Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29823 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29823]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
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
After two days of finding myself on the wrong page, I hope I am now at last singing from the right song sheet.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 | Members of family // regularly seen in pieces (7) |
| 9a | Poor menials must eat old // wheat concoction (8) |
" old " = O[12] [linguistics;
OFr(Old French),
OE(Old English)]
Semolina[5] is used in the sense of a pudding made of semolina.
* Semolina[7] is the coarse, purified middlings (intermediate milling stage) of durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, pasta, and sweet puddings.
This term shows up quite regularly in British puzzles—almost as often as it apparently appears on the menu of British boarding schools—and it is rare indeed to see anyone actually admit to liking this tapioca-like dessert. North Americans are likely most familiar with it in the form of Cream of Wheat cereal[7].
| 10a | Gathers // Queen is beset by obligations (7) |
"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.
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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 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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| 11a | Food /found by/ sailor after panic? (8) |
Here and There
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In Britain, a flapjack[5] is not a pancake as it is in North America but rather a sweet dense cake made from oats, golden syrup [i.e., light molasses], and melted butter, served in rectangles ⇒ Cakes and gateaux ranged from flapjack to fresh apple pie. |
| 12a | Welcomes // politicians with time for North (6) |
The term green[5] (usually Green) denotes a member or supporter of an environmentalist group or party ⇒
A Green party[7] is a formally organized political party based on the principles of Green politics, such as social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and environmentalism. Green parties exist in nearly 90 countries around the world; many are members of Global Greens, an international network of Green parties and political movements that works to implement the Global Green Charter. In the UK, there are separate Green parties for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England and Wales.
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the Greens' remarkable 15 per cent vote. (show more )
A Green party[7] is a formally organized political party based on the principles of Green politics, such as social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and environmentalism. Green parties exist in nearly 90 countries around the world; many are members of Global Greens, an international network of Green parties and political movements that works to implement the Global Green Charter. In the UK, there are separate Green parties for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England and Wales.
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" time " = T [t[1]]
| 13a | Oily product // in nut tree scattered across Portugal (10) |
| 15a | Look for // regular meeting-place, missing area (4) |
" area " = A[2]
| 16a | Separates // chips (9) |
| 21a | Bond is back, welcoming 'Vote // leave' (4) |
Scratching the Surface
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| I believe 'Vote leave' hearkens back to an exhortation to vote in favour of Britain's exit from the European Union (Brexit[7]) in the referendum held in 2016. The use of the term Bond may not carry any special significance in the surface reading. I initially surmised it might refer to a British politician, public servant or other prominent personality but I can find none by that name to fit the bill. Although perhaps the most likely possibility, it does not seem particularly appropriate that it would be a reference to Ian Flemings' secret agent James Bond[5]. Might it be an allusion to the performance of a certain unspecified bond in the financial markets following the referendum. In my search, I even went so far as to contemplate whether it could refer to the British Overseas NGOs for Development[7] (commonly called Bond), the United Kingdom membership body for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in international development. |
| 22a | Give unrestricted access to // study group during worship (10) |
| 24a | Temple -- // a party space rejected! (6) |
"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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In India and East Asia, a pagoda[5] is a Hindu or Buddhist temple, typically in the form of a many-tiered tower.
| 25a | Ultimately lose weight, getting room for eating // dessert (4,4) |
Eton mess[5] is a mainly British term for a dessert consisting of a rough mixture of whipped cream, pieces of meringue, and fruit, typically strawberries.
| 27a | Go for one accountant with line // of sight (7) |
"accountant " = CA
The official designation CA[5] for Chartered Accountant is used in Scotland—and was formerly employed in Canada. However, Canadian CAs—together with CGAs (Certified General Accountants) and CMAs (Certified Management Accountants)—have adopted the CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation.
Outside Scotland, the term "chartered accountant" is used by members of the accounting profession in the UK who belong to certain professional bodies.
In the UK (apart from Scotland) the designatory letters are ACA[10] (Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants) or FCA[10] (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants). The designatory letters ACA and FCA are also employed in the Republic of Ireland although there I would presume that they stand for Associate of Chartered Accountants Ireland and Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland respectively—Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) being the Irish counterpart to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).[7]
In addition to the organizations already mentioned there are a plethora of other bodies representing accountants in the UK. In fact, in the UK there are no licence requirements for individuals to describe themselves or to practise as accountants. However, those who use the description "chartered accountant" must be members of one of the organisations mentioned above or a recognised equivalent body in another Commonwealth country.
hide
The official designation CA[5] for Chartered Accountant is used in Scotland—and was formerly employed in Canada. However, Canadian CAs—together with CGAs (Certified General Accountants) and CMAs (Certified Management Accountants)—have adopted the CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation.
Outside Scotland, the term "chartered accountant" is used by members of the accounting profession in the UK who belong to certain professional bodies.
