Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29359 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, May 9, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29359]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Big Dave | |
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, January 2, 2021 edition of the National Post. As of March 28, 2020, The Daily Telegraph suspended the contests associated with its Saturday (and Sunday) puzzles due to logistical issues created by the COVID-19 situation. As a result, effective with the April 4, 2020 puzzle (published in the National Post on November 30, 2020) and continuing until such time as the contests are reinstated, you will find only a single post on Big Dave's Crossword Blog related to the Saturday puzzle. During this period, the post for the Saturday puzzle will be a full review in the same format as the posts for weekday puzzles. | |
Introduction
An extremely gentle offering today — in fact, several comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog uncharitably characterize it as lacklustre.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 | Cheer snob somehow beginning to get // composer (10) |
Arnold Schoenberg[5] (1874–1951) was an Austrian-born US composer and music theorist. (show more )
His major contribution to modernism was the development of atonality and serialism. He introduced atonality into his second string quartet (1907–8), while Serenade (1923) is the first example of the technique of serialism.
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His major contribution to modernism was the development of atonality and serialism. He introduced atonality into his second string quartet (1907–8), while Serenade (1923) is the first example of the technique of serialism.
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| 6a | Parrot // shy about pelican at first (4) |
| 8a | Reckon /to have/ one million in assets (8) |
| 9a | Harvester /in/ back-breaking exercise? (6) |
| 10a | Subtle quality // -- or unsubtle one! (8) |
| 11a | Pot knocked over: relatives /will get/ serviette (6) |
| 12a | White magician conceals // object (4) |
| 14a | Row about stray // dog (7) |
| 18a | Throw back tailless // crustacean (7) |
| 20a | Star // returned in luggage van (4) |
Vega[10] is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra and one of the most conspicuous in the northern hemisphere. It is part of an optical double star having a faint companion.
| 23a | Tory and scoundrel // are in agreement (6) |
"Tory " = CON
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
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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The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
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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| 24a | Old sailors with invitation to go round // duchy (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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"sailors " = RN [Royal Navy]
The Royal Navy[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.
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The Royal Navy[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.
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The abbreviation for 'with' is w[5].
A duchy[5] is the territory of a duke or duchess; in other words, a dukedom.
The Duchy of Cornwall[7] is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits possession of the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at birth or when his parent succeeds to the throne.
| 25a | Answer Joycean protagonist // having come out (6) |
Leopold Bloom[7] is the fictional protagonist and hero of James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses. His peregrinations and encounters in Dublin on 16 June 1904 mirror, on a more mundane and intimate scale, those of Ulysses/Odysseus in Homer's epic poem the Odyssey.
Memories
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| On my first visit to Dublin, I by chance happened to arrive on June 16 which is celebrated there as Bloomsday[7] — a day on which people dress in Edwardian costume and retrace Leopold Bloom's route around Dublin. It was an usually warm, sunny day (apparently rare by Dublin standards) and those who were not in costume were baring as much skin as possible in the city parks soaking up the sun — although not baring nearly as much as I was to see several years later at the Tiergarten park in Berlin. |
| 26a | Drollery // less desirable as one gets on? (8) |
Split the solution (3,2,3) to get a phrase that denotes the opposite of "good in youth".
| 27a | Fateful day -- // team heading into last place (4) |
"team " = SIDE
Side[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒
* Note that, in Britain, 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.
In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i)
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Side[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒
there was a mixture of old and young players in* their side.
* Note that, in Britain, 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.
In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i)
Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii)
They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you.
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In the ancient Roman calendar, ides[5] was a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.
