Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29650 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, April 15, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29650]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Kath | |
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
I thought this puzzle was a fairly typical example of a RayT creation, although comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog indicate many felt it to be more difficult than usual.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 | Has his order changed /for/ condiment? (11) |
| 10a | Sat on back of bronco here? (5) |
The entire clue is the definition in which the wordplay is embedded. Perhaps the definition is not as precise as it might be but, if not, it is as close to the target as one can come without actually striking it.
| 11a | Dirty // look threatening after nightclub (9) |
| 12a | Hideaway /in/ Channel Island, period without technology (9) |
Herm[7] is one of the Channel Islands. It is located in the English Channel, north-west of France and south of England. It is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and under 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide and lies between the larger islands of Guernsey and Sark.
IT[5] is the abbreviation for information technology.
| 13a | Small instrument /for/ cutting (5) |
| 14a | Something tasteless or dull getting eaten initially (6) |
Stodge[2,5] is an informal British term for either (1) food that is heavy, filling, high in carbohydrates and, usually, fairly tasteless or (2) dull and uninspired material or work.
I'm going to unequivocally declare this a true &lit. clue[7] (or, as they prefer to say on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, all-in-one clue). The entire clue is both wordplay and definition. The wordplay involves the initial letters of the first six words in the clue. As the former usage given in the definition above predates the latter usage, one can clearly ascertain that initially the term meant "something ... getting eaten".
| 16a | More cutting on board /making/ tapas? (8) |
"on board " = 'contained in SS' [SS = steamship]
A tapa[3,11] (often tapas, especially in British dictionaries where the singular is rarely found [show more ])
is any of various small, savory Spanish dishes, often served as a snack
or appetizer (typically with wine or beer) or with other tapas as a
meal.
Among my regular online reference sources, the singular version (tapa[3,11]) is found in the two American dictionaries, but not in the three British dictionaries (which list the word only in the plural, tapas[2,4,5,10]). However, the singular version tapa[1] is found in my hard-copy edition of The Chambers Dictionary.
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Among my regular online reference sources, the singular version (tapa[3,11]) is found in the two American dictionaries, but not in the three British dictionaries (which list the word only in the plural, tapas[2,4,5,10]). However, the singular version tapa[1] is found in my hard-copy edition of The Chambers Dictionary.
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Origin: Spanish tapa, literally 'cover, lid' (because the dishes were given free with the drink, served on a dish balanced on, therefore ‘covering’, the glass).[5]
| 18a | Queen maybe describes this compiler's // band (8) |
"this compiler'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 "this compiler" with the verb "to be"* producing "this compiler's" (a contraction of "this compiler is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "this compiler's" is showing possession, in the wordplay it is interpreted as a contraction of "this compiler 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 "this compiler" with the verb "to be"* producing "this compiler's" (a contraction of "this compiler is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "this compiler's" is showing possession, in the wordplay it is interpreted as a contraction of "this compiler is".
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Scratching the Surface
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| In the surface reading, RayT is attesting to the already well-known fact that the British rock group Queen is his favourite band. It is rare for there not to be a direct or indirect reference (in the form of "Her Majesty" for instance) to Queen in a RayT puzzle. Queen[5] is a British rock group that in its heyday featured camp vocalist Freddie Mercury (1946–1991). Queen are known for their extravagant, almost operatic brand of rock, as exemplified by the hugely successful ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975). |
| 20a | Fly // in jet set section (6) |
The tsetse[5] (also tsetse fly) is an African bloodsucking fly which bites humans and other mammals, transmitting sleeping sickness and nagana*.
* Nagana[5] is a disease of cattle, antelope, and other livestock in southern Africa, characterized by fever, lethargy, and oedema, and caused by trypanosome parasites transmitted by the tsetse fly.
| 23a | Singer/'s/ note for the audience (5) |
Tenner[5] is an informal British name for a ten-pound note.
| 24a | Sense // a battle with European head (9) |
"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.
hide
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.
hide
| 26a | Millions laugh, talking about // Blitz (9) |
In general, a blitz[5] is an intensive or sudden military attack; specifically, the Blitz refers to the German air raids on Britain in 1940–1.
| 27a | Old actress // learning name (5) |
Sophia Loren[5] is an Italian actress; born Sofia Scicolone. She has starred in both Italian and US films, including the slapstick comedy The Millionairess (1960) and the wartime drama La Ciociara (1961), for which she won an Oscar.
| 28a | Unusually a pretty cold // old reptile (11) |
Strictly speaking, a pterodactyl[5] is a pterosaur* of the late Jurassic period, with a long slender head and neck and a very short tail; however, in general use, the term is used for any pterosaur.
