Wednesday, November 21, 2018 — DT 28776

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28776
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28776]
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

Introduction

Today's puzzle is a fairly gentle offering from Jay which may become a bit more of a challenge if the expected error at 15d materializes (see Error in Today's Puzzle following).

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

Error in Today's Puzzle

Watch out for an error in today's puzzle.

Clue 15d which should read:

• 15d   Some win cap -- a bleary-eyed drunk! (9)

will likely appear in the National Post (as it did in The Daily Telegraph) as:

• 15d   Some win cap -- bleary-eyed and drunk! (9)

The clue was later updated on the Telegraph Puzzles website to include the missing letter as well as remove the word "and".

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   Greece in search of // a hard worker (7)

"Greece" = GR (show explanation )

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Greece is GR^[5].

hide explanation

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

• (noun) hard work ⇒ success came after years of hard graft
• (verb) to work hard ⇒ I need people prepared to go out and graft

Thus, in Britain, a grafter is — or can be^* — someone who works hard.

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^* In Britain, the term grafter can also denote (as it does in North America) someone who engages in bribery and other corrupt practices used to secure illicit advantages or gains in politics or business.

5a   Soldiers foot the bill /for/ sanctuary (7)

"soldiers" = 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.

hide explanation

9a   Blair regularly taken to task /for being/ free of social constraints (9)

Scratching the Surface

Tony Blair[5] is British Labour statesman and former British Prime Minister (1997–2007). (show more ) He was elected leader of the Labour Party in 1994. His landslide victory in the election of 1997 gave his party its biggest-ever majority and made him the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. hide In 2014, Vanity Fair and The Economist published allegations that Blair had had an extramarital affair[7] with Wendi Deng, who was then married to Australian-born American media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Blair categorically denied the allegations.

10a   Order // a business broadcast (5)

11a   Signs // one's worried about source of money (5)

12a   Behaviour /of/ European base in grim surroundings (9)

Base^[5] is used in the archaic sense of denoting or befitting a person of low social class ⇒ Farewell, base peasant, and thank God thy fathers were no gentlemen.

Mean^[5] is a dated term denoting of low birth or social class ⇒ a muffler [scarf] like that worn by the meanest of people.

How's that a link?
Of[10] can mean constituted by, containing, or characterized by ⇒ a family of idiots, a rod of iron, a man of some depth — which would seem to explain its usage as a link word to connect the wordplay to the definition.

13a   Picture one working after South American/'s/ suggestion (9)

16a   Could this throw light on // teacher returning during the afternoon? (5)

After some deliberation, I included the word "on" in the definition reasoning that a prism throws light on (a target).

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It is common practice for British school students to address (or refer to) their male teachers as "Sir", as in To Sir, with Love^[7], a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner-city school.

17a   Make amends /with/ a tincture (5)

How's that a link?
As a link word, with"[5,10] could assume the meaning 'caused or prompted by' ⇒ (i) shaking with rage; (ii) trembling with fear.

18a   Dish that's cooked /by/ person wearing suit needing time (9)

How's that a link?

I can see a couple of possible explanations for the use of the word "by" as a link word. By[5] might be indicating a term to which an interpretation is to be assigned ⇒ what is meant by ‘fair’? In this case, the structure of the clue could be generallized as "{The solution given by the definition} can be an interpretation of {the wordplay}". Alternatively, by[5] could be indicating the means of achieving something ⇒ malaria can be controlled by attacking the parasite. In this case, the structure of the clue could be generallized as "{The solution given by the definition} can be achieved through {the wordplay}".

20a   Requirement for cook that comes before fire? (6,3)

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

The phrase out of the frying pan into the fire^[5] denotes going from a bad situation to one that is worse ⇒ he may find himself jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

23a   This prisoner /would be/ the devil outside University College (5)

UC^[5] is the abbreviation for University College. In a number of countries, a university college^[7] is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies from country to country.

Outside^[5] is used in the sense of beyond the limits or scope of or, in other words, not including.

