Monday, February 28, 2022

Monday, February 28, 2022 — DT 29836 (Published Saturday, February 26, 2022)


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29836
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29836]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
crypticsue
BD rating
Difficulty - ★★★ / ★★★★Enjoyment - ★★★
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
- 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
Notes

This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, February 26, 2022 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

I had little trouble solving 27a as not only had the musical instrument appeared in a recent puzzle but there were numerous mentions last week to the crowd control measure specifically not being used during the recent police action in Ottawa. The decision not to use the tactic was reportedly based on the disastrous results when it was used at the 2010 G20 Toronto summit protests[7].

In case anyone is still interested, I have posted a review of DT 29822 which has languished unposted in draft status for a week or two. You may recall that the National Post skipped two puzzles earlier this month. On the day this puzzle appeared in the National Post, I mistakenly posted a review of one the skipped puzzles.

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
  • "//" - 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 markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a Looking after oldies // good? It is with carer being special (10)

" good " = G [g or g.[1]; a grade of numismatic coin perhaps[7]]

6a Something starchy // in this pudding (4)

9aResult of golf club disturbance? (5)

A cryptic definition of the disturbance created by a golf club striking the turf.

10a Change /in/ class of people with non-binary gender? (9)

The wordplay is TRANS (people with non-binary gender) + FORM (class [in school]). (The meaning becomes more clear when the entire wordplay is read as a phrase.)

In Britain, a form[5] is [or, perhaps more correctly,was] a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number. This is somewhat similar to the North America concept of a grade although the numbering system for forms and grades are vastly different. (show more )

The term "form" seems to have become passé as Miffypops in his review of DT 28163 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog refers to "sixth-former" as "What a schoolchild would be during the year before university back in the old days. This would now be known as year 13 or 14." Furthermore, Wikipedia (see table below) characterizes the term "form" as an "alternative/old name".

A form[7] is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title. Pupils are usually grouped in forms according to age and will remain with the same group for a number of years, or sometimes their entire school career.

Forms are normally identified by a number such as "first form" or "sixth form". A form number may be used for two year groups and differentiated by the terms upper and lower [in general, this would seem to apply primarily for the sixth form]. Usually the sixth form is the senior form of a school [although this apparently does not hold true for New Zealand where they would appear to have a seventh form]. In England, the sixth form is usually divided into two year groups, the lower sixth and upper sixth, owing to the 3-year English college/university system. In Scotland or North America, the 6th form is usually a single year, owing to the 4-year college/university system. If there is more than one form for each year group they will normally be differentiated by letters, e.g., "upper four B", "lower two Y". Schools do not follow a consistent pattern in naming forms [in the foregoing quotation witness Miffypops' reference to "year 14",  a term which does not appear in the table below].

Wikipedia would appear to be at best ambiguous and at worst inconsistent on the relationship between the British and American systems of naming school years. The article from which the table below is excerpted shows that the British first form is equivalent to the American 6th grade. On the other hand, the article cited above states "In North America, the 1st Form (or sometimes 'Form I') is equivalent to 7th Grade." However, this latter statement may in fact be a comparison between the few North American schools to use the form system and the vast majority of North American schools that don't rather than a comparison between British and American schools.

Naming of School Years (British System vs American System)[7]
 Age RangeBritish SystemAmerican System
NameAlternative/Old NameName
11-12Year 7First form6th grade
12-13Year 8Second form7th grade
13-14Year 9Third form8th grade
14-15Year 10Fourth form9th grade
15-16Year 11Fifth form10th grade
16-17Year 12Lower sixth form11th grade
17-18Year 13Upper sixth form12th grade

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12a Travel to and fro with one out /to offer/ friendly greeting (4,9)

14a Cardinal maybe going round part of church // showed sign of life (8)

15a Epsom's leading character, say, repeatedly backing // a horse (3-3)

Gee-gee[5] (in children's use or in racehorse betting) is an informal British term for a horse ⇒ (i) Even as the wrapping paper was ripped off, he worried whether his choice of choo-choos over gee-gees was the right one; (ii) Betters can also wager on other major sports, including golf, tennis and rugby, as well as the gee-gees.

Scratching the Surface
Epsom[5] is a town in Surrey, south-eastern England. Epsom Downs* racecourse[7] [which most certainly would often be referred to informally simply as Epsom] is located nearby. The course is best known for hosting the Derby Stakes (popularly known as the Epsom Derby), the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race.

* The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs, a ridge of chalk hills in south east England. A down[5] (usually downs) is a gently rolling hill.

