{"id":253,"date":"2017-10-31T12:55:02","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T11:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ensovoort.com\/?p=253"},"modified":"2017-10-31T12:55:02","modified_gmt":"2017-10-31T11:55:02","slug":"south-africanising-the-english-cryptic-crossword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/2017\/10\/31\/south-africanising-the-english-cryptic-crossword\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africanising the English Cryptic Crossword"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Africanising the English Cryptic Crossword<\/strong>
\nGeorge Euvrard<\/strong><\/em>
\n<\/a> George Euvrard majored in African Languages, has a D.Litt et Phil in Psychology, is a qualified psychotherapist and professor of Education, and was previously Dean of Education at Rhodes University. His research interests are widespread, ranging from pilgrimage learning to cryptic crosswords. E-mail: g.euvrard@ru.ac.za
\nEnsovoort volume 37(2017), number 10:1<\/em>
\nAbstract<\/strong>
\nEvery major English language newspaper in South Africa carries a cryptic crossword, and these are enjoyed by thousands of people across the country. But all these crosswords come from major newspapers in England \u2013 the Times, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, etc. \u2013 and concomitantly every one, by and large, assumes a London-Etonian-Conservative-chauvinist-colonial-centric approach and world-view. In this article I explore the possibility of South Africanising the traditional English cryptic crossword in terms of language, history, geography, culture etc. drawing on my experiences of compiling and publishing what is probably the first South Africanised cryptic crosswords in the classic genre.
\nKeywords<\/strong>
\nSouth-Africanising, decolonisation, cryptic crossword, English, African languages, culture
\nSouth Africanising the English Cryptic Crossword<\/strong>
\nIntroduction<\/strong>
\nThere are many ways in which one can approach the field of Africanisation, decolonisation, and indigenous knowledge. Over fifty years ago Kwame Nkrumah called our attention to these concepts in his work Philosophy and Ideology for Decolonization<\/em> (1964, republished 1970) and of late there has been a resurgence of interest. The South African Journal of Philosophy<\/em> recently dedicated a special issue to this matter (Etieyibo, 2016), and political scientists and sociologists have also been giving it their attention (Sooryamoorthy, 2016). As a psychotherapist I shall position this article in a fairly simple psychological frame, and then go on to explain how the cryptic crossword in South Africa is involved.
\nA central aspect of psychological, spiritual and existential health is a deep, felt understanding and valuing of one\u2019s identity, and a sense of belongingness to that (Maslow, 2011). Knowing myself, trusting myself, feeling good about myself is all part of becoming myself, and is key to my individual well-being and growth. Psychologists and therapists speak of growing into your potential, of embracing your destiny, of being the person you were meant to be. For humanists this means discovering and being your true self (Rogers, 1995), for Jungians it is the process of individuation (Jung, 2011), and for existentialists it is about living authentically (Yalom, 1980).
\nFinding this core sense of oneself is a struggle, because so much of life conspires against this happening. From the moment I am born, the world attempts to mould me according to its<\/em> vision of who and why I am, how I should view and understand the world, and what I ought to believe and to be. It is really difficult to develop my own perspective and to trust my own evaluation when I am constantly – blatantly and subtly – being pushed and pulled into seeing the world and life through others\u2019<\/em> eyes and making sense of it according to their<\/em> standpoint.
\nIf this is true of us as human individuals, it is probably also true of us as human communities, and human nations. How can we gain a sense of who we are and what we believe, and<\/em> develop a deep trust in this, when we constantly look at the world, at life, and indeed at ourselves, through others\u2019 \u2013 often strangers\u2019 \u2013 eyes and ears? It is in response to this situation that Mhlambi (2016) introspects on behalf of all of us and asks: Wena ungubani?<\/em> Exactly who am I – a product of my own birth and upbringing, or a manifestation of something imposed from outside?
\nIt is often argued\u00a0that if we as individuals, as a community, as a nation, are to be our true selves, if we are to live authentically and meaningfully, if we are to trust ourselves and flourish with a secure sense of belongingness, we need to look at the world from where we stand, to trust our own experience of it, and to develop our own meaning from it. If we are to embrace and live out our Africanism, we need to move away from the colonial notion that the most appropriate and legitimate way of viewing the world, discussing the world, exploring the world, and understanding the world is from the dominant power\u2019s particular vantage point (Gwekerere, 2014). In many parts of our daily living we are tempted to believe that this vantage point is geographically, philosophically, epistemologically and even linguistically, located in the northern hemisphere, usually in Europe. We need to be reminded that we too have a vantage point that counts, and knowledge that is both indigenous to this place and universally valid.
