Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29369 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, May 21, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29369]
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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
I found this puzzle tougher than the BD rating indicates. While I don't feel too bad over being done in by a bit of British slang at 26a, I do feel I should have got 17d.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 | Old girl, one getting on, // missing out (8) |
"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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| 9a | Sequence /of/ individual's autobiography? (3,2,3) |
I think one would have to consider the latter part of the clue to be a cryptic definition.
| 10a | Holiday location -- // mostly 'dance island'? (4) |
Bali[5] is a mountainous island of Indonesia, to the east of Java. Bali[7] is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with tourism-related business making up 80% of the island's economy.
| 11a | Maidens out in winds // where snow and ice may be evident? (12) |
| 13a | Shop with endless lines /in/ bowls? (8) |
In cricket, bowl[5] means (for a bowler) to propel (the ball) with a straight arm toward the wicket defended by a batsman, typically in such a way that the ball bounces once.
Deliver[5] means to throw, bowl, or kick a ball, especially a cricket ball.
| 15a | My covering had /to be/ head cloth (6) |
Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒
Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.
A chador[5] (also chaddar or chuddar) is a large piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head and upper body leaving only the face exposed, worn especially by Muslim women.
| 16a | Male animal /with/ leg cut (4) |
| 17a | Where stone was taken from // food item (5) |
The Stone of Scone[5,7] (also known as the Stone of Destiny, and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone) is the stone on which medieval Scottish kings were crowned. Historically, the artefact was kept at the now-ruined Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. In 1296, the stone was taken by Edward I as spoils of war and removed to Westminster Abbey, where it was fitted into a wooden chair—known as King Edward's Chair—on which most subsequent English and then British sovereigns have been crowned. In 1996, the stone was officially* returned to Scotland to be kept there when not in use at coronations. It is currently on display at Edinburgh Castle awaiting transfer to a new museum being developed in Perth at which it will be the featured centrepiece.
* This was actually the stone's second return to Scotland. On Christmas Day 1950, a group of Scottish students orchestrated the "removal" of the stone[7] from Westminster Abbey and later transported it to Scotland. While in their possession, the stone broke into two pieces. The stone, having been repaired by a stonemason, was returned to Westminster four months after it had been removed.
A scone[5] is a small unsweetened or lightly sweetened cake made from flour, fat, and milk and sometimes having added fruit*.
* Although the term scone is in common use in Canada (and likely also in the US), such an item might be better known throughout North America as a biscuit[5]. In Britain, the term biscuit[5] refers to foods that are known in North America as either cookies or crackers.
How Do You Say That?
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| There are two possible pronunciations of the word scone[5]: the first rhymes with gone and the second rhymes with tone. In US English the pronunciation rhyming with tone is more common. In British English the two pronunciations traditionally have different regional and class associations, with the first pronunciation associated with the north of England and the northern working class, while the second is associated with the south and the middle class. |
| 18a | Language // of ranter sermonising (4) |
Erse[5] is a dated term for the Scottish or Irish Gaelic language.
| 20a | Line on map leader ignored // travelling from place to place (2,4) |
| 21a | Leader of men is boss /in/ funny business? (8) |
| 23a | Requests /for/ ointments? (12) |
| 26a | Facial expression /of/ Greek character, last character in line-up? (4) |
Phi[5] is the twenty-first letter of the Greek alphabet (Φ, φ).
Phiz[5] is an informal British term for a person's face or expression.
Origin: abbreviation of physiognomy
Post Mortem
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| Despite having identified the correct Greek letter, I could not find the one remaining letter. I initially thought of P (final letter of line-uP), but that did not appear to give a reasonable result. I eventually threw in the towel and resorted to electronic help. |
| 27a | Home (No. 6) by river -- // they've been asked along (8) |
The Tees[5] is a river of northeastern England which rises in Cumbria and flows 128 km (80 miles) generally south-eastwards to the North Sea at Middlesbrough.
| 28a | Guidance /to find/ cheap accommodation (8) |
Steerage[5] is an archaic or literary term for the action of steering a boat.
Steerage[5] is a historical term denoting the part of a ship providing the cheapest accommodation for passengers ⇒
poor emigrants in steerage.
