Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3276
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 4th August 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. An excellent though slightly tough puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your patient perusal and significant feedback.
Sent to Coventry, the answer to the clue of 1d, made me inquisitive and after solving the puzzle, I searched the net to know more about the origin of the idiom ‘to send someone to Coventry’. Although it means to deliberately ostracise or ignore someone, but, typically, this is done by not talking to them, but by avoiding their company and acting as if they no longer exist. Victims are treated as if they are completely invisible and inaudible. One source cites that this originated from a 17th century English Civil War punishment, when a cathedral city called Coventry, historically in Warwickshire, was a Parliamentary stronghold. The soldiers of the king were so abhorred that the Royalist prisoners were sent to Coventry, where it was felt that they would be ignored. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, in his work entitled ‘The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England’, recounted how the Royalist troops that were captured in Birmingham were taken as prisoners to Coventry, where they were not received warmly by the locals. In another book entitled ‘Lives of the Most Remarkable Criminals’, published in 1735, a broad definition of the Coventry Act is given. Ironically, this Act that had nothing to do with Coventry city, was passed after a Member of Parliament by the name Sir John Coventry had “had his nose slit to the bone” by some attackers. The Act states “whereby any person with malice aforethought by lying in wait unlawfully cutting out or disabling the tongue, putting out an eye, slitting the nose or cutting off the nose or lip of any subject of His Majesty … shall suffer death.” There are others who suggest that the idiom derived from the ostracism that became a fate of the legendary ‘Peeping Tom’ of Coventry. Although the origin of the tale dates far back to the 1050s, there is no recorded use of the idiom between that period and 1647, the year the first possible example was suggested in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase. The next example is from the ‘Club Book of the Tarporley Hunt’ published in 1765, “Mr. John Barry having sent the Fox Hounds to a different place to what was ordered was sent to Coventry, but return’d upon giving six bottles of Claret to the Hunt.” The expression was broadly defined later in 1811 in Grose’s ‘The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue’ as thus: To send one to Coventry; a punishment inflicted by officers of the army on such of their brethren as are testy, or have been guilty of improper behaviour, no worthy the cognisance of a court martial. The person sent to Coventry is considered as absent; no one must speak to or answer any question he asks, except relative to duty, under penalty of being also sent to the same place. On a proper submission, the penitent is recalled, and welcomed by the mess, as just returned from a journey to Coventry. Yet later in 1836, as per William Clark in his ‘Tales of the Wars’, the phrase originated from a story about a regime that was stationed in the city of Coventry but was ill-received and denied services.
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Across
1a In front of church, arrangement of bars in place for security force (7,6)
SPECIAL BRANCH: Coming before or preceded by (in front of) CH (church) as the abbreviation for church is an anagram (arrangement) of BARS IN PLACE, leading to the definition of a British police department which deals with political security
9a Dance venue near end of street, hit (9)
NIGHTCLUB: The definition of a cheap disreputable dance hall is got from NIGH (near) as near or at or to a short distance away followed by the ending or last letter (end) of [STREE]T and CLUB (hit) as to hit or deal a blow to someone
10a Dog, I say, American fighter (5)
CORGI: The definition of either of two long-bodied short-legged sturdy breeds of dog, the Cardigan and the Pembroke is reached from a charade of COR (I say) as a colloquial interjection denoting an expression of surprise as is the exclamation ‘I say’ and GI (American fighter) as an abbreviation for Government Issue or General Issue that refers to a regular soldier in the United States armed forces, especially the army
11a Teacher whipping back, time to stop that! (5)
