The more the ways to reach the solution, the easier the clue - or is it?
Not exactly. Compare a cryptic clue with a straight one. A straight clue has only one path to the solution. The answer may not be precisely arrived at without crossings [Animal (3) = DOG? RAT? PIG?] but at least we know the path is the right one.
A cryptic clue offers more than one path to the solution. There is slim chance of error if our solution satisfies all paths [Animal in laboratory (3) = RAT [T], DOG and PIG ruled out], the challenge lies is in finding which are the correct paths.
Most cryptic clues have two ways to reach the solution – (i) the definition (ii) the wordplay or a second definition in case of double-definition clues. [An exception is the cryptic definition clue, which gives a single devious way.]
What happens when the number of paths to the solution is more than two?
It catches us off-guard. We aren't conditioned to recognize it, so accustomed are we to two-segment clues. We miss seeing the beauty of the clue in entirety.
At least, that's what happened when I came across this clue in FT 13095 (Viking):
Pick holes in weak summary (3, 4)
I got the answer RUN DOWN fairly early but missed spotting that it was a triple definition, with a different length divisions for each definition:
pick holes (3,4) = RUN DOWN
weak (3-4) = RUN-DOWN
summary (7) = RUNDOWN
I realised this only when Viking, the composer of the puzzle, pointed it out on the blog.
More Triple Definition Clues
A few triple definition clues published in the recent past – solve and savour.
Times 24244: Best or worst party (6)
NIE (24-Mar-09): Light nonsense is still produced (9)
Guardian 24655 (Araucaria): Trim and plain, like "ox" (4)
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