Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29185 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 18, 2019 | |
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29185] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat | |
BD Rating
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| 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
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Introduction
For me, this was certainly not as easy as it seems to have been for most Brits. However, even a great many of them had difficulty coming to grips with 6a and 7d.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
| 6a | Group of soldiers // that may protect judge in fiery situation? (5,2,6) |
The wordplay is a whimsical description of a device that protects a judge from sparks emitted by a fireplace.
Honour[10] (preceded by Your, His, or Her) is a title used to or of certain judges.
A fireguard[5]* is a protective screen or grid placed in front of an open fire.
* Although I was unable to find it defined as such in any of several dictionaries that I consulted, one can easily imagine that the term "fireguard" might be shortened to simply "guard" under some circumstances in colloquial speech.
A guard of honour[5] is a group of soldiers detailed to ceremonially welcome an important visitor.
| 8a | British character of old sent to India /or/ another country (6) |
A rune[5] is a letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet, related to the Roman alphabet.
"India " = I [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, India[5] is a code word representing the letter I.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, India[5] is a code word representing the letter I.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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Brunei[5] (official name Brunei Darussalam) is a small oil-rich constitutional sultanate on the
north-western coast of Borneo, divided by parts of Malaysia's state of
Sarawak. (show more )
In the 16th century Brunei dominated Borneo and parts of the Philippines, but its power declined as that of the Portuguese and Dutch grew, and in 1888 it was placed under British protection. It became a fully independent Commonwealth state in 1984.
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In the 16th century Brunei dominated Borneo and parts of the Philippines, but its power declined as that of the Portuguese and Dutch grew, and in 1888 it was placed under British protection. It became a fully independent Commonwealth state in 1984.
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| 9a | Means of communicating // protracted greeting (4,4) |
Long wave[5] is a means of broadcasting using radio waves of 1 to 10 km wavelength (frequencies below 300 kHz) ⇒
listening to BBC Radio 4 on long wave.
Post Mortem
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| Entering LONGHAND here (in the process, failing to notice that it does not match the numeration provided) made 5d and 7d impossible. Once I had sorted out 7d with a bit of electronic help, the solutions to 9a and 5d immediately became evident. |
| 10a | Slide /or/ jump, but not quietly (3) |
| 11a | Someone full of energy /needs/ to eat a bit reportedly (6) |
"a bit " = MO
Mo (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5,14], chiefly British[2,4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British and two US dictionaries do not specify that it is British[1,11,12]. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in my third US dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
hide
Mo (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
hang on a mo!.
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5,14], chiefly British[2,4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British and two US dictionaries do not specify that it is British[1,11,12]. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in my third US dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
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| 12a | Objection to solution to clue? // Please say nothing! (3,1,4) |
| 14a | Report of joints at back of pub /creating/ rows (7) |
Barney[5] is an informal British term for a quarrel, especially a noisy one ⇒
we had a barney about his being drunk.
| 16a | There's rumbling -- fifty will go inside // refuge (7) |
| 20a | Wandering round abroad, the Parisian /is/ charming (8) |
| 23a | Approaching // sign within hospital? (6) |
| 24a | Idiot /in/ religious service losing head (3) |
Mass[5] is the celebration of the Christian Eucharist*, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.
* Eucharist[5] (also known as Communion[5]) is the Christian service, ceremony, or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.
| 25a | Endless lament by newspaper employee, // one wanting money (8) |
| 26a | Returning in flashy car, I propose // unauthorised activity (6) |
| 27a | They may help folk get things off their chest (13) |
Down
| 1d | Keep // mum at home? Isn't to be kept in (8) |
| 2d | Lady needing end of wall hidden has installed screen, /as/ recommended (8) |
Advisory[5] is used in the sense recommended but not compulsory ⇒
the EC has put forward an advisory maximum figure.
| 3d | Not connected, // like the one that got away? (3-4) |
| 4d | Instrument /in/ my bag (6) |
Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒
Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.
A cornet[5] is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but shorter and wider.
| 5d | Pet that may be on lead /in/ front -- gosh! (6) |
Lead[5] is a British* term for leash, a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other domestic animal ⇒
the dog is our constant walking companion and is always kept on a lead.
* Despite being characterized as a British term by Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online), the word lead[3] is found in The American Heritage Dictionary as another name for a leash.
| 6d | Merry and deranged drunk /gets/ manipulated politically (13) |
Gerrymander[5] means to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favour one party or class.
| 7d | Rows after areas have dried up due to climate change? (5-8) |
Even though I think I understand all the underlying elements involved in this whimsical cryptic definition, the clue really does not work for me. I guess one has to be a native practitioner of Brit-speak. On the other hand, as evidenced by the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, most Brits seemed equally mystified by it.
I think the clue may be a play on the meaning of terrace in architecture on the one hand and in geology on the other.
Terrace[5] is a British term for:
- a row of houses built in one block in a uniform style ⇒
an attractive Regency terrace
- an individual house in a terrace* ⇒
modern furniture looks out of place in your Victorian terrace
A river-terrace[2] is a [geological] terrace formed when a river eats away the old alluvium deposited when its flood-level was higher.
Scratching the Surface
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| In the surface reading, we are likely expected to interpret the word "rows" as meaning "arguments". |
| 13d | Drink // Aileen's regularly taken (3) |
| 15d | Greek character /in/ separatist organisation (3) |
Eta[5] is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (Η, η).
ETA[5] is a Basque separatist movement in Spain, founded in 1959.
Origin: Basque acronym, from Euzkadi ta Azkatasuna ‘Basque homeland and liberty’.
| 17d | Popular nightclubs, // potentially dangerous places (3,5) |
| 18d | 'Look!', you and I call, // sinking (8) |
Ring[3] (often used with up) is a chiefly British term meaning to call (someone) on the telephone ⇒ (i)
She rang me at noon; (ii)
Let's ring her up.
| 19d | Pounds obtained for working // found out (7) |
pounds " = L [British monetary unit]
The pound[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. While the symbol for pound is £, it is often written as L[10].
The Chambers Dictionary defines the upper case L[1] as the abbreviation for pound sterling (usually written £) and the lower case l[1] as the abbreviation for pound weight (usually written lb) — both deriving from the Latin word libra* .
* In ancient Rome, the libra[5] was a unit of weight, equivalent to 12 ounces (0.34 kg). It was the forerunner of the pound.
hide explanation
The pound[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. While the symbol for pound is £, it is often written as L[10].
The Chambers Dictionary defines the upper case L[1] as the abbreviation for pound sterling (usually written £) and the lower case l[1] as the abbreviation for pound weight (usually written lb) — both deriving from the Latin word libra* .
* In ancient Rome, the libra[5] was a unit of weight, equivalent to 12 ounces (0.34 kg). It was the forerunner of the pound.
hide explanation
| 21d | The German turned up to take part /and/ prepare for presentation (6) |
"the German " = DER
| 22d | Like something pungent? // Crooner captures it (6) |
Bing Crosby[5] (1903–1977) was an American singer and actor; born Harry Lillis Crosby. His songs include "White Christmas" (from the film Holiday Inn, 1942). He also starred in a series of films (1940–62) with Bob Hope (1903–2003) and Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996).
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for today — Falcon
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
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