Saturday, November 10, 2018 — It's Giller Time

Introduction

With the Giller Prize for English-language Canadian fiction to be awarded on November 19, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon has an appropriate CanLit theme.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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 █ - yet to be solved

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^*)

---

^* num = numeration

Explanations pertaining to the wordplay (or first definition in a double definition)

(Horizontal separator)

---

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.

hide explanation

Across

1a   Prize-winning writer/’s/ novel got award at Rome (8,6)

{MARGARET ATWOOD}* — anagram (novel) of GOT AWARD AT ROME

Margaret Atwood^[5] is a Canadian novelist, poet, critic, and short-story writer. Notable works: The Edible Woman (1969), The Handmaid's Tale (1985), Cat's Eye (1989), and The Blind Assassin (Booker Prize, 2000). She won the Giller Prize in 1996 for Alias Grace^[7] and made the short list in 2003 for Oryx and Crake^[7].

9a   Categorized // album containing Seal’s “Crazy” (7)

C(LASSE*)D — CD (album) containing (†) anagram (crazy) of SEALS

Scratching the Surface
Seal[7] is the professional name of British singer-songwriter Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel who has sold over 20 million records worldwide, his first international hit being the song "Crazy", released in 1991.

10a   Sea mammal // figurine: Flipper in the sound (7)

{DOL|PHIN}~ — sounds like (in the sound) {DOLL (figurine) + FIN (flipper)}

Scratching the Surface

Flipper[7] is an American feature film released in 1963. The film inspired the subsequent television series of the same name (1964–1967) and several film sequels as well as a 1995 revival television series and a 1996 remake of the film. (show more ) The film, based upon a story by Ricou Browning and Jack Cowden, portrays a 12-year-old boy living with his parents in the Florida Keys, who befriends an injured wild dolphin. The lad and his pet become inseparable, eventually overcoming the misgivings of his fisherman father. hide

11a   Writer/’s/ Chalice mirrored Crackpot (8,7)

{MORDECAI RICHLER}* — anagram (crackpot) of CHALICE MIRRORED

Mordecai Richler^[5] (1931–2001) was a Canadian writer. His best-known novel is probably The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959). He won the Giller Prize in 1997 for Barney's Version^[7].

12a   Kingsley getting into Natalie/’s/ lingerie (8)

C(AMIS)OLE — AMIS (Kingsley; British novelist Sir Kingsley Amis^[5]) contained in (getting into) COLE (Natalie; American singer Natalie Cole^[7])

14a   A northern Brit’s // neckwear (6)

A|SCOT|S — A (†) + SCOT (northern Brit) + S ('s)

17a   Group of teams put together // about three miles (6)

LEAGUE — double definition

The league^[2] is an obsolete unit of distance which can denote either:

• a unit for measuring distance travelled, usually taken to be 3 miles (about 4.8 km)
• a nautical measure equal to 1/20th of a degree or 3 international nautical miles (3.456 statute miles or 5.556 km)

19a   Paul sets off // beats (8)

PULSATES* — anagram (off) of PAUL SETS

22a   Writer // adapted Elijah at Macedon (7,8)

{MICHAEL ONDAATJE}* — anagram (adapted) of ELIJAH AT MACEDON

Michael Ondaatje^[5] is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian writer. Notable works: Running in the Family (autobiography, 1982) and The English Patient (novel; Booker Prize, 1992). He won the Giller Prize in 2000 for Anil's Ghost^[7] and made the short list twice, in 2007 for Divisadero^[7] and in 2011 for The Cat's Table^[7].

24a   Go back and forth about mathematician’s constant // theft (7)

SWI(PI)NG — SWING (go back and forth) containing (about) PI (mathematician's constant)

25a   Mischief-maker wraps up // looms (7)

IMP|ENDS — IMP (mischief maker) + ENDS (wraps up)

26a   Stage Biddy, Field, and Rooster /for/ writer (7,7)

STEP|HEN| LEA|COCK — STEP (stage) + HEN (biddy) + LEA (field) + (and) COCK (rooster)

Stephen Leacock^[5] (1869–1949) was a Canadian humorist and economist. He is chiefly remembered for his many humorous short stories, parodies, and essays. Notable works: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912). Leacock never won the Giller Prize, having died 45 years before it was first awarded.

Down

2d   Rearrange // a pick on hammer (7)

A|NAG|RAM — A (†) + NAG (pick on) + RAM (hammer)

After staring blankly at this one for far too long, I resorted to using a wordfinder program to match the checking letters.

3d   Stare, taking in small // peninsula of Quebec (5)

GA(S)PE — GAPE (stare) containing (taking in) S (small; abbrev. found on clothing tags)

4d   Mass meeting about help brought back // out from the hub (8)

RA(DIA<)LLY — RALLY (mass meeting) containing (about) reversal (brought back) of AID (help)

5d   Royal family/’s/ heraldic gold covered with scattered dust (6)

{TUD(OR)S}* — OR (heraldic gold) contained in (covered with) anagram (scattered) of DUST

The House of Tudor^[5] (the Tudors) was an English royal dynasty which held the throne from the accession of Henry VII in 1485 until the death of Elizabeth I in 1603.

6d   Shows // tangled lace in trials (9)

TE(LECA*)STS — anagram (tangled) of LACE contained in (in) TESTS (trials)

7d   Play // Old Testament greeting (7)

OT|HELLO — OT (Old Testament; abbrev.) + HELLO (greeting)

Othello^[7] (The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603.

8d   One who gives // name in entranceway (5)

DO(N)OR — N (name; abbrev.) contained in (in) DOOR (entranceway)

9d   Amusing // column about flaky mineral (7)

CO(MICA)L — COL (column; abbrev.) containing (about) MICA (flaky mineral)

13d   Easily disgusted // type’s back in town north of Vancouver (9)

SQU(E)AMISH — E (typE's back [final letter]) contained in (in) SQUAMISH (town north of Vancouver)

15d   Resists reforming // members of the family (7)

SISTERS* — anagram (reforming) of RESISTS

16d   Rambling in trek up // highway (8)

TURNPIKE* — anagram (rambling) of IN TREK UP

Turnpike^[5] is a US term for a toll highway.

18d   Vault I have /in/ store (7)

ARCH|IVE — ARCH (vault; architectural term) + IVE ([I've, a contraction of] I have)

20d   Giant jerk nabbing one bronze (7)

T(I|TAN)IC — TIC (jerk) containing (nabbing) {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + TAN (bronze)}

21d   Colours on // wine container (6)

FLAG|ON — FLAG (colours) + ON (†)

22d   Boggy growth occupied by eastern prophet (5)

MOS(E)S — MOSS (boggy growth) containing (occupied by) E (eastern; abbrev.)

Moses^[5] (fl. circa 14th-13th centuries BC) was a Hebrew prophet and lawgiver. (show more )

According to the biblical account, he was born in Egypt and led the Israelites away from servitude there, across the desert towards the Promised Land. During the journey he was inspired by God on Mount Sinai to write down the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone (Exod. 20).

hide

23d   Something moulded // like short film (5)

AS|PIC — AS (like) + PIC (short film; shortened version of the word 'picture')

Epilogue

On a cold, blustery, and snowy Saturday, one could do far worse than curl up in front of the fire with a good book.

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