THE PLEASURES OF
THE CRYPTIC
By
Jayaram Menon (M5799)
A: I
like the clue "An overloaded postman".
B:
How many letters?
A:
Two great big sacks full.
Now,
if you didn’t get that joke , you probably will, by the end of this article.
Five years ago , I wouldn’t have understood it too. It was at about that time
that I started doing cryptic crosswords.They are regular features in our local
dailies.
Though
the going was laborious , and time scarce , I have become enamoured of these
fiendish exercises. They have given me hours of pleasure . Why should this be
so? Friends and acquaintances have asked me what I see in them . It is partly
to answer that difficult question that I undertook to write this essay.
To
start off, what are cryptic crosswords? The normal crossword puzzle offers
clues that are straightforward . The answers are synonyms or definitions of the
clues given. You rack your brains to find other words that mean the same thing
as the clue. As there are many synonyms to a single word , how is the correct
answer reached? First, the number of letters that the answer has, is given.
Second, each answer intersects with another answer and so the letter at the
intersection must fit both. These two constraints are sufficient to let you
know whether you have obtained the correct answers .The straight crossword is an excellent tool for improving and
retaining your vocabulary and general knowledge over the years .
The
cryptic crossword has an extra dimension . Along with the normal definition ,
there is a cryptic definition. Sometimes there is a link word between the two
definitions. Sometimes the cryptic definition is another straight definition.
And now and then, the entire clue is literally both ! The rules governing
cryptic crosswords have slowly changed over the years – all the time evolving
towards achieving that quintessential English quality of “fairplay” . The
solver must have a fair chance of solving the puzzle even as the cruciverbalist
pushes the rules to the limit .
As a
result, we have a conundrum . Language ,
though governed at its core by rules of grammar , has a cultural component to
it . This component is subject to change
by a gamut of influences. Slang ,
foreign words , acceptable abbreviations , short forms , new meanings , discoveries , inventions and technological
advances – all these relentlessly impinge on the current state of the language.
For the cryptic crossword solver , the latest dictionary and thesaurus is
indispensable. If the answer can be found within these references , the clueing
is fair. Anyway , it is usual for a novice to feel that some clues are unfair
as he is still not fully familiar with the specific English cultural milieu
that the cryptic crossword is grounded in.
With
time , unwavering effort and a stoical temperament the novice will graduate to a level where he
can take delight in this diabolical
exercise.
To
explain the components of this rare and high pleasure , there is no better way
than to actually go through a particular clue and see how to crack it .
Here
we go!
SEE & SAVOUR
Swingers’ bar from which partners are
picked up ? ( T _ _ _ _ _ _ )(7 letters)
The first hint of pleasure comes from the overall reading
of the clue .
Admire
its structure , just as a winetaster first holds the glass up against the light
to notice the colour of the wine .
I
call this stage –See & Savour !
How smooth is the surface reading ! What comes
to mind ? You get an image of a bar
where a pleasure-seeker is looking out
to pick up an attractive partner for a date and , hopefully, consensual sex !
What
7 letter word (beginning with the letter T) can satisfy this clue ? Where is
the straight definition? Where is the cryptic one? Where is the Keyword within
the cryptic definition which tells us how to crack it? After all , Cryptic
means “ mysterious in meaning” and based on fairplay , there must be a Key to
unlocking the Mystery .
To
the trained eye of a regular crossword solver, that surface meaning is an
illusion , albeit a powerful one. This is a trap which he must somehow evade.
He already knows that the answer will lie somewhere else – but where ? It is
time now to leave the surface and take the plunge!
SIFT & SIEVE
We
must now do a difficult thing.We need to disregard the sentence and concentrate
on individual words. We ignore the forest and look at the trees. Every tree is
to be examined individually . We are especially looking for that singular tree
( if its there) that can tell us all about the nature of the forest ! As Blake
said “ to see a World in a grain of sand ….and Eternity in an hour” – you
examine the tiny , component parts to perceive the form of the enormous.
I
call this stage—Sift & Sieve ! It is the second stage of our pleasure trip.
At
first glance , the first word Swinger
suggests a Person who
is lively in an unrestrained way" . This meaning probably evolved from an earlier
connection with Swing which was a
type of Music based on Jazz but using simpler harmonic and rhythmic patterns. Swing in its basic definition
means Sway
or Oscillate.
The
next word bar enhances our first
impression – since Bars are places where Swingers do congregate .
However, Bar in its primary meaning is “ a long evenly shaped piece of metal
that is used as a guard or obstruction”. How did it become a Place or Counter where beverages like
liquor are served?
