Friday, March 25, 2011 (DT 26435)

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26435
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Setter Jay
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26435]
Big Dave's Review Written By Crypticsue
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I came close to finishing without using my Tool Chest today. However, try as I might, I could not get past 14d without assistance. Crypticsue nominated this clue as her favourite, and I would second that motion. I always have great respect for clues which stump me.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

Meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

greengrocer - noun British a retailer of fruit and vegetables

short - noun 1 British a drink of spirits served in a small measure [cf. shot]

shot¹ - noun 20 North American, especially US colloquial a small drink of alcoholic spirit; a dram

sweet - noun 2 British a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; a pudding or dessert

Appearing in Solutions:

*L² - abbreviation [5^th entry] British (on a motor vehicle) learner driver

O² - symbol the chemical element oxygen

*OR - abbreviation [3^rd entry] Military, British other ranks (as opposed to commissioned officers)

pud - noun British informal  short for pudding

pudding - noun chiefly British

• 1 a cooked sweet dish served after the main course of a meal:
• a rice pudding;
• [mass noun] a good helping of pudding

• [mass noun] the dessert course of a meal: what's for pudding?
  
• North American a dessert with a soft or creamy consistency.
  

*RR - abbreviation Right Reverend, adjective a title given to a bishop, especially in the Anglican Church

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.

17a   The feeling generated as pride is broken (7)

Here I initially tried to form an anagram (broken) of PRIDE IS. I eventually realized that the wordplay is actually an anagram (is broken) of AS PRIDE.

Signing off for today - Falcon