There are a number of elements to any cryptic clue including:
- Structure – what type of clue
- Surface – how it reads
- Difficulty – comprising the workings of the clue and the resultant answer
- Elegance – the neatness of how everything fits together
- Soundness – the technical correctness of a clue’s construction
I’m staying away from “fairness” as you all know I don’t believe it actually exists in a cryptic clue.
Of the elements above it’s important to realise that some can’t exist without the others. For example, if a clue has a faulty construction it can’t be elegant and its surface is meaningless no matter how well it reads. Elegance and surface are end-products of a clue that materialise when all the pieces of a clue properly fit together. I don’t think it’s possible to consider these two elements in their own right – they must be viewed in conjunction with the other elements. Recently I noted a comment on a crossword blog regarding this clue:
Roth slammed Winton novel as forced (6,4) Answer: THROWN INTO
It stated that the surface was good. If you read the clue as is then maybe it seems Ok. My analysis of the clue finds that “slammed” isn’t a reasonable anagram indicator, “novel” is but its positional use is inconsistent with the use of “slammed” in the clue and “forced” doesn’t mean “thrown into” (in the context of the clue “forced” might equal “thrown”, but not “thrown into”). To me, the clue is faulty which totally negates the surface reading. Obviously the poster of the comment was happy with all aspects of the clue, which, of course, is their prerogative.
I think it’s fair to say that some clues are more about style than substance and the surface reading of a clue can misguidedly drive a setter into creating a clue construction that could be better. You’ll often know when a setter is uncertain of what they’ve done – a “?” will be added in a situation that seems not to demand one. My goal is to get the clue right technically and add some polish to make it read decently. If the clue won’t come to the party and allow both aspects to coexist, then it’s time to rethink the entire thing.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | STAGE DIRECTION | |
| “Actor, get inside creatively”? (5,9) | Anagram of ACTOR GET INSIDE | |
| 10 | RULES | |
| Guiding principles surely not completely sorted out (5) | Anagram of (SUREL)Y | |
| 11 | SEMANTICS | |
| Person in sect is involved with language study (9) | MAN inside anagram of SECT IS | |
| 12 | MASSEUR | |
| Rubber block starts to erode under radiation? (7) | MASS + (E)RODE (U)NDER (R)ADIATION | |
| 13 | BUSTLE | |
| Hurried activity fixed underwear worn by old lady (6) | Double Definition | |
| 15 | SHOW | |
| All not central to superficial exhibition (4) | SHALLOW minus ALL | |
| 16 | TOP-SECRET | |
| Tense operations Crete reviewed and classified? (3-6) | T + OPS + anagram of CRETE | |
| 19 | STEAMROLL | |
| Flatten each male in turn (9) | (EA + M) inside STROLL | |
| 20 | OMEN | |
| Signal ladies down at the front (4) | W(OMEN) | |
| 23 | AIRBAG | |
| It contains inflation in the event of a crash (6) | Cryptic Definition | |
| 25 | TRUSSED | |
| Investment fund, according to auditor, is tied up (7) | Sounds like TRUST | |
| 27 | LIMESTONE | |
| Shade of green rock? (9) | LIME’S TONE | |
| 28 | BRIBE | |
| Get at framing timber used in shortened bed (5) | RIB inside (BE)D | |
| 29 | TRANSGRESSIONS | |
| Drunken stranger is held back by young males for crimes (14) | Anagram of STRANGER + (IS reversed inside SONS) | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | TELESCOPE | |
| Glass and steel formed canopy-like covering (9) | Anagram of STEEL + COPE | |
| 3 | GUSHER | |
| Termination of parking attendant well under pressure (6) | PARKIN(G) USHER | |
| 4 | DISCRETION | |
| Credit is reassessed on preference (10) | Anagram of CREDIT IS + ON | |
| 5 | ROME | |
| Characters in bistro mentioned area outside Vatican City (4) | bistRO MEntioned | |
| 6 | CONFUSED | |
| Kid joined up at sea (8) | CON + FUSED | |
| 7 | IDIOT | |
| New release of unbound edition is a thick one? (5) | Anagram of E(DITIO)N | |
| 8 | NASCENT | |
| Final part of mountain climb is beginning to develop (7) | MOUNTAI(N) + ASCENT | |
| 9 | DRAMAS | |
| A little bit of alcohol, for instance, works for actor (6) | DRAM + AS | |
| 14 | APPLE TREES | |
| Computer program linked to Oracle retrieved fruit suppliers (5,5) | APPLET + (SEER reversed) | |
| 17 | REMISSION | |
| Discharge located at end of river is lessening (9) | EMISSION after R | |
| 18 | IMPASSES | |
| Fools behind troublemaker’s insurmountable difficulties (8) | ASSES after IMP | |
| 19 | SHALLOT | |
| Slug consuming every bit of salad vegetable (7) | SHOT outside ALL | |
| 21 | NUDGER | |
| Encouraging person, urged on, worked short on oxygen (6) | Anagram of URGED ON minus O | |
| 22 | MUMBAI | |
| Mother Bear oddly associated with one place in India (6) | MUM + (B)E(A)R + I | |
| 24 | RUMBA | |
| Couple from band backing strange dance music (5) | (BA) after RUM | |
| 26 | GOER | |
| Dead person giving up heart for one trying to succeed (4) | GO(N)ER |
I’d be interested to read that crossword blog. Where is it?
Re 29-ac, is a son necessarily a young male?
Glad you’re back.
Steve = : ^ )
1ac was fabulous. Also notable was 23ac: a cryptic definition is very rare in the Stickler, but when one appears, it’s a good’un.
I loved the clever definitions in 12ac, 3dn and 7dn.
I answered 27ac correctly, but totally missed the construction. For some reason, I thought “rock” was doing double duty as the definition and part of the wordplay. In hindsight, that would have been completely unStickleresque in its clunkiness. I should have known better.