French in a cryptic clue might well indicate an F in the answer. Likewise English might indicate E, North might indicate N. So can the setter simply use any word with the expectation that the solver might use its initial letter? Clearly not, so how are we expected to know these various one-letter abbreviations?
Crossword 752 solution
Most are supposed to be familiar because they are commonly used in dictionaries, atlases and so on. Others appear in “everyday life” like the H and C on taps, or in common initialisms such as the N for new in NZ and the U for university in VUW.
Some are less common except in cryptic clues. Henry in a cryptic clue is most likely to indicate an H in the answer. This is generally because it stands for henry. This henry, my reference tells me, is “a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second”. I suspect that not many people know that. I do however expect my solvers to know it as part of their acquired cryptic crossword lore. Alternatively they might take it to be derived from HR (Henry Rex), one of the King Henrys.
I usually think of the electrical unit but always ensure that the word henry appears at the beginning of the clue or a sentence within it and is thus capitalised. That makes it a valid disguise for the lower case word or a royal reference; take your pick. This I have done in 10 across.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 7 | LULLABIES | |
| Blues – all I composed – songs for my baby (9) | Anagram of BLUES ALL I (composed = anagram indicator). | |
| 9 | INDIA | |
| I go to North Dakota by first-class return then another country (5) | Charade: I + North Dakota = ND, first class = AI, return = reversal indicator. | |
| 10 | NOTHING | |
| Henry enters, making mention of zilch (7) | Henry = H (physical unit), enters = container indicator, making mention of = NOTING. | |
| 11 | EMBASSY | |
| A singer at day’s end follows me back to the diplomatic quarters (7) | Charade: singer = BASS, day’s end = Y, me back = EM. | |
| 12 | JEANS | |
| Miss Brodie’s trousers? (5) | Reference to filmed novel “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” by Muriel Spark. | |
| 13 | AUTOGRAPH | |
| New author, a GP, provides it in a signed edition (9) | Anagram of AUTHOR A GP (anagram indicator = new). | |
| 16 | HIGH | |
| Whiffy and squiffy (4) | Double definition. | |
| 17 | CHOIR | |
| Singers performing rich composition about love (5) | Anagram RICH, about = container indicator, love = O (tennis). | |
| 18 | SPOT | |
| Notice a blemish (4) | Double definition. | |
| 19 | SACCHARIN | |
| Chairs can collapse? How sweet it is (9) | Anagram of CHAIRS CAN (collapse = anagram indicator). | |
| 21 | TITLE | |
| Legal ownership vested in the name of a movie (5) | Double definition. | |
| 22 | LET IT BE | |
| McCartney’s advice: “Rent it out, insect!” (3,2,2) | Charade, rent it out = let it + pun. | |
| 25 | UTENSIL | |
| Implement changes in slut taking ecstasy (7) | Anagram IN SLUT, taking = container indicator, ecstasy = E. | |
| 26 | EXILE | |
| English cricketers take on the French in absence from home (5) | Charade: English = E, cricketers = XI, the French = LE. | |
| 27 | STAG-PARTY. | |
| A men-only do for a doctor with painting in the pig pen (4-5) | Charade, a doctor = AGP, painting = ART, pig pen = STY.. | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RADIUS | |
| Length at spoke halfway across a round figure (6) | Cryptic double definition. | |
| 2 | BIOGRAPHER | |
| One committed to many sentences for life (10) | Cryptic definition. | |
| 3 | ISLE | |
| Man, for one, is misled at heart (4) | Hidden word mISLEd (refering to Isle of Man). | |
| 4 | AIR BAG | |
| Restraint shown in broadcast by Gladstone (3,3) | Broadcast = AIR, Gladstone = a type of BAG | |
| 5 | ODDS | |
| They are not even chances (4) | Cryptic definition. | |
| 6 | LADY CHATTERLEY | |
| She let gamekeeper in yet let charlady out (4,10) | Anagram of YET LET CHARLADY (out = anagram indicator). | |
| 7 | LONG JOHN SILVER | |
| A pirate with warm underwear and a cruddy liver (4,4,6) | Charade plus anagram of LIVER. | |
| 8 | LETHARGIC | |
| Listless, having chopped the garlic (9) | Anagram of THE GARLIC, (anagram indicator = chopped). | |
| 14 | TRIANGULAR | |
| Giant rural organisation is in shape. (That couldn’t be simpler) (10) | Anagram of GIANT RURAL + definition with misleading punctuation. | |
| 15 | APPETISER | |
| On the ascendant, assign a new section for building, very quietly, a starter (9) | Reversal (on the ascendant = reversal indicator for down clue) assign a new section for building = RESITE, very quietly = PP, a starter = A. | |
| 20 | HITHER | |
| Strike that woman here (6) | Charade. | |
| 21 | TIE-UPS | |
| Affiliations I set up for a change (3-3) | Anagram of I SET UP. | |
| 23 | THIN | |
| Endlessly consider the model figure (4) | Endlessly consider = THIN/k. | |
| 24 | EAST | |
| Where to look for enlightenment early tomorrow (4) | Cryptic definition.. |
Thanks David for not only listening, but acting!
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I’ll pass it on Barrie. (Ducking if not weaving.) I certainly don’t want to take on setting anything as complex or devious as the prize cryptics in the UK “qualities”.
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I concur – a week max before publishing comments / solutions.
(Report Abuse) (Report Abuse)Another thought: make it a (and possibly New Zealand’s only) prize crossword? The prize a nice NZ Listener pen?
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Hi R Aroa
LOVE your comment — or most of it. I was about to go out and buy a bigger hat, but I read on and found another matter had to take priority: changing the online dates of these solution posts.
I have always been confused (being easily made so) about the publication and issue dates of the Listener and I was keen not to put these posts online much before the solutions appear in print.
It seems now, thanks to you, that I have been far too conservative about this. I have now changed the dates on the 753 posting and all following to what I hope is a better time. They should pop up online about 6am each Saturday, just before most subscribers can expect them in their letterboxes.
Your 754 will be revealed tomorrow.
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Hi David. LOVE your cryptics, thank you – being doing them for years! I make myself do the Take 5 first, then have a go at the Quizword before I allow myself to settle down with the Cryptic. For light relief, when stuck, I flick over the page to the Kakuro. Great now to see explanations offered, and came here looking for an explanation to a clue in #754. Very disappointed to find you are so far behind on this site, the latest one being #752 – that’s weeks ago.. That one has well and truly gone off to the Recycling!
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