Puzzle at a Glance
| |
|---|---|
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29459 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, September 3, 2020 | |
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29459]
| |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Kath | |
BD rating
| |
| Difficulty - ★★ / ★★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
|
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
| |
Introduction
As is not uncommon with a RayT puzzle, this one elicits a broad range of opinions from those who comment on it at Big Dave's Crossword Blog. However, I believe the majority view the puzzle as being more difficult than the **/*** rating that Kath gives it.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 | |
|
|
| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | Low // criminal very slow trailing detectives (12) |
"detective " = DI [detective inspector]
A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
hide
A detective inspector (abbrevation DI[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
hide
| 9a | Bash organised /for/ pretentious (9) |
| 10a | Beginning to trap Queen // with no winner (5) |
"Queen " = R [regina] }
Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution[7].
hide
Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution[7].
hide
| 11a | Rotten tip /giving/ insult (6) |
| 12a | Some eavesdropper's on a line /getting/ offensive (8) |
| 13a | Treating // villain admitting offence (6) |
| 15a | Worrying about empty table // supplying food (8) |
| 18a | Old /and/ prudish, oddly enviable (8) |
| 19a | Group excursions after vacation /in/ river (6) |
The phrase "after vacation" is an indication to remove the contents (interior letters) from the word "E(xcursion)S". Vacation[10] is used in the sense of the act of departing from or abandoning property, etc. Thus the setter would seem to be suggesting that the interior letters pack up and leave.
| 21a | Sly bird, tense, having timid exterior (8) |
| 23a | City /of/ the Spanish upset in agitation (6) |
The word "of" in this clue is the subject of some discussion on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I see it simply as a link word between the definition and the wordplay. When used as a link word, "of" tells us that the definition is formed from the constituent parts found in the wordplay.
This is based on the preposition of[5] denoting the material or substance constituting something ⇒ (i)
a house built of bricks; (ii)
walls of stone.
"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]
| 26a | Past /is/ glorious first off (5) |
| 27a | Trod again, changing // step (9) |
| 28a | Apathetic // teen intrudes furiously (12) |
Down
| 1d | Be virtuous about starting to water // shrub (7) |
Dogwood[5] is a shrub or small tree of north temperate regions which yields hard timber and is grown for its decorative foliage, red stems, or colourful berries.
| 2d | Stick typifying authority for faithful initially ... (5) |
This is RayT's customary acrostic clue in which the entire clue is the wordplay in which the definition is embedded.
| 3d | ... old organised church holds sound // sacrament (9) |
"old " = O [linguistics]
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
hide
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
OFr[Old French]; (ii)
OE[Old English].
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
hide
Ordinance[5] is used in the sense of a religious rite.
| 4d | Reportedly get away /to/ Oxford? (4) |
| 5d | Subject /of/ fiction with grand elevated title (8) |
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].
Liegeman[5] is a historical term for a vassal [holder of land by feudal tenure] who owed feudal service or allegiance to a nobleman [liege lord].
| 6d | Raising small change /gives/ rises in liquidity? (5) |
| 7d | Eager to capture one /in/ nude perhaps (8) |
| 8d | Turn out /with/ a French drink raised (6) |
The definition here occasioned much discussion on Big Dave's Crossword Blog when this puzzle was published in the UK. Many of the comments there hold that one "turns off" lights rather than "turn out" lights. However, I am quite accustomed to turning out the lights—as is Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) which defines turn out[5] as meaning to extinguish (a light) ⇒
he turned out the light and, in the dark, groped his way to the bed. I suspect the expression may be a carry over from the days of oil lamps in which the flame would have been controlled by turning a wheel or knob to raise or lower the wick. As the wick was lowered, the light would first be "turned down" or dimmed and eventually 'turned out" or extinguished. As RayT himself says at Comment #39 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, "One way to turn out a[n electric] lamp would be to unplug it".
| 14d | Setter's first clue finishes /making/ allowances (8) |
| 16d | Dry // lecture follows hoisting of flag (9) |
Flag[10] means to to furnish (a floor) with flagstones.
In Britain, pave[5] means to cover (a piece of ground) with flat stones or bricks [rather than asphalt] ⇒
the yard at the front was paved with flagstones.
| 17d | Track over information /for/ virus? (8) |
Gen[5] is an informal British term for information ⇒
you’ve got more gen on him than we have.
| 18d | Group is told to purchase // weapon (6) |
| 20d | Scoffed at // opening of Spam, preserved (7) |
| 22d | Range with new // material (5) |
In her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Kath interprets "range" in a business context. I, on the other hand, saw it from a geographical perspective. Either explanation is valid.
A mountain range[7] is a series of mountains or hills ranged in a line and connected by high ground.
| 24d | Live /with/ former partner first ... (5) |
| 25d | ... naughty sweetheart /is/ desired (4) |
"sweetheart " = E
A common cryptic crossword construct is to use the word "sweetheart" to clue the letter 'E', the middle letter (heart) of the word 'swEet'.
hide
A common cryptic crossword construct is to use the word "sweetheart" to clue the letter 'E', the middle letter (heart) of the word 'swEet'.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.