Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29774 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 | |
Setter
X-Type*
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Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29774]
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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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Notes
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This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, December 4, 2021 edition of the National Post. * Although the authorship of the puzzle is not confirmed, no one refutes Mr K's assertion that it is the work of X-Type. | |
Introduction
On first read through, I thought this puzzle was going to very challenging. However, once I found a starting point, it unravelled reasonably smoothly.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 | Second bath and balder, regularly dropping // lots of little hairs (7) |
| 5a | Harry pours me // big shot (7) |
As an anagram indicator, harry[2] is used in the sense of to annoy or worry (someone)*.
* in other words, to disturb or upset the established order
Supremo[5] is an informal British term meaning:
- a person in overall charge of an organization or activity ⇒
Instead he will defer to a new supremo who will take charge in the spring
- a person with great authority or skill in a certain area ⇒
an interior by design supremo Kelly
| 9a | Redgrave perhaps // initially receives Oscar with sign of hesitation (5) |
Steve Redgrave[7] is a British retired rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He is the most successful male rower in Olympic history, and the only man to have won gold medals at five Olympic Games in an endurance sport.
| 10a | Dark-coloured rook that is swallowing cold // grains (5,4) |
R[5] is an abbreviation for rook that is used in recording moves in chess. (show more )
A rook[5] (also known by the informal, old-fashioned term castle*[5]) is a chess piece, typically with its top in the shape of a battlement, that can move (if not obstructed by another chess piece or pawn) any number of spaces in any direction along a rank or file on which it stands. Each player starts the game with two rooks at opposite ends of the first rank.
* It is apparent from numerous comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog over the years that chess purists hold that the proper name for this piece is a rook and that under no circumstances whatsoever is it ever to be referred to as a castle. Furthermore, they take great umbrage should those of us less attuned to the niceties of the "game of kings" happen to commit this cardinal sin.
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A rook[5] (also known by the informal, old-fashioned term castle*[5]) is a chess piece, typically with its top in the shape of a battlement, that can move (if not obstructed by another chess piece or pawn) any number of spaces in any direction along a rank or file on which it stands. Each player starts the game with two rooks at opposite ends of the first rank.
* It is apparent from numerous comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog over the years that chess purists hold that the proper name for this piece is a rook and that under no circumstances whatsoever is it ever to be referred to as a castle. Furthermore, they take great umbrage should those of us less attuned to the niceties of the "game of kings" happen to commit this cardinal sin.
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| 11a | Downhearted // university teacher conceals especially brief depression (10) |
A don[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.
| 12a | Took advantage of // American cheese, removing half (4) |
Edam[5] is a round Dutch cheese, typically pale yellow with a red wax coating.
| 14a | Disorderly // drunk sups root beer (12) |
| 18a | Ready to fly, // female cuckoo gleefully did -- one's taken off (5-7) |
| 21a | Continues holding back // group of soldiers (4) |
| 22a | Disobey -- // stress gran out (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Gran[5] is an informal British term for one's grandmother*. * Seems obvious but the term is not found in most of my US dictionaries. |
| 25a | I travel round northern France topless, /showing/ foolishness (9) |
| 26a | Racket // one found in trunk? (5) |
| 27a | Raise // the Spanish tax between second and fifth of September (7) |
"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]
A value added tax[5] (abbreviation VAT)
is a tax on the amount by which the value of an article has been
increased at each stage of its production or distribution. (show more )
The European Union value added tax[7] (or EU VAT) is a value added tax on goods and services within the European Union (EU). The EU's institutions do not collect the tax, but EU member states (including the UK) are each required to adopt a value added tax that complies with the EU VAT code. Different rates of VAT apply in different EU member states, ranging from 17% in Luxembourg to 27% in Hungary. In the UK, the rate is 20%.
Canada's Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)[7] are each instances of a value added tax.
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The European Union value added tax[7] (or EU VAT) is a value added tax on goods and services within the European Union (EU). The EU's institutions do not collect the tax, but EU member states (including the UK) are each required to adopt a value added tax that complies with the EU VAT code. Different rates of VAT apply in different EU member states, ranging from 17% in Luxembourg to 27% in Hungary. In the UK, the rate is 20%.
Canada's Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)[7] are each instances of a value added tax.
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| 28a | Some harass us, pending // arrest (7) |
Down
| 1d | Mud's picked up on eastern // walk (6) |
| 2d | Silly // upper-class name? Ernie, perhaps (6) |
"upper-class " = U
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).
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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).
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The British comic duo Morecambe and Wise[7] (also known as Eric and Ernie), comprised of Eric Morecambe (1926-1984) and Ernie Wise (1925–1999), were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. They have been described as "the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced".
| 3d | Town's restricting minor // street traders (6,4) |
There are at least eleven communities in England named Barrow[7].
Barrow boy[5] is a British term for a boy or man who sells wares from a barrow* in the street.
| 4d | Fix // hem with no top on the sack (5) |
| 5d | Simply teach // daughter to support golf club cost (5-4) |
Spoon[5] is a dated term for a golf club with a slightly concave wooden head.
| 6d | Stake // boat (4) |
Punt[2,3,4,5,10,11] is a chiefly British term which means:
- (verb) to gamble or bet, especially against the bank (as in roulette and some card games such as faro) or on horses or other sporting events
- (noun) such a gamble or bet
A punt[5] is a long, narrow flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation.
| 7d | Release // English girl with one leg (8) |
"leg " = ON [cricket term]
In cricket, the leg[5] (also called leg side) is another name for the on[5] (also known as on side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒
The other half of the field is known as the off[5] (also called off side).
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In cricket, the leg[5] (also called leg side) is another name for the on[5] (also known as on side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒
he played a lucky stroke to leg.
The other half of the field is known as the off[5] (also called off side).
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| 8d | Extra ecstasy after party's creating this? (8) |
I see the entire clue as the definition in which the wordplay is embedded.
"ecstasy " = E [the illicit drug Ecstasy]
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
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E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
people have died after taking E; (ii)
being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
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"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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| 13d | Source of power for high-fliers? (3,7) |
| 15d | Mixing treacle with no // patience (9) |
| 16d | Gushing // brook almost capsized four friends in the middle (8) |
| 17d | Lines in top-notch article on church // association (8) |
| 19d | Democrat with base and evil // scheme (6) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
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.
| 20d | Climb // a post, enthralling Charlie (6) |
| 23d | European following new editor's // demands (5) |
"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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Short of the Line
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| In his hint on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Mr K pulls up short of the finish line. To complete the explanation, one needs to use the "'s" from the clue to account for the final letter in the solution. |
| 24d | Fish eater // tucked into mirror carp (4) |
Orca[5] is another term for killer whale.
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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