\nPeople are speaking and writing about this in a range of different ways, at conferences, in in journals, and in the public arena. In this article I explore the role of the English cryptic crossword in relation to these matters.
\nThe English\/British cryptic crossword in South Africa<\/strong>
\nEvery major English language newspaper in South Africa carries a cryptic crossword which is popular amongst many readers. But all (with one exception) of these crosswords are syndicated from major newspapers in England \u2013 the Times, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Daily Mail \u2013 and every one, by and large, assumes a London-Etonian-Conservative-chauvinist-colonial-centric approach and world-view. To do the crossword in my daily\/weekly South African newspaper, I need to give up my own lived experience of the world and life, and take on that of another person in another culture in another country. And yes, it may be in English which I understand, but a language is bound to a context and a culture, and this English is not always the language I inhabit here in South Africa.
\nWhat is a cryptic crossword?<\/strong>
\nA crossword consists of a grid of squares which needs to be filled in with words. The words intersect (cross each other) and share the intersecting letters. For each word there is a clue. The clue guides you to the word or words to be put into the grid.
\nThe cryptic clue normally consists of two parts: a definition (at the beginning or the end of the clue), and a word-play that guides you to the same answer (MacNutt, 2001). There should be one and only one possible answer. However, the fun and challenge of cryptic crosswords is that the clue usually says what it means but doesn\u2019t mean what it says. You need to look beyond the surface meaning in order to find the answer. The real meaning is hidden, hence it is called a \u2018cryptic\u2019 crossword.
\nHere are four examples:
\n* Garden implement found in Windhoek (3)<\/em>
\nExplanation: If you look in the word Windhoek<\/em> (the word, not the place) you will find HOE which is a garden implement<\/em>.
\nWe shall complete good show (4,4) <\/em>
\nExplanation: we shall<\/em> can be written as we\u2019ll, <\/strong>complete <\/em>also means done, <\/strong>which gives WELL DONE <\/strong>which is a way of saying \u2018Good show!\u2019
\nHope, except confused (6)<\/em>
\nExplanation: except confused <\/em>means that the word except<\/em> is jumbled, to give you EXPECT <\/strong>which means hope.<\/em>
\nNot even duck survived flood in the end<\/em>
\nExplanation: duck = <\/em>O <\/strong>(as in scoring no runs in cricket) + survive<\/em>D<\/strong> floo<\/em>D <\/strong>(signalled by in the end<\/em>), gives ODD, <\/strong>which is not even.<\/em>
\nExamples of British cryptic crossword clues<\/strong>
\nHere are some examples of the kind of British-centric cryptic crossword clues and answers that can appear<\/u> in our South African newspapers: Best to use examples that have actually appeared in SA, if you can find them.
\nHistory and language<\/strong><\/em>
\nEx-prime minister happy to put on weight (9) <\/em> (The Guardian,<\/em> 2001)
\nExplanation: happy <\/em>= glad<\/strong>, and onto that put weight <\/em>= stone <\/strong>(old British measure), which gives you GLADSTONE<\/strong> who is an ex-British prime minister
\nGeography<\/strong><\/em>
\nLies spread-eagled on river enjoying it? (6) <\/em>(The Daily Mail<\/em>, 2014)
\nExplanation: lies spread-eagled <\/em>i.e. anagram of lies<\/em> = leis, +<\/strong> Ure <\/strong>(British river) gives LEISURE<\/strong>, which is what you might be enjoying if in that position.
\nCultural<\/strong><\/em>
\nPainting left artist with sex appeal (8) <\/em>(The Telegraph,<\/em> 2012)
\nExplanation: left = <\/em>port<\/strong>, artist <\/em>= R.A. <\/strong>(member of the Royal Academy in Britain), and
\nsex appeal = <\/em>IT <\/strong>(British idiom),<\/strong> giving you PORTRAIT <\/strong>which is a painting
\nInfrastructure<\/strong><\/em>
\nSheep on the motorway \u2013 into it goes one woman (6) <\/em> (The Telegraph,<\/em> 2007)
\nExplanation: sheep <\/em>= ram<\/strong>, on<\/em> (i.e. after) motorway <\/em>= M1 <\/strong>(British road), into which you
\nput one<\/em> = 1<\/strong>, giving you MIRIAM <\/strong>who is a woman
\nSlang<\/strong><\/em>
\nMore than one tea dance (6)<\/em> (The Times,<\/em> 2014)
\nExplanation: tea<\/em> = cha<\/strong> (British slang), so more than one tea <\/em>= CHACHA <\/strong>which is a dance
\nOral literature<\/strong><\/em>
\nDifficult situation, temporarily, for ten thousand men (6)<\/em> (The Times,<\/em> 2011)
\nExplanation: To solve this, you need to know the British nursery rhyme that goes:
\nOh, the grand old Duke of York,
\nHe had ten thousand men;
\nHe marched them up to the top of the hill,
\nAnd he marched them down again.
