us eloquence artfully trapping two Poles (6,7)
A Queen's Counsel[7] (postnominal QC), or King's Counsel (postnominal KC) during the reign of a king, is an eminent lawyer (most often a barrister) who is appointed by the Queen to be one of "Her Majesty's Counsel learned in the law."
Delving Deeper
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Barristers and solicitors[7] are two classes of lawyer. However, the distinction between them
varies in different jurisdictions around the world. The UK has a split legal profession in which barristers and solicitors have separate and distinct roles. (read more )
The following attempt to differentiate between barristers and solicitors is no doubt somewhat oversimplified. In the UK, solicitors are attorneys which means they can act in the place of their client for legal purposes. However, a solicitor is not a member of the bar and therefore [generally (see below)] cannot speak on behalf of a client in court. A barrister is not an attorney and is usually forbidden, either by law or professional rules or both, from "conducting" litigation. This means that while the barrister speaks on the client's behalf in court, he or she can do so only when instructed by a solicitor or certain other qualified professional clients, such as patent agents. However, the foregoing would appear not to be strictly true. Collins English Dictionary defines a solicitor[10], in Britain, as a lawyer who advises clients on matters of law, draws up legal documents, prepares cases for barristers, etc, and who may represent clients in certain courts and a barrister[10] (also called barrister-at-law), in England [not Britain], as a lawyer who has been called to the bar and is qualified to plead in the higher courts. In the US and Canada (with the exception of Quebec), there is generally no legal or regulatory distinction between a barrister and a solicitor - with any qualified lawyer being entitled to practice in either field. In the US, most lawyers call themselves attorneys while in Canada, lawyers will adopt different titles depending on the type of legal practice on which they choose to concentrate (barrister, solicitor, or barrister and solicitor). hide explanation |
13d Churchgoer // raised argument with transport manager (10)
16d It's no small wonder! (8)
The Colussus of Rhodes[5] was a huge bronze statue of the sun god Helios, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Built c.292–280 BC, it stood beside the harbour entrance at Rhodes* for about fifty years.
* The port city of Rhodes[5] is the capital of the island of Rhodes, a Greek island in the south-eastern Aegean, off the Turkish coast, the largest of the Dodecanese Islands and the most easterly island in the Aegean Sea.
18d Informal letter /from/ fundraising broadcast upset hospital left out (7)
Notelet[5] is a British term for a small folded sheet of paper on which a note or informal letter may be written.
20d Margaret welcomes alien /in/ tryst (7)
Meg[7] is a feminine given name, often a short form of Margaret, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc.
"alien" = ET (show explanation )
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. It 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 explanation
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. It 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 explanation
21d Exhibitor/'s/ useless lot (6)
Shower[5] is an informal British expression denoting a group of people perceived as incompetent or worthless ⇒
look at this lot—what a shower!
23d One does /for/ fish (4)
Do[5] is an informal British expression meaning to do the cleaning for a person or household ⇒
Florrie usually did for the Shermans in the mornings.
Char[5] is an informal British term for charwoman[5], a dated British name for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for today — Falcon
[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)
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