Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29862 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, December 18, 2021 | |
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29862 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29862 – 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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The National Post has skipped DT 29860 and DT 29861 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, December 16, 2021 and Friday, December 17, 2021 respectively.
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. | |
Introduction
It's April Fool's Day and the editors at the National Post have decided to have a little fun by skipping over two puzzles. Fortunately, I noticed this before I had expended time and effort composing today's review although not before having solved DT 29860.The puzzle that has been published today is a Cephas "Saturday" puzzle and remarkably I did detect that it is a pangram (something I usually miss) and the knowledge did enable me to solve one clue (the one with a Q in the solution).
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
| 4a | Air dozen composed /in/ very dry area (4,4) |
The term arid zone[10] denotes either of the zones of latitude 15–30° N and S characterized by very low rainfall and desert or semidesert terrain.
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading initially left me scratching my head. I eventually concluded that "air" is used in the sense of a short melodious song, in this case one composed by a dozen collaborators in the desert. |
| 8a | Bishop takes turn to include current // film (1-5) |
" current " = I[2] [electric current; symbol used in physics]
| 9a | Scandal, // C grade is awful (8) |
| 10a | Texts // left one terribly bitter (8) |
A libretto[5] (plural libretti) is the text of an opera or other long vocal work.
| 11a | American destined // to flourish (6) |
" American " = A[1]
| 12a | Like Don /is/ extravagantly chivalrous (8) |
The clue alludes to Don Quixote[5], the hero of a romance (1605–15) by Spanish novelist and playwright Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), a satirical account of chivalric beliefs and conduct. The character of Don Quixote is typified by a romantic vision and naive, unworldly idealism.
| 13a | Love writer with reserve /that's/ simple to understand (4,4) |
" love " = O [love[5]; nil score in tennis]
The phrase an open book[5] denotes a person or thing that is easy to understand or about which everything is known ⇒
her mind was an open book to him.
| 16a | Higher part of course // not going with the flow? (8) |
Stream[5] is a British term* for a group in which schoolchildren of the same age and ability are taught ⇒
children in the top streams.
* A term I believe is also used in Canada although maybe not quite in the same respect.
| 19a | There is love in this for Pansy (8) |
Love-in-idleness is one of many names* for the wild pansy[7] (Viola tricolor), a common European wild flower that has been introduced into North America, where it has spread. It is the progenitor of the cultivated pansy; before the cultivated pansies were developed, "pansy" was a common name for the wild form.
* Alternative names: Johnny Jump up (though this name is also applied to similar species such as the yellow pansy), heartsease, heart's ease, heart's delight, tickle-my-fancy, Jack-jump-up-and-kiss-me, come-and-cuddle-me, three faces in a hood, and pink of my john.
| 21a | Steeplechaser/'s/ sweater? (6) |
A steeplechaser[10] is a horse or rider who takes part in steeplechases.
* Today, we know a steeplechase[5] as a horse race run on a racecourse having ditches and hedges as jumps. Originally, however, it was a cross country race in which a steeple marked the finishing point.
In Britain, a jumper[5] is a knitted garment typically with long sleeves, worn over the upper body (in other words, a sweater).
* The dress that North Americans call a jumper[5] is known to the Brits as a pinafore[5]—defined in British dictionaries as a collarless sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or jumper [sweater].
| 23a | Like a slow-moving creature // going like a bullet? (8) |
The latter part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the solution.
| 24a | Runner // at risk we removed (5-3) |
As an anagram indicator, remove[2] is used in the sense of to move someone or something to a different place.
| 25a | Sentry stopped short holding it, // stringed instrument (6) |
| 26a | Poet/'s/ game reportedly working (8) |
Alfred Tennyson[5], 1st Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater (1809–1892) [commonly known as Alfred, Lord Tennyson] was an English poet, Poet Laureate from 1850. His reputation was established by In Memoriam (1850), a long poem concerned with immortality, change, and evolution. Other notable works: ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ (1854) and Idylls of the King (1859).
Down
| 1d | Large volume /of/ transport (7) |
An omnibus[5] is a volume containing several books previously published separately.
Omnibus* is a dated[5] or less common[10] name for a bus ⇒
a horse-drawn omnibus.
* Historically, an omnibus[3] was a large horse-drawn public conveyance, especially of the late 1800s. The word "bus" is merely a shortened form of "omnibus".
| 2d | About to come back once in the open /and/ try too hard (9) |
| 3d | Order to go away /and/ play one's drum? (4,2) |
The latter part of the clue is a literal interpretation of the solution.
| 4d | Body having check on percentage paid (5,10) |
The entire clue is a rather loose definition in which the wordplay is embedded.
In the UK, the Audit Commission[5] is an independent body that monitors public spending, especially that by local government, on behalf of the government.
| 5d | Suitably to a great extent? (2,6) |
I would say this clue as a cryptic definition which consists of a precise definition accompanied by "cryptic elaboration".
*The "cryptic elaboration" does not supply a second independent route to the solution but rather provides supplementary information related to the precise definition (namely, an intimation that the precise definition in some way involves a card suit).
| 6d | Bishop in animal park /finds/ fox (5) |
The zorro[5] is a doglike fox found in the forests and savannah of South America.
Origin: zorro is the Spanish word for 'fox'
| 7d | Bottle party? // Impossible! (2,3,2) |
The first part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the informal expression that is the solution.
| 14d | Converted, // having come into existence a second time (4-5) |
| 15d | Fed up, sorts out /and/ thaws out (8) |
| 17d | Down // mature fruit first (7) |
| 18d | /Having/ a second drink in pub // in an accustomed way (2,5) |
Despite coming at the beginning of the clue, the word "having" is effectively a link word. The wordplay is A (from the clue) + S(econd) + USUAL (drink in pub)*.
* It occurs to me that "the usual" could be deemed the preferred tipple of the 'habitual drinker'.
| 20d | A Parisian in theatre box /finding/ room (6) |
"a Parisian " = UN
| 22d | Groom // occasionally cries entering enclosure (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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| This groom would be found tending horses in a stable rather than taking vows at the altar. |
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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