Wednesday, November 22, 2017 — DT 28510

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28510
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, August 19, 2017
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28510 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28510 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
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
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

Today's offering is a pangram — a puzzle in which every letter of the alphabet makes at least one appearance in the solutions. Such puzzles are relatively rare, but rarer still is the fact that I noticed this.

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 (//).

Across

8a   One must enter by means of // jetty (4)

9a   The anxious eccentric /shows/ fatigue (10)

10a   Client /in/: hoax reckoning to meet the Queen (8)

"the 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

11a   Prize draw // match (3,3)

A cup tie^[5] is a British^* term for a [sports] match in a competition for which the prize is a cup.

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^* the expression "cup tie" is inferred to be British as the word "tie" is used in a British sense (see box following)

There are ties ... and then there are ties

Draw means tie[5] in the sense of a result in a game or other competitive situation in which two or more competitors or teams have the same score or ranking ⇒ there was a tie for first place. However, tie[5] is also a British term meaning a sports match between two or more players or teams in which the winners proceed to the next round of the competition ⇒ Swindon Town have gained themselves a third round tie against Oldham*. * This statement does not mean — as a North American might presume — that Swindon Town and Oldham played to a draw in the third round. Rather, it means that Swindon Town defeated their opponent in the second round and will move on to face Oldham in the third round.

12a   Flower // people going by Mini perhaps (9)

Mini^[7] is an automobile brand, currently owned by BMW, but originally introduced as a model under the Austin and Morris marques by the British Motor Corporation (BMC).

13a   This will have some imbibing excessively (5)

In this semi-&lit. clue — or, as some prefer to call it, semi-all-in-one clue — the definition is provided by the entire clue while the wordplay (the portion with the dashed underline) is found embedded within the definition (show further explanation ).

In an &lit. clue^[7] (or, as some prefer to call it, all-in-one clue) the entire clue provides not only the definition (when read one way), but under a different interpretation also serves as the wordplay.

In a semi-&lit. clue (or, as some prefer to call it, semi-all-in-one clue), either:

• the entire clue acts as the definition while a portion of the clue provides the wordplay; or
• the entire clue acts as the wordplay while a portion of the clue provides the definition.

hide explanation

15a   Vicar standing in can // triumph (7)

A vicar^[5] is a member of the clergy, although the meaning of the term varies among religious denominations (show more ).

The term vicar may mean:

• in the the Church of England, an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman;
• in other Anglican Churches, a member of the clergy deputizing for another;
• in the Roman Catholic Church, a representative or deputy of a bishop;
• in the US Episcopal Church, a clergyman in charge of a chapel;
• a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service.

show less

Can a can be a pail?

My first thought was that one might very loosely consider a can (such as one containing paint) to be a pail — at least, once the lid had been removed. However, The Chambers Dictionary, while declaring a pail* to be an 'open container', does not specify that a can** must have a lid. So, according to this dictionary, they seem to be pretty much the same thing. * A pail[1] (or bucket) is an open cylindrical or conical container with a hooped handle, for holding or carrying liquids (also ice, coal, etc). ** A can[1] is a container for holding or carrying liquids, generally of tinned iron, with a handle over the top.

17a   Leaf insect/'s/ colourful display (7)

20a   Second caution /causes/ alarm (5)

22a   Winter personified /as/ knave, female or twisted saint (4,5)

Jack Frost^[10] is a personification of frost or winter.

25a   Act One goes wrong // immediately (2,4)

26a   Unperturbed about commercial // music (8)

27a   Something soothing /in/ mist left by enchantress (5-5)

Witch hazel^[5] is an astringent lotion made from the bark and leaves of the witch hazel^*.

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^* Witch hazel^[5] is a shrub with fragrant yellow flowers that is widely grown as an ornamental. American species flower in autumn and Asian species in winter. There are several species including Hamamelis virginiana which is the source of the lotion.

28a   Road covering very // undulating (4)

"very" = V (show explanation )

The abbreviation v (or v.)^[1,2,5,10] stands for very. Although this definition is found in most of my British dictionaries, it does not appear in any of my American dictionaries. Unfortunately no explanation is given as to the specific context in which one might encounter this usage. The only example that I can imagine is when combined with G as a grade of VG (very good) on school tests or assignments.

hide explanation

Down

1d   Creature no longer // is around on the prowl (8)

2d   Bird // cage (6)

Bird^[10] is British slang for prison or a term in prison, especially in the phrase do (one's) bird. In this instance of Cockney rhyming slang (show explanation ), bird is shortened from birdlime, rhyming slang for time (as in a prison sentence).

Rhyming slang^[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.

hide explanation

3d   Meet corgi barking // in a regular pattern? (9)

As an anagram indicator, barking^[5] is used in an informal British sense meaning completely mad or demented ⇒ (i) we are all a bit barking; (ii) has she gone completely barking mad?.

4d   Cigar /in/ bed interrupted by brave man (7)

A cheroot^[2,5,10] is a cigar with both ends open (cut off squarely at both ends).

Here and There
Not that it matters today, but in Britain, a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child is called a cot[5] rather than a crib[5] as it is known in North America.

5d   Fast // living (5)

The quick^[5] (plural noun) is an archaic term denoting those who are living ⇒ the quick and the dead.

6d   A carpet I damaged // costing quite a bit (2,1,5)

The phrase at a price^[5] denotes requiring great expense or involving unwelcome consequences ⇒ his generosity comes at a price.

7d   Not still // causing emotion (6)

14d   Military punishment that will pass by anon? (4-5)

I was familiar neither with this form of military punishment nor with the expression based on it. While I did manage to correctly guess the solution from the checking letters and confirm its existence with a dictionary check, I was at a loss to explain the wordplay until I read crypticsue's review.  However, I later discovered that had I only scrolled further down the screen on the Oxford Dictionaries site the answer would have been staring me in the face.

Pack drill^[4,510] (or pack-drill^[1]) is a possibly British^* term for a military punishment of marching up and down carrying full equipment.

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^* the term is found in three of my British Dictionaries but in none of my US dictionaries

The clue alludes to the expression no names, no pack drill^[5] which means that punishment will be prevented if names and details are not mentioned ⇒ that way there's no names, no pack drill - if anyone asks, I've never heard of you, ok?.

Scratching the Surface
Anon[2] can mean either anonymous or soon. In this clue, it has the former meaning in the cryptic reading while it likely takes the latter meaning in the surface reading.

16d   One woman /or/ another pocketing bent coin (8)

18d   Take the plunge suddenly? // No, I have to get around Home Counties date initially (8)

The Home Counties^[5] are the counties surrounding London in southeast (SE) England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire. (show more )

No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties^[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London).

Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy.

hide explanation

19d   Turn over // hat dimensions (7)

21d   Family pet's first // flower (6)

A catkin^[5] is a downy, hanging flowering spike of trees such as willow and hazel, pollinated by the wind.

23d   East these days puncturing Navy/'s/ reputation (6)

"navy | sailors" = RN (show explanation )

The Royal Navy^[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.

hide explanation

24d   City // food bar's hot inside (5)

Delhi^[5] (also known as Old Delhi) is a walled city on the River Jumna in north central India, which was made the capital of the Mogul empire in 1638 by Shah Jahan (1592–1666).

Delving Deeper
New Delhi[5] is the capital of India, a city in north central India built 1912–29 to replace Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the capital of British India. With Delhi, it is part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Pop. (with Delhi) 12,259,200 (est. 2009).

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[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)

Signing off for today — Falcon