Tuesday, April 30, 2019 — DT 28890

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28890
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28890]
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 would think that most will agree that today's puzzle is definitely at the easier end of Jay's range.

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 program, 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 directly from a dictionary or at least phrased in a non-misleading fashion similar to one that would be found in a dictionary
• 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 (for example, defining topiary as "clip art")
• a "whimsical definition": a definition "invented" by the setter often by extrapolating a non-existent meaning for a word from a similar word (for example, defining a bird as a "winger" [something possessing wings] or a river as a ''flower" [something that flows] or to extrapolate that, since disembowel means 'to remove the innards of ', that discontent must mean 'to remove the contents of')
• a "definition by example": the presence of one of these is often flagged with a question mark (for example, defining atoll as "coral?" where an atoll is but one form that coral may take).

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 other varieties of definition (such as cryptic definitions, whimsical definitions, definitions by example, etc.) 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   Verify // angry European broadcast (10)

6a   Volunteers needed in case of shooting // party (4)

"volunteers" = TA [Territorial Army] (show explanation )

In the UK, Territorial Army^[5] (abbreviation TA^[5]) was, at one time, the name of a volunteer force founded in 1908 to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined military personnel for use in an emergency. Since 2013, this organization has been called the Army Reserve.

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10a   Show // lover must have change of heart (5)

11a   Ship // that might bear fruit? (9)

Used figuratively, the expressions "bear fruit" and "flower" both denote to flourish or be successful.

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The Mayflower^[5] is the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from England to America.

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I'm afraid that I overlooked the figurative use of the expression "may flower" that the 2Kiwis have put forward in their review. I took the latter part of the clue to be a cryptic definition of the hawthorn.

• Ship // that might bear fruit? (9)

It is entirely possible that either the 2Kiwis or myself have seen something that did not even occur to the setter.

Here and There

The British mayflower bears fruit; not so the North American mayflower. To North Americans, mayflower is the common name for the trailing arbutus[5,10] (Epigaea repens), a creeping evergreen plant of the heath family, Epigaea repens, of eastern North America, having clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers. The mayflower[7] is the provincial flower of Nova Scotia and the state flower of Massachusetts. In the UK, mayflower is another name for the hawthorn[5], 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.

12a   President with hotel must accept one // notable success (7)

Hotel^[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.

Scratching the Surface

One branch of the Trump empire has hardly proven to be a notable success. Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc.[7] is a gaming and hospitality company that once owned and operated a number of properties but now owns only a single property, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that is currently shuttered and vacant. Formerly known as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, the company was founded in 1995 by Donald Trump, now 45th president of the United States. Having filed for bankruptcy in 2004, 2009 and 2014, it has been a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises since 2016.

13a   Poles covered by characteristic // passage (7)

14a   A couple of million swallowed by rising prices /may be/ a cause of pain (12)

18a   Illustration /that could be/ precise, if not funny (12)

21a   Profile Royal Marines by answer /and/ weapon (7)

"Royal Marines" = RM (show explanation )

The Royal Marines^[5] (abbreviation RM)^[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.

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23a   Repugnant // prospect offered to old boy (7)

"old boy" = OB (show explanation )

In Britain, an old boy^[5] (abbreviation OB^[2])  is:

• a former male student of a school or college ⇒ an old boy of Banbury County School
• a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒ the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards

It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

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24a   Amazed -- // area seemed to protect them initially (9)

25a   Sponge // pudding from the east with filling of jam (5)

Here and There

Whereas, in North America, the term pudding[5] specifically means a dessert with a soft or creamy consistency, in Britain it denotes a much broader range of sweetened usually cooked desserts. While the word pudding clearly does not encompass every dessert, it would seemly include the vast majority — certainly far more than in North America (as the inclusion of fool in this clue would demonstate). Collins COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary describes dessert[14] as a sweet dish such as fruit or a pudding, that you eat at the end of a meal. In the UK, pudding[5] is also another name for the dessert course of a meal. Although it would sound bizarre to a North American ear, if a Brit were to ask What’s for pudding? , the response might well be Apple pie. The word dessert[10,12] can also have different meanings in Britain. As in North America, it can mean the sweet, usually last course of a meal. However, it can also denote (especially formerly) fruit, dates, nuts, etc, served at the end of a meal after, or in place of, the sweet course. So, it would appear, one might conclude a meal with a pudding course followed by a dessert course.

Fool^[5] is a chiefly British name for a cold dessert made of pureed fruit mixed or served with cream or custard ⇒ raspberry fool with cream.

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A loofa^[2] (also loofah or luffa) is the roughly cylindrical dried inner part of a tropical gourd-like fruit, used as a kind of rough sponge.

26a   Bring in // listener before end of bulletin (4)

27a   Stationed // last of troops in turbulent Rio Grande (10)

Scratching the Surface
The Rio Grande[5] is a river of North America which rises in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Colorado and flows 3,030 km (1,880 miles) generally south-eastwards to the Gulf of Mexico, forming the US-Mexico frontier from El Paso to the sea.

Down

1d   Man of the church /is/ correct to ignore bill (6)

In the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, a curate^[5,7] is member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest.

2d   Appoint minister /by/ name after radio broadcast (6)

3d   Important case developed about university /is/ a bit of an exaggeration (5,2,1,6)

'A storm in a teacup'^[5] is the British equivalent to the North American expression 'a tempest in a teapot'.

4d   Carers /from/ hospital composed poems about Hades mostly (4,5)

"hospital" = H

In Greek mythology, Hades^[10] is the underworld abode of the souls of the dead. In the New Testament, Hades is the abode or state of the dead. Hades (often not capitalized) is also an informal term for hell.

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Home help^[5] is a British term for a person employed, especially by a local authority^*, to help in another's home.

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^* Local authority^[5] is a British term for an administrative body in local government ⇒ (i) you will need planning permission from your local authority; (ii) local authority housing.

5d   Parliament vacated after scream /in/ vault (5)

7d   Origin of this personal transport /for/ urban area (8)

8d   Generally gutted sailor /must be/ spinning (8)

Rating^[5] is a British term for a non-commissioned sailor in the navy ⇒ the rest of the new crew was made up of naval ratings.

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Origin: So named from the position or rating held by a sailor, recorded on a ship's books.

9d   Beer goes on board ship after permission /for/ trade events (9,5)

"ship" = SS [steamship] (show explanation )

In Crosswordland, a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS^[5] ⇒ the SS Canberra.

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15d   Type of purchase /made by/ man reportedly having class (4,5)

16d   Staff ego unfortunately // not visible to the audience (3-5)

17d   A daughter may be in list /for/ such a car (8)

"daughter" = D [genealogy] (show reference )

In genealogies, d^[5] is the abbreviation for daughter ⇒ Henry m. Georgina 1957, 1s 2d^*.

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^* Henry married Georgina in 1957. Their marriage produced 1 son and 2 daughters.

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19d   Engineers currently unknown may find fame (6)

"engineers" = RE [Royal Engineers] (show more )

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

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"unknown" = N (show explanation )

The letter n^[10] is used (especially in mathematics) as a symbol to represent an indefinite number (of) ⇒ there are n objects in a box.

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I thought there might be some squeals of protest on Big Dave's Crossword Blog from the math pedants arguing that N represents an 'indefinite number' rather than an 'unknown number'. But there is nary a peep.

20d   Precursor /of/ some peripheral devices (6)

22d   Communication channels // raising target to incorporate education (5)

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