TUTOR: The definition of a teacher or teaching assistant in some universities and colleges having a rank lower than that of an instructor is arrived at from ROUT (whipping) as an informal term for a noun meaning whipping, trimming or massacre coming from the other end (back) as a reversal in the across clue getting interrupted or inserted by (to stop that) T (time) as the symbol for time in physics
12a Brief escapade for enemy (4)
ANTI: ANTI[C] (escapade) as a caper or a playful, silly trick or prank like an escapade that is a wild prank made short with the removal of its last letter (brief) yields the definition of a person who is opposed to anything, for example, an enemy or a person who is harmful to or who acts against someone
13a Last of all, from serene water, the lake (4)
MERE: The last or terminal letters (last) of each of (of all) [FRO]M [SEREN]E [WATE]R, [TH]E takes to the definition of a lake, pond or marsh
15a Incarceration saucy, did you say? (7)
CUSTODY: The definition of a noun meaning internment, imprisonment or incarceration is obtained from a homophone heard by the audience (did you say?) of CUSTARDY (saucy) as the adjective deduced from custard that is a sauce made of milk and sugar and thickened with cornflour
17a Nick‘s cold and quiet between operations (7)
COPSHOP: The definition of a slang term for a police station as is nick emerges from C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold and SH (quiet) as an interjection used to tell someone to be quiet placed inside a combo of OP and OP (operations) as denoting the cryptic formation of the plural for operation; each OP being informally referred to a surgical operation
18a Beaver busily munching new plant (7)
VERBENA: An anagram (busily) of BEAVER eating or taking inside (munching) N (new) as the abbreviation for new takes to the definition of any of numerous tropical or subtropical American plants of the genus Verbena grown for their showy spikes of white, pink, red or blue flowers
20a Play match and be excited (7)
MACBETH: An anagram (excited) of a combo of MATCH and BE leads to the definition of a tragedy or a tragic play in five acts by William Shakespeare, written sometime in 1606-07 and published in the First Folio of 1623
21a Scruff with raised hairs back on settee (4)
NAPE: The definition of the nucha, scruff or back side of the neck is produced with NAP (raised hairs) as the fibres or hairs of velvet or similar cloth raised by a finishing process followed by the end or terminal letter (back) on [SETTE]E
22a Head of government married to family man (4)
KING: The leading or first letter (head) of G[OVERNMENT] linked to or preceded by (married to) KIN (family) as one’s relative or family guides to the definition of the most important piece in chess; piece being also called as ‘chess piece’, ‘chessman’ or simply ‘man’
23a Initially, ‘party’ called ‘bash‘ (5)
PRANG: The initial or first letter (initially) of P[ARTY] followed by RANG (called) as called by telephone yields the definition of a verb meaning to crash or smash a vehicle or aircraft or to crash into another car
26a Thin on liquid dye (5)
REEDY: The definition of an adjective denoting resembling a reed, especially in being thin and fragile is arrived at from RE (on) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘concerning’, ‘regarding’ ‘on’ or ‘about’ followed by an anagram (liquid) of DYE
27a Difficulty with sweater inside jacket? (3,6)
HOT POTATO: The definition of a complex or critical or unusual difficulty is cryptically formed from something that sweats (sweater) i.e. something hot inside the skin of a potato (jacket) or, precisely, hot potato
28a Stick on grammatical term in ruling (13)
PRONOUNCEMENT: CEMENT (stick) as a verb meaning to stick, plaster, glue or gum preceded by or coming after (on) PRONOUN (grammatical term) as one of the parts of speech in grammar referring to a word used instead of a noun, noun phrase etc already known or understood from the context leads to the definition of a judgement, a ruling or a decision of someone in authority, such as a judge
Down
1d Ignored, as envelope marked with CV would be? (4,2,8)
SENT TO COVENTRY: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning ignored or ostracised, especially to refuse to talk to is obtained from the fate of an envelope marked with CV as part of its mailing address; CV referring to CV postcode area, also known as Coventry postcode area, and being one in a group of 24 postcode districts of central England
2d Vertical measurement without the first number (5)
EIGHT: [H]EIGHT (vertical measurement) as the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from a specified datum devoid of (without) the beginning or initial letter (first) guides to the definition of a cardinal number one more than seven or one less than nine
