Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29178 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, October 10, 2019 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29178] | |
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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Introduction
I struggled a bit with this puzzle and needed a modest assist from my electronic tools to get across the finish line.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 | Old // adult in vain working without energy (12) |
| 9a | Conservative girl's single with ring, almost // pure (9) |
"Conservative " = C [member of British political party]
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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RayT often employs shades of meaning with which I am either unfamiliar or that don't readily come to mind. I had to dig deep in the dictionary to explain the solution to this clue, .
I would say that classical[2,5] is used here in the sense of representing an exemplary standard within a traditional and long-established form or style ⇒
classical balletor, as Chambers 21st Century Dictionary more prosaically puts it: (said of procedures, etc) following the well-known traditional pattern ⇒
the classical method of making pancakes.
| 10a | Laziness /of/ hotel pursuing vacancy (5) |
"Hotel " = H [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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Why is a slot considered a vacancy? A schedule may have a vacant slot or an unused slot; but it could equally well have a busy slot or an occupied slot. Or is slot being used in some other sense that escapes me at the moment?
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops instructs us to complete the solution withNow is his mixing up the "IVR code" with the NATO Phonetic Alphabet mere "laziness" on his part or is he mischievously trying to see who is or is not awake. Far be it from me to bet against the latter.an abbreviation of Hotel as used in the IVR code. |
| 11a | Sailor in pit /finding/ Davy Jones's locker? (6) |
"sailor " = AB [able seaman]
In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
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In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
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Davy Jones's locker[5] is nautical slang for the bottom of the sea, especially regarded as the grave of those drowned at sea ⇒
the reef will consign us all to Davy Jones's locker.
Origin: Extension of early 18th-century nautical slang Davy Jones, denoting the evil spirit of the sea.
| 12a | Place in a loft, strangely // very high (8) |
| 13a | On reflection regretted taking to // diversion (6) |
| 15a | Getting // cute? (8) |
| 18a | Officer // agitatedly enrages troops to begin (8) |
| 19a | Old politician // fine after work, retiring (6) |
Enoch Powell[5] (1912–1998) was a British Conservative and Ulster Unionist politician, noted for his condemnation of multiracial immigration into Britain and his opposition to British entry into the Common Market.
| 21a | Case occasionally contains container /for/ drink (8) |
Champers[5] is an informal British term for champagne.
| 23a | Some fantasies taboo /in/ sleep (6) |
| 26a | Shower reportedly // govern (5) |
| 27a | Catch bout involving start of bilious // indigestion (9) |
A turn[5] is a brief feeling or experience of illness ⇒
he has these funny turns. This is a term my grandparents often used — I don't believe I have heard it in decades.
| 28a | Do French wear pants // from now on? (12) |
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.
Down
| 1d | Suspect // copper's arrested by brilliant old copper (7) |
Copper is a British[5] or chiefly British[12] (or, perhaps, not so British[3,11]) term for brown coins of low value made of copper or bronze.
In the British currency system used prior to the introduction of the current decimal currency system in 1971, a penny[5] (abbreviation d[5] [for denarius]) was a coin or monetary unit equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound.
| 2d | Oddly tribal, real // headdress (5) |
| 3d | Shame // on getting into argument (9) |
Post Mortem
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| I became fixated on the word "on" being used in its crickety sense [which left me no "leg" to stand on]. |
| 4d | Crazy /being/ caught inside lavatory (4) |
"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[5] or c.[2,10] denotes caught (by).
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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[5] or c.[2,10] denotes caught (by).
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Loo[5] is an informal British term for a toilet [either as a room or a plumbing fixture].
Going Here and There
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| The term lavatory may refer either to a plumbing fixture or to the room in which such fixture is found. From a British perspective, a lavatory[5] is a room, building, or cubicle containing a toilet or toilets while, in North America, a lavatory[3] is a room equipped with washing and often toilet facilities. Thus, in the UK, the emphasis is on the lavatory as a place where one eliminates bodily wastes (with washing facilities seemingly considered ncillary) while in North America a lavatory is regarded primarily as a place where one washes themselves (which may or may not also contain toilet facilities). When it comes to plumbing fixtures, there is also a difference in meaning:
In North America — rather bizarrely when you think about it — a bathroom[5] is a room containing a toilet and washbasin which may or may not also contain a bathtub or shower. A room containing just a toilet and washbasin might be referred to as a half bath (generally when enumerating the total number of rooms in a dwelling, such as in a real estate listing ⇒ a split-level with two and a half baths). In Britain, on the other hand, a bathroom[5] is a room containing a bathtub or shower which may or may not also contain a washbasin and a toilet. Pity the desperate North American visiting the UK who asks to use the bathroom and is handed a towel and a bar of soap and directed to a room without a toilet. Other North American euphemisms for toilet are washroom[5] and restroom[5]. The former appears to be a term that is not used by Brits while the latter term has quite a different meaning across the pond being a room in a public building for people to relax or recover in. Again, North Americans may find themselves without means of relief when, having asked to use the restroom, they find themselves directed to a room with no toilet. |
| 5d | Endlessly disgusting drink /provided by/ local? (8) |
| 6d | Fools // amorous advances removing top (5) |
| 7d | Do time with form /getting/ remorseful (8) |
Do[5] is an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒
a thousand pounds for one set of photos — Jacqui had been done.
