Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29238 | |
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, December 19, 2019 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29238] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
pommers | |
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 have to confess that overall I found this puzzle to be considerably more difficult than the two stars that pommers awards it in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I got off to an excellent start but a handful of clues at the end mounted a valiant defence. I did eventually complete it without resorting to electronic help but only after revisiting the puzzle more times than I care to admit.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 | They manage // change half-heartedly (6) |
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.
| 4a | Considered // well upset seeing drunk outside (8) |
"drunk " = SUPPED
As a verb, sup[5] is a dated or Northern English term meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls ⇒ (i)
As a noun, sup[5] means
As a verb, sup[5] is a dated or Northern English term meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls ⇒ (i)
she supped up her soup delightedly; (ii)
he was supping straight from the bottle.
As a noun, sup[5] means
- a sip of liquid ⇒
he took another sup of wine
- (in Northern England or Ireland) an alcoholic drink ⇒
the latest sup from those blokes at the brewery
| 9a | Double short knocked back /creates/ complaint (6) |
Short[5] (noun) is a British term for a drink of spirits served in a small measure* or, as Collins English Dictionary puts it, a short[10] is a drink of spirits as opposed to a long drink such as beer.
| 10a | Liberal // low-down love god embraces you, say (8) |
Gen[5] is a British informal term for information ⇒
you’ve got more gen on him than we have.
In Greek mythology, Eros[5] is the god of love, son of Aphrodite — the Roman equivalent being Cupid.
| 12a | Parlour game // had races, unfortunately (8) |
| 13a | Elderly beginning to adore absorbing new // programme (6) |
Programme[5] is the British spelling of program — the exception being in the field of computer science where the usual spelling is program.
| 15a | Humiliation // as member rants drunkenly (13) |
| 18a | Obstinacy // namely involves terribly stern caning (13) |
| 22a | Catch // he-men cavorting around top of stage (6) |
| 24a | Feeling much better? (8) |
| 26a | Old boy's always purchasing 'right' // Spectator (8) |
"old boy " = OB
In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
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In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
- a former male student of a school or college ⇒
an old boy of Banbury County School
- a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒
the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards
‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.
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Scratching the Surface
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| The Spectator[7]
is a conservative-leaning weekly British magazine, first published in
1828, owned by David and Frederick Barclay — who also own The Daily Telegraph[7] newspaper. By the way, The Observer[7] happens to be the name of a British newspaper at the opposite end of the political spectrum. The world's oldest Sunday newspaper, it is a sister paper to the daily The Guardian[7] and takes a similar liberal or social democratic line on most issues. |
| 27a | United // scored wasting time (6) |
Scratching the Surface
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Manchester United Football Club[7], commonly known as Man United or simply United*, is an English professional football [soccer] club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system). * Although, in Britain, the word United[5] is commonly used in the names of soccer and other sports teams formed by amalgamation, it would seem that the word United in the absence of other context would customarily be assumed to be a reference to Manchester United. |
| 28a | Corrupt // worthy accepts promotion (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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Worthy[5] is an often humorous term for a person notable or important in a particular sphere ⇒ schools governed by local worthies. |
| 29a | Empty Anglican Church following American // custom (6) |
"church " = CE [Church of England]
The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.
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The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.
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Usance[5] is an archaic term for usage.
Down
| 1d | Clowns often making idiotic comments say, originally (6) |
The entire clue provides the wordplay in which the definition is embedded. The double underline indicates that this portion of the clue is both part of the wordplay as well as being the definition. Of course, one could almost extend the definition to include the entire clue.
| 2d | Solid // forward covering player with Everton's wingers (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Everton Football Club[7] is an English professional football [soccer] club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. |
| 3d | Republican centre supporter brought up // nonsense (7) |
"Republican " = R [member or supporter of US political party]
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
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear 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
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.
hide
Rhubarb[5] is a British informal term denoting nonsense* ⇒
it was all rhubarb, about me, about her daughter, about art.
* The term may well come from the theatre world where the term rhubarb[5] refers to the noise made by a group of actors to give the impression of indistinct background conversation, especially by the random repetition of the word ‘rhubarb’.
| 5d | Employs // American round outskirts of Seattle (4) |
| 6d | Swears, // parking, left on rims (7) |
| 7d | Faint // shortly overcoming wife (5) |
| 8d | Horror // of nudist as teacher (8) |
| 11d | Overpower // some trespasser perhaps, getting upended (7) |
| 14d | Democrat winds up /giving/ threats (7) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
The phrasal verb wind (someone) up[5] is a British informal expression meaning to tease or irritate (someone) ⇒
she's only winding me up.
| 16d | Face /of/ First Lady almost wreathed in joy (9) |
"First Lady " = EVE
In the Bible, Eve[5,10] is the first woman, mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam, companion of Adam and mother of Cain and Abel* [Gen 2:18-25].
* not to mention Seth and her other sons and daughters [Gen 5:4]
Disobeying God, Eve[7] succumbs to the serpent's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and shares the fruit with Adam. As a result, the first humans are expelled from the Garden of Eden.
hide
In the Bible, Eve[5,10] is the first woman, mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam, companion of Adam and mother of Cain and Abel* [Gen 2:18-25].
* not to mention Seth and her other sons and daughters [Gen 5:4]
Disobeying God, Eve[7] succumbs to the serpent's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and shares the fruit with Adam. As a result, the first humans are expelled from the Garden of Eden.
hide
Face[2] is used in the sense of a surface or side, e.g. of a mountain, gem, geometrical figure, etc.
Elevation[2] is used in the sense of a drawing or diagram of one side of a building, machine, etc.
| 17d | Fuel // resentment with being consumed by diet (8) |
| 19d | Confident // fool shamefaced about United (7) |
| 20d | Pasta // heaps with last of Parmesan topping (7) |
| 21d | Dog set about // heavy chow (6) |
Stodge[5] is a British informal term for food that is heavy, filling, and high in carbohydrates ⇒
she ate her way through a plateful of stodge.
| 23d | Melody // imbues pitch occasionally (5) |
| 25d | Check // return of Queen with popular support (4) |
"Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
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)
Ray T's oblique synonyms always present a challenge. But today I seemed to be on his wavelength, finishing in average time and needing only to consult a dictionary for "usance".
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that liberals are generous with other people's money.
Now there's a "chicken and egg" question. Did the terms 'liberal' and 'conservative' in the sense of profligate and frugal predate the founding of the parties or did they derive from observation of the behaviour of the parties?
DeleteThat's a very good question. The names were adopted by the British Tory and Whig parties in the 1830's. The names seem to relate to the protracted and heated controversy over what became the Reform Act. The Act eliminated the rotten boroughs, created new urban seats and extended voting rights to small-holders and tenant farmers. The Tories were generally opposed and were conservative in the sense that they wished to preserve traditional institutions. Whigs advocated for social and electoral reform. Their notion of liberalism also extended to personal liberty, free trade and the primacy of parliament. The party names seem to have stood the test of time, though the original Liberals were more what we would today call libertarian.
ReplyDelete