Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29304 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, March 6, 2020 | |
Setter
proXimal (Steve Bartlett) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29304]
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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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Introduction
Today's puzzle is by proXimal — clearly indicated by his hallmard four Xs in the solution.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 | Conflict with the German // guard (6) |
"the German " = DER
Warder[5] is a British term for a guard in a prison.
| 5a | Performed // at do with cute eccentric (5,3) |
Scratching the Surface
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Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒the soccer club Christmas do. |
| 9a | Escape holding large wooden // torch (10) |
Torch[10] — in addition to its historical meaning — is the British name for a flashlight*.
* Flashlight[5] is considered by Brits to be a North American term (as you will see noted in the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog).
| 10a | Deer // got up, we heard (4) |
The roe[5] (plural roe or roes; also called roe deer) is a small Eurasian deer which lacks a visible tail and has a reddish summer coat that turns greyish in winter.
| 11a | Support // Poles travelling around America (8) |
| 12a | Procedure /of/ one exercise class on field (6) |
Here and There
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Rec[5] is an informal British term for recreation ground whereas in North America it is a short form for the word recreation ⇒ the rec centre. Thus while Brits conduct their recreational activities at the rec, North Americans pursue theirs at the rec centre. |
| 13a | Used to be // banks in both Whitstable and Ramsgate (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Whitstable[7]
is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. Ramsgate[7] is a seaside town in east Kent, England. |
| 15a | Player /from/ United with model back in apartment (8) |
Here and There
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| Flat[5] is the British term for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America*. * The term apartment is used in Britain, but seemingly in a more restricted sense than in North America, applying to either temporary or upscale accommodation. As Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) puts it, an apartment[5] is:
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| 18a | Female mashed potato hard // way (8) |
| 19a | Regularly seen Friends on // repeat (4) |
Friends[7] is an American television sitcom which aired for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004.
| 21a | It's star-studded // party given by two unknowns (6) |
"two unknowns " = XY
| 23a | Poorest // born then cark it, existing in the middle (8) |
Cark it[1] (also cark, kark or kark it) is an informal Australian expression meaning to break down or die.
| 25a | That man's hiding small // sound of gas escaping (4) |
| 26a | Scolding // husband detained by drunk in bar ages (10) |
Earbashing[10] is an informal British, Australian and New Zealand term for a scolding or lengthy and vituperative verbal attack.
| 27a | Send // some French dressing (8) |
In French, des[8] is a partitive article meaning 'some'.
In medicine, the term patch[10] can denote any protective dressing.
Despatch[10] is a less common variant spelling of dispatch.
| 28a | Wet // turf by animal home (6) |
Down
| 2d | Choppers bearing large // mechanical parts (5) |
As first seen in 9a, the setter once again uses the word "large" to clue the letter "L".
| 3d | Dodgy // detective excelled over good person (9) |
"detective " = DI [detective inspector]
A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
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A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
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"good person " = ST [saint]
| 4d | Enjoy // run, hour covering exotic isle (6) |
"run " = R [cricket notation]
| 5d | Winged overseer // in grange loft, hen or thrush (5,2,3,5) |
Angel of the North[10] is a steel sculpture of an angel with outstretched wings, created in 1998 by British sculptor Antony Gormley, which stands on a hilltop outside Gateshead in northeastern England. It stands 20 m (85 ft) high and has a wingspan of 54 m (175 ft).
Scratching the Surface
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| Grange[10] is an archaic term for a granary or barn. |
| 6d | Overwhelmed by test, sorted out // lesson (8) |
| 7d | Tips from rabbi in document // of classic design (5) |
Doric[5] (adjective) means relating to or denoting a classical order of architecture characterized by a sturdy fluted column and a thick square abacus resting on a rounded moulding.
* The abacus[5] is the flat slab on top of a capital[5] (the distinct, typically broader section at the head of a pillar or column), supporting the architrave[5] (a main beam resting across the tops of columns).
| 8d | Exhausted keeping new exhibition // under wraps (9) |
| 14d | Vivid // Lloyd Webber musical man recalled (9) |
Evita[7]
is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.
It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón [known familiarly as Evita],
the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows her early
life, rise to power, charity work, and eventual death. (show more )
Evita began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical.
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Evita began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical.
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Cove[5] is a dated informal British term for a man ⇒
he is a perfectly amiable cove.
Origin: Mid 16th century: perhaps from Romany kova ‘thing or person’.
| 16d | Upended in grass, outhouse // damaged (9) |
Grass[5] (verb, often grass on or grass up) is an informal British term meaning to inform the police of someone’s criminal activities or plans ⇒ (i)
someone had grassed on the thieves; (ii)
she threatened to grass me up.
This expression may derive from rhyming slang (grasshopper being rhyming slang (show explanation ) for 'copper').
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in Cockney rhyming slang.
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Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in Cockney rhyming slang.
hide
Rat on[5] (someone) is an informal term meaning to inform on (someone).
In Britain, an outhouse[5] is a building such as a shed or barn that is built on to or in the grounds of a house rather than — as in North America — an outside toilet.
| 17d | Simple Simon's core worry, /being/ pushover (4,4) |
Easy meat[5] is an informal [likely British]* term for a person who is easily overcome or outwitted.
* based on the conspicuous absence of the term from US dictionaries
Scratching the Surface
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| "Simple Simon"[7] is a popular English language nursery rhyme. |
| 20d | Article in Next, Barking store primarily /for/ southerners (6) |
As an anagram indicator, barking[5] is used in an informal British sense meaning completely mad or demented ⇒ (i)
we are all a bit barking; (ii) [as submodifier]
has she gone completely barking mad?.
Scratching the Surface
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| Next plc[7] (styled as next) is a British multinational clothing, footwear and home products retailer, headquartered in Enderby, Leicestershire. It has around 700 stores, of which circa 500 are in the United Kingdom, and circa 200 across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Next is the largest clothing retailer by sales in the United Kingdom, having overtaken Marks & Spencer in early 2012 and 2014. Barking[7] is a district of East London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is 9.3 miles (15 km) east northeast of Charing Cross*. * Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross[7] (a street junction in the City of Westminster) has generally been accepted as the notional "centre of London" and is the point from which distances from London are calculated. |
| 22d | Storyteller/'s/ written up main work (5) |
The main[5] is an archaic or literary term for the open ocean.
"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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Aesop[5,10] (?620–564 BC) was a Greek storyteller who authored fables in which animals are given human characters and used to satirize human failings. The moral animal fables associated with him were probably collected from many sources, and initially communicated orally. Aesop is said to have lived as a slave on the island of Samos.
| 24d | Following // son in church (5) |
"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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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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