Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29413 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, July 11, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29413 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29413 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Tilsit (Hints)crypticsue (Review) | |
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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As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.
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Introduction
This puzzle is likely a bit more difficult* on this side of the Atlantic than it was for British solvers. I did manage to correctly identify the British broadcaster by juggling the remaining letters once the checking letters were all in place. I must have heard of him before — or perhaps his war correspondent father.* As it turns out, even more difficult than I imagined when I wrote those words as the National Post has published the wrong grid. See below for the correct one. Thank you, Richard, for bringing this to my attention. I did check that the expected puzzle was published but it never occurred to me to check the grid!
I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Today's Faux Pas
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 | Self-confidence to increase after guy /is/ put in class (10) |
Cat[5] is an informal North American term (especially among jazz enthusiasts) for a man ⇒ (i)
this West Coast cat had managed him since the early 80s; (ii)
the cat went crazy on the horn.
| 6a | Red Prince regularly /seen in/ something like 'War and Peace' (4) |
War and Peace[7] is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in its entirety in 1869. The epic work, over 1200 pages in length, chronicles the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.
| 9a | District accommodating new // stadium (5) |
| 10a | Trace // vice worker on land from report (9) |
The word "tiller" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation ) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), sounds like "tilla".
Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
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Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
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| 12a | A dim ponderous criminal/'s/ usual method (5,8) |
| 14a | Being poorly nourished catches a temperature -- // unlucky (3-5) |
| 15a | Involve // England's top two lower-order batsmen (6) |
In cricket, tail[5] denotes the end of the batting order, with the weakest batsmen ⇒
McDermott worked his way through the tail, finishing with ten wickets*.
* 'wicket' can have various meanings in cricket; here it denotes the dismissal of a batsman. As the maximum number of dismissals in an innings is ten, McDermott is responsible for all the dismissals in that innings. (The maximum number of dismissals is ten because the eleven batsmen must bat in pairs, and once ten are dismissed, there are not enough left to form a pair.)
| 17a | Very important // reading matter for children engrosses son (6) |
| 19a | Dubious bishop in sporty car, // well-padded means of transport (5,3) |
Jag[5] is an informal term for a Jaguar car.
* Jaguar[7] is the luxury vehicle brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British multinational car manufacturer owned by the Indian automotive company Tata Motors Limited since 2008. The operations of Jaguar Cars were merged with those of Land Rover to form Jaguar Land Rover in 2013.
| 21a | Getting completely drunk with Directors, /here's/ a place to dry out (8,5) |
Draining[5] is deceptively used in the sense of drinking the entire contents of (a glass or other container) ⇒
the stranger drained his glass of beer.
Draining board[5] is the British name for a drainboard, a sloping grooved board or surface on which washed dishes are left to drain into an adjacent sink.
| 24a | Note exposed billet-doux /as/ work of fiction (9) |
Billet-doux[5] is a dated, humorous term for a love letter.
The wordplay is N(ote) + [
| 25a | Raise // army to besiege island (5) |
| 26a | Viking saga // entertained Danes to a certain extent (4) |
Edda[5] refers to either of two 13th-century Icelandic books, the Elder or Poetic Edda (a collection of Old Norse poems on Norse legends) and the Younger or Prose Edda (a handbook to Icelandic poetry by Snorri Sturluson). The Eddas are the chief source of knowledge of Scandinavian mythology.
| 27a | One creates drama /from/ predicament besetting wife in Scottish town (10) |
Ayr[5] is a port in southwestern Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde, the administrative centre of South Ayrshire council area.
Down
| 1d | Talk // about Panama perhaps (4) |
| 2d | The runs -- sickness // to do with raised temperature (7) |
"runs " = R [cricket notation]
Mal (French*) means pain or sickness.
* despite being a French word, it is listed in The Chambers Dictionary — and therefore fair game for use in a puzzle in the The Daily Telegraph — likely because it forms part of a number of French terms that have found their way into English such as mal de mer (seasickness), mal du pays (homesickness), and mal du siècle (depression about the state of the world)
| 3d | Chase // an ignorant lad around (5,8) |
Chase[5] is short for steeplechase[5], a horse race run on a racecourse having ditches and hedges as jumps. The modern version of the race evolved from a cross country race in which a steeple marked the finishing point.
The Grand National[5] is an annual horse race established in 1839, a steeplechase run over a course of 4 miles 856 yards (about 7,200 metres) with thirty jumps, at Aintree, Liverpool, England, in late March or early April.
