Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29842 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 25, 2021 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29842]
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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
I would say this puzzle definitely sits toward upper end of RayT's difficulty range.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 | Craving return of Queen // brilliance (6) |
"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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Scratching the Surface
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| Undoubtedly, "Queen" in the surface reading is a reference to the British rock band as it is common knowledge in cruciverbal circles that the mention of Queen in virtually every RayT puzzle pays homage to his favourite band. |
| 4a | Examples // one's seen in record books (8) |
| 9a | Slowly /in/ trouble suppressing a grunt (6) |
Oops!
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| A couple of errors have crept into StephenL's hint for this clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. First, the synonym for trouble is not split (1-2) but is a 3-letter word and, second, I expect he intended to write "a nickname for a low-ranking US soldier" rather than using the term he was attempting to hint. |
Grunt[5] is an informal North American term for a low-ranking soldier or unskilled worker.
Origin: Alteration of ground, from ground man (with reference to unskilled railway work before progressing to lineman).
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
she went off with a GI during the war.
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
Adagio[5] is a musical term denoting (especially as a direction) in slow time.
Nothing to Complain About?
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| The use of an unindicated Americanism invariably draws a complaint from certain parties on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Today, RayT uses one Americanism (grunt) to clue another Americanism (GI). Does that mean the Brits will have nothing to complain about or will it result in a double dose of complaints? |
| 10a | Inspector /with/ cut rejected by Underground worker (8) |
Naturally, for the "cut" one must use the British spelling axe[5] rather than the US spelling ax.
Scratching the Surface
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By capitalizing the word "Underground", the setter intends to misdirect the solver to think of a subway system. Underground[5] (often the Underground) is a British name for an underground railway, especially the one in London, England ⇒ travel chaos on the Underground. |
| 11a | Cry // wolf in account (8) |
| 13a | Swamp /could produce/ nugget containing gold (6) |
| 15a | Curious // pelting rain? Get over it! (13) |
| 18a | Stunned, noting a mature // reasoning (13) |
| 22a | Automatic drive? (6) |
I presume that "automatic" alludes to this force being an innate instinct.
Scratching the Surface
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| Perhaps the surface reading is alluding to an automobile with an automatic transmission? |
| 24a | Tries again facing front of Eurostar // train (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Eurostar[5] (trademark) is the name of the high-speed passenger rail service that links London with various European cities via the Channel Tunnel. |
| 26a | Assuming // expert struggled tackling Mastermind's final (8) |
Mastermind[7] is a British television game show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.
| 27a | Standard // one wants to outlaw? (6) |
| 28a | Aversion /of/ sadist as terribly controlling (8) |
| 29a | Attacks // English overcome by defeats (6) |
" English " = E[2]
Down
| 1d | Laboured // conduct over discontented European (6) |
| 2d | Beginning to embrace left /is/ unforeseen (9) |
| 3d | Dress // cleavage is gripping sight (7) |
| 5d | Stuffing // work up, bearing a cross (4) |
"work " = OP [opus]
In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
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In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
he was writing an opus on Mexico.
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Paxo[7] is a brand of stuffing in the United Kingdom.
| 6d | Vault over line, a // fair game (7) |
" line " = L [l.[5]; in textual references ⇒
l. 648]
Tombola[5] is a British term for a game in which people pick tickets out of a revolving drum and certain tickets win immediate prizes, typically played at a fete* or fair ⇒ (i)
entrance includes a tombola and raffle; (ii)
traditional games such as tombola or bingo.
* Fete[5] (also fête) is a British term for a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments ⇒
a church fete.
| 7d | Ray // cheers supporting worker (5) |
Cheers[5] is an informal British expression of gratitude or acknowledgement for something ⇒
Billy tossed him the key. ‘Cheers, pal.’.
Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒
‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.
| 8d | Worried /seeing/ sweet son upset (8) |
Sweet[5] is a British term for a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a dessert.
" son " = S [s[5]; in genealogies]
| 12d | Shed reportedly // used for lavatory, commonly (6) |
| 14d | Fellow consumed /finding/ present (6) |
At Oxford and Cambridge universities, a fellow[10] is a member of the governing body of a college who is usually a member of the teaching staff.
A don[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.
| 16d | One caring about // illiteracy (9) |
| 17d | Everybody in work exercise day // ran (8) |
| 19d | Crazy time around capital of Ibiza // island (7) |
Madeira[5]
is an island in the Atlantic Ocean off northwestern Africa, the largest
of the Madeiras, a group of islands which constitutes an autonomous
region of Portugal. (show more )
Encountered by the Portuguese in 1419, the islands were occupied by the Spanish 1580–1640 and the British 1807–14.
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Encountered by the Portuguese in 1419, the islands were occupied by the Spanish 1580–1640 and the British 1807–14.
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Scratching the Surface
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| 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. |
| 20d | Sex charge embracing sweetheart? // Say again! (7) |
"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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" sweetheart " = E ['heart' of swEet]
| 21d | Suit // warms up around summer's end (6) |
| 23d | Ducks catching nothing /and/ drops the ball (5) |
Boob[5] is an informal British term for:
- (noun) an embarrassing mistake ⇒
the boob was spotted by a security expert at the show
- (verb) to make an embarrassing mistake ⇒
we found that we had boobed and the booking was for the previous week
| 25d | Behave excessively, administering thrashing initially (4) |
This is a hallmark RayT acrostic or initialism clue in which the entire clue is the wordplay in which the somewhat cryptic definition is embedded.
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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