As a professional setter, nothing is more important to me in a clue than the definition. Let’s face it, a clue without a reasonable definition is no clue at all. Even if a wordplay is clunky or convoluted, having an unambiguous definition gives the solver more than half a chance. That’s why, for instance, a definition that is an example of the answer isn’t good enough without saying so. I recently saw “breakfast” define “meal”, which, of course it doesn’t.
To me, any information included in a definition has no right being there unless it has a role in helping the solver pinpoint the answer. So “American hue” = “color” wouldn’t be right without the “American” part, and likewise “white dish” = “plate” makes no sense because “white” doesn’t contribute (even though plates may be white), or help the solver, narrow down the answer. “blue gem”, on the other hand is totally appropriate for “sapphire”, even though “gem” by itself would work just as well.
Here’s a clue from a local paper: “She objects to a qualified examiner (9)”. [PRO + TESTER]. When I see “she”, my mind goes to answers that must be female, possibly an actual person or something more generic that ends in “ess”, for example. There’s no reason, more, it’s erroneous, to define an answer as having a gender when it doesn’t. Maybe it’s a way of promoting one sex or the other, and that’s fine when appropriate, but here it just confuses solvers and is wrong.
What do you think?
Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | FEATHERWEIGHT | |
The fighter, weak, almost beat boxer (13) | Anagram of (THE FIGHTER WEA)K | |
9 | PERIL | |
Danger money not supported by employer in construction (5) | Anagram of EMPLOYER IN minus MONEY | |
10 | BIOSPHERE | |
Enclosed ecosystem’s new-fangled probe is filled with helium (9) | Anagram of PROBE IS outside HE | |
11 | CONCEIT | |
Arrogance in the past shown by the writer in court (7) | (ONCE + I) inside CT | |
12 | ELISHA | |
Ishmael, losing heart, distracted Hebrew prophet (6) | Anagram of ISH(m)AEL | |
14 | EROS | |
God of love is tender in a different way (4) | SORE reversed | |
15 | TORPEDOES | |
Explosive devices tore apart housing – power works (9) | TORE outside P + DOES | |
18 | FEEDSTOCK | |
Charge wharf accepting stone as industrial input (9) | (FEE + DOCK) outside ST | |
19 | AS IS | |
A family member with warts and all (2,2) | A + SIS | |
22 | RITUAL | |
Trial rescheduled around start of universal convention (6) | Anagram of TRIAL outside (U)NIVERSAL | |
24 | NITRATE | |
Fertiliser’s container reflected price (7) | TIN reversed + RATE | |
26 | ARMADILLO | |
Equip a party transporting sick species that’s protected (9) | ARM + (A + DO outside ILL) | |
27 | BIGOT | |
OT, one who’s intolerant? (5) | OT is capitalised (big) | |
28 | ENTERTAINMENT | |
Go into tent holding variety of main performances designed to please (13) | (ENTER + TENT) outside anagram of MAIN | |
Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | FARANDOLE | |
Very much an unrewarding benefit dance (9) | FAR + AN + DOLE | |
2 | ALLIED | |
Just about everyone told stories in league (6) | (AL)L + LIED | |
3 | HABITATION | |
Sweetheart receiving a bit at one dwelling (10) | HON outside (A + BIT + AT + I) | |
4 | ROOK | |
Man standing in the corner is a swindler (4) | Double Definition | |
5 | ESPALIER | |
Failure in recession that is fixed by right training method for plants (8) | LAPSE reversed + IE + R | |
6 | GUESS | |
Head of government uses reformed judge (5) | (G)OVERNMENT + anagram of USES | |
7 | TOECAPS | |
Digital screens to play upside down (7) | ||
8 | SPECIE | |
Minted collection of pieces? (6) | Anagram of PIECES | |
13 | BROKEN-DOWN | |
Old Japanese art of fencing maintained by brown belt (6-4) | KENDO inside BROWN | |
16 | ONSLAUGHT | |
Violent attack on street broken up by hoot (9) | (ON + ST) outside LAUGH | |
17 | ISLANDER | |
False report initiated by one Tasmanian, say (8) | I + SLANDER | |
18 | FURNACE | |
Boiler, splitting, features burner (7) | URN inside FACE | |
20 | SWEATY | |
Clammy and wet, say, suffering from disorder (6) | Anagram of WET SAY | |
21 | STABLE | |
Building constructed for Arabs, say, is standing firm (6) | Double Definition | |
23 | TEMPT | |
Entice irregular worker back to employment (5) | TEMP + EMPLOYMEN(T) | |
25 | PLEA | |
A number of people accepted defendant’s claim (4) | peoPLE Accepted |
27a OH! FOR HEAVENS SAKE…………….!!!
tres amuse
very much Arthur……….