Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29434 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29434]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
Today's puzzle is another gem from Jay — who is referred to in several comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog as Mr. Consistent alluding to the consistent standard of difficulty and enjoyment that characterize his puzzles.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 | Cast may need this, // seeing a part rewritten (6,5) |
| 9a | Vetoed // attempt in favouring study (9) |
| 10a | Flipping theatre night showing // no sign of life! (5) |
For me, this clue does not quite parse. The word "showing" is the hidden word indicator and thus part of the wordplay. However, it seems to me that "inert" means "showing no sign of life" rather than merely "no sign of life" (I can think of no situation in which the later works). However, by cryptic crossword convention, the word "showing" cannot be both part of the wordplay and part of the definition.
Scratching the Surface
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Flipping[5]
is an informal British term used for emphasis or to express mild annoyance ⇒ (i) are you out of your flipping mind?; (ii) it’s flipping cold today. |
| 11a | A good husband and a good person /must be/ shocked (6) |
"good person " = ST [saint]
Aside from being a "good person" in a religious sense, saint[5] is also an informal term for any very virtuous, kind, or patient person ⇒
The abbreviation for Saint is St*[5] ⇒
* The British do not use a period — or, as they would say, full stop — at the end of abbreviations formed from the initial and final letters of a word.
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Aside from being a "good person" in a religious sense, saint[5] is also an informal term for any very virtuous, kind, or patient person ⇒
she's a saint to go on living with that man.
The abbreviation for Saint is St*[5] ⇒
St George.
* The British do not use a period — or, as they would say, full stop — at the end of abbreviations formed from the initial and final letters of a word.
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| 12a | Firm supporter // beginning to cover new law (8) |
| 13a | Run out of gear for a short period (6) |
Alternative Parsing
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In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis parse this clue as double definition:
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| 15a | Restricts // new penalties applied to firm (8) |
| 18a | Tormented /and/ looking embarrassed by tag (8) |
| 19a | Wishes to dispose of one // house advertised as such (3,3) |
Des res[5] is an informal British term for a desirable residence (used as a humorous allusion to the language used in housing advertisements) ⇒
they are converting a Victorian schoolhouse into a des res.
| 21a | Rock singer's first // suit (8) |
| 23a | Sweat terribly wrapping hospital // bandage (6) |
| 26a | Signs // nothing and workers succeeded ... (5) |
| 27a | ... immediately after that /putting/ her note up for revision (9) |
| 28a | Innovator /of/ dog jacket (11) |
Down
| 1d | Saw differently after nonsense /gets/ laughs (7) |
| 2d | Congratulate art historian ringing // such a connection (5) |
In Britain, earth[5] means:
- (noun) an electrical connection to the ground, regarded as having zero electrical potential ⇒
ensure metal fittings are electrically bonded to earth
- (verb) to connect (an electrical device) with the ground ⇒
the front metal panels must be soundly earthed
Being an electrical engineer, I can't help but note the irony that earth is a British term meaning an "electrical connection to the ground" and ground as a North American term meaning an "electrical connection to the earth".
| 3d | Trim /and/ dispatch form (9) |
| 4d | Tramps /may find/ places to live (4) |
What did they say?
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According to the 2Kiwis, in their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog,The places to live are usually urban flats.
Flat[5] is the British term for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America. (show more )
The term apartment is used in Britain, but seemingly in a more restricted sense than in North America, applying to either temporary or upscale accommodation. As Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) puts it, an apartment[5] is:
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| 5d | Fire engine must need this (8) |
In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis show the definition as being "fire". Presumably, they consider the remainder of the clue to be a second definition although they do not mark it as such. While I accept that the latter part of the clue could be a definition for "ignition", I do not see how "fire" can possibly be one. "Fire" (as a verb) is a synonym of "ignite" (not "ignition") while "firing" would be the form synonymous with "ignition".
| 6d | Hearing // test (5) |
| 7d | She ultimately maintains // such vehicles (7) |
In the UK, estate[5] is short for estate car[5], the British name for a station wagon[5].
| 8d | Servant /providing/ legal consideration (8) |
A retainer[5] is a servant, especially one who has worked for a person or family for a long time.
Consideration[5] is used in the sense of a payment or reward.
A retainer[5] (also retaining fee) is a fee paid in advance to someone, especially a barrister, in order to secure their services for use when required.
| 14d | Beamed /and/ considered accepting assistance raised (8) |
| 16d | Liberated women on list /for/ coast (9) |
The abbreviation for women or women's is W[2]. The latter designates a clothing size while the former might be seen on the door to the ladies' room.
| 17d | Check about objective before reserves // feud (8) |
"reserves " = TA [Territorial Army]
| 18d | Graduate teacher with job /as/ support for tester (7) |
A Bachelor of Education[7] (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools.
A tester[5] is a canopy over a four-poster bed.
| 20d | Resent changes on right /being/ more authoritarian (7) |
| 22d | Working and ready /for/ attack (5) |
One could well construe onset[5] to be a synonym for attack in the sense of the beginning of something, especially something unpleasant. However, it is also an archaic term for a military attack.
| 24d | Best article on unknown // stone (5) |
"unknown " = Z [algebraic notation]
In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒
In mathematical formulae, unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.
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In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒
3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns.
In mathematical formulae, unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.
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| 25d | Live without 21, // comfortably (4) |
The
numeral "21" is a cross
reference indicator pointing to clue 21a (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
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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
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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
Either way 13a is a great picture. 19a was an impossibility for me
ReplyDeleteFortunately, it is not the first time I have encountered the British term in 19a.
Delete