Saturday, January 22, 2022

Saturday, January 22, 2022 — Kindergarten Rivalry (NP 220122)

Note to Readers

Following an announcement a week ago that due to copyright concerns the blog would no longer post a copy of the Cox and Rathvon puzzle, Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (the setters of the puzzle) reached out to the blog indicating that they do not object to the blog posting a copy of the puzzle to which they own the copyright. Out of respect to the interests of the National Post, we have mutually agreed that the blog will delay posting a copy of the puzzle until one week following its appearance in the National Post. You can read more about this decision and the events leading up to it at An Exciting New Development. I am sure the hundreds of Hex fans who visit the blog every week join me in extending our sincere appreciation to Emily and Henry for their gracious gesture in allowing the puzzle to continue to be posted on this blog.

You can find a copy of the puzzle that
the National Post published last week (which I have labelled NP 220115) at Hex Cryptic Crossword NP 220115 (Cox and Rathvon) and a review of it at Saturday, January 15, 2022 — Not a Morning Puzzle.

The review for today's puzzle (NP 220122) will be posted later today with the puzzle itself being posted next Saturday.

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon (which I have given the identifying number NP 220122 in an effort to provide an easy way to distinguish it from previous and subsequent puzzles) is a bit of a mixed bag. It is sort of like an abstract painting—every observer can see something different portrayed in it.

As some readers appear to be having difficulties printing the puzzle in PressReader or are getting a poor quality printout, I have prepared a detailed tutorial on Printing the Puzzle in PressReader.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
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
- yet to be solved

Symbols and Markup Conventions
  •  "*" - anagram
  • "~" - sounds like
  • "<" - indicates the preceding letters are reversed
  • "( )" - encloses contained letters
  • "_" - replaces letters that have been deleted
  •  "†" - indicates that the word is present in the clue
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "wavy underline" - whimsical and inferred definitions
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a Play area // forbade footwear as described by Rev. Spooner (7)

SANDBOX — as the esteemed reverend might mangle (as described by Rev. Spooner) the phrase{BANNED (forbade) + SOCKS (footwear)}

The Rev. W. A. Spooner has bequeathed to us the name for a slip of the tongue that is oft-encountered in cryptic crosswords. (show more )

William Archibald Spooner[7] (1844–1930) was a long-serving Oxford don, notable for absent-mindedness, and supposedly liable to transpose the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, with unintentionally comic effect, as in the sentence you have hissed the mystery lectures. Such phrases became known as spoonerisms[5], and are often used humorously. Many spoonerisms have been invented by others and falsely attributed to Spooner.

Spooner[a] held a Doctor of Divinity degree and thus was entitled to be called Dr. Spooner. Therefore, in crossword clues, you may often find him referred to as either "Rev. Spooner" or "Dr. Spooner".

[a] Dr. Spooner of Oxford: An outline biography, age-of-the-sage.org

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5a Attacked // a Doctor wearing headwear (3,2)

H(A|D) AT) — {A (†) + D (Doctor; as in Ph.D.)} contained in (wearing) HAT (headwear)

9a Strain small bite, withdrawing // seed found in pesto (4,3)

{PIN|E NUT}< — reversal of (withdrawing) {TUNE (strain; melody) + NIP (small bite)}

10a Erasing // “Stand” band track (7)

REM|OVAL — REM ("Stand" band) + OVAL (track)

"Stand"[7] is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from the album Green in 1989.

11a Sort of printer // changed art to dim “X” (3,6)

{DOT MATRIX}* — anagram of (changed) ART TO DIM X

12a Guy going around the Italian // capital of Lombardy (5)

M(IL)AN — MAN (guy) containing (going around) IL (the Italian; Italian masculine singular definite article)

13a Performance by a parrot // repeating note and shout (7)

MI|MI|CRY — {MI + MI} (repeating note; two instances of the third note of a musical scale) + (and) CRY (shout)

15a Spread out, // hurried around place (7)

SP(LAY)ED — SPED (hurried) containing (around) LAY (place)

17a Glanced // about Italy’s capital by day (7)

CA|ROME|D — CA (about; circa) + ROME (Italy's capital) + (by) D(ay)

20a Tank fire surrounding one papal palace (7)

VAT(I)CAN — {VAT (tank) + CAN (fire; dismiss from employment)} containing (surrounding) I ([Roman numeral] one)

22a Fan // left on (5)

L|OVER — L(eft) + OVER (on; above)

23a Bar has odd new // panel with gauges (9)

DASHBOARD* — anagram of (new) BAR HAS ODD

25a Observatory // familiar with Khayyam the astronomer (7)

PAL|OMAR — PAL (familiar; as a noun) + (with) OMAR (Khayyam the astronomer; Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer Omar Khayyam)

The Mount Palomar Observatory, which has a large (200-inch) reflecting telescope, is situated on Mount Palomar[10], a mountain in southern California, northeast of San Diego.

