Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29799 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | |
Setter
(Likely) Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29799]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
Like many of those who posted comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I questioned whether this puzzle was set by Jay. However, he offers no denial and no one else steps forward to take credit. Also the Toughie puzzle published in The Daily Telegraph on the day this puzzle appeared is not set by Logman* (the pseudonym that Jay uses for Toughie puzzles).* It is virtually guaranteed that the same setter will not set both the Toughie and the regular Cryptic Crossword on the same day. I believe all the "Wednesday" puzzles not set by Jay have appeared on days when the Toughie was set by Logman.
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 | Papa has fry-ups cooked with fat /and/ a crust of this (4,6) |
Scratching the Surface
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Fry-up[5] is an informal British term for a dish of various types of fried food ⇒ On Saturday, Mum would cook sweet corn, salted cod or a fry-up of sausages, eggs and tomatoes. |
| 6a | Pain that remains after losing heart? (4) |
I think the words "that remains" implies that we are to start with one type of pain (one of an emotional variety) and, after removing the word "heart", are left with another type of pain (this one of a physical kind).
| 10a | Burning // anger after a fine (5) |
| 11a | Bag containing small part /for/ cook (9) |
Bag[5] is used in the sense of a piece of luggage.
Casserole[5] is used as a verb meaning to cook (food) slowly in a casserole.
| 12a | Hide /in/ corner of Greek island (7) |
Crete[5] is a Greek island in the eastern Mediterranean (show more ).
Crete is noted for the remains of the Minoan civilization which flourished there in the 2nd millennium BC. It fell to Rome in 67 BC and was subsequently ruled by Byzantines, Venetians, and Turks. Crete played an important role in the Greek struggle for independence from the Turks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming administratively part of an independent Greece in 1913.
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Crete is noted for the remains of the Minoan civilization which flourished there in the 2nd millennium BC. It fell to Rome in 67 BC and was subsequently ruled by Byzantines, Venetians, and Turks. Crete played an important role in the Greek struggle for independence from the Turks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming administratively part of an independent Greece in 1913.
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| 13a | Manchester United victory, initially getting // a flyer? (7) |
Manchester United Football Club[7] is an English professional football [soccer] club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).
While the team is officially nicknamed The Red Devils, it is also referred to informally as the Reds (see "Reds unveil new away kit", a posting on the team website in which the Reds ironically introduce a blue and black away uniform).
To headline writers, a "Manchester United victory" would be a "Red win".
For British solvers, a redwing[5] is likely to be a small migratory thrush that breeds mainly in northern Europe, with red underwings showing in flight. North American readers, on the other hand, may instead think of our red-winged blackbird.
| 14a | Market traders /may be/ bankrupt and right to be held in medieval punishment (12) |
The stocks[5] were a historical instrument of punishment consisting of an adjustable wooden structure with holes for securing a person's feet and hands, in which criminals were locked and exposed to public ridicule or assault.
I think this clue is a bit less cryptic in North America than it would be in the UK. Here, the term "market trader" is pretty much synonymous—and only synonymous—with "stockbroker". Such may not be the case in Britain, where trader* is a common term for a merchant of any kind. So the term "market trader" may be seen by Brits as simply a merchant who operates a stall in a market.
* A trader[5] is a person who buys and sells goods, currency, or shares ⇒
Rogue traders who are selling fireworks to kids are likely to find themselves in hot water.
| 18a | /With/ her two crying out /it's/ embarrassing (12) |
The split phrase "with ... it's" constitutes a link between wordplay and definition.
| 21a | Attributes /of/ new semi, including deposit (7) |
As the definition, attributes is used as a verb.
| 23a | Where nurses may be /offering/ direction (7) |
| 24a | Area at back of ice store designed /for/ alien objects (9) |
| 25a | Odd degree // to which folk may dance? (5) |
Rum[5] is a dated informal British term meaning odd or peculiar ⇒
it’s a rum business, certainly.
As the solution, rumba[5] is used in the sense of the music to which the dance is performed rather than the dance itself.
| 26a | Gets fed up without right // links (4) |
In 14a, we gained a R(ight); here we lose one.
| 27a | Half of them study with nothing on /that's/ worn-out (10) |
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.
Down
| 1d | Desperately hopes broadcast /to get/ commendation (6) |
| 2d | Songbird circling large // quail (6) |
| 3d | How a jigsaw must be worked out? (6,8) |
| 4d | Understood about source of confidence in belief // that cannot be criticised (6,3) |
| 5d | Step up /seeing/ jockey having a change of heart (5) |
| 7d | Selection boxes -- cold and small, // sweet treats (4-4) |
For the second time in the puzzle, "small" is used to clue the letter "S" (see 11a). This is one of the points that caused me to question whether Jay was the setter.
To Brits, ice[5] may denote an ice cream or ice lolly[5] (also called iced lolly), a piece of flavoured ice or ice cream on a stick*.
* In North America, flavoured ice on a stick is known as a popsicle[5] and ice cream on a stick could be referred to by various brand names but generically would simply be called ice cream on a stick.
Choc ice[5] is a British term for a small bar of ice cream with a thin coating of chocolate [similar to a Klondike ice cream bar].
* From the picture illustrating the Wikipedia article on choc ice[7], it would appear to be an ice cream on a stick without a stick. When I looked at the Wikipedia article on a previous occasion, it contained the statement (which has now been removed), "Views vary as to whether it is a choc ice if it has a stick". I presume this modification is an indication that the "no stick" faction has prevailed. However. I note the illustration used by the 2Kisis in their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog does show an ice cream on a stick.
| 8d | Provide incentive for // singer sadly involved in drugs (8) |
"drug " = E [the illicit drug Ecstasy]
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
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E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
people have died after taking E; (ii)
being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
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Oops!
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| In their explanation on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis should have written "An anagram (sadly) of SINGER is sandwiched between two instances of the drug ecstasy". |
| 9d | To date he'd moved student taken in by promise /to be/ out (4,2,3,5) |
"student " = L [driver under instruction]
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
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| 15d | Obstruction /in/ pub with adult brewing cider outside (9) |
"adult " = A [former British film classification]
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
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The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
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| 16d | Chance event /that's/ grave, perhaps concealing identity (8) |
Grave[5] is another term for grave accent[5], a mark (`) placed over a vowel in some languages to indicate a feature such as altered sound quality, vowel length, or intonation.
| 17d | Forced to go round online service provider /and/ expose as false (8) |
| 19d | Disputed territory /of/ church covering border needing answer (6) |
According to Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries), Crimea[5] (usually the Crimea) is a peninsula of Ukraine* lying between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It was the scene of the Crimean War in the 1850s. The majority of the population is Russian.
| 20d | Effects /coming from/ middle of arena, say (6) |
| 22d | Posh // Scandinavian lacking education (5) |
In the wordplay, "Scandinavian" is an adjective rather than a noun.
Here and There
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Swish[5] (adjective) is an informal British term meaning impressively smart and fashionable ⇒ dinner at a swish hotel. Swish[5] (adjective) is an offensive informal US term* denoting (of a man) effeminate. * the term is likely also used this way in Canada |
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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