Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29710 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, June 24, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29710]
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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
It is RayT today and he is in fine form. All his trademarks are present including sweetheart, Her Majesty (who makes her appearance just before the final curtain), a bit of innuendo and perhaps one of the finest acrostic clues he has ever produced.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 | A pastry's rolled // layers (6) |
| 4a | Spades stuck /and/ broke (8) |
| 9a | Shipping company keen /for/ pay-off (6) |
United Parcel Service[7] (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. UPS is the largest courier company in the world by revenue, with annual revenues around $85 Billion USD in 2020, ahead of competitors DHL and FedEx.
| 10a | Animal // act takes time with Manx cat (8) |
The Manx cat[10] is a short-haired tailless variety of cat, believed to originate on the Isle of Man[5], a British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea.
The setter uses "Manx cat" to clue PUS[
The platypus[5] is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) which frequents lakes and streams in eastern Australia. It has a sensitive pliable bill shaped like that of a duck, webbed feet with venomous spurs, and dense fur. Also called duckbill or duck-billed platypus.
| 12a | Tipping hat, single man /is/ assiduous (8) |
| 13a | Old Nick // related to bones (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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Nick[5] is an informal British term meaning to steal ⇒
he'd had his car nicked by joyriders.
Scratching the Surface
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| Old Nick[2] is another name for the devil. |
| 15a | Record contagion restricting people/'s/ fun (13) |
| 18a | In the main it's a bad // drug (13) |
| 22a | Religious leader beginning to talk /and/ talk (6) |
Rabbit[5] is an informal British term meaning:
- (noun) a conversation ⇒
we had quite a heated rabbit about it
- (verb) to talk at length, especially about trivial matters ⇒
stop rabbiting on, will you, and go to bed!
| 24a | Baptise /in/ church? Started holding tot's head (8) |
| 26a | Alien found in immense // surface (8) |
"alien " = ET [E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]
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.
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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.
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Post Mortem
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| It was the "surface" that was my undoing here; not the surface reading but the sense in which the word "surface" is used in the clue. This is one of those cases where—when the solution is finally revealed—you kick yourself for not having seen it yourself. |
| 27a | Nice woman? (6) |
Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy.
Madame[5] is a title or form of address used of or to a French-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs.
| 28a | Avoid // sun at first, despite shivering (8) |
| 29a | Pod exposed after nosing under topsoil initially (6) |
This is a classic RayT acrostic or initialism clue—and perhaps one of the best I have seen. In this type of clue, the entire clue is the wordplay which consists of an indicator that instructs us to use the initial letters of the remaining words in the clue which form the fodder. While on some occasions the entire clue can be the definition, usually only the fodder can be considered to be the definition. Often, it is a judgement call whether or not to include the initialism indicator as part of the definition. However, today I have no hesitation in declaring the entire clue to be the definition as it precisely defines the life cycle of a peanut.
Here are some excerpts from the website of the National Peanut Board describing How Peanuts Grow:
"Peanut seedlings rise out of the soil about 10 days after planting. They
grow into a green oval-leafed plant about 18 inches tall. Unlike most
plants, the peanut plant flowers above the ground, but fruits below
ground."
"Yellow flowers emerge around the lower portion of the plant about 40 days after planting. When the flowers pollinate themselves, the petals fall off as the peanut ovary begins to form."
"This budding ovary is called a “peg.” The peg enlarges and grows down and away from the plant forming a small stem which extends to the soil. The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. The embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature taking the form of a peanut."
When the peanuts are ready for harvest, the plant is dug up and the peanuts exposed.
"Yellow flowers emerge around the lower portion of the plant about 40 days after planting. When the flowers pollinate themselves, the petals fall off as the peanut ovary begins to form."
"This budding ovary is called a “peg.” The peg enlarges and grows down and away from the plant forming a small stem which extends to the soil. The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. The embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature taking the form of a peanut."
