Friday, November 9, 2018 — DT 28768

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28768
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 18, 2018
Setter Mister Ron (Chris Lancaster)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28768]
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

A couple of clues in the southwest corner proved to be my undoing today. I see from comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog that I had lots of company.

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   City/'s/ angriest criminal (8)

Tangiers (a variant spelling of Tangier^[3,5]) is a seaport on the northern coast of Morocco,  at the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar commanding the western entrance to the Mediterranean. (show more )

Tangier was founded by the Phoenicians and later controlled by a variety of powers, including Portugal and Great Britain. Portuguese from the end of the 15th century, Tangier was ruled by the sultan of Morocco 1684–1904, when it came under international control. It was administered as part of an international zone from 1923 until 1956 at which time it passed to the newly independent monarchy of Morocco.

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6a   Withdraw // notice, accepting month in retirement (6)

9a   Miserable // kind of shame? (6)

10a   Husband invested in capital with two Europeans? // Hypocrite! (8)

A Pharisee^[5] was a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity. The term has come to mean a self-righteous or hypocritical person. (show more )

The Pharisees are mentioned only by Josephus and in the New Testament. Unlike the Sadducees, who tried to apply Mosaic law strictly, the Pharisees allowed some freedom of interpretation. Although in the Gospels they are represented as the chief opponents of Christ they seem to have been less hostile than the Sadducees to the nascent Church, with which they shared belief in the Resurrection.

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11a   Train /in/ Spain with Shearer playing up front (8)

"Spain" = E (show explanation ) 

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E^*[5] (seen on the left hand side of the licence plate in the photo).

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^* from Spanish España

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Scratching the Surface
I am hesitantly guessing that the surface reading may refer to Moira Shearer[5] (1926–2006), an internationally renowned British ballet dancer and actress.

12a   Sturdy -- // or, on reflection, broken? (6)

13a   Costing nothing, // like used batteries? (4,2,6)

A double definition, the second being a bit cryptic.

16a   Rewritten horror finds a // leading man (8,4)

Harrison Ford^[5] is an American actor, writer and film producer. He gained worldwide fame for his starring roles as Han Solo in the Star Wars film series and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series.

The Story Behind the Picture
The visual hint provided by Miffypops in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog shows Harrison Ford in the role of Hans Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy.

19a   Make headway // in smooth rivers (6)

Postmortem
As Miffypops say in his review, If all else fails, look for a lurker. If only I had remembered that sage advice.

21a   Anxious // batting certain to entertain most of ECB (8)

In cricket, a player who is batting is said to be in^[5]. Conversely, a player who is fielding is said to be out^[5]. If you have not seen it before, you may enjoy reading an explanation of cricket for a foreigner (which may well leave you unsure whether you are coming or going).

CRICKET: AS EXPLAINED TO A FOREIGNER...

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Simple!

Now, should you have not quite followed that explanation, here is my attempt to clarify the "ins" and "outs" of cricket:

You have two sides [teams], one out in the field and one in [batting]. Each man that's in the side [in Britain, one says "in a side" rather than "on a team"] that's in [batting] goes out [I believe this means that he forgoes the cucumber sandwiches in the clubhouse in order to go out to the playing area to bat], and when he's out [dismissed] he comes in [returns to the clubhouse for more cucumber sandwiches] and the next man goes in [bats] until he's out [dismissed]. When they are all out [all players (but one) on the batting side are dismissed], the side that's out [fielding] comes in [bats] and the side that's been in [batting] goes out [fields] and tries to get those coming in [to bat], out [dismissed]. Sometimes you get men still in [batting] and not out [Since batsmen must always bat in pairs, the team is dismissed once ten of the eleven players have been dismissed, leaving no partner for the lone remaining player. Although the team is "out" (dismissed), the eleventh played is said to be "not out".].

When a man goes out [from the clubhouse to the playing area] to go in [bat], the men who are out [fielding] try to get him out [dismissed], and when he is out [dismissed] he goes in [returns to the clubhouse] and the next man in [scheduled to bat] goes out [from the clubhouse to the playing area] and goes in [bats]. There are two men called umpires who stay out [on the playing area] all the time [(they never get to eat cucumber sandwiches)] and they decide when the men who are in [batting] are out [dismissed]. When both sides have been in [batted] and all the men have been out [dismissed], and both sides have been out [dismissed] twice after all the men have been in [batted], including those who are not out [the eleventh player who has batted but not been dismissed], that is the end of the game.

Note: In cricket, the division of play is called an 'innings', rather than an 'inning' as in baseball. The word "innings' (like the words 'fish' or 'sheep') can be either singular or plural. A cricket match consists of four innings^* (or sometimes two innings) with ten "outs" (dismissals) per innings. In cricket, each team's at bat is called an innings whereas, in baseball, each team's at bat constitutes a half inning. Thus, in baseball, the visiting team bats in the top of each inning and the home team bats in the bottom of each inning. In cricket, one side bats in the first and third innings and the other team bats in the second and fourth innings.

