Monday, June 4, 2018 — DT 28650 (Published Saturday, June 2, 2018)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28650
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28650]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By 2Kiwis
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
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, June 2, 2018 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

While on the easier end of the spectrum, the puzzle did generate some controversy among the commentariat at Big Dave's Crossword Blog concerning the grammatical soundness of the solution at 8d and the scientific accuracy of the definition at 10a.

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: "*" 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 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   Model firm's source of material /for/ programme (6)

5a   Call during session /for/ release (5,3)

9a   Argument against team allowance /is/ a factor (13)

"team" = SIDE (show explanation )

Side^[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒ there was a mixture of old and young players in^* their side.

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^* Note that, in Britain, a player is said to be "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

In North America, the term side^[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side^[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you.

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10a   /Giving/ help around new store, // one's a shooting star (8)

Astronomy 101

I expect that astronomers may quibble with the definition. A shooting star[5] is a small, rapidly moving meteor burning up on entering the earth's atmosphere. A meteor[5] is a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere, becoming incandescent as a result of friction and appearing as a streak of light. A meteoroid[5] is a small body moving in the solar system that would become a meteor if it entered the earth's atmosphere. An asteroid[5] is a small rocky body orbiting the sun. Large numbers of these, ranging enormously in size, are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits. Should one of these asteroids with an eccentric orbit happen to enter the earth's atmosphere — although I have no idea if that is even within the realm of possibility, then I suppose it would be considered to be a meteor or shooting star. By the way, at Comment #27, the 2Kiwis suggest that "the definition more aptly describes a meteor or meteorite". A meteorite[5] is a piece of rock or metal that has fallen to the earth's surface from outer space as a meteor — thus a "shooting star" that has fizzled out.

Being up front ...

Due to the use of a grammatical form known as "fronting" in this clue, the link word "giving" is positioned at the beginning of the clue rather than in the middle of the clue where it would be found had the setter used a normal declarative grammatical form: One's a shooting star /giving/ help around new store  (8) Fronting — moving part of a sentence from its normal position to the beginning of the sentence — is a grammatical form used for emphasis and dramatic effect. In cryptic crosswords, it is usually employed to enhance the surface reading of the clue.

11a   Sweeteners /offered by/ South American taking kid back (6)

12a   Make a mistake with // little job (6)

14a   Watered /and/ fed at last after the yard gets tidied (8)

16a   Engineers study module, /getting/ help that's available (8)

"engineers" = RE (show explanation )

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

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Recourse^[5] is a source of help in a difficult situation ⇒ surgery may be the only recourse.

If you are having difficulty getting your head around the definition here, note that the above usage example could have been stated as ⇒ surgery may be the only help that's available.

19a   Rumour of butcher/'s/ transport (6)

A rare homophone that should require no explanation on this side of the pond.

21a   Stop // others following a river (6)

23a   Manoeuvred wagons to secure opposite directions /in/ last hurrah (8)

25a   Police // clear chap's bin in error (7,6)

In the UK, Special Branch^[5] is the police department dealing with political security.

Scratching the Surface
Bin[10,14] (also called dustbin or rubbish* bin) is the British term for a garbage can or trash can. * Rubbish[10,14] is the British term for garbage or trash.

26a   Pressure skilled worker, /being/ biased (8)

"pressure" = P (show explanation )

In physics, p^[5] is a symbol used to represent pressure in mathematical formulae.

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27a   Leave // affected by case of dengue (6)

Scratching the Surface
Dengue[5] (also dengue fever) is a debilitating viral disease of the tropics, transmitted by mosquitoes, and causing sudden fever and acute pains in the joints.

Who are they talking about?
On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis write ‘affected’ as a performer might be in the style of Kenneth Williams. Kenneth Williams[7] (1926–1988) was an English actor, best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 Carry On films as well as appearing in many other British television programmes and radio comedies.

Down

2d   Zinc is organic in part, /providing/ bit of a bite (7)

In dentistry, bite^[1] denotes the manner or configuration in which the teeth come together.

3d   Stick around, love, /there's/ water transport (5)

"love" = O (show explanation )

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

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4d   Millions suffer with religious community /making/ such a purchase (4,5)

An order^[5] (also Order) is a society of monks, nuns, or friars living under the same religious, moral, and social regulations and discipline ⇒ the Franciscan Order.

5d   Extent /of/ wind across Germany (7)

"Germany" = D [IVR country code] (show explanation )

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) country code for Germany is D^[5] [from German Deutschland].

German Licence Plate Format

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6d   Claim Amsterdam must welcome // religious leaders (5)

In Islam, an imam^[10] is a leader of congregational prayer in a mosque.

7d   Enter opening to grab right // price normally (5,4)

8d   Forces of peace with courage // are disconcerting (7)

"forces of peace" = UN (show explanation )

The United Nations^[5] (abbreviation UN) is an international organization of countries set up in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

The UN Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security, and may call on members to take action, chiefly peacekeeping action, to enforce its decisions.

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Point of Contention

In the thread arising from Comment # 6 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, there is quite a discussion concerning this clue. As pointed out in the thread, some solvers confused "disconcerting" used as an adjective with "disconcerting" used as a present participle. Some of the difficulty may also have stemmed from solvers not properly identifying the definition, which is "are disconcerting" and not merely "disconcerting". Disconcert[5] is a transitive verb [i.e., it takes an object] meaning to disturb the composure of or unsettle ⇒ (i) the abrupt changes disconcert her; (ii) the abrupt changes are disconcerting her. One could equally well use unnerve[5], a transitive verb meaning make (someone) lose courage or confidence ⇒ (i) the abrupt changes unnerve her; (ii) the abrupt changes are unnerving her. Granted, the clue employs the present continuous* tense while the solution uses the simple present (also known as present indefinite) tense. * which is formed from the simple present of the auxiliary verb 'to be' together with the present participle of the main verb

13d   Reparation, // note, meant changes (9)

15d   Gave up hope, /seeing/ second couple in action (9)

17d   Landmass /and/ sea air swirling, full of uranium (7)

The symbol for the chemical element uranium is U^[5].

18d   Plies drunk working /for/ Greek character (7)

Epsilon^[5] is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε).

20d   Departing loveless, poor actor /finds/ material (7)

For "love", see 3d.

Gingham^[5] is lightweight plain-woven cotton cloth, typically checked in white and a bold colour.

22d   Catches on // small branches (5)

24d   Offspring in charge of // such a boom? (5)

"in charge (of)" = IC (show explanation )

The abbreviation i/c^[2,5] can be short for either:

• (especially in military contexts) in charge (of) ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations
• in command (of) ⇒ 2 i/c = second in command.

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Depending on the context, i/c can mean either "in charge" or "in charge of". Therefore, one could also parse the clue — as the 2Kiwis have done:

• Offspring in charge /of/ such a boom? (5)

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