ST×NLB Cross-References: Two cents, maybe
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Singapore stopped minting one-cent coins in 2002, so you might have to use PayNow to give your two cents.
PHOTO: TNP FILE
SINGAPORE – This week’s ST×NLB Crossword was constructed by Cherie Loh from the National Library Board, who is part of a team of 40 volunteers from both organisations. Here’s her message to solvers:
This grid is a love letter to the subtle intricacies of Singapore – the quiet daily observations, the shared quirks and the unspoken rhythms that tie our island together. I am immensely thankful for the opportunity. I hope this puzzle brings a smile to your face as you solve it. Happy puzzling!
This is our second grid from Cherie, who also constructed our June 7 puzzle.
FISHING (17D) has long been a [Popular pastime at Bedok Jetty] off East Coast Park. The 250m-long T-shaped jetty was built by local businessman Yap Swee Hong in 1966 for private use. It was later used by the Ministry of Defence for military purposes before opening to the public as a recreational spot in the 1980s.
Local anglers casting their lines there have caught everything from common snappers and catfish to various EYE-CATCHING (3D) species of shark and stingray that you definitely wouldn’t find at FairPrice XTRA (14A) or even at the most FANCY (5A) of grocery stores.
Not all of these fish are suitable for cooking at a BBQ (20A) gathering. Some are known to be endangered and the National Parks Board is planning to study the marine fish communities around Bedok Jetty, even as preparatory works for the reclamation of the nearby Long Island are slated to start by the end of 2026.
Information boards at Bedok Jetty help anglers recognise the common species of fish that can be caught there and advise them to release juvenile fish or endangered species.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
Local anglers are not legally OBLIGED (27A) to practise catch-and-release fishing, but they are encouraged to do so. NParks and conservation group Marine Stewards Singapore have collaborated to put up information boards at Bedok Jetty, which ASK (6D) anglers to release any juvenile fish or protected species they may catch.
Anyway, that is enough fishy business. Here are a few other noteworthy clues:
9A. As a rookie reporter, I didn’t go anywhere without a NOTEPAD in my pocket. Nowadays, you are far more likely to see journalists holding their smartphones aloft with an artificial intelligence-assisted transcription app running, rather than scribbling notes on paper.
19A. CHIA seeds are a popular health food often found in smoothies and puddings. Edward Chia is the MP for Zhenghua ward in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. They are not related.
21A. In the popular comic series The Adventures Of Tintin, THOMSON and Thompson are a pair of bumbling detectives who are also not related to each other, despite their near-identical appearances. Neither are they related to the Thomson-East Coast Line, probably.
2D. To give your two cents means to share your OPINION. There is some debate over the origin of the phrase, but its usage dates back to the 1920s at least. That means, after accounting for inflation, your opinion could be worth 33 cents or more today.
7D. Turn on the TV and you can tune in to CHANNEL 5, 8 or U. When I was growing up, the phrase “Eh, Channel 5 please” was a common semi-humorous way to ask one’s peers to speak English instead of their mother tongue. Do people still say that?
16D. UMBRAGE refers to [Offence taken at a perceived slight]. In 2021, the word went viral in Singapore and inspired numerous memes after then-chief executive of Singapore Press Holdings Ng Yat Chung said he took umbrage at a CNA reporter’s question during a press conference. Ng later apologised for his comment.
Book recommendations
Let the week’s clues inspire your next read, courtesy of NLB. Follow the links to borrow.
22A. “People talking directly to one another, then letting the MANAGER find out later, was more efficient than trying to make sure that everything happened in the ‘right’ order and through the ‘proper’ channels.” – Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
2D. “See, this is my OPINION: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls.” – Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon
4D. “The setting SUN is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring.” – Walden Or, Life In The Woods by Henry David Thoreau
Across
1. Bouquet components (7): FLOWERS
5. Atas (5): FANCY
8. Rain or _____ (5): SHINE
9. Journalist’s jotting surface (7): NOTEPAD
11. What a copycat aims to do (7): IMITATE
13. Popular game with a “Draw Four” card (3): UNO
14. FairPrice’s hypermarket retail format (4): XTRA
15. SAR 21, say (3): GUN
17. Word after bird or swine (3): FLU
19. Edible seed, or Edward in Parliament (4): CHIA
20. Satay-grilling gathering, for short (3): BBQ
21. The T in TEL, or one of Tintin’s detective pals (7): THOMSON
22. One a difficult customer may demand to see (7): MANAGER
25. “Piece of cake” or “break a leg”, e.g. (5): IDIOM
26. Free coffee and flexible hours, say (5): PERKS
27. Accommodated, as a request (7): OBLIGED
Down
1. Ramadan practice (7): FASTING
2. Two cents, maybe (7): OPINION
3. Visually striking (3-8): EYE-CATCHING
4. Symbol on the flags of Taiwan, Nepal and the Philippines (3): SUN
6. Had something to makan (3): ATE
7. 5, 8 or U, e.g. (7): CHANNEL
10. Possessive, like a dog defending its turf (11): TERRITORIAL
12. Brit based in Bukit Timah, perhaps (5): EXPAT
16. Offence taken at a perceived slight (7): UMBRAGE
17. Popular pastime at Bedok Jetty (7): FISHING
18. Anonymous (7): UNNAMED
23. Request an answer (3): ASK
24. ___ de Janeiro (3): RIO
If you have any feedback, feel free to write to us at stgames@sph.com.sg. See you next week!