17a Power and honour in short supply // ahead of conflict (3-3)

" power " = P[2] [physics]

19a Bishop treated badly, // looking 'tired'? (8)

"bishop " = B [chess piece]

B[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

A bishop[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a mitre. Unless obstructed by another piece, a bishop

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21aProvisions for those who stop having to pay (7,6)

Cryptic definition of a device provided to allow motorists to pay for the privilege of stopping their vehicle in a particular spot for a period of time.

24a Number by river meeting arts benefactor, // a big noise (9)

The Po[7] is a river that arises in the Cottian Alps and flows eastward across northern Italy entering the Adriatic Sea through a delta near Venice.

In 1897, sugar manufacturer Sir Henry Tate (1819–1899) founded the Tate Gallery[5] (commonly known simply as the Tate) in London to house his collection of modern British paintings, as a nucleus for a permanent national collection of modern art.



Big noise is an informal British term[14] for an important person[10] or a person who is famous in a certain sphere[5] But he bragged that in the criminal world, he is a big noise and other crooks come to him for help.

Equivalent term: big name[5]

25a Passengers finally emerging from hit // vehicle (5)

26a Rolling in it /is/ preposterous (4)

The informal phrase be rolling in it (also be rolling in money[5]) means to be very rich.



Rich[5] is used informally to describe a remark that causes ironic amusement or indignation ⇒ But it's a bit rich to carry on as if no decent person would ever do what you yourself were doing just a few days before.

27a Like a mob being controlled with strange // instrument (10)

Kettle[5] means (for the police) to confine (a group of demonstrators or protesters) to a small area, as a method of crowd control during a demonstration ⇒ The demonstration was to begin at noon but even before all the protesters had gathered the police suddenly swooped in and kettled them.

Rum[5] is a dated informal British term meaning odd or peculiar ⇒ it’s a rum business, certainly.



A kettledrum[5] (also collectively called timpani) is a large drum shaped like a bowl, with a membrane adjustable for tension (and so pitch) stretched across.

Down

1d People of great esteem, // elevated in status, do good (4)

2d Artist taking very very long time // effects destructive action (7)

"artist " = RA [Royal Academician]

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

hide

" very " = V [v or v.[2]]

3d Aha, I run riot, excitedly accepting thanks // as a dictator! (13)

Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.

4d Goes back over // sporting events, having retired earlier (8)

5d Effortlessly move // a little son into his bed (5)

" little son " = " abbreviation for son " = S [s[5]; in genealogies]

In Britain, a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child is known as a cot[5] rather than a crib[5].

7d Presumably not favouring short // stretch (7)

8d I'm undone, I'd fancy, /and/ fading away (10)

Diminuendo[5] is a direction to perform a passage of music with a decrease in loudness.

11d Rate the setter 'fantastic' /for providing/ a form of entertainment (6,7)

13dWhat can help plotter to get things written down (5,5)

16d The way // dad joins chaps entertained by medical specialist (8)

Pavement[5] (the British name for sidewalk[5]) is defined as a raised paved* or asphalted path for pedestrians at the side of a road ⇒ (i) he fell and hit his head on the pavement; (ii) a pavement cafe.

* In Britain, pave[5] means to cover (a piece of ground) with flat stones or bricks — rather than asphalt ⇒ the yard at the front was paved with flagstones.

18d Unreliable // traitor held by top lady in charge (7)

The phrase "top lady" is a reference to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and is being used to clue her regnal cipher "ER" (show more ).

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 spelled 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.

hide

" in charge " = IC [i/c[2]]

20dOne could make you securer (7)

This is an &lit. clue[7] (or, as they prefer to call it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, an all-in-one clue) in which the entire clue is a (somewhat) cryptic definition as well as wordplay.

22d From what we hear, certain horses // eat in the field (5)

23d Glide /or/ slide over top of mountain (4)


References

Sources referenced in the blog are identified by the following symbols. The reference numbers themselves are hyperlinks to the entry in the source being referenced. Click on the number to view the source.

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

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Hex Cryptic Crossword — NP 220219 (Cox and Rathvon)

Introduction

Copyright © 2022 Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon,
used with permission
This puzzle from Cox & Rathvon
was published in the National Post on Saturday, February 19, 2022. You can find a full review of the puzzle at Saturday, February 19, 2022 — Not Going Down the River (NP 220219).

Your comments—whether they be with regard to the puzzle or the blog—are always welcome. However, I suggest you post comments pertaining to the puzzle on the review of the puzzle in order to keep all such comments in one place.