25a   Basic ingredients may include this in cake (5)

I see the clue as a precise definition containing embedded wordplay.

26a   Graduate carried off /for/ obstruction (9)

27a   Small, small attachment, // dear (7)

"small" = WEE (show explanation )

Wee^[5] is a Scottish adjective meaning little ⇒ (i) when I was just a wee bairn; (ii) the lyrics are a wee bit too sweet and sentimental.

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^* The word may be of Scottish origin but, like the Scots themselves, the word has migrated around the world.

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28a   Each short sleep /is/ most comfortable (7)

Down

1d   Type of humour // okay in case of girls (7)

Gallows humour^[5] denotes grim and ironic humour in a desperate or hopeless situation.

2d   A doctor seen on the French // promenade (5)

"doctor" = MB (show explanation )

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine^[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree. 

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"the French" = LE (show explanation )

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

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3d   Point of access -- // until rest shifted (9)

4d   Assessed // time invested in overpriced revolutionary (5)

5d   First principles /of/ game hazy -- sent off! (9)

"game" = RU (show explanation )

Rugby union^[10] (abbreviation RU^[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).

 Rugby union^[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.

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6d   Half-a-crown /found by/ sailor crossing island area? (5)

"sailor" = TAR (show explanation )

Tar^[5] is an informal, dated nickname for a sailor. The term came into use in the mid 17th century and is perhaps an abbreviation of tarpaulin, also used as a nickname for a sailor at that time.

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The significance of "half-a-crown" can be deduced from the respective definitions of tiara and crown:

• A tiara^[1] is a richly jewelled semicircular head-ornament worn by women.
• A crown^[2] is the the circular, usually jewelled, gold headdress of a sovereign.

Scratching the Surface

In the surface reading, crown[5] may refer to a British coin with a face value of five shillings or 25 [new (decimal)] pence (25p), now minted only for commemorative purposes. "Half-a-crown" would denote an amount of 12½ [new (decimal)] pence (12½p). As Richard points out in his comment below, it would seem to make far more sense to look at a crown in a pre-decimal context given that the crown in no longer in general circulation. Thus prior to the introduction of decimal coinage in the UK in 1971, a crown would have been worth 60 [old (pre-decimal)] pence (60d) and half-a-crown would be 30 [old (pre-decimal)] pence (30d).

7d   Dodgy oil trade involving international // leader (9)

"international" = I (show explanation )

I.^[10] is the abbreviation for International.

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Leader^[10] (also called leading article) is a mainly British term for the leading editorial in a newspaper.

8d   Tense worker perhaps has strange // pet (7)

"tense" = T (show explanation )

Grammatically speaking, t.^[10] is the abbreviation for tense.

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"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.

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As an anagram indicator, rum^[5] is used in a dated informal British sense meaning odd or peculiar ⇒ it’s a rum business, certainly.

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Pet^[3] is used in the sense of a fit of bad temper or pique.

14d   Second approach will conceal right-wing // plot (9)

15d [Revised]   Some win cap -- a bleary-eyed // drunk! (9)

I expect that this clue will appear in the National Post (as it did in The Daily Telegraph) as:

• Some win cap -- bleary-eyed and drunk! (9)

The clue was later revised on the Telegraph Puzzles website to include the missing letter as well as remove the word "and".

Scratching the Surface
Cap[5] is a British term for: a cap awarded as a sign of membership of a particular sports team, especially a national team [a team representing a country in international competition] ⇒ he has won three caps for Scotland a player to whom a cap is awarded ⇒ a former naval officer and rugby cap.

16d   Declares // in favour of applications (9)

17d   A fine carnival's // concerns (7)

"fine" = F (show explanation )

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead.

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Note: Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes this usage as British

hide explanation

19d   Gold buried in river /creates/ rush (7)

"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.

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The Trent^[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.

21d   Man on board loses head /in/ dark (5)

22d   Race over and see heartless // carer (5)

24d   Set up /for/ a bit of snooker (5)

A frame^[5] is a single game of snooker ⇒ Jones won the first four frames.

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