Thursday, April 30, 2020

Thursday, April 30, 2020 — DT 29175

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29175
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, October 7, 2019
Setter
Uncredited — likely Campbell (Allan Scott)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29175]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops
BD Rating
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

Introduction

An especially gentle puzzle today — easy even by "Monday" standards.

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
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

7a   Apricot tart contains // soft cheese (7)

Ricotta[2] is a soft white unsalted Italian curd cheese made from sheep's or cow's milk and often used in sauces for ravioli, lasagne, etc.

9a   Theatrical company rented playhouse, finally // full (7)

Rep[2,5] is an informal short form for repertory theatre (also simply repertory).  It can refer either to the practice of performing of various plays, operas, or ballets by a company at regular short intervals ⇒ once, when I was in rep, I learned Iago in three days) or to a repertory theatre or company ⇒ the Birmingham Rep*.

* Birmingham Repertory Theatre[7], commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a theatre located in Birmingham, England.

"rented" = LET (show explanation )

Let[5] is a British* term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i) she let the flat [apartment] to a tenant; (ii) they’ve let out their house.

* However, based on its appearance in US dictionaries, I seriously doubt that this word is quite as British as Lexico (formely Oxford Dictionaries Online) would have us believe.[3,11]

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10a   Waterway // shown in plan, a channel to the west (5)

11a   One responsible for arranging // rare song, I suspect (9)

12a   Deliberately ignore // the alternative method after search (4,3,5,3)

13a   Perhaps Ulster/'s/ best film (7)

An ulster[5] is a man’s long, loose overcoat of rough cloth, typically with a belt at the back.

Scratching the Surface
Ulster[10] is a widely-used [albeit considered inaccurate by many*] informal name for the UK province of Northern Ireland. 

* Historically Ulster was a province and former kingdom of northern Ireland which passed to the English Crown in 1461. In the 17th century, confiscated land was given to English and Scottish Protestant settlers giving rise to serious long-term conflict. Ulster was partitioned in 1921, with six counties [Antrim, Down, Armagh, Londonderry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh] forming Northern Ireland (a province within the United Kingdom) and three counties [Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan] joining the Republic of Ireland.

16a   One feels // queen should be repelled by insect (7)

Anne[7] (1665–1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.

19a  This may prove a comfort to one who's just retired (8,7)

Retired ... but merely for the night.

23a   Spirit /of/ leading investor (9)

In general use, an archangel[5] is an angel of greater than ordinary rank; more specifically, in traditional Christian angelology, a being of the eighth-highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.

24a   Piece of furniture, // one skirted by cleaner (5)

Char[5] is an informal British term for charwoman[5] (or charlady[5]), a dated British name for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes this cleaner as your daily Mrs Mop (sic).
His comment is an allusion to a character from the BBC radio comedy programme It's That Man Again[7] (or, commonly, ITMA) which ran from 1939 to 1949. It featured popular characters such as Colonel Chinstrap and Mrs. Mopp in comic situations often related to current war news. ITMA was credited with sustaining wartime morale.

The programme generated certain catchphrases that long outlived the series — among them being cleaning lady Mrs Mopp's query "Can I Do* You Now, Sir?".

* Do[5] is an informal British expression meaning to do the cleaning for a person or household Florrie usually did for the Shermans in the mornings. Of course, it has other connotations as well!

The title ITMA refers to a contemporary phrase concerning the ever more frequent news-stories about Nazi leader Adolph Hitler in the lead-up to the Second World War.

25a   A male aboard pilot // ship (7)

26a   Order to economise /is/ to no avail (7)

Down

1d   Pair allowed /in/ band (8)

A brace[10] is a pair, especially of game birds ⇒ a brace of partridges.

2d   Knife // fight about it upset student (8)

"student " = L [driver under instruction]

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

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Automobile displaying an L-plate

3d   Old man having part to play /in/ prisoner's conditional release (6)

4d   Bum /in/ boozer (6)

Scratching the Surface
In British English, boozer[5] is not only an informal term for a person who drinks large quantities of alcohol but also an informal term for a pub or bar.

5d   Whingers disconcerted // US composer (8)

George Gershwin[5] (1898–1937) was an American composer and pianist, of Russian-Jewish descent; born Jacob Gershovitz. He composed many successful songs and musicals, the orchestral work Rhapsody in Blue (1924), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935). The lyrics for many of these were written by his brother Ira Gershwin (1896–1983).

Here and There
Whereas North Americans merely whine, it would seem that Brits both whine and whinge.

Whinge[5] is an informal British term that means:
  • (verb) to complain persistently and in a peevish or irritating way ⇒ stop whingeing and get on with it! 
  • (noun) an act of complaining persistently and peevishly ⇒ she let off steam by having a good whinge
This would seem to connote a stronger level of complaint than a whine[5] which is defined as:
  • (verb) to complain in a feeble or petulant way (i) she began to whine about how hard she had been forced to work; (ii) My legs ache,’ he whined
  • (noun) a feeble or petulant complaint a constant whine about the quality of public services

6d   Courage shown by last in convoy /in/ sound (6)

Hearty[5] is used in the sense of (said of a person) strong and healthy a formidably hearty spinster of fifty-five.

8d   Against having party /in/ flat (5)

"party " = DO

Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event the soccer club Christmas do.

* although Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12] supports the contention by Oxford Dictionaries Online[5] that this usage is British, two other US dictionaries do not characterize do[3,11] used in this sense as a British term

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Here and There
Flat[5] is the British term for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America. (show more )

The term apartment is used in Britain, but seemingly in a more restricted sense than in North America applying to either temporary or upscale accommodation.

As Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) puts it, an apartment[5] is:
  • (British) a flat, typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays [vacations] ⇒ self-catering holiday apartments;
  • (North American) any flat ⇒ the family lived in a rented apartment.
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9d   Great at manoeuvring /in/ series of yacht races? (7)

14d   Representative turned up, ringing about a church // minister (8)

15d   Provoke // tense scaffolder? (7)

A rigger[5] is a person who erects and maintains scaffolding, cranes, etc. ⇒ I rely upon labourers, riggers, and construction workers.

17d   Not this dear French // stateswoman (8)

The masculine form of the French word for dear is cher[8].

Margaret Thatcher[5], Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven (1925–2013) was a British Conservative stateswoman, prime minister 1979–90. She was the country's first female prime minister, and became the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century.

18d   Star /in/ East, twinkling, seen by chance (8)

19d   Undergraduate ultimately failing // to pass (6)

20d   Shock /finding/ uniform inside streetcar, American (6)

"uniform " = U [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]

In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*Uniform[5] is a code word representing the letter U.

* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet

hide

Tram[5] (also tramcar) is a British term for streetcar[5], a passenger vehicle powered by electricity conveyed by overhead cables, and running on rails laid in a public road.

21d  Remark addressed to a back-seat driver that's double-edged? (4,2)

Belt up[5] is an informal British admonishment to be quiet ⇒ for God's sake, belt up.

22d   Jack, // deceitful man (5)




{END COMMON TEMPLATE}
{START EPILOGUE TEMPLATE}

Epilogue

{Insert EPILOGUE here}

{END EPILOGUE TEMPLATE}
{START RESOURCES TEMPLATE}

Symbols:
En dash : –
Em dash : —
Bullet : •

Dashed underline (transparent): [xx]

Dotted underline (transparent): [xx]

Double underline (transparent): [xx]

Solid underline (transparent): [xx]

Dropped dashed underline (transparent): [xx]

Dropped dotted underline (transparent): [xx]

Dropped solid underline (transparent): [xx]

To double underline:
Outer span style: style="border-bottom: 2px dotted; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 3px;"
Inner span style: style="border-bottom: 2px dashed;"

5d   {content_inner_1}{content_inner_2}{content_inner_3}{content_inner_4}{content_inner_5}{content_inner_6}{content_outer} (7)

Arrow bullet (single) : ⇒ X. [code = &_#8658; (remove "_")]
Arrow bullet (multiple) : ⇒ (i) X; (ii) X. [code = &_#8658; (remove "_")]

HTML center code: style="text-align: center;"
HTML code to stop text wrapping: br clear="left|right|all"
HTML show/hide code (insert following id="examplex"): onclick="showHide('outsize_OS');return false;"

Image dimensions: (original) 560 x 315; 420 x 236; (in box) 400 x 225;

