Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29187 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, October 21, 2019 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29187] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops | |
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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Notes
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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, May 16, 2020 edition of the National Post.
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Introduction
The review of today's puzzle on Big Dave's Crossword Blog was written by Miffypops in the guise of Dennis the Menace (whose name he mistakenly spells 'Denis' in the title). Should Dennis look somewhat unfamiliar to you, it is because it is a different Dennis the Menace than the one to whom we are accustomed.
Here and There
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Dennis the Menace[7] is the name of separate US and UK comic
strip characters that debuted on the same day in March 1951 in
their respective readership areas, and are still published. Coincidentally, a UK comic strip of the same name debuted on the same day, though the issue in question bore the cover date of March 17. The two are not related and change their names subtly in each other's respective home bases to avoid confusion.  The British Dennis is an uncontrollable schoolboy who takes pride in causing chaos and mayhem to those around him due to his intolerance for rules and order. Dennis often proves himself to be quite selfish and greedy, often disregarding his friends in favour for treasures. Often equipped with an array of menacing weaponry (such as a catapult [slingshot]), Dennis is considered to be quite the loner, seeking no solace in anyone's company aside from his faithful pet dog Gnasher. The first time that I encountered the British Dennis was in a British crossword puzzle where he was described as an enfant terrible. The British Dennis would certainly seem to be far more of an enfant terrible than the American one! |
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
| 1a | /In/ resort, both made to buy a // popular song (3,5,3,3) |
As an anagram indicator, resort[1] (spelled re-sort[5] by Lexico) is used in the sense of to sort (something) again or differently ⇒
children find pleasure in sorting and re-sorting boxes of buttons.
The clue structure employed by the setter causes the link word "in" to be positioned at the beginning of the clue. As one can easily see, the use of a simple declarative clue structure (definition, link word, wordplay):
- Popular song /in/ resort, both made to buy a (3,5,3,3)
"Mad About the Boy"[7] is a popular song with words and music by English actor and playwright Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973). First performed in 1932, the song deals with the theme of unrequited love for a film star. It was written to be sung by female characters, although Coward also wrote a version, which was never performed, that contained references to the risqué topic of homosexual love. The song gained new popularity in 1992 when Dinah Washington's rendition was used in the Levi's television advertisement "Swimmer" (to which Miffypops provides a link in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog).
| 9a | Cake /produced by/ graduate following dance (3,4) |
The rumba[5] (also spelled rhumba) could be either a rhythmic dance with Spanish and African elements, originating in Cuba or a ballroom dance imitative of it.
Rum baba is another name for baba[5], a small, rich sponge cake, typically soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
| 10a | See 26 Across |
| 11a | Nobleman briefly /getting/ attention (3) |
An earl[5] is a British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquess [in other words, the third highest of the five ranks of British nobility — duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron].
| 12a | We make a call about going on without a // band (7,4) |
Here and There
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Ring[5] is an informal — more or less British (show more ) — term for:
In North America, the word would seem to be more accepted as a noun ( I'll give you a ring) than as a verb ( I'll ring you). According to various dictionaries, the word ring used in this sense is:
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| 14a | Greek character, say, heading off // to change (6) |
Mu[5] is the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet (Μ, μ).
| 15a | Place in the schedule: // male in draw lost out (4,4) |
| 17a | Remained // steady at sea in operation (6,2) |
| 19a | Virginia and I occupying tavern // to no avail (2,4) |
| 22a | Infantryman // pays for veteran heading for reunion (4,7) |
| 23a | Gardening tool // to sharpen, not new (3) |
"new " = N [abbreviation used on maps]
| 24a | Actor and raconteur, // Justin, overbearing in part (7) |
Sir Peter Ustinov[5] (1921–2004) was a British actor, director, and playwright, of Russian descent. He wrote and acted in a number of plays, and was noted for appearances in films such as Spartacus (1960) and Death on the Nile (1978).
| 26a & 10a | Pile /taken from/ cart our cleaner used (7,7) |
Pile[5] (also atomic pile) is a dated term for a nuclear reactor.
| 27a | Laparoscopy // essential -- her role Guy's set out (7,7) |
Laparoscopy[5] is a surgical procedure in which a fibre-optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or permit small-scale surgery.
