Saturday, November 10, 2012 - Going to the Dogs

Introduction

We find dogs of all description in today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a   LICKER~ — sounds like (heard) LIQUOR (spirits)

4a   PINS|CHER — PINS (has ... flat on the mat) + CHER (a pop singer)

9a   {GREY|HOUND}~ — spoonerism for (Rev. Spooner's) {HAY (grass) + GROUND (land)}

11a   SAMOYED* — anagram (set free) of SOMEDAY

12a   M(A|SON)IC — {A (†) + SON (boy)} contained in (enthralled by) MIC (microphone)

13a   SAMOYED* — anagram (set free) of SOMEDAY

14a   STEP< — reversal (from right to left) of PETS (poodles and pekes)

15a   WEIMARANER* — anagram (confused) of WEARIER MAN

19a   POMERANIAN* — anagram (disturbed) of MAN IN OPERA

20a   S|TUB — S (small) + TUB (fatty)

23a   T(ERR)IER — TIER (rank or class) containing (including) ERR (stray)

26a   U(SELES)S_ — SELES (tennis champ) contained in (settles in) US

27a   LEVIS — anagram (gyrating) of ELVIS

28a   GREAT DANE — sounds like (while talking) {GRATE (scrape) + DEIGN (stoop)}

29a   AIRED|ALE — AIRED (broadcast) + ALE (tavern drink)

30a   A|SCENT — SCENT (what dogs follow) following (after) A (†)

 Down

1d   LE(GUM)ES — GUM (tree) contained in (covered by) LEES (sediment)

2d   CHES|S TEAM — CHES (Argentine radical's; belonging to Che Guevera) + STEAM (boiling water)

3d   E|THANE — THANE (Scottish lord) following (goes after) E (English)

5d   _INDUS — [H]INDUS (many Indians) with the first letter deleted (losing chief)

6d   SAGA|MORE — SAGA (long story) + MORE (added)

7d   HUSKY — double definition; "hoarse" & "dog"

8d   RAPIDER* — anagram (moving) of PARRIED

10d   UNCLE|AN — AN (article) following (dogging) UNCLE (family member)

16d   ME|A|SURE — ME (†) + (with) A (†) + SURE (positive)

17d   {NOTRE DAME}* — anagram (lunatic) of MENTORED A

18d   TRAIPSED* — anagram (weaving) of SPIDER AT

19d   PAT|ELLA — PAT (stroke) + ELLA (Ms. Fitzgerald)

21d   BASSET|T — BASSET (dog) + T (Trainer's first [letter])

22d   DELTAS — anagram (nuts) of SALTED

24d   R|OVER — R (run) + OVER (on)

25d   REGAL< — reversal (overturned) of LAGER (drink)

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon