Monday, February 11, 2019 — DT 28834 (Published Saturday, February 9, 2019)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28834
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, September 3, 2018
Setter Mister Ron (Chris Lancaster)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28834]
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, February 9, 2019 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

The planets have once again aligned and the "Monday" puzzle actually appears in the National Post on a Monday.

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   Be eager to describe wife /as/ seductive? (10)

Containment Indicator: Describe
The use of the word "describe" as a containment indicator is a common cryptic crossword device which relies on describe[1,2,12] being used in the sense of to trace the outline of or delineate ⇒ skaters describing circles on the ice. Thus, in today's clue, we have BE ITCHING containing (describing; outlining or forming a container around) W ([abbreviation for] wife).

6a   Conservative deceived // nation (4)

"Conservative" = C [member of British political party] (show more )

The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.^[10] or Con.^[10].

The Conservative Party^[5] is a a major British political party that emerged from the old Tory Party^* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s. Since the Second World War, it has been in power 1951–64, 1970-74, and 1979–97. It governed in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 until the general election of May 2015, in which it was returned with a majority.

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^* Historically, a Tory^[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.

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Have^[10,12] (past participle had) is used in the sense of to deceive, take in, cheat, or outwit ⇒ they were had in that business deal.

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Chad^[5] is a landlocked country in northern central Africa. (show more )

Much of the country lies in the Sahel and, in the north, the Sahara Desert. A French colony from 1913, Chad became autonomous within the French Community in 1958, and fully independent as a republic in 1960.

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9a   Former // investigator, we hear (5)

10a   Old king's embracing French friends /in/ their underwear (9)

"Old King Cole"^[7] is a British nursery rhyme first attested in 1708. (show more )

Though there is much speculation about the identity of King Cole, it is unlikely that he can be identified reliably as any historical figure. The poem describes a merry king who called for his pipe, bowl, and musicians, with the details varying among versions.

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Ami^[8] (plural amis) is the masculine form of the French word meaning 'friend'.

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Although the underwear itself may not necessarily be French, the name of the underwear is. The English language stole the word camisole^[5] outright from French. At least the French had the decency to modify the word slightly after lifting it from either Italian (camiciola) or Spanish (camisola).

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes the king in question as a merry old sole. I guess he must have been a rather leathery chap.

12a   Intelligent // beagle knew old criminal (13)

14a   Happiness // certain to follow appeal (8)

15a   Consider filling about right /for/ dip (6)

"about " = C (show explanation )

The preposition circa^[5] (abbreviation c^[5] or ca^[5]), usually used preceding a date or amount, means approximately [or about] ⇒ (i) the church was built circa 1860; (ii) Isabella was born c.1759; (iii) he was born ca 1400.

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17a   Horrified -- // price-tag has torn clothes (6)

19a   Stupidly gamble about a pound /in/ sport (4,4)

"pound" = L (show explanation )

The pound^[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. While the symbol for pound is £, it is often written as L^[10].

The Chambers Dictionary defines the upper case L^[1] as the abbreviation for pound sterling (usually written £) and the lower case l^[1] as the abbreviation for pound weight (usually written lb) — both deriving from the Latin word libra^* .

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^* In ancient Rome, the libra^[5] was a unit of weight, equivalent to 12 ounces (0.34 kg). It was the forerunner of the pound.

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21a   Like shipmates // fated to sink or swim together? (2,3,4,4)

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

24a   The setter's disgusting, not about /to be/ rash (9)

"the setter's" = IM (show explanation )

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.

Today, the setter has made the scenario slightly more complicated by combining "the setter" with the verb "to be"^* producing "the setter's" (a contraction of "the setter is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").

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25a   Animal // last to leave country (5)

The eland^[5] is a large spiral-horned African antelope which lives in open woodland and grassland.

26a   Head's // mad (4)

What is he talking about?
On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops writes Not mad with anger. Bonkers mad.. Bonkers[4,5,10,14] is an informal British* term denoting mad or crazy ⇒ you're stark raving bonkers!. * Although American dictionaries do not characterize the word bonkers[3,11,12] as British.

27a   Sonnet king composed /in/ part of London (10)

Kensington^[5] is a fashionable residential district in central London. Part of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, it contains Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, and Science Museum.