How to print the puzzle
The items in bold text as well as the image of the puzzle are links. You can open either a PDF or JPG version of the puzzle in a browser window by clicking on "This puzzle from Cox & Rathvon" or the puzzle image respectively. Either of these can be printed using your standard browser print controls.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, February 26, 2022 — The Write Stuff (NP 220226)

Introduction

Today's National Post Cryptic Crossword (NP 20220226) from Cox & Rathvon is a bit of a literary tour de force. I've included a brief snippet about each writer in the review with a link to the full article from which the information is excerpted. To see the full source article, simply click on the accompanying reference number.

The puzzle will be posted on the blog next Saturday.

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 Aisle crowd roughed up // playwright (5,5)

{OSCAR WILDE}* — anagram of (roughed up) AISLE CROWD

Oscar Wilde[7] (1854–1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. He became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays and his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray,

6a Jot // end of novella by Wolfe (4)

A|TOM — A (end [final letter] of novellA) + TOM (Wolfe)

Tom Wolfe[7] (1930–2018) was an American author and journalist widely known for his association with New Journalism, a style of news writing and journalism developed in the 1960s and 1970s that incorporated literary techniques. In 1979, he published the influential book The Right Stuff about the Mercury Seven astronauts.

9a Novelist // agitated for rest (7)

FORSTER* — anagram of (agitated) FOR REST

E. M. Forster[7] (1879–1970) was an English fiction writer, essayist and librettist. Many of his novels examine class difference and hypocrisy, including A Room with a View (1908), Howards End (1910) and A Passage to India (1924). He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 20 separate years but was never awarded the honour.

10a British writer // heard song (7)

CARROLL~ — sounds like (heard) CAROL (song)

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll[7], was an English author, illustrator, poet, mathematician, photographer, teacher, and inventor. His most notable works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871).

12a Existentialist // school grounds having no piano (5)

CAM||US — CAM[P]US (school grounds) with the letter P removed (having no piano)

"piano " = P [p[5]; piano (music notation)]

Piano[3,5] (abbreviation p[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide

Albert Camus[7] (1913–1960) was a French philosopher, author, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His works include The Stranger, The Plague, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Fall, and The Rebel.

13a Greek philosopher // transformed to realist (9)

ARISTOTLE* — anagram of (transformed) TO REALIST

Aristotle[7] (384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece.

14a Starts in again /with/ career write-ups (7)

RESUMES — double definition; resumes and resumés

16a Cheer received by plucky // children’s author (7)

G(RAH)AME — RAH (cheer) contained in (received by) GAME (plucky)

Kenneth Grahame[7] (1859–1932) was a Scottish writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is most famous for The Wind in the Willows (1908), one of the classics of children's literature, as well as The Reluctant Dragon (1898).

18a Hurry and stop // novelist (7)

RUSH|DIE — RUSH (hurry) + (and) DIE (stop)

Sir Salman Rushdie[7] is a British-American novelist and essayist of Indian descent. His 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses provoked protests and death threats from Muslims, including a fatwā calling for his assassination issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran.

20a Simple structure houses average // dramatist (7)

SHE(PAR)D — SHED (simple structure) containing (houses) PAR (average)

Sam Shepard[7] (1943–2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won ten Obie Awards (Off-Broadway Theater Awards) for writing and directing, the most by any writer or director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in the 1983 film The Right Stuff.

22a Proper cheer with the sixth Italian penman (5,4)

PRIM|O LE|VI — PRIM (proper) + OLE (cheer) + VI (the sixth; as in Scottish king James VI)

Primo Levi[7] (1919–1987) was an Italian chemist, partisan, writer, and Jewish Holocaust survivor. He was the author of several books, collections of short stories, essays, poems and one novel. His best-known works include If This Is a Man (1947, published as Survival in Auschwitz in the United States), his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland; and The Periodic Table (1975), linked to qualities of the elements, which the Royal Institution named the best science book ever written.

24a Neighbourhood covered by Italo Calvino (5)

_LO|CAL_ — hidden in (covered by) ItaLO CALvino

Italo Calvino[7] (1923–1985) was an Italian writer and journalist. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy (1952–1959), the Cosmicomics collection of short stories (1965), and the novels Invisible Cities (1972) and If on a winter's night a traveler (1979). Admired in Britain, Australia and the United States, he was the most translated contemporary Italian writer at the time of his death.

25a Peasant altered // segment of verse (7)

ANAPEST* — anagram of (altered) PEASANT

In poetry, an anapest[5] is a metrical foot consisting of two short or unstressed syllables followed by one long or stressed syllable.

