Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29838 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, November 20, 2021 | |
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29838 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29838 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
crypticsue (Hints)Rahmat Ali (Review) | |
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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Notes
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As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.
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Introduction
For a change, I recognized early on in the solve that this puzzle was shaping up to be a pangram (and therefore likely to be a Cephas creation). However, I can't credit that knowledge with helping me solve the puzzle.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 | Bureaucrat, // one who numbers runners? (4,7) |
The second definition is a literal interpretation of the solution.
Runner[2] is another term for runner bean[5], a British name for the plant also called scarlet runner*, a Central American bean plant with scarlet flowers and very long flat edible pods.
* the name by which we know this plant in North America
Delving Deeper
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| The Brits grow scarlet runners
primarily for eating while North Americans grow them almost exclusively
for their flowers. According to Wikipedia, "In the UK, the flowers [of the scarlet runner[7]] are often ignored, or treated as an attractive bonus to cultivating the plant for the beans, whereas in the US [and I would add Canada] the scarlet runner is widely grown for its attractive flowers by people who would never think of eating it." |
| 7a | Mooring charge /coming from/ plant long time afterwards (7) |
Dock[5] is a coarse weed of temperate regions, with inconspicuous greenish or reddish flowers. The leaves are used to relieve nettle stings.
| 8a | As insane // with great energy (4,3) |
| 10a | Discuss /when/ speech has finished (4,4) |
| 11a | If it is, don't you believe it (6) |
| 13a | Daughter comes in to be apologetic for something // impolite (4) |
" daughter " = D [d[2]; genealogy]
| 14a | In tandem arranged fair // adaptation (10) |
| 16a | I name worker accepting poisonous // inebriant (10) |
" name " = N [n or n.[1]]
"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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| 18a | Land // lies in ruins (4) |
| 21a | Felt like scratching (6) |
To me, this clue seems hardly cryptic at all.
| 22a | Greeting old country, // it's to do with mountains (8) |
Malaya[5] is a former country in southeast Asia, consisting of the southern
part of the Malay Peninsula and some adjacent islands (originally
including Singapore), now forming the western part of the federation of
Malaysia and known as West Malaysia. (show more )
The area was colonized by the Dutch, Portuguese, and the British, who eventually became dominant; the several Malay states federated under British control in 1896. The country became independent in 1957, the federation expanding to become Malaysia in 1963.
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The area was colonized by the Dutch, Portuguese, and the British, who eventually became dominant; the several Malay states federated under British control in 1896. The country became independent in 1957, the federation expanding to become Malaysia in 1963.
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Himalaya[1] (or Himalayan) is an adjective meaning relating to the Himalayas, a vast mountain range in southern Asia.
| 24a | Real // information on one taken in by a Parisian? (7) |
Gen[5] is an informal British term for information ⇒
you’ve got more gen on him than we have.
"a Parisian " = UNE
| 25a | Lack of reverence /from/ naughty child that is teary on vacation (7) |
The phrase "on vacation" is an indication to remove the contents (interior letters) from the word "T(ear)Y". Vacation[5] is the action of leaving something one previously occupied ⇒
On the vacation of the post, the senior managers assembled and discussed eligible candidates.
| 26a | How overenthusiastic stretcher case was transported? (7,4) |
This is a rather interesting cryptic definition as it is also essentially a double definition in which one definition ("overenthusiastic") is embedded in the other ("how stretcher case was transported").
Down
| 1d | Male went first // prepared for action (7) |
Buckle[1] (in the past tense buckled) is used in the sense to prepare (especially oneself) for action.
| 2d | South America's greatest current asset (6) |
This is a cryptic definition of the river having the largest flow of water (current) not only in South America but in the entire world.
The Amazon[5]
is a river in South America, flowing over 6,683 km (4,150 miles)
through Peru, Colombia, and Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean. It drains
two fifths of the continent and in terms of water flow it is the largest
river in the world — and some claim it to also be the longest (show more ).
