Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29875 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, January 4, 2022 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29875]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Mr K | |
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
Yet another gentle mental workout today. Are we being set up for something far more testing to come?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 | Grew fashionable // fruit (7) |
| 5a | Arrogant // poster might be this (5-2) |
| 9a | Tailor only after northern // fabric (5) |
| 10a | Put straight // troubled Geraldine (9) |
| 11a | You don't say // very much at home at any time (4,1,5) |
| 12a | Golfer aims for this // standard (4) |
| 14a | Group of big cats from Portugal mix in // prominent position (5,2,5) |
| 18a | Coins of a timid criminal -- no small // change (12) |
" small " = S[5] [clothing size]
| 21a | Intelligent // former Liberal Democrat leader caught out (4) |
British politician Sir Vince Cable[7] was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats* from 2017 to 2019.
* The Liberal Democrats[7] (often referred to as the Lib Dems) are a liberal British political party, formed in 1988 as a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a splinter group from the Labour Party.
| 22a | Anxiety with boy/'s/ accent (6,4) |
A stress mark[10] is a mark given to indicate which syllable is stressed.
| 25a | Manual // taken out after confusion finally divides us (9) |
| 26a | Where one might find better // sheep -- some pens (5) |
Epsom[5] is a town in Surrey, south-eastern England. Epsom Downs* racecourse[7] [which most certainly would often be referred to informally simply as Epsom] is located nearby. The course is best known for hosting the Derby Stakes (popularly known as the Epsom Derby), the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race.
* The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs, a ridge of chalk hills in south east England. A down[5] (usually downs) is a gently rolling hill.
| 27a | Greek character // records lion, one moving west (7) |
Epsilon[5] is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε, ε).
| 28a | King, perhaps, // writing payment for Queen? (7) |
Mr K and I gravitated to different artistic endeavours. I went in a literary direction while he took a musical route. Either could collect these payments for the sales of their works.
Ellery Queen[5] was an American writer of detective novels; pseudonym of Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Lee (1905–1971). The novels feature a detective also called Ellery Queen.
Queen[5] is a British rock group that in its heyday featured camp vocalist Freddie Mercury (1946–1991). Queen are known for their extravagant, almost operatic brand of rock, as exemplified by the hugely successful ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975).
Down
| 1d | Celebrity // concerned with new gown goes topless (6) |
" new " = N[5] [in place names on maps;
N Zealand]
| 2d | Just // then, left city in Cambridgeshire (6) |
Ely[5] (pronounced EE-lee) is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, on the River Ouse.
| 3d | Workmanship /shown by/ sailor on current vessel (10) |
" current " = I[2] [electric current; symbol used in physics]
| 4d | Analyse // sample from feldspar seam (5) |
Scratching the Surface
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| Feldspar[5] (also felspar) is an abundant rock-forming mineral typically occurring as colourless or pale-coloured crystals and consisting of aluminosilicates of potassium, sodium, and calcium. |
| 5d | Son walked away, // dazed (6,3) |
" son " = S [s[5]; genealogy]
| 6d | Almost join // detachment (4) |
| 7d | Play // golf with poet -- putting mostly agreeable at the start (4,4) |
" golf " = G[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
Edward Lear[5] (1812–1888) was an English humorist and illustrator. He wrote A Book of Nonsense (1845) and Laughable Lyrics (1877). He also published illustrations of birds and of his travels around the Mediterranean. His best-known piece is likely the poem "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat"[7].
King Lear*[7] is a tragedy written in 1605 or 1606 by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616). (show more )
The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters (Goneril, Regan and Cordelia) based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.
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The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters (Goneril, Regan and Cordelia) based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.
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* Lear[5], a legendary early king of Britain, is mentioned by the 12th century Welsh chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1139; first printed in 1508), an account of the kings of Britain.
| 8d | I will struggle with degree under pressure /and/ strain (8) |
" pressure " = P [p[5]; symbol used in physics]
| 13d | Upper-class rogue helps -- Tory // seat might need this (10) |
"upper class " = U [upper class]
In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
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In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒
U manners.
