Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29763 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | |
Setter
(Likely) Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29763]
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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
As Jay didn't drop into Big Dave's Crossword Blog to deny authorship (as he customarily does when someone else has set the puzzle), I have to assume that he is the setter.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 | A lady's case /for/ agreement (7) |
| 9a | Vulgar party // game (8) |
| 10a | A chap employed by a newspaper // firm (7) |
"chap " = MAN
Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].
[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.
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The Daily Telegraph[7] (informally the DT) is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper, founded in 1855 as The Daily Telegraph and Courier, which is published in London and distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally*.
* ... and that happens to be the newspaper in which this puzzle initially appeared
| 11a | Suggested // facility with no protection (8) |
| 12a | Foreign Office // desk (6) |
The French word for 'office' is bureau[8]*.
* bureau also means 'desk' in French
Here and There
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A bureau[5] is quite a different article of furniture on opposite sides of the pond:
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Scratching the Surface
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| Foreign Office[5] is short for Foreign and Commonwealth Office[5], the British government department dealing with foreign affairs. |
| 13a | Fuming, mostly with northern man getting married /for/ family space (6,4) |
| 15a | Legal document // comedian must keep right (4) |
| 16a | Musical performances /from/ people who speak publicly about Nixon regularly (9) |
An oratorio[5] is a large-scale, usually narrative musical work for orchestra and voices, typically on a sacred theme, performed without costume, scenery, or action. Well-known examples include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah, and Haydn’s The Creation.
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading may be an allusion to Richard Nixon[5] (1913–1994), an American Republican statesman who was 37th president of the US 1969–74. |
| 21a | Positive response on European // sight (4) |
"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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The word eyes[5] is used to refer to someone's power of vision and in descriptions of the direction of someone's gaze ⇒
his sharp eyes had missed nothing.
| 22a | Gentle touch required in case of foolish // pilot's route (6,4) |
| 24a | Go // round centre of city (4,2) |
| 25a | Slash // price of delicate material? (8) |
| 27a | Hopping mad, /seeing/ evidence of debts attached to coat (7) |
| 28a | A diver's source of inspiration? (8) |
Aqualung is another name for scuba[5].
| 29a | Strangely rude about the girl /being/ guided (7) |
Down
| 2d | A drug designed to support retired // conservative members of group (3,5) |
| 3d | Post Office holding new item in // tropical fruit (8) |
A pimiento[5] (also pimento) is a red sweet pepper.
| 4d | Doctor /and/ diplomat overseas go brown, with time (10) |
A consul[5] is an official appointed by a state to live in a foreign city and protect the state's citizens and interests there.
Consultant[5] is a British term for a hospital doctor of senior rank within a specific field ⇒
a consultant paediatrician.
| 5d | Women supply weapons /and/ cordial (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| In Britain, cordial[10]
is a drink with a fruit base, usually sold in concentrated form and diluted with water before being drunk. In North America, cordial[5] is another term for liqueur[5], a strong, sweet alcoholic spirit, usually drunk after a meal. |
| 6d | Physical consequence /of being/ let out in fast car? (3,3) |
Jag[5] is an informal short term for a Jaguar car.
Punctuation Matters?
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| There was considerable consternation regarding this clue on Big Dave's Crossword Blog—a concern I initially shared. However, after further thought, I grew to rather like the clue. In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis mark the entire clue as a definition. I will up the ante by saying that the definition is whimsical (as indicated by the question mark). Of course, one could not possibly drive far enough, fast enough—even in a Jag—to experience jet lag! However, as Jose suggests in a comment on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the clue is "... just posing a whimsical/mischievous question. ... If the setter intended the clue to be taken strictly literally, then the ? wouldn’t be there." Therefore, think of the clue as implying (as a headline writer might phrase it) "Jet lag: result of driving a fast car?" or in more standard speech "Does driving a fast car cause jet lag?". |
| 7d | Calm and peaceful, /as/ any loch could be (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Loch[5] is the Scottish word for lake. |
| 8d | A couple of lines on issue raised /may be/ so far unsurpassed (3-4) |
| 11d | Popular string instrument at sea oddly dropped -- // undamaged (9) |
A viola[5] is an instrument of the violin family, larger than the violin and tuned a fifth lower.
| 14d | Show on TV // is next to ... (10) |
Neighbours[7] is an Australian television soap opera. First broadcast in 1985, it is the longest running drama series on Australian television. Having been sold to over 60 countries around the world, it is one of Australia's most successful media exports. The show has proved to be more popular in the United Kingdom than in Australia.
| 17d | ... take out of production /and/ harden fresh ideas (3,5) |
| 18d | Virgin adopts endless regulation /for/ treatment on foot (8) |
| 19d | Sour look on a day /for/ transfer (7) |
Scratching the Surface
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| The surface reading may allude to a situation encountered in British sport. In British professional football [soccer], transfer[2] (as a verb) means (for a player) to change clubs and (as a noun) denotes either the player transferred or an act, instance or the process of transferring or the state of being transferred. |
| 20d | Tacky // books dismissed by some peers (7) |
"books " = NT [New Testament]
In Crosswordland, the term "books"—sometimes (although not today) accompanied by a modifier—is commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). Today, as is often the case, the clue provides no indication whether the reference is to the former or the latter.
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In Crosswordland, the term "books"—sometimes (although not today) accompanied by a modifier—is commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). Today, as is often the case, the clue provides no indication whether the reference is to the former or the latter.
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A peer[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. (show more )
In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
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In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.
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| 23d | Barrier // hotel ruled out (6) |
| 26d | Hit // 100 thousand! (4) |
Ton[5] is an informal British term for a hundred, in particular a speed of 100 mph, a score of 100 or more, or a sum of £100.
Tonk[5] is an informal (seemingly British*) term denoting to hit hard or, by extension, to defeat heavily or trounce ⇒
Villa were tonked by local rivals Birmingham City.
* based on the absence of the word from American dictionaries
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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