3d Reptile on manoeuvres heading for reception, gatecrasher (10)
INTERLOPER: An anagram (manoeuvres) of REPTILE ON followed by the head or topmost letter (heading) for R[ECEPTION] in the down clue takes to the definition of someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission, like a gatecrasher or one who gain admittance, as to a party or concert, without being invited or without paying
4d Calmer in knocking up of volleyball, ultimately (7)
LULLABY: Part of or hidden inside (in) [VOLLE]YBALL, UL[TIMATELY] that is seen going upwards (knocking up) as a reversal in the down clue results in the definition of a song to lull children to sleep, for example, a calmer or a thing that calms or quietens someone
5d Old boy tucked into bread and cheese, primarily — without thinking? (7)
ROBOTIC: OB (old boy) as the abbreviation for old boy placed inside (tucked into) ROTI (bread) as a type of unleavened bread followed by (and) the primary or initial letter (primarily) of C[HEESE] leads to the definition of an adjective denoting resembling the unthinking function of a machine
6d Particular European city (4)
NICE: Double definition; the second a noun referring to the second-largest city on the French Riviera, known in French as the Côte d’Azur, that is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France and thus an European city that takes to the first an adjective meaning choosy, fastidious or particular
7d Bend in pipes about right, turn over ground (9)
HORSESHOE: The definition of something U-shaped, as a valley, river bend or other natural feature is reached from HOSES (pipes) as the plural of a flexible pipe for conveying water etc, so called from its shape placed around (about) R (right) as the abbreviation for right and followed by HOE (turn over ground) as to use a long-handled instrument with a narrow blade used for scraping or digging up weeds and loosening the earth
8d Die and let one’s spirit go? (4,2,3,5)
GIVE UP THE GHOST: The definition of a phrase meaning to die, especially of a person or to stop working, especially of a machine is arrived at from GIVE UP (let … go) as to abandon what one is doing or planning to do and THE GHOST (one’s spirit) as referring to the soul or spirit of a person
14d Explorer finds spring mushroom on cape (5,5)
SPACE PROBE: The definition of an unpiloted, unmanned device sent to explore space and gather scientific information is reached from SPA (spring) as a mineral spring followed by CEP (mushroom) as a type of edible mushroom of the Boletus genus with a browny shiny cap and white underside placed upon (on) ROBE (cape) as a gown or loose outer garment, an example of which is a cape that is a sleeveless outer garment fastened at the neck and worn hanging over the shoulders
16d A ‘C’ perhaps failing — refuse place? (9)
SCRAPHEAP: An anagram (failing) of A ‘C’ PERHAPS leads to the definition of a place for an accumulation of refuse and discarded matter
19d A wrinkly this old doubled up for sneeze (7)
ATISHOO: A from the clue followed by an anagram (wrinkly) of THIS and OO (old doubled up) as each O referring to the abbreviation for old as OT for Old Testament; OO being cryptically composed twice or doubled up gives to the rise of the definition of an interjection and colloquial term for the sound of a sneeze
20d Nuclear measure for example in destruction of atom with fission in the end (7)
MEGATON: The definition of an explosive power, especially of a nuclear weapon, equal to the power of one million tons of TNT is reached from EG (for example) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ placed inside (in) an anagram (destruction) of ATOM followed by (with) the ending or last letter (in the end) of [FISSIO]N
24d One finishing off a page quickly (5)
APACE: ACE (one) as a noun meaning one, single or unity placed after or preceded by or completing the last part of (finish off) a combo of A from the clue and P (page) as the abbreviation for page takes to the definition of an adverb meaning quickly, rapidly or swiftly
25d Error in copy tidied up (4)
TYPO: Part of or hidden inside (in) [C]OPY T[IDIED] going upwards (up) as a reversal in the down clue guides to the definition of a typographical error or a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 9a, 10a, 15a, 17a, 27a, 28a, 1d, 4d, 8d and 16d; 1d being the clear topper. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Dada for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a good day.
4*/3* …..
liked 14D “Explorer finds spring mushroom on cape (5,5 )”