Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29202 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 7, 2019 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29202] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Falcon | |
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, June 6, 2020 edition of the National Post.
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Introduction
This enjoyable but challenging puzzle still put up a pretty good fight in my second tussle with it. Some among those who follow the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog may be surprised by Brian's assessment of the puzzle.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 | Revolutionary sects are in // opposition (10) |
| 6a | Labour's ignoring Tory's opening // questions (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| The Labour Party[5] is a left-of-centre political party in Britain. A Tory[10] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party, a right-of-centre British political party. |
| 9a | Twitch /from/ fish on top of slab (5) |
The hake[5] is a large-headed elongated fish with long jaws and strong teeth. It is a valuable commercial food fish.
| 10a | One expected to take notes? (9) |
... bank notes, that is.
| 12a | Sensing changes /in/ standards (7) |
| 13a | Performer // rejected corruption around ... (5) |
| 15a | ... smart celebrity holding back // fantastic woman (7) |
In Greek mythology, Electra[5] is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She persuaded her brother Orestes to kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (their mother’s lover) in revenge for the murder of Agamemnon.
| 17a | Daughter marries /then/ flirts (7) |
| 19a | Holidays including empty outdoor // spas? (7) |
Here and There
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The British use the word holiday(s) for what North Americans would call vacation[5]. (read more )
Holiday[5,10] (often holidays) is a chiefly British term for a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation ⇒ (i) I spent my summer holidays on a farm; (ii) Fred was on holiday in Spain. According to British dictionaries, the usual US and Canadian term for such a break is vacation. However, I am accustomed to hearing the two terms used almost interchangeably in this sense — in much the same manner that I would use fall and autumn interchangeably. This may not be the case in all parts of Canada, but I grew up in the Maritimes and have lived in Eastern Ontario for most of my life, both areas where British influence is particularly strong. In Britain, the word vacation[5] has a very specific meaning, a fixed holiday period between terms in universities and law courts ⇒ the Easter vacation. In North America, such a period might be called a break[7]. hide |
| 21a | Boozer with drink accepts a // discount (7) |
In British English, boozer[5] is not only an informal term for a person who drinks large quantities of alcohol but also an informal term for a pub or bar.
| 22a | Originally South American music, Brazilian actually (5) |
The entire clue is both definition and wordplay as I have indicated by the double underline.
| 24a | Man practically fronting Fat // Duck (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| The Fat Duck[7] is a restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, England owned by British celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. |
| 27a | Save // some income missing a million somehow (9) |
| 28a | An 'out-of-the-way' joint? (5) |
| 29a | Drunk back on hard // stuff (4) |
Stuff[5] is a dated informal British term meaning rubbish in the sense of worthless or foolish ideas, speech, or writing.
Tosh[5] is an informal British term meaning rubbish* or nonsense ⇒
it's sentimental tosh.
* in the sense of foolish words or speech
| 30a | Opinion of idiots broadcast about motors, principally (10) |
Down
| 1d | Danger of Queen covering one's King (4) |
"Queen " = R [Regina]
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.
hide
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.
| 2d | Criminal lapses, he's // without form (9) |
| 3d | What's possibly needed to see // small details? (5) |
| 4d | Giant iguana circles // island (7) |
Antigua[5] is one of the islands that make up the country of Antigua and Barbuda[5],
a country consisting of three islands (Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda)
in the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean (show more ).
Discovered in 1493 by Columbus and settled by the English in 1632, Antigua became a British colony with Barbuda as its dependency; the islands gained independence within the Commonwealth in 1981.
hide
Discovered in 1493 by Columbus and settled by the English in 1632, Antigua became a British colony with Barbuda as its dependency; the islands gained independence within the Commonwealth in 1981.
hide
| 5d | Unironed // ends of collar smoothed (7) |
| 7d | Protective cover's raised, /displaying/ swimmer (5) |
The sprat[5] is a small marine fish of the herring family, widely caught for food and fish products.
| 8d | Small rebellion keeps Republican // staggering (10) |
"Republican" = {R | REP} [member of US political party] (show more )
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
In the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland but the abbreviation does not seem to apply to that usage.
hide
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
In the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland but the abbreviation does not seem to apply to that usage.
hide
| 11d | Page is held by older // office appliance (7) |
"page " = P [publishing]
| 14d | Deference about Old Right, revolutionary /in/ hindsight (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Old Right[7] refers to the ideology and policies of the British Conservative Party that predated the ideological shift led by Margaret Thatcher. |
| 16d | Twister // charged over a con (7) |
Charged[5] is used in the sense of moved quickly and forcefully ⇒
Henry charged up the staircase.
Do[5] is an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒
a thousand pounds for one set of photos — Jacqui had been done.
Scratching the Surface
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| Twister[5] is an informal British term for a swindler or dishonest person. |
| 18d | Popular car practically ran // without noise (9) |
Audi AG[7] is a German automobile manufacturer that is now part of the
Volkswagen Group. (show more )
The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen" in German, becomes "audi" in Latin. The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union.
hide
The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen" in German, becomes "audi" in Latin. The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union.
hide
| 20d | Cambridge University in results /is/ tops (7) |
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology[5] (abbreviation MIT) is a US institute of higher education, famous for scientific and technical research, founded in 1861 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| 21d | Accept // endless cant swallowing falsehood (7) |
| 23d | Low nest regularly /seen in/ pines (5) |
| 25d | States // reluctant to drop English, finally (5) |
| 26d | Clown // that is sacrificing love (4) |
To wit[10] is an expression meaning that is to say or namely (used to introduce statements, as in legal documents).
"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).
hide
Here and There
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Judging by dictionary entries, the word "twit" may
have a slightly different connotation in the UK than it does in North
America. US dictionaries, for the most part, focus on the fact that such a person is a
pest whereas British dictionaries stress the person's lack of intellectual
capacity. (show more )
British dictionaries define twit as an informal term meaning variously
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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)
Brian's reactions may have more to do with what side of the bed he gets up on than the quality of the puzzles.
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