Saturday, February 23, 2019 — Fools Rush In ...

Introduction

I discerned no particular theme in today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon but it was an enjoyable diversion on this beautiful sunny day ahead of what is promising to be a nasty day tomorrow. I hope we don't receive too much snow as my snowblower is in the repair shop.

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   Fools holding passable // cards (9)

J(OK)ESTERS — JESTERS (fools) containing (holding) OK (passable)

6a   Reptile // encountered in Pernambuco, Brazil (5)

_CO|BRA_ — hidden in (encountered in) PernambuCO BRAzil

Scratching the Surface

Pernambuco[7] is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country bordering on the Atlantic Ocean. The state of Pernambuco also includes the archipelago Fernando de Noronha. Its capital and largest city, Recife, is one of the most important economic and urban hubs in the country. In 1982 the city of Olinda, the second oldest city in Brazil, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

9a   Hound disrupting mood/’s/ weightiness (7)

TON(NAG)E — NAG (hound) contained in (disrupting) TONE (mood)

10a   Copying // operatic heroine, wail (7)

MIMI|CRY — MIMI (operatic heroine) + CRY (wail)

Mimi is the tragic heroine of the opera La bohème^[7] by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924). Mimi is also the name of the heroine of the 1996 Broadway musical Rent^[7] which is based on La bohème.

11a   Tight spot going around pretty // spiny trees (9)

MES(QUITE)S — MESS (tight spot) containing (going around) QUITE (pretty; as an intensifier)

The mesquite^[7] is a spiny tree or shrub of the pea family, native to arid regions of south-western US and Mexico. It yields useful timber, tanbark, medicinal products, and edible pods. The timber is used for fencing and flooring, and burned in barbecues as flavouring.

12a   Tip about first of roles // to memorize (5)

LEA(R)N — LEAN (tip) containing (about) R (first [letter] of Roles)

13a   Dragon slayer overlooking the second // ravine (5)

G[]ORGE — G[E]ORGE (dragon slayer) with the second letter removed (overlooking the second)

St George^[6] is the patron saint of England. He is reputed in legend to have slain a dragon and may have been martyred near Lydda in Palestine some time before the reign of Constantine.

15a   Painting guys in appropriate // flat (9)

AP(ART|MEN)T — {ART (painting) + MEN (guys)} contained in (in) APT (appropriate)

Here and There

In Britain, the term flat[5] is generally used for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America. The term apartment is used in Britain, but seemingly in a more restricted sense than in North America applying to either temporary or upscale accommodation. As Oxford Dictionaries puts it, an apartment[5] is: (British) a flat, typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays [vacations] ⇒ self-catering holiday apartments (North American) any flat ⇒ the family lived in a rented apartment

17a   Holder of a deed // left with one bummer (9)

L|AN|DOWNER — L(eft) + AN (one) + DOWNER (bummer)

19a   Temporarily leave a // warm coat (5)

PARK|A — PARK (temporarily leave) + A (†)

20a   Two Greek characters // work in St. Peter’s (5)

PI|ETA — PI (sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet) + ETA (seventh letter of the Greek alphabet)

Pietà

The Pietà^[7] ("The Pity"; 1498–1499) is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed.

21a   Sitting in rider’s seat, Kay and Ed // split (9)

S(K|ED)ADDLE — {K (kay) + (and) ED (†)} contained in (sitting in) SADDLE (rider's seat)

23a   Hero’s lover // also caught by salacious look (7)

LE(AND)ER — AND (also) contained in (caught by) LEER (salacious look)

Hero and Leander^[7] is the Greek myth relating the story of Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite who dwelt in a tower in Sestos on the European side of the Hellespont (show explanation ), and Leander, a young man from Abydos on the opposite side of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero and would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide his way.

Hellespont^[5] is the ancient name for the Dardanelles, a narrow strait between Europe and Asiatic Turkey, linking the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea. It is named after the legendary Helle, who fell into the strait and was drowned while escaping with her brother Phrixus from their stepmother, Ino, on a golden-fleeced ram.

hide

Succumbing to Leander's soft words and to his argument that Venus, as the goddess of love, would scorn the worship of a virgin, Hero allowed him to become "special friends" with her. These trysts lasted through the warm summer. But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light; Leander lost his way and was drowned. When Hero saw his dead body, she threw herself over the edge of the tower to her death to be with him.