Keyhole surgery[5] is minimally invasive surgery carried out through a very small incision, with special instruments and techniques including fibre optics.
Down
| 1d | Film // famous racehorse keeling over -- extremely unpleasant (6,4,4) |
Red Rum[7] was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years. The world-famous steeplechase is a notoriously difficult race that has been referred to as being "the ultimate test of a horse’s courage". The horse was renowned for his jumping ability, having not fallen in 100 races [it seems he only falls in Crosswordland!].
Murder Most Foul is the third of four Miss Marple films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer*. The film was released in 1964. Loosely based on the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie, it stars Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple. The story is ostensibly based on Christie's novel, but notably changes the action and the characters. Hercule Poirot is replaced by Miss Marple and most of the other characters are not in the novel.
The title is a quotation from Hamlet (I.v.27-28), where the Ghost comments about his own death: "Murder most foul as in the best it is/But this most foul, strange and unnatural."
* It was preceded by Murder, She Said and Murder at the Gallop, and followed by Murder Ahoy!, all with Rutherford starring as Miss Marple.
| 2d | Fault // of French and Italian blocking me on river (7) |
"Italian " = IT [in reference to either the language or the vermouth]
A demerit[5] is a fault or disadvantage ⇒
the merits and demerits of these proposals.
| 3d | Give evidence /from/ stand, then watch (4,7) |
| 4d | America supporting centre for refugees along with // African country (6) |
| 5d | Wicked /and/ frightening (8) |
As several visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog report having done, I initially wrote in TERRIBLE here. However, 15a forced a rethink.
As a solution to the second definition, terrific[5] is used in the archaic sense of causing terror ⇒
his body presented a terrific emblem of death.
| 6d | Age /of/ English artist (3) |
"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.
hide
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.
hide
| 7d | Cricket side, ahead of test, // being judged (2,5) |
In cricket, the on[5] (also known as on side) is another name for the leg[5] (also called leg side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒
he played a lucky stroke to leg.
The other half of the field is known as the off[5] (also called off side).
| 8d | In good time // outlaw must receive justice, at great cost (6,3,5) |
| 13d | New and reportedly coarser // shopkeeper (11) |
Greengrocer[5] is a British term for a retailer of fruit and vegetables ⇒
white cabbage was selling for 12p* a lb at the greengrocer's.
* 12p = 12 pence
| 16d | First-rate // attic here? (3-5) |
| 18d | Porter collecting mail /for/ messenger (7) |
Porter[5] is a dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature (originally made as a drink for porters).
Post[5] is a chiefly British* term for mail[5] as either a noun (i.e., letters and parcels sent or received) or a verb (i.e., to send letters and parcels).
* In an ironic twist, the post in Britain is delivered by the Royal Mail while, in Canada, the mail is delivered by Canada Post.
In Christianity, the Apostles[5] were the twelve chief disciples of Jesus Christ. The term apostle is also applied to an important early Christian teacher or pioneering missionary. Through extension, the word has come to mean a vigorous and pioneering advocate or supporter of a particular policy, idea, or cause ⇒
a man once known as the apostle of free-market economics.
Origin: from a Greek word meaning 'messenger'
| 20d | A permit received by the // runner (7) |
| 21d | One inside provides /for/ addicts (6) |
Addict[5] is used in the informal sense of an enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity ⇒
a self-confessed chocolate addict.
| 25d | Name old hospital // drama (3) |
"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 may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
hide
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 may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
hide
Noh[5] (also No) is traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from Shinto rites ⇒
a Noh play.
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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