In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar[7], a soothsayer warns Caesar to "beware the Ides of March", which he ignores, culminating in his assassination on that day by a group of conspirators.
| 28a | Remarkable // new town theory (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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| New town[10] is a British* term for a town that has been planned as a complete unit and built with government sponsorship, especially to accommodate overspill population. |
Down
| 1d | Set point lost, /but/ make quick progress (4,2,2) |
Scratching the Surface
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In tennis and other sports, a set point[5] is a point which if won by one of the players or sides will also win them a set ⇒ his brilliant ace denied Sampras the set point. |
| 2d | Exciting bottom /seen in/ place of undesirable activity (6) |
A hotbed[5] is an environment promoting the growth of something, especially something unwelcome ⇒
the country was a hotbed of revolt and dissension.
| 3d | Bad blood /from/ European with German in New York (6) |
"European " = E [as in E number]
E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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Mit[8] is the German word for 'with'.
| 4d | Wager Ireland should accept no // abomination (4,5) |
Éire[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland and was the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.
The definition may be slightly stretched but not exceeding crossword limits.
An abomination[2] is anything one hates, dislikes greatly or finds loathsome.
A bête noire[2] is a person or thing that especially bothers, annoys or frightens someone.
Origin: French, literally 'black beast'.
| 5d | Ignore flying doctor /giving/ war cry (8) |
"doctor " = MO [medical officer]
A medical officer[5] (abbreviation MO[5]) is a doctor in charge of the health services of a civilian or military authority or other organization.
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A medical officer[5] (abbreviation MO[5]) is a doctor in charge of the health services of a civilian or military authority or other organization.
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Geronimo[5] is an exclamation used to express exhilaration, especially when leaping from a great height or moving at speed.
Origin: Second World War by association with Apache chief Geronimo, adopted as a slogan by American paratroopers. Geronimo (c.1829–1909), Apache name Goyathlay, led his people in raids on settlers and US troops before surrendering in 1886.
Scratching the Surface
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In Australia*, a flying doctor is a doctor who uses radio communication and travels by aircraft to visit patients in remote areas of the country ⇒ Anne Wakatama is Chief Medical Officer with the flying doctor service. * some of the usage examples provided by Lexico suggest that such services are not — or no longer — confined to Australia ⇒ (i) A flying doctor from Kenya remarked to me that over the years as local tribesmen became more civilised he more often saw arthritis of hips and knees; (ii) It was leading edge in Canada and it included a team of flying doctors who traveled with the aircraft, making pickups throughout the province, bringing the patients to the tertiary care centers in Winnipeg. |
| 6d | What's white and sparkling /as/ teeth? (8) |
Champers[5] is an informal British name for champagne.
Champ[5] (said of a horse) means to make a noisy biting or chewing action ⇒
The sound behind him of the horses champing and snorting .... Perhaps by extension, the word denotes to munch or chew enthusiastically or noisily ⇒
he champed on his sandwich.
| 7d | PM, English, /gives/ first performance (8) |
Outside Australia and Canada, the term premier[5] refers to a prime minister or other head of government. In Australia and Canada, a premier is the chief minister of a government of a state or province respectively.
| 13d | Bats are able to // develop (9) |
As an anagram indicator, bats[5] is used as an informal, dated term meaning mad (either [mentally] disturbed or in a frenzied state).
| 15d | Unfortunately meet Bond, /getting/ buried (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading is likely intended to be an allusion to fictional British secret agent James Bond[5] in the spy novels of English author Ian Fleming (1908–1964). |
| 16d | Communist annoyed // humanitarian organisation (3,5) |
| 17d | Common person // seen in theatre, very mannered (8) |
The term Everyman[5,12] (also everyman[2]) denotes a person or fictional character regarded as representing the human race or the common person ⇒
he is a kind of Everyman, who rises to heroism in the face of adversity.
Origin: the name of the principal character in a 15th-century morality play
| 19d | Less well entertained by some light // banter (8) |
Raillery[5] is good-humoured teasing ⇒
she was greeted with raillery from her fellow workers.
| 21d | One doing badly /shows/ colour (6) |
| 22d | Scholar // took exam, securing first place (6) |
Sit[5] is a British term meaning to take (an examination) ⇒
However, the candidates sat the examination in different cities.
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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