Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29292 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, February 21, 2020 | |
Setter
Silvanus | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29292]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Deep Threat | |
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, October 10, 2020 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
Today's puzzle comes from a new setter — at least new to The Daily Telegraph. As you will see from the effusive comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, he is far from new to the regulars there as he got his start setting puzzles for a couple of features on that blog, Rookie Corner and NTSPP (Not The Saturday Prize Puzzle) before graduating to setting puzzles for some of Britain's major newspapers.Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
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 | Game // Carol plays with sister regularly (8) |
| 5a | Walks stiffly // when final cricket ball has been delivered (6) |
Stump[5] means to walk stiffly and noisily ⇒
he stumped away on short thick legs.
Stumps[5] denotes the close of play in a cricket match ⇒
The day got better for Haryana when they snapped up two Jharkhand wickets in the four overs that they got before stumps.
| 9a | Cruel, like an ungrateful Frenchman? (9) |
A grateful Frenchman would say "merci"[8], the French word for 'thank you'.
| 11a | Cat attracts extremely unusual // VIP (5) |
Mog[5], another name for moggie[5] (or moggy), is an informal British term for a cat, typically one that does not have a pedigree or is otherwise unremarkable ⇒
The mog ended up in a cat rescue centre after a passer-by saved it from a violent group of yobs*.
* Yob[5] (back slang** for boy) is an informal British term for a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth.
** Back slang[5] is slang in which words are spoken as though they were spelled backwards.
| 12a | Rejection of Conservative road /leading to/ decay (3,3) |
"Conservative " = TORY [member of British political party]
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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Dry rot[5] is fungal timber decay occurring in poorly ventilated conditions in buildings, resulting in cracking and powdering of the wood.
| 13a | At sea, no rating /is/ clueless (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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Rating[5] is a British term for a non-commissioned sailor in the navy ⇒the rest of the new crew was made up of naval ratings. Origin: So named from the position or rating held by a sailor, recorded on a ship's books. |
| 15a | Stop messing about /and/ switch to TV quiz? (3,2,3,5) |
The Chase[7] is a British television quiz show. Contestants play against a professional quizzer, known as the "chaser", who attempts to prevent them from winning a cash prize.
| 18a | Hint leg's injured, limiting team lacking individual // awareness (13) |
Eleven[5] (often appearing as a Roman numeral XI) is the number of players in* a cricket[7] side [team] or an Association football[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒
at cricket I played in the first eleven.
* Note that, in Britain, the words "side" and "team" are synonymous and a player is said to be "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.
| 22a | Broadcast // managed to fill times on vacation with German (8) |
The phrase "on vacation" is an indication to remove the contents (interior letters) from the word "T(ime)S". Vacation[10] is likely used in the sense of the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc. Thus the setter would seem to be suggesting that the interior letters pack up and leave.
Mit[8] is the German word for 'with'.
| 23a | Cover for head // schoolteacher at centre of town (6) |
| 26a | Child pens first letter on back of Easter // card (5) |
| 27a | Food // pigs hate scattered across interior of sty (9) |
| 28a | Plant /in/ orderly system (6) |
| 29a | Brief displays of theatrics, // something John McEnroe used to do? (8) |
John McEnroe[7] is a retired American tennis player, often considered among the greatest in the history of the sport. He was known for his shot-making artistry and volleying skills, as well as his confrontational on-court behavior that frequently landed him in trouble with umpires and tennis authorities.
In tennis and other racket sports, a let[5] is a circumstance under which a service is nullified and has to be taken again, especially (in tennis) when the ball clips the top of the net and falls within bounds ⇒
he was obstructed and asked for a let.
By the way, if you attempt to follow Deep Threat's hint on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, you will find yourself one letter short of a solution. You need the plural of his indicated answer.
Scratching the Surface
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| Controversy was never far from McEnroe, however; in his fourth-round match against Mikael Pernfors at the 1990 Australian Open, McEnroe was ejected from the tournament for swearing at the umpire, supervisor, and referee. He was warned by the umpire for intimidating a lineswoman, and then docked a point for smashing a racket. McEnroe was apparently unaware that a new Code of Conduct, which had been introduced just before the tournament, meant that a third code violation would not lead to the deduction of a game but instead would result in immediate disqualification; therefore, when McEnroe unleashed a volley of abuse at umpire Gerry Armstrong, he was defaulted. He was also fined $6,500 for the incidents. |
Down
| 1d | Ineffectual person, // this writer the French avoid locking up (4,4) |
"this writer " = ME
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
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It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
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In addition to its North American political connotation, lame duck[5] can mean an ineffectual or unsuccessful person or thing ⇒
most of her boyfriends have been lame ducks.
Origin[3]: 18th-century British stock exchange slang for a defaulter, one who has defaulted on debts (perhaps because such defaulters were likened to injured ducks waddling away from Change Alley, the narrow London side street where share trading was carried out in coffeehouses; compare similar zoomorphic 18th-century stock market terms, such as bear and bull).
| 2d | Dash, heading off /for/ meal (5) |
| 3d | Banker // occasionally sorry adding international name above old firm (7) |
"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.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
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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.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
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Banker is a whimsical Crosswordland term for a river — something that has banks. After all, if a tanker is something that has tanks then does it not logically follow that a banker must be something that has banks.
| 4d | Raise favourite son /to get/ degree (4) |
| 6d | A fair kind of lottery? (7) |
Tombola[5] is a British term for a game in which people pick tickets out of a revolving drum and certain tickets win immediate prizes, typically played at a fete* or fair ⇒ (i)
entrance includes a tombola and raffle; (ii)
traditional games such as tombola or bingo.
* Fete[5] (also fête) is a British term for a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments ⇒
a church fete.
| 7d | Cambridge college // speaker's sentimental (9) |
Magdalene College[7] (pronounced MAWD-lin) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
| 8d | Hail // leads to significant accumulations, lasting until temperatures ease (6) |
| 10d | Prudence /comes from/ a municipality depressed by decline (8) |
| 14d | Embarrasses // fellow endlessly, then smiles (8) |
"fellow " = CHAP
Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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| 16d | He's engaged by stars /to produce/ book (9) |
Taurus[5] is a constellation (the Bull), said to represent a bull that was tamed by Jason*. Its many bright stars include Aldebaran (the bull's eye), and it contains the star clusters of the Hyades and the Pleiades, and the Crab Nebula.
* In Greek mythology, Jason[5] is the son of the king of Iolcos in Thessaly, and leader of the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece.
| 17d | Visiting America, listen out /for/ useful devices (8) |
| 19d | State /of/ the loo's dreadful! (7) |
Lesotho[5] is a landlocked mountainous country forming an enclave in South Africa.
Scratching the Surface
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| Loo[5] is an informal British term for a toilet [either as a room or a plumbing fixture]. |
| 20d | Somewhat indecent /and/ arrogant to change starter (7) |
| 21d | Still // overjoyed after giving up The City (6) |
"The City " = EC
In the clue, the setter uses the phrase "The City" to stand for for the EC postcode* which serves the City of London. The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area[7] (also known as the London EC postcode area) is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London boroughs.
* postcode being the British counterpart of the Canadian postal code or American zip code
The City of London[7] (not to be confused with the city of London) 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.
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In the clue, the setter uses the phrase "The City" to stand for for the EC postcode* which serves the City of London. The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area[7] (also known as the London EC postcode area) is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London boroughs.
* postcode being the British counterpart of the Canadian postal code or American zip code
The City of London[7] (not to be confused with the city of London) 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.
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| 24d | Wash // two articles previously black (5) |
| 25d | Bar // banter (4) |
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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