Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29431 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, August 1, 2020 | |
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
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Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29431 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29431 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Tilsit (Hints)crypticsue (Review) | |
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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Notes
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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, April 10, 2021 edition of the National Post. 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
Reading through the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog reveals that I was far from alone in struggling in the northeast corner. For a change, early in the solving process I did recognize the likely existence of a pangram.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 | Lighting-up time? (8) |
| 9a | Cut // support after finishing early (6) |
| 10a | Range of notes, not English, found with old // book (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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An octavo[5] is a book whose pages are formed by folding each printed sheet into eight leaves (sixteen pages).
| 11a | Old drink Edmund // did not sell locally (8) |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Tilsit warnsPorter[5] is a dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature (originally made as a drink for porters).be careful how you enter this answer and don’t make the initial mistake I made by adding the name of a type of stout. |
| 12a | Sorted // secret // type of advertisement? (10) |
| 14a | Pound, perhaps, // that's found in a Bible? (4) |
Ezra Pound[5] (1885–1972) was an American poet and critic, resident in Europe
1908–45 (show more ).
Initially associated with imagism, he later developed a highly eclectic poetic voice, drawing on a vast range of classical and other references and establishing a reputation as a modernist poet. Notable works: Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920) and Cantos (series, 1917–70).
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Initially associated with imagism, he later developed a highly eclectic poetic voice, drawing on a vast range of classical and other references and establishing a reputation as a modernist poet. Notable works: Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920) and Cantos (series, 1917–70).
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Ezra[5] is a book of the Bible telling of Ezra*, the return of the Jewish people from Babylon, and the rebuilding of the Temple.
* Ezra[5] was a Jewish priest and scribe who played a central part in the reform of Judaism in the 5th or 4th century BC, continuing the work of Nehemiah and forbidding mixed marriages.
| 15a | Picnicker Stan upset /and/ terrified (5-8) |
| 17a | Growth // in infancy stalled (4) |
| 18a | Fight // with no admission charge (4-3-3) |
| 20a | Waiter is stirring // something in the garden (8) |
Wisteria[5] (also wistaria) is a climbing shrub of the pea family, with hanging clusters of fragrant flowers, typically pale bluish-lilac in colour. Native to eastern Asia and North America, ornamental varieties are widely grown on walls and pergolas.
| 21a | Deputy who works to rule (6) |
| 23a | A couple almost reconstructed // dome (6) |
| 24a | Particular skill about pa's undoing // bag (8) |
There are two equally-valid ways to parse this clue:
- KNA(PSA*)CK or KN(APS*)ACK
Down
| 1d | May Anglican novice // withdraw? (6) |
"novice " = 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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This is the first time that I have encountered "novice" used to clue the letter "L". We usually see "learner (driver)" or "student (driver)".
Scratching the Surface
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| A novice[5] is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. |
| 2d | Singers unchanged having turned up (4) |
The entire clue serves as the definition and consists of a precise definition together with cryptic elaboration that informs us that the solution is a palindrome.
| 3d | Frenzied comedian, // 16 (8) |
The
numeral "16" is a cross
reference indicator pointing to clue 16d (show more ).
To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
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To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
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| 4d | Put Sid out // senseless (6) |
| 5d | Moving picture /and/ description of onion? (4-6) |
A double definition where both parts are more or less cryptic. The "moving picture" here is an image or film that elicits an emotional response.
| 6d | Congregation race /to find/ grazing land (5,3) |
Christian theology often portrays its leaders as shepherds and its adherents as members of a flock.
A sheep run[5] (a term used especially in Australia) is an extensive tract of land on which sheep are pastured.
| 8d | Do not tell people // how to save electricity (4,2,3,4) |
The second definition is how one might paraphrase the solution.
| 13d | Article I included in depot /for/ waste disposal (10) |
| 15d | Feeling of anger going round confused shy // figure (8) |
| 16d | Conclude Leanne regularly turned up /to be/ very annoying (8) |
| 18d | Ceremonial // way to shape nearly everything (6) |
| 19d | Folly /of/ girl crossing North America (6) |
"North America " = NA
NA[1] is the abbreviation for North America.
Note: It is my understanding all abbreviations used in puzzles published be The Daily Telegraph will be found in The Chambers Dictionary.
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NA[1] is the abbreviation for North America.
Note: It is my understanding all abbreviations used in puzzles published be The Daily Telegraph will be found in The Chambers Dictionary.
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| 22d | Flood // stopped by bogus handyman (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)
[15] - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )
Signing off for today — Falcon
Like you and many on the BD blog, I had trouble in the NE corner, specifically 9A and 6D, and even after solving 6D with help of your hint, I still couldn’t fathom 9A. I did, like you recognize the pangram quite early after solving 5D and that helped with a number of other clues. I agree with ***/*** although I should probably add another star for my difficulties in the NE.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. It's always great to get some feedback from readers.
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