Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29386 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29386]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
KiwiColin | |
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
There appears to be a clear consensus that this puzzle is on the lower end of Jay's difficulty spectrum.Has anyone noticed the unusual "alignment of the planets" this week whereby the puzzles are not only appearing on the same day of the week as in the UK but also on the same day of the month — but with a delay of eight months?
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 | A bit // like this leading Tory ... (7) |
So[2] means in that [or this] state or condition [i.e., ‛like that’ or ‛like this’] ⇒ (i)
promised to be faithful, and has remained so; (ii)
She told him ‛I am single, and I plan to remain so.’.
"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.
hide
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.
hide
| 5a | ... demanding // information during leave (7) |
Gen[5] is an informal British term for information ⇒
you’ve got more gen on him than we have.
| 9a | Extremist // cults pray, having lost all protection (5) |
An ultra[3,4,11] is an extremist, as in politics, religion, or fashion.
| 10a | One minute -- case of doctor /being/ in a hurry (9) |
| 11a | Food /offered by/ divorcing hotheads? (5,5) |
One solves this clue by splitting (divorcing) "hotheads" into two words and then finding synonyms for each.
According to various British dictionaries, bean is an informal term for the head[1], a dated informal term for a person's head, especially when regarded as a source of common sense[5], US slang for a head or brain[2], or US and Canadian slang for head[10].
| 12a | Regularly play free // instrument (4) |
| 14a | Free advice lands a // source of riches (8,4) |
The clue alludes to the story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp[7], one of the folk tales recounted in One Thousand and One Nights (often known in English as the Arabian Nights)*, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales. In the story, Aladdin discovers a cave filled with riches including a magic lamp from which, when it is rubbed, a genie appears.
* One of the 'orphan tales', Aladdin was not part of the original Nights collection and has no authentic Arabic textual source; rather, it was incorporated into the French version, Les mille et une nuits, by its translator, Antoine Galland.
| 18a | Party approaches must protect important fringes of society /for/ ages (7,5) |
"party " = DO
Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
* Although Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12] supports the contention by Oxford Dictionaries Online[5] that this usage is British, two other US dictionaries do not characterize do[3,11] used in this sense as a British term.
hide
Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
the soccer club Christmas do.
* Although Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12] supports the contention by Oxford Dictionaries Online[5] that this usage is British, two other US dictionaries do not characterize do[3,11] used in this sense as a British term.
hide
Donkey's years[5] is an informal British expression denoting a very long time ⇒
we’ve been close friends for donkey’s years.
| 21a | A military force retreating // at a distance (4) |
"military force " = RAF
The Royal Air Force[5] (abbreviation RAF) is the British air force, formed in 1918 by amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (founded 1912) and the Royal Naval Air Service (founded 1914).
hide
The Royal Air Force[5] (abbreviation RAF) is the British air force, formed in 1918 by amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (founded 1912) and the Royal Naval Air Service (founded 1914).
hide
| 22a | Staggering // time taken by a measurement of depth (10) |
| 25a | Customers /may see/ legal right in court with team cut by half (9) |
Eleven[5] (often appearing as a Roman numeral XI) is the number of players in* a cricket[7] side [team] or an Association football[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒
at cricket I played in the first eleven.
* Note that, in Britain, the words "side" and "team" are synonymous and 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.
| 26a | Actor // surplus to requirements (5) |
| 27a | Means /of/ attack editor backed (7) |
| 28a | Represents // performances that are cancelled? (4,3) |
The latter part of the clue must be interpreted as a phrase with the solution being another phrase. Following auditions for a variety show, a person judging the acts might end up with two lists: "Acts In" and "Acts Out".
Down
| 1d | Players ultimately plump /for/ Australian beer (6) |
Stubby[5] is an informal Australian and New Zealand name for a squat bottle of beer typically holding 375 cl*.
* The editors at Oxford appear to be metrically challenged. I am sure the capacity of a standard stubby is 375 ml and not 375 cl. However, Australia does have a "Darwin stubby"[7] with a capacity of up to 2.27 l or 227 cl (80 imperial ounces).
Delving Deeper
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| Although the Wikipedia article on the stubby[7]
is more than a little ambiguous and internally inconsistent, here is some information gleaned from it. After the relaxation of Prohibition in the U.S. in 1933, American brewers introduced two types of short beer bottle, neckless ones nicknamed stubbies and ones with short necks called steinies. Stubbies are used extensively in Europe [seems inconsistent with the rest of the article?], and were used almost exclusively in Canada from 1962 to 1986. Due to their nostalgic value, stubbies were reintroduced by a number of Canadian craft brewers in the early 2000s. In the U.S., stubbies have generally fallen out of favour, with only a few brands still using them. The word stubbie is now only in common use in Australia and Canada. |
Scratching the Surface
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In the surface reading, the phrasal verb plump for[5]
means to decide definitely in favour of one of two or more possibilities ⇒ offered a choice of drinks, he plumped for brandy. |
| 2d | At university, accept // one may be quick on this (6) |
In British English, up[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒
they were up at Cambridge about the same time.
The phrase be quick on the uptake[5] is an informal expression meaning to be quick to understand something.
| 3d | New headline seen in cold Republican // light (10) |
"Republican " = R [member or supporter of US political party]
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.
hide
A Republican[5] (abbreviation R[5] or Rep.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Republican Party[5], one of the two main US political parties*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.
* the other being the Democratic Party
Although, in the UK, republican[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.
hide
| 4d | Part of church accepting one /is/ innocent (5) |
The nave[5] is the central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation. In traditional Western churches it is rectangular, separated from the chancel by a step or rail, and from adjacent aisles by pillars.
| 5d | Thoughtful after former partner /is/ costing too much (9) |
| 6d | Keen on // dope, with time for France (4) |
| 7d | The average person /from/ Spain -- exceedingly male! (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
| 8d | Section of quartet here dutifully // tied to the spot (8) |
| 13d | A series on hospital department /will be/ caustic (10) |
"hospital department " = ENT
| 15d | Stress aid designed /for/ accidents (9) |
| 16d | Made progress // with cash up front on date (8) |
| 17d | A forced entry /may be/ in vain, so planned (8) |
| 19d | Restaurant // in pub is trouble (6) |
| 20d | Shocked /seeing/ husband in range shot heartlessly (6) |
Whereas in North America any stove used for cooking would be termed a range[5], in Britain this term is used only for a large cooking stove with burners or hotplates all of which are kept continually hot (even when not being used for cooking). One such device is the AGA[7] (trademark), a high-end gas stove popular in medium to large British country houses — not to mention British crosswords.
| 23d | Ring exercises -- oddly real // drama (5) |
| 24d | One might bite // in indignation (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
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