Code to disable related videos on YouTube embed: ?rel=0 at end of URL

To make background transparent use Online Image Editor (https://www.online-image-editor.com/)

To remove white border around images place style="border: 0px;" in the image tag

To insert "Listen" button (copy and past in HTML window): ()

To remove bullets from an unordered list place style="list-style-type: none;" in the ul tag

To create a left-aligned horizontal line place style="margin-left: 0; text-align: left; width: 75%;" in the hr tag

{content}

{Main text* }

* {Subtext}


Scratching the Surface
Delving Deeper
Here and There
The Story Behind the Picture
In the surface reading, {content}


What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops writes ....
{content}

What are they talking about?
On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, {commenter(s)} write(s) ....
{content}

Link to resources : "link text"
Superscript : [1] .[2] .[3] .[4] .[5] .[6] .[7] .[8] .[9] .[10] .

{Visible Text} (show explanation )

{Invisible Text}

hide

[#]


[#]

[#]{Main text* }

* {Subtext}
[#]

[#]{Anchor} .

Origin: 
[#]

{Anchor} .

Facts:


{END RESOURCES TEMPLATE}
{START SIGNOFF TEMPLATE}

Key to Reference Sources: 

[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)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Wednesday, April 29, 2020 — DT 29174

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29174
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29174 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29174 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
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
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

This is a puzzle where the setter has laid lots of traps and I had to battle for every inch of territory. However, with considerable perseverance, I eventually managed to prevail without resorting to electronic aids.

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
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a  They boost growth /of/ young theatre audiences (11)

7a  Barnet's gone flat? You should 'ave this // emergency action (7)

If the setter drops an H in the wordplay, the solver is expected to do likewise in the solution.

Barnet[5] is an informal British term for a person's hair ⇒ It was an American era of big moustaches, buffed-up barnets, industrial-strength sideburns and intimidating, tightly permed chest hair.

Origin: From rhyming slang barnet fair, the name of a famous horse fair held at Barnet, Hertfordshire.

What did she say?
In her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, crypticsue writes A Cockney might refer to his hair as his ‘barnet’ ....

Cockneys[5,10], the natives of that part of East London known as the East End[5], speak a dialect (also known as cockney) that is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang (show explanation ).

Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.

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8a   Sell // cars? (7)

Double definition. The question mark indicates that cars are but an example of what might constitute the solution.

10a   Heard grower identify // drug dealer? (8)

This is a speak like a Brit homonym. Pronounced in a non-rhotic (show explanation ) accent typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), the word "FARMER" sounds like "FAHMAH" and the word "PHARMACY" sounds like "PHAHMACY" .

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

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I consider the definition to be cryptic as I am sure the owner of this establishment would much prefer to be known as a purveyor of pharmaceuticals.

11a   Watering hole // state's sited in Etna's core (6)

Cryptic or Not?
What is a cryptic definition and what is not a cryptic definition? "Watering hole" is a metaphorical allusion to a tavern as a place where animals congregate to drink. Although this bears all the hallmarks of a cryptic definition, I have not marked it as such because it is a commonly used expression for a drinking establishment.

On the other hand, in reference to 1a, 'growth booster' is not a well-known term for a greenhouse. Neither is it an entirely straightforward description of what a greenhouse does. Thus I have not considered the definition there to be cryptic.

As a further example, in 5d, "they keep water out" is a fairly straightforward description of what a seawall does and so I do not consider it to be cryptic.

Admittedly, the classification decision is not always clear-cut and often rather subjective.

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading is certainly a bit bizarre, to say the least.

Mount Etna[5] is a volcano in eastern Sicily, rising to 3,323 m (10,902 ft). It is the highest and most active volcano in Europe.

13a   Free // love then dash off (4)

Dash off ... as one would a handwritten note.

14a   One reckons // copper should cut appeal and roll over (10)

"copper " = CU

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu[5] (from late Latin cuprum).

hide

Rota[5] is a British term for a list showing when each of a number of people has to do a particular job ⇒ a cleaning rota.