Simple! (although the details concerning the cucumber sandwiches may not be entirely accurate)

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Scratching the Surface
ECB[5] is the abbreviation for the England and Wales Cricket Board[7], the governing body of cricket in England and Wales.

23a   Mike will leave retreat /to find/ birthright (8)

Mike^[5] is a code word representing the letter N, used in radio communication.

A hermitage^[5] is the dwelling of a hermit, especially when small and remote.

24a   Exaggerate // where hat might be found? (6)

25a   Be quick when one leaves // naturalist's ship (6)

HMS Beagle^[7] is the ship that carried naturalist Charles Darwin around the world. (show explanation )

Originally a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy,  HMS Beagle was adapted as a survey barque and  took part in three survey expeditions. The second voyage of HMS Beagle is notable for carrying the recently graduated naturalist Charles Darwin around the world. While the survey work was carried out, Darwin travelled and researched geology, natural history and ethnology onshore. He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, best known as The Voyage of the Beagle, and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection.

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26a   Jeopardise // peacekeeper's advice? (8)

Down

2d   A sin? // Yes! (6)

In Christian tradition, the sins of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth are known as the seven deadly sins^[5]. Given that greed could be considered to be synonymous with both gluttony and covetousness, does that make it doubly sinful?

3d   Beef/'s/ good and ready to eat (5)

"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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4d   Sense rage damaged // enthusiasm (9)

5d   Leader // upset Euro MPs (7)

Supremo^[5] is an informal British term meaning:

• a person in overall charge of an organization or activity ⇒ the Channel Four supremo
• a person with great authority or skill in a certain area ⇒ an interior by design supremo Kelly

Scratching the Surface
The official title of a "Euro MP" would be Member of the European Parliament (MEP[5]).

6d   Flight approaching landing? (5)

The clue is a cryptic definition containing an embedded precise definition.

Like Jane at Comment #6 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog the solution to this clue jarred a little – wanted it to have an ‘S’ on the end. I think of stair^[5] as meaning a single step in a set of stairs ⇒ the bottom stair. However, Oxford Dictionaries defines stair^[5] (usually stairs) as a set of steps leading from one floor of a building to another, typically inside the building ⇒ (i) The spiral stair inside the tower was damaged by rust and will be restored at a later stage; (ii) The stair carpet is ready for renewal and I would like to repair the treads before re-carpeting. In most of the usage examples in which the word is used without the final 's' , "stair" is employed as a modifier (as in the latter example cited).

7d   Cut directors /in/ sign of officialdom (9)

8d   Doctor's wise to conserve energy /for/ horse-riding competition (8)

"energy" = E (show explanation )

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

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Dressage^[5] is the art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance ⇒ (i) she was learning dressage on a black mare; (ii) Britain's top dressage rider.

13d   In favour of charity, /being/ magnanimous (9)

14d   Challenge laid out in front of you in black and white? (9)

15d   Scratch plain // material (8)

Postmortem
I became fixated on the idea of "scratch" being used to clue MAR and thus fruitlessly expended an inordinate amount of time trying to find a word that would complete the solution.

Scratch^[5] is used in the sense of an informal term for money ⇒ he was working to get some scratch together.

Plain^[5] (adjective) is used in the sense of not remarkable or special ⇒ a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him.

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Cashmere^[5] is a woollen material made from or resembling the fine, soft wool of the Kashmir goat.

17d   Simplicity /of/ running event crossing A1 (7)

Scratching the Surface
The A1[7] is the longest numbered road in the UK, at 410 miles (660 km). It connects London, the capital of England, with Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

18d   Cross // game (6)

Bridge^[5] is a card game related to whist, played by two partnerships of two players each. (show more )

At the beginning of each hand, players bid for the right to name the trump suit or to play the hand without a trump suit, the highest bid also representing a contract to make a specified number of tricks with a specified suit as trumps or with no trump suit.

In bridge, the members of each pair sit opposite one another; and in each hand one player (declarer) plays both his or her own hand and the exposed cards of their partner (dummy). The modern form of bridge is called contract bridge; its principal features are a complex bidding system and a scoring system for the card play in which only tricks that were bid as well as won count towards game. The main form of competitive bridge for tournaments is duplicate bridge, in which the same prearranged hands are played independently by several pairs or teams.
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20d   Avoid // US state borders having gone east (5)

22d   Completely // spotless? (5)

Clean^[5] (adverb) is an informal term used to emphasize the completeness of a reported action, condition, or experience ⇒ (i) he was knocked clean off his feet; (ii) I clean forgot her birthday.

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