Puzzle at a Glance
| |
|---|---|
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29384 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, June 8, 2020 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29384]
| |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
pommers | |
BD rating
| |
| Difficulty - ★ | Enjoyment - ★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
|
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
| |
|
Notes
| |
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, February 6, 2021 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
This puzzle is definitely at the easier end of the spectrum.It sometimes produces amusing results when one regards Britspeak through a North American lens. When crypticsue comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog that the weather has warmed up enough for her to remove her jumper, she is not referring to her dress but rather to a sweater. The dress that those of us in North America know as a jumper is called a pinafore in the UK.
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 | |
|
|
| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | 26 // at hop around two hours before midnight (10) |
The
numeral "26" is a cross
reference indicator pointing to clue 26a (show more ).
To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
hide
To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
hide
| 6a | Fruit, // fleshy, reduced (4) |
| 9a | Distinctive // person (10) |
| 10a | Guy to miss start of march taking place // soon (4) |
| 12a | Sappers become weary, // go to bed (6) |
"sappers " = 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.
hide
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.
hide
| 13a | An advocate /by/ day, that woman in a tent, scratching head (8) |
| 15a & 18a | Long-running show // song (3,5,2,2,1,11) |
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[7] is a British television quiz show. The programme, which originally aired from 2007 to 2014, was resurrected in 2018 and continues in production. The success of the show has led to versions in many other countries under an international franchise of the same name, all of which follow the same general format, though with variations in gameplay and lifelines provided.
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"[7] is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1956 film High Society, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm. Whilst looking at expensive wedding presents, the singers decide that they in fact have little desire to be fabulously wealthy. The song inspired the title, and title music, of the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
| 18a | See 15a |
| 21a | Huge // reduction in fuel that's mined (8) |
| 22a | Sophisticated // city, European (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.
hide
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.
hide
| 24a | Slightly wet // in Amsterdam, perhaps (4) |
| 25a | Stinging insect squashed by most angry // ruminant (10) |
Wildebeest is another name for the gnu[5], a large dark African antelope with a long head, a beard and mane, and a sloping back.
| 26a | Barrier /in/ former London prison, not new (4) |
Newgate[5] was a former London prison whose unsanitary conditions became notorious in the 18th century before the building was burnt down in the Gordon Riots of 1780. A new edifice was erected on the same spot but was demolished in 1902 to make way for the Central Criminal Court*.
* The Central Criminal Court of England is the chief court exercising criminal jurisdiction in London. It is commonly known as the Old Bailey[10] (as pommers refers to it in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog).
| 27a | Traders -- I've upset // one located on Madison Avenue, maybe (10) |
Madison Avenue[5], street in New York City, is a centre of the American advertising business*.
* to such an extent that that the name of the street serves as a metonym for the American advertising industry just as Wall Street symbolizes the American financial industry
As Angellov points out in Comment #12 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the answer to this clue is not "one located on Madison Avenue" but rather the client of an agency located there.
Down
| 1d | A change involving one // enclosure for birds (6) |
| 2d | What single person might want // until now? (2,4) |
| 3d | Elves sent her out // anyway (12) |
| 4d | Assistant /in/ a team lacking leadership (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)
hide
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.
hide
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| Note that, in Britain, one is said to be "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as would be said in North America. |
| 5d | Apprehensive admitting girl /makes/ wine (10) |
Chardonnay[5] is:
- a variety of white wine grape used for making champagne and other wines
- a wine made from the Chardonnay grape
| 7d | Behold, through window, // legendary knight ... (8) |
Lancet[10] is short for lancet window[10], a narrow window having a lancet arch*.
* a lancet arch[10] (also called acute arch, Gothic arch, pointed arch, ogive) is a narrow acutely pointed arch having two centres of equal radii.
In Arthurian legend, Lancelot[5] (also Launcelot) is the most famous of Arthur's knights, lover of Queen Guinevere and father of Galahad.
| 8d | ... troubadour /in/ street protected by Merlin somehow (8) |
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| In Arthurian legend, Merlin[5] was a magician who aided and supported King Arthur. |
| 11d | Dish // erstwhile bar concocted (5,7) |
Welsh rarebit is another name for rarebit[5], a dish of melted and seasoned cheese on toast, sometimes with other ingredients. The name is an alteration of Welsh rabbit[5] (probably originally used humorously).
| 14d | Pair // took in wad, anxious to secure folio (3,2,1,4) |
In card games, two of a kind[5] (also called pair[5]) are two cards having the same face value but of a different suit.
| 16d | Look to follow // Ofwat, say (8) |
Ofwat[5] stands for Office of Water Services, a UK regulatory body supervising the operation of the water industry.
Full disclosure: I had to look up the identity of this organization; but I don't feel that can really be considered as "using electronic assistance" to solve the clue.
| 17d | Envoy/'s/ graduation certificate required on top of those (8) |
| 19d | Shows concern over son/'s/ pet (6) |
| 20d | Derisive remark about extremely stout // clown (6) |
| 23d | Club losing wickets, /and/ advantage (4) |
A wedge[5] is a golf club with a low, angled face for maximum loft.
In cricket, the term wicket[5] can have a variety of meanings (not unlike hockey, where goal can mean either the net or an instance of putting the puck in the net).
First, wicket is the name given to each of the sets of three stumps with two bails across the top at either end of the pitch (see below), defended by a batsman.
Second, wicket is also another name for the pitch[5] itself, the prepared strip of ground between the two sets of stumps (or, confusingly, wickets) ⇒
when they inspected the wicket, they found it being rolled by some prisoners.
Third, and the sense in which it is being used in this clue, wicket is the term for the dismissal of a batsman; each of ten* dismissals regarded as marking a division of a side’s innings ⇒
Darlington won by four wickets.
* Because batsmen always bat in pairs, once ten of the eleven players on a team have been dismissed, the team can no longer form a pair and consequently is dismissed.
On cricket scorecards, wicket (in the third sense above) is abbreviated as W[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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.