Alan Connor finds integration and a mysterious new arrival in his pick of the best – and most sporting – cryptic clues
*The news in clues*
While topical, Monday's Telegraph …
6d Test centre where players try to stay in *shape* (4)
… cunningly required the setter to go against instinct and break up "stay in shape" for the allusive definition "Test centre where players try to stay in" of the shape OVAL.
Meanwhile, one anniversary proved irresistible. Gaff, whose penchant for special events is explored in a much-trailed edition of Meet the Setter, gave a pertinent name in the FT …
1/15d Composer has hand in infatuation involving royal couple's *disobedient preacher* (6,6,4)
… via a misleading surface reading and the musician Bohuslav MARTINU for MARTIN LUTHER KING. And of course the anniversary was that of the speech named both in Gaff's puzzle and in Rorschach's for the Independent …
10d Ave Maria he'd transcribed into *American idiom* (1,4,1,5)
… that is, the expensive-to-use oratory of I HAVE A DREAM.
*Themes and tricks*
New noms de guerre are rare on the puzzle page of the Guardian, as is a bank-holiday puzzle under a name other than Araucaria, but both could be seen when the mysterious Maskarade stood in with a prize puzzle for which the annotated solution is now available – and a double jigsaw to boot.
So there were two clues for answers beginning with V, one of which …
V *Word picture* that's on a banknote (8)
… used two definitions of VIGNETTE. Two of many, that is. Once a term for a little ornament in text depicting some foliage, VIGNETTE has crept vinelike through the language and taken on meanings including those photographic portraits where the area around the head is shaded off and those stickers which show that you've paid your road tax. For me, the primary meaning is the character sketch given at the beginning of Maskarade's clue, a type of performance which can go under many names.
If you've written such a piece and you wish to be etymologically correct when choosing how to describe it, you might want to consider whether it's a booze-fuelled LAMPOON, a heavily charged CARICATURE, a semi-improvised SKETCH, a grotesquely mocking BURLESQUE – or, if you're feeling jumpy, perhaps the word which is the target of this fortnight's challenge. Reader, how would you clue SKIT?
*Clueing competition*
Thanks for your clues for LASHINGS OF GINGER BEER.
LASHINGS was, I concede, inevitably going to spawn clues of the tone used by JollySwagman ("Some SM with old flame first, then rogers the girl, then has a pint – now soft, drinks plenty") and Truth101 ("Blyton's idea of innocent fun: rogers porter after whipping Ian leaves Fiona kinky").
The self-referentiality award goes to ixioned for the audacious "Alan's original blog refreshes (when mixed with double gin), it tweely quenches your thirst".
And "pop" is a word with so many meanings – including a fair definition in this case – that we got to see much of its versatility. The runners-up are FutureOptimistic's intriguing short story "Pop is bitter after Hal sings of flawed redhead" and Clueso's spirit-of-'92 "Pop hero Bragg's fine single Revolution"; the winner is steveran's terse, multi-layered "Five's contribution to pop culture".
Kudos to Steve – please leave this week's entries and your pick of the broadsheet cryptics below.
*Clue of the week*
Many thanks to Paul for his step-by-step reminder of how to spell the sometimes-tricky …
3d Cute lips break up, it is *subcutaneous inflammation* (10)
… CELLULITIS. Mwah, and see you next Monday.
Alan Connortheguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 5 hours ago.
*The news in clues*
While topical, Monday's Telegraph …
6d Test centre where players try to stay in *shape* (4)
… cunningly required the setter to go against instinct and break up "stay in shape" for the allusive definition "Test centre where players try to stay in" of the shape OVAL.
Meanwhile, one anniversary proved irresistible. Gaff, whose penchant for special events is explored in a much-trailed edition of Meet the Setter, gave a pertinent name in the FT …
1/15d Composer has hand in infatuation involving royal couple's *disobedient preacher* (6,6,4)
… via a misleading surface reading and the musician Bohuslav MARTINU for MARTIN LUTHER KING. And of course the anniversary was that of the speech named both in Gaff's puzzle and in Rorschach's for the Independent …
10d Ave Maria he'd transcribed into *American idiom* (1,4,1,5)
… that is, the expensive-to-use oratory of I HAVE A DREAM.
*Themes and tricks*
New noms de guerre are rare on the puzzle page of the Guardian, as is a bank-holiday puzzle under a name other than Araucaria, but both could be seen when the mysterious Maskarade stood in with a prize puzzle for which the annotated solution is now available – and a double jigsaw to boot.
So there were two clues for answers beginning with V, one of which …
V *Word picture* that's on a banknote (8)
… used two definitions of VIGNETTE. Two of many, that is. Once a term for a little ornament in text depicting some foliage, VIGNETTE has crept vinelike through the language and taken on meanings including those photographic portraits where the area around the head is shaded off and those stickers which show that you've paid your road tax. For me, the primary meaning is the character sketch given at the beginning of Maskarade's clue, a type of performance which can go under many names.
If you've written such a piece and you wish to be etymologically correct when choosing how to describe it, you might want to consider whether it's a booze-fuelled LAMPOON, a heavily charged CARICATURE, a semi-improvised SKETCH, a grotesquely mocking BURLESQUE – or, if you're feeling jumpy, perhaps the word which is the target of this fortnight's challenge. Reader, how would you clue SKIT?
*Clueing competition*
Thanks for your clues for LASHINGS OF GINGER BEER.
LASHINGS was, I concede, inevitably going to spawn clues of the tone used by JollySwagman ("Some SM with old flame first, then rogers the girl, then has a pint – now soft, drinks plenty") and Truth101 ("Blyton's idea of innocent fun: rogers porter after whipping Ian leaves Fiona kinky").
The self-referentiality award goes to ixioned for the audacious "Alan's original blog refreshes (when mixed with double gin), it tweely quenches your thirst".
And "pop" is a word with so many meanings – including a fair definition in this case – that we got to see much of its versatility. The runners-up are FutureOptimistic's intriguing short story "Pop is bitter after Hal sings of flawed redhead" and Clueso's spirit-of-'92 "Pop hero Bragg's fine single Revolution"; the winner is steveran's terse, multi-layered "Five's contribution to pop culture".
Kudos to Steve – please leave this week's entries and your pick of the broadsheet cryptics below.
*Clue of the week*
Many thanks to Paul for his step-by-step reminder of how to spell the sometimes-tricky …
3d Cute lips break up, it is *subcutaneous inflammation* (10)
… CELLULITIS. Mwah, and see you next Monday.
Alan Connortheguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 5 hours ago.