Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29382 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, June 5, 2020 | |
Setter
Zandio | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29382]
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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
It took me a while to get on to the setter's wavelength — and even when I did, I still needed to resort to a bit of electronic help to complete this puzzle.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 | Discovery // holiday by river, falling in however (12) |
Here and There
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The British use the word holiday(s) for what North Americans (especially our neighbours south of the border) would call vacation[5]. (read more )
Holiday[5,10] (often holidays) is a chiefly British term for a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation ⇒ (i) I spent my summer holidays on a farm; (ii) Fred was on holiday in Spain. According to British dictionaries, the usual US and Canadian term for such a break is vacation. However, I am accustomed to hearing the two terms used almost interchangeably in this sense — in much the same manner that I would use fall and autumn interchangeably. This may not be the case in all parts of Canada, but I grew up in the Maritimes and have lived in Eastern Ontario for most of my life, both areas where British influence is particularly strong. In Britain, the word vacation[5] has a very specific meaning, a fixed holiday period between terms in universities and law courts ⇒ the Easter vacation. In North America, such a period might be called a break[7]. hide |
| 9a | Someone who may act weird /and/ not even dance (7) |
| 10a | Funny-looking African native, // one that's good and strong, tracking duck (7) |
"duck " = O [cricket term]
In cricket, a duck[5] (short for duck's egg) is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒
In British puzzles, "duck" is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.
hide
In cricket, a duck[5] (short for duck's egg) is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒
he was out for a duck. This is similar to the North American expression goose egg[5] meaning a zero score in a game.
In British puzzles, "duck" is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.
hide
| 11a | Short sight (7) |
| 12a | Act badly, /giving/ order in pizzeria? (3,2,2) |
The latter part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the solution.
| 13a | High-flier/'s/ dog with no lead (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Lead[5] is the British name for a leash. |
| 14a | Job with Ezra, perhaps, entertaining gospel // reader's friends? (9) |
Job[5] 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.
Ezra[5] is a book of the Bible telling of Ezra*, the return of the Jewish people from Babylon, and the rebuilding of the Temple.
* Ezra[5] was a Jewish priest and scribe who played a central part in the reform of Judaism in the 5th or 4th century BC, continuing the work of Nehemiah and forbidding mixed marriages.
Mark[5] is the second Gospel in the Christian Bible, traditionally ascribed to St Mark*, an Apostle, companion of St Peter and St Paul.
* Most scholars now regard the Gospel According to Mark as the earliest written gospel and also reject the tradition which ascribes it to Mark the Evangelist and regard it as the work of an unknown author[7].
A cryptic definition of a useful accessory for a reader who is unable to finish a book in one sitting.
| 16a | Deck's wet -- I crumpled -- // most shameful (9) |
| 19a | Gosh! US soldier /is/ royal companion? (5) |
Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒
Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.
"US soldier " = GI
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
she went off with a GI during the war.
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide
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| Princess Elizabeth (now Elizabeth II), age 10 |
* corgi being Welsh for "dwarf dog"
Queen Elizabeth II has long been associated with corgis, owning personally more than 30 of the dogs which were either pure-bred Pembroke Welsh corgis or crossbreed corgi/dachshunds called dorgis.
| 21a | Person at a symphony clutching // pieces of music (7) |
I should have heeded the advice I have heard many times: when all else fails, look for a lurker.
| 23a | Smart Alec /from/ Spain picked up one's tense (7) |
| 24a | Carry out // injured fencer to be given oxygen (7) |
The symbol for the chemical element oxygen is O[5].
| 25a | Worker /that's/ painting, say, in enthralling South America (7) |
"South America " = SA
| 26a | Publicist issues this // request to gatekeeper? (5,7) |
Similar to 12a, the latter part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the solution.
