Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29909 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, February 12, 2022 | |
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29909 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29909 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Senf (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
In a rare occurrence, I realized this puzzle is a pangram.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 | The only place to pack, // as a precaution? (4,2,4) |
The first part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the solution.
| 6a | Burn // coming from ocean before river (4) |
" river " = R [R or R.[2]; on maps]
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading seems to make little sense. I can only guess that burn[5] may be used in a sense, found in Scottish and Northern English dialects, meaning a small stream. |
| 8a | I landed amongst new army -- // the army! (8) |
| 9a | Stop said // form of payment (6) |
| 10a | Be too clever /with/ old-fashioned vehicles making a comeback (8) |
| 11a | Was twisting the // bandage (6) |
| 12a | Short // measure (4) |
Short[5] (noun) is a British term for a drink of spirits served in a small measure* or, as Collins English Dictionary puts it, a short[10] is a drink of spirits as opposed to a long drink such as beer.
* A measure[5] is a container of standard capacity used for taking fixed amounts of a substance. [However, this is not the 'measure' in the clue.]
Dram[5] is a Scottish term for a small drink of whisky or other spirits ⇒
a wee dram to ward off the winter chill.
Dram[5] is another term for drachm[5] (abbreviation dr.), which can mean either:
- a unit of weight formerly used by apothecaries, equivalent to 60 grains or one eighth of an ounce
- a liquid measure formerly used by apothecaries, equivalent to 60 minims or one eighth of a fluid ounce
| 14a | Avoidance /of/ notice that's given out outside (7) |
| 18a | Relatively favourable // tip once dubious (7) |
| 20a | Adult having energy; about // time! (4) |
"adult " = A [former British film classification]
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
hide
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
hide
" energy " = E[2] [symbol used in physics]
Aeon[5] is the British spelling of eon.
| 23a | Second prophet with a // snack (6) |
" second " = S [s[2]; measure of time]
Amos[5] was a Hebrew minor prophet (c.760 BC), a shepherd of Tekoa, near Jerusalem.
In Indian cooking, a samosa[5] is a triangular savoury pastry fried in ghee or oil, containing spiced vegetables or meat.
| 24a | Dish /from/ southern United Kingdom and two from Rome embracing Asian beast (8) |
Sukiyaki[5] is a Japanese dish of sliced meat, especially beef, fried rapidly with vegetables and sauce.
| 25a | The never-ending round (6) |
| 26a | Honour // a pass received by apprentice falling short (8) |
A col[5] is the lowest point of a ridge or saddle between two peaks, typically providing a pass from one side of a mountain range to another.
| 27a | Joint having a cap (4) |
| 28a | It's a shocking thing to be screened (6,4) |
Down
| 1d | Those taking part should be prepared for this rally (8) |
In Scouting, a jamboree[7] is a large gathering of Scouts who rally at a national or international level.
The clue is a cryptic definition alluding to the Scout motto "Be Prepared"[7].
| 2d | Welcome // Sarah, leading North American (6) |
Sal[7] is a diminutive form of Sally[7] – which, in turn, is a diminutive form of Sarah.
The Ute are a North American people living chiefly in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.
| 3d | Not beaten by the clock // early enough (2,4) |
In this double definition, there is an extremely fine distinction between the two meanings*:
* You may notice that I had to draw from two different dictionaries as I could not find both meanings in the same dictionary.
| 4d | Magazine /with/ chapter on painting band (9) |
" chapter " = C [c.[2]; in textual references]
The definition obviously does not come from the field of munitions where a magazine[5] is a container or detachable receptacle for holding a supply of cartridges to be fed automatically to the breech of a gun.
I would say the definition might apply to the field of photography or videography where:
- a cartridge[5] is a container holding a spool of photographic film, a quantity of ink, etc., designed for insertion into a mechanism
- a magazine[5] is a receptacle for storing and feeding film to a camera, CDs to a compact disc player, etc.
| 5d | Apology /for/ a dance (6,2) |
An excuse-me[5] is a social dance in which participants may interrupt other pairs in order to change partners.
I have not marked the clue as a double definition as the spelling of the dance (6-2) does not match the numeration given in the clue (6,2).
| 6d | Short view over a city /in/ outline of plot (8) |
Rio de Janeiro[5] [commonly known as Rio] is a city in eastern Brazil, on the Atlantic coast. The chief port of Brazil, it was the country’s capital from 1763 until 1960, when it was replaced by Brasilia.
| 7d | Article babu hid travelling /in/ capital (3,5) |
Abu Dhabi[5] is the capital of the state of Abu Dhabi*. It is also the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates.
* Abu Dhabi[5] the largest of the seven member states of the United Arab Emirates, lying between Oman and the Persian Gulf coast. The former sheikhdom joined the federation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
Scratching the Surface
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Babu[1] (or baboo) is an Indian word that can be used in several senses:
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| 13d | Personality only seen or heard at intervals (9) |
Interval[5] is a British term for a period of time separating parts of a theatrical or musical performance ⇒
A fully licensed cash bar will be available prior to the performance and during the interval.
North American term: intermission
| 15d | Charlie, at ten, found in vehicle, getting/ time off (8) |
" Charlie " = C[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
Here and There
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The British use the word holiday(s) for what North Americans (especially our neighbours south of the border) would call vacation[5]. (show more )
Holiday[5,10] (often holidays) is a chiefly British term for a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation ⇒ (i) I spent my summer holidays on a farm; (ii) Fred was on holiday in Spain. According to British dictionaries, the usual US and Canadian term for such a break is vacation. However, I am accustomed to hearing the two terms used almost interchangeably in this sense—in much the same manner that I would use fall and autumn interchangeably. This may not be the case in all parts of Canada, but I grew up in the Maritimes and have lived in Eastern Ontario for most of my life, both areas where British traditions are particularly strong. hide In Britain, the word vacation[5] has a very specific meaning, a fixed holiday period between terms in universities and law courts ⇒ the Easter vacation. In North America, such a period might be called a break[7]. |
| 16d | One separated /from/ men about to enter dodgy club on base (8) |
" about " = C [c.[2]; circa (Latin)]
In mathematics, e[5] is the base of Napierian or natural logarithms, approximately equal to 2.71828.
| 17d | Hen and rat running wild round extreme characters /in/ pilgrimage centre (8) |
Nazareth[5] is a historic town in lower Galilee, in present-day northern Israel. Mentioned in the Gospels as the home of Mary and Joseph, it is closely associated with the childhood of Jesus and is a centre of Christian pilgrimage.
| 19d | Muse Clio playing // stadium (8) |
In Greek and Roman mythology, the Muses[5] are the nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences.
The Muses are generally listed as Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flute playing and lyric poetry), Terpsichore (choral dancing and song), Erato (lyre playing and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy and light verse), Polyhymnia (hymns, and later mime), and Urania (astronomy).
A coliseum[5] (also colosseum) is a large theatre, cinema, or stadium.
Origin: alteration of Latin colosseum. The Colosseum[7], also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. The largest amphitheatre ever built, the Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum.
| 21d | Six shot approaching Chaldean city /in/ force (6) |
Ur[5] was an ancient Sumerian city on the River Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC. From the end of the 7th century BC, Ur was ruled by the so-called Chaldean Dynasty of Babylon.[7]
| 22d | Expedition /in/ South Africa, some distance inland initially (6) |
" South Africa " = SA[5]
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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