Introduction
If presented with today's National Post Cryptic Crossword from Cox & Rathvon (NP 220326), Elizabeth Barrett Browning might have writtenHow do I tell thee a story? Let me count the ways.
The puzzle will be posted on the blog next Saturday.
I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Solution to Today's Puzzle
Falcon's experience
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███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
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
█ - yet to be solved
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| Symbols and Markup Conventions | |
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| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | Story about March’s beginning // marked by turbulence (6) |
STOR(M)Y — STORY (†) containing (about) M (March's beginning [letter])
| 4a | Stories about winter’s last // resistance (8) |
F(R)ICTION — FICTION (stories) containing (about) R (winteR's last [letter])
| 9a | To be in Quebec, tucked into bed, // embarrassed? (4,3) |
BE(ET RE)D — ETRE (to be in Quebec; French word être meaning 'to be') contained in (tucked into) BED (†)
| 11a | Actor John // playing with log (7) |
LITHGOW* — anagram of (playing) WITH LOG
John Lithgow[7] is an American actor. Prolific in films, television and on stage, Lithgow is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Tony Awards and nominations for two Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards.
| 12a | Story about Auditor General’s // fundraiser? (3,4) |
T(AG| S)ALE — TALE (story) containing (about) {AG (Auditor General) + S ('s)}
The term Auditor General (abbreviation AG) may be unfamiliar to American readers. An auditor general[7], also known in some countries as a comptroller general or comptroller and auditor general, is a senior civil servant charged with improving government accountability by auditing and reporting on the government's operations. The post exists in Canada at both the federal level as well as in some provinces. The Auditor General of Canada[7] is an officer of Parliament and therefore independent of the government.
US counterpart: Comptroller General of the United States[7]
A tag sale[3] is a sale of used household belongings, with prices typically marked on labels affixed to the items.*
* In my experience, this term is primarily a US term. In this area, such a sale would be known as either a yard sale or a garage sale.
| 13a | Swamp critter // spat audibly (5) |
GATOR~ — sounds like (audibly) GAITER (spat; protective cover for the ankle)
| 15a | A cookie container // partly open (4) |
A|JAR — A (†) + JAR (cookie container)
| 16a | Story about thespian // that can be broken down (10) |
F(ACTOR)ABLE — FABLE (story) containing (about) ACTOR (thespian)
| 20a | Story about North American “twist” // singer (4,6) |
TI(N|A| TURN)ER — TIER (story; US spelling of 'storey', level of a building) containing (about) {(N (North) + A (American) + TURN (twist)}
| 21a | Write about office’s foremost // worker (4) |
PE(O)N — PEN (write) containing (about) O (Office's foremost [initial letter])
| 23a | Dotty drew a // fishing boot (5) |
WADER* — anagram of (dotty; crazy or eccentric) DREW A
| 25a | Story about honeyed quaff, // fruity drink (7) |
LI(MEAD)E — LIE (story) containing (about) MEAD (honeyed quaff)
| 27a | Pasta // inside for a violinist (7) |
_R|A|VIOLI_ — hidden in (inside) foR A VIOLInist
| 28a | Small amount of liquid for each // sink (7) |
S|CUP|PER — S(mall) + CUP (amount of liquid) + PER (for each)
| 29a | Story about traitor and old // 1777 battle site (8) |
SA(RAT|O)GA — SAGA (story) containing (about) {RAT (traitor) + (and) O(ld)}
The Battles of Saratoga[7] (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. The British were victorious in the first battle despite being outnumbered; however, they lost the rematch after the Americans returned with an even larger force.
| 30a | Stories about Eastern // pines (6) |
Y(E)ARNS — YARNS (stories) containing (about) E(astern)
Down
| 1d | Bawls // boss out (4) |
SOBS* — anagram of (out) BOSS
| 2d | Practice too much /in/ public shower (9) |
OVERT|RAIN — OVERT (public) + RAIN (shower)
| 3d | Bog occupied by silver // apparition of sorts (6) |
MIR(AG)E — MIRE (bog) containing (occupied by) AG (chemical symbol for] silver)
| 5d | Poet // upset about Kay (5) |
RIL(K)E — RILE (upset) containing (about) K (kay)
Rainer Maria Rilke[5] (1875–1926) was an Austrian poet, born in Bohemia; pseudonym of René Karl Wilhelm Josef Maria Rilke. His conception of art as a quasi-religious vocation culminated in his best-known works, the Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus (both 1923).
| 6d | Actress Blanchett, before blood-splattering class (8) |
CATE|GORY — CATE (actress Blanchett; Australian actress Cate Blanchett[7]) preceding (before) GORY (blood-splattering)
| 7d | Pair of Incas acquired // bar of gold (5) |
IN|GOT — IN (pair [initial two letters] of INcas) + GOT (acquired)
| 8d | Son, we learn, trashed // home of some Cajuns (3,7) |
{NEW ORLEANS}* — anagram of (trashed) SON WE LEARN
| 10d | I dread a broadcast // lapse on radio (4,3) |
{DEAD AIR}* — anagram of (broadcast) I DREAD A
| 14d | Swarthmore modified // soil aerators (10) |
EARTHWORMS* — anagram of (modified) SWARTHMORE
Scratching the Surface
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|---|---|
| Swarthmore College[7] is a private liberal arts college* in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeducational colleges in the United States. * the college is mentioned in the song "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & the Papas: When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore But she changed her mind one day |
| 17d | Room inside Theo’s // drink container (7) |
THE(RM)O|S — RM (room) contained in (inside) {THEO (†) + S ('s)}
| 18d | Apiarist // vocalized alarm, circled by buzzer (9) |
B(EEK)EEPER — EEK (vocalized alarm) contained in (circled by) BEEPER (buzzer)
| 19d | Launch // celebrity advocate (5,3) |
STAR|T OUT — STAR (celebrity) + TOUT (advocate)
| 22d | Adult // horse carries you in Italy (6) |
MATURE — MARE (horse) contains (carries) TU (you in Italy; Italian word meaning 'you')
| 24d | Drove off // white cliffs’ spot (5) |
DOVER* — anagram of (off) DROVE
The White Cliffs of Dover[7] is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of 350 feet (110 m), owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint.