\nAnd when they were up, they were up,
\nAnd when they were down, they were down,
\nAnd when they were only half-way up,
\nThey were neither up nor down
\nFrom this you are meant to work out that the answer is indeed UPHILL<\/strong>!
\nThe challenges, questions and dilemmas<\/strong>
\nCryptic crosswords didn\u2019t exist in Africa before colonisation. The first crossword appeared in the New York World newspaper in America in 1913 (Balfour, 2004). It was a very simple grid of small squares called a Word Cross.<\/em> The phenomenon only took off in the 1920s, though, when Simon and Schuster published the first Crossword Puzzle Book<\/em> which became a best-seller in both America and Britain. Within five years, all British papers published a daily crossword, and since then the cryptic crossword has developed a quintessentially British character (Moorey, 2008).
\nSo what does \u2018South Africanise the English cryptic crossword\u2019 mean in this context? Cornwell (2006, p. 120) makes a simple but profound suggestion: \u201cWhat is at stake in Africanisation is what Ngugi (1993) has called \u2018moving the centre\u2019: replacing Eurocentrism with Afrocentrism\u201d.
\nIf we apply this to the cryptic crossword, at least three questions arise. Firstly, can we indeed \u2018move the centre<\/em>\u2019 from British-centrism to South Afrocentrism with respect to the classic cryptic crossword?
\nIn their article Challenging the hegemony of English in African education and literature: The case of Zimbabwe<\/em>, Charamba & Mutasa (2014) reflect on Mazrui\u2019s (1978, p. 35) question \u201cTo what extent is it possible to import Western technical and technological skills without at the same time importing also such aspects of the Western way of life as are relevant and necessary for the use of such skills?\u201d We are posing a similar question here: To what extent can we import\/replicate the classic British cryptic crossword without at the same time importing\/promoting a British-centric way of thinking about them and solving them?
\nBut the very history of the development of the classic cryptic crossword suggests that it can be done. The British have successfully taken an American creation and turned it into their own. The cryptic crossword, epitomized by The Times<\/em> Crossword, was recently nominated in a UK poll to select icons of Britain, alongside other much-loved features such as Rolls Royce, Sherlock Holmes and the Oxford English Dictionary<\/em> (Moorey, 2008).
\nSecondly, even if a South Afrocentric move is possible, how is it to happen? And thirdly, would it work i.e. would it appeal to existing and potential cruciverbalists (crossword solvers and compilers)?
\nSouth Africanised cryptic crossword clues<\/strong>
\nIn an attempt to explore these questions, I have been exploring what a South Africanised cryptic crossword could look like. Over the past couple of years I have compiled over 75 cryptic crosswords which have been published in the historical local Grahamstown Grocott\u2019s Mail. I have excluded any British-centric references in my clues, choosing instead to adopt a uniquely South African perspective. Here are a range of examples:
\nPeople and history<\/strong><\/em>
\nTutu finds himself in some confusion (7)<\/em>
\nExplanation: Tutu <\/em>= the arch, <\/strong>is inside some\/<\/em>any, <\/strong>giving ANARCHY <\/strong>which is confusion<\/em>
\nGeography<\/strong><\/em>
\nJoint leaders of East London give a curtsy (5)<\/em>
\nExplanation: leaders of East London =<\/em> EL<\/strong>, plus curtsy = <\/em>bow<\/strong>, gives ELBOW<\/strong> which is a joint
\nCultural<\/strong><\/em>
\nStage captured in visual, like Princess Magogo, for example<\/em> (8)
\nExplanation: stage<\/em> = era<\/strong>, within visual<\/em> = optic,<\/strong> which gives OPERATIC <\/strong>which is like the South African production of Princess Magogo.
