Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29813 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 22, 2021 | |
Setter
Zandio | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29813]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Deep Threat | |
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
Zandio's puzzles always exhibit an element of quirkiness and today's is no different.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 | Issue bullet that's harmless // at close range (5-5) |
| 6a | Second in // craft (4) |
| 9a | Shocking // forbidden passion -- love found by you and me (10) |
"love " = O [nil score in tennis]
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
hide
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
hide
| 10a | Good to get massage /and/ something to eat (4) |
| 12a | Like a play on words lacking core // discipline (6) |
| 13a | More intelligent // British having longer showers? (8) |
| 15a | Friend in form? (12) |
In Britain, a form[5] is [or, perhaps more correctly,was] a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number. This is similar to the North America concept of a grade although the numbering system for forms and grades are vastly different. (show more )
The term "form" seems to have become passé as Miffypops in his review of DT 28163 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog refers to "sixth-former" as "What a schoolchild would be during the year before university back in the old days. This would now be known as year 13 or 14." Furthermore, Wikipedia (see table below) characterizes the term "form" as an "alternative/old name".
A form[7] is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title. Pupils are usually grouped in forms according to age and will remain with the same group for a number of years, or sometimes their entire school career.
Forms are normally identified by a number such as "first form" or "sixth form". A form number may be used for two year groups and differentiated by the terms upper and lower [in general, this would seem to apply primarily for the sixth form]. Usually the sixth form is the senior form of a school [although this apparently does not hold true for New Zealand where they would appear to have a seventh form]. In England, the sixth form is usually divided into two year groups, the lower sixth and upper sixth, owing to the 3-year English college/university system. In Scotland or North America, the 6th form is usually a single year, owing to the 4-year college/university system. If there is more than one form for each year group they will normally be differentiated by letters, e.g., "upper four B", "lower two Y". Schools do not follow a consistent pattern in naming forms [in the foregoing quotation witness Miffypops' reference to "year 14", a term which does not appear in the table below].
Wikipedia would appear to be at best ambiguous and at worst inconsistent on the relationship between the British and American systems of naming school years. The article from which the table below is excerpted shows that the British first form is equivalent to the American 6th grade. On the other hand, the article cited above states "In North America, the 1st Form (or sometimes 'Form I') is equivalent to 7th Grade." However, this latter statement may in fact be a comparison between the few North American schools to use the form system and the vast majority of North American schools that don't rather than a comparison between British and American schools.
hide
The term "form" seems to have become passé as Miffypops in his review of DT 28163 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog refers to "sixth-former" as "What a schoolchild would be during the year before university back in the old days. This would now be known as year 13 or 14." Furthermore, Wikipedia (see table below) characterizes the term "form" as an "alternative/old name".
A form[7] is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title. Pupils are usually grouped in forms according to age and will remain with the same group for a number of years, or sometimes their entire school career.
Forms are normally identified by a number such as "first form" or "sixth form". A form number may be used for two year groups and differentiated by the terms upper and lower [in general, this would seem to apply primarily for the sixth form]. Usually the sixth form is the senior form of a school [although this apparently does not hold true for New Zealand where they would appear to have a seventh form]. In England, the sixth form is usually divided into two year groups, the lower sixth and upper sixth, owing to the 3-year English college/university system. In Scotland or North America, the 6th form is usually a single year, owing to the 4-year college/university system. If there is more than one form for each year group they will normally be differentiated by letters, e.g., "upper four B", "lower two Y". Schools do not follow a consistent pattern in naming forms [in the foregoing quotation witness Miffypops' reference to "year 14", a term which does not appear in the table below].
Wikipedia would appear to be at best ambiguous and at worst inconsistent on the relationship between the British and American systems of naming school years. The article from which the table below is excerpted shows that the British first form is equivalent to the American 6th grade. On the other hand, the article cited above states "In North America, the 1st Form (or sometimes 'Form I') is equivalent to 7th Grade." However, this latter statement may in fact be a comparison between the few North American schools to use the form system and the vast majority of North American schools that don't rather than a comparison between British and American schools.
Naming of School Years (British System vs American System)[7]
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| Age Range | British System | American System | |
| Name | Alternative/Old Name | Name | |
| 11-12 | Year 7 | First form | 6th grade |
| 12-13 | Year 8 | Second form | 7th grade |
| 13-14 | Year 9 | Third form | 8th grade |
| 14-15 | Year 10 | Fourth form | 9th grade |
| 15-16 | Year 11 | Fifth form | 10th grade |
| 16-17 | Year 12 | Lower sixth form | 11th grade |
| 17-18 | Year 13 | Upper sixth form | 12th grade |
hide
Schoolfellow[5] is a more formal term for schoolmate.
| 18a | Feel war should be replaced, say, /in/ this social system (7,5) |
| 21a | After reflection during Whitsun, I'm retiring -- // end of the line (8) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Whitsun[5] is the weekend or week including Whit Sunday[5] (also called Pentecost; US Whitsunday) which is the seventh Sunday after Easter, a Christian festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). |
| 22a | Very cold spell -- // one bear's home, perhaps conserving energy (3,3) |
| 24a | Maiden about to meet king/'s/ brother (4) |
"maiden " = M [scoreless over in cricket]
In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* An over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.
hide
In cricket, a maiden[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation m.[10], is an over* in which no runs are scored.