16a   Absurd /and/ sadly ludicrous one should wear that (10)

How's That?
On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, crypticsue explains the wordplay thus:
  • An anagram (sadly) of LUDICROUS ‘wearing’ or going round I (one)
For those attempting to follow this explanation, let me point out that she appears to have made a bit of an error*. She is correct in saying that "LUDICROUS [is] going round I (one)". However, she is incorrect in saying that "LUDICROUS [is] ‘wearing’ I (one)"; in actual fact, "LUDICROUS ‘is being worn by’ I (one)" or, in other words, "I (one) is wearing LUDICROUS". I'm sure this was nothing more than a moment of inattention by a very busy lady who manages to solve as many puzzles in a day as I do in a week.

Looking at the wordplay in more detail, we can see that it provides a series of two steps for the solver to follow. To make matters more challenging, the demarcation between the steps is not shown. Thus the solver must decipher where one step ends and the next begins. The first step is "sadly ludicrous" or an anagram of LUDICROUS. The second step is "one should wear that" ['that' referring to the result of Step 1]. Thus putting it all together, we have "I (one) should wear an anagram of LUDICROUS".

18a   Animal // pound holds up to twelve in the day (4)

21a   It's mad busting // in (6)

22a  One saves offshore // if able to, getting conversion (8)

If you thought immediately of a foreign tax haven, then the setter achieved his objective.

24a   Record's verse // part (7)

"record " = EP

EP[10] (abbreviation for extended-play) is one of the formats in which music is sold, usually comprising four or five tracks. An EP contains more cuts than a single[5] but fewer than an LP or long-playing[5] record.

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25a   Rehearsed // section of orchestra in Edinburgh (7)

26a  More than one follower in family // and sect ends badly (11)

More misdirection from the setter. Hand's up everyone who thought of a family like that of Charlie Manson[7].

Down

1d   Scraps // clothes used before maturity (7)

2d   Mystery // ingredient of Seagram gin -- enjoyment's up! (6)

What a Disaster!
In its roughly 140 year history, Seagram Company[7] rose from a small distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario in the mid-1800s, to be a Canadian multinational conglomerate that was the largest owner of alcoholic beverage lines in the world. However, in the mid-1990s control of the company passed to the next generation in the person of Edgar Bronfman Jr. and it did not take long for the once proud company to be destroyed. By the turn of the century, the company's assets had been sold off piecemeal to buyers around the world. Charles Bronfman (uncle of Bronfman Jr.) stated that the decisions leading to the demise of Seagram was "a disaster, it is a disaster, it will be a disaster...It was a family tragedy."

3d   Pronounced // absence of frozen stuff used in eating place (10)

4d   Little beasts, knocking off street // food (4)

The stoat[5] (also known as the ermine, especially when in its white winter coat) is a small carnivorous mammal (Mustela erminea) of the weasel family which has chestnut fur with white underparts and a black-tipped tail. It is native to both Eurasia and North America and in northern areas the coat turns white in winter. In North America, it is known as the short-tailed weasel.

5d   They keep water out // as well as looking different (3,5)

6d   To get a rise, Foreign Office's exam /is/ least difficult (7)

Foreign Office[5] (abbreviation FO[5]) is short for Foreign and Commonwealth Office[5], the British government department dealing with foreign affairs. [You may recall having seen this term appear recently in my continuing series on abbreviations used in cryptic crossword puzzles.]

7d   Accepted // lift (11)

9d   Given // change but no credit (11)

12d   Familiar // sweet filling maestro put on starter for dinner (10)

Sweet[5] is used in the sense of charming and endearing.

Maestro[10] is used in the sense of any man regarded as the master of an art: often used as a term of address.

15d  When they meet, something usually gets nicked (8)

Scratching the Surface
It is highly likely that there is a bit of intended misdirection here based on nick[5] being an informal British term meaning to steal ⇒ she nicked fivers from the till.

17d  Came to worship from north and south (7)

I see the entire clue as a cryptic definition which has an embedded precise definition. The double underline identifies the precise definition while the dotted underline marks the cryptic elaboration that tells us that the precise definition is a palindrome.

19d   Numbers /getting/ answer peak, with small following (7)

"small " = S [clothing size]

S[5] is the abbreviation for small (as a clothing size).