\nLanguage<\/strong><\/em>
\nTypical! A B.A. shuttle-jet includes a holder for amasi (8)<\/em>
\nExplanation: The answer is found\/included in typiCAL A BA SHuttle<\/em>, giving CALABASH<\/strong>, which holds amasi.<\/em>
\nThese were all South Afrocentric in the clue<\/em>, but not the answer. Here are some which are South Afrocentric in the answer<\/em>:
\nGeography\/Place<\/strong><\/em>
\nCatch return or one- way to city<\/em> (8)
\nExplanation: catch <\/em>= bag <\/strong>return i.e. gab<\/strong> + or + one <\/strong>is the way to get GABORONE <\/strong>which is a city.
\nLanguage<\/strong><\/em>
\nHam and lamb hold the power (7) <\/em>
\nExplanation: The answer is held in hAM AND LAmb <\/em>i.e. AMANDLA<\/strong> which means power.
\nPeople and History<\/strong><\/em>
\nLeader has straggly chin hairs (5,4)<\/em>
\nExplanation: straggly <\/em>indicates mixed up (anagram) of chin hairs<\/em>, giving CHRIS HANI <\/strong>who was a South African leader
\nAnd here are examples of a South Afrocentric perspective in both clue<\/em> and answer<\/em>:
\nPot a horse in the outskirts of Dutywa (5)<\/em>
\nExplanation: a horse <\/em>= A GG <\/strong>(gee-gee is child\u2019s term for a horse), inside D <\/strong>and A <\/strong>(outskirts of Duywa)<\/em> = DAGGA, <\/strong>which is pot<\/em>
\nPut coffee in empty pack and edge your way up Table Mountain<\/em>
\nExplanation: Put coffee <\/em>(latte)<\/strong> in empty pack <\/em>(p<\/strong>ac<\/em>k) <\/strong>i.e. p (latte) k + <\/strong>edge\/<\/em>lip,<\/strong> giving = PLATTEKLIP <\/strong>which is your way up Table Mountain<\/em>
\nGreetings South Africa! Wake up before our National Anthem starts (8) <\/em>
\nExplanation: South Africa <\/em>= SA, + W<\/strong>ake U<\/strong>p B<\/strong>efore O<\/strong>ur N<\/strong>ational A<\/strong>nthem i.e. starts of these words, giving SAWUBONA <\/strong>which is a form of greeting.
\nFurther questions<\/strong>
\nAt least two more important questions arise from this approach. Firstly, how far can South Africa\u2019s multilingualism be explored and incorporated into the cryptic crossword? What knowledge of South African languages can reasonably be expected of solvers?
\nOn the one hand, I would argue that a clue like the following is reasonable in today\u2019s South Africa:
\nKierie for wild kudu- to chase home<\/em>
\nExplanation: wild kudu<\/em> indicates an anagram of kudu<\/em> = duku<\/strong>, to chase (<\/em>to come after) home <\/em>= in, <\/strong>giving INDUKU<\/strong> which is a kierie<\/em>
\nkierie, kudu <\/em>and induku <\/em>can all be found in the Dictionary of South African English (online at dsae.co.za) and are commonly used in many local contexts.
\nBut what about this clue:
\nBitter old craft surfaces twice (6)<\/em> [down clue]
\nExplanation: old craft<\/em> = ark<\/strong>, surfaces <\/em>(i.e. goes up = backwards because this is a down clue) twice<\/em> gives KRAKRA <\/strong>which means bitter.<\/em>
\nWhile I think \u2018krakra\u2019 is one of the most onomatopoeic and expressive words in South Africa, it isn\u2019t in the Dictionary of South African English and is relatively unknown by non-isiXhosa speakers. Is it reasonable to include such a word?
\nOn the other hand, how far can one push transformation, in both a national and universal sense?
\nI was explaining to my sons about not using RE (Royal Engineer), OR (Other Ranks), and GI (General Infantryman) as shortened forms for soldiers, as done in British crosswords, and they said, \u201cDad, if you think that is all you need to do, aren\u2019t you missing the real point of your project? It is not just about what you use to denote soldier; it is why you need to use soldier at all?\u201d Their point was that the British crosswords are full of soldiers because the classic compilers came out of a World War II context. Their worlds were still full of soldiers and war. In this day and age do we not need to be nurturing a different kind of global discourse that focuses on more constructive, more enlightened, more transformative concepts and culture?
