Setting with Diamonds

Just as a cut diamond's facets can change a light ray's plane of travel, the word 'diamond' in a cryptic clue can take many forms to send the solver off on a wrong course.

Some popular ways in which setters craft clues with 'diamond' in them:

A Suit Of Cards

Diamond is one of the four playing card symbols. Cryptic clues typically use diamond as the gemstone on the clue's surface and a playing card in the answer.

Guardian 25320 (Brendan): Bachelor with one diamond, say, for movie actress (6) BACALL
BA (bachelor) CALL ('one diamond', an example of a call in a card game)

Times 24860: Criticising valuable diamond, perhaps, after turning up nose (8) KNOCKING
KING (a high-value diamond in a card game), after CONK (nose) reversed

The 60th Anniversary

The 60th anniversary of an event such as a wedding, or the length of time a monarch has reigned, is a diamond jubilee.

Times 4425: An anniversary for which there could be an 'icy' reception? (7,7) DIAMOND WEDDING dd

Times 24506: Did adding women upset big union anniversary? (7,7) DIAMOND WEDDING
(DID ADDING WOMEN)*

D

The abbreviation for 'diamonds' in playing cards. Useful to setters for adding/deleting a letter in the answer.

Guardian 25292 (Bonxie): Old hat with diamonds? Nothing better! (5) OUTDO
OUT (old hat) D (diamonds) O (nothing)

FT 13377 (Aardvark): Writer’s agent wearing diamonds similarly (2,4) IN KIND
INK (writer's agent) IN (wearing) D (diamonds)

ICE

Slang for diamond(s).

FT 13695 (Phssthpok): Prominent celebrity wears diamonds (10) NOTICEABLE
NOTABLE (celebrity) around ICE (diamonds)

Times 24999: Several times getting tips from tutor holding hearts and diamonds (6) THRICE
T[uto]R around H, ICE (diamonds)

ROCK

Another slang for diamond.

FT 13093 (Monk): Fake diamond's a national emblem (8) SHAMROCK
SHAM (fake) ROCK (diamond). The national symbol of Ireland.

Guardian 24309 (Brendan): Pass a diamond to Nick in play and finish in lowest position (5,4,6) REACH ROCK BOTTOM
REACH (pass) ROCK (diamond) BOTTOM (Nick in play - character in Shakespeare's AMND)

The baseball field

The field on which baseball is played is called a 'diamond'.

Jumbo 881: Components of ring perhaps where some Americans find sporting action (8) DIAMONDS dd

Guardian 25239 (Rufus): He plays in clubs and diamonds (8,6) BASEBALL PLAYER cd
A baseball player plays for a sporting club, in a baseball diamond.

The Shape ◊

The rhombus shape, called a 'diamond' after the diamond suit in playing cards.

THC (Buzzer): Wild mob rush for a diamond (7) RHOMBUS
(MOB RUSH)*

Times 23499: Like diamonds, for example, all are quite different (11) EQUILATERAL
(ALL ARE QUITE)*. In a rhombus, all sides are of equal length.

Solve These

FT 13161 (Alberich): Ginger Spice gives diamond maybe to a relative in the States (8) C_______

Times 24059: One beset by goddamned wind spoiled celebration for pensioners (7,7)

Guardian 25387 (Paul): Building provided rocks behind shed, half removed (7) E______

Everyman 3373: Replace wonderful watch studded with diamonds (9) S_______

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• The Game of Bridge in Cryptic Crosswords
• Cluedo Clues
• Soldier Changeovers

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My Top Ten Clues 2011

I hope you all are enjoying the festive season. My best wishes to you for a very happy and successful new year 2012.

Signing off this year with a round-up of clues I've enjoyed immensely in 2011. Have fun solving and do share your own favourite clues of the year too.

Indy 7569 (Dac): Millions read this novel (4,5)

Times 24747: Diverted article leaving bottom exposed (2-6) __-R_____

FT13601 (Alberich): Honestly? No, otherwise (2,3,3)

FT13718 (Dante): What’s made for maid in house to clean and polish (9) __M_____E

Guardian 25271 (Brendan): Theatric saga I composed, ending of which is kept secret (6,8) A_____ ________

FT 13657 (Alberich): Man United playing away later rued foul (9) A_______R

Guardian 25360: Black bovine with vertigo, say — what's so exciting? (11) A_________C

Guardian 25456 (Pasquale): A trip with the legwork would be disastrous for me (9,6) T________ _____R

@aclueaday on twitter: Risk acne eruption without this? (8)

Independent 7702 (Anax): Stupid cow needed my ring for this (7,8) W______ ____M___

Related Posts:

• My Top Ten Clues 2010
• Three Years of Crossword Unclued
• Clue Challenge: Annotate These Answers III

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Why is Horse = GG?