| 25d | Resting // in July, in general (5) |
_LY|IN|G_ — hidden in (in) JuLY IN General
| 26d | Love personified // aching back (4) |
EROS< — reversal of (back) SORE (aching)
The term Eros[5]
denotes sexual love or desire ⇒
Eros drives us to transcend ourselves through desire.
Epilogue
As Richard points out in his early morning comment, the puzzle contains eight variations on the word "story". What I only realized as I composed the blog is that each and every occurrence is accompanied by the containment indicator "about".
References
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
[15] - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )
Signing off for today — Falcon
Hello all from southwest Florida (where the sun doesn't rise until about 7:30am - quite the eerie feeling for an early riser).
ReplyDeleteC&R definitely do not offer us the same old "story" this week. I count 8 different versions. Thank you for 29a, just a few minutes away from my home town in upstate NY.
4a and 5d were last in. I'm not familiar with 5d. Also had to google 28a for a definition, after I got the parsing.
Overall, like last week, this one was on the gentle side. 14d was the most difficult anagram for me.
Falcon, thanks as always.
Enjoy your weekend everyone and have a good week coming.
Richard
Good morning, C&R Friends,
ReplyDeleteIt is quite dreary north of the GTA this morning and lovely to be inside with a hot coffee and a favourite puzzle. This one had many easy answers and enough head-scratchers to make it satisfying. I actually had quite the conversation with the puzzle over 20a. It has to be Chubby Checker, I say. The puzzle clearly presents that that doesn't fit either in size or parsing. Well, I say, perhaps they have shortened it to "Chub" Checker and I need to check the spelling of Checker. I know it is here! I am always amazed how stubborn my brain can get when I am "certain" of the answer. Of course this is the only themed clue where the story was on the level too. C&R never disappoint in their setting skills. Anyway we got there and that "aha" was fun! My LOI was also 5d - I guessed right but had to verify the answer. Favourites were 16a and 3d.
Thanks for all the information you provide in these blogs, Falcon - it is astounding.
Take care, everyone, and enjoy your week.
Best always, Heather
"on the level" -- love it but the clue was slightly spoiled for me by the use of the US spelling (although not using the US spelling would mess up the theme)
DeletePerhaps this could be avoided by phrasing the clue "US story about North American "twist" singer" where, in the surface reading, US could be interpreted as US magazine.
DeleteI too tried any way to work Chubby Checker in. As you say, th
Deletee brain can be very stubborn.
You're right, Falcon - I did go with the flow here. Had I authored anything in this context apart from this, my "story" would have an "e" too. Your suggestion would solve that. Funny how these things cause us discomfort, but they do.
DeleteGood morning from Winnipeg, where Mother Nature has reminded us that the change of Seasons is not a 'step function' like turning a light off or on but it is a gradual process during which there may be some regression to the previous season's weather such as we have had for the last two or three days!
ReplyDeleteC&R on top fabling form today (although that one didn't appear) for an entertaining puzzle.
Top marks for 4a and 28a.
Thanks to C&R and to Falcon.
Regarding "fabling", have a closer look at 16a.
DeleteOh dear!
DeleteGood morning,
ReplyDeleteIt's actually snowing here in London. I'd hoped we'd seen the last of that for the season.
Other than 12a, which I still haven't got (help!), I found this puzzle to be fairly straightforward. Quite liked the surface reading of 9a and 28a. I thought the word "cookie" was unnecessary in 15a.
Have a good weekend!
Peter
The possessive 'S' is also required for the answer.
DeleteThanks Senf. Your help got me an answer that google confirmed is correct. But it's a new term to me.
DeletePeter
I think the solution is a US term. We have other names for such an event.
DeleteBonus question: Story, my foot! (6)
ReplyDeleteLEGEND
Delete(good one!)
Does "Toe Story? (6)" also work?
Delete'Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed" was the tune that played in my head during this offering from C&R.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if they would wander off tales and sagas, and they did! It was fun trying to figure our all the synonyms.
I also was stuck on 5d, not knowing name but worked it out on the checking letters, which led to the LOI for me of 4a.
I still haven't figured out how to get 13a audibly, unless I have made a mistake.
Now I can lean back with my favourite beverage and book, with thanks to the Falcon and Emily and Henry.
I think gaiters and spats are synonyms.
DeleteAh - that kind of spat I hadn't thought of that. but they're not really synonymous.
DeleteI think it works in this direction -- but may not in the opposite direction unless 'gaiter' was suitably qualified.
DeleteA spat is a short gaiter, so a spat is always a gaiter but a gaiter is not necessarily a spat.
Hello Falcon and friends,
ReplyDeleteI thought we were going to have the old "in like a lion, out like a lamb" today but not to be. Lots of great anecdotes instead. The puzzle was definitely on the mellow side. LOI was 5d, had to be verified with my friend google. Really liked 19d.
Thank you for posting Falcon. Have a great week everyone!
Cheers,
MG