Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29179 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 11, 2019 | |
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29179] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops | |
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
I would say — and visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog would seem to agree by at least a narrow margin — that today's puzzle from Giovanni is a tad easier than those we have experienced recently.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 & 3a | Chief's not tense -- with new order needed, // won't make decision (4,2,3,5) |
| 3a | See 1 Across |
| 9a | Has // grown somewhat, but not to maximum extent (4) |
| 10a | A wood // easily cut up, not one proving awkward (10) |
The eucalyptus[5] (also eucalypt) is a fast-growing evergreen Australasian tree that has been widely introduced elsewhere. It is valued for its timber, oil, gum, resin, and as an ornamental tree.
| 11a | Drawings -- // a hundred by artist, that initiator of surrealism (7) |
"artist " = RA
A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.
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A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.
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The determiner* yon[10] is an archaic or mainly Scottish and Northern England dialect word for 'that' ⇒
yon man.
* When did this word "determiner" arrive on the scene? When I studied grammar, was this not known as a demonstrative pronoun? Am I seriously dating myself?
A crayon[10] is a drawing made with crayons — in the same way that a charcoal[10] is a drawing done in charcoal.
| 13a | Looking after // the final bit, putting time to it (7) |
| 14a | Opposes // board going by the book (11) |
In cryptic crosswords, it is not uncommon to find the word COUNTER being clued as "board". Although I have yet to find a dictionary that shows these words as synonyms, dictionaries do list both words as meaning 'table':
- A counter[10] is (in some cafeterias) a long table on which food is served to customers.
- Board[5,10] is an archaic term for a table, especially one used for eating at, and especially when laden with food ⇒
he looked at the banquet which was spread upon his board
.
| 18a | Iron Madame with big drink /seen as/ a dangerous woman (5,6) |
The symbol for the chemical element iron is Fe[5] (from Latin ferrum).
Madame[5] (abbreviation Mme[5]) is a title or form of address used of or to a French-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs.
A femme fatale[5] is an attractive and seductive woman, especially one who will ultimately cause distress to a man who becomes involved with her ⇒
a femme fatale who plays one man off against another in pursuit of money.
Scratching the Surface
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| Could this clue possibly be an allusion to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher[5] who was known as "The Iron Lady"? |
| 21a | Soon /to be given/ new role in engineering (7) |
| 22a | Dafter // chief about to start row (7) |
Daft[10] is a mainly British term that can mean (among other things):
- (offensive slang) insane
- (informal) extremely fond (of)
- mad or crazy ⇒
he's driving me potty
- extremely enthusiastic about or fond of someone or something ⇒
she's potty about you
| 23a | Bend and creak awkwardly around area /in/ jerky movement (5-5) |
| 24a | See 26 Across |
| 25a | Mega-Tory -- he worked out // principles designed to bring success (4,6) |
Game theory[5] (also games theory) is the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of strategies for dealing with competitive situations where the outcome of a participant's choice of action depends critically on the actions of other participants. Game theory has been applied to contexts in war, business, and biology.
| 26a & 24a | A deed, say, that's tricky or very simple (4,4) |
Down
| 1d | Work about to take place in store // -- a bit of plumbing (8) |
"work " = OP [opus]
In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
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In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
he was writing an opus on Mexico.
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A stopcock[5] is an externally operated valve regulating the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe, in particular one on the water main supplying a house ⇒
in many houses, the main stopcock is situated under the kitchen sink.
| 2d | Element // important, aluminium? Find it in here (8) |
Tantalum[5] (symbol Ta) is the chemical element of atomic number 73, a hard silver-grey metal of the transition series. (show more )
Tantalum is rare in nature and usually occurs in association with niobium, which it resembles. Tantalum alloys have some specialized uses, and the metal was formerly used for electric light filaments.
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Tantalum is rare in nature and usually occurs in association with niobium, which it resembles. Tantalum alloys have some specialized uses, and the metal was formerly used for electric light filaments.
