Some cryptic crossword blogs ask readers to come up a clues for a given word. This is a good thing, giving readers to opportunity to channel their inner setter. Most crossword blogs are attached to a particular crossword or group of crosswords, so those brave enough to try their hand know that any submitted clues should have a similar feel. It also helps readers appreciate (I hope) how difficult it is to write a professional-style clue. On blogs like fifteensquared and Times for the Times, occasionally people will offer tweaks to published clues that they believe improve them. It’s common that people post their dislike for certain clues (as is their right), but rarely are alternatives offered. There are other blogs that list clues that the blogger doesn’t think are great and invites readers to submit replacements. I have mixed feelings about this style of clue analysis and emulation as the resultant clue offerings are sort of out of context. The clue submitters don’t have to conform to the standards of the original newspaper, they just write in their own style. You can’t compare the original and the submitted as they aren’t operating under the same rules. Most of the replacement clues simply wouldn’t be accepted by the original paper. Submitted clues aren’t assessed, even though the aim is to improve on the originals. Here’s an example from one such blog:
Original clue – Two men in kingly legend = ARTHURIAN [from Times 10679]
I understand the complaint here, two unqualified names butted together, one of them the name that spawned the adjective. The other problem, of course, is that the answer is an adjective and the clue asks for a noun.
Submitter’s clue: Are you Ben Fleming? The legend? Same construction (Arthur + Ian) essentially, but with added superfluous words, and one of the names is disguised by using a first name to indicate a last name. To cap it off, the same mistake regarding adjective/noun mismatch is also present.
I know that this is an amateur’s attempt at re-constructing a clue, but surely the same mistakes shouldn’t be made, especially as the original clues have been held up to ridicule to some extent? The owner of the blog too, I believe, should help budding setters by pointing out where clues fall down (this may be done offline, I don’t know). Some of the suggested clues might conform to the standards of the blog, but they certainly are nowhere near being better or even comparable to the original flawed clues that feature in the blog post.
Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | PHASE | |
Stage 5 of sleep has ended (5) | sleeP HAS Ended | |
4 | PRESUMED | |
Carried on following quiet thought (8) | RESUMED after P | |
10 | PITCAIRN ISLANDS | |
Depression associated with cardinal’s sin rocked British dependency (8,7) | PIT + anagram of CARDINALS SIN | |
11 | CYCLADES | |
Bikes used around commercial part of Greece (8) | CYCLES outside AD | |
12 | SECTOR | |
District with little time to respond initially (6) | SEC + TO + (R)ESPOND | |
14 | DENIAL | |
Contradiction by Northern Ireland is at the heart of agreement (6) | NI inside DEAL | |
15 | RESERVE | |
Play a let and hold back (7) | Double Definition of sorts | |
18 | ATE | |
A number heard what consumers did (3) | Sounds like EIGHT | |
19 | OCTAGON | |
Ring jailbird about contacting game figure (7) | (O + CON) outside TAG | |
21 | DIMITY | |
Cotton material – darken it with dye in the middle (6) | DIM + IT D(Y)E | |
24 | RECAPS | |
Builder’s gap-filler, knocked around, runs through (6) | SPACER reversed | |
26 | SCREAMER | |
Shopper’s primary milk substitute! (8) | (S)HOPPER + CREAMER | |
28 | FOLLOWED THROUGH | |
The old wolf, unusually aggressive, is pursued (8,7) | Anagram of THE OLD WOLF + ROUGH | |
29 | CORVETTE | |
Check temperature limited by part of a nuclear reactor in warship (8) | (VET + T) inside CORE | |
30 | CHAOS. | |
Carbon and oxygen, separating, experiences disorder (5) | C + (O inside HAS). | |
Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | PAPACY | |
Father, progressing quickly, recognised office of the Pope (6) | PA + PACY | |
2 | ATTACHE | |
AT&T reviewed each case? (7) | ATT + anagram of EACH | |
3 | EMANATING | |
Man, restricted by consumption, is coming out (9) | MAN inside EATING | |
5 | RAID | |
Attack front section of regiment with support (4) | (R)EGIMENT + AID | |
6 | SALVE | |
Remedy left in the keeping of husband (5) | L inside SAVE | |
7 | MONITOR | |
Keep track of container picked up in dock (7) | TIN reversed inside MOOR | |
8 | DISCREET | |
Judicious, amended edicts are lacking a bit (8) | Anagram of EDICTS ARE minus A | |
9 | GREENLAND | |
General badly needed unoccupied arctic region? (9) | Anagram of GENERAL + N(EEDE)D | |
13 | PREDICATE | |
Declare processed meat containing fermented cider (9) | PATE outside anagram of CIDER | |
16 | SYMMETRIC | |
Regular, say, doing away with a crim, met with foul play? (9) | (SAY minus A) + anagram of CRIM MET | |
17 | HORRIFIC | |
Singer’s terminal condition, accepted by mixed choir, is dreadful (8) | [SINGE(R) + IF] inside anagram of CHOIR | |
20 | TICKLER | |
Clue writer, lacking in originality, set puzzle? (7) | S(TICKLER) | |
22 | TEMPURA | |
The Japanese might eat this meal containing minced rump (7) | TEA outside anagram of RUMP | |
23 | ARCHES | |
Vaults with unlimited campaign funds? (6) | W(AR CHES)T | |
25 | PROBE | |
Investigate mug spotted in school gym (5) | ROB inside PE | |
27 | BEAT. | |
Attend a course run regularly (4) | BE AT. |
Wouldn’t have got either. Will stay with you David!!!
Well you certainly got me this time David. I had Recess for the builders gap filler (24a), which fit the spaces but is actually a gap not a filler. Then I had scope for investigate (25d) but the cop did not fit mug except for some poorly educated people.
I was reasonably happy with screamer (26a) because of the “!” which meant I did not have to find a definition.
The extra day’s delay in finding the answers was excruciating, but probably not as bad as the issues you had to resolve.
Look forward to sharing more comments once I get into this weeks offering.
Cheers
Well I was right off track with spacer and therefore with probe.
I had recess which is really a gap not a filler, and that led to scope for investigate. In my post I said I had trouble parsing, because a limited number of people will substitute cop for mug.
The ‘!” saved me from trying to parse 26a and eased the tension.
Really good work in this one David. And good to know I am not free of the 1 d 10 t misconceptions.
Arthur