Libel?

[chickenfeet2003]

I wonder if anyone has ever been sued for libel over a crossword clue. Anyway, the following appears in today's Guardian cryptic.

14. Rival gets ammunition first - like Jeb Bush? (6,6)

Comments

[a_d_medievalist]

That's genius! First, it's not libel if it's true, and second, Bush would have to prove in court that it isn't libel, which would require bringing out all kinds of documents that are probably classified!

[sollersuk]

Well, there was the kerfuffle over the Telegraph crossword that appeared to give away the secret D-Day code words! IMO, being apparently defamatory is as nothing compared to that (they pulled the setter in, on suspeicion of treason, I gathere).

[chickenfeet2003]

I wonder how many members of the Abwehr did the Telegraph crossword?

[sollersuk]

Quite possibly a number of them!

[melted_snowball]

I realize this is not really the point, but every time someone posts a cryptic and its answer, I'm completely baffled. I kind of get that "ammunition first" is "bullet" being the first word, which somehow transmogrifies into "ballot". But I totally don't get where RIGGER comes from.

[chickenfeet2003]

To be honest, I don't get this one either. I think the "ball" bit is "ammunition first" but the rival part has me puzzled.

[topicaltim]

The reference, m'lud, is to the popular thatrical entertainment The Rivals by Mr Sheridan, which features a character called Lucius O'Trigger, who is obviously crying out to be used in a crossword.

Was this Araucaria, by any chance? He, of course, being the politically-interested setter who created a grid containing eight South African anti-apartheid heroes for the puzzle on the day of the first free elections in that country.

(And spotted that 'The Old Vicarage, Grantchester' is an anagram of Chaste Lord Archer vegetating.)

[chickenfeet2003]

That makes sense. The setter was in fact Gordius.

[glitterboy1]

Brilliant! I didn't get to look at yesterday's - I'm quite sad I missed it, now.