Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29171 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29171] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
2Kiwis | |
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
An enjoyable offering from Jay today — perhaps toward the lower end of his difficulty scale.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Abbreviations — Part XVI
Today's abbreviations are ones that are used in the publishing world. You would find them in footnotes, endnotes, and other references and citations.| Abbreviation | Stands for | Additional Information |
| f. | following [page] | In references ⇒ see p 784f. |
| ff. | following [pages] | In references ⇒ see p 784ff. |
| ibid. or ib. | ibidem [Latin] | In references, in the same place ⇒ ibid. p. 57. |
| l. | line [of written matter] | In references ⇒ l. 648 |
| ll. | lines [of written matter] | In references ⇒ ll. 648-650 |
| n | note | Used in a book's index to refer to a footnote ⇒ 450n |
| p | page | In references ⇒ see p 784 |
| pp or pp. | pages | In references ⇒ pp. 71—73 |
| sc. | scilicet [Latin] | That is to say or namely (introducing a word to be supplied or an explanation of an ambiguity) ⇒ it [sc. gouache] was also popular in France. |
| v or v. or vid. | vide [Latin] | Refer to or see, e.g. a particular page or section |
| viz. | videlicet [Latin] (z being a medieval Latin symbol for -et) | Namely or in other words (used to introduce a gloss or explanation) ? the first music-reproducing media, viz. the music box and the player piano. |
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 | Seeming // old, and level-headed about time (10) |
"old " = O [linguistics]
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation is not necessarily confined to the field of linguistics.
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In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
OFr[Old French]; (ii)
OE[Old English].
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation is not necessarily confined to the field of linguistics.
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| 6a | PSV // stuff needed after the end of treatment (4) |
PSV[5] is an acronym for public service vehicle[5] (abbreviation p.s.v.)*, a British term for a vehicle (typically a passenger vehicle) used to perform a public service or intended for use by the general public.
* Yes, this term apparently rates both an acronym and an abbreviation!
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.
| 10a | Dish /from/ South America -- hot one! (5) |
Not a samba dancer!
The clue parses as S(outh) + US (America) + H(ot) + I ([Roman numeral for] one).
| 11a | Inclined to excuse // four implicated in fakery (9) |
| 12a | Shows // maturity in trousers (8) |
This clue did not generate the customary reaction in the UK that I expected. I thought it would generate considerable controversy with howls of Americanism being uttered. Perhaps they got it out of their systems yesterday with the pants/rubbish discussion.
Here and There
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| In
Britain, the word pants[5] does not mean trousers* as it does in North America. Rather, it refers to underwear — specifically men's undershorts or women's panties (the latter otherwise known as knickers[5]
to the Brits). * Then again, the following observation was made by Lincoln Latic in a comment on my review of DT 28909 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog: I didn’t see this [pants used as a synonym for trousers] as an Americanism. I grew up in the northwest of England (before the big influx of Americanisms into the language) and ‘pants’ was the usual term for trousers. You had short pants as a real youngster then progressed into long pants as you got older which for most of us was when you were nearly at the end of primary school probably around aged 9 or 10. What most people consider ‘pants’ refers to now, were called underpants because they went under your pants. |
| 13a | Force lacking uniform // apparel (5) |
"uniform " = U
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
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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
| 15a | Inmate suffers injury finally /getting/ facility (7) |
| 17a | Supporter /of/ trail across both poles (7) |
| 19a | Loathes // exams following lower grades (7) |
As the 2Kiwis interpret the clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the wordplay may be referring to school grades — the surface reading certainly is.
However, it may also be referring to the NRS social grades[7], a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom. The categories were originally developed by the National Readership Survey to classify readers, but are now used by many other organisations for wider applications and have become a standard for market research. They were developed over 50 years ago and achieved widespread usage in 20th Century Britain. The classifications, which are based on the occupation of the head of the household, are shown in the following table.
| Grade | Social class | Chief income earner's occupation |
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| A | upper middle class | Higher managerial, administrative or professional |
| B | middle class | Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional |
| C1 | lower middle class | Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional |
| C2 | skilled working class | Skilled manual workers |
| D | working class | Semi and unskilled manual workers |
| E | Those at the lowest levels of subsistence | Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the welfare state for their income |
| 21a | Bail must be arranged in cabin /for/ swimmer (7) |
| 22a | Problem urgently keeping // primate (5) |
A lemur[5] is any of a number of species of arboreal primate with a pointed snout and typically a long tail, found only in Madagascar.