\nIn April 1994 the Guardian<\/em> newspaper in London set a special crossword puzzle to mark the occasion of South Africa\u2019s first democratic elections. It was \u2018A tribute on election day to the fighters for democracy, especially martyrs such a 6A, 16A and 3D\u2019 (Balfour 2004, p. 74). 6A, 16A and 3D were Ruth First, Steve Biko and Chris Hani, all great leaders who died in the course of the struggle for national liberation. When asked why he did it, the compiler said with great conviction, \u201cThese were people I thought Guardian readers should know\u201d (Balfour 2004, 74).
\nDo crossword compilers have a moral responsibility to self-consciously nurture more transformative worldviews, beyond merely providing solvers with intellectual stimulation? Yes, I think we do. I would argue that every South African should know words like sawubona, amandla, afslag, (krakra?)<\/em> no matter which language they speak at home. These are linguistic and cultural bonds that give us common understandings and unite us as a nation. By bringing Albertina Sisulu into the crossword rather than Horatio Nelson, I am legitimizing our<\/em> South African identity and heritage, our <\/em>heroes, our <\/em>shared history. I am also emphasizing that African blacks matter, that women count. Let us never underestimate the degree to which we take our cues about what matters unconsciously from the things that we see and hear daily. For some people, crosswords are part of their daily lives.
\nIn closing \u2026<\/strong>
\nI have attempted to argue that even in the genre of the traditionally British-centric cryptic crossword, it is possible to \u2018move the centre<\/em>\u2019; that we can replace Eurocentrism with South Afrocentrism. I also believe that this is not just a trendy socio-political exercise, but that such an action can be part of a larger project to transform our personal and national lives.
\nReferences<\/strong>
\n<\/a>
\nBalfour S. Pretty girl in crimson rose<\/em>. London: Atlantic Books; 2004.
\nCharamba T. & Mutasa, D. Challenging the hegemony of English in African education and literature: The case of Zimbabwe. South African Journal of African Languages<\/em>, 2014; 34(2):\u00a0213-224.
\nCornwell G. On the \u2018Africanization\u2019 of English Studies in South Africa. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education<\/em>, 2006; 5:\u00a0117-126.
\nEtieyibo E. Guest Editor\u2019s introduction: The task of Africanizing the philosophy curriculum in universities in Africa. The South African Journal of Philosophy<\/em>, 2016; 35(4):\u00a0377-382.
\nGwekwerere T. The African Diaspora in continental African struggles for freedom: Implications on the criticism of African Renaissance literature. South African Journal of African Languages<\/em>, 2014; 34(1):\u00a035-40.
\nJung C. Memories, Dreams and Reflections<\/em>. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; 2011.
\nMaslow A. Toward a Psychology of Being<\/em>. Radford (USA): Wilder Publications; 2011.
\nMacNutt D. Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword<\/em>. London: Swallowtail Books; 2001.
\nMhlambi I. Wena ungubani (Who are you)?: Post-1994 identity and memory through ukuthakazela in the \u2018new\u2019 media blog. South African Journal of African Languages<\/em>, 2016; 36(1):\u00a0109-122.
\nMoorey T. How to Master the Times Crossword<\/em>. London: HarperCollins; 2008.
\nNkruma K. Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for Decolonization<\/em>. New York: First Modern Reader; 1970.
\nRogers C. A Way of Being<\/em>. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company; 1995.
\nSooryamoorthy R. Current and future prospects. In Sociology in South Africa<\/em>. London: Springer International Publishing; 2016;129-148.
\nThe Daily Mail. 2014. All New Cryptic Crosswords 7<\/em>, No.11. London: Octopus Publishing; 2014.
\nThe Guardian. Cryptic Crossword No 22<\/em>,376, 26 November 2001.
\nThe Telegraph. Cryptic Crossword No 26<\/em>,151, 6 April 2007.
\nThe Telegraph. All New Cryptic Crosswords 2<\/em>, No.12. London: Octopus Publishing; 2012.
\nThe Times. Cryptic crossword No 24770<\/em>, 9 February 2011.
\nThe Times. Cryptic Crossword Book 19<\/em>, London: HarperCollins; 2014.
\nYalom I. Existential psychotherapy<\/em>. New York: Basic Books; 1980.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Africanising the English Cryptic Crossword George Euvrard George Euvrard majored in African Languages, has a D.Litt et Phil in Psychology, is a qualified psychotherapist and professor of Education, and was previously Dean of Education at Rhodes University. His research interests are widespread, ranging from pilgrimage learning to cryptic crosswords. E-mail: g.euvrard@ru.ac.za Ensovoort volume 37(2017), … Continue reading “South Africanising the English Cryptic Crossword”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[21,98,146],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ensovoort.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}