Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29321 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, March 26, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29321]
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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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Introduction
As Miffypops alludes in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the personalities encountered in today's puzzle are hardly contemporary figures — the most recently deceased having passed away nearly 45 years ago.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 | Bed lad made up in bag /for/ pig (10) |
The saddleback[5] is a pig of a black breed with a white stripe across the back.
| 6a | /It's/ quiet // in typical museum (4) |
| 10a | Bill embraced by leader of China /in/ region of that country (5) |
The definition contains an explicit reference (the pronoun "that") to information found in the wordplay telling us that the country in question is the one mentioned earlier in the clue. Compare the situation here to that found in 5d.
Account[5] (abbreviation a/c[5]) is a British term for a bill for goods or services provided over a period ⇒
some consumers pay their electricity bills and telephone accounts in cash.
Mao Zedong[5] (also Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as simply Mao)
(1893–1976) was a Chinese statesman; chairman of the Communist Party of
the Chinese People’s Republic 1949–76; head of state 1949–59. (show more )
A cofounder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its effective leader from the time of the Long March (1934–35), he eventually defeated both the occupying Japanese and rival Kuomintang nationalist forces to create the People’s Republic of China in 1949, becoming its first head of state. At first Mao followed the Soviet Communist model, but from 1956 he introduced his own measures, such as the brief period of freedom of expression known as Hundred Flowers and the economically disastrous Great Leap Forward (1958–60). Despite having resigned as head of state Mao instigated the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), during which he became the focus of a personality cult.
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A cofounder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its effective leader from the time of the Long March (1934–35), he eventually defeated both the occupying Japanese and rival Kuomintang nationalist forces to create the People’s Republic of China in 1949, becoming its first head of state. At first Mao followed the Soviet Communist model, but from 1956 he introduced his own measures, such as the brief period of freedom of expression known as Hundred Flowers and the economically disastrous Great Leap Forward (1958–60). Despite having resigned as head of state Mao instigated the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), during which he became the focus of a personality cult.
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Macao[5]
is a special administrative region on the south-eastern coast of China
on the west side of the Pearl River estuary opposite Hong Kong. It is a
former Portuguese dependency and comprises the Macao peninsula and the
islands of Taipa and Cologne. (show more )
Visited by Vasco da Gama in 1497, Macao was developed by the Portuguese as a trading post and became the chief centre of trade between Europe and China in the 18th century. Under the terms of a 1987 agreement sovereignty passed to China in 1999.
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Visited by Vasco da Gama in 1497, Macao was developed by the Portuguese as a trading post and became the chief centre of trade between Europe and China in the 18th century. Under the terms of a 1987 agreement sovereignty passed to China in 1999.
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| 11a | Getting hold of // top mathematician (9) |
Alan Turing[5] (1912–1954) was an English mathematician. He developed the concept of a theoretical computing machine, a key step in the development of the first computer, and carried out important code-breaking work in the Second World War. He also investigated artificial intelligence.
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes Turing asDuring World War II, Bletchley Park[7], a nineteenth-century mansion and estate near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, was the central site of the British Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) which regularly penetrated the secret communications of the Axis Powers – most importantly the German Enigma and Lorenz ciphers.a geezer who worked at Bletchley Park. As far as being described as a geezer, Turing was 33 at the conclusion of the war. |
| 12a | Smooth sorceress with no time /for/ quick snack? (8) |
| 13a | Map-makers engaging chaps /producing/ signs (5) |
In the UK, the Ordnance Survey[5] (abbreviation OS[5]) is an official survey organization, originally under the Master of the Ordnance, preparing large-scale detailed maps of the whole country.
"chaps " = MEN
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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| 15a | Fellow at the entrance about /to provide/ label with ID (4,3) |
A gateman (or gatekeeper[5]) is an attendant employed to control who goes through a gate.
| 17a | Baseball player /in/ jug (7) |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes the solution to the clue asRounders[5,7] is a game played in Britain and Ireland that is not only similar to baseball but is, in fact, the game from which baseball evolved.the chap who throws the ball to the batsman in Baseball (rounders). |
| 19a | Nelson maybe /making/ short speech after end of skirmish (7) |
Horatio Nelson[5], Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte (1758–1805) was a British admiral. Nelson became a national hero as a result of his victories at sea in the Napoleonic Wars, especially the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was mortally wounded.
| 21a | One without false ideas // about top people (7) |
The term A-list[5] denotes a real or imaginary list of the most celebrated or sought-after individuals, especially in show business ⇒ [as modifier]
an A-list celebrity.
| 22a | Travel wearing metal // cross (5) |
A tigon[5] (also tiglon) is the hybrid offspring of a male tiger and a lioness.
| 24a | Animal and I getting round in vehicle /for/ holiday (8) |
| 27a | Restaurant /making/ money by lake (9) |
Brass[5] is a British informal term for money ⇒
they wanted to spend their newly acquired brass.
