Saturday, January 5, 2019 — Peripheral Vision

Introduction

I found today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to be a tad on the more difficult side. Perhaps it was just due to a very full plate of commitments demanding my immediate attention, but I threw in the towel early and resorted to calling out the electronic reinforcements to help complete the puzzle.

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

7a   Deceived // doctor about key (6)

M(ISLE)D — MD (doctor; abbrev.) containing (about) ISLE (key; small island)

9a   Region containing Albert’s // shrunken lake (4,3)

AR(AL| S)EA — AREA (region) containing (†) {AL ([diminutive of] Albert) + S ('s)}

The Aral Sea^[5] is an inland sea in central Asia, on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Its area was reduced to two thirds of its original size between 1960 and 1990, after water was diverted for irrigation, with serious consequences for the environment of the area.

10a   Scholarly life // put me back in old French colony (8)

ACAD(EM<)IA — reversal of (put ... back) ME (†) contained in (in) ACADIA (old French colony)

Acadia^[12] was a French colony (1604-1713) on the northeast coast of North America, including what are now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, plus parts of Quebec and parts of Maine.

11a   Zhivago portrayer // has fir chopped up (6)

SHARIF* — anagram (chopped up) of HAS FIR

Omar Sharif^[7] (1932–2015), born Michel Dimitri Chalhoub, was an Egyptian actor. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s, but is best known for his appearances in both British and American productions. His films included Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Funny Girl (1968).

12a   Potato // Eater’s last U.S. place (6)

R|US|SET — R (eateR's last [letter]) + US (U.S.) + SET (place)

A russet potato^[7] is a type of potato that is large, with dark brown skin and few eyes. The flesh is white, dry, and mealy, and it is suitable for baking, mashing, and french fries. Russet potatoes are also known as Idaho potatoes.

Scratching the Surface
Were it not for the misplaced apostrophe, one might take this clue to be an allusion to The Potato Eaters[7], an oil painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted in April 1885 which hangs in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

13a   Cheat // applicant astride horse (8)

FI(NAG)LER — FILER (applicant) containing (astride) NAG (horse)

14a   Something precious about rose’s first // bud (4)

GE(R)M — GEM (something precious) containing (about) R (Rose's first [letter])

16a   True masculine // domain (5)

REAL|M — REAL (true) + M (masculine; abbrev.)

18a   For an audience, make fast // Asian cuisine (4)

THAI~ — sounds like (for an audience) TIE (make fast; secure with ropes or straps)

20a   Wrong // person lassoing a little rascal? (8)

IMP|ROPER — taken in its entirety as a phrase, a "person lassoing (ROPER) a little rascal (IMP)" might be described as an "imp roper"

23a   Look for victory, you might say, /in/ glittery bit (6)

SEQUIN~ — sounds like (you might say) {SEEK (look for) + WIN (victory)}

25a   Piece that’s performed // with less feeling (6)

NUMBER — a double definition; the first being a noun that might denote a piece of music, the second an adjective meaning more lack of feeling.

26a   Troublemaker // noticed silver on the outskirts of California (8)

S(CAL)AW|AG — {SAW (noticed) + AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver)} containing (on the outskirts of; surrounding) CAL (California; abbrev.)

27a   Equivalent of a word // broken, my sonny (7)

SYNONYM* — anagram of (broken) MY SONNY

28a   Heavyset Oiler covering // star for the Canadiens (6)

_ET|OILE_ — hidden in (covering) heavysET OILEr

The French word for 'star' is étoile^[8].

Language Indicator

The phrase "for the Canadiens" indicates that the solution is a French word, "canadien" being the masculine word meaning Canadian in French (the feminine form is "canadienne"). This is similar to the use of phrases such as "the French" or "a Parisian" to clue a French definite or indefinite article respectively. As Henry has persuasively argued in the comments below, although the surface reading alludes to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, we should interpret the word "Canadiens" in the definition to denote French Canadians. Note that, unlike in the English language, one does not capitalize a nationality in French unless it is used as a proper noun. Thus French speakers would write "« star » pour les canadiens français" (or perhaps "« star » pour les canadiens français et les canadiennes françaises" to be gender inclusive) whereas English speakers would write "star for the French Canadians". I don't know the proper way to use a French spelling of a nationality in an English sentence. Should it be "star for the canadiens" (applying the French rule for capitalization) or "star for the Canadiens" (applying the English rule for capitalization). In any event, the setters did not have to deal with this question as the word "Canadiens" is always capitalized when used as the name of the hockey team (being a proper noun). So even if the word "canadiens" did not need to be capitalized in the definition, it could be capitalized for purposes of the surface reading. Remember, it is considered acceptable for setters to misleadingly capitalize words that do not require capitals but it is not acceptable to omit capitals where they are required.