Down
| 2d | Unusual teatimes // having most of one sort of food (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Teatime[5]
is a British term for the time in the afternoon when tea is traditionally served. |
| 3d | Sporting venue associated with water // polo possibly! (8-4) |
I see the clue split somewhat differently between definition and wordplay than Miffypops shows in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. He seems to have missed the true nature of the wordplay, taking "possibly" as a normal anagram indicator rather than a reverse anagram indicator*.
To a cruciverbalist, the solution POLO could possibly be clued by "swimming pool" — an anagram (swimming) of POOL.
* In a "normal" anagram, both the anagram fodder and anagram indicator are found in the clue with the result appearing in the solution. Thus, if one interprets "possibly" to be a normal anagram indicator operating on the fodder POLO, the result would be POOL in the solution.
On the other hand, in a reverse anagram, it is the result that is found in the clue with the anagram indicator and anagram fodder appearing in the solution. Thus, if one interprets "possibly" to be a reverse anagram indicator, the anagram result would be POLO (in the clue) and the anagram indicator and anagram fodder would be SWIMMING and POOL respectively (in the solution).
While this style of clue seems always to be referred to as a reverse anagram, I believe a far better name would be inverse anagram (as this construct closely parallels the concept of inverse functions in mathematics).
| 4d | Trendy, on end of street, a Parisian // flat? No! (2,4) |
"a Parisian " = UNE
| 5d | Nothing // these days arrives on time (4) |
Nowt[5] is a Northern English dialect term for nothing ⇒
it's nowt to do with me.
| 6d | This person, bad, holding firm up? // Neither bad nor good (8) |
"this person " = ME
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
hide
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
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| 7d | Piano composer not the first or last /in/ a native group (4) |
Frédéric Chopin[5] (1810–1849) was a Polish-born French composer and pianist. Writing almost exclusively for the piano, he composed numerous mazurkas and polonaises inspired by Polish folk music, as well as nocturnes, preludes, and two piano concertos (1829; 1830).
The Hopi[10] are a Native American people of northeastern Arizona.
| 8d | Go through /with/ soldiers sitting on 'final' vehicle (8) |
"soldiers " = RE [Royal Engineers]
The Corps of Royal Engineers[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.
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The Corps of Royal Engineers[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.
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The word "with" is being used as a link word which could be justified on the basis of at least a couple of its shades of meaning. (show more ).
As a link word, with[11] might be used in the sense of characterized by or having ⇒
Alternatively, with"[5,10] might be used in the sense of caused by or prompted by ⇒ (i)
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As a link word, with[11] might be used in the sense of characterized by or having ⇒
a person with intelligence and initiative. That is, the solution is made up of the constituent elements of the wordplay.
Alternatively, with"[5,10] might be used in the sense of caused by or prompted by ⇒ (i)
shaking with rage; (ii)
trembling with fear. Used in this sense, the word "with" essentially means "resulting from" or "produced by".
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| 12d | Something dramatic not everyone will pick up (5,7) |
| 14d | Rage /of/ street men prepared to fight about nothing (5) |
"men prepared to fight " = RM
[Royal Marines]
The Royal Marines[5] (abbreviation RM)[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.
hide
The Royal Marines[5] (abbreviation RM)[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.
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| 16d | Occasional // crop said to be unreliable (8) |
| 17d | Note ascending space vehicle -- /there's/ a rotating mechanism (8) |
Post Mortem
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| I really went off the rails here. I tried to incorporate a musical note (SO) together with a reversal of a printer's space (EN) and a terrestrial passenger vehicle (CAR). That left only the final letter unaccounted for. Of course, the definition remained unexplained as well. |
| 19d | Wholesale // activity to remove dirt? (8) |
| 22d | Silly jokes about parking /in/ capital city (6) |
Skopje[5] is the capital of the republic of Macedonia, situated in the north on the Vardar River. Founded by the Romans, it became the capital of Macedonia in 1945.
| 24d | Put surface material on // quiet avenue (4) |
Here and There
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In Britain, pave[5] means to cover (a piece of ground) with flat stones or bricks* ⇒ the yard at the front was paved with flagstones. * were the area to be covered with asphalt instead, it would be said to be asphalted rather than paved |
| 25d | Tails up maybe after this? (4) |
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
26a was a problem for me as well but it was 17a that was also a problem, not 17d.
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