Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29951 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, April 2, 2022 | |
Setter
Chalicea (Shirley Curran) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29951 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29951 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Tilsit (Hints)crypticsue (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 29949 and DT 29950 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on March 31 and April 1, 2022.
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
Today, the National Post has leapt over a couple of puzzles.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 | Makes sense of // complicated realisations (12) |
| 9a | Secret // Conservative ratified, we hear (9) |
" Conservative " = CON [Con.[10] ([member of a British political party)]
| 10a | Permit // good harangue (5) |
" good " = G [(g or g.)[1]; a grade of numismatic coin perhaps]
| 11a | Concerned with seeing // passport endorsement left outside university (6) |
" left " = L [l[2]]
" university " = U [(U or U.)[1]]
For clarity, the first element in the wordplay is a "passport endorsement" (as shown by crypticsue in her review) and not a "type of passport" (as indicated by Tilsit in his hints).
| 12a | Messy lab fixed // putting together of parts (8) |
| 13a | Stay // frolicking in harem, topless (6) |
The indicator "topless" is a direction to discard the initial letter of a word in the fodder.
| 15a | Organised // agenda adjusted, incorporating bishop (8) |
| 18a | Senior army officer without energy securing one area // of overseas dependency (8) |
" energy " = E[2] [symbol used in physics]
" one " = I[2] [Roman numeral]
" area " = A[2] [geometry term]
| 19a | Periods of time chief journalist // removed from memory (6) |
| 21a | Barter // former coins of little value (8) |
| 23a | Returning, rents a large // type of staircase (6) |
" large " = L[5] [clothing size]
| 26a | Directly opposite in tendency, // held back by rural opinions (5) |
| 27a | Agent adding alcohol to drinks, maybe, // providing substitutes (9) |
| 28a | A new part of speech to reinforce // public statement (12) |
" new " = N[5] [in place names on maps;
N Zealand]
Oops!
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|---|---|
| There is an element missing from the charade in Tilsit's hint on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. The hint should read: A simple word-sum. A + N(ew) + part of speech + a word to reinforce = the definition. |
Down
| 1d | Restore /and/ add protective layer again (7) |
| 2d | Pays attention to // fashions without worry essentially (5) |
The indicator "essentially" is a direction to use the letter that forms the essence or core of a word in the fodder.
| 3d | Adapted to open-air // method of working (9) |
| 4d | Clever // biblical victim, it's said (4) |
In the Bible, Abel[5] is the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered by his brother Cain.
| 5d | Diligence // put to the test following Indian river (8) |
| 6d | Bird of prey // decapitated dog (5) |
The indicator "decapitated" is a direction to discard the initial letter of a word suggested by the fodder.
| 7d | Leaves // clubs and agrees every now and then to host Swedish group (8) |
" clubs " = C[1] [card suit]
Abba[5] is a Swedish pop group that became popular in the 1970s with catchy, well-crafted songs such as ‘Waterloo’ (1974) and ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ (1977).
| 8d | Continued // to be supported (6) |
| 14d | Spy enthralling the French copper /for/ a tiny bit (8) |
"the French " = LE [French definite article]
" copper " = CU [Cu[5] (chemical symbol; from late Latin cuprum)]
| 16d | A monarch with old design: English // flying machine (9) |
"monarch " = ER[5] [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] – from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also spelled cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
hide
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] – from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also spelled cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
hide
" old " = O[12] [linguistics;
OFr(Old French),
OE(Old English)]
" English " = E[2]
Here and There
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| Aeroplane is the British spelling of airplane[5]. |
| 17d | Knockout involving knitted angora // jumper (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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While the word "jumper" is the name of an article of clothing on both sides of the
Atlantic, it is quite a different piece of apparel across the pond where it denotes a sweater rather than a dress. (show more )
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 as a collarless sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or jumper [sweater]. Thus, if a British lass were to wear a pinafore over her jumper and a North American gal were to wear a jumper over her sweater, they would be dressed identically. hide |
| 18d | Mysterious // noble turning up in empty city (6) |
A peer[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. (show more )
In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
hide
In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
hide
The indicator "empty" is a direction to discard the interior letters of a word in the fodder.
| 20d | Glee /of/ ultimately inexperienced boat crew maintaining lead at first (7) |
The indicator "ultimately" is a direction to use the final letter of a word in the fodder.
An eight[5] is an eight-oared rowing boat or its crew.
The indicator "at first" is a direction to use the initial letter of a word in the fodder.
| 22d | Rim /of/ a projection cut short (5) |
The indicator "cut short" is a direction to discard the final letter of a word suggested by the fodder.
| 24d | Some opera is expected // to exhilarate (5) |
| 25d | Old writing implement/'s/ available (4) |
The "old" from 16d makes a second appearance.
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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