Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29698 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, June 10, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29698]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Miffypops | |
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
For the most part, solving this puzzle was a reasonably quick process—however, explaining 12a was anything but.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 | Idiot /is/ some dumb one, he admitted (8) |
| 9a | Bowls /and/ fields around mid-morning? (6) |
| 10a | Daft // students, tense inside (4) |
The National Union of Students[7] (NUS) is a confederation of students’ unions in the United Kingdom.
Daft[5,10] is an informal British term meaning silly, foolish, stupid or insane ⇒
don't ask such daft questions.
Daft and Dafter!
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| The tense students in NUS may be daft, but surely the fact that their instructors are represented by the National Union of Teachers (NUT[5]) is even more daft. |
| 11a | Want to carry can /for/ teetotalism (10) |
| 12a | Member got stuck into // representative (6) |
I probably spent nearly as much time on this clue as I did on the entire remainder of the puzzle. I recognized quite quickly what the solution must be but I had no idea how to parse it. A fairly extensive perusal of several dictionaries threw no light on the matter and there is nary an inkling of dissatisfaction with the clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Finally, a more exhaustive dictionary search turned up the answer.
Get stuck into is an informal British expression meaning (among other things*) to attack a meal with enthusiasm.
* Get stuck into[1,5,14] (or get stuck in) is an informal[1,5,10,14] British[5,14] term meaning to deal with, consume, or attack in a vigorous, aggressive, eager, etc. manner[1] ; start doing (something) with enthusiasm and determination ⇒
The students really got stuck in and the way they responded showed in these exam results[5]; perform (a task) with determination[10]; attack (a person) verbally or physically[10]; do something with enthusiasm and determination ⇒
We're bottom of the league and we have to get stuck in[14].
A legate[2] is an ambassador or representative, especially from the Pope.
| 14a | Docile // old doubled round exit (8) |
"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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| 15a | Those who exhibit really painful stupidity initially (6) |
In this hallmark RayT acrostic or initialism clue, the entire clue provides the wordplay in which the definition is embedded.
The word twerp may have a broader connotation in the UK than it does in North America. British dictionaries define twerp[3,11] as an informal term for a silly, weak-minded, or contemptible person while US dictionaries define twerp[4] (seemingly more narrowly) as slang for a person regarded as insignificant and contemptible or despicable.
| 17a | Aim // head of arrow point (6) |
| 20a | Mostly heart, if I cease // deviousness (8) |
| 22a | Champion // with bull's-eye, almost? (6) |
In archery and shooting, an inner[5] is a division of the target next to the bullseye or a shot that strikes the inner ⇒
the Doctor found the bull, and held it to the close, while Servis only scored inners.
| 23a | Popular splinter group owning Republican // breach (10) |
"Republican " = R [member or supporter of US political party]
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.
hide
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.
hide
| 24a | Breathe in // softly following ether? (4) |
| 25a | Manuscript containing German // slogans? (6) |
Otto[7] is a masculine German given name and likely the most common name for German men in Crosswordland.
| 26a | House // Democrat rising (8) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
Down
| 1d | Cheat nick accepting blokes/'/ record (8) |
Do[5] isis an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒
It was only after travelling to Amsterdam and meeting the fraudsters that she became suspicious and contacted police, who told her: ‘Sorry, but you've been done.’.
| 2d | Notice female put up // charges (4) |
| 3d | Live charge /creating/ blast (6) |
| 4d | Answer is modified /showing/ discretion (8) |
| 5d | Box /of/ novelties I ordered (10) |
| 6d | Endless decline with criminal /getting/ bird (6) |
I rather liked this clue although perhaps not the sentiment expressed in the surface reading!
| 8d | Autocratic leader // of French area (6) |
| 13d | /For/ better // morale I eat out (10) |
The definition is "better" as a verb meaning to improve. For the sake of the surface reading, the setter has restructured the clue resulting in the link word "for" being positioned at the beginning of the clue. If the clue were rephrased in standard format, it would read:
- Morale I eat out /for/ better (10)
| 16d | Cost's small including new // Queen's daughter? (8) |
| 18d | Service /is/ still nothing without stuffing (8) |
The parsing here is a bit tricky. The word "still" is not cluing the four-letter word that I initially supposed but rather a (4,2) expression. The phrase "nothing without stuffing" clues N(othin)G with the interior letters (stuffing) removed.
In the Christian Church, evensong[5] is a service of evening prayers, psalms, and canticles, conducted according to a set form, especially that of the Anglican Church ⇒
choral evensong.
| 19d | Stern /and/ bow incorporating heart of ship (6) |
| 21d | Organised party last to seem // casual (6) |
"party " = DO
Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
* Although one US dictionary (Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12]) supports the contention by Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English)[5] that this usage is at least chiefly British, two other US dictionaries[3,11] do not.
hide
Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
the soccer club Christmas do.
* Although one US dictionary (Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12]) supports the contention by Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English)[5] that this usage is at least chiefly British, two other US dictionaries[3,11] do not.
hide
| 22d | Queen with staff on // cruise (6) |
"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.
hide
Cruise[5] is used in the sense of to wander about a place in search of a casual sexual partner ⇒
he cruised the gay bars of Los Angeles.
| 24d | Outburst /from/ girlfriend over sweetheart (4) |
"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'.
hide
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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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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