Well, way back , the taverns had a physical separation between where the
drinks were and where the drinkers drank. You can guess why!
And
this barrier was made of bars through which drinks would be served. Ergo ,
the phrase “Let’s go to the bar!”
Coincidently,
railings made of bars also separated
benches in the hall from the Inns of Court. Students of the Law who had
reached a certain level of capability
were then called to the Bar to take part in the proceedings of the Court.
Bar eventually came to
represent the entire legal profession as well as the entire tavern ! All this
from the humble bar , a rod in its
fundamental form – fashioned into barriers through which transactions and
communication could still take place.
The
next word that catches our attention is partners . Husband and wife ; Doubles
Players , Duets of all kinds – are examples of Partners. Officially, a partner is a person who shares or is associated
with another in some action or endeavor.
We
finally come to the words that express ACTION – are picked up.
Pick up means lift or take up.
Also -- recover,
to learn by experience , accelerate … as well as to
become acquainted with informally or casually, often in hope of a sexual
relationship , arrest or to
take into custody.
The
words from which establishes the relationship between subject, object and
verb and is the grammatical glue which gives coherence to the sentence.
This
process of sifting and sieving is analogous to the miner’s panning for gold
where it’s necessary to separate the various components of the scooped-up
earth. Just as the wine-taster swirls the liquid in the glass to release
vapours for the nose to smell and identify , we examine all possible meanings
for the words given . We are now poised to enter the third level within the
garden of delights!
TINKER & TAILOR
Now
that we have all the possible meanings of the individual words , can we see any
key word that will unravel the puzzle ? This is where we need to potter around
a bit . Have you ever pottered around your house? Ever opened up and put things
together back again? Have you engaged in some aimless activity now and then ?
These random and unplanned activities are a vital ingredient of creativity. They let the mind wander and come
up with novel standpoints.
I
call this stage – Tinker & Tailor !
Essentially,
we adapt and fashion to a particular end but in a makeshift way !
In
this phase, we form all kinds of associations freely with all the words in the
clue- keeping in mind the definitions , both straight and cryptic .
Swingers’ bar from which partners are
picked up ?
The
only words that stand out as keywords are picked
up and bar . As a verb , bar means prevent . picked
up implies an action of lifting something.
So
the keyword is more likely to be picked
up since it has more manipulative power than bar . Since the keyword is embedded in the cryptic definition we
now can make the initial division between the two definitions
Swingers’
bar / from which
partners are picked up ?
Straight definition Cryptic definition keyword
We introduce the
symbol / (forward slash ) to divide the two definitions . We also underline
the keyword and italicise the
remaining part of the cryptic definition .
from which partners are
picked up ? can be rearranged
to
are picked
up from which partners ?
without changing the meaning.
Bearing
in mind that this is a cryptic definition , we can imagine the letters of ARE
being picked up from WHICH PARTNERS . Hence, WHICH PARTNERS is manipulated into WHICH PTNERS .
Sadly
it doesn’t match SWINGER’S BAR . Is
there any more manipulation to be done? No, there are no other keywords .
We
have reached a dead end ! Let’s see if we did anything wrong .
Is picked
up a true keyword? . What we did was to take OUT the letters and does picked up match that manipulation? Not
quite . picked out would be the
better choice.
So it
looks like that there is NO special key word . Hence we will have to go back to
configuring the clue as :
Swingers’ bar from which partners are
picked up ?
Straight
clue & Cryptic clue are one and the same ! & There are no
keywords !
This change in direction is part and parcel of
the tinkering and tailoring process.
So
the cryptic crossword solver is like a cliff climber . The climber will scan
the cliff and choose the most likely
path by which a successful efficient climb can be executed. The solver will
look at the arrangement of words ,
choose the key by which the entire construct can be solved . Oftentimes
, the wrong path is picked out
initially.Then both the climber and solver need to re-map their strategies.
This is where the adventure is, the conscious efforts taken along the path ,
the dead ends met, the tortuous path back, the search for another toe hold or
finger hold , the re-start from another point and so on…
We might have to Sift and Sieve again –more rigorously this
time.
Swingers
become other things that swing – like pendulums , people on swings , batsmen (
in baseball and cricket and other sports)
….
We
now try to use partners or picked up to narrow
the search for the right combination
; what kind of swingers have partners
and use a bar? Going back to
pendulum – what is the partner of the pendulum? How about bowlers being
partners of batsmen ? Partners are usually on the same side. What other sports
or activities involve people on swings? People swing on swings in the
playground. But there is no bar there.
