Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29749 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, August 9, 2021 | |
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29749]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
pommers | |
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, October 30, 2021 edition of the National Post. | |
Introduction
This is Campbell's 500th "back-page" puzzle published in The Daily Telegraph. As he also sets other puzzles for The Daily Telegraph as Campbell as well as puzzles for other publications under at least one other pseudonym, his total production would far surpass 500.As pommers says in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, 8d should immediately alert one to be on the lookout for a pangram. My pangram radar was triggered by that clue but by the time I finished the puzzle it had slipped my mind and I failed to follow through in checking for a pangram.
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 | Gay old eccentric eager to return // Cockney's fiver? (4,6) |
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[5] 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 (show 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.
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Cockney[5] 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 (show 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.
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Fiver[5] is an informal British name for a five-pound note.
Pronunciation: In the non-rhotic Cockney dialect, pronounced FI-vah
Lady Godiva is Cockney rhyming slang for 5 pounds.
Delving Deeper
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| Lady Godiva[5] (d.1080) was an English noblewoman, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. According to a 13th-century legend, she agreed to her husband's proposition that he would reduce unpopular taxes only if she rode naked on horseback through the marketplace of Coventry. According to later versions of the story, all the townspeople refrained from watching, except for peeping Tom, who was struck blind as a punishment. |
| 6a | Not as many // to anoint? Bishop's not required (4) |
| 9a | Drink /supplied by/ editor -- I'm unwell, sickly, outside (6,4) |
| 10a | List /of/ soldiers with unit initially (4) |
| 12a | Keep away from // car crash, having taken time off (4) |
As a verb, shunt[2,10] is an informal British term meaning to crash (a car), especially one in the back of another and, as a noun, shunt[2,5,10] denotes a minor motor vehicle accident, especially a collision of vehicles travelling one close behind the other ⇒
a lorry [truck] shed [spilled] its load, causing an eight-vehicle shunt.
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers writesPrang[5] is an informal British term meaning:In his younger days the F1 driver James Hunt was called “Hunt the ?????” because he had more than his fair share of prangs.
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| 13a | Country importing a Greek // perfume (9) |
Gr.[2] is the abbreviation for Greek.
| 15a | Kiss and cuddle // Charlie, a silly person (8) |
| 16a | Rare // panic involving copyright (6) |
C[5] (also C. or ©) is the abbreviation for copyright.
| 18a | Live /with/ rest, not posh (6) |
"posh " = U [upper class]
In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
hide
In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
U manners.
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
hide
| 20a | Battle // station (8) |
The Battle of Waterloo[5] was a battle fought on 18 June 1815 near the village of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium), in which Napoleon's army was defeated by the British (under the Duke of Wellington) and Prussians. The allied pursuit caused Napoleon's army to disintegrate entirely, ending his bid to return to power.
Waterloo station[7], also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, located in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth.
| 23a | Mates brought back put up with // custard-pie comedy? (9) |
In Britain, mate[5]—in addition to meaning a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner—can also be an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
my best mate Steve.
I had initially supposed that the setter was using the word "with" as a link word (which I thought was questionable). Upon reading pommers hint (where he has "stick" meaning to "put up with"), I did some further research and discovered that this is British slang.
Stick[10] is British slang meaning to tolerate or abide ⇒
I can't stick that man.
| 24a | No more than // fair (4) |
| 26a | Check // strange diet (4) |
| 27a | I must go in to protest at // decline (10) |
Deprecate[5] is used in the sense of to express disapproval of ⇒
what I deprecate is persistent indulgence.
I dithered about whether to declare the word "at" to be a link word or part of the wordplay, eventually opting for the later.
To protest (against, at, about, etc.)[10] means to to make a strong objection (to something, especially a supposed injustice or offence).
| 28a | Informed // team's leader, getting on in years (4) |
| 29a | Vessel catching sole at sea /for/ bulk trader (10) |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers tells us to start with theCaptain Ahab[7] is a fictional character in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod.type of vessel commanded by Captain Ahab. |
Down
| 1d | Farm animal, // male, put in place for scientific research (4) |
| 2d | Party left public house with popular // swimmer (7) |
"party " = DO
Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
* Although one US dictionary (Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12]) supports the contention by Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English)[5] that this usage is at least chiefly British, two other US dictionaries[3,11] do not.
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Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event ⇒
the soccer club Christmas do.
