Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28637 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, January 16, 2018 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28637] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Mr K (formerly Mr Kitty) | |
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
As usual, I failed to recognize that the puzzle is a pangram — a puzzle in which every letter of the alphabet makes at least one appearance in the solutions to the clues.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 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:
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The review of a clue takes the following general structure:
#a/d Clue containing parsing markup (num*)
* num = numeration
Explanations pertaining to the wordplay (or first definition in a double definition)
(Horizontal separator)
Explanatory Box
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| 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:
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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.
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 Fielder // feeling funny (4,3)
Cricket 101
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In cricket, the leg[5] (also called leg side) is another name for the on[5] (also known as on side),
the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away
from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the
ball ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg. The other half of the field is known as the off[5] (also called off side). Fine leg[5] is a fielding position (or a a fielder playing this position) behind the batsman on the leg side, between long leg and square leg. |
5a Have doubts about // American parking in camp (7)
Anyone would have doubts about parking here:
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"parking" = P |
9a Former examiner heard /in/ Treasury department (9)
Her Majesty's Treasury[7] (HM Treasury), sometimes referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy. The Cabinet minister responsible for the Treasury department is known as the Chancellor of the Exchequer[7] (equivalent to the role of Minister of Finance in Canada or Secretary of the Treasury in the US). In recent times, the position has come to be the most powerful office in British politics after the Prime Minister. Historically, the Chancellor carried responsibility for the Exchequer, the medieval English institution for the collection of royal revenues.
10a Family taking in English // fair (5)
It took a bit of thought before I was able to convince myself these words are synonyms.
Fair[5] here being used in the sense of without cheating or trying to achieve unjust advantage ⇒
no one could say he played fair.
Clean[5] means played or done according to the rules ⇒
we are not completely sure that the elections will be clean and fair.
11a General manager keeping revised share /for/ famous financier (7)
Sir Thomas Gresham[5] (c.1519–1579) was an English financier. He founded the Royal Exchange in 1566 and served as the chief financial adviser to the Elizabethan government.
12a Ship/'s/ barber? (7)
A clipper[5] is a fast sailing ship, especially one of 19th-century design with concave bows and raked masts ⇒
the Cutty Sark*, a tea clipper built in 1869.
* The Cutty Sark[5] is the only survivor of the British tea clippers [fast sailing ships used in the tea trade], launched in 1869 and now preserved as a museum ship at Greenwich, London.
13a Potter character // half-heartedly took it round motorway two hours before midnight (3,6)
The wordplay made sense once I realized we aren't dealing with Harry Potter.
16a Follow, // follow around river (5)
17a Woman, // a fuddy-duddy, almost 50 (5)
This is another case where I needed to confirm the equivalence of these terms.
Fuddy-duddy[5] is an informal term for a person who is very old-fashioned and pompous ⇒
he probably thinks I'm an old fuddy-duddy.
A prig[5] is a self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if they are superior to others ⇒
she was religious but not a prig.
18a Jealous // daughter after unsophisticated watch (5-4)
21a Martial art /and/ its engaging charm? Just the opposite (2-5)
The phrase "just the opposite" tells the solver to reverse the logic of the statement immediately preceding it. Thus, we need to forget about "its engaging charm" and focus our attention on "charm engaging its".
juju and witchcraft.
22a Unfilled post /in/ Virginia prison, extremely cushy (7)
Here and There
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From a British perspective, the can[5] is an informal North American term for prison ⇒ our friends will get a year or two in the can. The inclusion of the word "Virginia" (even though it is there to clue the letters VA) seems to be an acceptable indication to the Brits that this is a "foreign" term. |
25a Animal // used in ceremony, a lamb (5)
The nyala[5] is a southern African antelope, which has a conspicuous crest on the neck and back and lyre-shaped horns.
26a Having no money, and depressed, // burst into tears (5,4)
27a Bar used by swingers? (7)
28a Chief // beginning to size up British Army corps (7)
The engineers making an appearance today are not the usual Corps of Royal Engineers[5] (abbreviation RE[5]) but rather the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[7] (abbreviation REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee"), a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from battle tanks and helicopters to dental tools and cooking equipment/utensils.
* the field engineering and construction corps of the British army who are also known as the sappers
Down
1d Shock involving eastern // goods (7)
2d Ideal position /of/ hotel in French city (5)
Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.
Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy.
3d Cold fish served up before hot // sponge (5)
4d Foodie // understood about ancient city and me (7)
Ur[5] is an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC. Ur[7] is considered by many to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham.
5d Old Arab // nation included in small article (7)
"small" = S (show explanation )
6d Church worker, // councillor, is in the devil's clutches (9)
Cr[5] is the abbreviation for Councillor.