What
activity uses a bar? And people swing on them?
I can picture a gymnast swinging on a bar. Is there a special name for
such a bar?
But
what about partners? Who is the
gymnast’s partner? I have never seen
double gymnasts in action ……
And then the image emerges…. and yes, I have
seen “doubles” on a swinging bar. Do you
see it too? You probably would have , in real life or on the screen. A swinging
bar on two ropes from which acrobats
swing and are picked up in exchanges!
A
single letter in the clue T also aids in
this winnowing process. And at last, we have the answer . We see the shape of
the forest now. Trees align themselves magically into the correct shape-- that
of acrobats in the circus who swing on bars and from which they sometimes let
go only to be picked up by the their partners on another swinging bar . We have
a perfect fit. We have penetrated the illusion. The journey was long and
crooked ; but past the trap , it looked easy .
HAPPY HOUR
We
now come to the last phase of the pleasure cruise. One of appreciation and
reflection.
I
call this stage Happy Hour !
Appreciate such a wonderful clue- no
extraneous words, a natural swing to
it, a common image conjured up, the whole sentence itself also being a
definition.
What a cliff-face! So well constructed that
the various elements bring up several comical secondary images like one of a
legal team from which partners could be swinging from a hangman’s rope!
After solving the clue , I feel like sharing my joy with
someone. I call out to my wife , also, a crossword buff and tell her about this
. We both get to talking about it . Oh wow !
The pleasure is multiplied when you have a partner
to share the pleasure with !
How skillful was the construction of this clue ; how
deceptive – like a magician’s sleight of hand ; how a specific arrangement of
words can provide multiple images . Not all cryptic clues generate the same
level of pleasure . In a single cryptic crossword , with approximately 30 clues
, there will be a spectrum of delightful clues . It is not necessary that every
one of them dazzle the senses. As a solver , I pay tribute to the overall tenor
of the set of clues as well as to the individual brilliance of a particular clue.
Like an 8 course dinner , the overall effect must be significant if we are to
judge it as great.
If , at the end of a crossword solving activity , the
clues show us ordinary words in a new light
as well as expose a unique relationship between them , then we have a
structure that is extraordinary. This heightens our everyday perception of
language and sharpens all our responses
to its application. We are basked in a glow that is as real as one felt after a
good swim or a hard run . Of such moments should life be made of ! In such
moments we will have reached a transcendent level of joy.
Cryptic crosswords solving is one of the few activities I
know where I actively nudge the subconscious part of the brain on a regular
basis. It’s most dramatically illustrated when after a good amount of struggle
during the day followed by a good night’s sleep – the answer comes without any
effort in the morning.
KEYWORDS- UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY
The
keyword is the salient feature of most clues. The manipulations possible are
immense. That is why there can be no end to clue writing. What are the specific
manipulations that the keyword is capable of ?
a)ANAGRAM
First
, it can re-arrange the letters of a word or words. Some examples are strange, odd, disturb, change,
move , perhaps, etc. You need to recognize these words in a clue.
They manipulate neighbouring words.
In
the example : Encircle damaged bridge
(6)
Damaged looks like the keyword since it implies change .
What neighbouring word is to be damaged? Since the answer is a 6 letter word ,
“bridge” looks a better candidate than “encircle”. So the straight definition
has to be “encircle”. Hence the answer should mean encircle . BRIDGE damaged turns to BEGIRD which means
ENCIRCLE.
Using
our earlier symbols , we can picture the clue as
Encircle
/ damaged bridge answer : BEGIRD
The
symbols serve as a tool to crack the cryptic.
Such
a clue where the keyword rearranges words is an ANAGRAM.
b)CHARADE
Second,
type of clue is called CHARADE. Here, answers from two or more separate parts
of the clue are put together to form the answer.
Doctor east … half American is a wishful
thinker(7)
Doctor = DR
, East = E half American = AMER
So we have DR E AMER = A wishful thinker
Doctor east … half
American / is
/ a wishful thinker answer : DREAMER
“Is” which lies between 2 forward slashes is a
link word.
c)DOUBLE-DEFINITION
The
third type of clue is DOUBLE-DEFINITION .
Here
two definitions are given and the answer should fit both of them .
Tax
cut (6)
Another
word for tax is excise . Excise also means to cut or remove. So the answer is
EXCISE.
Using
our symbols we have
Tax /
cut answer : EXCISE
d)CONTAINERS
The
fourth type of clue is CONTAINERS .
Here
the answer of one part of the clue is put into another.Keywords that you have
to watch out for are holds, encompasses, includes etc
Love
cereal if put inside mouth(7)
Love
= O cereal = RICE IF is put inside RICE .