26a Turkey’s leader and caliph outlaw // Islamist group (7)

T|ALI|BAN — T (Turkey's leader [initial letter]) + (and) ALI (caliph) + BAN (outlaw)

Ali[5] (c.600–661 AD) was the fourth caliph [until the early twentieth century, the chief Muslim civil and religious leader], cousin of Muhammad [Arab prophet and the founder of Islam] and husband of the prophet's daughter Fatima. Ali is regarded by Shiite Muslims as Muhammad's first true successor.

27a Encumbered // Los Angeles study (5)

LA|DEN — LA (Los Angeles) + DEN (study)

28a Returned uncooked fruit, losing one // power struggle (4,3)

{T||URF| WAR}< — reversal of (returned) {RAW (uncooked) + FRU[I]T (†) with the I ([Roman numeral] one) removed (losing one)}

Down

1d Holy place // cuts man off (7)

SANCTUM* — anagram of (off) CUTS MAN

2d Martial arts expert // Jack introduced to explorer’s ship (5)

NIN(J)A — J (Jack; playing card) contained in (introduced to) NINA (explorer's ship; the explorer being Christopher Columbus)

3d Commit treachery, capturing a // radioactive emission (4,3)

BET(A) RAY — BETRAY (commit treachery) containing (capturing) A (†)

4d Duplicates // ring kept by Persian king (7)

XER(O)XES — O ([letter that looks like a] ring) contained in (kept by) XERXES (Persian king)

5d Breakfast // bagel yours truly fed to Danish prince (3,6)

HAM (O|ME)LET — {O ([letter that looks like a] bagel) + ME (yours truly)} contained in (fed to) HAMLET (Danish prince)

6d Wicked, getting into unproductive // mischief (7)

D(EVIL)RY — EVIL (wicked) contained in (getting into) DRY (unproductive; like a cow or an oil well)

7d Something sharp // embedded in ornamental onion (5)

TAL|ON — hidden in (embedded in) ornamenTAL ONion

8d Widespread // tale about Moore of moviedom (8)

EPI(DEMI)C — EPIC (tale) containing (about) DEMI (Moore of moviedom; American actress Demi Moore[7])

14d Photographers // arrived with noodle soup (9)

CAME|RAMEN — CAME (arrived) + (with) RAMEN (noodle soup)

16d Racket by percussion instrument absorbing poor fool (4-4)

DIN|G-(D)ONG — DIN (racket) + (by) GONG (percussion instrument) containing (absorbing) D (poor [academic grade])

18d Scorned // rescue from the rear (7)

REVILED< — reversal of (from the rear) DELIVER (rescue)

19d French philosopher // made central theme “decay” (7)

DID|E|ROT — DID (made) + E (central [middle letter of] thEme) + ROT (decay)

Denis Diderot[5] (1713–1784) was a French philosopher, writer, and critic. (show more )

A leading figure of the Enlightenment in France, he was principal editor of the Encyclopédie (1751–76), through which he disseminated and popularized philosophy and scientific knowledge. Other notable works: Le Rêve de D'Alembert (1782) and Le Neveu de Rameau (1805).

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20d Shade enveloping Italian // guest (7)

VIS(IT)OR — VISOR (shade) containing (enveloping) IT (Italian)

21d Scramble // chlorine with old resin (7)

CL|AMBER — CL ([chemical symbol for] chlorine) + (with) AMBER (old resin)

Amber[5] is hard translucent fossilized resin originating from extinct coniferous trees of the Tertiary period, typically yellowish in colour. It has been used in jewellery since antiquity.

