Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26345 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, September 14, 2010 | |
Setter Shamus | |
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26345] | |
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza | |
Big Dave's Rating | |
| Difficulty - *** | Enjoyment - *** |
Falcon's Performance *** | |
Introduction
I failed to realize that today's puzzle is a pangram - a puzzle in which the solutions incorporate every letter of the alphabet. However, it didn't escape the notice of the ever sharp-eyed folks at Big Dave's Blog.
I have long ago realized that the clues that one fails to solve are not necessarily the most difficult ones. Sometimes an individual just seems to have a mental block on a particular clue. So it was for me today. I was kicking myself for needing electronic assistance for a couple of really straightforward clues.
Perhaps I could have given myself an additional star today, since after using my electronic aids to help solve three or four clues in the bottom half of the puzzle, I found myself able to complete unaided the remaining (totally unrelated) clues in the top half of the puzzle.
Yesterday, I somehow managed to paste the wrong URL into the link to Big Dave's site. That has now been fixed. My apologies to those who were affected by it.
Today's Glossary
Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues:
Redgrave - British actress Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave or Jemma Redgrave. The clue attempts to misdirect us to Steve Redgrave, an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
Appearing in Solutions:
B2 - abbreviation 3 International Vehicle Registration code Belgium.
It would be interesting to know why this is considered an abbreviation as opposed to a symbol (see commentary on the use of K below).EC (Eastern Central) postcode area (also known as the London EC postcode area) - a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London Boroughs.
K3 - abbreviation 5 cards king. 6 chess knight.
K4 - symbol 3 chess king.
plumb - [Collins English Dictionary] verb 4. to connect or join (a device such as a tap) to a water pipe or drainage system
The word plumber undoubtedly is derived from this meaning of plumb. However, to the best of my knowledge, the word plumb is not used in this sense in North America, although the word plumber certainly is. As evidence, note that the entry from the American Heritage Dictionary at the same site does not include this meaning.RA - abbreviation [3rd entry] (in the UK) Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts
the sharp end - phrase 1 [2nd entry] the most risky or unpleasant part of a system or activity: businessmen are at the sharp end of the recession
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.
24a Principal knight is harsh (5)
In modern chess notation, the symbol for king is K and that for knight is N. However, according to the Search Chambers website, K can mean either of the following:
So I guess today we need an abbreviation and not a symbol.
Signing off for today - Falcon
In 24a I don't think that knight is necessarily chess-related. It can refer to a person who's been knighted and appears in abbreviations such as KBE (Knight Commander of the order of the British Empire).
ReplyDeleteGazza
This one was a challenge... needed a hard slog through the thesaurus to get the last half dozen or so. Last in: 6d, 25a, 2d, 1a, 20d, and finally 28a!
ReplyDeleteDidn't get 1a till I had ALL the checking letters. :)
Filled in 29a without knowing why, thanks for the explanation.
Like yourself, I didn't realize it was a pangram! Must remember to look for that. :)
- Pete
PS, my fave clue: 18a!
ReplyDelete- Pete