Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29443 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, August 15, 2020 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29443 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29443 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Tilsit (Hints)gnomethang (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
Although gnomethang awards this puzzle only two stars for difficulty in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Tilsit in his hints apologizes for posting late because he "had to check with a couple of colleagues about answers" as "[s]ome of the clues in this puzzle are not obvious". He also mentions that he's "given you a couple of extra explanations as it’s a bit trickier".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 | Bats // desire birds to leave lake (7) |
Willow[10] (noun) denotes something made of willow wood, such as a cricket or baseball* bat.
* Is this a figment of a British dictionary editor's imagination? I can find no evidence of willow being a common material for making baseball bats[7]. Although most wooden bats are still made from ash, maple appears to be displacing ash as the most popular new baseball bat material. Next and rising in popularity is bamboo. Hickory has fallen into disfavour.
Delving Deeper
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| The white willow[7] (salix alba) is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia. One particular cultivar, Caerulea or cricket-bat willow, is grown as a specialist timber crop in Britain, mainly for the production of cricket bats, and for other uses where a tough, lightweight wood that does not splinter easily is required. |
| 5a | Leader, // one from France entering race (7) |
"one from France " = UN
A tribune[5] is a popular leader; a champion of people's rights.
* In ancient Rome, a tribune[5] (also tribune of the people) was an official chosen by the plebeians to protect their interests.
| 9a | Pint-sized worker /creates/ writing system (9) |
| 10a | Arrangement /to have/ TV in higher place (3-2) |
| 11a | Certain // result to invest Republican -- and Democrat! (7) |
"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
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
Result is not used as a noun (as indicated by Tilsit in his hint) but rather as a verb.
| 12a | Soldiers disembark round // Floridian city (7) |
| 13a | Doctor coped with some // rot (9) |
| 16a | Call taken by English // beauty (5) |
Bell[5] is an informal British term meaning to telephone (someone) ⇒
no problem, I’ll bell her tomorrow.
| 17a | Enthusiast returning lives /in/ capital (5) |
Tunis[5], a port on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, is the capital of Tunisia.
| 18a | Revolting animals were so // stubborn? (9) |
The clue is a double definition with the first an allusion to Animal Farm[7], an allegorical novella by English writer George Orwell*, first published in 1945. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, however, the rebellion is betrayed, and the farm ends up in a state as bad as it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon.
* pen name of English writer Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950)
| 21a | One to smoke /in/ bed -- it takes brave person to intervene! (7) |
A cheroot[5] is a cigar with both ends open.
| 22a | Child tucking into pork pies // not the smallest, for example (7) |
Pork pie[10] (often shortened to porky) is mainly British and Australian rhyming slang (show explanation ) for a lie [in the sense of an untruth].
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney* rhyming slang.
* A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
While one commonly sees only the shortened form of rhyming slang, pork pie is one of those cases where both the full expression and the shortened version seem to be in general use.
hide explanation
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney* rhyming slang.
* A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
While one commonly sees only the shortened form of rhyming slang, pork pie is one of those cases where both the full expression and the shortened version seem to be in general use.
hide explanation
Litotes[5] is ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g. "I shan't be sorry" as an expression meaning "I shall be glad").
| 25a | Path // is covered in beer (5) |
| 26a | Warplane circling about // cargo ship (9) |
| 27a | Stadium accommodating second large // team (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).
| 28a | Creche /in/ North Surrey moved (7) |
In Britain, a crèche[5] is not a representation of the nativity scene but a nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day.
Scratching the Surface
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| Surrey[5] is a county of southeastern England. |
Down
| 1d | Stitch up with nurse /in/ classy area (4,3) |
The West End of London[7] (more commonly referred to as simply the West End) is an area of Central London containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings and entertainment venues (including the commercial West End theatres).
| 2d | Only redeveloped southern // city (5) |
Lyons is the anglicized name for Lyon[10], a city in southeastern central France, capital of Rhône department, at the confluence of the Rivers Rhône and Saône. The third largest city in France, it is a major industrial centre and river port.
| 3d | Playful animal // despicable sort beheaded (5) |
Rotter[5] is a dated informal British term for a cruel, mean, or unkind person ⇒
Rosemary had decided that all men were rotters.
| 4d | Pain // accordingly doubled? (2-3-2) |
Pain[5] is used in the informal sense of an annoying or tedious person or thing.
