Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28564 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, October 21, 2017 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28564 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28564 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)crypticsue (Review) | |
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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Notes
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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.
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Introduction
I found this to be a pretty good workout but I was able to finish on my own giving my electronic helpers a rest after their busy day yesterday.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 Support initiation for priest with endless money -- // he gets a cheap holiday (10)
The solution here was fairly easy to decipher from the the definition and I got that "endless money" is being used to clue a term meaning money with one — or even both — ends removed. Such wording usually indicates that the final letter is deleted, although I am certain that on the rare occasion I have encountered instances where either the initial letter or both the initial and final letters have been deleted. After reading through the Wikipedia article dealing with British slang terms for money[7] and coming up dry, I concluded that "money" must be BACKER (
the money behind the new enterprise .../the backer behind the new enterprise ...). Alas, not so.
Ackers[5] is an informal British term for money* ⇒
what you get for your ackers is two CDs.
* Origin: 1930s (originally used by British troops in Egypt as a name for the piastre): probably an alteration of Arabic fakka ‘small change, coins’. The piastre[5] (US piaster) is a monetary unit of several Middle Eastern countries, equal to one hundredth of a pound.
6a Retain // stronghold (4)
A keep[5] is the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.
10a Dog/'s/ surprised expression meeting American soldier (5)
Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒
Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.
"American soldier" = GI (show explanation )
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide explanation
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
she went off with a GI during the war.
Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide explanation
11a Drug case // arousing memories (9)
"drug" = E (show explanation )
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
hide explanation
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
people have died after taking E; (ii)
being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
hide explanation
The vocative[5] is another word for the vocative case, a grammatical term denoting a case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in Latin and other languages, used in addressing or invoking a person or thing.
12a Important church // priest, one I overlooked (7)
In her explanation, methinks crypticsue has overlooked a subtlety in this clue. The wordplay is MINISTER (priest) with one (of the two instances) of the letter I removed.
Minster[5] is a British term for a large or important church, typically one of cathedral status in the north of England that was built as part of a monastery ⇒
York Minster.
13a Dish served in Edinburgh, hot /and/ rather bewitching? (7)
Haggis[5] is a Scottish dish consisting of a sheep's or calf's offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning and boiled in a bag, traditionally one made from the animal's stomach.
14a Splashing out no penny, miser /makes/ profitable business (5-7)
Money-spinner[5] is a British term for a thing that brings in a profit ⇒
we hoped this show would be a money-spinner. A similar expression — and one used on both sides of the pond — is cash cow[5].
Scratching the Surface
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Splash out[5]
is an informal British expression meaning to spend money freely ⇒ she splashed out on a Mercedes. |
18a Owe orchestra for playing /in/ limited competition (3-5,4)
A two-horse race[5] is one in which only two of the competitors or participants are likely winners.
21a Sample decor in the // Greek city (7)
Corinth[5] is a city on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, in Greece. The modern city, built in 1858, is slightly north-east of the site of an ancient city of the same name that was a prominent city state in ancient Greece.
23a Lack of practice in support /for/ responsible person (7)
"support" = TEE (show explanation )
In golf, tee can mean either the location where play begins on a hole or a small peg used to support a golf ball.
A tee[5] is a small peg with a concave head which can be placed in the ground to support a golf ball before it is struck from a tee* ⇒
* A tee is a cleared space on a golf course, from which the ball is struck at the beginning of play for each hole ⇒ (i)
hide explanation
In golf, tee can mean either the location where play begins on a hole or a small peg used to support a golf ball.
A tee[5] is a small peg with a concave head which can be placed in the ground to support a golf ball before it is struck from a tee* ⇒
I carry three tees in my pocket.
* A tee is a cleared space on a golf course, from which the ball is struck at the beginning of play for each hole ⇒ (i)
he smashes the ball off the 15th tee; (ii)
a tee shot.
hide explanation
24a Wild lion and tiger // lurking (9)
25a Spring flower/'s/ spike to keep bulb free of bees? (5)
26a 'Rag Trade' not traditional // fashion (4)
Trad[5] is an informal short form for traditional (especially in music) ⇒
trad jazz.
Delving Deeper
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| Trad[10]
(noun) is a mainly British term for traditional jazz*, as revived in the 1950s. * Traditional jazz[10] is a style of jazz originating in New Orleans, characterized by collective improvisation by a front line of trumpet, trombone, and clarinet accompanied by various rhythm instruments. |
The rag trade[5] is an informal term for the clothing or fashion industry.
27a One's business is taking a dive (10)
Down
1d Suit / live issue (6)
Issue[5] (from) could be used in either of the following senses:
- to come, go, or flow out from ⇒
exotic smells issued from a nearby building
- result or be derived from ⇒
the struggles of history issue from the divided heart of humanity
2d Concerned // about criminal organisation (6)
3d Sort of racehorse // show with gun dog (5-2-7)
A point-to-pointer[5] is a horse that participates in a point-to-point[5] which is a British term for an amateur steeplechase* for horses used in hunting, over a set cross-country course.
* A steeplechase[5] is a horse race run on a course having ditches and hedges as jumps. The modern version of the race evolved from a cross country race in which a steeple marked the finishing point (hence the name).
4d Miserable // poet's always left absorbed in board game (9)
5d Manage being shown up with husband // a long time (5)
7d Books /comprising/ treason, start to finish (8)
8d God beset by prayer /for/ large number (8)
In Norse mythology, Thor[5,7], the son of Odin and Freya (Frigga), is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility. Thursday is named after him.
9d Lawyers win and resist // source of cheap goods (7,7)
Although I thought this to be a common term, I found it in only one US dictionary and in no British dictionary.
Bargain counter[12] is a US term for a store counter on which goods are displayed for sale at reduced prices.
15d Plan /getting/ precious stone under layers of rock (9)
16d Fussy person // glued label about learner (8)
"learner | student" = L (show explanation )
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
hide explanation
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
hide explanation
17d US President nearly a century ago keeping old // poster (8)
Warren G. Harding[5] (1865–1923) was an American Republican statesman, 29th president of the US 1921–3.
- a large board in a public place, used to display advertisements (also called, especially in US and Canada, billboard[10])
- a temporary board fence erected round a building site
19d Knight under scarf /is/ hot (6)
"knight" = N (show explanation )
A knight[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a horse’s head, that moves by jumping to the opposite corner of a rectangle two squares by three. Each player starts the game with two knights.
N[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].
As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines:
On the other hand, both The Chambers Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary list K or K.[1,11] as an abbreviation for knight without specifying the specific context in which this abbreviation is used. However, the context may well be in an honours list rather than in a game of chess. In the UK, for instance, KBE[5] stands for Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
hide explanation
A knight[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a horse’s head, that moves by jumping to the opposite corner of a rectangle two squares by three. Each player starts the game with two knights.
N[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].
As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines:
- K[2] as an abbreviation used in chess for knight.
- K[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a king.
- N[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a knight.
On the other hand, both The Chambers Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary list K or K.[1,11] as an abbreviation for knight without specifying the specific context in which this abbreviation is used. However, the context may well be in an honours list rather than in a game of chess. In the UK, for instance, KBE[5] stands for Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
hide explanation
20d Mollify // bad mood (6)
22d Oriental poem /with/ sound of excited talk as lovebirds do (5)
A haiku[5] is a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.
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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