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20d   Secure once more, // say, entering shower? (6)

23d   Sounds like the inevitable // event for charity (4)

Fete[5] (also fête) is a British term for a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments ⇒ a church fete.
Key to Reference Sources: 

[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)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 — DT 29173

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29173
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 4, 2019
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29173]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat
BD Rating
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

Introduction

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat tells us that he "was close to awarding **** for difficulty". Well, I certainly have no hesitation in voting in support of that extra star for difficulty.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Abbreviations — Part XIX

In our ongoing examination of abbreviations that have appeared over the years, today we look at those related to transportation. I've stretched the category to include a term from motorsport given that it is featured in today's puzzle. Once again, we see that rarely is anything too old or too obscure to show up in a puzzle.

AbbreviationStands forAdditional Information
BEABritish European AirwaysBritish airline that ceased operations in 1974.
F1Formula OneHighest class of single-seat auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
GTGran Turismo (Italian)In English, "grand touring"; a fast but comfortable sports car.
GTOGran Turismo Omogato (Italian)
Pontiac muscle car named for Ferrari GTO race car; production ceased in 1974. the Italian term means "officially certified for racing in the grand touring class".
IInterstateAs the Brits would say "a US motorway [see below] running between states".
MMotorwayBritish name for a controlled access divided highway
M1Motorway between London and LeedsUsed by setters to clue the letter combination MI.
MOTMinistry of TransportShort for MOT test, a compulsory annual test for safety and exhaust emissions in the UK.
SRSouthern Region (originally Southern Railway)
The name changed in 1948 when the old Southern Railway became an operating unit within the newly formed British Railways; ceased to exist in 1992.

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
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
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Across

1a   Doris cavorting by couch, // undressed (8)

6a   Office worker // is pretty stupid, about to be sacked (6)

Post Mortem
I'm afraid that I missed both the anagram and, the deletion. I was trying to find someway of interpreting "sacked" as an instruction to put "is" between "pretty" and "stupid" — and still coming up short of a solution. I definitely felt "pretty stupid" when I read Deep Threat's explanation.

9a   Limit // damage produced by drink (6)

10a   Set of books this writer wrapped in paper // in tasteful style (8)

"set of books " = NT

In Crosswordland, the term "books" and phrases such as "collection of books", "set of books" or "religious books" are commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). Today, as is often the case, the clue provides no indication whether the reference is to the former or the latter.

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"this writer " = I

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.

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11a   Lover /makes/ soldier lament no end (8)

Para[4,11] (short for paratrooper) is a soldier in an airborne unit.

12a   Thin // little girl with musical instrument (6)

Without a doubt, Diana (often appearing in its diminutive form Di) is the most popular female name in Crosswordland.

13a   Left in desolate place with little money, engineers // building for community (6,6)

Heath[5] is a British term for an area of open uncultivated land, typically on acid sandy soil, with characteristic vegetation of heather, gorse, and coarse grasses.

The cent[5] is a monetary unit in various countries*, equal to one hundredth of a dollar, euro, or other decimal currency unit. However, in Britain — despite having adopted a decimal currency system — one hundredth of a pound is known as a penny rather than a cent.

* Collins English Dictionary lists some 85 jurisdictions having the cent[10] as a monetary unit worth one hundredth of their respective standard units (show list ).

American Samoa, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brunei, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, the United States, the Vatican City, the Virgin Islands, and Zimbabwe.

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"engineers " = RE [Royal Engineers]

The Corps of Royal Engineers[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

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16a   Nasty ice on side bed -- // problem in the earliest garden? (12)

The Garden of Eden[5] is the place where Adam and Eve lived in the biblical account of the Creation, from which they were expelled for disobediently eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

19a   Getting rid of // top motorsport group (6)

"top motorsport " = FI [F1 or Formula One]

Formula One[7] (also Formula 1 or F1 and officially the FIA Formula One World Championship) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants' cars must conform. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, meaning grand prizes), held worldwide on purpose-built circuits and public roads.

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21a  Periodic times /making/ us sad yet resolved (8)

The period between recurrences of these times is known as a week.

I can suggest a couple of explanations for the use of the word "resolved" as an anagram indicator. Perhaps resolve[5] is being used in the the sense (said of something seen at a distance) to turn into a different form when seen more clearly the orange light resolved itself into four roadwork lanterns. Alternatively, the explanation might be more whimsical. One might consider that given the set of letters comrising the fodder, one way of solving the anagram is to put the letters in the order presented in the clue itself. However, one could "re-solve" the anagram by putting the letters in a different order; namely, the order needed to produce the solution to the clue.

