Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29890 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, January 21, 2022 | |
Setter
Zandio | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29890]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Deep Threat | |
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
I thought the puzzle was middle-of-the-road from a difficulty perspective but top-notch on the enjoyment scale.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 | Enter // lift, disorderly charge to get in first (10) |
Scratching the Surface
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|---|---|
| Lift[10] is the British name for an elevator[10]. |
| 6a | Garment /from/ southern India a queen wears (4) |
" southern " = S [S or S.[1]]
" India " = I[5] [NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]]
"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
| 9a | Artist seen where arty types drink -- from these? (7) |
The definition is provided by the entire clue in which the wordplay is embedded.
Substitution required: "where arty types drink" ⇒ "in cafés"
| 10a | See what I'm trying to say? (3-4) |
| 12a | Cricketer's skill with revolver -- // it should make a good yarn (8-5) |
In cricket, spinning* is an important skill for a bowler to possess.
* Spin[5] means to impart a revolving motion to (a ball) when bowling. ⇒ (i)
the ball spun in viciously; (ii)
they had to spin the ball wide.
| 14a | Fifty-fifty odds on getting good // service (8) |
Evens[5] is a British term meaning even money[5], viz. odds offering an equal chance of winning or losing, with the amount won being the same as the stake* ⇒
the colt was 4-6 favourite after opening at evens.
* If the odds are evens[7], the payout will be equal to the amount wagered plus the original stake, that is, "double-your-money".
" good " = G [g or g.[1]; a grade of numismatic coin perhaps]
In the Church of England, evensong[10] (also called Evening Prayer or vespers) is the daily evening service of Bible readings and prayers prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. In the Roman Catholic Church, evensong[10] is an archaic name for vespers[10], the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office*, originally fixed for the early evening and now often made a public service on Sundays and major feast days.
* the divine office[10] comprises the canonical prayers recited daily by priests, those in religious orders, etc.
| 15a | Cooler /to be/ employed in backing Ono, Sir Paul (6) |
The cooler[5] is an informal term for prison or a prison cell.
Scratching the Surface
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| Yoko Ono[5] is a US musician and artist, born in Japan. She married John Lennon in 1969 and collaborated with him on various experimental recordings. Sir Paul McCartney[5] is an English pop and rock singer, songwriter, and bass guitarist. A founder member of the Beatles, he wrote most of their songs in collaboration with John Lennon. After the group broke up in 1970 he formed the band Wings. |
| 17a | This person's left // something from China, say (6) |
"this person's " = IM
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "this person" with the verb "to be"* producing "this person's" (a contraction of "this person is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "this person's" could be a contraction of "this person has", in the wordplay it would still be interpreted as "this person is".
hide
It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or ME) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.
Today, the the creator of the puzzle has made the scenario more complicated by combining "this person" with the verb "to be"* producing "this person's" (a contraction of "this person is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (a contraction of "I am").
* Although in the surface reading "this person's" could be a contraction of "this person has", in the wordplay it would still be interpreted as "this person is".
hide
"left " = PORT [nautical term]
| 19a | Run over Victor -- in shock /or/ OK? (8) |
"run " = R [cricket notation]
| 21a | Lawyer // opposing pieces local officials broadcast (6,7) |
In England when the sovereign is female, a Queen's Counsel[10] is a barrister or advocate appointed Counsel to the Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, entitled to sit within the bar of the court and to wear a silk gown.
| 24a | Pictures created by writer -- // one's a peculiar grey (7) |
| 25a | Where planes may fly // and luggage disappear? (4,3) |
A double definition with the second being cryptic.
| 26a | Wishes to offload power // tools (4) |
" power " = P[10] [symbol used in physics]
| 27a | Not in fashion, American clothes old /and/ horrible (10) |
" old " = O[12] [linguistics;
OFr(Old French),
OE(Old English)]
Down
| 1d | Pine // fixture in kitchen (4) |
| 2d | Divine // class of 14-year-olds in report? (7) |
In Britain, a class or year in a school was formerly known as a form[5], usually given a specifying number. This is somewhat similar to the North America concept of a grade although the numbering systems for forms and grades are vastly different. (show more ) A fourteen-year-old might find themself in the fourth form and if there were at least three classes at that level in the school might be in form 4C.
The term "form" seems to have become passé as Miffypops in his review of DT 28163 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog refers to "sixth-former" as "What a schoolchild would be during the year before university back in the old days. This would now be known as year 13 or 14." Furthermore, Wikipedia (see table below) characterizes the term "form" as an "alternative/old name".
A form[7] is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title. Pupils are usually grouped in forms according to age and will remain with the same group for a number of years, or sometimes their entire school career.