24a   Twilight // getting more regular (7)

EVENING — double definition

26a   Country // star embracing Putin’s approval (5)

SU(DA)N — SUN (star) containing (embracing) DA (Putin's approval)

Vladimir Putin^[5] is a Russian statesman, President 2000-2008 and 2012 to present, Prime Minister 2008–2012. In Cyrillic, the Russian word for yes^[8] is да which transliterates into English^[7] as da.

27a   Stopped to consider, // nonetheless, in wager (9)

BE(THOUGH)T — THOUGH (nonetheless) contained in (in) BET (wager)

Down

1d   Black // spout (3)

JET — double definition

2d   Snags // strikeout signs (5)

K|INKS — K (strikeout) + INKS (signs; as a verb)

In baseball or softball, a strikeout^[5] (or strike-out) occurs when a batter racks up three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means the batter is out^*. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denoted by K. A 'strikeout looking' (as opposed to a 'strikeout swinging') is denoted by a Ʞ.

---

^* If a third strike is not caught cleanly by the catcher, it is still recorded as a strikeout for both the pitcher and the batter; however, the batter is not out but becomes a runner, and the play is still alive. (This is not true when first base is occupied and there are fewer than two outs.) The batter-runner may occupy first base unless the defense tags him out or throws him out. Therefore, it is possible for a pitcher to achieve more than three strikeouts in one standard half-inning.

3d   Reputation // Stuart ruined by error (7)

STATUR*|E — anagram (ruined) of STUART + (by) E (error; abbrev. used in baseball stats)

4d   Kind of fatigue, // certainly, in Eastern practise (9)

E(YES)TRAIN — YES (certainly) contained in (in) {E(astern) + TRAIN (practise)}

Oops!

The surface reading here really makes no sense. In British and Canadian English, the noun 'practice" is spelled with a 'C' and the verb 'practise' with an 'S'. In US English, both the noun and verb are spelled 'practice' with a 'C'. Thus this clue would have worked perfectly well in the US using the US spelling 'practice': Kind of fatigue, // certainly, in Eastern practice (9) parsing as YES (certainly) contained in (in) {E(astern) + TRAIN (practice)} where "practice" in the surface reading is a noun and in the cryptic parsing is a verb. However, in attempting to convert the clue to use Canadian spelling, our American setters have produced a nonsensical surface reading. For the clue to work using Canadian spelling, it would need to read something like; Fatiguing, // certainly, in Eastern practice (12) parsing as YES (certainly) contained in (in) {E(astern) + TRAINING (practice)} which produces a 12-letter solution rather than a 9-letter solution.

5d   Cesspools // add up, by the way (5)

SUM|PS — SUM (add up) + PS (by the way)

6d   Legendary kingdom // appeared by fate (7)

CAME|LOT — CAME (appeared) + (by) LOT (fate)

In Arthurian legend, Camelot^[3] is the site of King Arthur's court.

7d   Second-rate acne cure agitated // pirate (9)

B|UCCANEER* — B (second-rate) + anagram of (agitated) ACNE CURE)

8d   Fuel additive // may rattle in convertible (4,7)

{AMYL NITRATE}* — anagram of (convertible) MAY RATTLE IN

Amyl nitrate^[5] is a colourless synthetic liquid used as an additive in diesel fuel to improve its ignition properties.

---

Usage: Amyl nitrate (C₅H₁₁NO₃) and amyl nitrite (C₅H₁₁NO₂) are distinct substances. The street drug is amyl nitrite, but is often incorrectly called amyl nitrate.

11d   A simple logo transformed // big urban area (11)

MEGALOPOLIS* — anagram of (transformed) A SIMPLE LOGO

14d   Went off antelope/’s/ grazing territory (9)

RANG|ELAND — RANG (went off) + ELAND (antelope)

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

16d   Playing game, enter // contract (9)

AGREEMENT* — anagram of (playing) GAME ENTER

18d   Taboo about genetic material going back // seemingly forever (2,3,2)

{ON AND ON}< — reversal of (going back) {NO-NO (taboo) containing (about) DNA (genetic material)}

19d   Rank body odour // medicine with no intrinsic effect (7)

PLACE|BO — PLACE (rank) + BO (body odour; abbrev.)

21d   Plant // new bush around mid-April (5)

SH(R)UB* — anagram of (new) BUSH containing (around) R (mid-April; middle letter of ApRil)

22d   Sound of a bell on either side of one // performance (5)

DO(I)NG — DONG (sound of bell) containing (on either side of) I ([Roman numeral for] one)

25d   Wrench back /and/ belly (3)

GUT< — reversal of (back) of TUG (wrench)

Epilogue

Fools (1a) rush in where angels — or, at least, those giving the situation due consideration (27a) — fear to tread.

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