Wednesday, June 17, 2009 (DT 25852)

This puzzle was originally published Saturday, February 14, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I found this puzzle to be of a moderate degree of difficulty. While I did manage to complete the puzzle, I had an incorrect solution for one clue.

I am taking a break today from my ongoing series on the Fundamentals of Cryptic Crosswords.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

fast bowler - Cricket a bowler skilled in fast bowling

full toss - Cricket a bowled ball that reaches the batsman without bouncing

Linslade - a small town in Bedfordshire, England

wideawake - a soft felt hat with a low crown and a wide brim (noun, defn. 1)

Today's Links

As is typical for a puzzle published on Saturday in the UK, AnswerBank was busy with 12 questions discussing today's puzzle. They (together with the clues to which they relate) are:

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-a: 8ac

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-b: 10ac, 28ac, 2d, 22d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-c: 10ac, 5d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-d: 12ac, 4d, 5d, 13d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-e: 25ac

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-f: 25ac

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-g: 8ac, 10ac, 1d, 3d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-h: 1d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-i: 22d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-j: 28ac

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-k: 18ac, 5d

AnswerBank [DT 25852]-l: 6ac, 12ac, 2d

Being a Saturday puzzle, Big Dave provides a few day-of-publication hints at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 25852] - Hints while Peter Biddlecombe has contributed a very comprehensive post-contest-submission-date review at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 25852] - Review. Regular readers of my blog will know Peter under the alias xwd_fiend from his numerous contributions here.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

12ac One taking reversible material found in the sea (4)

My reaction, on reading this clue, was similar to Peter's. To say the least, the setter has exercised a fair degree of license in creating this clue. I would think that saying "agar is found in the sea" is somewhat on a par with saying "flour grows on stalks of wheat".

22d Prompt delivery (6)

This is the one that I failed to solve correctly. Having totally missed the reference to childbirth in the wordplay, I tried to solve this clue as a double definition (perhaps a sign that I have been too obsessed with them of late). I settled on INFUSE as the solution where infuse can mean to "introduce [i.e., deliver] into the body through a vein, for therapeutic purposes" and "teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions" which I thought might somehow be considered to constitute "prompting".

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1ac FAST BOWLER

6ac RI(N)D

8ac LINSLADE* - {DEAN'S ILL}*

9ac CLUTCH - DD

10ac T(UTO*)RIAL - OUT*

11ac CUDDL_|_Y - [CUDDL]e + da[Y]

12ac A|GAR<

14ac SARA|W|A|K_ - [K]ebab

18ac ED|IF|I|ED

20ac BEAR = DD

23ac HAVE|TO~ - TO sounds like TWO

24ac A|S|SIGNOR

25ac MID-SEA - CD

26ac BANKRUPT - CD

27ac A|NT|I

28ac EX|PERTNESS

Down

1d FULL TOSS - CD

2d SANITY - CD

3d {BOLERO_}* - {[BLOO]m[ER]}*

4d WIDE|AWAKE

5d RACECARD - CD

6d ROUND OFF

7d NECK|LACE

13d AERO|SPACE - CD

15d A|VI|ATION* - {INTO A}*

16d {APRES-SKI}* - {ASK PIERS}*

17d ABROGATE* - {BOAT GEAR}*

19d DETRITUS* - {DUSTER IT}*

21d TICKET - CD

22d INDUCE - CD

Signing off for today - Falcon