O R IF ICE = ORIFICE
which means MOUTH.
Once again , using our symbols we have
Love cereal if put
inside / mouth
answer : ORIFICE
e)REVERSALS
The fifth type of clue is REVERSALS .
Here,
the clue is solved but the answer needs to be reversed before putting it in the
crossword grid. Typical keywords : looking back , mirrorred , rises
up etc
Drive
off colony member from the east (5)
Drive
off = Repel colony member = leper which if seen from the East is repel
Symbolically we have ,
Drive
off / colony member from the east answer : REPEL
f)HIDDEN WORDS
The
sixth type of clue is HIDDEN WORDS . Here , the answer is embedded in the clue
. The keywords to look out for are among , within , held
etc
Lay
to rest in Mappin Terraces(5)
Lay
to rest = INTER and in MappIN TERraces
we can see the answer.
We
can see it as :
Lay
to rest / in Mappin
Terraces answer : INTER
g)HOMOPHONES
HOMOPHONES are the seventh type of clue. Here the answer
to be written sounds like the answer from the clue but is spelt
differently.Keywords are sounds like , I hear , declared
etc
A reason we hear for bird cries (4)
A reason = CAUSE
It sounds like CAWS which is bird cries.
Symbolically , we have
A reason we
hear / for / bird cries answer : CAWS
h)DELETIONS
The eighth type is DELETIONS.Here keywords are beheaded , lacks , without
etc
Sharp spike Sweeney Todd used without hesitation (4)
Sweeney Todd was an infamous BARBER
BARBER used without hesitation = BARBER – ER (ER, UM are
accepted as substitutes for hesitation). Hence the answer is BARB which is a
sharp spike.
Our clue can be written as :
Sharp spike / Sweeney
Todd used without hesitation answer: BARB
i)PURE CRYPTIC
CLUE
The final type is the PURE CRYPTIC CLUE . An example would
be the first clue I talked about. The whole clue hints at the answer but
requires an oblique reading to get to it.
“Is that all?” I hear you say. But beware of composite
clues that are combinations of the above. What gives them away? More than one
keyword will be found in them.
EXERCISE 1
Let’s try out a few clues which I have written in symbolic
form. That will be an aid to you as you figure out the answers. I have also
given a list of answers for you to choose from. As such I have not indicated
the number of letters of each clue.
1. Man of principle / made
riches differently
2. Feel free
if
inside / tower
3. What must happen / to / overweight egghead
4. It may be pronounced with conviction
5. Unexpected / gentleman
is nosy , we hear
6. European flower / – a little tender honeysuckle
7. For each / child less
person
8. Some of these bounce back / being / overweight
9. I wander back / to / the New Zealander
10. Take ages / to / fit in
Answer List: Surprise , Rhone , Belong , Fate , Guilty , Eiffel
, Archimedes , Per , Maori , Obese , Marigold , Maybelline , Sudden , Event ,
EXERCISE 2
Let’s
go to the next level . The same thing but
no answers to pick from . however some letters are given.
1.
Tribal symbols /could be
temples, too (5,5) (T _ _ _
_ _ O _ _ _ )
2.
State / of / California
if left in chaos (8) ( _ _ _ O _ _ _ A)
3. Drains topless / pitchers (5) ( _ W _ _ _ )
4. A
greeting / is / regrettably returned before morning
(6) ( _ _ L _ _ M)
5. Not shrewd ? / That’s strange ! (7) ( U _ _ _ _ N _ )
6.
Hibernating / snake wrapped
around shelter (6) ( _ _ L _ _ _ )
7.
Spare / part of a loaf for dinner
(6) ( _ _ F _ _ _ )
8.
Noble / combination of duck and hare
(8) ( _ R _ _ D _ _ _ )
9. Is
it measured in round figures ? (13) ( _ _ R _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ E )
10.
They see / and / show audible approval
(4) ( _ _ _ S)
EXERCISE 3
Finally
, we go to the last level. Here , I will show the clues as they appear in
actual cryptic crosswords. See if you can apply the symbols used for cracking
the clues.
1.
Seven
different levels (5)
2.
Game
in the form of a puzzle (6)
3.
Spare
part in Oedipus Rex , tragically (5)
4.
She
comes to a fishy end (7)
5.
House
holding an aromatic plant (7)
6.
Fight
no one pays to see (4,3,3)
7.
From
being in the red , I possibly came into money (9)
8.
Girl
from Andean nation decapitated (5)
9.
