Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29436 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, August 7, 2020 | |
Setter
silvanus
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Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29436]
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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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Notes
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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, April 17, 2021 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
Today, I'm afraid I fell victim to my tendency to never pass up a complicated explanation where a simple one would suffice.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 | Peel of lime added to unfinished fruit // crush (6) |
| 5a | Place for cowboys // that might provide stew? (4,4) |
This reverse anagram clue (show more ) reverses normal relationships by placing the result of the anagram operation in the clue and asking the solver to find the anagram indicator and anagram fodder that would produce that result.
The solution is WILD WEST (place for cowboys) which — if interpreted as wordplay — would be an anagram (WILD) of WEST producing the result (that might provide) STEW which is found in the clue itself.
In a 'normal' clue, the wordplay appears in the clue and the result of executing the wordplay is found in the solution. For instance, in an anagram type clue, the anagram indicator (operator) and anagram fodder (the material on which the indicator operates) appears in the clue and the outcome of performing the anagram operation is found in the solution.
In a 'reverse anagram', this situation is reversed. The anagram indicator and anagram fodder are found in the solution and the result of executing the anagram operation appears in the clue. This is not unlike the premise of the TV game show Jeopardy — where contestants are given the answer and must respond with a question. Here the solver is given the result of the anagram operation and must find the anagram indicator and fodder which would produce it.
If, like myself, you have a background in mathematics and engineering, you might think a more appropriate term for such a clue would be 'inverse anagram' rather than 'reverse anagram' as this type of construct is analogous to the concept of inverse functions in those fields.
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The solution is WILD WEST (place for cowboys) which — if interpreted as wordplay — would be an anagram (WILD) of WEST producing the result (that might provide) STEW which is found in the clue itself.
In a 'normal' clue, the wordplay appears in the clue and the result of executing the wordplay is found in the solution. For instance, in an anagram type clue, the anagram indicator (operator) and anagram fodder (the material on which the indicator operates) appears in the clue and the outcome of performing the anagram operation is found in the solution.
In a 'reverse anagram', this situation is reversed. The anagram indicator and anagram fodder are found in the solution and the result of executing the anagram operation appears in the clue. This is not unlike the premise of the TV game show Jeopardy — where contestants are given the answer and must respond with a question. Here the solver is given the result of the anagram operation and must find the anagram indicator and fodder which would produce it.
If, like myself, you have a background in mathematics and engineering, you might think a more appropriate term for such a clue would be 'inverse anagram' rather than 'reverse anagram' as this type of construct is analogous to the concept of inverse functions in those fields.
hide
| 9a | Unscrupulous behaviour /in/ music rehearsal? (5,8) |
The term sharp practice denotes
dishonest or barely honest business or professional practices. One
dictionary characterizes the term as old-fashioned and given its
absence from American dictionaries one would have to conclude that it is
British. (show more )
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- unscrupulous dealing, verging on dishonesty (The Chambers Dictionary)[1]
- dishonesty or cheating; unscrupulous dealing (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)[2]
- dishonest or barely honest dealings ⇒
any kind of sharp practice will ruin a barrister's career
)[5] - (old-fashioned) dishonest or unscrupulous behaviour in business ⇒ (i)
The report seems to be saying that certain sharp practices are very common in business
; (ii)He accused some solicitors of sharp practice
(Collins English Dictionary)[10] - an action or a way of behaving, especially in business or professional matters, that is clever but dishonest (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)[14]
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The second part of the clue is a whimsical interpretation of the solution as denoting a piece of music played entirely on the black keys* of a piano.
* In music, sharp[2] denotes a note raised by a semitone, the sign indicating this (♯), or the key producing this note. It is the black keys on a keyboard that produce sharps and are therefore known as sharps.
| 10a | Sunlit ground across river, // not marred by development (8) |
As an anagram indicator, ground is used as the past tense or past participle of the verb grind[5]. An anagram indicator is typically a word that denotes movement or transformation. Grind denotes transformation, for example, in the sense of grain being ground into flour.
The Po[7] is a river that arises in the Cottian Alps and flows eastward across northern Italy entering the Adriatic Sea through a delta near Venice.
| 11a | Fears // medic will encounter cases of extra drunkenness (6) |
| 12a | Enthralled by canals, a celebrity // somewhere in Eastern France (6) |
Alsace[5] is a region of north-eastern France, on the borders with Germany and Switzerland. Alsace was annexed by Prussia, along with part of Lorraine (forming Alsace-Lorraine), after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1, and restored to France after the First World War.
| 14a | Retiring peer left oddly early /for/ comic show (8) |
A peer[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. (show more )
In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
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In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
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A lord[10] is a male member of the nobility, especially in Britain.
| 16a | Work covered by girl I'd backed /for/ management (8) |
"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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I think disposal[10] is likely being used in the sense of a specific method of tending to matters, as in business; in other words to manage or deal with a matter so as to bring it to a conclusion and close the file.
| 19a | Pressures to drop women/'s/ rowing race (6) |
One might also parse the clue as:
- Pressures to drop women's // rowing race (6)
An eight[5] is an eight-oared rowing boat or its crew.
