Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29628 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, March 20, 2021 | |
Setter
Donnybrook (Paul Bringloe)
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Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29628 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29628 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Senf (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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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, May 29, 2021 edition of the National Post. 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. | |
Introduction
Today, we have a fun puzzle from Donnybrook—or, as he anagramatically styles himself in a comment on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, NY Doorknob.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 | Introduces // fast way to travel round about (7) |
| 5a | Less like lamb /from/ this supplier? (7) |
Butch[2] is used in the not necessarily lesbian sense as a slang term denoting (of a person) tough and strong-looking; aggressively masculine in manner or looks, etc.
| 9a | Passing // here, MP befuddled with ale (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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| I wonder, is MP intended to stand for Member of Parliament or Miffypops? |
| 10a | Hold-up man // in downbeat LA suburb (5) |
In Greek mythology, Atlas[10] was a Titan (show more ) compelled to support the sky on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus.
In Classical Greek mythology, the Titans and Titanesses[7] were members of the second order of divine beings, descending from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympian deities. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Heaven). They were giant deities of incredible strength, who ruled during the legendary Golden Age, and also composed the first pantheon of Greek deities.
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In Classical Greek mythology, the Titans and Titanesses[7] were members of the second order of divine beings, descending from the primordial deities and preceding the Olympian deities. Based on Mount Othrys, the Titans most famously included the first twelve children of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Heaven). They were giant deities of incredible strength, who ruled during the legendary Golden Age, and also composed the first pantheon of Greek deities.
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| 11a | Young creature // to leap explosively across delta (7) |
| 12a | Wildlife // rights protecting old English river (3,4) |
Old English[5] (abbreviation OE[5]) was the language of the Anglo-Saxons (up to about 1150). Also called Anglo-Saxon, it was an inflected language with a Germanic vocabulary, very different from modern English.
The Dee[5,7] could be any of several rivers in Scotland and England — not to mention Ireland and Australia, the most prominent being:
- a river in northeastern Scotland, which rises in the Grampian Mountains and flows eastwards past Balmoral Castle to the North Sea at Aberdeen
- a river that rises in North Wales and flows into England, past Chester and on into the Irish Sea
The roe deer[5] is a small Eurasian deer which lacks a visible tail and has a reddish summer coat that turns greyish in winter.
| 13a | Cool Paris trashed // Athenian citadel (9) |
An acropolis[5] is a citadel or fortified part of an ancient Greek city, typically one built on a hill.
The Acropolis[5] is the ancient citadel at Athens, containing the Parthenon and other notable buildings, mostly dating from the 5th century BC.
Scratching the Surface
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| In Greek mythology, Paris[5] is a Trojan prince, the son of Priam and Hecuba. Appointed by the gods to decide who among the three goddesses Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite should win a prize for beauty, he awarded it to Aphrodite, who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world—Helen, wife of Menelaus king of Sparta. He abducted Helen, bringing about the Trojan War, in which he killed Achilles but was later himself killed. |
| 16a | Jeremy the player /for/ certain clubs (5) |
Jeremy Irons[7] is an English actor. He is one of the few actors who have won the "Triple Crown of Acting", winning an Academy Award (for film), an Emmy Award (television) and a Tony Award (for theatre).
| 17a | Fighter // back on horse yet losing every second? (5) |
Mike Tyson[5] is an American boxer. He became undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1987, winning the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. He was imprisoned in 1992 for rape; after his release in 1995 he reclaimed the WBC and WBA titles in the following year. His 1997 fight with Evander Holyfield ended when Tyson was disqualified for dining on Holyfield's ear.[7]
| 18a | Former writer accepting end, tense, /is/ suitable (9) |
"writer " = PEN
The use of the word "writer" to clue PEN is likely to be slightly more cryptic to the Brits than it is to us on this side of the pond. British solvers will see "pen" as being a writing implement rather than the person wielding that implement.
In addition to defining pen[3,11] as a writing implement, North American dictionaries also define it as a writer or an author ⇒
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The use of the word "writer" to clue PEN is likely to be slightly more cryptic to the Brits than it is to us on this side of the pond. British solvers will see "pen" as being a writing implement rather than the person wielding that implement.
