Showing posts with label literary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literary. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Literary Stuff Explanation
Each Clue explanation is divided into Analysis, Aesthetics and Afterword.
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
__________________________________________________________________
G2. Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver. (4,4,6)
Analysis
Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver.
pants hugely = long johns
diseased liver = ilver
treasure seeker : long john silver
Aesthetics
The reading is a bit strained.Somehow, pants and diseased liver are not natural connections.( as compared to pants and diseased lungs)
Also, pants hugely = long johns is a bit of a stretch. We know long johns to be "underpants with long legs"
The setter in using 'hugely" might have wanted to communicate that the clothing item is pants mainly. But I think it does not quite work. Any one who can get a better connection - please comment.
Afterword
Treasure Island is a children's classic which adults reread throughout their life. This most famous of treasure tales , has a cast of characters never to be forgotten.One figure in that cast is responsible for the popular image of the pirate. One-legged with a parrot on his shoulder, Long John Silver is an unusual fictional character. He has many virtues in him - yet he is a mutineer. Such ambiguity in a children's story is very hard to come by. Despite his criminal intent , I remember being quite happy that he didn't swing at the end of a rope at the end. Stevenson must have loved him too.
H2. Is man left without old woman an outcast? (7) _ _ _ _ A _ L
Analysis
Is man left without old woman an outcast?
man = he
left = l
old woman = ma
without is an indicator that tells us that hel is outside ma
is h ma e l
ishmael is an outcast.
Aesthetics
old woman as ma is not quite there. I think using "mother" would add power to the reading.
Afterword
Ishmael is mentioned in the Bible when Abraham beds Hagar, maid to his barren wife Sarah to produce a son. Ishmael is his name but when a son Isaac is granted to Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael are cast out of the tribe.
I2. He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps. (7)
Analysis
He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps.
keeps is the hidden indicator and within brothel local we can see OTHELLO
It was he who opposed the Turkish in the tale by Shakespeare.
Aesthetics
Very nice reading as the solver will not separate Turkish & brothel initially.
Afterword
Though Shakespeare gave the title of his play to Othello, his version of Iago is one of the most diabolical characters ever created.The mighty general stands no chance against the Machiavellian manipulator.
Jay
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
__________________________________________________________________
G2. Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver. (4,4,6)
Analysis
Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver.
pants hugely = long johns
diseased liver = ilver
treasure seeker : long john silver
Aesthetics
The reading is a bit strained.Somehow, pants and diseased liver are not natural connections.( as compared to pants and diseased lungs)
Also, pants hugely = long johns is a bit of a stretch. We know long johns to be "underpants with long legs"
The setter in using 'hugely" might have wanted to communicate that the clothing item is pants mainly. But I think it does not quite work. Any one who can get a better connection - please comment.
Afterword
Treasure Island is a children's classic which adults reread throughout their life. This most famous of treasure tales , has a cast of characters never to be forgotten.One figure in that cast is responsible for the popular image of the pirate. One-legged with a parrot on his shoulder, Long John Silver is an unusual fictional character. He has many virtues in him - yet he is a mutineer. Such ambiguity in a children's story is very hard to come by. Despite his criminal intent , I remember being quite happy that he didn't swing at the end of a rope at the end. Stevenson must have loved him too.
H2. Is man left without old woman an outcast? (7) _ _ _ _ A _ L
Analysis
Is man left without old woman an outcast?
man = he
left = l
old woman = ma
without is an indicator that tells us that hel is outside ma
is h ma e l
ishmael is an outcast.
Aesthetics
old woman as ma is not quite there. I think using "mother" would add power to the reading.
Afterword
Ishmael is mentioned in the Bible when Abraham beds Hagar, maid to his barren wife Sarah to produce a son. Ishmael is his name but when a son Isaac is granted to Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael are cast out of the tribe.
I2. He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps. (7)
Analysis
He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps.
keeps is the hidden indicator and within brothel local we can see OTHELLO
It was he who opposed the Turkish in the tale by Shakespeare.
Aesthetics
Very nice reading as the solver will not separate Turkish & brothel initially.
Afterword
Though Shakespeare gave the title of his play to Othello, his version of Iago is one of the most diabolical characters ever created.The mighty general stands no chance against the Machiavellian manipulator.
Jay
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Literary Stuff 3
Each Clue explanation is divided into Analysis, Aesthetics and Afterword.
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
________________________________________________________________________________________
D2. Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman. (7) _ _ E _ _ _ T
Analysis
Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman.
Stranger = ET ( extra terrestrial )
Grabbing is Containment indicator.
supporter is = leg is
E LEG IS T = bemoaning linesman
Aesthetics
Bemoaning linesman conjures up a classic image of a complaining sports official.Yet it neatly fits as a cool definition of an elegist.
Afterword
An elegist is the author of a mournful poem lamenting the dead.
An elegy brings forth the classical idea of memento mori, a Latin phrase which means, "Remember that you must die."
Some lines from Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" :
For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
E2. Promise forger he'd be good at coining? (9) _ _ _ D _ _ I _ _
Analysis
Promise forger he'd be good at coining?
