Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29324 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, March 30, 2020 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29324]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Miffypops | |
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, November 21, 2020 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
You might well be wondering what all the brouhaha is about on Big Dave's Crossword Blog regarding the Quickie pun and Ninas. In addition to the Cryptic Crossword (the crossword that is carried by the National Post), The Daily Telegraph also publishes a Quick Crossword (familiarly known as The Quickie) that is compiled by the same setter who does the Cryptic Crossword. The Quickie is a standard crossword rather than a cryptic crossword and is intended to be an easy solve. A feature of the Quickie is that the solutions to the first two (or, sometimes, three) across clues form a "pun" (that is, these clues — which occupy the top row or two in the grid — when read aloud in sequence, form a recognizable word or phrase). Campbell, who sets the Cryptic and Quick puzzles on Monday in The Daily Telegraph usually adds a second pun involving the final across clues (the bottom row in the grid).Today, Campbell has done something rather unusual. The same words that make up the top and bottom row puns in the Quickie also appear around the border of the Cryptic. You will see that the letters on each border of the puzzle spell a word. The words on the top and bottom borders together form the top row pun in the Quickie and the words on the left and right borders form the bottom row pun in the Quickie. If you can't figure it out on your own, the solution to the Quickie pun is published on Big Dave's Crossword Blog following the solution to the Cryptic.
This sort of hidden feature in a puzzle is known as a Nina. The term comes from the practice of American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld[7] (1903 – 2003) to hide the name of his daughter Nina in his drawings.
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
| 7a | Youth, perhaps, // brewed green tea (8) |
| 9a | Language /from/ American artist and writer (6) |
"artist " = RA
A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.
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A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.
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The Bic pen[5], an inexpensive disposable ballpoint pen manufactured by the French company Société Bic, is the best-selling pen in the real world — and looks to be popular in Crosswordland as well.
| 10a | This helps one to see // wine son overlooked (6) |
Retsina[5] is a Greek white or rosé wine flavoured with resin.
| 11a | Singer, // elderly, confused about love (8) |
"love " = O [nil score in tennis]
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
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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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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| 12a | Parisian district // needs rainstorm desperately? (14) |
An arrondissement[5] is an administrative district of certain large French cities, in particular Paris.
| 15a | Old rogue beheaded in // part of church (4) |
Knave[5] is an archaic term for a dishonest or unscrupulous man ⇒
Instead, according to the same Daily Record, he is a knave and a liar.
The nave[5] is the central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation. In traditional Western churches it is rectangular, separated from the chancel by a step or rail, and from adjacent aisles by pillars.
| 17a | Musical: // Welsh boy mostly taking it in (5) |
Evan[7] is a Welsh masculine given name, equivalent to the English name John.
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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| 19a | Very small // part of coast in Yorkshire (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Yorkshire[7] is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. |
| 20a | Prince happiest flying /in/ training period (14) |
Scratching the Surface
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| I wonder if this clue might be an allusion to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge[7], the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of
Wales and second in the line of succession to the British throne. In April 2008, William graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell, joining RAF Search and Rescue Force in early 2009. He served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from July 2015 for two years. |
| 23a | Having nothing to do with it, // a bicycle in pieces (8) |
It[2,5] (usually written in quotation marks, "it") is an informal term for sexual intercourse ⇒
they were caught doing ‘it’ in the back seat of his car.
| 25a | Break in // Irish game, point behind (6) |
"game " = RU [rugby union]
Rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).
Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.
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Rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).
Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.
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Irrupt[5] means to enter somewhere forcibly or suddenly ⇒ (i)
absurdities continually irrupt into the narrative; (ii)
He had no right to irrupt back into my life after all this time.
| 27a | Moral values /in/ middle of fifteenth century recorded in this (6) |
The abbreviation for century or centuries is c[5] (also c.) ⇒
a watch case, 19th c.
| 28a | Huge area // young girl is touring with male (8) |
The use of the word "touring" as an anagram indicator is predicated on it meaning 'going around' (i.e., travelling).
Down
| 1d | Ballesteros // covered by press everywhere (4) |
Seve Ballesteros[5] (1957–2011) was a Spanish golfer; full name Severiano Ballesteros Sota. In 1979 he became the youngest player in the 20th century to win the British Open; the following year he was the youngest-ever winner of the US Masters.
| 2d | A blue, // international doing badly (6) |
| 3d | Gloomy, // elegy writer, from what we hear (4) |
Thomas Gray[5] (1716–1771) was an English poet, best known for Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard (1751).
Here and Elsewhere
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| This clue would hardly work in the US where they spell "grey" with an "a". |
| 4d | Workman with the French // name (6) |
"the French " = LE [French definite article]
| 5d | First // one to enter French city in film (8) |
Arles[5] is a city in south-eastern France. It was the capital of the medieval kingdom of Arles, formed in the 10th century by the union of the kingdoms of Provence and Burgundy.