Down
| 1d | Black on top, not soft, dessert /shows/ potential (7) |
| 2d | Help Max Ernst to hold up // illustration (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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Max Ernst[5]
(1891–1976) was a German artist. He was a leader of the Dada movement
and developed the techniques of collage, photomontage, and frottage. He
is probably best known for surrealist paintings such as L’Eléphant de Célèbes (1921).
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| 3d | Lethal drone that's flown over America? (6,3) |
| 4d | Liquor // reportedly which person's taken to church (5) |
| 5d | Best /to be/ tight-lipped after pot I smashed (7) |
| 6d | Brilliance /in/ golf shown by little swine! (7) |
"golf " = G [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Golf[5] is a code word representing the letter G.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
hide
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Golf[5] is a code word representing the letter G.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
hide
| 7d | Challenge to make English shingle or German manger? (6-7) |
I did at least half the work in solving this clue. I found the first word with the help of a word finder program and then worked out the second word on my own.
English and German are languages, sometimes also called tongues.
| 8d | Silly posh idiot first to oppress worker, // one in sales (4,9) |
Shop is the general British term for what would be called a store in North America. From a British perspective, store[5] is a North American term for a shop of any size or kind whereas in Britain, the word store is applied to two specific types of shop — either a large shop selling different types of goods or a shop selling basic necessities. I think this may be another instance where both the British and US terminology coexist to some degree in Canada.
Shop assistant[5] is a British term for a person who serves customers in a shop.
| 15d | Promptly // bellow when getting hammered here? (2,3,4) |
On the nail[10] is a British expression meaning (with respect to payments) at once (especially in the phrase pay on the nail*).
* The equivalent North American expression is pay on the barrelhead.
Delving Deeper
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 Deals could be closed by payment on the nails—the popularly supposed origin of the saying "pay on the nail" or "cash on the nail". However, this origin of the term is disputed. * Pavement'[5] is the British term for sidewalk, a raised paved [covered with paving stones] or asphalted path for pedestrians at the side of a road. |
One might well bellow were they to strike here with a hammer rather than the intended target.
| 17d | One's usually needled when neighbours go bare (7) |
Clearly my clue of the day! The answer only became apparent once all the checking letters were in place.
| 18d | Blackmails /using/ rearranged letters, or texts (7) |
| 19d | Occasionally viewed in car, local tribal // country (7) |
Croatia[5] is a country in south-eastern Europe, formerly a constituent republic of Yugoslavia. (show more )
Apart from a period of Turkish rule in the 16th–17th centuries, Croatia largely remained linked with Hungary until 1918, when it joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). After a period in the Second World War as a Nazi puppet state (1941–5), Croatia became part of Yugoslavia once more and remained a constituent republic until it declared itself independent in 1991. The secession of Croatia led to war between Croats and the Serb minority, and with Serbia; a ceasefire was called in 1992. Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
hide
Apart from a period of Turkish rule in the 16th–17th centuries, Croatia largely remained linked with Hungary until 1918, when it joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). After a period in the Second World War as a Nazi puppet state (1941–5), Croatia became part of Yugoslavia once more and remained a constituent republic until it declared itself independent in 1991. The secession of Croatia led to war between Croats and the Serb minority, and with Serbia; a ceasefire was called in 1992. Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
hide
| 20d | Is charge to follow concerning // second publication? (7) |
| 22d | Buffalo // drive (5) |
Like Deep Threat, I had reservations about the first definition.
A steer[5] (another name for bullock[5]) is a male domestic bovine animal that has been castrated and is raised for beef.
The animal commonly known as a buffalo is not really a buffalo at all, but a bison. The true buffalo are the African Cape Buffalo and the Asian Water Buffalo.
From the website of the Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch, I learned that "Production methods [for bison] are similar to those for cattle. Exceptions: The use of growth hormones is illegal for use on bison, and bison are generally not castrated. Bison grow at a slower rate than cattle, so to castrate them would be cost prohibitive for meat production."
I suppose if one were to castrate a buffalo, it might be called a steer. However, it would seem that such an animal is so rare as to be almost a hypothetical beast.
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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