Form[5] is used in the sense of a ritual or convention ⇒
the outward forms of religion.
Post Mortem
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| I didn't know this meaning of 'form'. I also got hung up on "do time" meaning to serve a stretch in prison. |
| 8d | Crowd /seeing/ band covering Queen (6) |
"Queen " = R
Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution.
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Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution.
| 14d | Reptile // quietly hiding in ground (8) |
Here and There
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| To Brits, a terrapin[5] is a freshwater turtle, especially one of the smaller kinds of the Old World. North Americans* would refer to such an animal as simply a turtle[5]. * In the US, the terrapin[5] (also known as diamondback terrapin) is a small edible turtle (Malaclemys terrapin) with lozenge-shaped markings on its shell, found in coastal marshes of the eastern US. |
| 16d | 'Messiah' embracing love about uplifted // singer (9) |
In Christianity, the Messiah[5] is Jesus Christ regarded as the Messiah of the Hebrew prophecies and the saviour of humankind.
"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).
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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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Scratching the Surface
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| Messiah[7] is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by German-British Baroque composer George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens (1700–1773) from the King James Bible, and from the Coverdale Psalter, the version of the Psalms included with the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. |
| 17d | Playful in a French resort, nearly // uncontrolled (8) |
Arch[5] is being used in the sense of deliberately or affectedly playful and teasing ⇒
a somewhat arch tone of voice.
Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy.
| 18d | Protected // spot protecting dirty dog (6) |
| 20d | Scholarly // Shakespearean character study rejected (7) |
King Lear[7] is a tragedy written in 1605 or 1606 by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
| 22d | Coppers // partially open cell (5) |
Here, coppers are the same brown coins we saw at 1d.
Pence[5] is a plural* form of penny[5],
a British bronze coin and monetary unit. (show more ).
* Both pence and pennies have existed as plural forms of penny since at least the 16th century. The two forms now tend to be used for different purposes: pence refers to sums of money (five pounds and sixty-nine pence) while pennies refers to the coins themselves (I left two pennies on the table). The use of pence rather than penny as a singular (the chancellor will put one pence on income tax) is not regarded as correct in standard English.
Today, a penny is equal to one hundredth of a pound and is the smallest denomination in Britain's modern decimal currency system introduced in 1971. The abbreviation for the modern penny or pence is p[5].
In the British currency system used prior to 1971, a penny[5] (abbreviation d[5] [for denarius]) was a coin or monetary unit equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound.
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* Both pence and pennies have existed as plural forms of penny since at least the 16th century. The two forms now tend to be used for different purposes: pence refers to sums of money (five pounds and sixty-nine pence) while pennies refers to the coins themselves (I left two pennies on the table). The use of pence rather than penny as a singular (the chancellor will put one pence on income tax) is not regarded as correct in standard English.
Today, a penny is equal to one hundredth of a pound and is the smallest denomination in Britain's modern decimal currency system introduced in 1971. The abbreviation for the modern penny or pence is p[5].
In the British currency system used prior to 1971, a penny[5] (abbreviation d[5] [for denarius]) was a coin or monetary unit equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound.
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| 24d | Solid container using bottled air initially (5) |
In this trademark RayT initialism clue, the entire clue provides the wordplay in which the definition is embedded. The double underline indicates the portion of the clue that is both wordplay and definition.
| 25d | Caught with a very strong // drink served here? (4) |
Another catch made, like the one at 4d.
"very strong " = FF [musical direction]
Fortissimo[5] (abbreviation ff[5]) is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very loud or (as an adverb) very loudly.
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Fortissimo[5] (abbreviation ff[5]) is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very loud or (as an adverb) very loudly.
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Caff[5] is an informal British term for a cafe.
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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