Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28891 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 8, 2018 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28891] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops and Big Dave (subbing for Kath) | |
BD Rating
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| Difficulty - ★★ | Enjoyment - ★★ |
Falcon's Experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
█ - solved without assistance
█ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
█ - solved but without fully parsing the clue
█ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - yet to be solved
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Introduction
The Brit's seem not to have had a very high opinion of this puzzle. However, I thought both more diffucult and more enjoyable than they gave it credit for.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Notes on Today's Puzzle
This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.
Click here for an explanation of conventions and symbols used in explaining the parsing of clues.
The purpose of this article is to explain the conventions and symbols that I use on this blog in explaining the parsing of clues.
| Legend: The following symbols are used in reviews:
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The review of a clue takes the following general structure:
#a/d Clue containing parsing markup (num*)
* num = numeration
Explanations pertaining to the wordplay (or first definition in a double definition)
(Horizontal separator)
Explanatory Box
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| An explanatory box provides additional information about the clue. In most cases this information will not necessarily help in solving the clue but provides information about the clue. In the case of the weekday syndicated Daily Telegraph puzzles, such information is often intended to help the North American solver appreciate how the clue may be perceived by a British solver. These boxes may also provide information on people, places, films, television 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:
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Note that there are many types of cryptic crossword clue and it is not my intention to exhaustively go through all of them here. I will only deal with clue types to the extent necessary to explain the conventions and symbols used on the blog. Furthermore, be aware that, in the world of cryptic crosswords, there seems to be an exception to every rule.
With one exception that I can think of, cryptic crossword clues provide two routes to the solution. These are commonly referred to as the definition and wordplay. While these terms serve well for most clues, there are some cases where the more formal terms of primary indication and subsidiary indication may be more appropriate.
Most cryptic crossword clues consist of a definition (primary indication) and wordplay (subsidiary indication). The definition may be:
- a "precise definition": a definition that is either taken 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.
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Across
1a Prevented // son getting killed (7)
"son" = S [genealogy] (show explanation )
Top[5] is an informal British term meaning to kill ⇒
I wasn’t sorry when he topped himself.
5a Poor hen mistreated -- // one's always beaten (2-5)
No-hoper[5] is an informal [possibly British*] term for a person who is not expected to be successful ⇒
they wasted their nominations on a no-hoper.* }
* based on the absence of the term from US dictionaries
9a Sailor recalled island and old // relationship (5)
"sailor" = TAR (show explanation )
10a Fashion models? That's their job (9)
A cryptic definition of those whose job involves fashioning models of people, etc. out of blocks of stone.
11a Conservative abandons school with hippy, radical // way of thinking (10)
"Conservative" = C [member of British political party] (show more )
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownershipthat emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s. Since the Second World War, it has been in power 1951–64, 1970-74, and 1979–97. It governed in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 until the general election of May 2015, in which it was returned with a majority.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownershipthat emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s. Since the Second World War, it has been in power 1951–64, 1970-74, and 1979–97. It governed in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 until the general election of May 2015, in which it was returned with a majority.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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12a Power leads bad /for/ tablet (4)
"power" = P [symbol used in physics] (show reference )
Scratching the Surface
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| Lead[5] is a British term for a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance [i.e., a power lead is what North Americans would refer to as a power cord], or that connects two points of a circuit together [i.e, a section of building wiring, I would presume]. |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes ILL asWhile North Americans might say they area word meaning bad or poorly. feeling poorly, I am sure that on this side of the pond one would never hear poorly[5] used as it is in these usage examples from Oxford Dictionaries Online:
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14a Newspaper, say, I sat on after one's // tidying (12)
An organ[5] is a newspaper or periodical which promotes the views of a political party or movement ⇒
he repositioned the journal as a leading organ of neoconservatism.