Guard
sent to a breached line (8)
10.
Not
huge but shaped to become robust (7)
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I hope that I have shed some light on the mysteries of the
cryptic. If your interest is piqued , there are many places to start . You can
search the WWW for many resources regarding cryptic crosswords. There are many
levels of difficulty. Stay away from the difficult until you get bored with the
easy. As with all activities , the pleasure increases with practice. The world
of the cryptic is one of mystery and adventure. You have been warned !
For
those who seek the answers and explanations of the exercises above , the writer
can be reached at
jay@mensa.my
APTITUDE for
the CRYPTIC
A cow doesn’t have the
problem-solving skill of a chimpanzee, which has discovered how to get termites
out of the ground by putting a stick into a hole. Evolution has developed the
brain’s ability to solve puzzles, and at the same time has produced in our
brain a pleasure of solving problems.
Martin Gardner
Watch out for the film “The Imitation Game” starring
Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing. The film is about the bunch of boffins who
were selected by British Intelligence during WW2 to crack the ‘uncrackable’
Enigma code used by the Germans. The code changed every month and so presented
the codebreakers with a very difficult problem. At the start of the war, the
Poles had cracked the earlier versions of the code used by the German Army and
Air-Force and provided much critical
information to the British.
Who were the boffins who came to Bletchley Park to crack the
code? Many were mathematicians with cryptographic background. Many other
talents were eventually recruited as revealed in this excerpt :
"In late 1941, a mysterious Mr Gavin wrote to The Daily
Telegraph newspaper to offer £100 to be donated to charity if anyone could
solve a Daily Telegraph crossword in less than 12 minutes. The competition was
held at the Telegraph offices in Fleet Street. Those who managed it were deemed
to have the right sort of mind to break the German codes, and a few weeks after
the competition they received letters asking them to report to military
intelligence, which sent them on to Bletchley Park."
“the right
sort of mind”?
What is the link between swift crossword solving and being
able to break codes?
Are the abilities used in crossword solving useful in code
cracking? Could treasure hunters be great code-breakers? I have some empirical
data to answer this. Having introduced ‘puzzler’ type challenges in eye-q hunts
previously, I noticed that quite a few teams ( all being top notch hunters )
did very well in cracking the puzzles. They needed no learning curve to crack
the challenges that came in forms like “I-Spy”, “The Maze”, “Treasure Maze”,
“Cry-pix” and “The Puzzler”. Each of them was based on a specific premise and
adhered to internal rules. I assumed that ‘puzzles’ were in the same league as
cryptic clues. The minds that fed ravenously on cryptic clues were generally
amenable to work on ‘puzzles’. In the long-running “Crack-A-Pot” series, we
have puzzles set specifically on cracking the code! For those of us who have
experienced cracking them over long distances, their variety and their ingenuity
are really to be treasured. Many new hunters would usually not attempt them but
most master hunters would always give them a go. So there is natural overlap
between cryptic clues and code breaking . If you are good in any one of them
then you might be okay for the other.
Aptitude-
what is it?
How can we be more precise in defining the quality and depth
of this aptitude?
We have this evidence before us – in a critical period of war, top officials gave weightage
to the assumption that people who solved crossword puzzles rapidly had the
wherewithal to work on code-breaking! It is not a trivial fact that they
recruited a large number of ‘solvers’ to work on the Enigma & the lesser
known Lorenz codes. No doubt the mix of brilliant people of different backgrounds
working so closely with each other provided the extra push for achievement that
normally would have taken a longer period. The parallels are striking when we
compare the other great project of WW2 – the Manhattan project to make the
first atomic bombs. The mix of scientists and engineers working together for years had the same type
of effect and result – accelerated achievement!
In hindsight, I would argue that victory against the Axis was guaranteed
with the success of these 2 projects. In the European theatre of the war, the
cracking of the Enigma code shortened the war by at least 2 years. In the
Pacific theatre, the 2 atom bombs brought about the surrender of Japan. Had
these 2 projects not succeeded, it is possible that no clear victory would have
been established and most likely a stalemate would have been the result.
In our own time, Mark Goodliffe, winner of the Times
Crossword Championships 8 times in a row and who had previously been
unsuccessful in winning the Sudoku Championship won it this year! Talk about
aptitude! His time for solving the 3 final crosswords was 22minutes ( about 3
clues a minute )! For us lesser mortals, there is no need to despair as we have
our own part of the mountain to climb! One advantage that treasure hunters have
over crossword solvers is that we work together as a team and so we learn from
each other.
To return to the question posed – let’s describe aptitude.