A brasserie[5] is a bar serving food or a small and usually inexpensive restaurant, especially one serving French food, and originally beer.
Origin: French 'brewery'
| 28a | Competent maiden making comeback /as/ songstress (5) |
"maiden " = M [scoreless over in cricket]
In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* An over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.
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In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* An over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.
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Dame Nellie Melba[5] (1861–1931) was an Australian operatic soprano; born Helen Porter Mitchell. Born near Melbourne, from which city she took her professional name, Melba gained worldwide fame with her coloratura singing.
| 29a | Aims // to finish before start of supper (4) |
| 30a | Being afraid about the // cover bird has been given (10) |
Down
| 1d | Sport /needing/ money getting nothing (4) |
| 2d | Eloquent speaker // turning red with malice (9) |
| 3d | Silent actor // excited Dolly (5) |
Harold Lloyd[5] (1893–1971) was an American film comedian. Performing his own hair-raising stunts, he used physical danger as a source of comedy in silent movies such as High and Dizzy (1920), Safety Last (1923), and The Freshman (1925).
| 4d | Throwing // poor actor out of former county town (7) |
Buckingham[7] is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England. It was the county town of Buckinghamshire from the 10th century, when it was made the capital of the newly formed shire of Buckingham, until Aylesbury took over this role early in the 18th century.
| 5d | Old police sergeant involved in church work -- retired from here? (3,4) |
This is a clue where it is problematic to mark the definition. One might mark it as merely "retired from here". However, that portion of the clue fails to include a key piece of information related to the definition; namely, the profession of the person retiring. Although the structure of this clue is a bit like that of 10a, the latter part of 10a contains an explicit reference back to a key piece of information found in the wordplay of that clue — something that is missing here.
After toying with different possibilities, I decided to follow the lead of Miffypops in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog and mark the entire clue as the definition (in which the wordplay is embedded). The use of this markup is an acknowledgement that the profession of the retiree is a key piece of information for the solver. While I am certainly not overly enamoured with the markup, it does seem to be the best of a bad lot.
"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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The abbreviation PS[5] stands for Police Sergeant.
"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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| 7d | Female /with/ spite putting male off (5) |
| 8d | Law officer // right to be included among 'wise men', say (10) |
In Christianity, the Magi[2] (plural magus) were the three* wise men or astrologers from the east who brought gifts to the infant Jesus, guided by a star. Also called the Three Kings and the Three Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12).
* or possibly more (show more )
Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi[7]. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve.
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* or possibly more (show more )
Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi[7]. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve.
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| 9d | What one likes, but another one would be very different! (3,2,3) |
Cup of tea[3] is an idiom denoting something that one excels in or enjoys ⇒
Opera is not my cup of tea.
Cup of tea[3] is an idiom denoting a matter to be reckoned or dealt with ⇒
Recreational sport is relaxing. Professional sport is another cup of tea altogether.
| 14d | Cutlery may be so // negotiable (2,3,5) |
| 16d | Big female // bird with a head buried (8) |
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 Titaness[5] is a female Titan. In Classical Greek mythology, the Titans and Titanesses[7] were members of the second order of divine beings, descending from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympian deities. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Heaven). They were giant deities of incredible strength, who ruled during the legendary Golden Age, and also composed the first pantheon of Greek deities.
| 18d | House I head -- I love upsetting // common folk (3,6) |
Poll[5] is a dialect term for a person's head ⇒
Peter scratched his poll and smiled feebly.
"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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Hoi polloi[5] (usually the hoi polloi) is a derogatory term for the masses or the common people ⇒
avoid mixing with the hoi polloi.
| 20d | Penny's face maybe /when/ old boy introduces poetry (7) |
"old boy " = OB
In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
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In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
- a former male student of a school or college ⇒
an old boy of Banbury County School
- a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒
the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards
‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.
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| 21d | Most naughty // one in run on street (7) |
| 23d | Van may have this protection behind (5) |
The van[5] is the foremost part of a group of people moving or preparing to move forwards, especially the foremost division of an advancing military force.
Origin: abbreviation of vanguard
The vanguard[5] is the foremost part of an advancing army or naval force.
| 25d | Pet avoiding river /in/ Greek valley (5) |
A pet[2] is a fit of bad temper or sulks.
The Vale of Tempe[7] is a gorge in northern Thessaly, Greece, located between Mount Olympus to the north and Mount Ossa to the south. In ancient times, it was celebrated by Greek poets as a favorite haunt of Apollo and the Muses.
| 26d | Group/'s/ joke entertaining any number (4) |
"any number " = N [mathematical symbol]
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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