22d Lines about monkey // suit feature (5)

L(APE)L — {L + L} (lines) containing (about) APE (monkey)

24d Under // end of bridge in windstorm (5)

B(E)LOW — E (end [final letter] of bridgE) contained in (in) BLOW (windstorm)

Epilogue

Finding a theme in today's puzzle is a bit like the blind men describing an elephant*. Richard saw the "dot" and "dash" and thought of Morse code; Peter detected references to the Taliban and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden; there are also several references to Italy, as well as to various religions.

* Being blind, they were guided by their sense of touch and, depending on which part of the beast they touched, they had vastly different perceptions ranging from a thick snake (the trunk), a fan (an ear), a tree trunk (a leg), a wall (a side), a rope (the tail) to a hard, smooth spear (a tusk).

While Richard may well have twigged to the setters' intended theme, I've elected to base the title on the symmetrically opposed 1a and 28a—which themselves might suggest a golf course theme (although I've gone in a different direction with them).



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

20 comments:

  1. Hello again from NYC home of the New York Public Library where I can get PressReader and therefore my copy of today's offering from C&R. Hooray! I figured out how to get a screenshot of the puzzle and then a printout that was reasonably legible.
    As for the puzzle itself, there were a few hints of Morse Code but no other theme I could detect. 8d in this current world of Omicron was a little jarring. Let's have no more pandemics or epidemics, ok?
    Peter, elsewhere on the site, left a few comments on today's puzzle. Similar to Peter, my last in was 6d, which was the hardest for me to parse. Well done C&R. I think the "e" Peter's looking for in 19d, comes from the middle letter of the word "theme."
    The combination of 6d coupled with the reversal of 18d was interesting to see.
    Hopefully I've posted in the same place others will today.
    Have a good weekend and rest of next week everyone. Glad we're still here as a community to talk about the weather and whatever else is on our minds.
    Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard,

      If you left click on the puzzle, it should enlarge. Then right click on the enlarged puzzle and click "Print", then "Print custom area". A dashed green box will appear. Drag the corners of the box to delineate the area you want to print and click "Print" in the upper right hand corner. On the next window, select the paper size and and "Scale to paper size" (if you wish) and click print. Depending on your print settings, the print job will either go directly to your default printer or the printer settings for your default printer will open allowing you to further customize the job before sending it to the printer. This should produce a very high quality copy of the puzzle.

      I can see a need for another tutorial!

      Delete
    2. You may have to click on the puzzle two or three times to enlarge it (these must be individual "single clicks" and not a "double click" so allow enough time between the clicks so they are not interpreted as a "double click").

      The first click will close the thumbnail ribbon at the bottom. The first attempt to enlarge a portion of a page in a given publication seems to require two "single clicks" while subsequent attempts in the same publication require only one "single click".

      Delete
    3. Just to clarify:
      - if the thumbnail ribbon is open, one left click to close it
      - then one or two more left clicks to enlarge the puzzle

      Delete
    4. I've created a detailed, step-by-step tutorial to explain how to get a high quality printed copy of the puzzle in PressReader. See Printing the Puzzle in PressReader.

      I've also included a link to this tutorial under the "Library" section in the sidebar so that it will be available as a permanent resource.

      Delete
  2. About the time I was posting this article to the blog, Peter left the following comment on the post for last week's puzzle (NP 220115). I am copying it here to keep it with the other comments on today's puzzle:

    Good morning,

    I very much enjoyed today’s challenge from Emily and Henry. The spelling of the second word in 5d threw me off for a bit. I’m not sure how we get the middle letter in the answer to 19d but it was nice to see the encyclopaedist make an appearance. The answer to 6d is a nice, but mild, description of the deeds of those found in the answers to 26a and 27a. I had to look up the first three letters of the answer to 10a to confirm my answer. My last in were 16d and 21d. Is the symbol for chlorine “CI” or “CL”? The reference to resin in the second part of the clue reminded me of Poland where it is found in abundance. Are you still out there Henry?

    The answer to 4d reminded my of one of my favourite arias. You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnlA3LD7duU

    Have a good weekend!

    Peter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The middle letter in 19d is the middle letter of thEme (central thEme).

      Nice spot with the link between 27a and 26a (I'd missed that).

      The chemical symbol for chlorine is "Cl" (where the second letter is a lower-case L).

      And, yes, I hope we do hear from Henry today.

      Delete
    2. Seems I've gone over the same ground others have already covered.

      Delete
    3. Wonderful rendition of the Largo, Peter.

