Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29299 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, February 29, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29299 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29299 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Big Dave (Hints)gnomethang (Review) | |
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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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.
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Introduction
This puzzle elicited a real mixed bag of opinions on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. In my case, I got off to a pretty decent start but, nearing the finish, three or four holdouts stretched my solving time well into another level of difficulty.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 | Appropriate // European base (7) |
In mathematics, e[5] is the transcendental* number that is the base of Napierian or natural logarithms, approximately equal to 2.71828.
* A transcendental number[5] is a number such as e or π that is real but not a root of an algebraic equation with rational coefficients.
| 5a | Mad Lear runs amok // in distress (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| King Lear[7]* is a tragedy written in 1605 or 1606 by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate
between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing
tragic consequences for all. * Lear[5], a legendary early king of Britain, is mentioned by the 12th century Welsh chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1139; first printed in 1508), an account of the kings of Britain. |
| 9a | First class // drinks party (9) |
Reception[5] is a British term for the first class in an infant* or primary** school ⇒ (i)
my son is in reception; (ii)
Youngsters can enter the school's reception class at the age of four.
* Infant[5] is a British term for a schoolchild between the ages of about four and eight ⇒
their first year at infant school.
** Primary[5] is a British term meaning relating to or denoting education for children between the ages of about five and eleven ⇒
Most students leaving primary education continue into secondary school.
| 10a | Mayonnaise sent back contains // bug (5) |
| 11a | Adult female holding on // so soon (7) |
"adult " = A [former British film certificate]
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
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The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
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| 12a | General/'s/ son the one she loves? (7) |
William Tecumseh Sherman[5] (1820–1891) was an American general. In 1864 in the American Civil War he became chief Union commander in the west. He set out with 60,000 men on a march through Georgia, during which he crushed Confederate forces and broke civilian morale by his policy of deliberate destruction of the territory he passed through.
| 13a | Left by train, heading for York // specifically (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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York[5] is a city in North Yorkshire, northern England, on
the River Ouse. (show more )
The Romans occupied the site, known as Eboracum, from AD 71 until about AD 400; in AD 867 it was taken by the Vikings. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York and is noted for its magnificent cathedral, York Minster. hide |
| 16a | Wise for instance // feeding one to sea eagle (5) |
Erne[5] is a literary name for the sea eagle[5], a large Eurasian fish-eating eagle that frequents coasts and wetlands.
The British comic duo Morecambe and Wise[7] (also known as Eric and Ernie), comprised of Eric Morecambe (1926-1984) and Ernie Wise (1925–1999), were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. They have been described as "the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced".
| 17a | Love /makes/ an entrance audibly (5) |
| 18a | Escaped over water breaking // pottery (9) |
Delftware[10] (also called delft) is tin-glazed earthenware made in Delft (a town in the southwestern Netherlands) since the 17th century, typically having blue decoration on a white ground, or a similar earthenware made in England.
| 21a | Sub-machine gun loaded by little // honey (7) |
A Sten gun[5] is a type of lightweight British sub-machine gun.
Honey[10] is used as a verb meaning to sweeten with or as if with honey.
| 22a | King George takes in walk -- /that's/ better (7) |
"King George " = GR [regnal cipher]
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of King George was GR[5] — from the Latin Georgius Rex.
* A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
hide
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of King George was GR[5] — from the Latin Georgius Rex.
* A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
hide
| 25a | Money // one might charge incautious tourist (5) |
Rhino[10] is British slang for money.
| 26a | From remote areas: // patriotic slogan? (2-7) |
| 27a | Strict // tea-user seen sloshed (7) |
| 28a | Disappointed -- /at being/ dropped? (3,4) |
Down
| 1d | Rubbish // sack taken into French station (7) |
The French word for station is gare[8].
| 2d | F1 driver perhaps // fantastic in two runs (5) |
"run " = R [cricket notation]
Formula One[7] (also Formula 1 or F1 and officially the FIA Formula One World Championship) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, meaning grand prizes), held worldwide on purpose-built circuits and public roads.*
* The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants' cars must conform.
| 3d | Brightest star/'s/ expression of surprise about record (5) |
In astronomy, alpha[5] is a designation for the first (typically the brightest) star in a constellation.
| 4d | Furies /in/ Ireland? Certainly! (7) |
Erin[5] is an archaic or literary name for Ireland.
In Greek mythology, Erinys[5] (plural Erinyes) is another name for Fury.
* A Fury[5] is a spirit of punishment, often represented as one of three goddesses who pronounced curses on the guilty and inflicted famines and pestilences.
| 5d | Many set free? (7) |
The entire clue is both wordplay and definition.
| 6d | Humiliation /in/ a crypt? (9) |
| 7d | Arab stopping Mona/'s/ obsessive single-mindedness (9) |
An Omani[5] is a native or inhabitant of Oman[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.
| 8d | Senior woman // rough on needy (7) |
| 14d | Working on pitches in this discipline? (9) |
I think one could legitimately see the entire clue as a somewhat cryptic definition in which wordplay is embedded. Phonetics[7] is the study of the physical properties of speech — one of which would surely be pitch.
However, I expect some may consider it to be a straightforward clue with separate wordplay and definition:
- Working on pitches /in/ this discipline? (9)
| 15d | Conductor // to choose route, we hear (9) |
| 17d | Oddly able to leave one country /for/ another (7) |
The implied definition is "another [country]".
| 18d | Set out at night? (7) |
| 19d | Coherent // US soldier going into pub (7) |
"US soldier " = GI
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
she went off with a GI during the war.
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide
Local[5] is a British informal term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒
had a pint in the local.
| 20d | Nobleman with those // near the start (5,2) |
An earl[5] is a British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquess [in other words, the third highest of the five ranks of British nobility — duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron].
| 23d | Carry out // horse? (5) |
| 24d | Header missed in tight // draw (5) |
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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