Wednesday, April 17, 2019 — DT 28881

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28881
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, October 27, 2018
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28881 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28881 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By crypticsue (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
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
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

Well, for me, this wasn't quite the one-star walk in the park that it seems to have been for crypticsue. Two pairs of interlocking clues in the lower corners stretched the solving time. The first was the 21a/17d duo that many of Brits had trouble with. The second was the 19a/19d combo that required considerable research to explain even after having found the correct solutions.

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   It's a job for company boss // to get in old car, step on it (7,5)

9a   Fierce creature, // the old woman's having argument (7)

The mastiff^[3,12] (also called Old English mastiff) is a dog of a large powerful breed developed in England formerly used for hunting, now often a watchdog and guard dog, having a large head, short muzzle, with hanging lips and drooping ears and short often fawn-colored coat, dark on the muzzle, nose, and ears.

10a   Fast runner, // one using unfair methods by the sound of it (7)

The word "CHEATER" (), when pronounced in a non-rhotic (show explanation ) accent typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), sounds like "CHEETAH".

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

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11a   Hide // article held by King (7)

King Lear^*[7] (circa 1605) is a tragedy by English playwright William Shakespeare.

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^* Lear^[5], a legendary early king of Britain, is mentioned by the 12th century Welsh chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1139; first printed in 1508), an account of the kings of Britain.

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Here and There
Leather[5] (verb) is an informal British* term meaning to beat or thrash (someone) ⇒ he caught me and leathered me black and blue. * American dictionaries define leather[3,11] as an informal term meaning to beat with a strap made of hide or leather. It would appear that Brits extend the term to include any beating, not merely one performed with a strap.

12a   One Butlin's resort /could be/ integral (2-5)

As an anagram indicator, "resort" is a whimsical Crosswordland misspelling of re-sort^[5] meaning to sort (something) again or differently ⇒ children find pleasure in sorting and re-sorting boxes of buttons.

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In-built^{[1,2,4,10,14]} (or inbuilt^{[3,5,11,12,14]}) is a chiefly British^[12] or mainly British^[14] term meaning built-in, inherent, or integral.

Scratching the Surface
Butlins[7] (also Butlin's) is a chain of large holiday camps* in the United Kingdom. * Holiday camp[5] is a British term for a site for holidaymakers [vacationers] with accommodation, entertainment, and leisure facilities.

13a   Bury // Football Club (5)

Football Club Internazionale Milano S.p.A., commonly referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan^[7] outside of Italy, is a professional Italian football [soccer] club based in Milan, Lombardy, Italy that plays in Serie A, the top division of the Italian football league system.

Scratching the Surface

Bury[7] [pronounced berry*] is a town in Greater Manchester, England. *  Although according to Gazza in a review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog As someone who used to live in said borough I have to say that this is not the way the locals pronounce it – they make it sound more like flurry than merry. Bury Football Club[7] is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The club's first team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, having been relegated from EFL League One in May 2018.

14a   Timid beast -- // roam about, nibbling a herb (9)

The armadillo^[5,12] is a burrowing insectivorous mammal that has large claws for digging and an armourlike covering of bony plates. Armadillos are native to Central and South America and one kind is spreading into the southern US. They are mostly nocturnal, and a few species roll up into a ball when attacked.

A Horse on the Loose?
Where did the "ROAN" come from in crypticsue's review? Just a misplaced finger on the keyboard, methinks. Obviously, she does not employ "cut and paste" as the word is correct in her hints.

16a   One denies // advantage writer of detective stories detailed (9)

The setter uses "detailed" in a whimsical cryptic crossword sense meaning having the tail removed — perhaps based on an analogy with words such as deflowered or defrocked.

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Dorothy L. Sayers^[7] (1893–1957) was a renowned English crime writer best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between the First and Second World Wars that feature English aristocrat and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, which remain popular to this day.

19a   Political commentator's endless // sauce (5)

Fortunately, my knowledge of Italian cuisine came to the rescue where my familiarity with British television personalities failed me.

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British journalist and presenter [radio or TV announcer or host] Robert Peston^[7] is the Political Editor of ITV News (the news arm of British television network ITV) and host of the weekly political discussion show Peston.

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Pesto^[10] is a sauce for pasta, consisting of basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, oil, and Parmesan cheese, all crushed together.

21a   Unfavourable // jingle, apparently (7)

Split the solution (2,5) to get what one might see to be a description of a musical commercial message.

