Puzzle at a Glance
| |
|---|---|
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29924 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 | |
Setter
NY Doorknob aka Donnybrook (Paul Bringloe) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29924]
| |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
BD rating
| |
| Difficulty - ★★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
|
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
| |
Introduction
NY Doorknob set today's puzzle as the regular "Wednesday" setter, Jay, was appearing as Logman* elsewhere in The Daily Telegraph.* Once a month, Jay (using the pseudonym Logman) sets the more difficult Toughie puzzle in The Daily Telegraph.
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 | |
|
|
| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | Shot /from/ right in cracking cup-tie (7) |
" right " = R [r or r.[2]]
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
Cup[5,10] is a British term for a sporting contest in which a cup is awarded to the winner ⇒ playing in the Cup* is the best thing ever. * In North America, we might play playing for the Cupbut likely not playing in the Cup. Tie[5] is a British term meaning a sports match between two or more players or teams in which the winners proceed to the next round of the competition ⇒ Swindon Town have gained themselves a third round tie* against Oldham. * This does not mean — as a North American might suppose — that Swindon Town and Oldham played to a draw in the third round. Rather, it means that Swindon Town defeated their opponent in the second round and will move on to face Oldham in the third round. Cup tie[5] is a British term for a match in a competition for which the prize is a cup. |
| 5a | Greek character nicked // old Spanish coin (7) |
Pi[5] is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Π, π).
Nick[5] is an informal British term meaning to steal ⇒
he'd had his car nicked by joyriders.
A pistole[5] is any of various gold coins used in Europe or Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries.
| 9a | Anxious, // I'm one receiving medical care (9) |
| 10a | Support // US soldier in ebbing sea (5) |
"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
| 11a | Roman palace /in/ more recent article (7) |
The Lateran[10] (also called Lateran palace) is a palace in Rome, formerly the official residence of the popes.
| 12a | Restructuring the loan /makes you/ solvent (7) |
| 13a | The solver is leaving this card /in/ leisure centre (5,4) |
| 16a | Boxer // starts to train young lad (5) |
Mike Tyson[5] is an American boxer. He became undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1987, winning the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. He was imprisoned in 1992 for rape; after his release in 1995 he reclaimed the WBC and WBA titles in the following year. His 1997 fight with Evander Holyfield ended when Tyson was disqualified for dining on Holyfield's ear.[7]
| 17a | Almost axe Irish // singing group (5) |
" Irish " = IR [Ir.[10]]
| 18a | Festival // to enjoy with artist in sweet bar? (5,4) |
Sweet[5] is the British term for what we in North America would call a piece of candy[5] ⇒
a bag of sweets. Therefore a sweet bar is a confectionery known in North America as a candy bar[5].
Mardi Gras[5] is a carnival held in some countries on Shrove Tuesday, most famously in New Orleans ⇒
the Mardi Gras parade.
* Mardi Gras is French for 'fat Tuesday', alluding to the last day of feasting before the fast of Lent.
| 21a | Lover no longer needing money // set out (7) |
The pound[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence.
| 22a | Scene rewritten keeps one line // still (7) |
" line " = L [l.[5]; in textual references ⇒
l. 648]
Still[5] is used in the sense of deep silence and calm; in other words, stillness ⇒
the still of the night.
| 25a | Woman/'s/ soiree regularly involving us (5) |
| 26a | Rat // popular with staff in castle (9) |
| 27a | An Italian poet /is/ rather slow (7) |
Dante[5] (1265–1321), full name Dante Alighieri, was an Italian poet. (show more )
His reputation rests chiefly on The Divine Comedy (c.1309–20), an epic poem describing his spiritual journey through Hell and Purgatory and finally to Paradise. His love for Beatrice Portinari is described in Vita nuova (c.1290–4).
hide
His reputation rests chiefly on The Divine Comedy (c.1309–20), an epic poem describing his spiritual journey through Hell and Purgatory and finally to Paradise. His love for Beatrice Portinari is described in Vita nuova (c.1290–4).
hide
In music, andante[5] is an adverb and adjective meaning (especially as a direction) in a moderately slow tempo.
| 28a | Hide // the mad king outside! (7) |
King Lear*[7] is a tragedy written in 1605 or 1606 by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters (Goneril, Regan and Cordelia) based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.
Down
| 1d | Settle around Skye? /Here's/ another Scots location (7) |
Skye[5] [or Isle of Skye] is a mountainous island of the Inner Hebrides, now linked to the west coast of Scotland by a bridge. It is the largest and most northerly island of the group.
Paisley[5] is a town in central Scotland, to the west of Glasgow.
| 2d | Very good in bed? // Suffer the consequences! (3,2) |
Pi[5] is an informal British short form for pious.
Cop it[5] is an informal British term meaning to get into trouble.
| 3d | Complete // Charlie must leave sailing ship (5) |
" Charlie " = C[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
A cutter[5] is a yacht with one mainsail and two foresails.
| 4d | Immortal // eastern bird on a lake (7) |
The tern[5] is a seabird related to the gulls, typically smaller and more slender, with long pointed wings and a forked tail.
" lake " = L[2] [on maps]
| 5d | Stir with black // parsley perhaps (7) |
A pother[5] is a commotion or fuss ⇒
what a pother you make!.
A pot herb[1] (or pot-herb[2,5] or potherb[3,4,10,11,12]) is any plant having leaves, flowers, stems, etc, that are used in cooking for seasoning, flavouring or garnishing, or are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
| 6d | Italian serving // small soft crackers at eight (9) |
" small " = S[5] [clothing size]
| 7d | Runner, // old, unexpectedly regains lead in race (9) |
" old " = O[12] [linguistics;
OFr(Old French),
OE(Old English)]
| 8d | Refusal to receive student is picked up /in/ letter (7) |
"student " = L [driver under instruction]
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
hide
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
 |
| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
hide
Epsilon[5] is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε).
| 14d | A French work put forward // not challenged (9) |
" a French " = UN [un[8]; French indefinite article]
"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 ⇒
hide
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.
hide
| 15d | Powerful // explosive with nuclear particles? (9) |
HE[5] is the abbreviation for high explosive.
| 17d | More tea houses // where Sloane Square is located (7) |
Sloane Square[7] is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the central London districts of Belgravia and Chelsea, located 1.8 miles (2.9 km) southwest of Charing Cross*, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
* Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross[7] (a street junction in the City of Westminster) has generally been accepted as the notional "centre of London" and is the point from which distances from London are calculated.
| 18d | An expert in safe delivery? (7) |
| 19d | Calm // end to summer with flutes playing (7) |
| 20d | Lieutenant in complete // retreat (7) |
| 23d | Six-footer to be // left with Bible in AA (5) |
" left " = L [l[2]]
RV[5] is the abbreviation for Revised Version (of the Bible).
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| AA[5] is the abbreviation for Alcoholics Anonymous or (in the UK and South Africa) Automobile Association. * The Automobile Association is the British counterpart to organizations such as the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and American Automobile Association (AAA). |
The term "six-footer" is often used to clue an insect*. Today we get "six-footer to be" to clue an organism that one day will become an insect.
| 24d | Excellent opener from Huddersfield // Town (5) |
Neath[5] is an industrial town in South Wales on the River Neath.
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| Huddersfield Town Association Football Club[7] is an English professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of English football [soccer]. An opener[5] is the first goal in a match ⇒ Bannister equalized after Armstrong's opener for Palace. |
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.