There are many factors, such as the source, the identification or the definition of the mouth, and the scale of measurement of the river length between source and mouth, that determine the precise meaning of "river length"[7]. As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In particular, there has long been disagreement as to whether the Nile or the Amazon is the world's longest river. The Nile has traditionally been considered longer, but in recent years some Brazilian and Peruvian studies have suggested that the Amazon is longer by measuring the river plus the adjacent Pará estuary and the longest connecting tidal canal.
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There are many factors, such as the source, the identification or the definition of the mouth, and the scale of measurement of the river length between source and mouth, that determine the precise meaning of "river length"[7]. As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In particular, there has long been disagreement as to whether the Nile or the Amazon is the world's longest river. The Nile has traditionally been considered longer, but in recent years some Brazilian and Peruvian studies have suggested that the Amazon is longer by measuring the river plus the adjacent Pará estuary and the longest connecting tidal canal.
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Origin: The river bore various names after it was first encountered by Europeans in 1500 and was finally called Amazon after a legendary race of female warriors believed to live on its banks.
Scratching the Surface
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| On a company's balance sheet, current assets[5] are cash and other assets that are expected to be converted to cash within a year. |
| 3d | Smart Alec's brother? One is irritatingly knowledgeable (6,4) |
Clever Dick[5] (also clever clogs) is an informal British term for a person who is irritatingly and ostentatiously knowledgeable or intelligent ⇒
Grissom is an all-knowing clever clogs, who has answers for everything.
| 4d | Unpleasant /and/ somewhat smug lyricist (4) |
| 5d | Carefully observe // a keen tot exercising (4,4) |
| 6d | Pity // about TV detective (7) |
Inspector Endeavour Morse[7] is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter (1930–2017), as well as the 33-episode British television drama series Inspector Morse[7] produced between 1987 and 2000. Morse is a senior CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officer with the Thames Valley Police force in Oxford, England.
| 7d | Deciding // to put off digging (11) |
| 9d | Those over there accepting blame after main // treatment of disease (4,7) |
The main[5] is an archaic or literary term for the open ocean.
The deep[5] is a literary term for the sea ⇒
denizens of the deep.
Deep therapy[10] is radiotherapy with very penetrating short-wave radiation.
| 12d | Measured // over half of amount provided I lead occasionally (10) |
| 15d | Old rioter in trouble // outside (8) |
| 17d | Practical skill /of/ detective Nicholas shortly going round hospital (7) |
Tec[5] is a dated (seemingly British*) informal term for a detective.
* based on the absence of the term from American dictionaries
Nic[7] is a male given name, often short for Nicholas or Dominic.
It took a long time to twig to what looked so wrong with this abomination.
Technic[5] is a mainly North American* term meaning technique** ⇒
With the technic used, infants could not be shown to be susceptible.
* Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) stands alone among my usual sources in characterizing this term as North American; given its supposed North American provenance, it is interesting to note that, among these sources, the one dictionary that does not list this term is the American Heritage Dictionary
** it is more than a variant spelling as it is also pronounced differently
| 19d | Type of home // visit: rent rises during this (7) |
"rent " = LET [questionably British]
Let[5] is a British* term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i)
* However, based on its appearance in US dictionaries[3,11], I seriously doubt this word is as exclusively British as Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) would have us believe.
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Let[5] is a British* term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i)
she let the flat [apartment] to a tenant; (ii)
they’ve let out their house.
* However, based on its appearance in US dictionaries[3,11], I seriously doubt this word is as exclusively British as Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) would have us believe.
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Stately home[5] is a British term for a large and impressive house that is occupied or was formerly occupied by an aristocratic family.
| 20d | Handles // fruit (6) |
Pawpaw is the name of two different fruits:
- Pawpaw[5] (also papaw) is another term for papaya[5], a tropical fruit shaped like an elongated melon, with edible orange flesh and small black seeds.
- Pawpaw[5] is the fruit of the pawpaw tree*.
* The pawpaw tree[5] (also pawpaw) is a North American tree of the custard apple family, with purple flowers and edible oblong yellow fruit with sweet pulp.
| 23d | Specialised food shop, // one third of it (4) |
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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