| 5d | Immature creature // bit person from Krakow? (7) |
Kraków[7], written in English as Krakow and traditionally known as Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in southern Poland, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 and has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, economic, cultural and artistic life. Cited as one of Europe's most beautiful cities, its Old Town was declared the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world.
| 6d | Able to resist crackers? (9) |
What is he talking about?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, gnomethang remarksAs gnomethang explains in the Comments section of his review, this remark has little — if anything — to do with the clue. He is referring to a brand of water cracker sold in the UK. A water biscuit[7] or water cracker is a type of biscuit or cracker. They are thin, hard and brittle, and usually served with cheese or wine. Originally produced in the 19th century as a version of the ship's biscuit, water biscuits continue to be popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom, with the leading brands (Carr's and Jacob's) selling over seventy million packets a year.Jacob’s are largely soluble in water given enough time, hence the Question Mark?. * The British use the term biscuit[3,4,11] for a range of foods that include those that would be called either cookies or crackers in North America. A North American biscuit[5] is similar to what is known in Britain as a scone. Made from a mixture of little more than flour and water, they are very hard and apparently dissolve extremely slowly in water — thus "insoluble" to an extent. |
| 7d | Going straight again -- // and let out with gun! (9) |
| 8d | Discharge // policeman found in south-western river (7) |
Plod[5] (also PC* Plod) is an informal British term for a police officer ⇒
a bunch of plods arrived, offering me a lift to the cop shop.
Origin: The term is an allusion to Mr Plod the Policeman in the Noddy stories for children by English children's writer Enid Blyton[7] (1897–1968).
* PC[5] is a British designator for a police constable ⇒
PC Bartholomew made his report.
The River Exe[7] rises on Exmoor in Somerset, 8.4 kilometres (5 mi) from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south*, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south (English Channel) coast of Devon.
* and, thus, away from the Bristol Channel
What is he talking about?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, gnomethang (after explaining where the Exe is located) commentsOn December 31, 2010 in a review of DT 26437, he described the Po as a Chinese river—a faux pas his fellow bloggers have never let him forget.you won’t catch me out on where this one is!. |
| 14d | Agreement // to involve government statisticians in count (9) |
The Office for National Statistics (ONS)[7] is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament.
| 15d | Lead astray? (9) |
| 17d | Feline in tattered coat gives // touching display (7) |
A toccata[5] is a musical composition for a keyboard instrument designed to exhibit the performer's touch and technique.
| 18d | Mine -- one almost complete -- /becomes/ inadequate (7) |
| 19d | Left in strong wind aboard // ship (7) |
A galleon[5] was a sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th to the 18th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were typically square-rigged and had three or more decks and masts ⇒
a Spanish treasure galleon wrecked off the Florida Keys.
| 20d | Annihilate // French from the besieged city (7) |
"French from the " = DES
In Homeric legend, Troy[5]
(also called Ilium) is the city of King Priam, besieged for ten years by the Greeks during
the Trojan War. (show more )
Troy was regarded as having been a purely legendary city until Heinrich Schliemann identified the mound of Hissarlik on the northeastern Aegean coast of Turkey as the site of Troy. The city was apparently sacked and destroyed by fire in the mid 13th century BC, a period coinciding with the Mycenaean civilization of Greece.
hide
Troy was regarded as having been a purely legendary city until Heinrich Schliemann identified the mound of Hissarlik on the northeastern Aegean coast of Turkey as the site of Troy. The city was apparently sacked and destroyed by fire in the mid 13th century BC, a period coinciding with the Mycenaean civilization of Greece.
hide
| 23d | Grand invested in bank /for/ dynamic sort (5) |
G as an abbreviation for grand is one North American usage that the Brits would appear to have embraced (show more ).
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage ⇒
I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
- Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)[5].
- Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars[2].
- Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)[4,10].
| 24d | Taken from Sanskrit it lends // book name (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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Sanskrit[5] is an ancient Indo-European language of India, in which the Hindu
scriptures and classical Indian epic poems are written and from which
many northern Indian (Indic) languages are derived. (show more )
Sanskrit was spoken in India roughly 1200–400 BC, and continues in use as a language of religion and scholarship. It is written from left to right in the Devanagari script. The suggestion by Sir William Jones (1746–1794) of its common origin with Latin and Greek was a major advance in the development of historical linguistics. hide |
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
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