Delving Deeper
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| The 2020 race was not run owing to the coronavirus pandemic; in its place, a virtual race was produced using CGI technology and based on algorithms of the 40 horses most likely to have competed.[7] Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 race to be held on April 10 is set to take place behind closed doors for the first time in its history.[7] |
| 4d | One putting up a fight // about close relative (8) |
| 5d | Cut corners /in/ bypass round motorway (5) |
Motorway[2,5] (abbreviation M[5]) is a British, Australian, and New Zealand term for a dual-carriageway road [divided highway] designed for fast-moving traffic, especially one with three lanes per carriageway [direction of travel] and limited access and exit points [controlled access].
| 7d | Dad eating ordinary fast // food from Italy (7) |
"ordinary " = O [British academic qualification]
Historically, in the UK (with the exception of Scotland), O level[5] (short for ordinary level[5]) was a qualification in a specific subject formerly taken by school students aged 14-16, at a level below A (advanced) level. It was replaced in 1988 by the GCSE[5] (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
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Historically, in the UK (with the exception of Scotland), O level[5] (short for ordinary level[5]) was a qualification in a specific subject formerly taken by school students aged 14-16, at a level below A (advanced) level. It was replaced in 1988 by the GCSE[5] (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
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"fast " = LENT
In the Christian Church, Lent[5] is the period preceding Easter, which is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. In the Western Church it runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, and so includes forty weekdays [including Saturdays]*.
* This is rather oversimplified as the beginning and end of Lent actually varies among churches. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lent begins on Clean Monday (the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday) and ends on the Friday preceding Palm Sunday (however, fasting continues through Holy Week). In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent ends on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday preceding Good Friday).
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In the Christian Church, Lent[5] is the period preceding Easter, which is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. In the Western Church it runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, and so includes forty weekdays [including Saturdays]*.
* This is rather oversimplified as the beginning and end of Lent actually varies among churches. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lent begins on Clean Monday (the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday) and ends on the Friday preceding Palm Sunday (however, fasting continues through Holy Week). In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent ends on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday preceding Good Friday).
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In Italian cooking, polenta[5] is a paste or dough made from cornmeal*, which is boiled and typically then fried or baked.
* polenta is also the Italian name for cornmeal or, as the British refer to it, maize flour
| 8d | Angry, I cool off /in/ the head's study (10) |
| 11d | Give humiliating punishment to // errant fathead cruelly (3,3,7) |
| 13d | Feature of 'Saturday Night Fever' -- // The Clash? That's not right (5,5) |
Saturday Night Fever[7] is a 1977 American dance drama film starring John Travolta and Karen Gorney set amidst the 1970s New York disco scene. The film showcased aspects of the music, the dancing, and the subculture surrounding the disco era helping to popularize disco music around the world.
Scratching the Surface
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| The setters cleverly disguise part of the wordplay as The Clash[7], an English rock band formed in London in 1976 as a key player in the original wave of British punk rock. The group, which also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that emerged in the wake of punk, disbanded in 1986. |
| 16d | Political pundit // confused by Lib Dem (8) |
David Dimbleby[7] is a British journalist and former presenter [host] of current affairs and political programmes, perhaps now best known for having presented [hosted] the BBC's long-running topical debate programme Question Time as well as having hosted the BBC Election Night coverage from 1979 to 2017, as well as United States presidential elections on the BBC until 2016. Coming from a family of journalists, he is the grandson of newspaper journalist Frederick Dimbleby, son of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby and elder brother of broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby.
Scratching the Surface
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| The Liberal Democrats[7] (often referred to as the Lib Dems) are a liberal British political party, formed in 1988 as a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a splinter group from the Labour Party. |
| 18d | Looked round very // deprived (7) |
"very " = V [context uncertain]
The abbreviation* v (or v.)[1,2,5,10] stands for very.
* Although this abbreviation 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 abbreviation 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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| 20d | Waiting to pick up diamonds, // a feature of bridge (7) |
| 22d | Girl that is missing // somewhere in South Africa (5) |
Natal[5] is the former name of a province of South Africa, situated on the east coast. It was renamed KwaZulu-Natal in 1994. (show more )
Having been a Boer republic and then a British colony, Natal acquired internal self-government in 1893 and became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910. It was renamed KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.
The name comes from Latin Terra Natalis 'land of the day of birth', a name given by Vasco da Gama in 1497, because he sighted the entrance to what is now Durban harbour on Christmas Day.
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Having been a Boer republic and then a British colony, Natal acquired internal self-government in 1893 and became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910. It was renamed KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.
The name comes from Latin Terra Natalis 'land of the day of birth', a name given by Vasco da Gama in 1497, because he sighted the entrance to what is now Durban harbour on Christmas Day.
hide
| 23d | Group covering Beatles' centrepiece -- // Let it be (4) |
Stet[5] (Latin, 'let it stand') is an instruction on a printed proof to indicate that a marked alteration should be ignored.
Scratching the Surface
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| "Let It Be"[7] is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released in March 1970. Written and sung by Paul McCartney, it was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band. |
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)
[15] - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )
Signing off for today — Falcon
This was even more difficult for Post subscribers -- both print and on-line -- because the paper printed the wrong grid, making the puzzle nearly impossible to complete. Check it out if you can access a copy.
ReplyDeleteRichard,
DeleteThanks for bringing this to my attention. I have added a copy of the puzzle with the correct grid in the review. Amazing how confusing the relocation of even two black squares can be.
Thanks. I did manage to complete it, after much head-scratching. Kind of annoying, but copy editing is a function that the Post and most newspapers did away with years ago.
ReplyDelete