Tuesday, November 9, 2010 (DT 26312)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26312
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, August 6, 2010
Setter Giovanni
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26312]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ****	Enjoyment - ****

Introduction

I have to agree with Gazza, this puzzle was both challenging and enjoyable. However, I initially feared that I would not be able to finish (or maybe even start) this one, seeing as I may have solved a single clue on my first read through. However, gradually the lights started to come on and slowly I began to make progress. There were a few clues - such as the small British town and the U.K. governmental body - which required some heavy duty research to track down.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Solutions:

Acas - abbreviation British Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong industrial relations practice. It may do this through a number of mediums such as arbitration or mediation, although the service is perhaps best known for its collective conciliation function - that is resolving disputes between groups of employees or workers, often represented by a trade union, and their employers. Acas is an independent and impartial organisation that does not side with a particular party, but rather will help the parties to reach suitable resolutions in a dispute.

bib ² - verb archaic drink (something alcoholic)

doorstep - British informal a thick slice of bread

fr. - abbreviation 3 frequently

Saffron Walden - a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England

Stilton - [Collins English Dictionary] either of two rich cheeses made from whole milk, blue-veined (blue Stilton) or white (white Stilton), both very strong in flavour [named after Stilton, Cambridgeshire, where it was originally sold]

tea caddy (caddy ¹) - chiefly British a small tin in which tea is kept for daily use

Commentary on Today's Puzzle
26a I adore going round (with pop group?) (6)

This would appear to be a semi & lit. clue - one which can be read in its entirety as a definition, and in which part of the clue also serves as wordplay. The difference between a semi & lit. clue and a true & lit. clue is that in the latter, the entire clue (rather than merely a portion of it) provides the wordplay.

The clue as a whole is a definition of a ROADIE and the wordplay is an anagram (going around) of I ADORE.

4d Something cutting the grass could make you chesty (6)

Here, the definition is "something cutting the grass", which happens to be a SCYTHE. The setter has phrased the clue such that the surface reading seems to state that "A scythe could cause you to become chesty". However, the clue is actually a very terse way of saying what could be stated far more verbosely as "If you were to perform a particular manipulation of the letters in the word SCYTHE, it could produce for you the word CHESTY". And, of course, the required manipulation is an anagram.

7d Little woman in new maisonnette settling down (13)

"Little woman" indicates the diminutive form of a woman's name, and (as is so often the case in Cryptic Crosswordland) the woman in question is Di. The definition is "settling down" which has the solution SEDIMENTATION. The wordplay is DI (little woman) contained in (in) SEMENTATION {an anagram (new) of MAISONNETTE}.

Signing off for today - Falcon