Monday, December 31, 2018 — DT 28804 (Published Saturday, December 29, 2018)

Happy New Year's

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28804
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, July 30, 2018
Setter Dada (John Halpern)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28804]
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
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, December 29, 2018 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

I came to a standstill with a handful of clues left to solve. However, after sleeping on it overnight, the holdouts surrendered without much of a fight.

The National Post may not publish tomorrow but you can drop by here for your daily cruciverbal fix.

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   Move towards men, // going with the flow (10)

The setter gives us a mildly cryptic definition to kick off the puzzle.

6a   Place // tug behind ship at the outset (4)

The definition is a verb beloved by flight attendants.

9a   A note in film // music of the Fifties? (10)

I consider it unlikely that the setter would have used note and bill in the sense of a banknote as the Americanism is not flagged in the clue:

• Note^[5] is a British term for a banknote ⇒ a ten-pound note.
• Bill^[5] is a North American term for a banknote ⇒ a ten-dollar bill.

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops suggests that the words are being used in the sense of "a printed statement of monies owed for goods or services". While this meaning is certainly applicable in the case of a bill, I am not so sure when it come to a note. Yes, a note^[10] is a short written statement giving any kind of information but I consider that to be overly broad to be the meaning intended by the setter.

The best match that I came across is found in The Chambers Dictionary:

• Note^[1] - a paper acknowledging a debt and promising payment, such as a note of hand or promissory note, and especially a banknote
• Bill^[1] - a promissory note

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Rockabilly^[5] is a type of popular music, originating in the south-eastern US in the 1950s, combining elements of rock and roll and country music.

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Origin: 1950s: blend of rock and roll and hillbilly

10a   A little grizzly, possibly, on a // Caribbean island (4)

12a   Football team // score with nine sent off? (6)

Eleven^[5] is the number of players in^* a cricket^[7] side [team] or an Association football^[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒ at cricket I played in the first eleven.

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^* Note that in Britain a player is "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

Scratching the Surface

It would certainly be quite a feat were a team to score with nine sent off. If a football [soccer] player is sent off[14], the referee makes them leave the field during a game, as a punishment for seriously breaking the rules ⇒ he player was sent off for arguing with a linesman. A player who has been sent off is required to leave the field of play immediately and must take no further part in the game. The player who has been sent off cannot be replaced during the game; his team must continue the game with one player fewer[7].

13a   Actor wearing small diamond, // a national symbol (8)

The shamrock^[5] is a low-growing clover-like plant with three-lobed leaves, used as the national emblem of Ireland.

15a   I insist tact must be deployed to trap a // data expert (12)

In his explanation on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops comes up one letter short of a complete solution. The wordplay should parse as "anagram of (must be deployed) I INSIST TACT containing (to trap) A (from the clue)".

18a   Suggest the gospel isn't truth // ? I've just written it! (8,4)

The solver needs to treat the first part of the clue as a phrase; the solution is another phrase which has the same meaning.

21a   While // voice filled with hatred at first, I'm disgusted! (8)

22a   Fake // painting so exquisite, Uffizi didn't object originally (6)

Scratching the Surface
The Uffizi[5] is an art gallery and museum in Florence, housing one of Europe's finest art collections.

24a   In reality, Newcastle/'s/ river (4)

The Tyne^[5] is a river in north-eastern England, formed by the confluence of two headstreams, the North Tyne, which rises in the Cheviot Hills, and the South Tyne, which rises in the northern Pennines. It flows generally eastwards, entering the North Sea at Tynemouth.

Scratching the Surface
In reality, the Tyne is Newcastle's river — provided you choose the right Newcastle. Newcastle[5] is the name of two cities in England: Newcastle upon Tyne is an industrial city and metropolitan district in northeastern England, a port on the River Tyne Newcastle-under-Lyme is an industrial town in Staffordshire, in England, just south-west of Stoke-on-Trent

25a   Looking for lecturer // somewhere in Cambridgeshire (10)

A don^[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

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Huntingdon^[5] is a town in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, on the River Ouse; population 23,100 (est. 2009).

26a   Lech returning /for/ a dance (4)

Lech^[5] is a derogatory, informal term meaning to act in a lecherous or lustful manner ⇒ businessmen leching after bimbos.

27a   Colleague // heading for breakdown during deadlock (10)

A stablemate^[1] (figuratively) is a person from the same club, etc as another.

Down

1d   County // ultimately unprepared, or ready? (6)

Dorset^[5] is a county of southwestern England.

2d   Good /and/ evil (6)

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes this clue as A double definition which would not have worked before 1997 when the film Good Will Hunting gave the answer a meaning opposite to its regular meaning. One always has to keep in mind that Miffypops may have his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. In any event, he is alluding to the following scene from the movie Good Will Hunting. However, Miffypops would appear to have been caught a little off base. In the clue, "wicked" is used as an adjective, whereas in the film it is used as an intensifying adverb — which, according to an article on the Merriam-Webster website, is not only a usage particularly associated with New England where the film is set but one that has become especially popular of late. According to this article, "while there are a handful of examples dating back to the Middle Ages (Yesterday was...a wicked hot day.—Thomas Porter, A Witty Combat, 1663), the explosion of wicked as an adverb is a late 20th-century phenomenon. ".

3d   Aspect ain't so shabby /in/ out-of-this-world accommodation (5,7)

4d   Run and help // Sally? (4)

"run" = R (show explanation )

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s).

In cricket, a run^[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.

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5d   As are a number of clones, // despite what you say (3,3,4)

The first part of the clue is a literal interpretation of the solution.

7d   German // not cute, I gathered (8)

8d   Very large // part of building housing journalist (8)

A hack may be — but is not necessarily — a journalist. A hack^[5] is a writer or journalist producing dull, unoriginal work ⇒ Sunday newspaper hacks earn their livings on such gullibilities.

11d   Drunk in recompense /for/ divine existence? (12)

14d   Convincing case /for/ highly developed skill (6,4)

16d   Quartets playing /for/ uninvited resident (8)

17d   A few words /in/ time? (8)

19d   Plain // aunt struggling to embrace doctor (6)

20d   Suddenly move forward around old // room (6)

Lounge^[5] is a British term for a sitting room in a house. As one can infer from remarks on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, one's use of this term is an indicator of the strata of society to which one belongs with lounge being a "non-posh" name for a sitting room. You can find further examples of such indicator words in the article "If you use these 27 words it proves you're definitely not posh".

23d   Try // attack (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