Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29912 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29912]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
Among the several new terms in this puzzle were a couple of Briticisms which made this puzzle more of a challenge to this North American than it would have been for its original British audience.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 | Reject public transport resistance in current // sort of climate (11) |
" resistance " = R[2] [electrical resistance, symbol used in physics]
| 9a | Figure // pain mostly comes after coded broadcast (9) |
A dodecagon[5] is a plane figure with twelve straight sides and angles.
| 10a | Work hard replacing female with new // allowance (5) |
Graft[5] is an informal British term meaning:
- (noun) hard work ⇒
success came after years of hard graft
- (verb) to work hard ⇒
I need people prepared to go out and graft
" new " = N[5] [in place names on maps;
N Zealand]
| 11a | Fold /of/ cold fat -- not good (6) |
" cold " = C [c[1]; as in 'h and c'[1] (referring to water supply)]
" good " = G [g or g.[1]; a grade of numismatic coin perhaps]
| 12a & 26a | Teach those upset by reduction /and/ focus on action (3,2,3,5) |
From a British perspective, cut to the chase[5] is an informal North American term meaning come to the point.
Origin: Cut in the sense ‘move to another part of the film’, expressing the notion of ignoring any preliminaries.
| 13a | Withdraw // material, then make public (6) |
Rep[5] is a fabric with a ribbed surface, used in curtains and upholstery.
Repair to[5] is a formal or humorous expression meaning to go to (a place), especially in company ⇒
we repaired to the tranquillity of a nearby cafe.
| 15a | Got dried off, // ready for bed? (3-5) |
| 18a | Offsets // evil business taking precedence (6,2) |
| 19a | Eschewing New York, Tennyson composed // such lines (6) |
Scratching the Surface
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| 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). |
| 21a | Vision /of/ cardinal welcoming positive response (8) |
Cardinal[2,10] is another term for cardinal number.
| 23a | Butcher's // fine cuts hit us badly (6) |
" fine " = F[2] [grade of pencil lead]
Butcher's[10] is British slang for a look.
Origin: Cockney rhyming slang (show explanation ).
A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church).
Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. Thus butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
hide explanation
A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church).
Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. Thus butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
hide explanation
Shufti[5] is an informal British term for a look or reconnoitre, especially a quick one ⇒ (i)
I'll take a shufti round the wood while I'm about it; (ii)
A quick shufti through his bank accounts should clear all this up.
Origin: 1940s (originally military slang): from Arabic šāfa ‘try to see’
| 26a | See 12 Across |
| 27a | Copy /of/ dossier about dodgy claims missing line (9) |
" line " = L [l.[5]; in textual references ⇒
l. 648]
| 28a | Reprimand journalist after broadcaster"// shot up (11) |
Rocket[5] is an informal British term for a severe reprimand ⇒
he got a rocket from the Director.
Sky plc*[7] is a pan-European telecommunications company with headquarters in London that is engaged in satellite broadcasting, on-demand internet streaming media, broadband and telephone services.
* the designation plc stands for public limited company[7] (show more )
The designation plc (standing for public limited company[7]) is used in the UK, some Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. The term "public limited company" and the "PLC"/"plc" suffix were introduced in 1981; prior to this, all limited companies bore the suffix "Limited" ("Ltd."), which is still used by private limited companies.
hide
The designation plc (standing for public limited company[7]) is used in the UK, some Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. The term "public limited company" and the "PLC"/"plc" suffix were introduced in 1981; prior to this, all limited companies bore the suffix "Limited" ("Ltd."), which is still used by private limited companies.
hide
Down
| 1d | Transport /used by/ teacher importing endless coffee? (7) |
It is common practice for British school students to address (or refer to) their male teachers as "Sir", as in To Sir, with Love[7], a 1967 British drama film starring Sidney Poitier that deals with social and racial issues in an inner-city school.
| 2d | Move /resulting from/ golf in Cornish resort (5) |
" golf " = G[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
Bude[7] is a seaside town in north east Cornwall, England at the mouth of the River Neet (also known locally as the River Strat).
| 3d | Take a break -- the setter's // going back (9) |
"the setter's " = IVE
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "the setter" with the verb "to have"* producing "the setter's" (a contraction of "the setter has") which must be replaced by "I've" (a contraction of "I have").
hide
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "the setter" with the verb "to have"* producing "the setter's" (a contraction of "the setter has") which must be replaced by "I've" (a contraction of "I have").
hide
| 4d & 17d | Bacon may sell well? // That's unlikely (4,5,3) |
From a British perspective, fly[5] is a North American term meaning be successful ⇒
that idea didn't fly with most other council members.
The phrase pigs might fly[5] (also pigs can fly) is an expression used ironically to signify disbelief ⇒
She rolled her eyes, ‘Right and pigs can fly.’.
| 5d | Entertainer // caught working with one on panel (8) |
"caught " = C [cricket notation]
| 6d | Lawful // impediment protecting US soldier (5) |
Let[5] is an archaic term* meaning:
- (verb) to hinder ⇒
pray you let us not; we fain [eagerly] would greet our mother
- (noun) an impediment or obstruction
* Today, this meaning of the word survives in a couple of instances:
- the phrase without let or hindrance[5], a formal term meaning without obstruction or impediment ⇒
rats scurried about the house without let or hindrance
- in racket sports, where a let[5]
is a circumstance under which a service is nullified and has to be
taken again because the ball or one of the players has been obstructed,
especially (in tennis) when the ball clips the top of the net and falls
within bounds ⇒
he was obstructed and asked for a let
"US soldier " = GI
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
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).
hide
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).
hide
| 7d | Idiot // priest's unfinished notice (7) |
In the Christian Church, father[5] (often a title or form of address) denotes a priest ⇒
pray for me, father[5].
| 8d | Inmate found outside a prison -- /that's/ incontestable (4-4) |
Stir[5] is an informal term for prison ⇒
I’ve spent twenty-eight years in stir.
| 14d | Scheme to accommodate a church minister's first // appointee (8) |
Placeman[5] is a derogatory British term for a person appointed to a position, especially in government service, for personal profit and as a reward for political support ⇒
he vetoed the appointment of a Labour councillor in favour of his Tory placeman.
| 16d | Excessively stupid, grabbing power // tool for clearing gaps (9) |
" power " = P[10] [symbol used in physics]
| 17d | See 4 Down |
| 18d | Claret blended with last of the // syrup (7) |
Treacle[3,11] is the British name for molasses.
Scratching the Surface
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| Claret[5] is a red wine from Bordeaux, or wine of a similar character made elsewhere. |
| 20d | This oddly covers a loan /for/ the final part (4,3) |
| 22d | Thoughts /from/ assistants finding answer further down (5) |
| 24d | Fine cotton // that's used to start a fire (5) |
Fine reprises its role from 23a. I suppose this is fair enough; it is, after all, actually the very same letter in both appearances.
Lint[10] is an absorbent cotton or linen fabric with the nap raised on one side, used to dress wounds, etc.
| 25d | Repeat // part of speech (off-the-record) (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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