Forms are normally identified by a number such as "first form" or "sixth form". A form number may be used for two year groups and differentiated by the terms upper and lower [in general, this would seem to apply primarily for the sixth form]. Usually the sixth form is the senior form of a school [although this apparently does not hold true for New Zealand where they would appear to have a seventh form]. In England, the sixth form is usually divided into two year groups, the lower sixth and upper sixth, owing to the 3-year English college/university system. In Scotland or North America, the 6th form is usually a single year, owing to the 4-year college/university system. If there is more than one form for each year group they will normally be differentiated by letters, e.g., "upper four B", "lower two Y". Schools do not follow a consistent pattern in naming forms [in the foregoing quotation witness Miffypops' reference to "year 14", a term which does not appear in the table below].
Wikipedia would appear to be at best ambiguous and at worst inconsistent on the relationship between the British and American systems of naming school years. The article from which the table below is excerpted shows that the British first form is equivalent to the American 6th grade. On the other hand, the article cited above states "In North America, the 1st Form (or sometimes 'Form I') is equivalent to 7th Grade." However, this latter statement may in fact be a comparison between the few North American schools to use the form system and the vast majority of North American schools that don't rather than a comparison between British and American schools.
hide
The term "form" seems to have become passé as Miffypops in his review of DT 28163 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog refers to "sixth-former" as "What a schoolchild would be during the year before university back in the old days. This would now be known as year 13 or 14." Furthermore, Wikipedia (see table below) characterizes the term "form" as an "alternative/old name".
A form[7] is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title. Pupils are usually grouped in forms according to age and will remain with the same group for a number of years, or sometimes their entire school career.
Forms are normally identified by a number such as "first form" or "sixth form". A form number may be used for two year groups and differentiated by the terms upper and lower [in general, this would seem to apply primarily for the sixth form]. Usually the sixth form is the senior form of a school [although this apparently does not hold true for New Zealand where they would appear to have a seventh form]. In England, the sixth form is usually divided into two year groups, the lower sixth and upper sixth, owing to the 3-year English college/university system. In Scotland or North America, the 6th form is usually a single year, owing to the 4-year college/university system. If there is more than one form for each year group they will normally be differentiated by letters, e.g., "upper four B", "lower two Y". Schools do not follow a consistent pattern in naming forms [in the foregoing quotation witness Miffypops' reference to "year 14", a term which does not appear in the table below].
Wikipedia would appear to be at best ambiguous and at worst inconsistent on the relationship between the British and American systems of naming school years. The article from which the table below is excerpted shows that the British first form is equivalent to the American 6th grade. On the other hand, the article cited above states "In North America, the 1st Form (or sometimes 'Form I') is equivalent to 7th Grade." However, this latter statement may in fact be a comparison between the few North American schools to use the form system and the vast majority of North American schools that don't rather than a comparison between British and American schools.
Naming of School Years (British System vs American System)[7]
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| Age Range | British System | American System | |
| Name | Alternative/Old Name | Name | |
| 11-12 | Year 7 | First form | 6th grade |
| 12-13 | Year 8 | Second form | 7th grade |
| 13-14 | Year 9 | Third form | 8th grade |
| 14-15 | Year 10 | Fourth form | 9th grade |
| 15-16 | Year 11 | Fifth form | 10th grade |
| 16-17 | Year 12 | Lower sixth form | 11th grade |
| 17-18 | Year 13 | Upper sixth form | 12th grade |
hide
| 3d | One's dying to make this pay! (4,9) |
| 4d | Creative arts, none // booming (8) |
| 5d | Twisted ungodly act -- occasionally // it could be gripping (5) |
| 7d | Classic /that will be/ read in language lesson (7) |
| 8d | Popular hospital dept's broken toy // with no zip? (10) |
"hospital dept " = ENT
| 11d | Maybe steam sauce // that's designed to impress (5,8) |
Power dressing[5] is the practice of dressing in a style intended to show that one holds an important position in business, politics, etc.
| 13d | Enjoy welcoming knight who French // let go (10) |
" knight " = N[2] [chess notation]
In French, qui[8] is a relative pronoun or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who'.
| 16d | Uplifting pop records? Absolute // babble (8) |
| 18d | Speed to surround referee // -- one gets in the book first (7) |
| 20d | Rocking on vocal, // one issues hot stuff (7) |
| 22d | S American native // reserved and turned up (5) |
The coypu[5] is a large semiaquatic rodent resembling a beaver, native to South America. It is kept in captivity for its fur and has become naturalized in many other areas.
| 23d | They kill // members (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
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