Scratching the Surface

The Edmonton Oilers[7] are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Montreal Canadiens[7] (French: Les Canadiens de Montréal) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Down

1d   Made different lads be // swashbucklers (6)

BLADES* — anagram of (made different) LADS BE

2d   In operating room, make deal /for/ instrument in a dash (8)

O(DO|METE)R — {DO (make) + METE (deal; distribute)} contained in (in) OR (operating room; abbrev.)

3d   Criticize a // piece for sitar, maybe (4)

RAG|A — RAG (criticize) + A (†)

The sitar^[5] is a large, long-necked Indian lute with movable frets, played with a wire pick.

In Indian classical music, raga^[5] can denote either:

• each of the six basic musical modes which express different moods in certain characteristic progressions, with more emphasis placed on some notes than others
• a piece using a particular raga

4d   Mother’s being shown // a sort of plum (6)

DAM|S|ON — DAM (mother; female parent of an animal, especially a domestic animal) + S ('s) + ON (being shown; my favourite TV show is on at this very moment)

The damson^[7] or damson plum is an edible drupaceous fruit, a subspecies of the plum tree. Varieties  are found across Europe, but the name "damson" is derived from and most commonly applied to forms which are native to Ireland and Great Britain. Damsons are relatively small plum-like fruit with a distinctive, somewhat astringent taste, and are widely used for culinary purposes, particularly in fruit preserves or jam.

5d   Snail, // set loose, devouring freight (8)

{ES(CARGO)T}* — anagram (loose) of SET containing (devouring) CARGO (freight)

Escargot^[5] denotes the edible snail, especially as an item on a menu.

6d   Gorge // inside, with dance party outside (6)

RAV(IN)E — IN (inside) contained in (with ... outside) RAVE (dance party)

8d   Embrace // uncle I’d upset (7)

INCLUDE* — anagram (upset) of UNCLE ID

13d   Talent // shows back in imperial forum (5)

{_F|LAIR_}< — reversed (shows back) and hidden in (in) impeRIAL Forum

15d   Needle in stack // slipping away (8)

MO(RIB)UND — RIB (needle; tease) contained in (in) MOUND (stack)

17d   Wrong // post held by Minister (8)

MI(STAKE)N — STAKE (post) contained by (held by) MIN (Minister; abbrev.)

19d   David’s wife /is/ a huge pain (7)

A|BIG|AIL — A (†) + BIG (huge) + AIL (pain; verb)

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Abigail^[10] is a woman who brought provisions to David and his followers and subsequently became his wife [I Samuel 25:1–42].

21d   Rodent eating second // dessert (6)

MOU(S)SE or MOUS(S)E — MOUSE (rodent) containing (eating) S (second)

22d   Band fronted by Dad // cutting back (6)

PA|RING — RING (band) following (fronted by) PA (dad)

24d   Clam // in the capacity of glutton (6)

QUA|HOG — QUA (in the capacity of) + HOG (glutton)

Quahog^[5] (also spelled quahaug; also called hard clam or hardshell clam) is a North American term for a large, rounded edible clam of the Atlantic coast of North America.

26d   Rig // carried by cruise missile (4)

_SE|MI_ — hidden in (carried by) cruiSE MIssile

Epilogue

Did you spot the Nina in the puzzle? I must confess that it slipped by me unnoticed and I have to thank Bill for drawing it to our attention.

A Nina is a hidden feature in a crossword. The original Nina was the daughter of American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, who was best known for his simple black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. He frequently hid his daughter’s name in his caricatures. The term has been adopted for crosswords that contain a hidden message. You can learn more from FAQ #31 Who (or what) is Nina? on Big Dave's Crossword Blog.

This is similar in concept to an "Easter egg"^[7] in computer software and media where an an intentional inside joke, hidden message or image, or secret feature of a work is embedded in a computer program, video game, or DVD/Blu-ray Disc menu screen.

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