One can claim to have it if one can –
Solve something that others can’t
Solve something faster/better than others
Learn faster than others
Be consistent in application of the skill
Pursue area of interest to the extreme
Create new aspects
and refine what has gone before
Any single feature above that is possessed even to the
exclusion of the rest affirms that aptitude is present!
This applies to many fields and is important to encourage in
the young - if you spot any of the above
qualities in them.
Because the brain is a multi-purpose, multi-tasking entity,
such qualities become enhanced with
practice and circumstance. The overlap of functions allow novel connections by
synapses and voila! We will have extraordinary breakthroughs.
Cryptic
Clues & Problem Solving
Let’s now explore how aptitude in cryptic solving spills
over into other disciplines. Since we started with how it was generally
recognized that cryptic skills would help in decoding – I am of the opinion
that it’s good for coding as well. Especially, computer coding.
Computer coding and programming are not so amenable by pure book learning. These skills can be acquired
only by practice, and even then, students with an aptitude for programming will
acquire the skills far more readily than those without. Here is a hard truth
which the young must understand. Despite one’s interest in any activity or profession,
there must be a latent talent that accompanies that interest so that one can do
well in that activity or profession.
It
is one of the weaknesses in our education system that we fail to spot and
encourage particular aptitudes in the young. Also, early aptitudes change and
other emerge – sometimes too late to do anything about it.
How
can we show to the young this concept of aptitude in a straightforward way? Talking
of aptitude in music and art, most students understand that –
many people
don’t have it;
it has no
correlation with academic ability;
there is no stigma
in not having it.
However, they
feel differently when it comes to capability with words and figures. Language
and problem solving seem to be in a different category for them. It can be
learned by all equally well – is their perception.
However, I have
come across many teachers,doctors,lawyers,accountants and engineers who
obtained their degrees and yet do not feel at home in their chosen professions.
They had the skill to pick up esoteric knowledge and yet do not display real
aptitude in their work. My take on this phenomena is that if you are not really
solving problems or creating new stuff in your daily work, you are mismatched.
You have to
find your way out of the maze. You have to test the aptitudes that you feel you
possess in the real world. Can you really problem-solve in any particular area
and rarer still, can you create stuff?
The crossword
puzzle and the treasure hunt are very reliable indicators of revealing aptitude
in nearly all disciplines requiring constant problem-solving.
Both
these pastimes involve the following :
General
Knowledge is required
Specialist
Knowledge is required
Insight
is required
Analysis
is required
Persistence
is required
You
need all these requirements to prove your aptitude. It is a simple template
which indirectly reveals the potential that you have. Even if you finally
recognize that you do not possess it, it is a major milestone for you to base
future decisions on. As an adult, there might be not enough time and freedom to
start in another direction.But, for the child, it is a great signpost for the
future which otherwise is murky.
In
the broadest sense, the child that likes puzzles (of which cryptic clues are a
part ) and does them is showing a budding aptitude for anything involving
problem solving. One who is cold to it has other sensibilities and needs.
A
parent needs to expose their kids to a variety of puzzles so that some facet
grips them and engages them in an exploratory way. Aptitude in cryptic clues
forecasts problem solving capabilities and should be encouraged with as much
exposure as possible.
For
hunters who already have one foot in this brilliant sport, it is to be
remembered that if you possess any of the aforementioned qualities that
indicate aptitude, all you need is the passion and the will to pursue the sport
– and lo and behold – you will reach the heights eventually.
JayMen
“A beautiful thing is that which gives pleasure when
contemplated as an individual object, for its own sake, and in its presented
form”
Roger Scruton
TYPES OF BEAUTY
Of the many definitions of beauty that I have come across –
from different fields, Scruton’s is the richest in texture and content. The
definition can almost serve as a guide on how one should appreciate beauty.In
his book “Beauty” Scruton discusses four types of beauty :
human,natural,”everyday”, and artistic. That he gives distinction to “everyday”
beauty shows his insight into the need for all of us to keep our house clean
and orderly, to set an elegant spread when inviting friends and to wear
matching accessories when attending functions. The effort invested in such
considerations is a clear indicator that there is a certain value in maintaining
appearances. When we notice the lack of such effort in everyday life , it goes
against our innate sense and taste of our expectations in honouring beauty. While
human and natural beauty are the most easily recognized, there are depths to
them that only one with extreme perception can dwell on and transform into
artistic beauty.
Where do mathematical and scientific beauty fit in? I
suspect that Scruton, not being trained in such matters wisely leaves them out.
