Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29792 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 | |
Setter
Unknown
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Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29792]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Mr K | |
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
Although it took a moment or two to find a starting point, once the beachhead had been established, the clues fell in quick succession and the solve proved to be a very enjoyable.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 | Instruction from teachers, perhaps // workers at university (5,2) |
In Britain, up[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒
they were up at Cambridge about the same time.
| 5a | Job in the morning going round neighbourhood, primarily? (7) |
The entire clue is not only a descriptive definition (in fact, it is literally a job description for a particular occupation) but the wordplay as well.
| 9a | Animal // hit with anger, almost (5) |
The tapir[5] is a nocturnal hoofed mammal with a stout body, sturdy limbs, and a short flexible proboscis, native to the forests of tropical America and Malaysia.
| 10a | Where camper might be if female's abandoned on // purpose (9) |
| 11a | Exaggerated // where Tommy had to go? (4-3-3) |
In the UK, tommy[5,10] (also Tommy or Tommy Atkins) is an informal term for a private in the British Army.
Origin: 19th Century: originally Thomas Atkins, a fictitious name representing a typical private in British Army specimen forms.
Split (4,3,3), the solution describes where a British soldier stationed in the trenches of Western Europe during World War I was expected to go in battle.
| 12a | Second best // bar (4) |
| 14a | Pause // at home and print route out (12) |
| 18a | Excellent alcohol and Edward/'s/ cheerful (4-8) |
| 21a | Buffoons regularly picked out // flying saucers (4) |
| 22a | Number hurry after the tailless // bird (4,6) |
The song thrush[5] is a common European and central Asian thrush with a buff spotted breast, having a loud song in which each phrase is repeated two or three times.
| 25a | Stop this writer's // influence (9) |
"this writer's " = MINE
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 placing "this writer" in a possessive context meaning that we need to replace "this writer's" with an equivalent possessive pronoun.
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 placing "this writer" in a possessive context meaning that we need to replace "this writer's" with an equivalent possessive pronoun.
hide
| 26a | Over // time gathering ten tonnes (5) |
| 27a | Reading // unsettling article (7) |
| 28a | Earn // editor's backing and be good enough (7) |
Down
| 1d | Trendy party with good // food (3,3) |
"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
| 2d | Expression of relief after one leaves old // relative (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.
hide
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.
hide
| 3d | Doctor cures nits accepting I // go over with a fine-toothed comb (10) |
| 4d | Satisfaction /from/ parking on trip (5) |
| 5d | Port I pour out -- // it might have a nice bouquet (9) |
| 6d | Wrong king/'s/ flag (4) |
| 7d | Keep // most important article in metal container (8) |
| 8d | Hot, upset with new record in son/'s/ game (8) |
Ninepins[4,11] (more commonly known in the UK as skittles) is a bowling game described by Webster's College Dictionary as tenpins played without the head pin.
| 13d | Dumb -- // like a forgetful politician? (10) |
A double definition, the second being descriptive.
| 15d | I tailored new // item from a rag (9) |
Rag[5] is an informal term for a newspaper, typically one regarded as being of low quality.
| 16d | Bear // ought to run after European (8) |
"run " = R [cricket notation]
"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
| 17d | Tango is bubbly and cold? // One's doubtful (8) |
| 19d | Sailing vessel, // say, with 100 on (6) |
While, today, a cutter[5] is a light, fast coastal patrol boat (
a coastguard cutter), historically, a cutter[5] was a small fore-and-aft rigged sailing boat with one mast, more than one headsail, and a running bowsprit, used as a fast auxiliary.
| 20d | Expression /from/ Romeo entering stage (6) |
| 23d | Grand English actor/'s/ gluttony (5) |
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].
Oliver Reed[7] (1938–1999) was an English actor known for his upper-middle class, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle.
| 24d | Worry // about appearing in newspaper (4) |
The Financial Times[7] (abbreviation FT) is a British international business newspaper that is printed on conspicuous salmon pink newsprint.
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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