Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29191 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 25, 2019 | |
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29191] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat | |
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
Like many of the visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog who commented when this puzzle appeared in the UK seven months ago, I found today's offering to be on the more difficult end of the spectrum. I also thought that some of the definitions were exceedingly vague (for instance, "stuff" at 3d) and many of the clues seemed very un-Giovani-like in style.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
| 9a | Demure English // principal (5) |
| 10a | Crucial // time I have after event at Sadler's Wells, maybe (9) |
Sadler's Wells Theatre[5] is a London theatre opened by Lilian Baylis* in 1931, known for its ballet and opera companies.
* (1874–1937), English theatre manager noted for her management of the Old Vic [theatre] and for her initiative in reopening the old Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1931
Operative[5] is used in the sense (said with respect to a word) having the most significance in a phrase or sentence ⇒
I was madly—the operative word—in love.
| 11a | Strange quality // that lucky and unlucky numbers have? (7) |
I thought that the second part of the clue might be alluding to the fact that 7 (regarded as a lucky number) and 13 (considered to be an unlucky number) are both odd. I see from the discussion in the thread arising from Comment #7 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog that I am not alone in thinking along these lines. Furthermore, the validity of this interpretation is confirmed by Telegraph Puzzles editor Chris Lancaster at Comment #35.
| 12a | Divine messenger/'s/ strange email gripping church (7) |
Michael[7] is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Michael is mentioned three times in the Book of Daniel. In the New Testament Michael leads God's armies against Satan's forces in the Book of Revelation, where during the war in heaven he defeats Satan.
| 13a | Agent wants old books // put in new container (5) |
"old books " = OT
In Crosswordland, the term "books" — and related phrases such as "collection of books" or "religious books" — are commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). Often the clue does not specify whether the reference is to the former or the latter. However, today's setter specifies the required choice very precisely.
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In Crosswordland, the term "books" — and related phrases such as "collection of books" or "religious books" — are commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). Often the clue does not specify whether the reference is to the former or the latter. However, today's setter specifies the required choice very precisely.
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| 14a | Providing precise information /on/ action to blind mice? (9) |
In the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice"[7] , the mice "all ran after the farmer's wife, who cut off their tails with a carving knife".
| 16a | The insensibility // that a crocodile has? (4-11) |
| 19a | Most severe // state sure to be troublesome (9) |
| 21a | Last bit of food eaten by dogs -- // soft stuff (5) |
| 23a | Very cold types in top positions (7) |
| 25a | About to go to Scottish island /as/ one out of the rat race? (7) |
Tiree[5] is an island in the Inner Hebrides, to the west of the isles of Mull and Coll.
| 27a | Gladly given permit // to remain unproductive (3,6) |
Lief[5] (used in the expression as lief) is an archaic term meaning happily or gladly ⇒
he would just as lief eat a pincushion.
| 28a | Electrical unit established by a // lake in Africa (5) |
The Volta[5] is a river of West Africa, which is formed in central Ghana and flows into the Gulf of Guinea near the border with Togo. At Akosombo in south-eastern Ghana the river has been dammed, creating Lake Volta, one of the world's largest man-made lakes.
Down
| 1d | Colleague /in/ middle of room keeping very quiet (4) |
Oppo[5] is an informal British term for a colleague or friend ⇒
an old oppo of mine.
Origin: 1930s: abbreviation of opposite number.
| 2d | Bring an end to // anger through teasing (4,2) |
The phrasal verb wind (someone) up[5] is an informal British expression meaning to tease or irritate (someone) ⇒
she's only winding me up.
| 3d | Stuff like food that can be served again (10) |
Post Mortem
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| Although I did get the correct solution, I failed to see the wordplay. Instead, I treated the entire clue as a cryptic definition — and, for the solution, I had multiple choices to pick from. The clue might have been referring to leftovers, in which case the answer might have been REHEATABLE or, perhaps, DETESTABLE. On the other hand, the allusion could have been to a favourite recipe that one returns to frequently, in which case the answer could be DELECTABLE or, as turns out to be the case, REPEATABLE. |
Rep[5] (also repp) is a fabric with a ribbed surface, used in curtains and upholstery.
| 4d | Excited // men turning up to be given employment (6) |
"men " = OR [other ranks]
In the British armed forces, the term other ranks[5] (abbreviation OR[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.
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In the British armed forces, the term other ranks[5] (abbreviation OR[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.
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| 5d | Protected with a 'nutcase' around? (8) |
Nut[3,4] is slang for the human head.
| 6d | Refuse /from/ crowd building up (4) |
Marc[5] is the refuse of grapes or other fruit that have been pressed for winemaking ⇒
the spent marc can be seen in purple-black piles by the roadside.
| 7d | Put new energy into // troubled lives -- one gets little thanks getting involved (8) |
Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒
‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.
| 8d | More than one scientist // gets to go round island following old account (10) |
| 13d | How to get a goat to sleep? // Music! (10) |
Rockabilly[5] is a type of popular music, originating in the south-eastern US in the 1950s, combining elements of rock and roll and country music.
| 15d | Divine act, I fancy, /is/ typical (10) |
| 17d | Son (10) enthralled by foreign song -- he did this? (8) |
This time, the number "10" is not a cross reference indicator — although I did spend some time trying to use it as such.
The entire clue is a crytic definition in which the wordplay is embedded. I have marked the first portion of the clue with a double underline to show that it is not only wordplay but also part of the definition. One interprets the clue as "What son did when enthralled by foreign song".
| 18d | Old poetry, lines // put out with too much hype? (8) |
Post Mortem
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|---|---|
| I shouldn't have had problems with this clue; one certainly couldn't ask for a more straightfoward bit of wordplay. |
| 20d | Projects // worth millions finally abandoned (6) |
As an anagram indicator, abandoned[10] is used as an adjective meaning unrestrained or uninhibited ⇒
wild, abandoned dancing.
The wording of Deep Threat's review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog could be read in either of two different ways leaving the parsing of this clue open to possible misinterpretation. To be absolutely clear, the final S of "millions" is part of the anagram fodder rather than being appended at the end of the solving exercise. In other words, his review must be read as "Anagram (abandoned) of {WORTH and the last letter (finally) of millionS}" rather than "{Anagram (abandoned) of WORTH} and {the last letter (finally) of millionS}". Although both of these readings produce the same result, only the former matches the wording of the clue.
| 22d | Artist sitting on bank // on very few occasions (6) |
"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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| 24d | A vessel // not properly closed? (4) |
| 26d | Not all appreciated a mouldy // cheese (4) |
Edam[5] is a round Dutch cheese, typically pale yellow with a red wax coating.
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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