Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29330 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, April 6, 2020 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29330]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Falcon | |
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
This was my second review for Big Dave's Crossword Blog following a lengthy hiatus last winter for medical reasons.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 | Shop, // strangely quiet after endless spree (8) |
| 6a | Salad ingredient /in/ a bowl right at the front (6) |
| 9a | Wicked trait shown by a daughter/'s/ counsel (6) |
| 10a | Second team/'s/ kit carrier (8) |
Collins English Thesaurus lists team and pack as synonyms. However, I think they are synonymous only in the very general sense that both words can mean a group of people having a common purpose rather than in any specific sense. The closest specific usage I could find is in rugby, where pack[5] denotes a team’s forwards considered as a group [but not the entire team].
Kit[10] is likely being used in the British[5] or chiefly British[3] sense of clothing and other personal effects, especially those of a traveller or soldier ? (i)
safari kit; (ii)
battle kit.
| 11a | A delicacy // for ages, I suspect (4,4) |
Foie gras[5] is the liver of a specially fattened goose or duck prepared as food.
Origin: French, ‘fat liver’.
| 12a | Page on wonderful // bungalow, perhaps (6) |
| 13a | Method of carrying out home improvements? // Study loo fire damaged (2-2-8) |
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]. |
| 16a | Put up other half, maybe, /for/ one who's not the breadwinner? (5-7) |
| 19a | Mighty // clear (6) |
| 21a | Mock // regulation restricting DI back in charge (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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DI[5] is the abbreviation for detective inspector, a senior plain-clothes officer in the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) of a British police service. "show more "
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). hide |
| 23a | Total // published correctly (8) |
| 24a | Too // old? Absolutely, about 50 (6) |
"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.
hide
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.
hide
| 25a | Wretched // sailor caught boarding fast plane (6) |
"sailor " = AB [able seaman]
In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
hide
In the Royal Navy, according to Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English), able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.
hide
"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).
hide
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).
hide
| 26a | Good-looking // cards dealt thus, by me (8) |
Down
| 2d | Curious boy, // very likely to succeed (4-2) |
| 3d | Food /that may provide/ energy after excursion (5) |
Tripe[5] is the first or second stomach of a cow or other ruminant used as food.
| 4d | Eccentric // open to suspicion before search (5,4) |
Queer fish[5] is an informal British term for a person whose behaviour seems strange or unusual.
| 5d | English singer inside my // diplomatic residence (7) |
| 6d | Queen standing up -- better // go over (5) |
"Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
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 Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* 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 Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* 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
| 7d | Blue // act entertaining crowd (9) |
| 8d | Friendly // Society, one having what it takes (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| In the UK, a friendly society[5] is a mutual* association providing sickness benefits, life assurance, and pensions. * A mutual[5] association is one owned by its members and dividing some or all of its profits among them. |
| 13d | Democrat is vulgar, reportedly, /in/ speech (9) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
| 14d | Fluctuating // throughout (2-3-4) |
| 15d | Little person /having/ to hitchhike, covering miles (3,5) |
Tom Thumb[7] is a character of English folklore. The History of Tom Thumb was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangling with giants, and becoming a favourite of King Arthur.
| 17d | Cash -- // shilling -- Scrooge's clerk hasn’t got it (7) |
In the British currency system used prior to the introduction of the current decimal currency system in 1971, a shilling[5] (abbreviation s[5]) was a coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence.
Bob Cratchit[7] is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley, when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize poor working conditions, especially long working hours. According to a comment by Scrooge, Cratchit works for 15 shillings a week at a rate of three pence ("thruppence") an hour for 60 hours per week.
Scratch[5] is an informal term for money ?
he was working to get some scratch together.
| 18d | All so relaxed before start of major // ski race (6) |
| 20d | Leg of mutton // American soldier acquired (5) |
"American 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
A gigot[5] is a leg of mutton or lamb.
| 22d | She's desperately after clubs /in/ game (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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