Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29654 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29654]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Mr K | |
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
Late on parade today as I watched the hockey game last evening instead of attending to my blogging chores.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 | Dishearten // sailor and deem unfit (10) |
| 6a | Author // wrong to delete conclusion (4) |
Sir Kingsley Amis[5] (1922–1995) was an English novelist. He achieved popular success with his first novel Lucky Jim (1954); his later novels include The Old Devils (Booker Prize, 1986) and The Folks that Live on the Hill (1990).
Martin Amis[5] is an English novelist, son of Kingsley Amis. Notable works: The Rachel Papers (1973), Money (1984), Time's Arrow (1991), and Night Train (1997).
| 9a | Answer old phone after just oddly leaving // car (10) |
"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.
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Mobile[5] (short for mobile phone) is a British term for a cell phone[5] (short for cellular phone) ⇒
we telephoned from our mobile to theirs.
| 10a | Skincare protects // South American (4) |
An Inca[5] is a member of a South American Indian people who were living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest.
| 12a | Exhausting getting uniform for one // code-breaker (6) |
Alan Turing[5] (1912–1954) was an English mathematician. He developed the concept of a theoretical computing machine, a key step in the development of the first computer, and carried out important code-breaking work in the Second World War. He also investigated artificial intelligence.
| 13a | Old boy almost furious about // forgetfulness (8) |
"old boy " = OB
In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
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In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
- a former male student of a school or college ⇒
an old boy of Banbury County School
- a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒
the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards
‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.
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| 15a | Things a swordsman might do /creating/ lively atmosphere? (3,3,6) |
The first definition is what I think of as a descriptive definition. It's a literal interpretation of the solution rather than a precise definition one would find in the dictionary.
The phrase cut and thrust[5] denotes a lively and competitive atmosphere or environment ⇒
the cut and thrust of political debate.
| 18a | Harry neglects a tip /for/ what waiter provides? (5,7) |
| 21a | Nonchalant head of toxicology with unknown // victim (8) |
"unknown " = Y [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.
hide
| 22a | Squirm after son/'s/ bad handwriting (6) |
Crawl[10] means to move slowly, either by dragging the body along the ground or on the hands and knees.
Before consulting the dictionary, I questioned the equivalence of squirm and crawl. However, I would say the first motion described certainly constitutes squirming.
| 24a | Shout of disapproval before king/'s/ arrest (4) |
Although The Chambers Dictionary defines book[1] as meaning to arrest, all the other dictionaries I consulted (both British and US) define booking as an action that happens following the arrest of a suspect. The American Heritage Dictionary gives the most complete explanation saying that book[3] means to record information about (a suspected offender) after arrest in preparation for arraignment, usually including a criminal history search, fingerprinting, and photographing.
Nevertheless, when police Detective Captain Steve McGarrett uttered his catchphrase "Book 'em, Danno!" at the conclusion of an episode of Hawaii Five-O[7], there was little doubt as to what he meant.
| 25a | Implication about not getting married /for/ Boris Johnson? (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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| On May 29, 2021 (about a month following the publication of this puzzle in the UK, Johnson married Carrie Symonds. It is his third marriage.[7] |
| 26a | Writer/'s/ rubbish hotel (4) |
Philip Roth[5] is an American novelist and short-story writer. He often writes with irony and humour about the complexity and diversity of contemporary American Jewish life. Notable works: Portnoy’s Complaint (1969), Zuckerman Bound (1985), and American Pastoral (1997).
| 27a | Teenager // upset with the French perfume (10) |
"the French " = LE [French definite article]
Down
| 1d | Want // expensive article no end (6) |
| 2d | Pal grabbing university rector's top? // Grow up! (6) |
| 3d | I perhaps // spread normal manure (5,7) |
| 4d | Chucks // just over half of crustacean (4) |
| 5d | Salty bleed at sea? // Flogging should not happen after this (4-2,4) |
Sell-by date[5] is a British term for a date marked on a perishable product indicating the recommended time by which it should be sold.
| 7d | Nice man? (8) |
Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy.
The French word monsieur[8] means 'gentleman' or 'man'.
| 8d | Deer starts to notice all the excitement -- // be still! (8) |
| 11d | Chap finds his battered // food (4,3,5) |
One of the ingredients in this dish is, in fact, battered.
| 14d | A minor duty? (10) |
| 16d | Key // watering hole for Luke Skywalker? (5,3) |
Luke Skywalker[7] is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original space opera film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise.
| 17d | Hand round alcohol // that's commonly exhibited at the airport (8) |
| 19d | Dog // at home catching stick? On the contrary (6) |
| 20d | Alien supporting proposal /for/ Mars, maybe (6) |
"alien " = ET [E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.
hide
| 23d | Wife with peculiar // desire (4) |
Peculiar[5] is used in the sense of slightly and indefinably unwell ⇒
I felt a little peculiar for a while.
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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