Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29768 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, August 31, 2021 | |
Setter
Unknown | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29768]
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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
About half of this puzzle went in quite smoothly, the remainder required increasingly greater mental effort. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable solve.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 | Liked leaving university small // trees (7) |
| 5a | Agreement /from/ Charlie about short trousers (7) |
| 9a | I look after grand old // house in Greenland? (5) |
G as an abbreviation for grand is one North American usage that the Brits would appear to have embraced (show more ).
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.
Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒
he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage ⇒
I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.
G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
- Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)[5].
- Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars[2].
- Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)[4,10].
"old " = O [linguistics]
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
hide
In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i)
OFr[Old French]; (ii)
OE[Old English].
However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.
Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.
hide
| 10a | Children watch this // sad boy (4,5) |
Blue Peter[7] is a British children's television magazine programme. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958.
Origin: The show has a nautical theme with the the title referring to the Blue Peter[5], a blue flag with a white square in the centre, raised by a ship about to leave port.
The Story Behind the Picture
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| The illustration in Mr K's review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog alludes to peter[5,10] being [seemingly British*] slang for a safe, till, cash box or trunk. * based on the absence of this sense of the word from US dictionaries |
| 11a | Negotiate // hard and restore broadcast without advertisement (5-5) |
| 12a | Somewhat inhumane Roman? (4) |
This is clearly a true &lit. clue[7] (or, as they prefer to call it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, an all-in-one clue), a clue in which the entire clue is, according to one reading, wordplay and, when read a different way, definition.
Nero[5] (AD 37-68) was Roman emperor 54-68; full name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Infamous for his cruelty, he wantonly executed leading Romans. His reign witnessed a fire which destroyed half of Rome in 64.
| 14a | Stop thinking about male with jewel returning // flowers (6-2-4) |
| 18a | Strangely Abraham went to no hospital /for/ bug (5,7) |
Two bugs share the name water boatman[5]:
- A predatory aquatic bug that swims on its back using its long back legs as oars. It is able to capture large prey such as tadpoles and fish.
- An aquatic bug which spends much of its time on the bottom, using its front legs to sieve food from the water and its hair-fringed rear legs for swimming.
| 21a | Vogue magazine's ultimate // decline (4) |
| 22a | Country // house to mark changes without opening in March (5,5) |
| 25a | Note merger after company // disorder (9) |
| 26a | Wife gets in health food possibly /for/ strength (5) |
| 27a | Sweet // daughter, with ecstasy, flicked back hair (7) |
"ecstasy " = E [the illicit drug Ecstasy]
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
hide
E[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy* or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i)
people have died after taking E; (ii)
being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.
* Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
hide
Sweet[5] is a British term for a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a dessert.
| 28a | He safely groomed, removing fine // hair on face (7) |
Down
| 1d | Predicament: // torch perhaps stuck under piano (6) |
Torch[10] — in addition to its historical meaning — is the British name for a flashlight*.
* Flashlight[5] is considered by Brits to be a North American term.
| 2d | Mean // chickens maybe reported (6) |
The word "paltry" does seem to sound remarkably like "poultry" when pronounced by a Brit. In fact, the British pronunciation of "poultry" sounds more like my pronunciation of "paltry" than does their pronunciation of "paltry"!
| 3d | Openly // superior to group of directors? (5,5) |
| 4d | Serious // whimper with tears regularly shed (5) |
| 5d | Conservative with up-to-date reforms -- // this could change the government (4,5) |
"Conservative " = C [member of British political party]
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
hide
The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.[10] or Con.[10].
The Conservative Party[5] is a major right of centre British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership that emerged from the old Tory Party* under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s.
* Historically, a Tory[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
hide
| 6d | Pinches // small quantities of spirits (4) |
| 7d | Won't shed rot without covers? // Precisely (2,3,3) |
| 8d | Fisherman's equipment picked up medium river // creature (8) |
The River Ouse[5] (rhymes with booze rather than mouse)
is a river of northeastern England, formed at the confluence of the Ure
and Swale in North Yorkshire and flowing 92 km (57 miles)
south-eastwards through York to the Humber estuary. There are also
severalother rivers in England having the same or similar name.
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- a river of southeastern England, which rises in the Weald of West Sussex and flows 48 km (30 miles) south-eastwards to the English Channel
- (also Great Ouse) a river of eastern England, which rises in Northamptonshire and flows 257 km (160 miles) eastwards then northwards through East Anglia to the Wash near King’s Lynn
- (also Little Ouse) a river of East Anglia, which forms a tributary of the Great Ouse
hide
A dormouse[5] (plural dormice) is an agile mouse-like rodent with a hairy or bushy tail, found in Africa and Eurasia. Some kinds are noted for spending long periods in hibernation.
Origin: of unknown origin, but associated with French dormir or Latin dormire ‘to sleep’ and mouse
| 13d | Exceptional // religious education with gospel expert (10) |
In the UK, religious education[10] (abbreviation RE[5]) is a subject taught in schools which educates about the different religions of the world.
Mark[5] is the second Gospel in the Christian Bible, traditionally ascribed to St Mark*, an Apostle, companion of St Peter and St Paul.
* Most scholars now regard the Gospel According to Mark as the earliest written gospel and also reject the tradition which ascribes it to Mark the Evangelist and regard it as the work of an unknown author[7].
| 15d | One might study rock // music, finally departing from coolest gig around (9) |
| 16d | Deceitful, // like Janus? (3-5) |
In Roman mythology, Janus[5] is an ancient Italian deity, guardian of doorways and gates and protector of the state in time of war. He is usually represented with two faces, so that he looks both forwards and backwards.
| 17d | Trainees // boss sent first to the base (8) |
A boss[5] is a stud on the centre of a shield.
| 19d | A river -- round the bend a // large group of vessels (6) |
| 20d | Found // adult tucking into meal (6) |
"adult " = A [former British film classification]
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
hide
The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]
hide
| 23d | Often seen wrapping // present? (5) |
| 24d | Large flower -- // it's enticing (4) |
Flower is used in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of something that flows — in other words, a river.
The River Ure[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse (see 8d).
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
[15] - CollinsDictionary.com (Penguin Random House LLC/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd )
Signing off for today — Falcon