18a Doctor finally is paged and pain unexpectedly /is/ vanishing (12)
21a Lazy // star on the radio (4)
22a True, I later composed // texts (10)
25a Play-off times? (9)
Interval[5] is a British term for intermission, in either of the following senses:
- a period of time separating parts of a theatrical or musical performance
- a break between the parts of a sports match ⇒
United led 3–0 at the interval
26a Attacked over // messages (5)
27a Scoundrel returning garment not right /for/ Venus? (7)
In Roman mythology, Venus[5] is a goddess, worshipped as the goddess of love in classical Rome though apparently a spirit of kitchen gardens in earlier times. Her equivalent in Greek mythology is Aphrodite.
28a Climbers might step on these // large snakes (7)
"large" = L [clothing size] (show explanation )
The adder[5] (also called viper) is a small venomous Eurasian snake which has a dark zigzag pattern on its back and bears live young. It is the only poisonous snake in Britain.
Down
1d Jam // jar (6)
There are several interpretations for the second definition put forward on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I would say that jar[10] is being used in the sense of to make or cause to make a harsh discordant sound.
2d Dress /in/ unfashionable suit (6)
3d Get shot of stuff? (10)
4d Dance music // is common initially in party (5)
5d Name anything that is right? // More difficult (9)
Aught[3] is a pronoun meaning anything whatever ⇒
Neither of his parents had aught but praise for him(Louis Auchincloss).
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops writesIn Northern English* dialect, owt[5] is a pronoun meaning anything ⇒we say owt instead of the correct word. I didn't say owt. Origin: Mid 19th century: variant of aught. * Northern England[7] is an area that extends from Cheshire and the northern part of Lincolnshire through Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Durham, and Northumberland to the Scottish border. It is roughly that part of England that is located north of the northern coast of Wales. |
6d Shy person limits // razzmatazz (4)
7d Rich // for life, practically -- I lead in commerce (8)
8d Lower theft? (8)
Lower is used in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of an animal that lows (moos) — in other words, a bovine animal.
13d Head getting thanks in education // carried on (10)
Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒
‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.
15d Those who voted for Trump // remain as annoyed about Clinton's front (9)
16d Loving // French friend holding diamonds -- a symbol of deep affection? (8)
Ami[8] is the masculine form of the French word meaning 'friend'.
"diamonds" = D [card suit] (show explanation )
17d One criticised about old // remote (8)
Slate[5] is an informal British term meaning to criticize severely ⇒
his work was slated by the critics.
19d The BBC /is/ free to support article (6)
Auntie[10] is an informal British name for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation[5]) (show more
), a
public corporation for radio and television broadcasting in Britain..
The BBC was established in 1927 by royal charter and held a monopoly until the introduction of the first commercial TV station in 1954. It is financed by the sale of television viewing licences rather than by revenue from advertising and has an obligation to remain impartial in its reporting.
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The BBC was established in 1927 by royal charter and held a monopoly until the introduction of the first commercial TV station in 1954. It is financed by the sale of television viewing licences rather than by revenue from advertising and has an obligation to remain impartial in its reporting.
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20d Socks containing small // animals (6)
"small" = S [clothing size] (show explanation )
23d
Starts
to
examine
artwork,
say,
expressionist
left
on here?
(5)
I see the entire clue as being a sort of cryptic definition in which the wordplay has been embedded. The clue can be interpreted to mean "Where someone left a piece of expressionist artwork that the viewer is beginning to examine".
24d Lawyer cut // cheese (4)
Brief[5] is an informal British term for a solicitor or barrister ⇒
it was only his brief's eloquence that had saved him from prison.
Brie[5] is a kind of soft, mild, creamy cheese with a firm white skin.
Here and There
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| I have no doubt that this clue generated more than a few chuckles on this side of the Atlantic. However, the expression "cut the cheese"[3] would appear to be unknown to the Brits as it is not to be found in any of my British dictionaries. Furthermore, visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog make no reference to the expression — and there are enough regulars with a schoolboy sense of humour that there would surely have been comments had the expression held any meaning across the pond. |
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for today — Falcon
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
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