Down

1d   More than one hit // dance on first instalment of Strictly (4)

Bop^{[1,2,4,5,10,14]} is an informal British^* term for:

• a dance to pop music^* ⇒ nightlife is good, whether you're looking for a drink or a bop in the disco
• an organized social occasion with dancing to pop music^* ⇒ colleges extend a welcoming hand through buffets and bops

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^* Bop^[5] is short for bebop^[5], a type of jazz originating in the 1940s and characterized by complex harmony and rhythms. It is associated particularly with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie. Although American dictionaries specify that the term bop^[3,11] (as a dance) specifically refers to dancing to bebop music, British dictionaries state that the term denotes dancing to pop music in general.

Scratching the Surface
Strictly Come Dancing[7] (informally known as Strictly) is a British television dance contest, featuring celebrity contestants, with professional dance partners competing in a ballroom and Latin dance competition.

2d   Line // problem (7)

3d   Where naughty reptiles go when they pass ... // their home? (13)

What is he talking about?

On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops makes reference to Bill and Ben's slowcoach .... Bill and Ben[7] are not the twin tank engines that appear in the The Railway Series of books by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, and in the spin-off television series, Thomas and Friends — and "slowcoach" is not a railway car. Rather they are even more obscure characters. The Flower Pot Men[7] is a British children's programme, produced by BBC television, first transmitted in 1952, and repeated regularly for more than twenty years. The show told the story of Bill and Ben, two little men made of flower pots who lived at the bottom of an English suburban garden. A reboot of the show called Bill and Ben was produced in 2001. The plot changed little in each episode. The programme always took place in a garden, behind a potting shed. The third character was Little Weed, of indeterminate species, somewhat resembling a sunflower or dandelion with a smiling face, growing between two large flowerpots. The three were also sometimes visited by a tortoise called Slowcoach, ...

4d   Unwelcome callers during a performance? (8)

5d   Lecturer flipped about graduate, // one of no fixed abode (5)

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

7d   Henry I only /comes to/ fish (7)

Hal^[nameberry] is a venerable nickname for Henry, Harry [itself a variant of Henry]^* and Harold, famously used by Shakespeare in King Henry IV as the name of the king's son, the future Henry V.

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^* Harry was considered the "spoken form" of Henry^[7] in medieval England. Most English kings named Henry were called Harry. At one time, the name was so popular for English men that the phrase "Tom, Dick, and Harry" was used to refer to everyone.

But^[5] is used as an adverb meaning no more than or only ⇒ (i) he is but a shadow of his former self; (ii) choose from a colourful array of mango, starfruit, and raspberries, to name but a few.

8d   Put a damper on // Danes and their cooking (10)

11d   'African // Queen' seen in dodgy areas online (6,7)

"Queen" = ER (show explanation )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

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A Sierra Leonean^[5] is a native or inhabitant of Sierra Leone, a country on the coast of West Africa. (show more )

An area of British influence from the late 18th century, the district around Freetown on the coast became a colony in 1807, serving as a centre for operations against slave traders. The large inland territory was not declared a protectorate until 1896. Sierra Leone achieved independence within the Commonwealth in 1961 but was suspended from the organization between 1997 and 2001 following military coups in 1992 and 1997.

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13d   A pair point out // ghost (10)

16d   Sloppy // cereal unsettled sons (8)

18d   Source of wifi /in/ nightclub (7)

20d   Draw // a piece of land, with time to get absorbed (7)

22d   Active // US serviceman overcome by booze (5)

"US serviceman" = GI (show explanation )

A GI^[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war.

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Origin: Contrary to popular bief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

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23d   God // turned up in Benidorm (4)

In Scandinavian mythology, Odin^[5] (also Woden or Wotan) is the supreme god and creator, god of victory and the dead. Wednesday is named after him.

Scratching the Surface

Benidorm[7] is a city in the province of Alicante in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. Until the 1960s, Benidorm was a small fishing village; today it is known for its hotel industry, beaches and skyscrapers. Benidorm has the most high-rise buildings per capita in the world. Delving Deeper The resort would be known to British solvers as the setting for the British sitcom Benidorm[7] which aired in the UK from 2007 to 2018.

Benidorm[7] is a city in the province of Alicante in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. Until the 1960s, Benidorm was a small fishing village; today it is known for its hotel industry, beaches and skyscrapers. Benidorm has the most high-rise buildings per capita in the world. Delving Deeper The resort would be known to British solvers as the setting for the British sitcom Benidorm[7] which aired in the UK from 2007 to 2018.

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