Puzzle at a Glance
|
|---|
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28910 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, November 30, 2018 | |
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28910] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat | |
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
The clear consensus appears to place this puzzle decidedly on the easier end of Giovanni's spectrum.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:
|
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
| |
|---|---|
| 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:
|
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).
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.
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.
hide
Across
1a Not as giants, flexing // muscles (11)
Antagonist[5] is an anatomical term denoting a muscle whose action counteracts that of another specified muscle*.
* The muscle whose action the antagonist counteracts is known as an agonist[5]. As Deep Threat illustrates in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the biceps is an agonist with the triceps being its antagonist.
8a Player /in/ first section, cold one getting to gasp (11)
11a Female hiding face /in/ Arab territory (4)
Oman[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.
12a Bit of biological make-up // contributing to amazing energy (4)
13a Editor entertained by smart // European (7)
Here and There
| |
|---|---|
Swish[5] (adjective) is an informal British term meaning impressively smart and fashionable ⇒ dinner at a swish hotel. Swish[5] (adjective) is an offensive US term denoting (of a man) effeminate. |
On this rare occasion, the European is not a Pole.
15a Drink /as/ team with supervision cut short (7)
"team" = SIDE (show explanation )
Side[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒
* Note that, in Britain, a player is said to be "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.
In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i)
hide
Side[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒
there was a mixture of old and young players in* their side.
* Note that, in Britain, a player is said to be "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.
In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i)
Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii)
They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you.
hide
A sidecar[5] is a cocktail of brandy and lemon juice with orange liqueur.
16a Home counties chum /offers/ something green (5)
"Home Counties" = SE (show explanation )
The Home Counties[5] are the counties surrounding London in the south-east (SE) part of England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire.
No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London).
Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy.
hide
The Home Counties[5] are the counties surrounding London in the south-east (SE) part of England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire.
No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London).
Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy.
hide
17a Our cartoonist // dull? // Yes and no! (4)
I would say that this clue is a cryptic definition in which we find embedded not one, but two, precise definitions. Yes, the cartoonists name is a synonym for dull but, no, his work is anything but dull.
Keeping in mind that this puzzle was originally published in The Daily Telegraph, "our cartoonist" refers to Matthew Pritchett[7] (who signs his work as Matt) who has been the pocket cartoonist* on The Daily Telegraph since 1988.
* A pocket cartoon[7] is a form of editorial cartoon which consists of a topical single-panel single-column drawing.
Matt[5] (or matte* or, in the US, mat[5]) is an adjective used to describe a surface or colour which is dull and flat or without a shine ⇒ (i)
prints are available on matt or glossy paper; (ii)
a matt black.
* Matte being the only spelling with which I am familiar.
18a Offer instruction pouring heart out /in/ college (4)
Tech[5] is an informal British* term for a technical college.
* I think this usage is prevalent far beyond British shores. Many decades ago, I studied at what was then known as the Nova Scotia Technical College (or, informally, Nova Scotia Tech). It later became the Technical University of Nova Scotia and is now the Dalhousie University Faculty of Engineering.
19a Some women /in/ church are modest (5)
21a The female hurried to grab male // who fought in America? (7)
William Tecumseh Sherman[5] (1820–1891) was an American general. In 1864 in the American Civil War he became chief Union commander in the west. He set out with 60,000 men on a march through Georgia, during which he crushed Confederate forces and broke civilian morale by his policy of deliberate destruction of the territory he passed through.
22a Enthusiastic boy, one entering // cycle event (7)
The madison[7] is a relay race event in track cycling, named after the first Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French (course à l'américaine) and in Italian and Spanish as Americana.
Delving Deeper
| |
|---|---|
| The madison is a race where each team must complete more laps than any of the other team. Riders in each team alternate during the race, handing over to the other member, resting, and then returning to the race. Teams are usually of two riders but occasionally of three. Only one of the team is racing at any time, and the replacement rider has to be touched before he can take over. The touch can also be a push, often on the shorts, or one rider hurling the other into the race by a hand-sling. |
23a Wickedness, // as it happens to return (4)
26a Room /with/ lines at back of church (4)
"lines" = LL (show explanation )
In textual references, the abbreviation for lines (of written matter) is ll.[5,10] ⇒
hide explanation
In textual references, the abbreviation for lines (of written matter) is ll.[5,10] ⇒
ll. 648-650.
hide explanation
"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.
hide
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.
hide
27a Strange perception // that could make one see ghosts in Dec.? (6,5)
Second sight[5] is another term for clairvoyance, the supposed ability to perceive future or distant events ⇒
it was like having second sight, the sense that something terrible was going to happen.
