Friday, September 25, 2020 — DT 29281

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29281
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, February 8, 2020
Setter Unknown
Link to full review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29281 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29281– Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD rating
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
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

I became bogged down in the southeast corner and needed electronic help to extricate myself.

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
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Hungry // strict religious group given food outside (8)

The Amish^[6] are members of a strict Mennonite sect that established major settlements in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere in North America from 1720 onward.

5a	Like this clue? // Annoyed with answer given first (6)

10a	Yet // this is how all-seater stadiums are (15)

All-seater^[5] (adjective) is a British term denoting (of a sports stadium) having a seat for every spectator and no standing places.

11a	Trick cyclists /needing/ quiet places to skate (7)

Trick cyclist^{[1,2,4,5,10,12]} is a British^* term that can mean either:

• an acrobat who performs stunts on a bicycle or monocycle (unicycle), e.g. in a circus
• (colloquial, humorous) a psychiatrist (a deliberate malapropism)
  

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^* several dictionaries explicitly state that the second sense is British; I infer that the first sense may also be British due to its non-appearance in US dictionaries.

12a	Get along fine mostly putting donkey in // prestigious event (7)

Classic^[5] (noun) denotes:

• a major sports tournament or competition, especially in golf or tennis ⇒ the Australian Classic
• (in the UK) each of the five main flat races^* of the horse-racing season
  

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  ^* A flat race^[5] is a horse race over a course with no jumps, as opposed to a steeplechase or hurdles.

13a	Mediterranean city/'s/ greeting to departing North American spies (8)

Vale^[5] is an archaic exclamation of farewell [i.e., greeting to (those) departing].

"American spies " = CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency^[5] (abbreviation CIA) is a federal agency in the US responsible for coordinating government intelligence activities. Established in 1947 and originally intended to operate only overseas, it has since also operated in the US.

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Valencia^[5] is a port in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean coast.

15a	Just // offside? (5)

Offside^[5] (usually the off side) is a British term for:

• the side of a vehicle furthest from the kerb [British spelling of curb] (in Britain, where they have right-hand drive, the right) ⇒ the rear offside wheel
• the right side of a horse

What did he say?

In his hints on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Big Dave describes the solution as the off side to a batsman who is not left-handed. Here Big Dave is attempting to frame the clue in a cricket context, but I would say that it really doesn't work. The clue actually is in reference to autos and horses. In cricket, the off[5] (also called off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other half of the field is known as either the leg[5] (also called leg side) or on[5] (also called on side) ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg. Thus, for a right-handed batsman, the off side will be the right-hand side of the field from his perspective. Of course, it will be the left-hand side of the field from the bowler's perspective.

18a	Hardy heroine takes in tense // international matches (5)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles^[7] (extended title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented) is a novel by English writer Thomas Hardy (1840–1928). (show more )

The novel initially appeared in a censored and serialised version, published by the British illustrated newspaper The Graphic in 1891 and in book form in 1892. Though now considered a major nineteenth-century English novel and possibly Hardy's masterpiece, Tess of the d'Urbervilles received mixed reviews when it first appeared, in part because it challenged the sexual morals of late Victorian England.

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"tense " = T [grammar term]

Grammatically speaking, t.^[10] is the abbreviation for tense.

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Test^[5] (short for Test match^[5]) denotes an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries ⇒ the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies.

20a	Dislike // state's entity having charge (8)

An ion^[5] is an atom or molecule [i.e. entity] with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

23a	What clergy wear // suit mostly needing belt? (7)

A cassock^[5] is a full-length garment worn by certain Christian clergy, members of church choirs, and others having an office or role in a church.

25a	Competition needing horses // you rent out (7)

A tourney^[5] is a tournament, especially a medieval joust.

26a	Emaciated condition // in lank lads treated by doctor (3,4,3,5)

Bones^[1] (informal) is a nickname for a doctor.

