Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29356 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29356]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
The general consensus seems to be that this puzzle is a rather gentle one.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 | Purists /needing/ education to wear trousers (7) |
After more than a decade of doing British crosswords, I thought I was coming to grips with certain aspects of British usage. However, this clue makes me question everything I thought I had learned.
It has been my long-held understanding that, in Britain, the word pants[5] does not mean trousers* as it does in North America. Rather, it refers to underwear — specifically men's undershorts or women's panties (the latter otherwise known as knickers[5] to the Brits). Although, there have been previous hints that this usage may not be longstanding and/or universal in the UK*.
* A reader using the pseudonym Lincoln Latic made the following observation in a comment on my review of DT 28909 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog:
I didn’t see this [pants used as a synonym for trousers] as an Americanism. I grew up in the northwest of England (before the big influx of Americanisms into the language) and ‘pants’ was the usual term for trousers. You had short pants as a real youngster then progressed into long pants as you got older which for most of us was when you were nearly at the end of primary school probably around aged 9 or 10. What most people consider ‘pants’ refers to now, were called underpants because they went under your pants.
| 9a | Steep // service charge applied to staff (8) |
| 10a | A German trained as manager, for example (7) |
| 11a | Degree /of/ penalty skills? (4,4) |
| 12a | Shots // subdue son (6) |
| 13a | Innovative thinker once dismissing king // not making sense (10) |
| 15a | Find missing past // record (4) |
| 16a | Inadmissible act after sailor/'s/ change of direction (5,4) |
A turn[5] is a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession ⇒ (i)
Lewis gave her best ever comic turn; (ii)
he was asked to do a turn at a children’s party.
"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.
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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.
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| 21a | State /that's/ back in within a month (4) |
Oman[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.
| 22a | Prone to tears, // student ruined scary home (10) |
"student " = L [driver under instruction]
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
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| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
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| 24a | Tense, /being/ over border (2,4) |
| 25a | Remains confused about origin of rock // salts (8) |
Salt[3,10] is an informal term for a sailor, especially one who is old and experienced.
| 27a | V /can be/ progress, in a way (7) |
| 28a | Generally succeeded /finding/ something to wear (8) |
While articles of clothing in Britain and North America may share the same name, they can sometimes be markedly different from each other.
In North America, overalls[3,11] are loose-fitting trousers*, usually of strong fabric, with a bib front and shoulder straps, often worn over regular clothing as protection from dirt. The British definition of overalls[4] is broader, encompassing not only garments with a bib and shoulder straps but also those having a jacket top. This latter garment is also known as a boiler suit[5] in the UK and would be called coveralls[3] in North America.
* Note that I have carefully avoided using the word 'pants' in favour of the (perhaps) more universal term 'trousers' (see discussion at 1a).
| 29a | On review, sign it, ideally retaining // process of redaction (7) |
Down
| 2d | Scientist /from/ site oddly imprisoned by a German twice (8) |
Albert Einstein[5]
(1879–1955) was a German-born American theoretical physicist, founder
of the special and general theories of relativity. (show more )
Einstein is often regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. In 1905 he published his special theory of relativity and in 1915 he succeeded in incorporating gravitation in his general theory of relativity, which was vindicated when one of its predictions was observed during the solar eclipse of 1919. However, Einstein searched without success for a unified field theory embracing electromagnetism, gravitation, relativity, and quantum mechanics. He influenced the decision to build an atom bomb but after the war he spoke out passionately against nuclear weapons.
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Einstein is often regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. In 1905 he published his special theory of relativity and in 1915 he succeeded in incorporating gravitation in his general theory of relativity, which was vindicated when one of its predictions was observed during the solar eclipse of 1919. However, Einstein searched without success for a unified field theory embracing electromagnetism, gravitation, relativity, and quantum mechanics. He influenced the decision to build an atom bomb but after the war he spoke out passionately against nuclear weapons.
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| 3d | Innocent answer // that provides flavour (8) |
Angelica[10], the the candied stems of the Angelica plant, is an ingredient used in cooking for decorating and flavouring sweet dishes.
| 4d | Short-lived // politician suppressed by terrible strain (10) |
"politician " = TORY
A Tory[10] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain [or, for that matter, in Canada].
The Conservative Party[5] is a a major British political party that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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A Tory[10] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain [or, for that matter, in Canada].
The Conservative Party[5] is a a major British political party that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
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| 5d | Cheers team // transport (4) |
Cheers[5] is an informal British expression of gratitude or acknowledgement for something ⇒
Billy tossed him the key. ‘Cheers, pal.’.
Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒
‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.
Eleven[5] (often appearing as a Roman numeral XI) is the number of players in* a cricket[7] side [team] or an Association football[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒
at cricket I played in the first eleven.
* Note that, in Britain, the words "side" and "team" are synonymous and a player is said to be "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.
| 6d | Cut energy, /being/ harsh (6) |
| 7d | Top cover /from/ hospital broadcast on web (7) |
| 8d | Poles overwhelmed by divine being/'s/ stupidness (7) |
| 11d | Amusing // aspects will include debt (9) |
| 14d | Tough foes do badly with no time /for/ church (5,2,3) |
| 17d | New first /for/ one who writes (8) |
| 18d | Interrupts /what may be/ wrong in a canal boat? (6,2) |
Split the solution (5,3) to get a phrase that might be interpreted to mean an indiscretion committed in a canal boat.
| 19d | Baffle // loud and clumsy oaf (7) |
| 20d | Colour /of/ small runabout on lease? (7) |
A runabout[10] is a small car, especially one for use in a town.
"lease " = LET
Let[5] is a British* term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i)
* However, based on its appearance in US dictionaries, I seriously doubt that this word is quite as British as Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) would have us believe.[3,11]
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Let[5] is a British* term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i)
she lets the flat [apartment] to a tenant; (ii)
they let out their house.
* However, based on its appearance in US dictionaries, I seriously doubt that this word is quite as British as Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) would have us believe.[3,11]
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| 23d | Part of airport /where/ fugitive loses heart? (6) |
| 26d | Regret accepting Liberal // convention (4) |
"Liberal " = L [member of a nearly extinct British political party]
The Liberal Party[5] (abbreviation Lib.[5] or L[2])* in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats.
However, a small Liberal Party still exists (founded in 1989 by members of the original Liberal Party opposed to its merger with the Social Democratic Party) although it has never held a UK, Scottish or European parliamentary seat, though it has had representation on local councils.[7]
* Although Lib.[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the Liberal Party in Britain — likely to distinguish it from the the Labour Party[5] (abbreviation Lab.[5]) — Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L[2] may also be used.
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The Liberal Party[5] (abbreviation Lib.[5] or L[2])* in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats.
However, a small Liberal Party still exists (founded in 1989 by members of the original Liberal Party opposed to its merger with the Social Democratic Party) although it has never held a UK, Scottish or European parliamentary seat, though it has had representation on local councils.[7]
* Although Lib.[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the Liberal Party in Britain — likely to distinguish it from the the Labour Party[5] (abbreviation Lab.[5]) — Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L[2] may also be used.
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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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