Promise = word
forger = smith
wordsmith = he'd be good at coining
Aesthetics
Coining refers to the ability to put together words effectively.Excellent combination of forger and coining which would set you thinking of counterfeiter.
Afterword
Someone who makes up words, intentionally, creatively, or purely on accident with the slip of the tongue.That's how some would define a wordsmith. Here are some words which might catch on and become part of our regular vocabulary:
Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
Glibido: All talk and no action.
Hindkerchief: Really expensive toilet paper; toilet paper at Buckingham Palace.
Cashtration : The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
F2. Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio (10) _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ S _
Analysis
Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio
Beauty = Belle
Assignation = Tryst
on radio is homonym indicator
tryst becomes trist
by just indicates that belle is beside trist
sees is the link word.
belletrist = aesthetic writer
Aesthetics
Very effective coupling of Aesthetic and Beauty.
Afterword
The word comes from belles-lettres meaning light and elegant literature, esp. that which is excessively refined, characterized by aestheticism, and minor in subject, substance, or scope.
Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary , a novel which in the telling paid great attention to the trivial details of everyday life and which started a trend in 1857 and later became a craze.
He also wrote Salammbo: The Maid of Carthage , a powerful romance - realistic in the deepest sense. This is a must-read book.The ancient world comes alive in all its horror and voluptuousness.
But it is to another story I would draw your attention. From "Three Tales" - a story that encapsulates the violence and mysticism of the Middle Ages - The Legend of St Julian the Hospitaller. It is a short story but to feeeel the effect of a master belletrist , you must read it slow and aloud.Each sentence is like a scene in a movie.
The three clues below refer to fictional characters.
G2. Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver. (4,4,6)
H2. Is man left without old woman an outcast? (7) _ _ _ _ A _ L
I2. He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps. (7)
Jay.
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
________________________________________________________________________________________
D2. Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman. (7) _ _ E _ _ _ T
Analysis
Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman.
Stranger = ET ( extra terrestrial )
Grabbing is Containment indicator.
supporter is = leg is
E LEG IS T = bemoaning linesman
Aesthetics
Bemoaning linesman conjures up a classic image of a complaining sports official.Yet it neatly fits as a cool definition of an elegist.
Afterword
An elegist is the author of a mournful poem lamenting the dead.
An elegy brings forth the classical idea of memento mori, a Latin phrase which means, "Remember that you must die."
Some lines from Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" :
For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
E2. Promise forger he'd be good at coining? (9) _ _ _ D _ _ I _ _
Analysis
Promise forger he'd be good at coining?
Promise = word
forger = smith
wordsmith = he'd be good at coining
Aesthetics
Coining refers to the ability to put together words effectively.Excellent combination of forger and coining which would set you thinking of counterfeiter.
Afterword
Someone who makes up words, intentionally, creatively, or purely on accident with the slip of the tongue.That's how some would define a wordsmith. Here are some words which might catch on and become part of our regular vocabulary:
Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
Glibido: All talk and no action.
Hindkerchief: Really expensive toilet paper; toilet paper at Buckingham Palace.
Cashtration : The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
F2. Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio (10) _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ S _
Analysis
Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio
Beauty = Belle
Assignation = Tryst
on radio is homonym indicator
tryst becomes trist
by just indicates that belle is beside trist
sees is the link word.
belletrist = aesthetic writer
Aesthetics
Very effective coupling of Aesthetic and Beauty.
Afterword
The word comes from belles-lettres meaning light and elegant literature, esp. that which is excessively refined, characterized by aestheticism, and minor in subject, substance, or scope.
Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary , a novel which in the telling paid great attention to the trivial details of everyday life and which started a trend in 1857 and later became a craze.
He also wrote Salammbo: The Maid of Carthage , a powerful romance - realistic in the deepest sense. This is a must-read book.The ancient world comes alive in all its horror and voluptuousness.
But it is to another story I would draw your attention. From "Three Tales" - a story that encapsulates the violence and mysticism of the Middle Ages - The Legend of St Julian the Hospitaller. It is a short story but to feeeel the effect of a master belletrist , you must read it slow and aloud.Each sentence is like a scene in a movie.
The three clues below refer to fictional characters.
G2. Treasure-seeker pants hugely, having diseased liver. (4,4,6)
H2. Is man left without old woman an outcast? (7) _ _ _ _ A _ L
I2. He opposed the Turkish brothel local keeps. (7)
Jay.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Literary Stuff 2
Each Clue explanation is divided into Analysis, Aesthetics and Afterword.
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
___________________________________________________________________________
A2. Writer given university situation but no parking. (5) _ A _ _ _
Analysis : Writer given university situation but no parking
University situation = campus
No parking = no p
campus - p = Camus ( writer )
Aesthetics : When reading the sentence situation means something else from what is intended by the setter.Intended meaning is the actual location of the university.
Afterword : Camus's words: "We refuse to despair of mankind. Without having the unreasonable ambition to save men, we still want to serve them" from La Peste (The Plague) are as relevant today as they were in 1947. Only of a handful of post war European writers who resisted the siren call of Marxism , he was in favor of Mediterranean humanism.