* An over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.
hide
| 25a | Mail unfair in review /for/ novel (10) |
| 26a | Outstanding student /in/ head-to-head fight (4) |
"student " = L [driver under instruction]
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
hide
The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.
 |
| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
hide
| 27a | Using odd bits of turkey, guys cook American -- // awesome! (10) |
Possibly, cook[5] is being used in the sense of to prepare food but I wonder if it might instead be used in the sense of alter dishonestly or falsify ⇒
cook the books.
Do[5] is an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒
It was only after travelling to Amsterdam and meeting the fraudsters that she became suspicious and contacted police, who told her: ‘Sorry, but you've been done.’.
Down
| 1d | Encourage // seafront exercises (6) |
Prom[5] is an informal British short form for promenade[5], a paved* public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort.
* In Britain, pave[5] means to cover (a piece of ground) with flat stones or bricks—not asphalt.
PT[10] is the abbreviation for physical training[10], an old-fashioned term for training and practice in sports, gymnastics, etc, as in schools and colleges.
| 2d | Games console given without wrapping --/that's/ mean (6) |
Nintendo Co., Ltd.[7] is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan that develops video games and video game consoles.
| 3d | Crane's action when flying // across the Atlantic? (12) |
The question mark indicates this is a definition by example; the solution would be equally applicable had the clue been phrased "... across the Pacific".
| 4d | Told a tale /showing/ origins of love in 'Edwin Drood' (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| The Mystery of Edwin Drood[7] is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870), originally published in 1870. The novel turned out to be more of a mystery than intended. It was scheduled to be published in twelve instalments from April 1870 to February 1871, of which only six were completed before Dickens's death in 1870. Dickens left no detailed plan for the remaining instalments or solution to the novel's mystery. |
| 5d | Sitting on the fence -- // Tyne ritual when drunk (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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|---|---|
| Despite being unable to find confirmation in any of my reference sources, I presume that Tyne is a shortened version of Tyneside[5], the name of an industrial region on the banks of the River Tyne, in northeastern England, stretching from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast. |
| 7d | Awful // run with kid falling in burrow (8) |
"run " = R [cricket notation]
| 8d | Knockout round involving locals? (3,5) |
Local[5] is an informal British term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒
had a pint in the local.
Visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog propose various interpretations of the sense in which "knockout" is used in the cryptic reading of the clue. Like Margaret at Comment #19, I supposed it was alluding to the possibility that the volume of alcohol consumed might leave some participants in an unconscious state.
Scratching the Surface
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|---|---|
Knockout[5] is a British term* for a tournament in which the loser in each round is eliminated ⇒ At the Games there will be eight teams in each competition battling it out in pools, followed by the knockout rounds. * a British term according to Lexico, although I somehow doubt they hold exclusive rights to it |
| 11d | Hitchcock, say, would do this // kind of political manoeuvre (6,6) |
The first part of the clue is what I think of as a descriptive definition; a literal interpretation of the solution describes something that Alfred Hitchcock might well do during the filming of his movies.
Sir Alfred Hitchcock[5,7]
(1899–1980) was an English* film director, producer, and
screenwriter who has been called the "Master of Suspense". (show more )
* A British citizen by birth, Hitchcock became an American citizen in 1955.
Acclaimed in Britain for films such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), he moved to Hollywood in 1939. Among his later works, notable for their suspense and their technical ingenuity, are the thrillers Strangers on a Train (1951), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Known by the nickname Hitch[7], he is also well known for his cameo roles in most of his films.
hide
* A British citizen by birth, Hitchcock became an American citizen in 1955.
Acclaimed in Britain for films such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), he moved to Hollywood in 1939. Among his later works, notable for their suspense and their technical ingenuity, are the thrillers Strangers on a Train (1951), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Known by the nickname Hitch[7], he is also well known for his cameo roles in most of his films.
hide
Direct action[5] is the use of strikes, demonstrations, or other public forms of protest rather than negotiation to achieve one's demands ⇒
protestors took direct action by chaining themselves to bulldozers.
| 14d | Behind European athlete, // one that came first (10) |
"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.
hide
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.
hide
| 16d | Ordered to wed, Tim // was unfaithful (3-5) |
| 17d | Barrier placed around Lima or // another city (8) |
| 19d | Turned over in pontoon, I sacrificed // fortune needed to win here (6) |
Scratching the Surface
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|---|---|
| Pontoon[5] is a British name for the card game or vingt-et-un (known in North America as blackjack[5]). |
| 20d | Design has been put into that man's // suit (6) |
| 23d | North-bound motorway service // area for pigs? (4) |
Motorway[2,5] (abbreviation M[5]) is a British, Australian, and New Zealand term for a dual-carriageway road [divided highway] designed for fast-moving traffic, especially one with three lanes per carriageway [direction of travel] and limited access and exit points [controlled access].
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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