* A sacristy[5] is a room in a church where a priest prepares for a service, and where vestments and articles of worship are kept.
7d Former politician sitting in original early // model (9)
"politician" = MP (show explanation )
In Britain (as in Canada), a politician elected to the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament[10] (abbreviation MP[5]) or, informally, as a member[5].
hide explanation
In Britain (as in Canada), a politician elected to the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament[10] (abbreviation MP[5]) or, informally, as a member[5].
hide explanation
8d Number exercise, cut off /in/ part of plant (7)
14d Pot /made by/ Spanish girl, broken by Spanish boy (9)
15d Not well, a guy /is/ embarrassed (3,2,4)
Guy[3,4,11] is used in the sense of to make fun of, to hold up to ridicule, or to mock.
17d Auxiliary // judge's start in a dingy court (7)
"court" = CT (show explanation )
Ct[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and possibly in other contexts as well.
hide explanation
Ct[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and possibly in other contexts as well.
hide explanation
18d Complain /in/ centre of Vegas over gang fight there (7)
Here and There
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From a British perspective, rumble[5]. is an informal US term for a street fight between gangs or large groups ⇒ a rumble between two gangs of street thugs. The setter flags to British readers that this is a "foreign" term by specifying that we need a term used in Vegas. |
19d Resentful, // one's served up about six before us (7)
20d Poet describing the old, // most respected lady member of academy? (7)
John Donne[5] (1572–1631) was an English poet and preacher. A metaphysical poet, he is most famous for his Satires and Elegies (circa 1590-9) and his love poems. He also wrote religious poems and, as dean of St Paul’s from 1621, was one of the most celebrated preachers of his age.
Ye[5] is a pseudo-archaic term for the ⇒
The word 'ye' in this sense was originally a graphic variant of 'the' rather than an alternative spelling.
Thorn[5] is an Old English and Icelandic runic letter, þ or Þ, representing the dental fricatives /ð/ and /θ/. It was eventually superseded by the digraph th — and thus þe (the old spelling of 'the') became the modern spelling 'the'.
In late Middle English þ (thorn) came to be written identically with y, so that þe (the) could be written ye. This spelling (usually ye*) was kept as a convenient abbreviation in handwriting down to the 19th century, and in printers' types during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was never pronounced as ‘ye’ in the past, but this is the pronunciation used today.
* I interpret the phrase "usually ye" to mean that the word was customarily not capitalized because the character "y" is not being used to represent the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but rather as a graphic variant of thorn. Thus, in bygone days, the name of the drinking establishment above would presumably have been written
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Ye Olde Cock Tavern. The character "y" in this word was originally not the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but a variant representation of the Old English and Icelandic letter thorn (þ or Þ). (show more )
The word 'ye' in this sense was originally a graphic variant of 'the' rather than an alternative spelling.
Thorn[5] is an Old English and Icelandic runic letter, þ or Þ, representing the dental fricatives /ð/ and /θ/. It was eventually superseded by the digraph th — and thus þe (the old spelling of 'the') became the modern spelling 'the'.
In late Middle English þ (thorn) came to be written identically with y, so that þe (the) could be written ye. This spelling (usually ye*) was kept as a convenient abbreviation in handwriting down to the 19th century, and in printers' types during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was never pronounced as ‘ye’ in the past, but this is the pronunciation used today.
* I interpret the phrase "usually ye" to mean that the word was customarily not capitalized because the character "y" is not being used to represent the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but rather as a graphic variant of thorn. Thus, in bygone days, the name of the drinking establishment above would presumably have been written
ye Olde Cock Tavern.
hide
skaters describing circles on the ice.
Thus, in today's clue, we have DONNE (poet) containing (describing) YE (the old) with the rationale for the wordplay being that the container (DONNE) forms an outline around the contained entity (YE).
she became a doyenne of the London Irish music scene.
Delving Deeper
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| I wondered if there might be some significance to the fact that the setter had chosen to specify "of academy". It turns out there is. Doyen[7] (male) and doyenne (female) is the French term for dean (in either religion or education). Thus the phrase "of academy" in the clue alludes to the French roots of the word doyenne which means the senior female official in an academic institution. In the English language, the meaning of doyen (and the less common doyenne) has extended from the French definition to also refer to any senior member of a group, particularly one whose knowledge or abilities exceed those of other members. |
23d Miserly // fellow pocketing note (5)
Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy (show more ) — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada.
Chap[3,4,11] is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
hide explanation
Chap[3,4,11] is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
hide explanation
24d Snare // wild one, so (5)
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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