Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29824 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | |
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29824]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Miffypops | |
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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* The BD Rating may have little significance as Miffypops has frequently stated that he never changes it from its default value (***/***). In cases where the BD Rating on his reviews is other than the default value, it has likely been set by someone else.
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Introduction
I ran into a spot of trouble in the northwest corner. However, once my electronic aids had given me a nudge on 10a, I was able to construct 5d from the wordplay and checking letters. I was surprised to see that we had encountered the British politician on another occasion—albeit seven years ago.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
| 9a | Can't stand // content in kebab -- horrendous! (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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| A kebab[5] (North American also kabob) is a dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit. |
| 10a | Hound // intrinsically adorable (9) |
| 11a | Food occasionally dreary? // This soup's rich (7) |
| 12a | Spoons bent right // back (7) |
| 13a | Test // sanctimonious man God spared (5) |
Pi[5] is an informal British short form for pious.
In the Bible, Lot[5] is the nephew of Abraham, who was allowed to escape from the destruction of Sodom (Gen. 19). His wife, who disobeyed orders and looked back, was turned into a pillar of salt.
| 14a | Images /from/ deceptive musical artist (9) |
Simulacra is the plural of simulacrum[5], an image or representation of someone or something ⇒
A buffalo skull tucked in the corner compresses the painting's message into a single object, a simulacrum for the Old West.
| 16a | Ban United playing with status /that's/ questionable (15) |
| 19a | Gold box Rubbra emptied for ensemble (9) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Edmund Rubbra[7] (1901–1986) was a British composer. |
| 21a | Ascetic at last departing /for/ Ruhr location (5) |
An Essene[5] is a member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect of the period from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD in Palestine, who lived in highly organized groups and held property in common. The Essenes are widely regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Essen[5] is an industrial city in the Ruhr valley, in northwestern Germany.
| 23a | French King having way with Queen /in/ revel (7) |
The French word for 'king' is roi[8].
"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 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.
hide
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 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.
hide
| 25a | Prepare endlessly and study /in/ China (7) |
Dresden[5] (also Dresden china) is porcelain ware with elaborate decoration and delicate colourings, made originally at Dresden* and (since 1710) at nearby Meissen.
* 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.
| 27a | Insect, // bird and fish (9) |
The roach[5] is an edible Eurasian freshwater fish of the carp family, popular with anglers.
| 28a | Genesis // performing selected songs? (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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Genesis[7]
are an English rock band formed in 1967 that has undergone many changes
in both membership and musical style over the course of its existence. (show more )
The most commercially successful and longest-lasting line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. Former members include original lead singer Peter Gabriel and guitarists Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett. The band underwent many changes in musical style over its career, from folk music to progressive rock in the 1970s, before moving towards pop at the end of the decade. hide |
Down
| 1d | Agent dealing with Charlie? // Derrick comes up short (4) |
Charlie[5] is an informal term for cocaine.
Here and There
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| From a British perspective, narc[5] (also nark) is an informal North American term for an official narcotics agent. Nark[5] is an informal British term for a police informer ⇒ I’m not a copper’s nark. |
| 2d, 20d & 7d | Unattached Welsh spy to suspect // lovers on boat (3,3,3,3,5-3) |
"The Owl and the Pussy-cat"[7] is a nonsense poem by English writer Edward Lear, first published during 1871 as part of his book Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets.
| 3d | Good // cider brewed on board (10) |
Board[5,10] is an archaic term for a table, especially one used for eating at, and especially when laden with food ⇒
he looked at the banquet which was spread upon his board.
| 4d | Republican coming in sees // games (6) |
" Republican " = R[5] [member or supporter of the US Republican Party]
| 5d | Controversial diarist: // Mister X? (8) |
Richard Crossman[7] (1907–1974) was a British Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet minister in Harold Wilson's governments of 1964–1970. In the early 1970s Crossman was editor of the New Statesman, a British political and cultural magazine. He is remembered for his highly revealing three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister, published posthumously. Crossman's diaries were an acknowledged source for the British television comedy series Yes Minister (see box below).