* A pterosaur[5] is a fossil flying reptile of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with membranous wings supported by a greatly lengthened fourth finger.
Down
| 2d | Frontier without British // arrangement (5) |
| 3d | Loading // goods finally using tug (7) |
| 4d | Perhaps Titian nude /for/ sketch again (6) |
Titian red[10] (adjective) denotes reddish-gold, like the hair colour used in many of the works of Titian*.
* Titian[10], original name Tiziano Vecellio, (?1490–1576) was an Italian painter of the Venetian school, noted for his religious and mythological works, such as Bacchus and Ariadne (1523), and his portraits.
| 5d | Cobblers possibly // tense standing up (8) |
What did she say?
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In her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Kath describes "cobblers" asAfters[5] is an informal British term for the dessert course of a meal ⇒puds or 'afters'. there was apple pie for afters. Pud[5] is an informal British short form for pudding[5] which, in the UK, is another name for the dessert course of a meal. Although it would sound bizarre to a North American ear, if a Brit were to ask What’s for pudding?, the response might well be Apple pie. In the UK, meals begin with starters and finish with afters. While the former term has taken root on this side of the pond, the latter term has not. |
Scratching the Surface
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| I could not help but notice the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog from many Brits who were not familiar with cobbler[5] as a dessert. Checking the dictionary, I discover it defined as a North American term for a dessert consisting of fruit baked in a deep dish with a thick, cake-like crust on top. Several of the Brits think of cobbler[7] as a savoury dish rather than a dessert. This version (which is not mentioned in any of the dictionaries that I consulted but is included in the Wikipedia article although rather strangely described as a "dessert") is made with meat rather than fruit. As several also allude to the fact that cobblers[5] is an informal British term for rubbish (in the sense of nonsense) I don't think that I have read such a load of cobblers in my life. However, no one mentions the sense of the word that is surely the most apropos to the surface reading (given the setter was RayT). Cobblers[5] is an informal British term for a man's testicles ⇒ I've been kicked in the cobblers a few times. By the way, the name of the dessert apparently may have come from the fact that, in the original version of the dish, the filling was covered with biscuits (scones to the Brits) and thus resembled a surface paved with cobble stones. |
| 6d | Sopranos broadcast missing a // 'godfather' (7) |
A godfather[10] is a male godparent, a person who stands sponsor to another at baptism.
Scratching the Surface
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| The Sopranos[7] is an American crime drama television series that revolves around Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying the difficulties that he faces as he tries to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization. |
| 7d | Score // with men helping around box (13) |
| 8d | Most faithful // perplexed about lock (8) |
Yale[5] is a trademark for a type of lock with a latch bolt and a flat key with a serrated edge.
Origin: named after Linus Yale Jr (1821–1868), the American locksmith who invented the mechanism it uses.
| 9d | /It's/ vital to keep team // winning (13) |
Despite being placed at the beginning of the clue, the word "it's" effectively plays the role of a link word. From a cryptic perspective, the clue could be rephrased as:
- Winning /is/ vital to keep team (23)
* Posse comitatus[a] is a term dating from the 13th century which originally denoted the body of men over the age of fifteen which the sheriff of an English county could raise as a force in a crisis.
[a] Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms
| 15d | Found // Iron Age building employing spades (8) |
| 17d | Risk // tip on needle (8) |
| 19d | Waspish // matron fussing round head of department (7) |
Waspish[2,14] (with respect to a remark or humour) denotes sharp-tongued; caustic or venomous ⇒
a lawyer with an inventive mind and a waspish sense of humour.
Mordant[5] is an adjective denoting (especially of humour) having or showing a sharp or critical quality; in other words, biting ⇒
a mordant sense of humour.
| 21d | Varnish // the woman will put on account (7) |
| 22d | Starved, // destined to eat last of scraps (6) |
| 25d | Almost doesn't start // in good time (5) |
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
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