Wrong! quite wrong. In a previous version of this post, I claimed that “this puzzle features a rare sort of clue, one highly regarded in some cryptic aficianado circles: an &lit clue.”
Crossword 799 solution
“&lit” stands for “and literally so.”
“In this puzzle,” I continued, “the entire clue at 17 across is both a definition and a cryptic clue and is thus an &lit.”
Since then David Stickley, the estimable Australian setter, has corrected me.
He says “… the WHOLE CLUE doesn’t serve independently as the wordplay and also as the definition. Some may call it a semi &lit, where the wordplay helps expand the definition, but this too is questionable as “and Tonga” plays no role in the wordplay.”
Ah well. A dream shattered! I will soldier on nonetheless.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | COUGARS | |
| Big cats, jaguars say, skirt rough centre (7) | jaguars say = CARS, rough centre = OUG | |
| 5 | THE PAST | |
| History has strange shape in terrestrial time (3,4) | Anagram of SHAPE in terrestrial time = TT | |
| 9 | RECTITUDE | |
| Dieter cut out uprightness and decency (9) | Anagram of DIETER CUT | |
| 10 | GOT ON | |
| Climbed aboard and made progress (3,2) | Double definition | |
| 11 | OPERA | |
| Parts of Europe rarely seen stage productions (5) | Hidden word, Eur OPE RA rely | |
| 12 | EVEN OUT | |
| Compensate despite being away from home (4,3) | despite being = EVEN, away from home = OUT | |
| 14 | SANTA CLAUS | |
| A-class nut: a peculiar present-day legend (5,5) | Anagram of A CLASS NUT A | |
| 16 | TAUT | |
| Fully stretched, having given lessons in English pronunciation (4) | Homophone, given lessons = taught | |
| 17 | KAVA | |
| A beverage used in Lautoka, Vanuatu and Tonga (4) | Hidden word, Lauto KA VA nuatu | |
| 18 | ASPIDISTRA | |
| A sad spirit disturbed a green presence in the room (10) | Anagram of A SAD SPIRIT | |
| 21 | CORTEGE | |
| Get back into the central part of the procession (7) | Get back = TEG, the central part = CORE | |
| 23 | KNOWN | |
| Knight at present normal is apprehended (5) | Knight = K, at present = NOW, normal = N | |
| 26 | OVINE | |
| Sheepish one goes about six (5) | six = VI inside ONE | |
| 27 | ICE HOCKEY | |
| Key choice goes wrong as people with sticks slide in to attack (3,6) | Anagram of KEY CHOICE | |
| 28 | FADES IN | |
| A craze, eastern transgression, gradually appears (5,2) | A craze = FAD, eastern = E, transgression = SIN | |
| 29 | SPEARED. | |
| Went too fast eating part of the cereal, suffered pointed attack (7) | Went too fast SPED, part of the cereal = EAR. | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | CURIOUS | |
| Strange dogs eat a promissary note (7) | dogs = CURS, promissary note = IOU | |
| 2 | UNCLE | |
| There’s a point in this silly clue: it’s for a relation (5) | a point = N (point of the compass) inside anagram of CLUE | |
| 3 | ALI BABA | |
| “Open sesame,” he said: an incomplete defence in court to a graduate (3,4) | incomplete defence in court = ALIB/i, graduate = BA | |
| 4 | SOUP | |
| Sober up when disheartened with some sustenance (4) | subtraction, SO / ber / UP | |
| 5 | THEME MUSIC | |
| A signature tune for the small rodents which, having eaten large birds, are docked (5,5) | small rodents = MIC/e (docked), large birds = EMUS | |
| 6 | EAGLE | |
| A bird with each short leg twisted (5) | each short = EA + anagram of LEG | |
| 7 | ASTRONAUT | |
| Someone who could become a NASA tutor (9) | Anagram of NASA TUTOR | |
| 8 | TINY TOT | |
| Toy remade in a subtle shade for a small child (4,3) | Anagram of TOY in subtle shade = TINT | |
| 13 | GLASWEGIAN | |
| Scot is sawing a leg off (10) | Anagram of SAWING A LEG | |
| 15 | NEVER MIND | |
| It doesn’t matter that Kelly carries pestilential creatures (5,4) | Kelly = NED, pestilential creatures = VERMIN | |
| 17 | KICK OFF | |
| It’s a thrill not working: start playing (4,3) | thrill = KICK, not working = OFF | |
| 19 | IRKSOME | |
| One reformed smoker becomes tedious (7) | One = I + anagram of SMOKER | |
| 20 | ANNOYED | |
| Hacked off one day when disturbed about the beginning of November (7) | Anagram of ONE DAY containing beginning of November = N | |
| 22 | EWERS | |
| Pitchers that appeared in quite a few erstwhile crosswords (5) | Hidden word, f EW ERS twhile | |
| 24 | OCKER | |
| Spaniel of some sort is decapitated for your basic Australian (5) | Spaniel of some sort = COCKER | |
| 25 | TEES. | |
| Coquette announced places where balls are to be struck with the utmost vigour (4) | Homophone, coquette = tease. |
eric.neal Dec 23 2012, 5:07pm
You shouldn't be so hard on yourself re 17 across. I thought it was a brilliant clue. The fact that 'and Tonga' was superfluous as far as the cryptic side of the clue was concerned, didn't affect the accuracy of it, was probably the only way you could word it to achieve the objective anyway. And it was very relevant to the non-cryptic aspect of the clue.
This is my first ever comment, so I'd like to thank you for the enjoyment provided by your crosswords, and now that I have introduced myself to the online explanations, it makes it doubly enjoyable. Most times I complete the crossword, but am sometimes puzzled by a certain aspect of the clue, so your explanations are great. Keep up the good work. Eric Neal