In the UK (apart from Scotland) the designatory letters are ACA[10] (Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants) or FCA[10] (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants). The designatory letters ACA and FCA are also employed in the Republic of Ireland although there I would presume that they stand for Associate of Chartered Accountants Ireland and Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland respectively—Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) being the Irish counterpart to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).[7]
In addition to the organizations already mentioned there are a plethora of other bodies representing accountants in the UK. In fact, in the UK there are no licence requirements for individuals to describe themselves or to practise as accountants. However, those who use the description "chartered accountant" must be members of one of the organisations mentioned above or a recognised equivalent body in another Commonwealth country.
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" line " = L [l[5]; in textual references ⇒
l. 648]
| 28a | Taking the lead // from Republican in looking (8) |
" Republican " = R[5] [member or supporter of the US Republican Party]
| 29a | Easily destroyed // dossier penetrated by tabloid (7) |
Rag[5] is an informal term for a newspaper, typically one regarded as being of low quality.
Down
| 2d | Sign /of/ fish tank needing base to be changed? (8) |
In astrology, Aquarius[10] (also called the Water Carrier) is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, symbol ♒.
| 3d | Requests // variable rent and food (8) |
| 4d | Goes and covers roof /and/ gates (10) |
Tile[10] means to cover (in this case, a roof) with tiles (a common roofing material* in Britain).
* A tile[5] is a thin rectangular slab of baked clay or other material, used in overlapping rows for covering roofs ⇒
trees shook violently and tiles were dislodged from rooftops.
From the usage example, one might get the impression that tiles falling from roofs is a common problem in Britain. Maybe thatched roofs are not such a bad idea.
| 5d | Breeze along full of // enthusiasm (4) |
| 6d | Token // working in support of military takeover (6) |
| 7d | 'A', for instance /may be/ six-time African despot (7) |
The word "time" reprises its role from 12a.
Idi Amin Dada[7] (c.
1925–2003) was the third President of Uganda, ruling from 1971 to 1979.
As commander of the Ugandan Army, he led a military coup in January
1971 that deposed Milton Obote. (show more )
In 1977, when Britain broke diplomatic relations with Uganda, Amin declared he had defeated the British and added "CBE", for "Conqueror of the British Empire", to his title.
Amin's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000.
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In 1977, when Britain broke diplomatic relations with Uganda, Amin declared he had defeated the British and added "CBE", for "Conqueror of the British Empire", to his title.
Amin's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000.
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| 8d | Journalist on leave finally in New York // cab (7) |
A hack[5] is a writer or journalist producing dull, unoriginal work.
Hackney[1] is a mainly British term* for a vehicle kept for hire [i.e., a taxi].
* Historically, the terms hackney cab, hackney carriage and hackney coach denoted a horse-drawn vehicle serving as a taxi. The term hackney carriage[1,5] is still the official term used to describe a usually black London-style taxi. On this side of the pond, the police department of Boston, Massachusetts has a Hackney Carriage Unit[7], analogous to taxicab regulators in other cities, that issues Hackney Carriage medallions to taxi operators in the city.
| 11d | Female censors upset about international // art of public debate (9) |
" international " = I[2]
Forensics[10] (functioning as singular or plural) is the art or study of formal debating.
| 14d | Abrasive // remedy developed with no end of blood daily (5,5) |
Emery paper[10] would seem to be an alternative British name for sandpaper.
| 17d | Such a ship /may be/ ageing so badly (3-5) |
| 18d | Tweet /may get/ time in prison and summons (8) |
Bird[10] is British slang for prison or a term in prison, especially in the phrase do (one's) bird. In this example of Cockney rhyming slang (show explanation ), bird is shortened from birdlime*, rhyming slang for time (as in a prison sentence).
| 19d | Unfavourable // notice on output of poet (7) |
| 20d | A source of bacteria in European // circus performer (7) |
A Croat[5] (another term for Croatian[5]) is a native or inhabitant of Croatia*.
* Croatia[5] is a country in south-eastern Europe, formerly a constituent republic of Yugoslavia. (show more )
Apart from a period of Turkish rule in the 16th–17th centuries, Croatia largely remained linked with Hungary until 1918, when it joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). After a period in the Second World War as a Nazi puppet state (1941–5), Croatia became part of Yugoslavia once more and remained a constituent republic until it declared itself independent in 1991. The secession of Croatia led to war between Croats and the Serb minority, and with Serbia; a ceasefire was called in 1992. Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
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Apart from a period of Turkish rule in the 16th–17th centuries, Croatia largely remained linked with Hungary until 1918, when it joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). After a period in the Second World War as a Nazi puppet state (1941–5), Croatia became part of Yugoslavia once more and remained a constituent republic until it declared itself independent in 1991. The secession of Croatia led to war between Croats and the Serb minority, and with Serbia; a ceasefire was called in 1992. Croatia joined the EU in 2013.
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| 23d | Value // diamonds found in a swamp (6) |
" diamonds " = D[2] [card suit]
| 26d | Evil king/'s/ ruin (4) |
" king " = K[5] [playing card or chess piece]
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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