Friday, May 24, 2019 — DT 28908

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28908
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28908]
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

Today's puzzle was not that difficult but one clue clearly does not parse and a second is rather problematical.

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   Still wearing specs to take in constant // opportunities for learning (7,7)

In mathematics, C^[5] (or c) is a symbol used to represent either the third fixed constant to appear in an algebraic expression, or a known constant (show more ).

In mathematics, a constant^[5] is a quantity or parameter that does not change its value whatever the value of the variables, under a given set of conditions.

In physics, a constant^[5] is a number expressing a relation or property which remains the same in all circumstances, or for the same substance under the same conditions.

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9a   Charlie plays around with love // song (7)

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

"love" = O [tennis term] (show explanation )

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

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As well as being a genre of music, calypso^[5] can also denote a song of that style ⇒ a man was playing a calypso on a double bass.

10a   Part of Vermont -- an awful // state (7)

11a   Just beat // seed (3)

Pip^[5] is an informal British term meaning to defeat by a small margin or at the last moment you were just pipped for the prize.

12a   Almost doomed by family // secret (11)

14a   Queen once rejected after struggle /for/ city in Europe (6)

Anne^[7] (1665–1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.

Oops!

Should you think the clue doesn't parse, you would be correct. The wordplay is a reversal of (rejected) ANNE (queen once) following (after) VIE (struggle) which, of course, produces a surplus letter E. As the setter, Jay, confesses at Comment #16 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, he has misspelled the name of the queen. With the addition of one word, the clue could have been perfect: Queen once rejected after unending struggle for city in Europe (6)

15a   Cadge /from/ miser, importing one in France for nothing (8)

"one in France" = UN (show more )

In French, the masculine singular form of the indefinite article is un^[8].

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17a   Sort of clue needed in case of love // game (8)

19a   Unusual Monday // person full of energy (6)

22a   Church collecting ancient stone, gold and silver in abeyance (4,7)

"church" = CE [Church of England] (show explanation )

The Church of England^[10] (abbreviation CE^[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

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The stone^[5] (abbreviation st^[5]) is a British unit of weight equal to 14 lb (6.35 kg) ⇒ I weighed 10 stone.

"gold" = OR [heraldic term] (show explanation )

Or^[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture.

In heraldry, a tincture^[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.

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The symbol for the chemical element silver is Ag^[5] from Latin argentum.

Cold storage^[5] denotes the temporary postponement of something ⇒ the project went into cold storage.

23a   People in line for audience /must be/ prompt (3)

Queue^[5] is a chiefly British term meaning a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed. As Collins English Dictionary states, the usual US and Canadian term is line^[10] (in this sense of the word).

24a   High roller/'s/ note about star in the morning (7)

"note" = TI (show more ).

From a perusal of entries in American and British dictionaries, I gather that the only recognized spelling in the US would seem to be ti^[3,11] while British dictionaries are split into two camps. On one side, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary and Collins English Dictionary give the principal spelling as te^[2,4,10] with ti^[2,4,10] being an alternative spelling. The Chambers Dictionary and Oxford Dictionaries take the contrary position, giving the spelling as ti^[1,5] with te^[1,5] shown as an alternative spelling.

Note that the sister publications, The Chambers Dictionary and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, are diametrically opposed on the issue and Oxford Dictionaries has done a complete about face as I have notes in my files from a previous review showing that "Oxford Dictionaries decrees that te is the British spelling with ti being the North American spelling".

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A roller^[5] is a long swelling wave that appears to roll steadily towards the shore.

26a   Military man // disposed of one facing Her Majesty (7)

"Her Majesty" = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth] (show more )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

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27a   Officer's examination papers? (6,8)

Down

1d   Voyager's requirement for space /needs/ a selective copy fashioned (6,8)

The Voyager program^[7] is an American scientific program that employs two robotic probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, to study the outer Solar System.

Escape velocity^[5] is the lowest velocity which a body must have in order to escape the gravitational attraction of a particular planet or other object.

2d   Obscure // magazines imported by eastern European (7)

"European" = E (show explanation )

E^[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number^*).

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^* An E number^[1,4,10,14] (or E-number^[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.

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3d   Once I'm up I set on American, // having little or no money (11)

4d   World // travel, crossing line on Beagle, intermittently (6)

Scratching the Surface

HMS Beagle[7] was a Royal Navy survey ship that conducted three survey expeditions. The second voyage of HMS Beagle is notable for carrying the recently graduated naturalist Charles Darwin around the world. While the survey work was carried out, Darwin travelled and researched geology, natural history and ethnology onshore. He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, best known as The Voyage of the Beagle, and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection. The Line[5] is an informal term for the equator.

5d   Ineffective type // made off, coming into fortune (4,4)

6d   Notice abandoning good /for/ evil (3)

"good" = G [academic result] (show reference )

The abbreviation G^[a] for good comes from its use in education as a mark awarded on scholastic assignments or tests.

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^[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary

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7d   High spirits /of/ nephew, say, losing head (7)

8d   Go if desperate -- a spread such as this! (4,2,4,4)

Diverging from the approach taken by the 2Kiwis (and seemingly by everyone who commented on their review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog), I have marked this clue as a cryptic definition with embedded wordplay. [See my comments on the 2Kiwis explanation in the box below.]

I may well be grasping at straws as Oxford Dictionaries Online indicates that I am relying on a North American usage of the word "go"^[5] as a noun meaning an enterprise which has been approved ⇒ tell them the project is a go. However, The Chambers Dictionary does list a number of meanings for the word "go" as a noun which might conceivably be used — although, to my mind, none are as compelling as the supposedly North American sense that occurred to me.

Thus, under this approach, pâté de foie gras would be a "go" (something that a hostess might serve to her guests) only if she were desperate — perhaps alluding to the negative perception of this product in the eyes of animal rights activists.

Another approach might be to consider that definition to be simply the word "this" or the phrase "such as this".

• Go if desperate -- a spread /such as/ this! (4,2,4,4)

or

• Go if desperate -- a spread // such as this! (4,2,4,4)

I reject this approach as I do not see how one can possibly be expected to derive the solution from the pronoun "this" (or even the phrase "such as this") alone.

Unconventional?

The 2Kiwis show the definition as "spread such as this" meaning that they consider the word "spread" to be both the anagram indicator as well as part of the definition: Go if desperate -- a  spread such as this! (4,2,4,4) This would be a clue construction that I have always understood is simply not permitted by cryptic crossword convention. To the best of my knowledge, the permissible clue constructions are: two discrete parts (that may or may not be joined by a link word or link phrase); the two parts may be definition and wordplay (the more common case) or two definitions (double definition) the entire clue is a cryptic definition the entire clue serves as both definition and wordplay (known as an &lit. or all-in-one clue) the entire clue is the definition in which the wordplay is embedded the entire clue is wordplay in which the definition is embedded

13d   Second right-wing counter of votes /may be/ a liar (11)

A teller^[5] is a person appointed to count votes, especially in a parliament.

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Of note: Teller^[5] as the name for a person employed to deal with customers' transactions in a bank is a North American usage.

Tory is used as an adjective; that is, a "right-wing counter of votes" is a "Tory teller".

16d   Last on is hardly concealing // shock (8)

18d   University officer taken in by remedy /for/ society (7)

20d   Sale /requiring/ caution to be exercised (7)

21d   A benefit adopted by North America /produces/ disgust (6)

25d   Voice // impression (3)

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