Choose a pique

There were a lot of things that have rankled in the last month, and I will tell you all about each and every one of them, never fear (or rather, quake in your shoes), but this was the top of the list over the last ten days. So, I am doing what I always do: writing it out of my system. You have been warned.

Definition: A statement intended to put a word in its place.

A definition is so many things, actually. It is a concise explanation of the meaning of a word or a phrase or a symbol, it is also clarity of outline, an account, distinctiveness, explanation or sharpness. But in crosswords, definition is something else.

In concise crosswords, it is usually straight forward, and a good vocabulary and a quick recall of synonyms will make solving them simple. Loafer (5) is idler. But in a cryptic clue, it could be a type of shoe, or somebody who makes loaves, hence a baker. This is because cryptic clues are presented in a coded form. While a good compiler can be infuriatingly sly, he will always be fair; and however coded the clue, the solution is always reachable.

A good clue will read like a piece of ordinary language, a statement, question or a definition. But good compilers don't waste words, and all the words contribute to arriving at the solution. So when I went about solving Guardian Prize crossword last fortnight, I thought I was losing the battle of wits with Araucaria because I was missing something. But that turned out not to be the case. He compiled a bad clue. All right, a clue I didn't like.

The crossword had some lovely long and involved clues.

6,9 A don with knot twice untied expresses doubt (1,4,4,4,2,5)

The economy of this clue is breathtaking. Expresses doubt is the definition, and the solution you arrive at has to mean that. A don- so, I don. Then, with knot twice untied. An anagram of ' with knot, with knot', and the solution is-- I don't know what to think!

6,8 Whittaker's part (boy, English) to Scottish summit, holding on- hence 14down, 20, 16.

Part of 'Whittaker', son, E, to, knowe with on inside it. The solution is-- it takes one to know one.

And this ties into 14down, 20,16 Advice to Scotland Yard about reporter's knickers (3,1,5,2,5,2,5)

Again, the clue is brief, elegant. Reporter's here is an indication to go by how the word is heard. Here if we read the word as nickers, it falls in to place. Set a thief to catch a thief.

There were other lovely clues. After trust, after writing (9) sincerely

Amin in country concerned with pupil's surroundings (7) iridian

Flower for reporter to dispose of and eat? (9) celandine

Island hospital authorised assistance in crucial blow (8) Hokkaido

But the clue that bothered me even as I solved it, even after the solutions were published and annotations given to see how they were arrived at, was this:

Much more angry having lost part of dress circle at opening of theatre (7)

The solution is Olivier, of course. I solved it, and fumed. I saw the annotation and fumed. Now I write about it and I fume.

Olivier LIVI(d[ress])ER after O— was the annotation. But I disliked this clue. Much more angry is livider. Without d, and o to begin with. I still think it's a bad clue.

Et tu, Araucaria? Sigh!

I believe in positive thinking and silver linings, though. So I am anticipating the weekend's lot of puzzles, and I have the pleasure of the latest Carl Hiaasen and a new Percy Jackson book to look forward to. Not to mention that I will be pampering myself silly at my salon, getting the works. Life isn't too bad then.

Cheers!