Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28841 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28841] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Mr K | |
BD Rating
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| 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
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Introduction
This was Mr K's 100th review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog and it is referred to in several comments as either a century or a ton. A century[5] is a score of a hundred in a sporting event, especially a batsman’s score of a hundred runs in cricket ⇒he scored the only century of the tour. Ton[5] is an informal British term for a hundred, in particular a speed of 100 mph, a score of 100 or more, or a sum of £100.
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:
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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)
Explanatory Box
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| 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:
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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.
ExamplesI 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.
A few examples may help to illustrate these points more clearly.
The first example is a clue used by Jay in DT 28573:
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).
- 4d Fellow left work // a failure (4)
The second example is a clue used by Giovanni in DT 28575:
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.
- 29a Female going to match // travels with mother in advance (10)
The third example is a clue used by Rufus is DT 28583:
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/).
- 18d Knight caught by misplaced big blow /is/ staggering (8)
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)
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 Good scope /offered by/ initial moves (6)
"good" = G [academic result] (show explanation )
In chess, a gambit[5] is an opening move in which a player makes a sacrifice, typically of a pawn, for the sake of a compensating advantage ⇒
he tried the dubious Budapest gambit.
5a Money gets plain // wool (8)
Cashmere[5] may denote either:
- fine, soft wool, originally that from the Kashmir goat;
- woollen material made from or resembling cashmere.
9a Show // wine store for the most part stocking popular red knocked back (10)
Cellar[5] may denote either:
- a room below ground level in a house, often used for storing wine or coal ⇒ (i)
the servants led us down into a cellar
; (ii)a wine cellar
; - a stock of wine ⇒
he spent years building up a remarkable cellar of aged Riojas
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The story of Cinderella[7] has been the subject of innumerable stage and screen treatments — be they opera and ballet[7], theatre[7], or film and television[7].
10a Ready // to complain if starter's not included (4)
11a Confuse // playwright in Berlin? Not half! (8)
Oscar Wilde[5]
(1854–1900) was an Irish dramatist, novelist, poet, and wit. (show more )
His advocacy of ‘art for art’s sake’ is evident in his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). As a dramatist he achieved success with the comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). Wilde was imprisoned (1895-7) for homosexual offences and died in exile.
Wilde spent most of his period of incarceration in Reading Gaol, 30 miles (48 km) west of London. Upon his release he left immediately for France, never to return to Ireland or Britain. There he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life. He died destitute in Paris at the age of 46.[7]
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His advocacy of ‘art for art’s sake’ is evident in his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). As a dramatist he achieved success with the comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). Wilde was imprisoned (1895-7) for homosexual offences and died in exile.
Wilde spent most of his period of incarceration in Reading Gaol, 30 miles (48 km) west of London. Upon his release he left immediately for France, never to return to Ireland or Britain. There he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life. He died destitute in Paris at the age of 46.[7]
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12a Illegally obtained pet // food? (3,3)
13a Previous // over (4)
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading is likely intended to evoke images of a cricket match. In cricket, an over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end. |
15a Envoy/'s/ academic qualification, first from Trinity (8)
Scratching the Surface
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Trinity College[7] is a popular name for institutions of higher learning around the world. Three of the best known are:
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18a Indignant, // well-informed elected members (2,2,4)
19a Almost perfect // plan (4)
21a Credit is doubled /in/ emergency (6)
23a Way to secure permit /for/ gambling game (8)
Roulette[5] is a gambling game in which a ball is dropped on to a revolving wheel with numbered compartments, the players betting on the number at which the ball comes to rest.
25a Prima donna // very keen to return (4)
Prima donna[10] may denote:
- a female operatic star; a diva;
- (informal) a temperamental person.
Origin: Italian, 'first lady'.
26a One into finance // is enthralled by French painter and what he produced (10)
Claude Monet[5]
(1840–1926) was a French painter. (show more )
A founder member of the impressionists, his fascination with the play of light on objects led him to produce series of paintings of single subjects painted at different times of the day and under different weather conditions, such as the Water-lilies sequence (1899–1906; 1916 onwards).
