Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28009 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28009] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
2Kiwis | |
BD Rating
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| Difficulty - ★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★★ |
Falcon's Experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
█ - solved without assistance
█ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
█ - solved but without fully parsing the clue
█ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - yet to be solved
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Introduction
Today we see the gentler side of Jay, but very enjoyable nevertheless. Just the thing to kick off what is shaping up to be a glorious long weekend. I'm sure that the National Post will not publish on Monday, but I invite you to stop by for a bonus puzzle — given the number of puzzles that have been skipped recently there will be plenty for me to choose from.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Notes on Today's Puzzle
This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.
Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.
Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.
Across
1a Son wearing real bling — possibly // sounds familiar! (5,1,4)
6a Worker not out /to provide/ cover for injury? (4)
10a Instant tea /or/ coffee (5)
"instant" = MO (show explanation )
Mo[5] (abbreviation for moment) is an informal, chiefly British term for a short period of time ⇒
hide explanation
Mo[5] (abbreviation for moment) is an informal, chiefly British term for a short period of time ⇒
hang on a mo!.
hide explanation
Cha and chai are alternative spellings of char[5], an informal British name for tea.
11a Quarrelsome // culture developing, not without love (9)
"love" = O (show explanation )
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
hide explanation
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
hide explanation
12a Row mainly about oven // snack food (7)
Toastie[5] is an informal British term for a toasted sandwich or snack.
13a What may be said in fencing // part of kitchen garden? (2,5)
In the sport of fencing, en garde[5] (French '(be) on guard') is a direction to be ready to fence, taking the opening position for action.
14a Feminine anger about foul-smelling // resin (12)
Frankincense[5] is an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree (Boswellia sacra) native to Somalia and burnt as incense.
18a Verify guilt, turning around answer, /in/ a manner of speaking (12)
21a Nothing to write home? Good // opportunity (7)
"good" = G (show explanation )
The abbreviation G[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.
hide explanation
The abbreviation G[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.
hide explanation
23a Tempo regularly found in new melody — // one by Holst (7)
Neptune, the Mystic[7] is the seventh and final movement in The Planets, an orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.
24a Read about being imprisoned by tyrant with no time /for/ criminal (9)
25a Journey plan /for/ English after overwhelming defeat (5)
26a Do be quiet — /there's/ money (4)
Dosh[5] is an informal British term for money ⇒
cycling saves you a heap of dosh.
27a Simple area of postman's work /offering/ financial security (4,6)
Down
1d Unlikely // controller of viewing choices? (6)
2d Exhibition centre tariff halved /for/ drink (6)
The National Exhibition Centre[7] (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Birmingham, England. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 611 acres (2.54 km2) making it the largest exhibition centre in the UK. It is the busiest and seventh-largest exhibition centre in Europe.
3d Thoughtless // broadcast knocked on the head (14)
4d Born fool wrapping complete // tree (9)
The butternut[5] is a North American walnut tree (Juglans cinerea) that not only produces an oily edible nut but is also cultivated as an ornamental and for its quality timber.
5d Bug in plot must get discovered (5)
The setter uses "discovered" in a whimsical sense directing the solver to strip away outer letters. This cryptic device is based on the logic that if disrobe means to remove one's robe (or other clothing), then it only stands to reason that discover must mean to remove one's cover.
The added wrinkle today is that three consecutive words in the clue must be 'discovered'.
7d Sort of bank // making so much profit? (8)
Clearing bank[5] is a British term for a bank which is a member of a clearing house[5], a bankers' establishment where cheques and bills from member banks are exchanged, so that only the balances need be paid in cash..
8d So a fish might be // beaten (8)
9d Cleaner that boosts operating team's morale? (8,6)
Surgical spirit[5] is a British term for denatured alcohol, typically perfumed, used for cleaning and disinfecting the skin or medical instruments before an injection or surgical operation.
15d Come up with gold on end of any // list of stock (9)
16d Provided // a fine cross and Spain scored at last (8)
"fine" = F (show explanation )
F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].
hide explanation
F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].
hide explanation
"Spain" = E (show explanation )
The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E[5] [from Spanish España].
hide explanation
The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E[5] [from Spanish España].
hide explanation
17d Makes advances, ignoring the first two // fearsome women (8)
19d Stitch up // trade union in firm (6)
TU[1,3,4,5,10,11] is an abbreviation for Trade Union — found in American as well as British dictionaries.
20d The man in optimum environment /for/ command (6)
The structure "in ... environment" indicates 'surrounded by ...'.
22d Country // found in rough anagram? (5)
Ghana[5]
is a country of West Africa, .... (more )
... with its southern coastline bordering on the Atlantic Ocean; population 23,887,800 (est. 2009); languages, English (official), West African languages; capital, Accra. Former name (until 1957) Gold Coast.
Formerly a centre of the slave trade, the area became the British colony of Gold Coast in 1874. In 1957 it was the first British colony to gain independence as a member of the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.
hide explanation
... with its southern coastline bordering on the Atlantic Ocean; population 23,887,800 (est. 2009); languages, English (official), West African languages; capital, Accra. Former name (until 1957) Gold Coast.
Formerly a centre of the slave trade, the area became the British colony of Gold Coast in 1874. In 1957 it was the first British colony to gain independence as a member of the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.
hide explanation
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for today — Falcon
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
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