Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29770 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, September 2, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29770]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
StephenL | |
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
In his review of this puzzle on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, StephenL describes it as "tricky". I certainly second that assessment.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 | Watch // revues call in comic (12) |
Watch[5,14] (noun) is used in the sense of an act or instance of carefully observing someone or something over a period of time ⇒
the suspect had been under watch by the police for some time.
| 8a | Automatic // rifle beginning to oddly jerk (7) |
Rifle[5] (verb) is used in the sense of steal ⇒
he rifled the dead man's possessions.
| 9a | Praise // a god, say, keeping very quiet (7) |
The word "lord" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation
) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially
southeastern England), sounds virtually identical to "laud".
Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
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Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
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| 11a | Pigeon // let down catching insect (7) |
Fail[5] (verb) is used in the sense of desert or let down (someone) ⇒
at the last moment her nerve failed her.
A fantail[10] is a breed of domestic pigeon having a large tail that can be opened like a fan.
| 12a | Cheers /seeing/ house with old beams (7) |
"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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Self Reference?
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| Some may see a reference to the setter himself in this clue as RayT also sets Toughie Crossword puzzles in The Daily Telegraph under the pseudonym Beam. * The Toughie is a cryptic crossword which is published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday through Friday. It gets its name from the fact that it is intended to be a more difficult puzzle than the regular Cryptic Crossword which appears in The Daily Telegraph from Monday through Saturday—the latter puzzle being the one the National Post carries in syndication.  Screenshot of the Telegraph Puzzles website showing the puzzles available |
| 13a | Composer // saw audience thrilled in Eroica initially (5) |
Erik Satie[5] (1866–1925) was a French avant-garde composer. He formed an irreverent avant-garde artistic set associated with Les Six, Dadaism, and surrealism. Notable works: Gymnopédies (1888).
Scratching the Surface
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| The Eroica Symphony[10] (commonly known as Eroica[10]) is more formally Symphony No. 3 in E flat major by Ludwig van Beethoven. |
| 14a | Conclude EastEnders' trial, // winning (9) |
An East Ender[5,10] (or East-ender[1] or Eastender[2])* is a native or inhabitant of the East End of London, an area traditionally associated with industry and the docks, and crowded living conditions whose residents are also known as cockneys. The cockney[5]
dialect spoken in this part of London is characterized by dropping the
aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang (show more ).
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
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* It would seem that one can justify most any spelling merely by consulting enough dictionaries—and RayT uses yet another, EastEnders (the title of a British soap opera).
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
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* It would seem that one can justify most any spelling merely by consulting enough dictionaries—and RayT uses yet another, EastEnders (the title of a British soap opera).
EastEnders[7]
is an award-winning British soap opera which has been broadcast on BBC
One since 1985. (show more )
Set in Albert Square in the East End of London in the fictional Borough of Walford, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Consistently among the top-rated TV programmes in Britain, it has tackled many dilemmas that are considered to be controversial and taboo issues in British culture and social life previously unseen on United Kingdom mainstream television.
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Set in Albert Square in the East End of London in the fictional Borough of Walford, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Consistently among the top-rated TV programmes in Britain, it has tackled many dilemmas that are considered to be controversial and taboo issues in British culture and social life previously unseen on United Kingdom mainstream television.
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| 16a | Swamps // single sister with boyfriends? (9) |
| 19a | Oddly plump cases // transforming insects (5) |
A pupa[5] (plural pupae) is an insect in its inactive immature form between larva and adult, e.g. a chrysalis.
| 21a | Split, a capital city? (7) |
Although the solution was readily apparent once I had the checking letters, I spent ages trying to identify some wordplay here. I finally concluded the clue is a cryptic definition of a divided capital city.
Nicosia[5] is the capital of Cyprus. Since 1974 it has been divided into Greek and Turkish sectors.