When the peanuts are ready for harvest, the plant is dug up and the peanuts exposed.
Down
| 1d | Hard // reading about arithmetic? (6) |
Read[5] is a British term meaning to study (an academic subject) at a university ⇒ (i)
I’m reading English at Cambridge; (ii)
he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.
Arithmetic together with reading and writing (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic)—together known as the three Rs[5]—are regarded as the fundamentals of learning ⇒
why couldn't they just leave well alone and let pupils concentrate on the three Rs?.
| 2d | Note mum keeping one // strong (9) |
"note " = RE [in tonic sol-fa, the second note of a major scale]
In tonic sol-fa notation, re* is the US or a variant British spelling* of the second note of a major scale.
* The only recognized spelling in American Dictionaries is re[3,6,11,12] while most British dictionaries show re[2,4,5,10] as a variant spelling of ray[2,4,5,10]. The Chambers Dictionary takes a different approach, showing the spelling as "re[1] (also anglicized in spelling as ray)".
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In tonic sol-fa notation, re* is the US or a variant British spelling* of the second note of a major scale.
* The only recognized spelling in American Dictionaries is re[3,6,11,12] while most British dictionaries show re[2,4,5,10] as a variant spelling of ray[2,4,5,10]. The Chambers Dictionary takes a different approach, showing the spelling as "re[1] (also anglicized in spelling as ray)".
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| 3d | However tense, // meditation perhaps? (7) |
| 5d | Reportedly rang /and/ confessed (4) |
| 6d | Worker // from start is a newbie (7) |
| 7d | Future monarchs? (5) |
The monarch[5] (also monarch butterfly) is a large migratory orange and black butterfly that occurs mainly in North America*. The caterpillar feeds on milkweed, using the toxins in the plant to render both itself and the adult unpalatable to predators.
* although it is clearly evident from Miffypops' review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog that this butterfly is also found the UK
| 8d | Forlorn // sweetheart almost alone in rendezvous (8) |
"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'.
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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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| 11d | Charge // hospital department over decay (7) |
"hospital department " = ENT
| 14d | Some fear a chest // infection? (7) |
| 16d | Problem /of/ retina? Yes, possibly (9) |
| 17d | Stand in pubs /giving/ insults (8) |
Barrack[5] is a British* term meaning to Jeer loudly at (someone performing or speaking in public) in order to express disapproval or to distract them ⇒ (i)
opponents barracked him when he addressed the opening parliamentary session; (ii)
the disgraceful barracking that came from the mob.
* On the other hand, in Australia and New Zealand barrack for[5] means to give support and encouragement to ⇒
I take it you'll be barracking for Labour tonight?
| 19d | Woman with eyes on family jewels? (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Given that the setter is RayT, I am sure the fact that family jewels[5] is a humorous term for a man's genitals did not escape him. |
| 20d | Copy /of/ i consumed around Cambridge University (7) |
The i[7] is a British national morning paper published in London by Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) and distributed across the United Kingdom. It is aimed at "readers and lapsed readers" of all ages and commuters with limited time. The publication was originally launched in 2010 as a sister paper to The Independent and acquired by DMGT in 2019. The paper is classified as a 'quality' in the UK market but is published in the standard compact tabloid-size format. The i was named British National Newspaper of the Year in 2015.
There's a bit of misdirection at work here (all perfectly fair), including some misleading capitalization. We need to focus on a Cambridge university on this side of the pond and not on Cambridge University[5] in England. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology[5] (abbreviation MIT) is a US institute of higher education, famous for scientific and technical research, founded in 1861 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| 21d | Gamble, // having lost one's shirt? (6) |
In Britain, a vest[5] is an undergarment worn on the upper part of the body, typically having no sleeves. The garment that North Americans (as well as Australians) call a vest[5] is known in the UK as a waistcoat.
| 23d | Having a position // when in sack (5) |
| 25d | Queen provided rising // passion (4) |
"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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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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