Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29362 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29362]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
The consensus among the gang at Big Dave's Crossword Blog seems to be that this puzzle is perhaps a notch above Jay's usual difficulty level.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
| 1a | Pretence included in realm of reformed // criminal (10) |
| 6a | Poems // soldiers occasionally used (4) |
| 10a | Willow /may be/ pinker if pollarded (5) |
| 11a | Aristocratic // children's doctor must dismiss aide from the east (9) |
Paediatrician[5] is the British spelling of pediatrician.
| 12a | Slow /and/ enjoyable breakfast dish, not cold (8) |
| 13a | Committed // member of the monarchy changing sides initially (5) |
A royal[5] is a member of the royal family ⇒
the royals are coming under the TV microscope.
| 15a | First in a long time /for/ prejudiced people (7) |
| 17a | Overprotects // new girl who's pictured with son (7) |
I interpret the phrase "girl who's pictured" to mean "girl who appears in a motion picture".
Annie[7] is a 1982 American musical comedy-drama based on the Tony Award winning 1977 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip created by Harold Gray.
While US dictionaries list nanny[7] only as a noun, British dictionaries also show it as a verb meaning to (1) work as a nanny or (2) to be overprotective towards ⇒
We've been nannied for so long that we've forgotten how to do anything for ourselves.
| 19a | Outing // Democrat -- one in new party (3,4) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
| 21a | Sickness of sheep // that is seen after fight (7) |
Scrapie[5] is a disease of sheep involving the central nervous system, characterized by a lack of coordination causing affected animals to rub against trees and other objects for support, and thought to be caused by a virus-like agent such as a prion.
| 22a | Machine /that's/ British in origin? (5) |
| 24a | Drink /available after/ first of Cheltenham handicaps? (8) |
Champers[5] is an informal British name for champagne.
Scratching the Surface
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| The Cheltenham Festival[7]
is one of the most prestigious meetings* on the racing calendar in the United
Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The
festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse near
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. * A meeting[5] is an event at which a number of races are held. Handicap[5] is used in the sense of a race in which a handicap is imposed where handicap refers to extra weight allocated to be carried in a race by a racehorse on the basis of its previous form [record] to make its chances of winning the same as those of the other horses. |
| 27a | Subscription needed by such a hunter? (9) |
I can't see any way to interpret this clue other than a cryptic definition in which a precise definition is embedded. One might consider categorizing this clue as a double definition where the second definition is "such a hunter" which would be similar to the structure of the clue at 20d. However, the difference between the two clues is that the initial portion of this clue provides additional information (elaboration) that is relevant to identifying the type of hunter. On the other hand, in 20d, the information provided in the initial part of the clue is wordplay and not relevant to identifying the type of deal.
Subscription[1,2] is used in the sense of a signature*.
* Although the two Chambers dictionaries define subscription as simply a signature, other dictionaries define subscription[5] as a formal term for a signature or short piece of writing at the end of a document. Under this more restrictive definition, a stand-alone signature such as an autograph would seem not to qualify as a subscription.
| 28a | Try being hugged by a European // bear (5) |
"European " = E [as in E number]
E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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| 29a | Sharpen // garden tool around November (4) |
"November " = N [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, November[5] is a code word representing the letter N.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
hide
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, November[5] is a code word representing the letter N.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
hide
| 30a | Scruffy // graduate teacher teased about student (10) |
"student " = L [driver under instruction]
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.
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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.
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| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
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Down
| 1d | Low day /for/ humour (4) |
| 2d | Of course, supporting the French I /must be/ relaxed (9) |
"the French " = LE [French definite article]
| 3d | Comedy // act discovered during meal (5) |
The setter uses "discovered" to indicate that the solver must strip away the outer letters of the word [
| 4d | Prices will vary, including old // items from the office (7) |
"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.
hide
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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| 5d | Bunting // festooned in door to landing (7) |
The ortolan[5] (also called ortolan bunting) is a small Eurasian songbird that was formerly eaten as a delicacy, the male having an olive-green head and yellow throat.
| 7d | Daughter's first greasy // napkin (5) |
| 8d | Good girls will support star /in/ shades (10) |
| 9d | Bag for rubbish // wine on ship (3-5) |
Bin[1,10] is a British term for:
- a stand or case with compartments in which to store bottled wine in a wine cellar
- the wine contained in such a stand or case
Bin[10,14] (also called dustbin or rubbish* bin) is a British term for a garbage can or trash can.
Bin liner[4,5,10] (or bin-liner[1,2]) is a British term for a plastic bag used for lining a rubbish bin.
| 14d | Bareheaded queen on run? // Nonsense! (10) |
"queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
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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| 16d | Long-term plan // targets unusual year (8) |
| 18d | Objective // setter's role -- I fail regularly (9) |
"setter's " = IM
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "setter" with the verb "to be"* producing "setter's" (a contraction of "setter is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "setter's" is showing possession, in the wordplay it is interpreted as a contraction of "setter is".
hide
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "setter" with the verb "to be"* producing "setter's" (a contraction of "setter is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "setter's" is showing possession, in the wordplay it is interpreted as a contraction of "setter is".
hide
| 20d | Rugby players on mature // sort of deal (7) |
In rugby, pack[5] denotes a team’s forwards considered as a group ⇒
I had doubts about Swansea’s pack at the beginning of the season.
| 21d | The girl adopted by mainly clever /and/ dazzling type (7) |
Smasher[5] is an informal British term for a very attractive or impressive person or thing.
| 23d | Prohibition is about to // stick (5) |
| 25d | Crash /of/ pain felt crossing river (5) |
Prang[5] is an informal British term meaning:
- (verb) to crash (a motor vehicle or aircraft) ⇒
Ernie pranged his sports car last month
- (noun) a crash involving a motor vehicle or aircraft ⇒
he had numerous prangs and near misses in his motoring life
| 26d | Tried to lose a // crowd (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
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