In British cryptic crosswords, GG is often used as an abbreviation for 'horse'.

FT 13588 (Orense): Move from side to side in horse riding trick (6) WIGGLE
GG (horse) riding i.e. being carried by WILE (trick)

GG or gee-gee is a word for horse used by children or in colloquial speech in UK. The internet provides different explanations for its etymology. Wikipedia says that the term "Gee-Gee" is taken from horse-racing where a Gee-Gee is the first horse out of the starting gate. Other sources say that GG is short for the command given to horses to go: "gee up". I'm not sure which is the actual origin of the word, comments that can shed light on this are most welcome.

In any case, for solving cryptic clues, it is sufficient to know that horse = GG and that the term is mostly used by children.

Have a go at these clues that use horse = GG:

Independent 7746 (Anax): Pushes horse in front over (4, 2)

Guardian 24635 (Enigmatist): Less diminutive horse in nursery found in the final frame (6)

Guardian 25476 (Boatman): Startling horse eaten by naughty goblin (8)

Related Posts:

• What "Bodyguard" Could Mean In Cryptic Clues
• Ten Fishy Clues
• Not Just Royal Or Sky

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.

Clues for Austenians

"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other", says the eponymous heroine of Jane Austen's Emma, summing up the defence of all crossword nuts when questioned by their well-meaning, non-crossword friends.

Jane Austen was born on this day, the 16th of December, in 1775, and remains one of the most popular authors ever. Her dazzling wit and social commentary delight us today as much as they did 200 years ago.

As a birthday tribute, a selection of clues from cryptic crosswords that refer to Jane Austen or her works. Especially for Jane Austen admirers.

1. Times 25009: Mansfield Park without its heroine would be very funny (9) P_______S

2. Guardian 25067 (Araucaria): Lady Catherine's place in gross mistreatment (7) R_____

3. Times 23982: Novel speciality of fellow explorer (9,4) ___S_____ __R_

4. Guardian 24391 (Araucaria): Elizabeth's boy catcher (6) B_____

5. Guardian 24344 (Rufus): Complaint of aunt finally in Austen novel (7) T______ /* Hint: No Austen knowledge required. */

6. Times 24539: Emma’s man speaking regularly (7) K________

7. Times 23923: See my girl injured here - Louisa? (4,5) L___ R____/* Hint: Recall Persuasion. */

8. Times 24873: Staff, keeping discipline, set off for work (9,4) ____F____ _A__

9. Times 23771: Emotion at centre of Austen novel? (5) __G__

10. Guardian 24674 (Araucaria): Clue (not the first) about little bag for slippery creature who became Mrs Ferrars (4,6) L___ _____E

An older post devoted to Emma: Setters' Favourite Book?

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• Clues for Potterphiles
• A Round-Up of Gandhi Clues
• Daphne Du Maurier in Cryptic Crosswords

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Christmas Gift Ideas for the Crossword Buff

Pick a gift for yourself or your favourite crossword fan this Christmas. Some crossword-themed knickknacks and books for you to choose from, listed below. There's an attractive discount running on the Chambers Crossword Lover's Dictionary Set on Amazon UK – regular price £70.00, being sold currently for £27.49.

Chambers Crossword Lover's Dictionary Set	Crossword Mug	Umbra Crossword Frame
Crossword Puzzle Teapot	Crossword Loo Roll	I Love Crosswords Hoodie
How to Master The Times Crossword	Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword	Black Belt in Crosswords Mug

[Amazon will give me a 4% referral fee if you buy through a link on my page. The price for you will remain the same.]

Also consider this unique set of twelve 3D crosswords created by some of the best crossword compilers from UK. Money from your purchase goes to BBC CiNA and RNIB.

Related Posts:

• Three-Dimensional Crosswords
• The World's Largest Crossword
• Rakshabandhan Gift for a Cruciverbalist

If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.