26a Acting like pigs // love writing (7)

O|INKING — O (love; nil score in tennis) + INKING (writing)

27a Pronounced // article penned by Caesar (4)

S(A)ID — A ([indefinite] article) contained in (penned by) SID (Caesar; American comic actor and writer Sid Caesar[7] (1922–2014))

28a British author, in the morning, getting into cocktails (6,4)

MARTIN (AM)IS — AM (in the morning) contained in (getting into) MARTINIS (cocktails)

Martin Amis[7] is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels Money (1984) and London Fields (1989).

Down

1d Cop // not working with cake decorator (7)

OFF|ICER — OFF (not working) + (with) ICER (cake decorator)

2d Potters // improved crass item (9)

CERAMISTS* — anagram of (improved) CRASS ITEM

3d Authors audited // religious observances (5)

RITES~ — sounds like (audited) WRITES

4d Dorians arranged aggressive advances (7)

INROADS* — anagram of (arranged) DORIANS

5d Medic and ruler // cutting back (7)

DOC|KING — DOC (medic) + (and) KING (ruler)

7d Swimmers // run around university (5)

TRO(U)T — TROT (run) containing (around) U(niversity)

8d Fiction collected by more // Gallic playwright (7)

MO(LIE)RE — LIE (fiction) contained in (collected by) MORE (†)

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622–1673), known by his stage name Molière[7], was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world literature.

11d Grind // radium residue (3,4)

RA|T RACE — RA ([chemical symbol for] radium) + TRACE (residue)

15d Part of a shoe // tag’s picked up by spy (7)

M(IDS)OLE — {ID (tag) + S ('s)} contained in (picked up by) MOLE (spy)

17d Chairman’s mistaken // antigovernment credo (9)

ANARCHISM* — anagram of (mistaken) CHAIRMANS

A subject with which we in Ottawa are all too familiar given the events of the past month.

18d Cancels // tolls again? (7)

RE||PEALS — one must likely split the solution (2-5) for the latter part of the clue

19d Ancient Greek heroine // mixed up treacle (7)

ELECTRA* — anagram of (mixed up) TREACLE

In Greek mythology, Electra[5] is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She persuaded her brother Orestes to kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (their mother’s lover) in revenge for the murder of Agamemnon.

20d Leave // greeting in jet (4,3)

S(HI)P OUT — HI (greeting) contained in (in) SPOUT (jet)

21d Sled caught inside of the French // avalanches (7)

DE(LUGE)S — LUGE (sled) contained in (caught inside) DES (of the French; French partitive article)

23d I question Ari, backing up // Baghdad resident (5)

{IRA|Q|I}< — reversal of (backing up) {I (†) + Q(uestion) + ARI (†)}

24d Lenin changed // sheets (5)

LINEN* — anagram of (changed) LENIN

Epilogue

A broad spectrum of writers appear in today's puzzle—many of whom are (or were) prominent in more than one field. Those across clues that do not specifically mention a writer, refer to a written document, a literary device, or the act of writing. The title was suggested by Peter. I wonder if—when he left the comment—he realized its particlular tie-in to two of the clues.


References

Sources referenced in the blog are identified by the following symbols. The reference numbers themselves are hyperlinks to the entry in the source being referenced. Click on the number to view the source.

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

Friday, February 25, 2022

Friday, February 25, 2022 — DT 29835


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29835
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29835]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis
BD rating
Difficulty - ★★Enjoyment - ★★★★
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
- 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

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Jay is reviewed on Big Dave's Crossword Blog by the 2Kiwis; one member of the pair—KiwiColin—gets a special shout-out from the setter.

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
  • "//" - 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 markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a Resident // worker following popular custom (10)

"worker " = ANT

The terms "worker" and "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.

A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.

In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.

hide

6a Time lost from lead, perhaps /for/ something to eat (4)

" time " = T [t[1]]

10a Moderate losing head // on more than one occasion! (5)

11a Go on bended knee /as/ fuel can get tricky out of area (9)

" area " = A[2]

12a Slowly get shut of // heaps, apparently? (5,3)

Get shut of[5] is an informal expression meaning to get rid of ⇒ the sooner we get shut of this government the better.

Occurrence: I have to presume that this is a British expression as I found it only in British dictionaries.



The wordplay in this clue is a reverse anagram (show more ), a type of wordplay that reverses the customary relationship between wordplay and solution by giving the result of the anagram operation in the clue and requiring the solver to find an anagram indicator and anagram fodder that would produce that result.

In this clue, the solution is PHASE OUT which—if interpreted as wordplay—would be an anagram (OUT) of PHASE producing the result HEAPS which is given in the clue.