Scratching the Surface
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| Split[5] is a seaport on the coast of southern Croatia. Founded as a Roman colony in 78 BC, it contains the ruins of the palace of the emperor Diocletian, built in about AD 300. |
| 23a | NATO is one // friend in a million (7) |
| 24a | Ogling // the French sweetheart with girdle (7) |
"the French " = LE [French definite article]
"sweetheart " = E ['heart' of swEet]
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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Girdle[5] is used as a verb meaning to surround or encircle.
| 25a | Flipping raining around // drive home (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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Flipping[5,10]
(adjective
or adverb) is an informal British term used for emphasis or to express mild annoyance ⇒ (i) are you out of your flipping mind?; (ii) it’s flipping cold today. Origin: a euphemism for the taboo word f**king |
| 26a | Dope perhaps /seeing/ reason (12) |
Down
| 1d | Maybe some // bread roll found inside case (7) |
... the "case" being one that would be heard in court.
| 2d | Run over // from Beetle car, terribly upset (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| 3d | Boss /of/ former unit on hospital department (9) |
"hospital department " = ENT
From a British perspective, boss[5] is an informal North American term meaning excellent or outstanding ⇒ (i)
that was a real boss move on his part; (ii)
I like that second picture the best; it's a boss shot!.
| 4d | Area in Scottish lake /for/ fish (5) |
Loch[5] is the Scottish word for lake.
The loach[5] is a small elongated bottom-dwelling freshwater fish with several barbels near the mouth, found in Eurasia and north-western Africa.
| 5d | Heard I'm in favour of a // jar (7) |
An amphora[5] is a tall ancient Greek or Roman jar or jug with two handles and a narrow neck.
| 6d | After tea I knock up // Indian speciality (7) |
Cha (variant spelling of char[5]) an informal British name for tea [in the sense of a drink].
In Indian cookery, chapati (variant spelling of chapatti[5]) is a thin pancake of unleavened wholemeal bread cooked on a griddle.
Here and There
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| Knock (someone) up or knock up (someone)[5] is a British expression meaning to wake or attract the attention of someone by knocking at their door. The meaning with which North Americans are familiar, namely to make a woman pregnant, also appears in most British dictionaries with only Collins COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary identifying it as a non-British term, describing it as mainly US, informal and rude.[15] |
| 7d | Trained // person if also rubbish (12) |
| 10d | Argument // made steering awkward (12) |
| 15d | Preparing fish, // empty sac during handling (9) |
| 17d | Dirty // European occupying a French house (7) |
"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.
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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.
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House and clan might be synonyms in a couple of senses, the first being:
- A house[10] (often capitalized) is a family line including ancestors and relatives, especially a noble one ⇒
the House of York
. - A clan[10] is a group of people interrelated by ancestry or marriage.
it was the first time in ages that the house/clan had sat down together for dinner.
| 18d | Notwithstanding // abnormal speed, embraces sex (7) |
"sex " = IT
It[2,5] (usually written in quotation marks, "it") is an informal term for sex appeal* or sexual intercourse ⇒ (i)
* Chambers 21st Century Dictionary considers this sense to be an "old use" (Chambers' terminology for archaic, obsolete or old-fashioned).
"It"[7] (written in quotation marks) is a term that has come to mean sex appeal — although, in its earliest manifestation, it seems that the term pertained more to personality than to glamorous looks. Despite having been used as early as 1904 by Rudyard Kipling, the term was popularized in the 1927 film It starring Clara Bow (who became known as the "It Girl").
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It[2,5] (usually written in quotation marks, "it") is an informal term for sex appeal* or sexual intercourse ⇒ (i)
the only thing I knew nothing about was ‘it’; (ii)
they were caught doing ‘it’ in the back seat of his car.
* Chambers 21st Century Dictionary considers this sense to be an "old use" (Chambers' terminology for archaic, obsolete or old-fashioned).
"It"[7] (written in quotation marks) is a term that has come to mean sex appeal — although, in its earliest manifestation, it seems that the term pertained more to personality than to glamorous looks. Despite having been used as early as 1904 by Rudyard Kipling, the term was popularized in the 1927 film It starring Clara Bow (who became known as the "It Girl").
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| 19d | Equality over top of nude // model (7) |
It took quite a while for the penny to drop on the parsing here; in case others are struggling with it, the clue parses as PAR (equality) + AGO (over) + N (top [initial letter] of Nude).
| 20d | Boozer on board tramp // ship (7) |
In Britain, boozer[5] is not only an informal term for a person who drinks large quantities of alcohol but also an informal term for a pub or bar.
A pinnace[5] (historical) is a small boat, typically with sails and/or several oars, forming part of the equipment of a warship or other large vessel.
| 22d | A new hair product /for/ sweetheart (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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