Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29394 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, June 19, 2020 | |
Setter
Zandio | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29394]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Deep Threat | |
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 seem to have settled into a pattern where one or two simple clues fox me in every puzzle.You may notice that today's setter has made extensive use of both the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and IVR codes.
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 | Number on University Challenge team notice // one's slept in (4-6) |
University Challenge[7] is an academic quiz competition for university students which first aired on British television in 1962. From its inception to 1987, the programme was broadcast by British television network ITV. The BBC revived the programme in 1994 and has broadcast it since that time. Teams consist of four members representing a single university (or, in the case of Oxford and Cambridge, individual constituent colleges).
| 6a | Long // gradient with no parking (4) |
| 9a | Patriarch/'s/ account in prophetic book (5) |
Job[5,7] is a book of the Bible telling the story of Job, a prosperous man whose patience and piety were tried by undeserved misfortunes, and who, in spite of his bitter lamentations, remained confident in the goodness and justice of God. In rabbinical literature, Job is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles. In Islam, Job is also considered a prophet.
In the Bible, Jacob[5] is a Hebrew patriarch, the younger of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca, who persuaded his brother Esau to sell him his birthright and tricked him out of his father's blessing (Gen. 25, 27). The twelve tribes of ancient Israel were descended from his twelve sons.
| 10a | Affection's gone west -- moving out in // progress (9) |
| 12a | The French bird over country /seeing/ all the wildlife (6,7) |
Mina[1,2,11] is a seemingly rare* [at least, outside the borders of Crosswordland] alternative spelling of myna (also mynah), any of various large, southeast Asian birds of the starling family, some of which can be taught to imitate human speech.
* Among the several dictionaries that I consult on a regular basis, this spelling is found only in the three cited sources.
| 14a | One questioning // what's in mailbag -- no stickers? (8) |
| 15a | Long dull passage // covered in loose rock, apparently (6) |
A screed[5]. is a long speech or piece of writing, typically one regarded as tedious.
The second definition appears to be a whimsical invention by the setter who seems to reason that if tile is a verb meaning to cover with tiles and plaster is a verb meaning to cover with plaster, then scree[5] (past participle screed) must be a verb* meaning to cover with scree, a mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain.
* In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat refers to the creation of one part of speech from a second part of speech by the term used by linguists for this process, back-formation[5].
| 17a | Modern work -- // revolutionary work with character (3,3) |
"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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Pop art[5] is art based on modern popular culture and the mass media, especially as a critical or ironic comment on traditional fine art values. (show more )
The term is applied specifically to the works, largely from the mid 1950s and 1960s, of a group of artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, and Peter Blake, who used images from comic books, advertisements, consumer products, television, and cinema.
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The term is applied specifically to the works, largely from the mid 1950s and 1960s, of a group of artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, and Peter Blake, who used images from comic books, advertisements, consumer products, television, and cinema.
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| 19a | Propeller // engineer carries west (8) |
Airscrew[5] is a British name for an aircraft propeller*.
* Screw[5] is a historical name for a ship's or aircraft's propeller (considered as acting like a screw in moving through water or air) ⇒
But steamships were improving as the screw propeller replaced the paddle wheel and iron replaced wood.
| 21a | One starts a speech that another puts a stop to (9,4) |
| 24a | I had to restrain rattier drunk /becoming/ angry (9) |
| 25a | Playwright // in limbo, seeing odd characters cut (5) |
Henrik Ibsen[5]
(1828–1906) was a Norwegian dramatist. (show more )
He is credited with being the first major dramatist to write tragedy about ordinary people in prose. Ibsen’s later works, such as The Master Builder (1892), deal increasingly with the forces of the unconscious and were admired by Sigmund Freud. Other notable works: Peer Gynt (1867), A Doll’s House (1879), Ghosts (1881).
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He is credited with being the first major dramatist to write tragedy about ordinary people in prose. Ibsen’s later works, such as The Master Builder (1892), deal increasingly with the forces of the unconscious and were admired by Sigmund Freud. Other notable works: Peer Gynt (1867), A Doll’s House (1879), Ghosts (1881).
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| 26a | Part /or/ whole read aloud (4) |
| 27a | Biscuit // trademark with flower rejected (6,4) |
Here and There
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| The British use the term biscuit[3,4,11] to refer to a range of foods that include those that would be called either cookies or crackers in North America. A North American biscuit[5] is similar to what is known in Britain as a scone. |
Brandy snap[5] is a British term for a crisp rolled gingerbread wafer, usually filled with cream.
