Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28717 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, April 19, 2018 | |
Setter
proXimal (Steve Bartlett) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28717] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
pommers
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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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Notes
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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, September 1, 2018 edition of the National Post.
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Introduction
I threw in the towel a bit early today but the pressure of a looming deadline denied me the luxury of sleeping on the puzzle. Obstinate solutions often appear magically after the subconscious mind has a chance to work on them overnight.The puzzle is from a setter whom we have not seen before — or, at least, one who has not previously been unmasked.
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 China protects gold haul /for/ nation (8)
In Britain, china[5] is an informal term for a friend (or, as the Brits would say, a mate*). This meaning comes from cockney rhyming slang (show explanation ), where china is the shortened form of china plate which rhymes with 'mate'.
* In Britain, mate[5] — in addition to being a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner — is an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
hide explanation
* In Britain, mate[5] — in addition to being a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner — is an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
my best mate Steve.
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
hide explanation
"gold" = OR (show explanation )
Or[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture.
In heraldry, a tincture[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.
hide explanation
Or[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture.
In heraldry, a tincture[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.
hide explanation
6a End /of/ all but the last of medium-dry wine (6)
Demi-sec[5] is an adjective (applied to wine) meaning medium dry.
Origin: French, literally ‘half-dry’
9a Selection of odder maladies // relating to organ (6)
10a Rioting is over -- caught in a new // hostility (8)
11a Beset by trouble, airmen with ultimately duff // fuel (8)
"airmen" = RAF (show explanation )
The Royal Air Force[5] (abbreviation RAF) is the British air force, formed in 1918 by amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (founded 1912) and the Royal Naval Air Service (founded 1914).
hide explanation
The Royal Air Force[5] (abbreviation RAF) is the British air force, formed in 1918 by amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (founded 1912) and the Royal Naval Air Service (founded 1914).
hide explanation
Paraffin[10] (also called paraffin oil) is the British name for kerosene.
Scratching the Surface
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Duff[5] is an informal British term meaning:
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12a Invertebrate pierced by daughter beginning to emit // gunk (6)
13a Army officers ran // non-specialist shop (7,5)
16a Landowners /in/ arrangement to sell lord hams (12)
Smallholder[5] is a British term for a person who owns or manages an agricultural holding smaller than a farm ⇒ (i)
urban sprawl threaten the fates of rural smallholders around the world; (ii)
smallholder farmers use a wide range of agricultural tools for more efficient weeding.
19a Reveal // Frenchman's one request after getting married (6)
"Frenchman's one" = UN (show explanation )
21a Possessing case? (8)
The genitive[5] (or genitive case[5]) is (in inflected languages*) a case of nouns and pronouns, and of words in grammatical agreement with them, the typical function of which is to indicate that the person or thing denoted by the word is related to another as source, possessor, or the like; (also in uninflected languages) a word or word form having a similar possessive function.
* an inflected language is one in which the form of words change to express a particular grammatical function or attribute, typically tense, mood, person, number, and gender ⇒
Arabic verbs are inflected for person, number, and gender.
23a Quietly remove // painting, perhaps (8)
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers muses
Not sure what the word quietly brings to this clue. The answer is that it indicates abstract[5] (verb) is being used euphemistically* to denote that someone has stolen something ⇒
his pockets contained all he had been able to abstract from the flat.
* This usage is derived from abstract[5] (usually abstract something from) in the sense of to extract or remove (something) ⇒
applications to abstract more water from streams.
24a Outsiders // in Sale are characters to be shifted (6)
Scratching the Surface
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| Sale[7] is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, on the south bank of the River Mersey, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) southwest of Manchester. |
25a Revolutionary astute about black // gemstones (6)
Beryl[5] is a transparent pale green, blue, or yellow mineral consisting of a silicate of beryllium and aluminium, sometimes used as a gemstone.
26a Given the OK, // I'd fire at criminal (8)
Down
2d Working with upset celebrity, // not suitable for many (3-3)
3d Father supporting crew without energy /to reach/ US city (5)
"energy" = E (show explanation )
4d Bird // folding flailing wings in crash (9)
Solvers on both sides of the Atlantic will be familiar with birds of this name — although they will likely be different birds.
The goldfinch[5] is a brightly coloured finch with yellow feathers in the plumage. There are four species of goldfinch, including the Eurasian goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and the American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis).
5d Left well-paying job /to become/ student (7)
Earner[5] is an informal British and Australian term for an activity or thing that produces income, especially illicitly⇒
a nice little earner.
6d Prepare // to put on clothing (5)
In the first definition, dress[5] is used in the sense of to clean and prepare (food, especially poultry or shellfish) for cooking or eating ⇒
dress the crab and shell the prawns.
7d Insects /from/ plant life covering South American capital (9)
Quito[5] is the capital of Ecuador. It is situated in the Andes just south of the equator, at an altitude of 2,850 m (9,350 ft).
8d Entertainer/'s/ to demonstrate climbing large apparatus (8)
13d Good colleague accepts worker with right // spirit (9)
"good" = G (show explanation )
The abbreviation G[a] for good comes from its use in education as a mark awarded on scholastic assignments or tests.
[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary
hide explanation
The abbreviation G[a] for good comes from its use in education as a mark awarded on scholastic assignments or tests.
[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary
hide explanation
"worker" = ANT (show explanation )
The word "worker" and the phrase "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.
A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.
In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.
hide explanation
The word "worker" and the phrase "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.
A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.
In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.
hide explanation
14d Delay surfacing -- overheard force // prepare an ambush (3,2,4)
Lie in[5] is a British term meaning to remain in bed after the normal time for getting up ⇒
if I’m not due anywhere I’ll lie in until something kick-starts the day.
15d Willing, // in the morning, to help (8)
17d The girl taken another way /becomes/ less wearying (7)
18d A meeting-place/'s/ means of access (6)
20d Romantic // kiss on vacation includes bite (5)
The phrase "on vacation" is an indication to remove the contents (interior letters) from the word K(is)S. Vacation[10] is likely used in the sense of the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc. Thus the setter would seem to be suggesting that the interior letters pack up and leave.
John Keats[5] (1795–1821) was an English poet. A principal figure of the romantic movement, he wrote all of his most famous poems, including ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’, ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, and ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, in 1818 (published in 1820).
22d One in possession of article with force after them? (5)
In an &lit. clue[7] (or, as some prefer to call it, all-in-one clue) such as this, the entire clue (when read one way) provides the definition — which, in this clue, happens to be a cryptic definition — and under a different interpretation also serves as the wordplay.
"force" = F (show explanation )
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers remarksDespite pommers' misgivings, them[5] can be used as a singular pronoun referring to a person of unspecified sex ⇒Surely it should be force after HIM as the answer is singular. how well do you have to know someone before you call them a friend?. Collins English Dictionary has the following to say on the usage of they, them, and their as singular pronouns[10]. It was formerly considered correct to use a masculine pronoun such as he, him, or his to refer to people in general, as in everyone did his best, but it is now more common to use they, them, or their, and this use has become acceptable in all but the most formal contexts: everyone did their best. This use of they, them, and their to refer to people in general can even be found in some definitions in this dictionary when other gender-neutral wording would be excessively convoluted. |
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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