| 21a | More unfortunate // choice of wedding vows? (6) |
Post Mortem
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| I went down a bit of a rat hole here. Missing the obvious connection to the choice ("for richer or poorer") offered in the wedding vows, I considered and rejected the correct solution, POORER and instead focused my attention on DOURER which seemed to satisfy the precise definition. As for the wordplay, I managed to convince myself that as "vows" are spoken that this was a homophone indicator. Furthermore, I reasoned that a DOWERER was one bestowing a dowry and therefore would be the "choice of wedding" for the bride. |
| 23a | Remove // sketch after humour shown by husband (8) |
| 25a | Doctor asks Fred to bag // mess (4,9) |
A dog's breakfast[5] (or a dog's dinner) is an informal British expression for a poor piece of work or, in other words, a mess ⇒
we made a real dog’s breakfast of it.
| 26a | Activist // comparatively unprepared touring South Africa (8) |
Prepared is used not in the sense of ready but in the sense of processed or refined.
| 27a | Second asteroid's heading direct /for/ planet (6) |
Turn[5] is used in the sense of to move (something) so as to be aimed or pointed in a particular direction ⇒
she turned her head towards me.
Down
| 2d | Football club // magazine (7) |
Arsenal Football Club[7] is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Islington, London that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).
| 3d | Reach // conclusion from reading file (5) |
| 4d | Vacancy /in/ M & S filled by chap ultimately needing money (9) |
Tin[5] is a dated informal British term for money ⇒
Kim’s only in it for the tin.
Scratching the Surface
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| Marks and Spencer[7] (commonly abbreviated as M&S) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, home products and food products, mostly of its own label. The company expanded into Canada in 1973, and at one point had forty-seven stores across Canada. Despite various efforts to improve its image, the chain was never able to move beyond its reputation here as a stodgy retailer, one that catered primarily to senior citizens and expatriate Britons. The shops in Canada were smaller than British outlets, and did not carry the same selection. In the late 1990s, further efforts were made to modernise them and also expand the customer base. Unprofitable locations were closed. Nonetheless, the Canadian operations continued to lose money, and the last 38 shops in Canada were closed in 1999. |
| 5d | Fabric /displayed by/ wife over Irish tweed regularly (7) |
Worsted[5] is a fabric made from worsted yarn*[5], having a close-textured surface with no nap ⇒
a worsted suit.
* a fine smooth yarn spun from combed long-staple wool
| 6d | In conversation relaxed aspect of personality /is/ transparent (5) |
In psychoanalysis, the id[5] is the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest.
Transparent and lucid both mean easy to understand — however, with very different connotations.
- transparent[5] means easy to perceive or detect ⇒
the residents will see through any transparent attempt to buy their votes
. - lucid[5] means expressed clearly ⇒
It's written in very concrete language, very lucid, easy to understand
.
| 7d | Chess player weary, /showing/ sign of defeat (5,4) |
White[5] is the player of the white pieces in chess or draughts [checkers].
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat advises us to start withIn chess, the "white" player always moves first. After the first move, players alternately move one piece per turn (except for castling, when two pieces are moved).[7]The chess player who always moves first. |
| 8d | Small bank // carrying little weight (7) |
| 13d | Tips for cooking /in/ American resort? Serve up something sweet (9) |
| 15d | Leaves behind // apparent painful discomforts, we hear (9) |
| 17d | Drone flying one Republican assumes /to be/ properly organised (2,5) |
"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.
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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
As a containment indicator assume[5] is used in the sense of don or put on. While the word can be a synonym for don in a figurative sense meaning to take on or adopt (a manner or identity), sometimes falsely ⇒ (i)
Oliver assumed an expression of penitence; (ii)
she puts on a disguise, assumes a different persona, and cruises the squalid bars on the bad side of town, assume[3] can also literally mean* to clothe oneself in or don ⇒
The queen assumed a velvet robe.
* I found this meaning only in the American Heritage Dictionary and, although not identified as such, I suspect it may be an archaic usage
| 18d | Poor clothing // that's selected for climbing (3,4) |
| 20d | Renegade // right to support crazed patriot wanting power (7) |
| 22d | Fanatical // bishop at centre of attack (5) |
| 24d | Plan // beginning to disappoint large number (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)
[15] - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )
Signing off for today — Falcon
Came up with nothing first time through which is unusual and disheartening. But left it for awhile and things fell into place. Toyed with a version of dour for 21a but decided it seemed too awkward. Thanks for the blog.
ReplyDeleteI had a very slow start to this one as it took some time for me to get on to the setter’s frame of mind. I was beginning to think this would be a **** or even *****. Then I solved 1D (which I should have known right away even though I am certainly not a fan of that team) and everything quickly fell into place and clues which had baffled me for some time seemed quite clear. Last in was 16A and although I got the word play the definition seemed a bit off. ***/*** for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the definition at 16a which is why I spent some considerable effort trying to find an explanation -- and I'm not at all sure that what I came up with is terribly convincing.
DeleteThis post was not only helpful with the comment issue, but had also great links to other blogs.
ReplyDeleteSome of them I will most likely keep visiting!
Thanks and greetings..
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