23a   /Having/ a ban sit out /and/ take no part (7)

The split construction "having ... and" is essentially similar in function to but more elaborate than a simple link word. One might think of it as denoting "the solution to the clue is given by both (the wordplay) and (the definition)".

24a   Easy // time: I will get entertained by competitor (7)

25a   International university in America scoffed /finding/ fake (7)

"international" = I (show explanation )

I.^[10] is the abbreviation for International.

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"university in America" = MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] (show explanation )

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology^[5] (abbreviation MIT) is a US institute of higher education, famous for scientific and technical research, founded in 1861 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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26a   Record number // seeing TV they turned off (7-5)

Seventy-eight^[5] (also 78) denotes an old gramophone record designed to be played at 78 rpm ⇒ remastering of the original 78s has virtually eliminated their surface noise.

Down

1d   Kick off again /with/ skill after half-time? (7)

2d   I will cut inferior? // Not at all (7)

3d   Spruce woman goes after fashionable // hospital (9)

You Be The Judge

Spruce[5] is a widespread coniferous tree of the genus Picea which has a distinctive conical shape and hanging cones, widely grown for timber, pulp, and Christmas trees. Fir[5] is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Abies with upright cones and flat needle-shaped leaves, typically arranged in two rows. Firs are an important source of timber and resins. I suppose the trees are identical — as long as one discounts the fact that the shape of the needles is different, the arrangement of the needles on the branches is different, the structure of the cones is different, and the cones on a spruce hang down while those on a fir point up.

4d   Great upmarket chic clothing is primarily supplied here (5)

Gucci^[7] is an Italian luxury brand of fashion and leather goods. Gucci, which was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Tuscany, in 1921, sells through company operated stores worldwide as well as wholesaling its products through franchisees and upscale department stores.

5d   Word I had after opponent initially // made optimistic call at bridge (7)

In the card game bridge, to overbid^[5] (past tense overbid) can denote simply to make a higher bid than a previous bid or it can mean to bid more than is warranted or manageable ⇒ (i) following North's opening bid of one spade, East overbid one no trump; (ii) having overbid her hand, West was doomed to go down to defeat.

6d   Tail err badly /in/ second test (7)

7d   These help to bring round // humming sailors (8,5)

In British and Irish slang, hum^[10] denotes:

• (noun) an unpleasant odour
• (verb) to smell unpleasant

Salt^[3] is an informal term for a sailor, especially when old or experienced.

8d   Funny men, // twin heroes not around (3,3,7)

The Two Ronnies^[7] is a BBC television comedy sketch show which aired from 1971 to 1987. It featured English comedian Ronnie Barker (1929–2005) and Scottish comedian Ronnie Corbett (1930–2016), the two Ronnies of the title.

Sex Change?
"The Two Ronnis"? No, the two British comedians did not undergo gender reassignment surgery — I'm sure it's just another instance of crypticsue experiencing "finger trouble" on the keyboard.

15d   Spread // grain indiscriminately for horse to eat (9)

17d   Account // given by word of mouth (7)

Split the solution (2,5) to get a phrase that could be interpreted as "given by word of mouth".

18d   South American resistance eat // fish (7)

"resistance" = R [symbol used in physics] (show explanation )

In physics, R^[5] is a symbol used to represent electrical resistance in mathematical formulae.

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Meticulously Pedantic

The "rules" for The Daily Telegraph crossword puzzles apparently require that for an abbreviation to be used, it must appear in The Chambers Dictionary. As South American is not one of the meanings listed — at least, not listed in the 11th Edition of The Chambers Dictionary — for the abbreviation SA*, we must interpret the wordplay to be a charade of S(outh) + A(merican) + R(esistance) + DINE (eat). * South America is listed, but not South American; South is listed as an abbreviation for S and American for A.

19d   Stolid trap for criminals /in/ mission abroad (7)

Without access to The Chambers Dictionary, one would never know that po^[1] is an informal shortening of po-faced^[1], itself an informal term meaning stupidly solemn and narrow-minded; stolid or humourless.

20d   It stops leaks /from/ Bennett in television (7)

While I am familiar with the two Ronnies from having see the program on Canadian television, the same cannot be said for English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and authorAlan Bennett^[1]. However, I did manage to work out the solution from the definition and checking letters.

22d   Chapter in uplifting story /draws/ applause (5)

"chapter" = C [publishing term] (show explanation )

The abbreviation for chapter (likely in textual references) is c.^[2]

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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