      Delete
    4. Here I am, everyone! No need to fear, but it will take me some time to get to a library here in Mississauga to get access to Press Reader (I hope it will have it).
      I tried mightily to avoid seeing any of the answers in getting at the printable copy of the puzzle, but failed by seeing 1a. Well. I likely would have got it, the checking letters made it obvious.
      I had to dig deep into my memory to get the answers for a number of clues (10d, 21d, and others). the puzzle was a bit of a toughie, but very enjoyable.
      LOI was 16d because I thought the percussion instrument was a dong and therefore I was scrambling to equate poor with G.
      I have to go to hear the Largo as it too is one of my favourites.
      Have a great (if cold) week!

      Delete
    5. Hi Henry,

      Mississauga Public Library offers a virtual library card which you can use to access PressReader. No need to go into a branch unless you want to borrow items.

      Check it out!

      https://www.mississauga.ca/library/using-the-library/get-a-virtual-library-card/

      Cheers,
      MG

      Delete
    6. Hi, Henry. So nice to see your post. I feel as if I am in such good company now as I had trouble with 16d too and it also was my LOI. I think you'll find today's puzzle much easier when you get it. That is great information that MG has provided - who knew there was a virtual library card? I hope it works for you. You won't even have to go out in the cold to get it.
      Take care and talk again next Saturday. Have a great week. Best always, Heather

      Delete
    7. Thanks MG for the info! I definitely will go there.
      And thanks Heather for being in good company!
      And thanks Falcon for all the good work, it can't be easy keeping everything straight.
      We should advise where people could put comments for the puzzles - similar to how the Times does it - so we're all on the same page; so to speak.
      Take care, everyone.

      Delete
    8. Hi Henry,

      You have a valid point regarding keeping the comments "on the same page". I believe that is starting to sort itself out helped by the fact that most of those who comment regularly have now managed to obtain the puzzle on the day it is published in the National Post and others, like yourself, are actively working on doing so.

      On the first day of the "new regime", I realized that readers were leaving comments on the post for the previous week's puzzle because that was their only option at the time. To circumvent this, I created a "placeholder" post for the then current puzzle and suggested readers post their comments there instead.

      I now post a "Weekly Discussion Forum" entry for the current puzzle at the same time that I post the previous week's puzzle so there will be a place for people to comment before I am able to post the review.

      Delete
    9. Henry,

      I have revised the wording to address the point you raise. Have a look at one of the puzzle posts (such as Hex Cryptic Crossword — NP 220122 (Cox and Rathvon) to see the new wording.

      Delete
  3. Good morning from a very snowy Winnipeg.

    Another enjoyable challenge from C&R. I caused myself problems in the NE with an incorrect third letter in 15a - until I corrected it, it played havoc with the Prince of Denmark and his bagel.

    I agree with Richard (above) that the 'E' in 19d is the middle (central) letter of THEME.

    28a and 14d raised smiles.

    Thanks to C&R and to Falcon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good afternoon, Falcon and friends of C&R ( and maybe even C&R themselves - I still haven't recovered from their appearance). I'm a little late today - took the time to make French toast with local maple syrup to celebrate the reincarnation of our little community. Falcon and C&R - your solving abilities certainly don't stop at puzzles! Speaking of which, I truly enjoyed today's - LOI was 16d because it isn't a word I associate with the clue, though my association is connected to sound. Go figure why I couldn't see it. It was my favourite construction along with 9a.
    May everyone be doing well, with special thoughts for you, Henry. Now that we have had this good start, enjoy your weekend all.
    Best always, Heather

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Falcon and friends,

    Pleasant puzzle today - not sure if there is a theme or not. Dot/dash, sand/turf? If you include pesto and the papal palace, there are 5 references to Italy in the clues. Mamma Mia!

    LOI for me was 6d, very clever synonym for unproductive.

    Thank you for providing this forum Falcon. Good to see so many of the regulars. Have a nice weekend and week, albeit a frigid one.

    Cheers,
    MG

    ReplyDelete
  6. Phew, thanks, Falcon for solving the puzzle of the puzzle. And C & R for your input. Now if we could solve 8d! Glad you made it back, Richard.
    Enjoyed 1a, Spooner's always good for a chuckle and liked 21d.
    Stay warm, all.

    ReplyDelete

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