28a What skater on dodgy pond did? // Overcame awkward situation (5,3,3)
Down
2d Bread /supplied by/ emergency organisation in the middle of dinner (4)
The Automobile Association[7] (The AA) is a British motoring association founded in 1905, which was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover [roadside assistance], loans, motoring advice and other services.
Naan is another name for nan bread[10] which, in Indian cookery, is a slightly leavened bread in a large flat leaf shape.
3d Performer /with/ a lot of hair outside entrance to cinema (7)
4d Yellow tiger maybe without tail, // a killer (4)
"yellow" = OR [heraldic term] (show explanation )
Orca[5] is another term for killer whale.
5d Confession of fairy queen on lake // put in danger (7)
The Queen of the Fairies[7] is a role in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Iolanthe[7] (name in full: Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri) in which the fairies are referred to as peris.
Delving Deeper
| |
|---|---|
| Peri[7] are exquisite, winged spirits renowned for their beauty. Originally from Persian and Armenian mythologies, Peris were later adopted by other cultures. They are described as mischievous beings that have been denied entry to paradise until they have completed penance for atonement. Under Islamic influence, Peris became benevolent spirits, in contrast to the mischievous jinn (genies). Gilbert and Sullivan's 1882 operetta Iolanthe is subtitled The Peer and the Peri. However the "peris" in this work are also referred to as "fairies" and have little in common with peris in the Persian sense. |
Were the Queen of the Fairies to reveal (or confess) her identity, she might say ⇒
I'm [a] peri.
6d Secret society /showing/ style, little good (4)
Ton[5] denotes fashionable style or distinction ⇒
riches and fame were no guarantee of a ticket—one had to have ton.
"good" = G [academic result] (show reference )
In the US, a tong[5] is a Chinese association or secret society, frequently associated with organized crime ⇒
the tong wars in Chinatown.
7d Man accommodating some children /in/ repurposed USA rest home (11)
Housemaster[5] is a British term for a male teacher in charge of a house at a boarding school.
8d Extra words /from/ mum or dad having explosive little girl (11)
HE[5] is the abbreviation for high explosive.
Parenthesis[5] is used in the sense of a word or phrase inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, in writing usually marked off by brackets, dashes, or commas.
9d Cheater, pest? How different from me! (8,3)
I see this clue as a cryptic definition with embedded wordplay — an anagram of (how different) CHEATER PEST.
10d Racy English drunk, // looking here, there and everywhere? (11)
14d Strong male /or/ female collecting degree (2-3)
Besides being a female bird, especially a domestic fowl, hen[5] can also mean:
- (British) a term for a woman who is about to get married and is attending a celebration with female friends and relatives ⇒
today's naughty hens don't want to share the stories with their other halves
- (Scottish) an affectionate term of address to a girl or woman ⇒
and I really like you too, hen
15d Trading opportunity attracting a thousand /in/ American city (5)
The clue could be referring to either of two US cities:
- Salem[5] is a city and port in northeastern Massachusetts, on the Atlantic coast north of Boston. First settled in 1626, it was the scene in 1692 of a notorious series of witchcraft trials.
- Salem[5] is the state capital of Oregon, situated on the Willamette River south-west of Portland.
19d A swinger /with/ a couple of maidens in joint (7)
"maiden" = M [cricket term] (show explanation )
In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* 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.
hide
In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* 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.
hide
A hock[5] is the joint in a quadruped's hind leg between the knee and the fetlock, the angle of which points backwards.
20d Robotic person, // prominent feature in West? (7)
In Crosswordland, a "feature" is frequently one found on the face.
Mae West[5] (1892–1980) was an American actress and dramatist. She made her name on Broadway in her own comedies Sex (1926) and Diamond Lil (1928), memorable for their spirited approach to sexual matters*, before embarking on her successful Hollywood career in the 1930s.
* Were a man to accept her invitation (cited by Deep Threat in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog) to
Come up and see me sometime, she might greet him with the line
Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.
24d Leader of Left always /giving/ nasty look (4)
25d Change // choice of food to get energy up (4)
"energy" = E [symbol used in physics] (show reference )
The wordplay is DIET (choice of food) with E(nergy) moved to the front (or up in a down clue).
26d Sweet // cold white wine not finished (4)
Hock[5] is a British term for a dry white wine from the German Rhineland.
Sweet[5] is a British term for a piece of candy[5] ⇒
a bag of sweets.
Choc[5] is an informal British term for (a) chocolate ⇒ (i)
we consoled ourselves by scoffing chocs; (ii)
I'll bring you a choc bar.
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)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.