Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29235 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, December 16, 2019 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29235] | |
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
This puzzle proved not too challenging for the vast majority of those commenting on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. However, there's an exception to every rule, and so a few found it difficult.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
| 7a | Approve of // English language sweeping across Germany (7) |
Norse[5] is the Norwegian language, especially in an ancient or medieval form, or the Scandinavian language group.
| 9a | Rush round place /in/ unrestrained bout of extravagance (7) |
| 10a | Best chapter about current // theme (5) |
By the way, the 'C' in the solution is provided by the abbreviation for "chapter" rather than (as Miffypops shows in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog) the abbreviation for "about".
| 11a | Manchester has one // chaplains condemned (4,5) |
Manchester[5] is an industrial city and metropolitan district in north-western England. Founded in Roman times, it developed in the 18th and 19th centuries as a centre of the English cotton industry.
The Manchester Ship Canal[5] is a 36-mile-long (58 km) inland waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift vessels about 60 feet (18 m) to the canal's terminus in Manchester.
| 12a | Go back briefly, then off // out to lunch, having these? (4,2,3,6) |
Note that Miffypops has overlooked part of the definition in his marking of the clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog.
| 13a | An American theatre award presented to male // opposite (7) |
The Tony Award[7], (informally Tony and officially the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre".
In his hint on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops provides a rather fanciful re-imagining of the meaning behind the name of this theatrical award.
| 16a | Indian city featured in not very intelligent // plan (7) |
Agra[5] is a city on the Jumna River in Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. The capital of the Mogul empire 1566–1658, it is the site of the Taj Mahal.
| 19a | Pioneers // encountered in rallies around France (8,7) |
| 23a | Popular comprehensive, // for the most part (2,7) |
| 24a | Drink // sovereign rejected (5) |
| 25a | Spear // I'd dropped in English river (7) |
The Trent[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.
| 26a | Be cruel to // journalists after work (7) |
"work " = OP [opus]
In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
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In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.
The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..
Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒
he was writing an opus on Mexico.
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Down
| 1d | Green supporter, conserving energy, /showing/ bit of backbone? (8) |
Vert[5] is the green as a heraldic tincture.
| 2d | Fake news about king /causing/ conflict (8) |
"king " = R [Rex]
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex 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.
hide
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex 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.
hide
| 3d | Debt is getting out of hand /in/ flat (6) |
Flat[5] is the British term for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America.
Bedsit[5] (also bedsitter or bed-sitting room) is a British term for a one-roomed unit of accommodation typically consisting of combined bedroom and sitting room with cooking facilities.
| 4d | Notice short ambassador/'s/ hat (6) |
Clock[5] is a British informal term meaning to notice or watch ⇒
I noticed him clocking her in the mirror.
In a repeat from yesterday, HE[2] is the abbreviation for His or Her Excellency, where Excellency[2] (usually His, Her or Your Excellency or Your or Their Excellencies) is a title of honour given to certain people of high rank, e.g. ambassadors.
A cloche[5] is a woman's close-fitting bell-shaped hat.
| 5d | Hand over // change (8) |
Miffypops uses a football [soccer] analogy to explain the second definition. An alternative explanation would be how a commuter moves from one bus or train to another.
| 6d | Very // honest about line unknown (6) |
"unknown " = Y [algebraic notation]
While Miffypop's explanation gets one to the correct destination, he does not follow the route mapped out by the setter. The abbreviation for line needs to be inserted into the synonym for honest rather than follow it.
| 8d | Leading journalist turned up /in/ terminal (5) |
| 9d | Fixed allowance /and/ gratuity in post (7) |
| 14d | Film /of/ tense game, with Tiger beaten at the end (4,4) |
"game " = RU [rugby union]
Rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).
Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.
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Rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).
Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.
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True Grit[7] is a 1969 American Western film starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. Wayne won his only Oscar for his performance in the film. It is the first film adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, the second being released in 2010.
Scratching the Surface
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| In the surface reading, I take "Tiger" to be a reference to US professional golfer Tiger Woods[7]. |
| 15d | Marine disorientated on top of Trump // Tower (7) |
A minaret[5] is a slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin* calls Muslims to prayer.
| 17d | Ruminant: // one leapt out (8) |
| 18d | Woman who teaches /may be/ married, I repeat (8) |
Mistress[5] is a British term for a female schoolteacher who teaches a particular subject ⇒
a Geography mistress.
| 19d | Lively // one kept in iron pen (6) |
The symbol for the chemical element iron is Fe[5] (from Latin ferrum).
| 20d | Jackass // departs on cue (6) |
Among the synonyms for key found in Chambers Thesaurus are clue, cue, indicator, pointer, explanation, ... I would say that key[10] is being used in the sense of a list of explanations of symbols, codes, etc.
| 21d | First of fields set aside, left unploughed (6) |
Allow[5] is used in the sense of provide or set aside for a particular purpose ⇒
allow an hour or so for driving.
| 22d | Bird /in/ gale raging over Spain (5) |
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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