But to anyone familiar with Maxwell’s Equations or the Mandelbrot set , there
is no doubt as to their being classified as “beautiful”. Shakespeare’s sonnets
,Beethoven’s symphonies and Michelangelo’s statues all are supreme examples of
Artistic Beauty.
When I first gazed on
Faraday’s electromagnet in all its primitive glory , I immediately felt a sense
of awe and had no hesitation in ascribing it as “beautiful”.Now using Scruton’s
definition, I would like to explain why such an object can be considered
beautiful. Trained as an electrical engineer, and familiar with the internal
structure of modern generators and motors – I could immediately appreciate the
first electromagnet ever made when I saw it. Because, here was the 1st
of its kind – and from it –came all things associated with electrical power in
the world! Contemplating it and linking with what I had studied in abstract
mathematics and hard engineering , here was the object which first linked the
electric field, the magnetic field and PHYSICAL movement!
Faraday himself made it in his laboratory and with its raw
outline and thick wires wound round – I could visualize the electromagnetic
fields intertwining and magically producing movement! The object was beautiful
because it synthesized the earlier
imprints of electromagnetic theory in my mind and gazing upon it , the mind
resonated and an infinity of waves Fourier-transformed inversely into distinct
harmonics! I now had the mental characterisation of pleasure!
BEAUTIFUL CLUES?
As hunters, we do share an enjoyment in solving cryptic
clues. The longer we have hunted, the chances are – we enjoy it greater now
than we ever did. How many of you remember the FIRST thrill of solving a
cryptic clue? How many still remember your first BEAUTIFUL clue? How many look
forward to the next BEAUTIFUL clue? We may vary in our sensitivity to the
beauty of clues just like our response to “everyday” beauty. The sensitive ones
can wince at an ugly clue just as they can at poorly arranged furniture in the
sitting room. And they will gasp at a beautiful clue like Nabokov gazing on
iridescent butterfly wings. Those who have not hunted at all cannot
experience such pleasure. It is a mystery to them. But if they were given some
beautiful clues – I would not be surprised that they would react to it as
regular hunters do.
This conclusion came to me when overseas and I was talking
about treasure hunts to foreigners. In explaining the nature of the treasure
hunt clues, I would invoke crossword clues as a comparison.I would stress the
alfresco nature of the answers in the hunt and if there was a sign nearby would
concoct a clue for them to solve there and then. Sometimes there were no signs
and I had to elaborate using clues I had done in the past. I had to choose
clues which could be solved with no need for the sign to be present. Over the
years, there were a few clues that elicited the same response from solvers
across two continents and a sprinkling of cities. I will use them to illustrate
the power of the “presented form” and how it inspires contemplation in the
solvers’ minds.
The first clue is “H₂O@1°C”. You may want to solve this
first before proceeding. Take your time. To help the solvers, I would give a
hint( but only after a period ) – that it was a 6 letter common English word. Then
began the process of their deconstruction of the clue. Most of the time there
were a few solvers around and so they would discuss and it was fun listening to
them voicing their thought processes! Gradually they would converge ( albeit at
different rates) to water at 0°C which was ice. Then came the tough part. Why 1°C?
What was water at this temperature? It’s not ice, definitely. After a few
iterative progressions ( on average, half an hour to 1 hour ), the answer would
hit them. Then would come the responses. There would be smiles around as their
efforts were collaborative. They would give their opinions on the nature of the
clue. The phrases that I remember were “it’s a no-word clue”, “it could have
been solved even without the 6 letter hint”, “the answer is teasingly near and
yet it takes time to reach it”, “discussion helped in the solving” and “can we
have 1 more question?”
The second clue is “Next in line after Ida and Jeb”. For
this one, I would give no hint except to say that the answer was world famous!
A wild goose chase would ensue. They would at first try to recollect famous
personalities with such names and eventually would reach a dead end. They would
protest that it was unsolvable and I would assure them that it was eminently
solvable! Could I give another clue? No, I said. Not necessary! Then I would relent
and tell them to use pen and paper. They would have suspicious looks on their
faces. What kind of suggestion is that? What is there to write down? And I
would put on my best version of the Mona Lisa smile. Eventually, they would
commit themselves to writing down the names in the clue. Inevitably, something
would click or slowly coalesce in their minds and the answer would be apparent.
Their faces would be a photographer’s delight – closed eyes, open mouths with
smiles and shaking heads. Comments would run the gamut - from “never thought that writing down the
names would speed up the process” to “why did we take so long?” to “the names
distracted us and we wound up on the wrong road” to “self-contained clue”.