* Although one US dictionary (Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12]) supports the contention by Lexico (Oxford Dictionary of English)[5] that this usage is at least chiefly British, two other US dictionaries[3,11] do not.
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Public house[5] (abbreviation PH[a]; used to identify the location of a pub on a map) is the formal (British) name for a pub.
[a] Acronyms (TheFreeDictionary.com)
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers refers toIn the UK, the Ordnance Survey[5] (abbreviation OS[5]) is an official survey organization, originally under the Master of the Ordnance, preparing large-scale detailed maps of the whole country.... the two letter abbreviation of Public House as used on OS maps .... |
| 3d | Old fire engine /in/ Dresden goes out after end of bombing (5,7) |
Green Goddess[7,10] is a colloquial name for a make of fire engine once used by the British army.
Origin: so-called because of its green livery [identifying design and colour scheme]
Delving Deeper
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| The Green Goddess[7] formed part of Britain's civil defence infrastructure from the early 1950s until 1968. The machines were not primarily fire engines; they are more correctly titled "self-propelled pumps". Their main role was to pump huge quantities of water from lakes, rivers, canals and other sources into cities hit by a nuclear attack. Firefighting was a secondary role. |
What did he say?
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In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, pommers commentsDiana Moran[7] is an English model, fitness expert and journalist. Her greatest fame was achieved between 1983 and 1987, when she hosted the popular exercise segment of BBC1's Breakfast Time programme. Because of her trademark green leotard, she became known as the "Green Goddess".Fortunately this clue has got nothing to do with Diana Moran!!!!. |
Scratching the Surface
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| Dresden[5] is a city in eastern Germany, the capital of Saxony, on the River Elbe. Famous for its baroque architecture, it was almost totally destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945. |
| 4d | Collapse // having crashed on trip (8) |
| 5d | One maliciously damaging // vehicle, youth going north (6) |
| 7d | One of the Roosevelts // confused one earl (7) |
Eleanor Roosevelt[5] (1884–1962) was an American humanitarian and diplomat. She was the niece of Theodore Roosevelt, and married Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1905. She was involved in a wide range of liberal causes; as chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights she helped draft the Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
Scratching the Surface
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| An earl[5] is a British nobleman ranking* above a viscount and below a marquess. * the third highest of the five ranks of British nobility — duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron |
| 8d | Musical instrument /in/ grip on top of case (7-3) |
Squeeze box[5] is an informal name for an accordion or concertina.
| 11d | Sailor tucking into biscuits, // quality items (12) |
"biscuits " = CRACKERS
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. Cookies might be referred to as sweet biscuits and crackers as savoury biscuits.
A North American biscuit[5] is similar to what is known in Britain as a scone.
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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. Cookies might be referred to as sweet biscuits and crackers as savoury biscuits.
A North American biscuit[5] is similar to what is known in Britain as a scone.
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From a British perspective, crackerjack[5] is an informal North American term* for an exceptionally good person or thing.
* in case you are wondering, the expression predates the confection
Delving Deeper
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Cracker Jack ad from 1918 (note that sailors are informally referred to as "Jackies")  |
| 14d | On which a duck may be recorded? (10) |
"duck " = O [cricket term]
In cricket, a duck[5] (short for duck's egg) is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒
In British puzzles, "duck" is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.
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In cricket, a duck[5] (short for duck's egg) is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒
he was out for a duck. This is similar to the North American expression goose egg[5] meaning a zero score in a game.
In British puzzles, "duck" is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.
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| 17d | Fish // in the morning up overlooking turbulent creek and lake (8) |
| 19d | Sales pitch about a new // dog (7) |
| 21d | Famous guitarist /from/ LA -- EP's unusual, extremely unusual (3,4) |
Les Paul[5] (1915–2009) was an American jazz guitarist and guitar designer; born Lester Polfus. In the 1940s he pioneered the development of the solid-body electric guitar.
Scratching the Surface
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| EP[10] (abbreviation for extended-play) is one of the formats in which music is sold, usually comprising four or five tracks. An EP contains more cuts than a single[5] but fewer than an LP or long-playing[5] record. |
| 22d | Snag involving base // using the latest science? (2-4) |
In mathematics, e[5] is the transcendental* number that is the base of Napierian or natural logarithms, approximately equal to 2.71828.
* A transcendental number[5] is a number such as e or π that is real but not a root of an algebraic equation with rational coefficients.
| 25d | Behind, // in arrears (4) |
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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