B2. Novelist needing to raise capital. (4,6) _ _ C _ _ O _ _ _ _
Analysis : Novelist needing to raise capital
raise = jack capital = london
Aesthetics : The link word is rather long but gives a picture of a poor writer who has to write to survive.
Afterword : Jack London was an adventure writer of the first water.The Sea Wolf,The Call of the Wild and White Fang are some of his most famous works.
C2. Saint Henry penning epilogue for author. (8) _ _ _ N _ _ _ _
Analysis : Saint Henry penning epilogue for author
Saint Henry = St hal
penning means to surround
epilogue = end
giving us st end hal = STENDHAL ( author )
Aesthetics : Nice combo of penning,epilogue and author - all linked to writing.
Afterword : Stendhal wrote exquisitely on love - having failed miserably at it in real life."If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us." is one of those quotes that springs to mind when you see a couple where one partner still has the hots while the other is cool.Nevertheless, "Half – the most beautiful half – of life is hidden from him who has not loved passionately."
reminds us that to have loved and lost is a must for every man - at least for once in his life. Here and there are some comments on Stendhal's On Love.
This time around the clues are to do with types of writers.
D2. Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman. (7) _ _ E _ _ _ T
E2. Promise forger he'd be good at coining? (9) _ _ _ D _ _ I _ _
F2. Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio (10) _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ S _
Jay
Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
___________________________________________________________________________
A2. Writer given university situation but no parking. (5) _ A _ _ _
Analysis : Writer given university situation but no parking
University situation = campus
No parking = no p
campus - p = Camus ( writer )
Aesthetics : When reading the sentence situation means something else from what is intended by the setter.Intended meaning is the actual location of the university.
Afterword : Camus's words: "We refuse to despair of mankind. Without having the unreasonable ambition to save men, we still want to serve them" from La Peste (The Plague) are as relevant today as they were in 1947. Only of a handful of post war European writers who resisted the siren call of Marxism , he was in favor of Mediterranean humanism.
B2. Novelist needing to raise capital. (4,6) _ _ C _ _ O _ _ _ _
Analysis : Novelist needing to raise capital
raise = jack capital = london
Aesthetics : The link word is rather long but gives a picture of a poor writer who has to write to survive.
Afterword : Jack London was an adventure writer of the first water.The Sea Wolf,The Call of the Wild and White Fang are some of his most famous works.
C2. Saint Henry penning epilogue for author. (8) _ _ _ N _ _ _ _
Analysis : Saint Henry penning epilogue for author
Saint Henry = St hal
penning means to surround
epilogue = end
giving us st end hal = STENDHAL ( author )
Aesthetics : Nice combo of penning,epilogue and author - all linked to writing.
Afterword : Stendhal wrote exquisitely on love - having failed miserably at it in real life."If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us." is one of those quotes that springs to mind when you see a couple where one partner still has the hots while the other is cool.Nevertheless, "Half – the most beautiful half – of life is hidden from him who has not loved passionately."
reminds us that to have loved and lost is a must for every man - at least for once in his life. Here and there are some comments on Stendhal's On Love.
This time around the clues are to do with types of writers.
D2. Stranger grabbing supporter is bemoaning linesman. (7) _ _ E _ _ _ T
E2. Promise forger he'd be good at coining? (9) _ _ _ D _ _ I _ _
F2. Aesthetic writer sees beauty by assignation on radio (10) _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ S _
Jay
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Literary Stuff
Torquemada was the inventor of the cryptic puzzle.A scholar and linguist he was passionate about puzzles and loved setting them for kith and kin over dinner to avoid small talk.In the 1920s as crossword fever swept England, he created the first cryptic puzzle (1924 ) - being bored with straightforward clues. A voracious reader with an impressive memory, Torquemada favoured literary clues, using quotations from poetry, plays and the classics.
Early crosswords had more literary references than today's crosswords.This reduction is due to the fact that more and more crossword solvers do not have a background in the classics.
However, there are still a lot of good clues regarding literary stuff and in this series, we will see that they still have a place among other types of clues that require the solver to have some knowledge about.
Even if you don't, it's possible to solve them from the wordplay and then confirm it online.
The three below are to do with famous authors.
A2. Writer given university situation but no parking. (5) _ A _ _ _
B2. Novelist needing to raise capital. (4,6) _ _ C _ _ O _ _ _ _
C2. Saint Henry penning epilogue for author. (8) _ _ _ N _ _ _ _
Jay
Early crosswords had more literary references than today's crosswords.This reduction is due to the fact that more and more crossword solvers do not have a background in the classics.
However, there are still a lot of good clues regarding literary stuff and in this series, we will see that they still have a place among other types of clues that require the solver to have some knowledge about.
Even if you don't, it's possible to solve them from the wordplay and then confirm it online.
The three below are to do with famous authors.
A2. Writer given university situation but no parking. (5) _ A _ _ _
B2. Novelist needing to raise capital. (4,6) _ _ C _ _ O _ _ _ _
C2. Saint Henry penning epilogue for author. (8) _ _ _ N _ _ _ _
Jay
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