The &lit type of clue, where the wordplay is also the definition, is a thing of beauty even if it’s not, per se, a typical cryptic clue. There’s usually no indication that everything is doing double duty (apart from a possible and definite “!”, or a more indefinite “?”), so a solver may well not work out the duplicity until the clue has been solved. Believe it or not, good and true &lits are fairly rare, however, opportunities pop up while clueing all the time. What do I mean? For an &lit to “work”, the wordplay has to be manipulated in such a way that the definition is formed, so when a wordplay starts feeling like a matching definition, I get excited. This excitement happens relatively regularly, but, it often turns to shrugs as getting it exactly right is really hard. Here’s an example: in doing a clue for LORD recently I explored hidden options as the OR makes hiding the answer pretty easy. Next step is to use words that relate to the answer/definition so it all has one context. At this point, earL OR Duke came to mind, and after checking some dictionaries, thought this would be great and had &lit potential. However, after much wasted time and a fruitless hunt for a “piece/section” word that could complete the definition properly, I gave up. Close but not close enough. Did I miss out on an &lit here? Why don’t you have go?
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | DISPROVE | |
| Expose ISP operating in the mob (8) | ISP inside DROVE | |
| 5 | SEXPOT | |
| Very attractive person’s public showing in middle of street (6) | EXPO inside ST | |
| 10 | DARES | |
| Challenges are accepted by extreme types of desperados (5) | ARE inside (D)ESPERADO(S) | |
| 11 | GRIEVANCE | |
| Beef and rice vegan tossed out (9) | Anagram of RICE VEGAN | |
| 12 | CONTACTED | |
| Did something after kid starting to talk is reached (9) | ACTED after [CON + (T)ALK] | |
| 13 | POOR | |
| Soft Australian jumper returned in a sorry condition (4) | P + (ROO reversed) | |
| 15 | ZAGREB | |
| Capital of Europe, one leaving Bronze Age in ruins (6) | Anagram of BRONZE AGE minus ONE | |
| 16 | RAPPERS | |
| They knock funky musicians (7) | Double Definition | |
| 18 | ARRANGE | |
| Teacher finally worked in mature class (7) | [TEACHE(R) + RAN] inside AGE | |
| 20 | EITHER | |
| One or the other number divided by one? (6) | ETHER outside I | |
| 23 | CHIC | |
| A journey away from large US city is trendy (4) | CHICAGO minus (A + GO) | |
| 24 | ABSTINENT | |
| A criminal fencing isn’t rattled or self-controlled (9) | (A + BENT) outside anagram of ISNT | |
| 26 | DINING CAR | |
| Loud noise before racing unsettled three on the move? (6,3) | DIN + anagram of RACING | |
| 27 | HATER | |
| Misanthrope disrupted thread before finishing (5) | Anagram of (THREA)D | |
| 28 | SADDLE | |
| Micro-organisms in the end spoil meat (6) | MICROORGANISM(S) + ADDLE | |
| 29 | PASSER-BY | |
| Southern European settled in to make money for one who travels around (6-2) | (S + SERB) inside PAY | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | DEDUCE | |
| Work out Djokovic’s first serve in tie-breaker (6) | (D)JOKOVIC inside DEUCE | |
| 2 | SYRINGA | |
| Mock orange, say, replanted around enclosure (7) | Anagram of SAY outside RING | |
| 3 | RESTAURANT | |
| Resolution managed in unbending establishment that provides courses (10) | RES + (RAN inside TAUT) | |
| 4 | VEGETABLE PATCH | |
| Get competent father working in legume growing area (9,5) | (GET + ABLE + PA) inside VETCH | |
| 6 | ENVY | |
| Be jealous of diplomatic agent losing out on love (4) | ENVOY minus O | |
| 7 | PINHOLE | |
| Small opening in hull at the front should be checked by staff (7) | [IN + (H)OLE] inside POLE | |
| 8 | THEORIST | |
| Wild riots started by the philosopher (8) | Anagram of RIOTS after THE | |
| 9 | WILDERNESS AREA | |
| Islanders were relocated next to a place teeming with animals (10,4) | Anagram of ISLANDERS WERE + A | |
| 14 | SPOTLIGHTS | |
| Skin problem on the fringes of delicate features (10) | SPOTS outside LIGHT | |
| 17 | BAR CODES | |
| Strips containing company data primarily? (3,5) | BARES outside [CO + (D)ATA] | |
| 19 | REIGNED | |
| Left a job without references, ultimately, and prevailed (7) | RESIGNED minus REFERENCE(S) | |
| 21 | ERECTOR | |
| One who puts up with England’s head churchman (7) | (E)NGLAND + RECTOR | |
| 22 | STURDY | |
| Staunch resistance noted in report (6) | R inside STUDY | |
| 25 | ANIL | |
| A big flower mostly is deep blue (4) | A + (NIL)E |
ALL is revealed, but STILL Guys, I cannot get chloroform out of 20a –
nor have I been able to find any alternate meaning???
Richard. I am amazed. Either is the answer. Take out the I and you get ether (number). Now put it back so you divide ether (the number) by i (one). I think you have overthought the clue as I did with Nile before my bex.
There were lots of learning experiences in this one – new words, new ways to look at familiar words.
After this blog, I am more comfortable about how difficult it is to explain “&lit” clues to novices, and how few good examples there are. The type of clue is a valuable tool in the kit but it has to be used on the right material.
Did have the answer, Arthur. Ether as NUMBER explains it all.
Did not come up in any definitions that I sourced.
Got chloroform & upper atmosphere – that’s all.
Some unpleasant encounters with former in childhood.
Much better options these days.
Have to admit, did not spend a great deal of time pursuing it
Difficult. I doubt it would pass muster, but it’s the best I can do:
Something captured by “Earl” or “Duke” (4)
Steve = : ^ )
My contribution
Liege earl or duke?