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A founder member of the impressionists, his fascination with the play of light on objects led him to produce series of paintings of single subjects painted at different times of the day and under different weather conditions, such as the Water-lilies sequence (1899–1906; 1916 onwards).
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A monetarist is an adherent of monetarism[5], the theory or practice of controlling the supply of money as the chief method of stabilizing the economy.
27a Decidedly // trendy black suit (2,6)
28a /In/ centre of Perth, mate there caught out // thief (6)
Perth[5] is
the capital of the state of Western Australia, on the Indian Ocean. (show more ) Yes, I know there is a city named Perth in Scotland — not to mention the nearby one just outside Ottawa. But, believe me, we need to focus our attention on the one Down Under.
Founded by the British in 1829, it developed rapidly after the discovery in 1890 of gold in the region and the opening in 1897 of the harbour at Fremantle.
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Founded by the British in 1829, it developed rapidly after the discovery in 1890 of gold in the region and the opening in 1897 of the harbour at Fremantle.
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In Britain, mate[5] is:
- an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
my best mate Steve
; - a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒
‘See you then, mate.’
.
G'day cobbers!.
"caught" = C [cricket term] (show explanation )
In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.[2,10] or c[5] denotes caught (by).
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In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.[2,10] or c[5] denotes caught (by).
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Scratching the Surface
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To catch someone out[5] means to:
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Down
2d Quick /taking/ a short breather before beginning of event (5)
3d Ashamed to make money working /in/ sport (9)
Bad[5] means regretful, guilty, or ashamed about something ⇒ (i)
she feels bad about ending their engagement; (ii)
I feel bad that our business is benefiting from something so horrible.
4d Rant /made by/ one in commerce (6)
5d Company calls about poor lads working /in/ US city (8,7)
Colorado Springs[7] is the county seat and the most populous municipality of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is located 60 miles (97 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. NORAD* headquarters are located at nearby Peterson Air Force Base.
* NORAD[7] (North American Aerospace Defense Command, known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command) is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for Northern America.
6d Horse-drawn carriage, // second phaeton, abandoned (8)
As an anagram indicator, abandoned[10] is used as an adjective meaning unrestrained or uninhibited ⇒
wild, abandoned dancing.
A stanhope[5,10] (historically) was a light open one-seater* horse-drawn carriage, with two or four wheels. It was named after Fitzroy Stanhope (1787–1864), an English clergyman for whom the first one was made.* }
* The definition given by Oxford Dictionaries Online specifies that a stanhope[5] was a
carriage for one person; however, the illustration provided by Mr K in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog would seem to clearly show that its single seat could accommodate more than one person.
Scratching the Surface
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| A phaeton[5] (historically) was a light, open four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage. According to Wikipedia, the stanhope[7] was a gig*, buggy**, or light phaeton, typically having a high seat and closed back. |
7d Worth // millions, flag that's turned up (5)
8d Unprincipled person /could bring/ about authentication of a will (9)
14d Disparaging remark // when being taken round island (9)
16d Old poet wrong over // colour (5,4)
Olive drab[5] is a dull olive-green colour, used in some military uniforms.
17d Page carried on, // took it as read (8)
"page" = P [publishing] (show explanation )
Take something as read[5] is a British expression meaning to assume something without the need for further discussion ⇒
you can take it as read that you have the contract.
20d Pressure applied to speak /in/ golf club (6)
"pressure" = P [physics notation] (show explanation )
A putter[5] is a golf club designed for use in putting (gently stroking the ball on a green), typically with a flat-faced head.
22d Note /coming from/ small plucked instrument (5)
"small" = S [clothing size] (show explanation )
A sharp[5] is a musical note raised a semitone* above natural pitch.
* For those among us who are musically challenged, a semitone[12] is the difference in pitch between any two immediately adjacent keys on the piano.
24d A test in translation /may give one/ experience (5)
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for today — Falcon
[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)
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