Friday, January 7, 2011 (DT 26364)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26364
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Setter Jay
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26364]
Big Dave's Review Written By Falcon
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ***	Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance *****

Introduction

As I began this puzzle, I experienced a vague sense of familiarity with some of the clues. However, when I reached 9a (which took a little bit of time, since - as usual - I didn't tackle the clues in order) I was overwhelmed by a powerful feeling of déjà vu. This is a puzzle that I had reviewed for Big Dave back in October. I especially remember 9a as I had thought that I was being particularly perceptive in recognizing this clue as a commentary by the setter on the (then) fairly recently completed FIFA World Cup match between England and Germany. Nevertheless, my hint appeared to raise the hackles of at least one of the Brits - who was likely still smarting from the result of the soccer match. I can now empathize with him, though, following Canada's treatment at the hands of the Russians in the recent IIHF World Junior Tournament.

Despite having previously done the puzzle, I struggled with at least a half dozen clues. For a while, I thought I might suffer the ignominy of needing to resort to my Tool Chest. However, I held off and eventually completed the puzzle unaided.

Today's Glossary

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

Appearing in Clues:

form - noun 6 chiefly British a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number: the fifth form.

Appearing in Solutions:

a/c - abbreviation bookkeeping, etc 1 account. 2 account current.

Bottom (or, more fully, Nick Bottom) - character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream who provides comic relief throughout the play, and is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of an ass by the elusive Puck within the play.

D² - abbreviation [7^th entry] Germany (international vehicle registration) [from German Deutschland].

I³ - symbol [1^st entry] electric current: V = I/ R

ring binder - noun British a loose-leaf binder with ring-shaped clasps that can be opened to pass through holes in the paper.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

13a Where to keep records of tie worn by caller (4,6)

In my review on Big Dave's blog, the analogy to a "three-ring circus" (which Oxford identifies as a North American term) caused some confusion among Brits. It seems that in Britain, not only is it common to refer to a binder as a ring binder (without further elaboration), but - judging by Mary's comment - two-ring binders may be more common there than three-ring binders. In North America, such an item would be called simply a binder, or perhaps a loose-leaf binder, or - if one needed to be really precise - a three-ring binder, four-ring binder, etc. as appropriate.

22d Fool's position in form at school (6)

In Britain, the word "form" is roughly equivalent to the word "class" in North America in reference to a year in a school. Thus a fool would be found "at the bottom of the form" in Britain or "at the bottom of the class" in North America.

Signing off for today - Falcon