Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29277 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29177] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Mr K | |
BD rating
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| Difficulty - ★★ | Enjoyment - ★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
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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, September 19, 2020 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
Granted we've been presented with a very gentle mental workout today. However, if your experience mirrors mine, tomorrow's offering will be a much stiffer challenge.I am still struggling with the new Blogger editor. Midway through composing today's review, I switched from Firefox to Google's Chrome browser and some of the responsiveness issues that I have been experiencing appear to have diminished. Of course, I can't be certain this is due to the switch and not merely a coincidence. However, I have seen comments from other bloggers that suggest the new Blogger editor does work better on Chrome. One can't help but wonder if Google has deliberately designed the new editor to be incompatible with browsers other than its own.
In my posts, I reuse a lot of stock elements that I keep in a repository. The new editor has played havoc with the contents of this repository, deleting portions at random. In some cases, the deletions are evident and, when I detect them, I fix them before using this material in a post. However, they are sometimes not at all obvious and may slip past me. So should you find some rather bizarre entries in my blogs, you can blame Mr. Google!
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 | Beetle -- // small one in a tent? (7) |
Beetle is a British[2] or chiefly British[11] term meaning to move quickly or as if in a hurry to get away; in other words, to scurry.
| 5a | Urges // bullies to leave work (7) |
Here, leave is used not in the sense of depart but in the sense of leave behind or abandon.
"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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| 9a | Loud instrument // that's in the woodwind? (5) |
Here and There
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| The clue sounds strange to the North American ear because in Britain the term woodwind[2,10] (without an s) denotes woodwind instruments collectively or the section of the orchestra composed of these. In North America, we would use the term woodwinds[3,11] (with an s) in this situation. |
| 10a | Jobseeker? // Frank scoffed (9) |
| 11a | Rewarding // son with any gift is wrong (10) |
| 12a | Charlie // left in bed (4) |
Charlie[5] is an informal British term for a fool ⇒
what a bunch of charlies.
Clot[5] is an informal British term for a foolish or clumsy person ⇒
Watch where you’re going, you clot!.
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Mr K describes the required sleeping accommodation asCot[5] is the British name for a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child — an item of furniture known in North America as a crib[5].a small bed. |
| 14a | Orders // in street preceding commotions (12) |
| 18a | Eventual bible changes, omitting middle of Leviticus? // Out of the question! (12) |
Scratching the Surface | |
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| Leviticus[5] is the third book of the Bible, containing details of law and ritual. |
| 21a | Mistake, whichever way one looks at it (4) |
The wordplay in this clue does not give a second independent route to the solution but, rather, provides additional information pertaining to the solution; namely, that it is a palindrome. I have given the name "cryptic elaboration" to this style of wordplay.
Boob[5] is an informal British term for:
- (noun) an embarrassing mistake ⇒
the boob was spotted by a security expert at the show
- (verb) to make an embarrassing mistake ⇒
we found that we had boobed and the booking was for the previous week
| 22a | Demanding // individual (10) |
| 25a | A goddess intended to be heartless /for/ fun (9) |
In Greek and Roman mythology, the Muses[5] are the nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences. (show more )
The Muses are generally listed as Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flute playing and lyric poetry), Terpsichore (choral dancing and song), Erato (lyre playing and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy and light verse), Polyhymnia (hymns, and later mime), and Urania (astronomy).
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The Muses are generally listed as Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (flute playing and lyric poetry), Terpsichore (choral dancing and song), Erato (lyre playing and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy and light verse), Polyhymnia (hymns, and later mime), and Urania (astronomy).
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| 26a | Thin -- not large? /That makes/ sense (5) |
| 27a | Stressed out with no time /for/ clothes (7) |
| 28a | Loads of // weekend lessons? Only some (7) |
Down
| 1d | A party after shop's opening // -- most sensible (6) |
| 2d | A sexy guy turns up, impressing 50 // ladies, perhaps (6) |
| 3d | Gratifyingly // polite remark king exchanged with student (10) |
"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.
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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.
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"student " = L [driver under instruction]
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
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| 4d | Iffy // film from the 1970s (5) |
Rocky[7] is a 1976 American sports drama film starring Sylvester Stallone.
| 5d | Nun is pale, shaking // head (9) |
| 6d | Be up /for/ wickedness (4) |
| 7d | Horse -- // stop one then proceed! (8) |
| 8d | Best to consult about wicket before cricket match (8) |
On cricket scorecards, wicket (in the third sense below) is abbreviated as W[5].
In cricket, the term wicket[5] is used in several ways:
- each of the sets of three stumps with two bails across the top at either end of the pitch*, defended by a batsman
- (also known as the pitch[5]) the prepared strip of ground between the two sets of stumps ⇒
when they inspected the wicket, they found it being rolled by some prisoners
- the dismissal of a batsman; each of ten dismissals regarded as marking a division of a side’s innings ⇒
Darlington won by four wickets
* Since wicket (in the second sense) and pitch are synonymous, wicket in the first sense could have been confusingly defined as:- each of the sets of three stumps with two bails across the top at either end of the wicket, defended by a batsman
the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies.
| 13d | Inclined /to be/ idealistic when deciphered (10) |
| 15d | Youngsters // eat greens irregularly (9) |
| 16d | Committee supporting trophy /for/ store (8) |
Store[11] is a chiefly British term for a storehouse or warehouse. [I guess one might consider a cupboard to be a very small storehouse.]
| 17d | Certain // sailor's old instrument (8) |
"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) 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) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
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"old " = O [linguistics]
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
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In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
OFr[Old French]; (ii)
OE[Old English].
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
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| 19d | Place fit /for/ deadly epidemic (6) |
| 20d | Beginning to trust biblical book's // facts (6) |
Ruth[5] is a book of the Bible telling the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, who married her deceased husband's kinsman Boaz and bore a son who became grandfather to King David.
| 23d | Name // bird over meadow with no tail (5) |
The tits, chickadees, and titmice[7] constitute the Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa. These birds are called either "chickadees" or "titmice" in North America, and just "tits" in the rest of the English-speaking world.
A Bit of Schoolboy Humour | |||
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| In the spirit of the repartee on Big Dave's Crossword Blog concerning 21a, this should fit right in. The great tit[10] is a large common Eurasian tit, Parus major with yellow-and-black underparts and a black-and-white head.
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| 24d | Announcement from all directions (4) |
Similar to what we saw in 21a, the wordplay in this clue does not give a second independent route leading to the solution but, rather, provides additional information (cryptic elaboration) pertaining to the solution; in this case, that it is comprised of the four points of the compass.
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)
Signing off for today — Falcon
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