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| 4d | Words /from/ religious women conveying love (5) |
"love " = O [nil score in tennis]
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
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In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
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| 5d | To listen to terrible cheat /brings/ grief (9) |
| 6d | Getting both feet off the ground in initial movement? (6,5) |
| 7d | Name given to one fool? Yes! (6) |
Here, the entire clue is the definition, a cryptic statement telling us that the solution is a "name given to one fool". The portion of the clue marked with a double underline, in addition to being part of the definition, also provides the wordplay.
| 8d | Standard /set by/ US officer (6) |
A standard[5] is a military or ceremonial flag carried on a pole or hoisted on a rope.
In the US and some other
navies (show more ), an ensign[5]
is the lowest rank of commissioned officer, above chief warrant officer and below lieutenant.
Ensign[7] is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank acquired the name. This rank has generally been replaced in army ranks by second lieutenant. Ensigns were generally the lowest ranking commissioned officer, except where the rank of subaltern existed. In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign derives from the command of units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is today the equivalent of a major general.
French-speaking Canadian Naval officers also use the terms of enseigne de vaisseau de deuxième classe and de première classe as the French term for acting sub-lieutenant and sub-lieutenant respectively. However, French-Canadian sub-lieutenants use the short form of enseigne instead of lieutenant.
The rank "ensign" is also used to refer to second lieutenants (NATO OF-1) in household regiments of the Canadian Army.
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Ensign[7] is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank acquired the name. This rank has generally been replaced in army ranks by second lieutenant. Ensigns were generally the lowest ranking commissioned officer, except where the rank of subaltern existed. In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign derives from the command of units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is today the equivalent of a major general.
French-speaking Canadian Naval officers also use the terms of enseigne de vaisseau de deuxième classe and de première classe as the French term for acting sub-lieutenant and sub-lieutenant respectively. However, French-Canadian sub-lieutenants use the short form of enseigne instead of lieutenant.
The rank "ensign" is also used to refer to second lieutenants (NATO OF-1) in household regiments of the Canadian Army.
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| 12d | Having lost money // fallen through hole in trousers? (3,2,6) |
| 15d | Sort of rapid movement -- a tiger about // to move to new territory again (9) |
Rapid eye movement[10] (abbreviation REM) is the movement of the eyeballs under closed eyelids during paradoxical sleep*, which occurs while the sleeper is dreaming.
* Paradoxical sleep[10] is sleep that appears to be deep but is characterized by a brain wave pattern similar to that of wakefulness, rapid eye movements, and heavier breathing.
| 16d | Get soaked // in the sea with total immersion for a time (8) |
The wordplay is MARINE (in the sea) containing (with total immersion for) {A [from the clue] + T(ime)}
| 17d | Bore the cost of // action involving conflict (8) |
| 19d | One going to pot, getting into hot water? (3,3) |
| 20d | Think again, presumably, /and/ save (6) |
A double definition, the first being whimsical.
| 22d | Publicity about star // horse not very good? (5) |
I thought that this must be a triple definition with the second definition being "horse" and the third definition being "not very good". To justify this hypothesis, I searched in vain for some hitherto unknown bit of British slang. But it seems that the second definition really is "horse not very good". This seems to me like saying that a swimmer who specializes in one stroke, the butterfly for example, is "not very good" in relation to one who specializes in some other stroke.
From a British persprective, pacer[5] is a US term [Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online), as usual, is oblivious* to the existence of Canada] for a horse bred or trained to pace, used in some types of [harness] racing.
* Lexico also defines harness racing[5] as another term for trotting, completely ignoring pacing.
In harness racing[7], horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace) pulling a two-wheeled cart called a sulky. A trotter moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs (right front and left hind, then left front and right hind striking the ground simultaneously), whereas a pacer moves its legs laterally (right front and right hind together, then left front and left hind).
In continental Europe, races are conducted exclusively among trotters, whereas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States races are also held for pacers. In fact, pacing races constitute 80% to 90% of the harness races conducted in North America. Pacing horses are faster* and (most important to the bettor) less likely to break stride (a horse which starts to gallop must be slowed down and taken to the outside until it resumes trotting or pacing).
* and thereby "not very good"?
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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