Welcome Back
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This is not the first time we have met Mr. Crossman. He appeared in DT 27569 (The Daily Telegraph: August 15, 2014; National Post: January 22, 2015) in another Giovannni puzzle where he was clued as:
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Yes, Minister
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| Yes Minister[7] is a hugely popular satirical British sitcom that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980 and 1984. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister,
ran from 1986 to 1988. Set principally in the private office of a British Cabinet minister in the (fictional) Department of Administrative Affairs, Yes Minister follows the ministerial career of The Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP. His various struggles to formulate and enact legislation or effect departmental changes are opposed by the British Civil Service. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, continued with the same cast and followed the events of the premiership* of Jim Hacker after his unexpected elevation to Number 10** upon the resignation of the previous PM. * Outside Australia and Canada, the term premier[5] refers to a prime minister or other head of government. In Australia and Canada, a premier is the chief minister of a government of a state or province respectively. ** No. 10 Downing Street, the address of the office and residence of the British Prime Minister |
| 6d | Bricks // on top of outbuilding (4) |
"on " = LEG [cricket term]
In cricket, the on[5] (also known as on side) is another name for the leg[5] (also called leg 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).
hide
In cricket, the on[5] (also known as on side) is another name for the leg[5] (also called leg 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).
hide
Brick[5] is a British term* for a child's toy building block ⇒
They're designed to fit together in a stack, just like the famous Danish plastic bricks.
* although, growing up as a child in Nova Scotia, I seem to recall this being what we called them
| 7d | See 2 Down |
| 8d | Scene of disturbance /in/ bar with enraged drunk (4,6) |
A bear garden[5] (also bear pit) is a scene of uproar and confusion.
Origin: The original sense was ‘a place set apart for bear-baiting’; bear gardens were often used for other rough sports, hence the figurative meaning.
| 13d | Disney's dog naughty outside clubs /for/ wealthy elite (10) |
Pluto[7] is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. A yellow-orange color, medium-sized, short-haired dog with black ears, he is the pet of Mickey Mouse.
| 15d | Saw // what might be done easily (4,4,2) |
| 17d | Endless problem with cricket club in court: /here's/ brief (8) |
I have always thought of sum used in this sense as a British expression; however, I discover that it is also found in US dictionaries with no indication of it being British.
A sum[3,5,11]
is an arithmetical problem*, especially at an elementary level ⇒ (i)
we did sums at school, Mummy; (ii)
do your sums, then the shock will not be too great.
* Thus — in addition to additions — sums also include subtractions, multiplications, and divisions.
CC[5] is the abbreviations for Cricket Club.
" court " = CT [Ct[2], in street addresses]
" one " = I[2] [Roman numeral]
Tyre[5] is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile component).
Tyre[5] is a port on the Mediterranean in southern Lebanon. Founded in the 2nd millennium BC as a colony of Sidon, it was for centuries a Phoenician port and trading centre.
Crackers is a British[4,5,10] or chiefly (or mainly) British[3,12] informal[1,5], colloquial[2] or slang[4,10,12] word for crazy, unbalanced, insane, mad or extremely angry.
" court " = CT [Ct[2], in street addresses]
Scratching the Surface
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| Brief has at least two meanings in British legal parlance. First, brief[5] is an informal British term for a solicitor or barrister ⇒ it was only his brief's eloquence that had saved him from prison. However, it is more likely the second meaning that is found in the surface reading of the clue. In British legal practice, a brief[5] is a summary of the facts and legal points in a case prepared by a solicitor and given to a barrister to argue in court*. * Unlike North America, where lawyers generally act as both attorneys and barristers, in Britain the two functions are split with a lawyer being one or the other but not both. A solicitor is an attorney—and thus can act on behalf of a client— but is not a member of the bar—and thus cannot argue a case in court. On the other hand, a barrister is a member of the bar—and thus can argue a case in court—but not an attorney—and thus cannot act directly on behalf of client. A barrister can act only on the direction of a solicitor. |
| 18d | Show impatience with one in examination // class (8) |
" one " = I[2] [Roman numeral]
| 20d | See 2 Down |
| 22d | Cruel person, // miserable, is repentant ultimately (6) |
| 24d | Revolutionary band /in/ Lebanese port (4) |
Tyre[5] is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile component).
Tyre[5] is a port on the Mediterranean in southern Lebanon. Founded in the 2nd millennium BC as a colony of Sidon, it was for centuries a Phoenician port and trading centre.
| 26d | Crackers -- /or/ what you'll need them for? (4) |
Crackers is a British[4,5,10] or chiefly (or mainly) British[3,12] informal[1,5], colloquial[2] or slang[4,10,12] word for crazy, unbalanced, insane, mad or extremely angry.
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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