Thurssday, February 21, 2019 — DT 28842

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28842
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28842]
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

I always find Jay's puzzles to provide a lot of enjoyment — and today's is no exception.

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   Turn it up intermittently -- speed /gives/ notable success (7)

5a   Analysed a test-market stocking // drugs (7)

9a   Shock // a friend welcoming pressure (5)

"pressure" = P [physics notation] (show explanation )

In physics, p^[5] is a symbol used to represent pressure in mathematical formulae.

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Either of the two letters "P" contained in the solution could be represented by "pressure". However, for reasons we shall see later, we might well consider it to be the second one.

10a   Prime Minister needs best // sort of growth (9)

Theresa May^[7] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party, having served as both since July 2016. She is the second female Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in the UK after Margaret Thatcher.

Flower^[5] (in the phrase the flower of) denotes the finest individuals out of a number of people or things ⇒ he wasted the flower of French youth on his dreams of empire.

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A Bouquet of Mayflowers

In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis illustrate their hint with a picture of a North American plant (Epigaea repens) known as the mayflower[7] or trailing arbutus. It is the provincial flower of Nova Scotia and the state flower of Massachusetts. However, to Brits the mayflower[10] is quite a different plant (or actually plants), being another name for not only hawthorn but also cowslip and marsh marigold. The hawthorn[5] is a thorny shrub or tree of the rose family (especially Crataegus oxyacantha), with white, pink, or red blossoms and small dark red fruits (haws). Native to north temperate regions, it is commonly used for hedging in Britain. The cowslip[5] is a European primula (Primula veris) with clusters of drooping fragrant yellow flowers in spring, growing on dry grassy banks and in pasture. It is also a common name for any of a number of other herbaceous plants (including marsh marigold). On this side of the pond, cowslip is another name for Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica) a North American plant with blue flowers. The marsh marigold[5] (also called kingcup or cowslip[5]) is a plant (Caltha palustris) of the buttercup family which has large yellow flowers and grows in damp ground and shallow water, native to north temperate regions.

11a   Newly-developed African oil // state (10)

12a   Discreet attention seeker? (4)

I thought that AHEM was a far more discreet — albeit far less helpful — alternative.

What did they say?

In Comment #24 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis write ... we considered giving an alternative clue of, “Attention seeker sounding newt-like” .... As pissed as a newt[a] is a British expression meaning very drunk. The Urban Dictionary — although hardly what I consider the most reliable of sources — may throw some light on the origin of the expression as it defines as pissed as a newt to mean too drunk to walk straight with reference to the natural wobbling gait of a newt. [a] Cambridge Dictionary

14a   Aching to incorporate seating area, /getting/ established (4-8)

Is it not rather ironic that one sits in the stands? Apparently though, at one time, one stood in the stands.

18a   Extended // prison term in exposed environment? (12)

The construction "in XXX environment" is a cryptic crossword device denoting "contained in XXX".

21a   European // article adopted in case of dispute (4)

22a   Cooking, get poetic about a // dish (7,3)

Cottage pie^[5] is a British term for a dish of minced [ground^[5]] meat topped with browned mashed potato.

Delving Deeper
This dish would appear to be similar to shepherd's pie. a British term for a dish of minced [ground[5]] meat under* a layer of mashed potato. * Presumably shepherd's pie may be the more difficult dish to prepare — tucking the meat under the mashed potato may prove to be a challenge 😀.

25a   Adulterous // couple should confront this regularly ignored dynasty (3-6)

26a   Country // home needing assistance to make a comeback (5)

27a   Hooligan // sport enthusiast embracing Formula One (7)

"sport" = 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).

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"Formula One" = FI (show explanation )

Formula One^[7] (also Formula 1 or F1 and officially the FIA Formula One World Championship) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants' cars must conform. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, meaning grand prizes), held worldwide on purpose-built circuits and public roads.

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What did they say?
In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis write A sport enthusiast is an avid supporter of our national game .... As you would recognize from their pseudonym, the 2Kiwis hail from New Zealand. Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, as well as in Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.

28a   Argued violently after son /gets/ sweet (7)

Down

1d   One's heart is in touch /for/ a spell (6)

2d   Forces // smile awkwardly absorbing pressure (6)

It is usually frowned upon to use the same device multiple times within the same puzzle (see the thread arising from Comment #2 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog). However, if you take "pressure" to represent the second letter "P" in 9a, then it just happens to be the very same letter in the grid for the solution to this clue — which I actually thought was rather clever.

3d   Delivery vehicles // exploit aids for anglers (4,6)

Float^[5,10] is a British term for a small delivery vehicle, especially one powered by batteries ⇒ a milk float.

4d   Classic poet/'s/ house on the sea in France (5)

"house" = HO (show explanation )

Although not found in most of the dictionaries I consulted, ho.^[10] is the abbreviation for house.

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The French word for 'sea' is mer^[8].

Homer^[5] (8th century BC) was a Greek epic poet. (show more )

Homer is traditionally held to be the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, though modern scholarship has revealed the place of the Homeric poems in a preliterate oral tradition. In later antiquity Homer was regarded as the greatest poet, and his poems were constantly used as a model and source by others.

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5d   Artistic // city's redesigned around tip (9)

Stylistic^[10] means of or relating to style, especially artistic or literary style.

6d   Benefit /of/ lies oddly underpinning party (4)

Dole^[5] (usually the dole) is an informal British^* term for a benefit paid by the state to the unemployed ⇒ (i) I was on the dole for three years; (ii) my next dole cheque.

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^* although, in my experience, not a term unheard in Canada

7d   Vet finally has joint // settlement (8)

8d   Plan // great changes in animal enclosure (8)

13d   Junior to enter grovelling initially // suffering (10)

15d   Papal // gag or rein, after a fashion (9)

Gregorian^[10] denotes relating to, associated with, or introduced by any of the popes named Gregory, especially Gregory I or Gregory XIII.

16d   Traders possibly accepting nothing /for/ such a vehicle (8)

A roadster^[5] is an open-top car with two seats.

17d   Insist, and offer to keep // deadlock (5-3)

19d   Rest /of/ page in red is redrafted (6)

"page" = P [publishing] (show explanation )

In textual references, the abbreviation for page is p^[5] ⇒ see p 784.

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A spider^[5] is a long-legged rest for a billiard cue that can be placed over a ball without touching it.

20d   Announce // the lady's mistreated lad (6)

23d   Bought on the way up when /seeing/ such garments (5)

24d   Part of problem in ironing // dress (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