Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29303 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, March 5, 2020 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29303]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
pommers | |
BD rating
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| Difficulty - ★★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
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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
On my initial attempt to solve this puzzle, I ground to a halt with a handful of intractable clues remaining. Having set it aside, I picked it up again following a night's sleep and the solutions to the remaining clues almost wrote themselves into the grid.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.
| Markup Conventions | |
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| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 7a | Lazy /and/ idle, not stirring around noon (8) |
| 9a | Under duvet, maybe embracing Romeo? /It's/ natural (6) |
"Romeo " = R [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Romeo[5] is a code word representing the letter R.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Romeo[5] is a code word representing the letter R.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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| 10a | Set out from // port (4) |
I have marked the clue as though the solution to the first definition is a transitive verb (
We set out from/left Halifax on the first of December.). On the other hand, should you consider the solution to the first definition to be an intransitive verb (
We set out/left on the first of December.), the clue would be marked as pommers shows in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog:
- Set out /from/ port (4)
"port " = LEFT [nautical term]
| 11a | Forward perhaps // without a booking (10) |
Although the word "forward" could be part of either definition, I think it makes more sense to attach it to the former one. After all, if a table has not been booked, it is undoubtedly unreserved. On the other hand, I think that someone who is unreserved may manifest that quality in any of several manners.
| 12a | Disgusting caressing skin of improper // male (6) |
| 14a | Applauds sweetheart, accepting over large // failure (8) |
"sweetheart " = E
A common cryptic crossword construct is to use the word "sweetheart" to clue the letter 'E', the middle letter (heart) of the word 'swEet'.
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A common cryptic crossword construct is to use the word "sweetheart" to clue the letter 'E', the middle letter (heart) of the word 'swEet'.
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| 15a | Possibly Titian nude /in/ sketch again (6) |
Titian red[10] (adjective) denotes reddish-gold, like the hair colour used in many of the works of Titian*.
* Titian[5] (circa 1488–1576) was an Italian painter. The most important painter of the Venetian school, he experimented with vivid colours and often broke conventions of composition. He painted many sensual mythological works, including Bacchus and Ariadne (circa 1518–23).
| 17a | Colour /of/ cherry is seen occasionally (6) |
Cerise[5] is a light clear red colour.
Origin: from French, literally ‘cherry’
| 20a | Pitch endless argument /in/ a raised voice (8) |
| 22a | Notices // spots covering nose, oddly (6) |
| 23a | Discourage // passing having taken exam (10) |
| 24a | Swimmer outside clubs /being/ vulgar (4) |
| 25a | Old bag // of bones (6) |
"Old " = O [linguistics]
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
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In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
OFr[Old French]; (ii)
OE[Old English].
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
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Bag[10] is used in the sense of to to catch, seize, or steal.
* while I am confident that North Americans might use bag in the first two senses (catch or seize), I don't believe we would use it in the third sense (steal) — an observation that I find is supported by several American dictionaries
| 26a | In Soho line's seen /showing/ devotion (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Soho[7]
is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of
London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the
20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life
and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone
considerable transformation. It now is predominantly a fashionable
district of upmarket restaurants and media offices, with only a small
remnant of sex industry venues. Origin: The name Soho[5] dates to the mid 17th century and probably derives from the old word 'soho', used as a hunting cry: the area was a royal park in Tudor times. |
Down
| 1d | Painter I ordered to plaster // home (8) |
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers questions the use of "plaster" as a hidden word indicator. However, I don't share his concern; the phrase "painter I ordered" covers (or plasters [over]) the synonym for "home".
Home[10] (adjective) means of, relating to, or involving one's home, country*, etc; in other words, domestic.
* In the UK, the Home Secretary[5] is the the cabinet minister in charge of the Home Office[5], the British government department dealing with domestic affairs, including law and order, immigration, and broadcasting, in England and Wales.
Interior[2] (adjective) denotes concerning the domestic or internal, rather than foreign, affairs of a country.
| 2d | Hint about Labour's leader /produces/ shock (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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The Labour Party[5] is a left-of-centre political party in Britain. (show more )
The party was formed to represent the interests of ordinary working people that since the Second World War has been in power 1945–51, 1964–70, 1974-9, and 1997–2010. Arising from the trade union movement at the end of the 19th century, it replaced the Liberals as the country’s second party after the First World War. hide |
| 3d | Shake one's head /seeing/ litter (6) |
| 4d | Finish /with/ detectives only claiming victory (8) |
"detective " = DI [detective inspector]
A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
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A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
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"victory " = V
V[10] is the symbol for victory. The victory-freedom sign[7] is famously associated with British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in World War II.
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V[10] is the symbol for victory. The victory-freedom sign[7] is famously associated with British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in World War II.
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| 5d | Peculiarity /of/ a train bore rambling (10) |
| 6d | Propagates // vegetables round back of smallholding (6) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Smallholding[5] is a British term for an agricultural holding smaller than a farm. |
| 8d | Describe, describing hot // old region (6) |
The use of the word "describe(s)" (or variations thereof such as "describing" or "described by") as either a containment indicator or a hidden word indicator is a common cryptic crossword device which seems to rely on describe[1,2,12] being used in the sense of to trace out or delineate ⇒
skaters describing circles on the ice*. Thus
* Although, to be precise, it is the tracks made by the skaters' blades that describe the circles.
In this clue, the setter manages to not only use 'describing' as a containment indicator but to also use 'describe' as the container.
Thrace[5] was an ancient country lying west of the Black Sea and north of the Aegean. It is now divided between Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece.
| 13d | Twisted spine is odd /being/ laid up (10) |
| 16d | Really // perform with partner, about undressed initially (8) |
| 18d | Apply // tax cut by leading lady (8) |
The phrase "leading lady" is a reference to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and is being used to clue her regnal cipher "ER" (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.
* 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.
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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.
* 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.
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| 19d | Second course /could be/ cool (6) |
"second " = MO
Mo (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5,14], chiefly British[2,4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British and two US dictionaries do not specify that it is British[1,11,12]. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in my third US dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
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Mo (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
hang on a mo!.
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5,14], chiefly British[2,4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British and two US dictionaries do not specify that it is British[1,11,12]. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in my third US dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
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Modish[5] is a derogatory term denoting conforming to or following what is currently popular and fashionable.
| 21d | Reluctant // English supporting States (6) |
| 22d | Bombards // lower regions on board ship (6) |
"on board ship " = 'contained in SS'
| 24d | Let // rip? (4) |
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced 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)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon
Quite right....left it for awhile and when I returned all was clear
ReplyDeleteFunny how that works!
Delete