Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29826 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, November 6, 2021 | |
Setter
chalicea (Shirley Curran) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29826 – Hints]Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29826 – Review] | |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Gazza (Hints)Rahmat Ali (Review) | |
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, February 12, 2022 edition of the National Post. As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review. | |
Introduction
Note: Last week, the National Post skipped a couple of puzzles. Before realizing they had done so, I had posted reviews for the puzzles that were skipped instead of those that were actually published. For anyone still interested, a review of the Monday Diversions puzzle (DT 29821) that was actually published in the National Post a week ago has also been posted on the blog today.I clearly operate on a very different wavelength than the majority of the Big Dave community as I loved 1d, a clue which the vast majority of those posting comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog either didn't understand or hated—or both.
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 | Reformed bachelor's wife or, // some say, what life could be (1,4,2,8) |
| 8a | Arrange // a band for the audience (5) |
| 9a | Comprehensive // to visit informally when head departs (3-5) |
| 11a | Haunt // Chinese ethnic group with painful disease (7) |
The Han[12] are an ethnic group in China constituting the majority of the Chinese people and distinguished from the Manchus, Mongols, etc.
| 12a | Food supplier /of/ three queens? (7) |
A queen[5] is an adult female cat that has not been spayed.
"queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also spelled cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
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The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also spelled cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
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| 13a | Characters enthralled by gold English // antique (5) |
| 15a | Jazz fans holding a thorough search /for/ dark passages (9) |
Cat[5] is an informal North American term (especially among jazz enthusiasts) for a man ⇒ (i)
this West Coast cat had managed him since the early 80s; (ii)
the cat went crazy on the horn.
* As can be seen from the usage examples, the term cat does not apply solely to jazz fans, but to performers and others associated with jazz as well. In fact, none of the nine usage examples provided by Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries) specifically relates to fans and almost all specifically mention performers.
| 17a | Understand // concern, not small, about public relations (9) |
" small " = S[5] [clothing size]
" public relations " = PR[2]
| 20a | Criminal act /of/ clergyman (not foremost of priests) (5) |
| 21a | Type of cocktail // losing crushed ice in shaky locomotive (7) |
A Molotov cocktail[5] is a crude incendiary device typically consisting of a bottle filled with flammable liquid and with a means of ignition.
Origin: From the name of Vyacheslav Molotov, who led the Soviet campaign against Finland in 1939–40, when such weapons were used by the Finns.
| 23a | Mother crossing heart now and then /for/ revered leader (7) |
Mahatma[5] is a South Asian term for a revered person regarded with love and respect; a holy person or sage.
| 25a | Partly ban a thematic // thing one loathes (8) |
| 26a | Surprised comment on US soldier/'s/ pet (5) |
Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒
Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.
"US soldier " = GI
A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
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A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒
she went off with a GI during the war.
Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).
hide
The corgi[5,7] (also Welsh corgi) is a breed of small, short-legged herding dog with a foxlike head that originated in Wales.
| 27a | Making an arrangement, // states animosity must change (15) |
Down
| 1d | Chaotically cash in on arms. // Colts given to Normans, say (12) |
Colt[5] is a trademark for a type of revolver.
Origin: from the name of the US inventor and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt (1814–1862)
The Normans[5] were a people of mixed Frankish and Scandinavian origin who settled in Normandy from about AD 912 and became a dominant military power in western Europe and the Mediterranean in the 11th century. They conquered England in 1066 (the Norman Conquest).
I think it should be blatantly obvious that the Normans could not have been armed with Colt pistols.
Oops?
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| In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Rahmat Ali describes a Colt as an 18th century invention. As Samuel Colt wasn't born until the 19th century, this attribution may itself be an anachronism. Although, to be fair to Rahmat Ali, I always have to stop and think very, very carefully before assigning a century to a date range. |
| 2d | Couple of negatives raised about one // tear-jerker (5) |
" one " = I[2] [Roman numeral]
| 3d | Essentially concluded a new depressing experience /for/ man of property (9) |
" new " = N[5] [in place names on maps]
| 4d | Wild // French caper (7) |
" French " = FR [Fr.[2]; language]
| 5d | Mistakenly call the // spiteful person? (7) |
A hellcat[5] is a spiteful, violent woman ⇒
a spitting hellcat who abused him vilely.
| 6d | Marsupials must finally // settle to sleep (5) |
Roo[5] is an informal Australian term for a kangaroo.
| 7d | Italian lady missing son married American // dullard (9) |
Signora[5] is a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking married woman, corresponding to Mrs or madam.
" son " = S [s[5]; in genealogies]
" married " = M [m[5]; in genealogies]
| 10d | In courtyard feel bitter about knight/'s/ performance (12) |
" knight " = N[2] [chess notation]
| 14d | Fruit products -- // leading items (9) |
A dateline[5] is a line at the head of a dispatch or newspaper article showing the date and place of writing.
| 16d | Dance /and/ tea for three (3-3-3) |
Cha (variant spelling of char[5]) an informal British name for tea [in the sense of a drink].
The cha-cha[5] (also cha-cha-cha) is a ballroom dance with small steps and swaying hip movements, performed to a Latin American rhythm.
| 18d | Nice region // I found in such as Mississippi area (7) |
The Mississippi[5] is a major river of North America, which rises in Minnesota near the Canadian border and flows south to a delta on the Gulf of Mexico. With its chief tributary, the Missouri River, it is 5,970 km (3,710 miles) long.
" area " = A[2]
Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy.
| 19d | Panic mostly after time cut short /for/ instruments (7) |
Timpani[5] (also spelled tympani) is another name for kettledrums, especially when played by one musician in an orchestra.
What did he say?
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In Comment #4 to Rahmat Ali's review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Big D [not to be confused with Big Dave] writesI can find no merit to this comment. First, the definition used by Rahmat Ali comes straight from Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries). Second, timpani are part of the percussion section[7] of the orchestra which is divided into three subsections: pitched percussion, auxiliary percussion, and timpani. All three subsections contain instruments that areA slight correction to the comments on 19D, timpani refers to a complete section of an orchestra where the instruments are hit rather than blown (brass and wind) or bowed (strings) .... hit rather than blown ... or bowed .... So, the complete section of an orchestra where the instruments are hit rather than blown ... or bowed ...is the percussion section and not the timpani. The timpani subsection usually consists of a single set of four kettledrums played by a single musician. |
| 22d | Trade union support /for/ one being instructed (5) |
" trade union " = TU[1]
| 24d | Is rubbish turning up /in/ trunks? (5) |
Rubbish[3,4,11] and rot[3,4,11] are used in the sense of nonsense (foolish or pointless words or speech).
References
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[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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