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| Ring-tailed lemur |
| 24a | American found in a pretty awful // social gathering (3,5) |
| 27a | Son, given heavy responsibility, // slept (9) |
| 28a | The logic /of/ hearing, say (5) |
| 29a | Swindles /causing/ fools to lose heart (4) |
Do[5] is an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒
a thousand pounds for one set of photos — Jacqui had been done.
| 30a | Caustic // chap seen on trains getting agitated (10) |
"chap " = GENT
Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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Down
| 1d | Do a stretch keeping // such a house (4) |
No, not jailed for keeping a bawdy house!
An oast[2] is either a kiln for drying hops or, formerly, malt or (also called oast house) a building, usually with a conical roof, containing such kilns.
| 2d | Troubled mates in temporary accommodation // will ... (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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In Britain, mate[5] — in addition to meaning a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner — can also be an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve. |
| 3d | ... edge around one /getting/ report (5) |
| 4d | Popular whim /of/ early childhood? (7) |
| 5d | Primates /may see/ sins regularly in new roles (7) |
The loris[5] is a small, slow-moving nocturnal Asian primate with a short or absent tail, living in dense vegetation.
| 7d | Put up // beams of light for the audience (5) |
| 8d | Wise men consider crossing street /seeing/ one on bench (10) |
In Christianity, the Magi[2] (plural of magus) were the three* wise men or astrologers from the east who brought gifts to the infant Jesus, guided by a star. Also called the Three Kings and the Three Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12).
* or possibly more (show more )
Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi[7]. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve.
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* or possibly more (show more )
Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi[7]. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve.
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| 9d | Savage wolf upset // geese, for example (8) |
| 14d | Wrecked // and put in case on top of desk (10) |
| 16d | Chase // popular copy in Home Counties (8) |
"Home Counties " = SE
The Home Counties[5] are the counties surrounding London in the south-east (SE) part of England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire.
No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London).
Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy.
hide
The Home Counties[5] are the counties surrounding London in the south-east (SE) part of England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire.
No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London).
Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy.
hide
Chase[5] (usually seen as an adjective chased) means to engrave (metal, or a design on metal) ⇒
a miniature container with a delicately chased floral design.
| 18d | Player on bench has point of view /that's/ material (9) |
| 20d | Such literary works /may see/ anger during school tests (7) |
National Curriculum assessments[7] are a series of educational assessments, colloquially known as Sats or SATs, used to assess the attainment of children attending maintained schools* in England. They comprise a mixture of teacher-led and test-based assessment depending on the age of the pupils.
* In England and Wales, a maintained school[5] is a school that is funded by a local education authority. In North America, such a school would be called a public school. However, in the UK, the term public school is used for a special class of independent school. (more )
In Britain, an independent school[10] is a school that is neither financed nor controlled by the government or local authorities; in other words, an independent school[2] is not paid for with public money and does not belong to the state school system.
A private school[2,5] is a special case of independent school, being a school run independently by an individual or group, especially for profit and supported wholly by the payment of fees.
A public school[2] is yet another class of independent school, a secondary school, especially a boarding school run independently of the state, financed by a combination of endowments and pupils' fees.
What we in North America would call a public school[2], is known in the UK as a state school[5] or a maintained school*.
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In Britain, an independent school[10] is a school that is neither financed nor controlled by the government or local authorities; in other words, an independent school[2] is not paid for with public money and does not belong to the state school system.
A private school[2,5] is a special case of independent school, being a school run independently by an individual or group, especially for profit and supported wholly by the payment of fees.
A public school[2] is yet another class of independent school, a secondary school, especially a boarding school run independently of the state, financed by a combination of endowments and pupils' fees.
What we in North America would call a public school[2], is known in the UK as a state school[5] or a maintained school*.
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This test should not be confused with the SAT[7] (Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test), a Reasoning Test taken by high school students in the United States for admission into colleges.
| 21d | Saver /could be/ tougher about love (7) |
"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).
hide
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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| 23d | Second function /for/ a very shy type (5) |
"second " = 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 it as being a British[1,11,12] term. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
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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 it as being a British[1,11,12] term. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language[3].
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| 25d | Offence /of/ minister losing head? (5) |
| 26d | Natural aptitude /for/ being dishonest (4) |
In Britain, the word bent[5] has the same connotation (dishonest or corrupt) as does the word crooked[5] in North America. [It would appear that Brits use both bent and crooked in this sense].
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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