23a   Giving // party attended by group of people (8)

24a   Tree // illuminated, one at back of church (6)

Litchi is an alternative spelling of lychee[2] (also lichee), a tree bearing small fruit with sweet white juicy flesh enclosing a single seed, originally from China but now widely cultivated in many tropical regions.

25a   The Parisian coming to Chichester maybe /as/ a tenant (6)

"the Parisian ) " = LES [French definite article (plural)]

In French, the plural form of the definite article is les[8].

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Chichester[5] is a city in southern England, the county town of West Sussex and seat of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester[7].

A see[10] is the diocese (show more ) of a bishop, or the place within it where his cathedral (show more ) or procathedral (show more ) is situated.

A diocese[5] is a district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church — or, more precisely, episcopal churches.

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A cathedral[5] is the principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated.

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A pro-cathedral[5] (or procathedral[10]) is a church used as a substitute for a cathedral.

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26a  Grounds under water? (8)

Perhaps the setter has intended to misdirect our attention to fishing grounds.

Grounds[5] are solid particles, especially of coffee, which form a residue; in other words, sediment.

Down

2d   Scotsman outside wicked // African city (6)

Ian[7] (also Iain) is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, corresponding to English/Hebrew John. It is a common name for a Scotsman — and especially so in Crosswordland where it likely ranks a close second to Diana it overall popularity as a name.



Ibadan[5] is the second largest city of Nigeria, situated 160 km (100 miles) north-east of Lagos.

3d   One sort of music /or/ another introducing Georgia (5)

A rag[5] is a ragtime* composition or tune.

* Ragtime[5] is a kind of music evolved by black American musicians in the 1890s and played especially on the piano, characterized by a syncopated melodic line and regularly accented accompaniment ragtime piano classics.

"Georgia " = GA

Not only is GA[5] the abbreviation for the US state of Georgia in official postal use, but Ga[10] is a common abbreviation for Georgia in other contexts as well.

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Ragga[5] is a style of dance music originating in Jamaica and derived from reggae*, in which a DJ improvises lyrics over a sampled or electronic backing track. Although the music may derive from reggae, the name apparently does not. It comes from from ragamuffin, because of the style of clothing worn by its followers.

* Reggae[5] is a style of popular music with a strongly accented subsidiary beat, originating in Jamaica. Reggae evolved in the late 1960s from ska and other local variations on calypso and rhythm and blues, and became widely known in the 1970s through the work of Bob Marley; its lyrics are much influenced by Rastafarian ideas.

4d   A boy gone mad having received very // encouraging message before journey (3,6)

5d   Philosopher // performed, having rushed up (7)

Denis Diderot[5] (1713–1784) was a French philosopher, writer, and critic. (show more )

A leading figure of the Enlightenment in France, he was principal editor of the Encyclopédie (1751–76), through which he disseminated and popularized philosophy and scientific knowledge. Other notable works: Le Rêve de D'Alembert (1782) and Le Neveu de Rameau (1805).

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6d   Made an effort, /being/ weary, a bit confused inside (5)

7d   Favourite uncle somehow hiding a // bad temper (9)

8d   Loner // thus wanting literature, a couple of lines? (8)

The lines here are tracks — the kind that a locomotive would travel on.

A solitary[5] (noun) is a recluse or hermit ⇒ he had something of the solitary about him.

13d   Yobs // lashing out about nothing repeatedly (9)

Yob[5] is an informal British term for a rude, noisy, and aggressive young person.

Origin: Mid 19th century: back slang for boy

14d   Set // against a ledge, wobbling (9)

15d   Oil's nice possibly /as/ a sort of lubricant (8)

17d   Designs // inside temporary accommodation (7)

18d  A line of language? (6)

20d   Beef // good and ready to eat (5)

"good " = G [academic result]

The abbreviation G[a] for good comes from its use in education as a grade awarded on school assignments or tests.

[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary

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22d   Dope // beginning to disturb a stomach (5)

Tum[2] is a colloquial British name for the stomach.
Key to Reference Sources: 

[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)
Signing off for today — Falcon