Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28505 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, August 14, 2017 | |
Setter
Mister Ron (Chris Lancaster) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28505] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops (and Big Dave) | |
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
Update: This puzzle constitutes a rare event indeed — a "Monday" puzzle in the UK that was not compiled by Rufus (Roger Squires) as he himself informs us at Comment #13 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Being pressed for time on Wednesday, I did not read the comments section of Big Dave's blog and so missed this information when I posted my review. I only discovered this to be the case from a comment by pommers (DT 28507 Comment #20) a couple of days later on Big Dave's site. Then I learn a day later in a comment from Senf (reply to DT 28508 Comment #7) that Mister Ron has dropped in at Comment #21 to acknowledge that he is the compiler of this puzzle.There are at least a couple of tricky clues in this puzzle. I did call out the electronic reinforcements on 1d and nearly did so on 16d. As for British footballers, my knowledge does not extend much beyond Beckham and Rooney.
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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).
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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).
Across
1a Pay for short dance with King // Kenny Dalglish? (10)
"king" = R (show explanation )
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
hide explanation
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
hide explanation
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops calls this "the royal cypher as used by the king". I don't think one could call this a cypher on its own although it forms part of a regnal cypher such as GR (Georgius Rex, King George). A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes the dance in the clue asDarcey Bussell[7] is a retired English ballerina, and is currently one of the four judges on the BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing.the type of dance associated with Darcey Bussell. |
* Cap[5] is a British term for a cap awarded as a sign of membership of a particular sports team, especially a national team [a team representing a country in international competition] ⇒
he has won three caps for Scotland.
6a Check // what snooker player does in retirement (4)
In billiards and snooker, pot[5] means to strike (a ball) into a pocket ⇒
he failed to pot a red at close range.
10a Group // botch thefts every now and then (5)
11a One relates // to race run badly (9)
12a Shallow // character involved in leak (4-4)
13a Place to sit // during occupation (5)
15a Straight // post (7)
17a Listener partly // unravelled a murder (7)
19a Examine // pressure getting into cricket? (7)
"pressure" = P (show explanation )
21a Town // with too much (7)
Andover[7] is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 25 miles (40 km) north of the city of Southampton.
22a Dance /that's/ hot stuff (5)
24a Not great playing, // as planned (2,6)
27a Excessively keen // on period encapsulated by Queen (9)
"Queen" = ER, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth (show explanation )
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
hide explanation
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
hide explanation
28a Relative/'s/ regularly inside church (5)
"church" = CE (show explanation )
The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.
hide explanation
The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.
hide explanation
29a After short time, demand // something to do (4)
30a Boss, cunning, securing promissory note // with due diligence (10)
A boss[5] is a stud on the centre of a shield.
Down
1d Set up Bolt /for/ run (4)
Here, I needed a push in the right direction — but only the gentlest of nudges — from my electronic assistants.
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading alludes to Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt[5]. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing he won gold medals in the 100 metre and 200 metre races, setting a new world record time for each. He defended his Olympic titles in 2012 and 2016, winning gold in the 100 metre and 200 metre races both years, and becoming the first athlete to win gold in the 100 metre and 200 metre races three times. |
2d Kiss tutor working /in/ Borders (9)
Scratching the Surface
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| The Borders[10] is the area either side of the border between England and Scotland. |
3d Don't declare // staff (5)
The wordplay refers to a circumstance that can arise during the play of a cricket match.
In cricket, a team continues to bat until ten of the eleven players on the team have been dismissed* unless the captain of a batting team declares the innings closed prematurely [the rationale for doing so is explained below]. In the event that the captain declares the innings closed, his team takes the field and the opposing team bats.
* batsmen always appear in pairs and once ten players have been dismissed there are not enough players left to form a pair
The primary objective of each team in cricket[7] is to score more runs than the opposing team. However, in Test cricket (a match between national teams), it is not only necessary to score the most runs but also to dismiss the opposition twice in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn. Therefore, the captain of a batting team which has built up a large lead may declare the innings closed prematurely in order to allow the opposition to bat (and thus gain an opportunity to dismiss them). As a captain, the key to victory is picking the right time to declare. Should he declare too early, the other team may score more runs than his team has amassed and thereby win. On the other hand, if he were to declare too late, the match may end before his team can dismiss the other team resulting in a draw, even though his team may have a substantial lead in runs).
Thus a batsman (man at wicket) may look to his captain for a signal to either "bat on" or lay down his bat and take the field.
4d Superlatively extensive /and/ somewhat popular gesture (7)
5d One absconding /from/ English undermining French art head (7)
Art[5] is an archaic or dialect second person singular present of the verb to be ⇒
I am a Gentleman as thou art.
In French, the second person singular present of the verb être ('to be') is es[8].
7d Midlands banker // runs to fill temporary accommodation (5)
"runs" = R (show explanation )
On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R[5] denotes run(s).
In cricket, a run[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.
hide explanation
On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R[5] denotes run(s).
In cricket, a run[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.
hide explanation
The Midlands[10] denotes the central counties of England, including Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, the former West Midlands metropolitan county, and Worcestershire. This economy of this region is characterized by manufacturing industries.
The Trent[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.
8d Actors /in/ theatre promoted previous show at first (10)
Rep[5] is an informal shortened form of repertory[5]. It can refer either to the performance of various plays, operas, or ballets by a company at regular short intervals, or to a repertory theatre or company.
9d Impressive // within, like some churches (8)
14d Shave one's head /but/ stop too soon? (3,2,5)
Cut someone/something short[5] is a phrase meaning to interrupt someone or something or to bring an abrupt or premature end to something said or done ⇒
Peter cut him short rudely.
16d Woolly matter /in/ retirement home? (4,4)
18d Upset ever wiser // critics (9)
20d Orwell's sort of police? /That's/ an idea (7)
In the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), by George Orwell, the Thought Police[7] (Thinkpol) are the secret police of the superstate Oceania, who discover and punish thoughtcrime, personal and political thoughts unapproved by the Party.
21d Turned out // dry, freshened up outside (7)
"dry" = TT (show explanation )
Teetotal[5] (abbreviation TT[5]) means choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol ⇒
A teetotaller[5] (US teetotaler; abbreviation TT[5]) is a person who never drinks alcohol.
The term teetotal is an emphatic extension of total, apparently first used by Richard Turner, a worker from Preston [England], in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol, rather than mere abstinence from spirits, as advocated by some early temperance reformers.
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Teetotal[5] (abbreviation TT[5]) means choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol ⇒
a teetotal lifestyle.
A teetotaller[5] (US teetotaler; abbreviation TT[5]) is a person who never drinks alcohol.
The term teetotal is an emphatic extension of total, apparently first used by Richard Turner, a worker from Preston [England], in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol, rather than mere abstinence from spirits, as advocated by some early temperance reformers.
hide explanation
23d City // sheltered one from the law (5)
DS[10] is the abbreviations for Detective Sergeant. Within the British police, sergeant[7] is the first supervisory rank. Sergeant is senior to the rank of constable, and junior to inspector. Detective sergeants are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts; only the prefix 'detective' identifies them as having completed at least one of the various detective training courses authorising them to conduct and/or manage investigations into serious and/or complex crime.
25d Token of love -- love /for/ drummer (5)
"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
26d Refuse to accept // study by unknown (4)
"unknown" = Y (show explanation )
In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒
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In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒
3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are customarily represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]
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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)
[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
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