Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29717 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, July 2, 2021 | |
Setter
Zandio | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29717]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Deep Threat | |
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
As a lover of cryptic definitions, this puzzle from Zandio was a real treat for me.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 | Top individual, // leader of gang (6) |
Cap[5] is used as a verb in the sense of to follow or reply to (a story, remark, or joke) by producing a better one ⇒
he prayed no wit would cap his remark with some repartee.
"leader of gang " = CAPONE [Al Capone]
Al Capone[5] (1899–1947), nicknamed Scarface*, was an American gangster of Italian descent. He dominated organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s and was indirectly responsible for many murders, including the St Valentine’s Day Massacre**.
* Capone[7] was born in Brooklyn (New York) and began his life of crime in New York City before moving to Chicago. Capone inadvertently insulted a woman while working the door at a Brooklyn night club and was slashed by her brother Frank Gallucio. The wounds led to the nickname that Capone loathed: "Scarface". Capone's boss, racketeer Frankie Yale, insisted that Capone apologize to Gallucio, and later Capone hired him as a bodyguard. When photographed, Capone hid the scarred left side of his face, saying that the injuries were war wounds. Capone was called "Snorky", a term for a sharp dresser, by his closest friends.
** The St Valentine's Day Massacre[5] was the shooting on 14th February 1929 of seven members of the rival ‘Bugsy’ Moran's gang by some of Al Capone's men disguised as policemen.
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Al Capone[5] (1899–1947), nicknamed Scarface*, was an American gangster of Italian descent. He dominated organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s and was indirectly responsible for many murders, including the St Valentine’s Day Massacre**.
* Capone[7] was born in Brooklyn (New York) and began his life of crime in New York City before moving to Chicago. Capone inadvertently insulted a woman while working the door at a Brooklyn night club and was slashed by her brother Frank Gallucio. The wounds led to the nickname that Capone loathed: "Scarface". Capone's boss, racketeer Frankie Yale, insisted that Capone apologize to Gallucio, and later Capone hired him as a bodyguard. When photographed, Capone hid the scarred left side of his face, saying that the injuries were war wounds. Capone was called "Snorky", a term for a sharp dresser, by his closest friends.
** The St Valentine's Day Massacre[5] was the shooting on 14th February 1929 of seven members of the rival ‘Bugsy’ Moran's gang by some of Al Capone's men disguised as policemen.
hide
| 4a | Field marshal whose targets are rather woolly? (8) |
| 10a | Upper-class snake caught finally /as/ killer down under (1-4) |
"upper-class " = U [upper class]
In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
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In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
U manners.
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
hide
A boa[5] is any of numerous species in several genera of constrictor snake from the family Boidae which bears live young and may reach great size, native to America, Africa, Asia, and some Pacific islands.
| 11a | Habit into which one might slip when retiring? (9) |
| 12a | After crashing: 'Leave, ET -- /get/ uplift!' (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government. |
| 13a | Pride /of/ person who detests being given uniform on two occasions (7) |
Hauteur[5] is proud haughtiness of manner ⇒
she swept into the room with formidable hauteur.
Origin: French, from haut ‘high’.
| 14a | Offensive video maybe about a // band of electricians? (10,4) |
| 17a | Stressful situation -- // one shouldn't let off steam (8,6) |
While it makes for a nice clue, the second definition may lack something in technical accuracy. The pressure relief valve on a pressure cooker is designed specifically to "let off steam". Otherwise, there is a risk of the pressure building to the point that the cooking pot explodes.
| 21a | Bit of music -- not the first time // it's done with a hook (7) |
Crotchet[5] is a British name for a quarter note, a note having the time value of a quarter of a semibreve* or half a minim**, represented by a large solid dot with a plain stem.
| 23a | In Paris, the routine article is put over /as/ genuine (7) |
| 24a | Model bored wearing campaign's // clothes (9) |
| 25a | Family Golf /giving/ dull sound (5) |
| 26a | Gasped out loud: maybe dog's set about // duck (8) |
| 27a | Do // escape church (6) |
Do[5] is 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.’.
Down
| 1d | Raw fuel /that could make you/ cheeky, breaking wind (5,3) |
The phrase "that could make you" is a link phrase indicating that the definition could be broken down by the solver (you) to produce (make) the wordplay.
| 2d | One pretends // one owns a chair (9) |
In the first definition, profess[5] is used in the sense of to claim that one has (a quality or feeling), especially when this is not the case ⇒
he had professed his love for her only to walk away.
A chair[5] is a professorship ⇒
he held a chair in physics.
| 3d | Significant number held up party // game ... (7) |
Netball[5] is a seven-a-side game in which goals are scored by throwing a ball so that it falls through a netted hoop. By contrast with basketball, a player receiving the ball must stand still until they have passed it to another player.
Differences With Basketball
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| The development of netball[7],
derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the
1890s. Games are played on a rectangular court
with raised goal rings at each end. Each team attempts to score goals
by passing a ball down the court and shooting it through its goal ring.
Players are assigned specific positions, which define their roles within
the team and restrict their movement to certain areas of the court.
During general play, a player with the ball can hold onto it for only
three seconds before shooting for a goal or passing to another player.
The winning team is the one that scores the most goals. Netball games
are 60 minutes long. Netball is most popular in Commonwealth nations,
specifically in schools, and is predominantly played by women. There are many differences with basketball. For instance, there are no backboards; a shot on goal can only be made from within the shooting circle (no three point shots); only certain players may enter the shooting circle (either as attackers or defenders); only two attackers and two defenders may be in the shooting circle at one time; the ball is moved up and down the court through passing and must be touched by a player in each adjacent third of the court (no end to end passes); players can hold the ball for only three seconds at any time and it must be released before the foot they were standing on when they caught it touches the ground again (no dribbling). |
| 5d | ... in which it helps to have this arrogance? (4-10) |
This is a rare example of a pair of clues linked by ellipses where it is not just the surface reading that carries across the two clues. One must read this clue as:
- in [the game of netball] it helps to have this arrogance? (4-10)
| 6d | Nutters arranged /to get/ put in charge (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Nutter[5] is an informal British term for a mad or eccentric person. |
| 7d | Motored // from Kiev or Dusseldorf, heading north (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Kiev[5]
is the capital of Ukraine, an industrial city and port
on the River Dnieper. Founded in the
8th century, it became capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic in 1934. In 1991 it became capital of independent Ukraine. Düsseldorf[5] is an industrial city of north-western Germany, on the Rhine, capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. |
| 8d | People who might make grand arrival? (6) |
This is a cryptic definition with embedded wordplay.
G as an abbreviation for grand is one North American usage that the Brits would appear to have embraced (show more ).
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage ⇒
I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
- Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)[5].
- Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars[2].
- Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)[4,10].
Gentry[5] denotes people of good social position, specifically the class of people next below the nobility in position and birth.
Post Mortem
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| The only word that I could think of that matches the checking letters was GONERS. In fact, I was so convinced that the solution ended in "S" that I did not seriously investigate other possibilities. |
| 9d | Strong // cider best until tipsy (14) |
| 15d | Hot rod features -- // one's unreadable (5,4) |
| 16d | What comes before play /in/ pool -- urge to swim (8) |
| 18d | Wasp he researched gathers in // fields (7) |
| 19d | Jewel keeps winking, perhaps // it's a kind of illusion (7) |
| 20d | Small animal looks discontented? // Looks very discontented! (6) |
| 22d | Had a row /with/ a communist -- nothing starting it (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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