Down
| 1d | Juliet visiting France, Italy, India /and/ another country (4) |
Fiji[5]
is a country in the South Pacific consisting of a group of some 840
islands, of which about a hundred are inhabited. (show more )
First visited by Abel Tasman in 1643, the Fiji Islands became a British Crown Colony in 1874 and an independent Commonwealth state in 1970. In 1987, following a coup, Fiji became a republic and withdrew from the Commonwealth, rejoining in 1997.
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First visited by Abel Tasman in 1643, the Fiji Islands became a British Crown Colony in 1874 and an independent Commonwealth state in 1970. In 1987, following a coup, Fiji became a republic and withdrew from the Commonwealth, rejoining in 1997.
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| 2d | Row after meeting of countries /leads to/ release (7) |
"meeting of countries " = UN
The United Nations[5] (abbreviation UN) is an international organization of countries set up in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.
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The United Nations[5] (abbreviation UN) is an international organization of countries set up in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.
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| 3d | Bar very piercing clarinets, playing /as/ one in the town hall? (6,7) |
"very " = V [context uncertain]
The abbreviation v (or v.)[1,2,5,10] stands for very.
Although this definition is found in most of my British dictionaries, it does not appear in any of my American dictionaries. Unfortunately no explanation is given as to the specific context in which one might encounter this usage. The only possibility that I can imagine is when combined with G as a grade of VG (very good) on school tests or assignments.
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The abbreviation v (or v.)[1,2,5,10] stands for very.
Although this definition is found in most of my British dictionaries, it does not appear in any of my American dictionaries. Unfortunately no explanation is given as to the specific context in which one might encounter this usage. The only possibility that I can imagine is when combined with G as a grade of VG (very good) on school tests or assignments.
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| 4d | Film outline /in which/ arsenic wrecked love (8) |
"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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| 5d | Something for the mind that's offered in a tablet? (1-4) |
| 7d | Twirl /in/ tango with violin, losing head (7) |
Twiddle[5] means to twist, move, or fiddle with (something), typically in a purposeless or nervous way ⇒
she twiddled the dials on the radio. Although this present day meaning could be thought of as twirling, twiddle also has an archaic sense of turn or move in a twirling way.
| 8d | Cast-off // worker sad to receive note (4-2-4) |
In sol-fa notation, me[1,2,4,5,10] (or mi[1,2,3,4,5,10,11]) is the third note of a major scale. British
dictionaries are split on which spelling is the principle one whereas American dictionaries show only the mi spelling. (show more )
Among the reference sources I consulted, two British dictionaries have me[2,5] as the principal spelling with mi as a variant[2] or US[5] spelling. However, three other British dictionaries take the contrary position, listing mi[1,4,10] as the principal spelling with me as a variant[4,10] or anglicized[1] spelling (the original spelling presumably being Italian). Three US dictionaries show only one spelling — mi[3,11,12].
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Among the reference sources I consulted, two British dictionaries have me[2,5] as the principal spelling with mi as a variant[2] or US[5] spelling. However, three other British dictionaries take the contrary position, listing mi[1,4,10] as the principal spelling with me as a variant[4,10] or anglicized[1] spelling (the original spelling presumably being Italian). Three US dictionaries show only one spelling — mi[3,11,12].
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| 11d | In clues, yearns to be funny, // superfluously (13) |
| 13d | Moist sea creatures British caught, not Germany -- // they won't go off (4,6) |
Damp squib[5] is a British expression for a situation or event which is much less impressive than expected*.
| 16d | Leo, maybe journalist, definitely not up /to be/ recruited (6,2) |
In astrology, Leo[10] (also called the Lion) is the fifth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♌, having a fixed fire classification and ruled by the sun. The sun is in this sign between about July 23 and Aug 22.
Post Mortem
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| I became fixated on the thought that Leo must be a lion; astrology never entered my mind. |
| 18d | Computer aid // for good memory (7) |
In computer science, RAM[10] is an acronym for random access memory, semiconductor memory in which all storage locations can be rapidly accessed in the same amount of time. It forms the main memory of a computer, used by applications to perform tasks while the device is operating.
| 20d | Revolutionise karaoke to collect rising // gains (5,2) |
| 22d | Bury // theatrical writer misses opening (5) |
Harold Pinter[5]
(1930–2008) was an English dramatist, actor, and director. (show more )
His plays are associated with the Theatre of the Absurd and are typically marked by a sense of menace. Notable plays: The Birthday Party (1958), The Caretaker (1960), and Party Time (1991). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.
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His plays are associated with the Theatre of the Absurd and are typically marked by a sense of menace. Notable plays: The Birthday Party (1958), The Caretaker (1960), and Party Time (1991). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.
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| 23d | Bargain // brooches sent to the north (4) |
Snip[5,10] is a informal chiefly British term for a surprisingly cheap item; in other words, a bargain ⇒
the wine is a snip at £3.65.
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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