Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29854 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, December 9, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29854]
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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
RayT is in top form today in this puzzle that is just tricky enough to give one a good mental workout.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 | Bond // part's embracing belle periodically? Cool! (12) |
| 8a | Bank clerk /is/ cold and comparatively grey (7) |
" cold " = C [c or c.[1]; symbol found on water taps]
A cashier[10] (also called teller) is a bank clerk, an employee of a bank responsible for receiving deposits, cashing cheques, and other financial transactions.
| 9a | Established contact // fibbed about top story's lead (7) |
| 11a | Frees /from/ lavatory feeling unfinished (7) |
Loo[5] is an informal British term for a toilet [either as a room or a plumbing fixture].
| 12a | Small compensation returning // lingerie? (7) |
" small " = S[5] [clothing size]
| 13a | Wise people, // ushers occasionally, protecting Queen (5) |
"Queen " = ER[5] [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
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.
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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.
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| 14a | Angry // discontented influencer judged about sex (9) |
"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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| 16a | Receptive // sailor shipped around globe (9) |
"sailor " = AB [able seaman]
In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
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In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
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| 19a | Good person, with look back, // streaks (5) |
"good person " = ST [saint]
Aside from being a "good person" in a religious sense, saint[5] is also an informal term for any very virtuous, kind, or patient person ⇒
The abbreviation for Saint is St*[5] ⇒
* The British do not use a period—or, as they would say, full stop—at the end of abbreviations formed from the initial and final letters of a word.
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Aside from being a "good person" in a religious sense, saint[5] is also an informal term for any very virtuous, kind, or patient person ⇒
she's a saint to go on living with that man.
The abbreviation for Saint is St*[5] ⇒
St George.
* The British do not use a period—or, as they would say, full stop—at the end of abbreviations formed from the initial and final letters of a word.
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Lost in Translation
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| As many readers of Big Dave's Crossword Blog point out (and the setter himself acknowledges), the wordplay and definition are not in agreement with the wordplay constituting the singular and the definition being the plural of the solution. Stria[5] (plural striae) is a technical term denoting a linear mark, slight ridge, or groove on a surface, often one of a number of similar parallel features. |
| 21a | Rates // a Republican wearing spats (7) |
" Republican " = R[5] [member or supporter of the US Republican Party]
Scratching the Surface
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| A spat[5] (usually spats [as they are worn in pairs]) is a short cloth gaiter* covering the instep and ankle. * A gaiter[5] (usually gaiters [for the same reason as above]) is a protective covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and lower leg ⇒ gaiters to keep snow out of your boots. |
| 23a | Part of lover, actually // ham! (7) |
Ham[2] is a theatrical term which can be used as any of several parts of speech:
- (noun) a bad actor, especially one who overacts or exaggerates
- (noun) inexpert or clumsy acting
- (adjective) inexpert or clumsy ⇒
a ham actor
- (verb) (also ham something up) to overact or exaggerate
| 24a | Reportedly spot fish /in/ vault? (7) |
Ling[5] is the name of a number of long-bodied edible marine fishes including a large eastern Atlantic fish of the genus Molva related to the cod, in particular Molva molva, which is of commercial importance.
Vault[5] is used in the sense of a roof in the form of an arch or a series of arches, typical of churches and other large, formal buildings.
| 25a | Seeking perch, perhaps // flapping, losing head (7) |
| 26a | Bored // denture set in, somehow (12) |
Down
| 1d | Renew // section of forest or ecosystem (7) |
| 2d | American measures to imprison old // lags (7) |
Liter is the US spelling of litre[5].
" old " = O[12] [linguistics;
OFr(Old French),
OE(Old English)]
Scratching the Surface
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Lag[5] is an informal British term for a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison ⇒ both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. |
| 3d | Revolving apparatus for fans? (9) |
A cryptic definition of a device that controls entry to an arena or stadium.
| 4d | Leered // over girl looking extremely dodgy initially (5) |
| 5d | Marine worker enclosing large // water barrier? (7) |
"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.
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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.
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" large " = L[5] [clothing size]
| 6d | Head of pin piercing bug /for/ study (7) |
| 7d | A sect's cilice prepared /for/ cleric (12) |
Scratching the Surface
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| In the Christian church, a cilice is a device meant to cause discomfort, worn by penitents and ascetics. A cilice[7], also known as a sackcloth, was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin. It is used by members of various Christian traditions as a self-imposed means of repentance and mortification of the flesh; as an instrument of penance, it is often worn during the Christian penitential season of Lent. Hairshirt cilices were originally made from coarse animal hair, as an imitation of the garment worn by John the Baptist that was made of camel hair, or sackcloth, which throughout the Bible, was worn by people repenting. Cilices were designed to irritate the skin; other features were added to make cilices more uncomfortable, such as thin wires or twigs. In modern Christian religious circles, cilices are simply any device worn for the same purposes, often taking the form of a hairshirt cilice as well as a (spiked metal) chain cilice. |
| 10d | Navigated badly, circling wretched // albatross? (12) |
| 15d | Logic /of/ AI to learn differently (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Artificial intelligence[5] (abbreviation AI) is the area of computer science that deals with the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. |
| 17d | Exercising brains to catch European // national (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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| 18d | Rugby supporter keeps providing backing /for/ lout (7) |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, StephenL advisesThere two main rugby variants; rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is played between teams of 15 players while rugby league[5] is played in teams of thirteen.Start with the abbreviation for the 15-man version of rugby. |
| 19d | Dexterity /of/ sweetheart in dainty embrace (7) |
" sweetheart " = E ['heart' of swEet]
| 20d | About lost power keeping America // prepared (7) |
" America " = A[1]
| 22d | Follow on, // say, in charge (5) |
I would say that charge and sue are, at best, only broadly synonymous. While both mean to start legal proceedings against (someone), the former is usually seen in the context of criminal cases and the latter in civil cases.
References
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[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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