Tuesday, September 25, 2018 — DT 28735

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28735
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, May 10, 2018
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28735]
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

The comments regarding this puzzle on Big Dave's Crossword Blog constitute a diverse range of opinions but I would say that the majority found it to be decidedly on the difficult side.

Should you perceive the difficulty rating to be out of sync with Miffypops' review, as crypticsue explains in her response to Comment #24, Miffypops does not supply a rating with his reviews (as far as I know, he is the only reviewer not to do so) and Big Dave provides the rating.

As for my personal situation, the power is back on in my neighbourhood and life is starting to get back to normal following the tornado. My property suffered minimal damage but houses backing on my property lost large trees on their front lawns. So it seems that I dodged a bullet by less than 200 feet.

I heard on the news earlier this evening that Environment Canada has now determined that a total of six tornadoes struck Ottawa and surrounding areas.

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 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   Girl in Great Britain puts down // craftspeople (12)

9a   At present, bishop's inside unharmed, // restricted by weather (9)

"bishop" = B (show explanation )

B^[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

A bishop^[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a mitre, that can move any number of spaces in any direction along a diagonal on which it stands. Each player starts the game with two bishops, one moving on white squares and the other on black.

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10a   A pupil skipping starter ordered // rice dish (5)

Pilau^[5] is a Middle Eastern or Indian dish of rice (or sometimes wheat) cooked in stock with spices, typically having added meat or vegetables.

11a   Old king // painting Ben in film? (6)

Ben-Hur^[7] is a 1959 American epic religious drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with the same title, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

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Arthur^[5] was a legendary king of Britain, historically perhaps a 5th- or 6th-century Romano-British chieftain or general. Stories of his life, the exploits of his knights, and the Round Table of his court at Camelot were developed by Malory, Chrétien de Troyes, and other medieval writers and became the subject of many legends.

12a   Way to get round permit /for/ gambling game (8)

13a   European // left in Greek island resort returned (6)

Kavos^[7] is a seaside village on the island of Corfu in Greece. It is now a lively resort heavily devoted to tourism, and popular with young holidaymakers from Britain, Serbia and Northern Europe.

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A Slovak^[5] is a native or inhabitant of Slovakia, or a person of Slovak descent.

15a   Take care of yard after middle of fence /gets/ bent (8)

18a   Dire pint turned out to be stout (8)

As the definition, stout^[5] (adjective) is used in the sense of showing showing courage and determination.

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, stout[5] (noun) is a kind of strong, dark beer brewed with roasted malt or barley.

19a   Rodent/'s/ to harm retreating cat (6)

A marmot^[5] is a heavily built, gregarious burrowing rodent of mountainous country in both Eurasia and North America.

21a   Worried // terrible old brute (8)

23a   Ridicule you in text with answer /in/ book (6)

Joshua^*[5] is the sixth book of the Bible, telling of the conquest of Canaan and its division among the twelve tribes of Israel.

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^* Joshua^[5] (fl.c.13th century BC) was the Israelite leader who succeeded Moses and led his people into the Promised Land.

26a   Song // about King Cole, essentially (5)

"king" = R (show explanation )

In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms^*, Rex^[5] (abbreviation R^[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

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^* A Commonwealth realm^[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.

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Misdirection ... from the reviewer!
We often encounter misdirection from the setter. Today we get some from the reviewer. Ignore Miffypops instruction to use the abbreviation for king as used in chess notation.

27a   Get rid of // priest and friend outside home (9)

"priest" = ELI (show explanation )

In the Bible, Eli^[5] is a priest who acted as a teacher to the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1-3).

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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.

28a   Reams in posh novel on husband/'s/ equestrian ability (12)

Down

1d   Good, primarily, at servicing traps? They are (7)

I would say that this clue is a cryptic definition with embedded wordplay.

"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.

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^[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary

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In the wordplay, the word trap^[5] is used as a verb in the sense of to catch (an animal) in a trap.

The wordplay parses as G (good; abbrev.) + AS (the initial letters (primarily) of At Servicing) + BAGS (traps; captures an animal).

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Despite the convoluted structure of the clue, the cryptic definition amounts to "They are good, primarily, at servicing traps" where trap^[5] is an informal term for a person's mouth (used in expressions to do with speaking) ⇒ keep your trap shut!. Servicing seems to be used in the sense of operating^* in which case the clue could be interpreted as "They are good, primarily, at operating their mouths".

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^* In a comment on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Jose reaches a similar conclusion

The problem with this explanation is that I am unable to find a single source listing function or operate as a synonym for service.

Collins English Thesaurus does list "keep in good condition" as a synonym for service^[a], so perhaps one can argue that exercising one's mouth keeps it in good condition.

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^[a] Collins English Thesaurus

Gasbag^[5] is an informal term for a person who talks excessively about trivial things.

For further discussion of this clue, see the thread arising from Comment #4 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog.

2d   A contest // not far away (5)

3d   Two vessels put away /for/ master (9)

4d   Avoiding the head, thump // disrespectful person (4)

5d   Gaping // wound one wiped (4-4)

6d   Spurn // insurgent after change of heart (5)

7d   Choice about one metal /or/ another (8)

The implied definition is "another [metal]".

8d   Morose eating last bit of chocolate, // no doubt (6)

14d   Motor in the open panel (8)

16d   Rocky Inca road north /is/ harsh (9)

Scratching the Surface
The Incas[5] were a South American Indian people living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest.

17d   Dull // selfie shot in outskirts of Leeds (8)

Scratching the Surface
Leeds[5] is an industrial city in West Yorkshire, northern England. It developed as a wool town in the Middle Ages, becoming a centre of the clothing trade in the Industrial Revolution.

18d   Whole // section in joint action (6)

20d   Buy a bigger property /when/ business is better (5,2)

The latter definition is a literal interpretation of the solution.

22d   Bear // expression of disapproval about the French revolutionary (5)

"the French" = LA (show explanation )

In French, the feminine singular form of the definite article is la^[8].

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Baloo^[5] (Hindi: "bear") is a main fictional character featured in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book from 1894 and The Second Jungle Book from 1895. Baloo, a bear, is the strict teacher of the cubs of the Seeonee wolf pack. His most challenging pupil is the "man-cub" Mowgli. Baloo and Bagheera, a panther, save Mowgli from Shere Khan the tiger and endeavor to teach Mowgli the Law of the Jungle in many of The Jungle Book stories.

24d   Covering of blades, with or without small opening (5)

I would say that this is a cryptic definition which one interprets as "The solution is a word meaning a covering of blades that when one prefixes an S to it, also means a covering of blades."

In the first instance, covering alludes to vegetation (ground cover) while in the second instance covering denotes a close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword.

Heath^[5] is a British term for an area of open uncultivated land, typically on acid sandy soil, with characteristic vegetation of heather, gorse, and coarse grasses.

25d   Strong // male holding up tree (4)

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