Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29158 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29158] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Mr K | |
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
Perhaps I called out the electronic reinforcements a bit early today, but I was anxious to get on to other things. My wordfinder app quickly pointed me in the right direction.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Abbreviations — Part III
Today's puzzle leads off with a clue containing an abbreviation from the discipline of physics, so that seems as good a field as any to examine in this installment of our ongoing series on abbreviations.Physics is a field that supplies the setter with a copious inventory from which to draw. They include, in addition to today's P(ower), the following examples pulled from my archives and memory of physics lectures: A(ccleration), AMP(ere), A(rea), C (speed of light), C(onstant), D(istance), E(arth; electrical connection to the ground), E(nergy), F(oot), F(orce), H(enry; unit of inductance), H(our), I (electrical current), M(ass), M(ile), P(ressure), R(esistance; electrical), S(econd), T(emperature), T(ime), V(elocity), V(olt), V(olume), W(att), and W(ork).
I did throw in a couple that I don't actually recall having seen in a puzzle but the vast majority I definitely have encountered. Note that in some cases, the physics symbol or abbreviation is lower case but, of course, in cryptic crosswords we ignore that subtlety.
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 | Understand about power with revolutionary's // lectures (8) |
"revolutionary " = CHE [Guevara]
Che Guevara[7]
(1928–1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author,
guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the
Cuban
Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural
symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.
hide
Che Guevara[7]
(1928–1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author,
guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the
Cuban
Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural
symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.hide
| 5a | Lovely and short luxurious // material (6) |
| 10a | Unfortunately Aaron did live with con // artist (8,2,5) |
Leonardo da Vinci[5] (1452–1519) was an Italian painter, scientist, and engineer. (show more )
His paintings are notable for their blended colour and shading in the technique known as sfumato; they include The Virgin of the Rocks (1483–5), The Last Supper (1498), and the enigmatic Mona Lisa (1504–5). He devoted himself to a wide range of other subjects, from anatomy and biology to mechanics and hydraulics: his nineteen notebooks include studies of the human circulatory system and plans for a type of aircraft and a submarine.
hide
His paintings are notable for their blended colour and shading in the technique known as sfumato; they include The Virgin of the Rocks (1483–5), The Last Supper (1498), and the enigmatic Mona Lisa (1504–5). He devoted himself to a wide range of other subjects, from anatomy and biology to mechanics and hydraulics: his nineteen notebooks include studies of the human circulatory system and plans for a type of aircraft and a submarine.
hide
| 11a | Boys grabbing pet's front or // back (7) |
| 12a | Small drink in India // as an alternative (7) |
| 13a | Look: work // transport (8) |
| 15a | Urge // to go under water -- welcoming river (5) |
| 18a | In the lead after kid/'s/ sum (3,2) |
| 20a | Increase // dependency? Not Charlie! (8) |
Charlie[5] is a code word representing the letter C in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7] (officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet).
| 23a | European shy, holding record /for/ science (7) |
"European " = E [E number]
E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
hide
E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
hide
| 25a | Salesman with shoestring // substitute (7) |
| 26a | Move fascists to India, /creating/ resentment (15) |
| 27a | Tremulous excitement -- // it follows day with the woman (6) |
| 28a | Passions // never oddly dropped in brief sexual encounters (8) |
Down
| 1d | Diver tries to avoid this headline story (6) |
Splash[5] is an informal term for a prominent or sensational news feature or story ⇒
a front-page splash.
| 2d | Change to incomes -- // one studies them (9) |
One could consider the entire clue to be the definition as the pronoun 'them' refers back to the first part of the clue, an ECONOMIST being one (who) studies "change to incomes" (among other things).
| 3d | One caught after lesson /producing/ standard work (7) |
"caught " = C [cricket notation]
In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.[2,10] or c[5] denotes caught (by).
hide
In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.[2,10] or c[5] denotes caught (by).
hide
| 4d | The Spanish communist climbs // tree (5) |
"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]
| 6d | Warned // I've dad's pants (7) |
As an anagram indicator, pants[5] is used in an informal British sense meaning rubbish or nonsense ⇒
he thought we were going to be absolute pants.
| 7d | North concealed by wobbly // compass (5) |
Wobbly[5] is an informal British term denoting a fit of temper or panic ⇒
my daughter threw a wobbly when I wouldn't let her play.
Post Mortem
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| I was unfamiliar with this British usage and should have looked up the meaning of 'wobbly' before throwing in the towel. I am sure it would have allowed me to solve not only this clue but would have likely led to being able to solve 5a as well. |
| 8d | Doctor in South American country with November // issue (8) |
November[5] is a code word representing the letter N in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7] (officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet).
Issue[5] is a legal term denoting children of one's own ⇒
the earl died without male issue.
| 9d | District Attorney turned up with glove, and editor // confessed (8) |
"district attorney " = DA
In the US, a district attorney[5] (abbreviation DA) is a public official who acts as prosecutor for the state in a particular district.
hide
In the US, a district attorney[5] (abbreviation DA) is a public official who acts as prosecutor for the state in a particular district.
hide
| 14d | Study // broken nails, say (8) |
| 16d | Quarantine, // to a lion, is criminal (9) |
How appropriate! A clue for the times. Originally published in the UK last September; at the time, who could have possibly foreseen ...
| 17d | Was a guest for // a bike race knocked off? (8) |
"bike race " = TT
The Tourist Trophy[5] (abbreviation TT[5]) is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.
For many years, the Isle of Man TT[7] was the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. The race is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing. Since, in a time trial, each competitor races alone against the clock, the event could be described as a "series of races".
hide explanation
The Tourist Trophy[5] (abbreviation TT[5]) is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.
For many years, the Isle of Man TT[7] was the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. The race is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing. Since, in a time trial, each competitor races alone against the clock, the event could be described as a "series of races".
hide explanation
| 19d | Lay // flat embracing a female, upset (7) |
The solution appears to be commonly used these days in only one of its several senses — that related to language.
Profane[5] is used in the sense of not relating to that which is sacred or religious; in other words, secular ⇒
a talk that tackled topics both sacred and profane.
| 21d | Current yen for nothing -- // to be expected (7) |
"yen " = Y [Japanese monetary unit]
| 22d | Tense wrongdoer not quite up /for/ game (6) |
"tense " = T [grammar term]
| 24d | Where one might see actor // start (5) |
Split (2,3), the solution satisfies the wordplay.
| 25d | Surrender if legionnaire holds this? (5) |
A legionnaire[5] is a member of a legion, in particular an ancient Roman legion or the French Foreign Legion*.
* The Foreign Legion[5]
is a military formation of the French army founded in the 1830s to
fight France’s colonial wars. Composed, except for the higher ranks, of
non-Frenchmen, the Legion was famed for its audacity and endurance. Its
most famous campaigns were in French North Africa in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries.
This is an &lit.[7] or all-in-one clue. The entire clue, according to one reading, serves as the wordplay while, according to a second reading, provides the definition. This duality is denoted by the double underline.
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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