Puzzle at a Glance
| |
|---|---|
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29864 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29864]
| |
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Mr K | |
BD rating
| |
| Difficulty - ★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
|
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
| |
Introduction
This is a typically Tuesday puzzle—which we are actually getting on a Tuesday.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 | |
|
|
| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | Barney // runs pub in centre (7) |
"runs " = R [cricket notation]
Barney[5] is an informal British term for a quarrel, especially a noisy one ⇒
we had a barney about his being drunk.
Here and There
| |
|---|---|
As you can readily deduce from the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, from a British perspective, rhubarb[5] is an informal North American term for a heated dispute ⇒ rhubarbs often broke out among these less than professional players. |
| 5a | Desperate // doctor has to leave hospital with nervous twitch (7) |
| 9a | Key // turned in panic is abandoned (5) |
| 10a | Army leader /from/ Turin, once, possibly (9) |
One might certainly take the entire clue to be the definition; such an army leader could well have hailed from (or be stationed in) Turin.
A centurion[5] was the commander of a century in the ancient Roman army.
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| Turin[5] is a city in north-western Italy on the River Po, capital of Piedmont region. Turin was the capital of the kingdom of Sardinia from 1720 and became the first capital of a unified Italy (1861–4). |
| 11a | Shopkeeper // renting room, shivering when temperature drops (10) |
" temperature " = T [t[2]]
Ironmonger[5] is a British term for a person or shop selling hardware such as tools and household implements.
| 12a | Man, maybe, // is allowed no conclusion (4) |
The Isle of Man[5]
is an island in the Irish Sea (show more ).
The island is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system. It was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.
hide
The island is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system. It was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.
hide
| 14a | Simple // aircraft's weak by the sound of it (5,7) |
| 18a | Plan for leaving // tyre gets taxi damaged (4,8) |
Scratching the Surface
| |
|---|---|
| Tyre[5] is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile component). |
| 21a | Vegan, say, oddly rejected // piece of cake (4) |
| 22a | Relative // rung by nurse (10) |
In Britain, a sister[5] (often Sister) is a senior female nurse, typically in charge of a ward.
| 25a | Type of western // food (9) |
Spaghetti western[5] is an informal term for a western film made cheaply in Europe by an Italian director.
| 26a | Finished trapping queen // bee (5) |
"queen " = R [Regina]
Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealth. There are currently fifteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution[7].
hide
Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.
Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.
Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.
In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).
* A Commonwealth realm[7] is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealth. There are currently fifteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.
Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution[7].
hide
| 27a | Turned out // daughter brought back most of pudding (7) |
" daughter " = D [d[2]; genealogy]
Here and There
| |
|---|---|
Whereas, in North America, the term pudding[5]
specifically denotes a dessert with a soft or creamy consistency, in Britain the term pudding refers to either:
|
| 28a | Serious // tear in vest when tops are removed (7) |
Down
| 1d | Spiritual leader with little time /for/ talk (6) |
" little time [abbreviation for 'time'] " = T [t[1]]
Rabbit[5] is an informal British term meaning:
- (noun) a conversation ⇒
we had quite a heated rabbit about it
- (verb) to talk at length, especially about trivial matters ⇒
stop rabbiting on, will you, and go to bed!
The term rabbit[5] (meaning talk) is Cockney rhyming slang arising from the expression
"rabbit and pork"[5]. (show more )
Cockneys[5,10], the natives of that part of East London known as the East End[5], speak a dialect (also known as cockney) that is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
In Cockney rhyming slang, a word (in this case, "talk") is replaced by a phrase with which it rhymes (in this case, "rabbit and pork"). Although the entire rhyming phrase may sometimes be used, it is more often the case that the rhyming word (in this case, "pork") is dropped leaving the slang word (in this case, "rabbit"). Thus, through this process, "talk" becomes "rabbit".
The word "pork" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent* typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), more or less rhymes with "talk" .
* Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
As for the expression "rabbit and pork", apparently it is common practice to combine these two meats in a dish (as a Google search for 'rabbit and pork recipe' will quickly prove). One recipe I found sheds some light on why these meats often appear together: "Rabbit can be dry some times so here it is cooked with belly pork and cyder [archaic spelling of cider] to create a warming substantial casserole".
hide
Cockneys[5,10], the natives of that part of East London known as the East End[5], speak a dialect (also known as cockney) that is characterised by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang.
In Cockney rhyming slang, a word (in this case, "talk") is replaced by a phrase with which it rhymes (in this case, "rabbit and pork"). Although the entire rhyming phrase may sometimes be used, it is more often the case that the rhyming word (in this case, "pork") is dropped leaving the slang word (in this case, "rabbit"). Thus, through this process, "talk" becomes "rabbit".
The word "pork" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent* typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), more or less rhymes with "talk" .
* Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.
As for the expression "rabbit and pork", apparently it is common practice to combine these two meats in a dish (as a Google search for 'rabbit and pork recipe' will quickly prove). One recipe I found sheds some light on why these meats often appear together: "Rabbit can be dry some times so here it is cooked with belly pork and cyder [archaic spelling of cider] to create a warming substantial casserole".
hide
| 2d | Result /from/ university professor's first attempt (6) |
" university " = U [U or U.[1]]
| 3d | A Conservative politician supporting company line is hard // to reach (10) |
" Conservative " = C[5] [member of a British political party]
"politician " = MP[5] [Member of Parliament]
" line " = L [l.[5]; in textual references ⇒
l. 648]
" hard " = H[2,5] [grade of pencil lead]
| 4d | Graduate caught working /for/ artist (5) |
" caught " = C [c.[2]; cricket notation]
Francis Bacon[5] (1909–1992) was a British painter, born in Ireland. His work chiefly depicts human figures in grotesquely distorted postures, set in confined interior spaces.
| 5d | Loud noise, then resent broken // crockery (6,3) |
Dinner set is another name for dinner service[5], a set of matching crockery for serving a meal.
* Crockery[5] denotes plates, dishes, cups, and other similar items, especially ones made of earthenware or china.
| 6d | Reason Republican's dismissed // fever (4) |
" Republican " = R[5] [member or supporter of the US Republican Party]
Ague[5] is an archaic term for:
- malaria or another illness involving fever and shivering
- a fever or shivering fit
| 7d | Pilot won't welcome this // dog on journey (8) |
Tailspin[10] (another name for spin[10]) is a condition of loss of control of an aircraft or an intentional flight manoeuvre in which the aircraft performs a continuous spiral descent because the angle of maximum lift is less than the angle of incidence.
| 8d | Meet // prisoner on border (8) |
| 13d | Gang in America can pick up socialist // papers secured here? (4,6) |
From a British perspective, can is the North American term for a receptacle in which to deposit rubbish which, in the UK, is known as a bin[5].
Of the three Americanisms present in this puzzle, this is the only one to be so indicated in the clue.
| 15d | Annoyed // at dirtier bananas (9) |
| 16d | Rising editor stopped // dead (8) |
| 17d | Prevent // Democrat changing US ideas (8) |
" Democrat " = D[5] [member or supporter of the US Democratic Party]
| 19d | In // a hotel, enthralled by scholarly book (2,4) |
" hotel " = H[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
| 20d | Pressing // uniform finally for chap (6) |
" uniform " = U[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
| 23d | Satisfaction /from/ parking vehicle (5) |
From a British perspective, ride[5] is an informal US term for a motor vehicle ⇒
And nowadays, the marketplace wants dubs and shiny bling bling to spruce up otherwise unbearably ordinary rides.
| 24d | Perfect husband embraces // like that (4) |
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.