In addition to defining pen[3,11] as a writing implement, North American dictionaries also define it as a writer or an author ⇒
a hired pen, British dictionaries do not list this meaning although they do show pen[2,4] (or the pen[5,10]) as symbolically representing writing as an occupation (a sense of the word not found in US dictionaries).
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| 21a | Character seen with drink: // John Lennon for one! (7) |
Liverpool John Lennon Airport[7] is an international airport serving North West England.
| 22a | Driver awaiting chance to pass? (7) |
| 25a | Defence // starts to analyse legal issue behind injunction (5) |
| 26a | Name potholer lost /in/ remote region (5,4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| A pothole[5] is a deep natural underground cave formed by the erosion of rock, especially by the action of water. Naturally, a potholer is someone who explores such formations. |
| 27a | Defiant expression /from/ drunk in this place (2,5) |
| 28a | Weird people having time /for/ miscellaneous article (7) |
Down
| 1d | Sloth /and/ one near it disturbed (7) |
| 2d | Jack was obliged to limit one // fervent crusade (5) |
Jihad[10] is a rarely used term for a a crusade in support of a cause.
Origin: In Islam, a jihad[12] is a war by Muslims against unbelievers or enemies of Islam, carried out as a religious duty.
| 3d | Italian lake draws in British // musicians (5) |
Lake Como[5] is a lake in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy.
| 4d | Bizarre // uniform on bishop in confirmation (7) |
| 5d | Liberal dons tolerate American // state (7) |
"Liberal " = L [member of a nearly extinct British political party]
The Liberal Party[5] (abbreviation Lib.[5] or L[2])* in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats.
However, a small Liberal Party still exists (founded in 1989 by members of the original Liberal Party opposed to its merger with the Social Democratic Party) although it has never held a UK, Scottish or European parliamentary seat, though it has had representation on local councils.[7]
* Although Lib.[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the Liberal Party in Britain — likely to distinguish it from the the Labour Party[5] (abbreviation Lab.[5]) — Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L[2] may also be used.
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The Liberal Party[5] (abbreviation Lib.[5] or L[2])* in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats.
However, a small Liberal Party still exists (founded in 1989 by members of the original Liberal Party opposed to its merger with the Social Democratic Party) although it has never held a UK, Scottish or European parliamentary seat, though it has had representation on local councils.[7]
* Although Lib.[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the Liberal Party in Britain — likely to distinguish it from the the Labour Party[5] (abbreviation Lab.[5]) — Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L[2] may also be used.
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| 6d | Did deal concealing gain: // it's a blow (5,4) |
| 7d | Torment tedious type outside electronic // plant (9) |
The hellebore[5] is a poisonous winter-flowering Eurasian plant of the buttercup family, typically having coarse divided leaves and large white, green, or purplish flowers.
| 8d | Extremely rude characters /in/ seaside towns (7) |
| 14d | Check // others taking exercise inside (9) |
| 15d | Show // main tempo needs changing (9) |
A pantomime[5] is a traditional British theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.
| 17d | Lots following letter dictated: // those in hot water? (3,4) |
Bags (of)[5] is an informal British expression meaning plenty (of).
| 18d | Medical speciality doubled European // understanding (7) |
"medical speciality " = ENT
"European " = E [as in E number]
E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).
* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.
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| 19d | Less colourful second // city? (7) |
"second " = MO
Mo[5] (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5][14], chiefly British[2][4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British[1] and two US dictionaries[11][12] do not specify that it is British. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in a third US dictionary[3].
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Mo[5] (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term* for a short period of time ⇒
hang on a mo!.
* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British[5][14], chiefly British[2][4], or mainly British[10] term. However, one British[1] and two US dictionaries[11][12] do not specify that it is British. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in a third US dictionary[3].
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Palermo[5] is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, a port on the north coast.
| 20d | Flow // alternatively seen in Midlands river (7) |
The Midlands[7] is the central part of England* and a cultural area that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. The Midlands region is bordered by Northern England and Southern England.
* Roughly, the Midlands comprises the counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
The Trent[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.
| 23d | Climbing pea's tips concealed // garden pest (5) |
| 24d | Trap // quickly springs up -- end of mouse! (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
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