"film " = ET
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.
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| 6d | Titled eccentric opposed to // dabblers in art (10) |
A dilettante[5 (plural dilettanti or dilettantes) is a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.
| 8d | Spanish nobleman /and/ mum's mum on Scottish river (7) |
Gran[5] is an informal British term for one's grandmother ⇒ (i)
I'm not your gran, am I?; (ii)
you know how Gran looks forward to seeing us.
The Dee[5] is a river in northeastern Scotland which rises in the Grampian Mountains and flows eastwards past Balmoral Castle to the North Sea at Aberdeen.
A grandee[5] is a Spanish or Portuguese nobleman of the highest rank.
| 13d | Old American highwaymen // travelled on horses, reportedly followed by deputies (4,6) |
Highwayman[5] is a historical term for a man, typically on horseback, who held up travellers at gunpoint in order to rob them.
Road agent[10] is a historical US term for a bandit who robbed stagecoaches; in other words, a highwayman.
| 14d | Wading bird /in/ small list (5) |
The stilt[5] is a long-billed wading bird with predominantly black and white plumage and very long slender reddish legs.
| 16d | Clearly expressed /by/ Poet Laureate I caught during leave (8) |
The abbreviation for Poet Laureate is PL[1].
"caught " = C [cricket notation]
In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c[5] or c.[2,10] denotes caught (by).
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In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c[5] or c.[2,10] denotes caught (by).
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| 18d | Case involving university // where lots go (7) |
| 21d | English failing // to pass (6) |
| 22d | Short text about Mike/'s/ stint (6) |
"Mike " = M [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Mike[5] is a code word representing the letter M.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Mike[5] is a code word representing the letter M.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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| 24d | The old record /could make one/ cry (4) |
Ye[5] is a pseudo-archaic term for the ⇒
The word 'ye' in this sense was originally a graphic variant of 'the' rather than an alternative spelling.
Thorn[5] is an Old English and Icelandic runic letter, þ or Þ, representing the dental fricatives ð and θ. In English it was eventually superseded by the digraph th — and thus þe (the old spelling of 'the') became the modern spelling 'the'.
In late Middle English þ (thorn) came to be written identically with y, resulting in þe (the) being written ye. This spelling (usually ye*) was kept as a convenient abbreviation in handwriting down to the 19th century, and in printers' types during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was never pronounced as ‘yee’ in the past, but this is the pronunciation used today.
* I interpret the phrase "usually ye" to mean that the word was customarily not capitalized because the character "y" is not being used to represent the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but rather as a graphic variant of thorn. Thus, in bygone days, the name of the drinking establishment above would presumably have been written
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Ye Olde Cock Tavern. The character "y" in this word was originally not the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but a variant representation of the Old English and Icelandic letter thorn (þ or Þ). (show more )
The word 'ye' in this sense was originally a graphic variant of 'the' rather than an alternative spelling.
Thorn[5] is an Old English and Icelandic runic letter, þ or Þ, representing the dental fricatives ð and θ. In English it was eventually superseded by the digraph th — and thus þe (the old spelling of 'the') became the modern spelling 'the'.
In late Middle English þ (thorn) came to be written identically with y, resulting in þe (the) being written ye. This spelling (usually ye*) was kept as a convenient abbreviation in handwriting down to the 19th century, and in printers' types during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was never pronounced as ‘yee’ in the past, but this is the pronunciation used today.
* I interpret the phrase "usually ye" to mean that the word was customarily not capitalized because the character "y" is not being used to represent the letter "y" in the modern English alphabet but rather as a graphic variant of thorn. Thus, in bygone days, the name of the drinking establishment above would presumably have been written
ye Olde Cock Tavern(and pronounced "the old cock tavern").
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"record " = LP
An LP[10] (abbreviation for long playing record[10]) is a long-playing gramophone record: usually one 12 inches (30 cm) or 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter, designed to rotate at 33 1⁄3 revolutions per minute.
From a British perspective, long play[10] is another name in the US for long-playing record.
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An LP[10] (abbreviation for long playing record[10]) is a long-playing gramophone record: usually one 12 inches (30 cm) or 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter, designed to rotate at 33 1⁄3 revolutions per minute.
From a British perspective, long play[10] is another name in the US for long-playing record.
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| 26d | American writer capturing southern // attitude (4) |
Edgar Allan Poe[5] (1809–1849) was an American short-story writer, poet, and critic. (show more )
His fiction and poetry are Gothic in style and characterized by their exploration of the macabre and the grotesque. Notable works: "The Fall of the House of Usher" (short story, 1840); "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (detective story, 1841); "The Raven" (poem, 1845).
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His fiction and poetry are Gothic in style and characterized by their exploration of the macabre and the grotesque. Notable works: "The Fall of the House of Usher" (short story, 1840); "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (detective story, 1841); "The Raven" (poem, 1845).
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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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