In a 'normal' anagram, the anagram indicator (operator) and anagram fodder (the material on which the indicator operates) are given in the clue and the solver executes the anagram operation on the fodder to find the result which forms all or part of the solution.

In a 'reverse anagram', this relationship is reversed. The anagram result is given in the clue and the solver must find the required anagram indicator and anagram fodder which would produce this result. This is not unlike the premise of the TV game show Jeopardy — where contestants are given the answer and must respond with a question.

If, like myself, you have a background in mathematics and engineering, you might think a more appropriate term for such a clue would be 'inverse anagram' rather than 'reverse anagram' as this type of construct is analogous to the concept of inverse functions in those fields.

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13a Hen // party's ending in reverse of true (5)

15a Sickness has student going back /for/ food (7)

"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.

Automobile displaying an L-plate

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17a Nationalist // group will be in touch (7)

19a City // people originally rely on (7)

Preston[5] is a city in northwestern England, the administrative centre of Lancashire, on the River Ribble. It was the site in the 18th century of the first English cotton mills.

21a Caller /putting/ Italian in shade (7)

"Italian " = IT [It.[10] or it[5]; in reference to either the language or the vermouth]

This cluing might be explained in a couple of ways:
  • It.[10] is an abbreviation for Italy or Italian [language].

  • Italian[10] is another name for Italian vermouth. It[5] is a dated informal British term for Italian vermouth ⇒ he poured a gin and it.
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22a Jelly /may be/ a special interest choice initially (5)

24a Husked rice in fertiliser /may provide/ such treatment (8)

27a Second English lesson /is/ potentially distinct (9)

28a List // in which one may be left troubled? (5)

The second part of the clue alludes to the expression leave (someone) in the lurch[5] meaning to leave (someone) abruptly and without assistance or support when they are in a difficult situation.

29a Expert holding right /for/ so much land (4)

30a Dwelling // on a time set for renewal (10)

Maisonette[3,4,11] is a chiefly British term for self-contained living accommodation often occupying two floors of a larger house and having its own outside entrance.

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1d Sarcasm should be limited /and/ smooth (4)

2d Get a free ride /seeing/ problem with increase (5-4)

3dFlower borders? (5)

Flower is used in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of something that flows — in other words, a river.

4d A tout planned to go round Britain -- /in/ this vessel? (7)

GB[10] is a common abbreviation* for Great Britain.

* Prior to Brexit, GB[10] was also the International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Great Britain. However, post Brexit, the code has been changed to UK (although some dictionaries clearly have yet to catch up with the change).[7]

5d Unremitting // rise of marijuana suppressed by French denials (3-4)

The French word for 'no' is non[8].

7d Clergymen expect to keep up // opposition (5)

8d Sadly true -- Lear pinches technology // writer's output (10)

IT[5] is the abbreviation for information technology.

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading might be seen to be a reference to English humorist and illustrator Edward Lear[5] (1812–1888) whose works include A Book of Nonsense (1845) and Laughable Lyrics (1877). He also published illustrations of birds and of his travels around the Mediterranean. His best-known piece is likely "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat"[7].

9d A loud, boring guest occasionally /gives/ inspiration (8)

Afflatus[5] is a formal term for a divine creative impulse or inspiration  ⇒ His playing has the afflatus of genius and the purity of a child.

14d Free space, as in a // large body of water (7,3)

The Caspian Sea[5] is a large landlocked salt lake, bounded by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is the world's largest body of inland water with an area of about 371,800 sq. km (143,550 sq. miles). Its surface lies 28 m (92 ft) below sea level.

16d Goes in capturing heart of rich // individuals offering incentives (8)

18d Understand printer // corrected text regularly (9)

20d Country // chap set up on Spanish island with no end of pizazz (7)

Ibiza[5] is the westernmost of the Balearic Islands*.

* The Balearic Islands[5] (also the Balearics) are a group of Mediterranean islands off the east coast of Spain, forming an autonomous region of that country, with four large islands (Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera) and seven smaller ones.



Namibia[5] is a country in southern Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean.

21d Changes direction to incorporate most of new // appearances (7)

23d Exercises found in standard // composition (5)

"exercises " = PE [physical education]

PE[5] is an abbreviation* for physical education.

* In my experience, phys ed[3][11][12][14] is the more common shortened form in North America.

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25d Officer with popular // name (5)

26d Small tool /needed for/ footwear (4)

" small " = S[5] [clothing size]


References

Sources referenced in the blog are identified by the following symbols. The reference numbers themselves are hyperlinks to the entry in the source being referenced. Click on the number to view the source.

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