The last clue I will talk about is a more recent one and was
topical at the time it was constructed. I sent it off to a crossword master in
London and teased him to crack the hunt clue as it was topical. The clue was
“Sacked the month before?” He replied in the affirmative! He liked the clue
based on the fact that what drove him to the answer was the question mark! He
mentioned that if it had been merely stated, the effect would not have been as
pleasurable. I was quite taken by this insight as it gave credence to Scruton’s
discriminatory adjective “presented”.
FEATURES OF BEAUTY
Let us summarize the features in the clues above that
aroused pleasure in people who had never experienced treasure hunt clues before
as well as a master crossword setter and solver.
Broadly speaking , they are :
Novel features
No wasted words
Internal logic which can lead to the answer without having
the range of signs in front of you
Level of difficulty which appears formidable but in
retrospect had enough leads to solve
Let’s apply these features to Michelangelo’s work “Pieta”
where the Madonna is holding the dead Christ on her lap. The reason I want to
do this is to verify whether the features mentioned above are universal when
contemplating works of beauty.
Firstly, re “novel features” : Never had there been such a
composition where mother holds the dead adult child.
“no wasted words” : There is no need for any explanation to
be attached to the work. It stands by itself.
“internal logic” : There is no obvious emotion on both
faces. Yet we have the feeling of her mourning the death – expressed by a
single outstretched hand.
“level of difficulty” : The meaning and feeling evoked takes
time to register. It is not immediate. The clues are all there but it requires
effort to unravel. First, to have the combination of mother and adult son is
extremely unusual. Then, to have such a pose where the adult son is limply
reposed is even more daring. Yet, we do not feel any strangeness in the work.
It is so “everyday” – no fancy poses, no “message” - just a mother holding her dead son. Why
does it work? The disparate proportions of both mother and child have something
to do with the normalcy of the scene. Were the mother to stand up, she would
tower over the son in height! And yet together , we do not feel the difference
in stature. In fact, it connects us to the more familiar images of Madonna
& Child. Michelangelo’s brilliance will make you see with the mind and not
the eye!
And just to confirm whether the Pieta’s beauty accords with
my mental image of inverse Fourier transformation from an infinity of
possibilities to a single set of harmonics – I tried to imagine a multitude of
poses for both mother and child – but not a single one would be as effective as
the one Michelangelo chose! And that increased my sensitivity to its extraordinary
appeal. The sculptor had wedded seemingly unwieldy subjects and found a
connection and form that transcended the limits. Something unique and beautiful
had been created! Exactly like Faraday’s electromagnet !
PLEASURE
It is not unworthy to commandeer the experiences of viewing
both the Pieta and the electromagnet to aid in the understanding of how the
cryptic is subject to the same play of quantum-mechanical forces in the
microtubules in brain cells that give rise, among other things, to subjective thoughts
of beauty.
In Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece “ Inception” , we see the
multiple levels of reality that are valid in their own right and in which there
exist genuine feelings. Each world – cocooned in the higher one – is authentic
in its domain. What any character feels in that world is indistinguishable from
what he feels in his own world. That the same feelings and thoughts that engage
us when contemplating unsimilar works of beauty are only different in intensity
and frequency but essentially arising from the same aesthetic is what makes
beauty measurable and discussable.
In Scruton’s definition, “pleasure” is an important product
in the contemplation of beauty. Many clues in many treasure hunts offer immense
pleasure. Without that, the hunt is diminished as the key element of any
recreational activity is absent. There are , of course, other features in the
hunt that produce pleasure – the camaraderie, the successful solving, the
chase, the competition, the laughs at the wrong answers, the near misses, the
nail-biting finishes …Hunters keep coming back when pleasure is felt and
remembered. Hence, clues must play an important part in the return of hunters
to the great game. Beautiful clues, tough clues, funny clues – all play their
part in maintaining interest and participation in this special sport. Pleasure
is addictive and will never go out of fashion. As long as clues are creative
and beautiful, pleasure will be generated – no matter other conditions.
The connoisseur of cryptic beauty is in good company. In all
realms of human expression, the drive for experiencing new forms of beauty and
the consequent pleasure is unrelenting. Creator and participant collaborate to
carve out fresh trails in search of the sublime. May they never stop.
Jay Menon
I would very much
appreciate if hunters could send me beautiful clues that they have come across
in treasure hunting. Send me as many as they think are beautiful. It would be
great if they could explain in their own words why they find it beautiful. I
hope to share your feelings re the clues with other hunters. Gold hunters ,
especially, are encouraged to share as I think this will add to the body of
perception re beautiful cryptic clues.
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