The term, an abbreviation of upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).
In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).
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| 15d | Knitting clothes endlessly, and /making/ what Olympian Daley was best at? (9) |
Daley Thompson[5] is an English athlete, winner of a number of decathlon titles that included gold medals in the Olympic Games of 1980 and 1984.
Avoiding the trap
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| My lack of knowledge of British Olympians allowed me to avoid the trap that snared many British solvers. Tom Daley[7] is a British diver who won an Olympic gold medal in the men's synchronized 10-metre platform event at the 2020 Olympics. |
| 16d | I am above ancient city in China /that's/ undeveloped (8) |
"ancient city " = UR
Ur[5] is an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC. Ur[7] is considered by many to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham.
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Ur[5] is an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC. Ur[7] is considered by many to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham.
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China[5] is an informal British term for a friend (or, as the Brits would say, a mate*).
* In Britain, mate[5]—in addition to being a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner—is an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
Origin: Cockney rhyming slang (show more ) from china plate (rhymes with 'mate').
A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church).
The cockney[5] dialect is characterized by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang[5].
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
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* In Britain, mate[5]—in addition to being a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner—is an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒
my best mate Steve.
Origin: Cockney rhyming slang (show more ) from china plate (rhymes with 'mate').
A cockney[5,10] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End[5]], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church).
The cockney[5] dialect is characterized by dropping the aitch (H) from the beginning of words as well as the use of rhyming slang[5].
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.
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| 17d | Adores // words from groom, maybe -- stories about stables, primarily (8) |
| 19d | Woman // departs in the morning -- she leaves husband with student (6) |
" departs " = D [d[5]; in travel timetables ⇒
Plymouth d 0721]
" husband " = H [h[2] ; genealogy]
"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.
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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.
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| Automobile displaying an L-plate |
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| 20d | Independent politician taken in by broadcasting company? /That's/ revealing (6) |
" Independent " = I[1] [politician with no party affiliation]
" politician " = MP[5] [Member of Parliament]
Sky plc*[7] is a pan-European telecommunications company with headquarters in London that is engaged in satellite broadcasting, on-demand internet streaming media, broadband and telephone services.
* the designation plc stands for public limited company[7] (show more )
The designation plc (standing for public limited company[7]) is used in the UK, some Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. The term "public limited company" and the "PLC"/"plc" suffix were introduced in 1981; prior to this, all limited companies bore the suffix "Limited" ("Ltd."), which is still used by private limited companies.
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The designation plc (standing for public limited company[7]) is used in the UK, some Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. The term "public limited company" and the "PLC"/"plc" suffix were introduced in 1981; prior to this, all limited companies bore the suffix "Limited" ("Ltd."), which is still used by private limited companies.
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| 23d | Two European articles /for/ church official (5) |
In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el[8].
In German, der[8] is one of several forms that the definite article may assume.
In certain Protestant Churches, an elder[10] is a lay official having teaching, pastoral, or administrative functions.
| 24d | Quiet and poorly? This may help (4) |
The entire clue is a cryptic definition in which the wordplay is embedded.
Here and There
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| The surface reading, while sounding odd to the North American ear, would be quite natural for Brits. According to Lexico (Oxford Dictionaries), poorly[5] (adjective) is a British* term meaning unwell ⇒ she looked poorly. * Despite Lexico claiming this to be a British usage, US dictionaries define poorly[3,11] (adjective) as meaning in poor health or somewhat ill ⇒ feeling poorly. In fact, the American Heritage Dictionary characterizes poorly used in this sense as a chiefly Southern US term. A statement such as "I am feeling rather poorly today" is likely the only context in which one would encounter this term in North America. Not so in the UK; Lexico provides examples of British usage that I am sure one would never encounter on this side of the pond:
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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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