27a	Speaking // role finally censored from 'Love Actually' (6)

"love " = O [nil score in tennis]

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

In the surface reading, Love Actually[7] is a 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy film that features an ensemble cast, composed predominantly of British actors. Mostly filmed on location in London, the screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as the tales progress. The story begins five weeks before Christmas and is played out in a weekly countdown until the holiday, followed by an epilogue that takes place one month later.

28a	Block // group from circa 1970 reaching number one (8)

The Doors^[7] were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. Morrison died in uncertain circumstances in 1971. The band continued as a trio until disbanding in 1973.

Down

1d	Heartless Scandinavian // murder? (6)

2d & 3d

Field of research // that could produce essential ceramic (9,7)

Materials science^[5] is the branch of science that deals with the structure, properties, and processing of materials, especially with regard to their potential usefulness.

3d

See 2d

4d	Character // revealed by stethoscope (5)

6d	Mythical creature /of/ unusual nature with colt's head (7)

In Greek mythology, a centaur^[5] is a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse.

7d	Leaves // American university so upset about it (5)

"American university " = MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology]

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.

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Typo alert: the solution to the clue is OMITS (in her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, crypticsue has omitted the S — or perhaps she split the solution (4,1) and took it to be an instruction)

8d	After slump a financial centre /shows/ good sense (8)

The City of London^[7] is a city and ceremonial county within London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the conurbation has since grown far beyond the City's borders. The City of London is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London. It is one of two districts of London to hold city status, the other being the adjacent City of Westminster.

The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City (often written as just "City" and differentiated from the phrase "the city of London" by capitalising "City") and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km²), in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. This is analogous to the use of the terms Wall Street and Bay Street to refer to the financial institutions located in New York and Toronto respectively.

9d	Break code -- task /providing/ defence (8)

14d	Tribal leader // making a lot of noise (8)

16d	Stop fool flying -- // it's not worth much apparently (9)

Groundnut^[10] is an alternative British name for peanut.

17d	Two jazz fans going head to head, coming in so jumpily? (8)

Cat^[5] is an informal North American term (especially among jazz enthusiasts) for a man ⇒ (i) this West Coast cat had managed him since the early 80s; (ii) the cat went crazy on the horn.

19d	Swimmer's aid -- // something to help one see coming up round Orkney -- not half (7)

Scratching the Surface
The Orkney Islands (also Orkney or the Orkneys) are a group of more than 70 islands off the north-eastern tip of Scotland, constituting an administrative region of Scotland. They came into Scottish possession in 1472, having previously been ruled by Norway and Denmark.

21d	Fail to pay attention /that's/ small inconvenience (7)

"small " = S [clothing size]

S^[5] is the abbreviation for small (as a clothing size).

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In Britain, the word lumber^[5] (noun) has a totally different meaning than it does in North America, being articles of furniture or other household items that are no longer useful and inconveniently take up storage space.

The wordplay works best when lumber^[5] (usually be lumbered with) is interpreted as a verb meaning to burden (someone) with something unwanted.

22d	Fashion shops stocking unknown // fragrant plant (6)

"unknown " = Y [algebraic notation]

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown^[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are customarily represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

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Hyssop^[5] is a small bushy aromatic plant of the mint family, the bitter minty leaves of which are used in cooking and herbal medicine.

24d	Dressing /for/ dance (5)

Salsa^[5] is a spicy tomato sauce (used especially in Latin American cooking).

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Salsa^[5] is a type of Latin American dance music incorporating elements of jazz and rock or a dance performed to this music.

25d	Dance // beat requiring energy (5)

The tango^[5] is a ballroom dance originating in Buenos Aires, characterized by marked rhythms and postures and abrupt pauses.

Go^[5] is used in a British sense meaning spirit, animation, or energy ⇒  there's no go in me at all these days.

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Key to Reference Sources: 

  ^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition

  ^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)

  ^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)

  ^[4]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)

  ^[5]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)

  ^[6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (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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Signing off for today — Falcon