Thursday, May 9, 2013 — DT 27110

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27110
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, February 25, 2013
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27110]
Big Dave's Review Written By Libellule
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Once again, a period of cogitation worked wonders. With most of the northeast corner still blank, I set the puzzle aside. When I returned to it sometime later, I was able to complete it quite readily.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

Across

1a   It's simple, just put one's hand out (4-3-4)

9a   Bond fired at random, contrary to orders (9)

There is a lengthy list of people with the surname Bond^[7]. Perhaps it a reference to fictional British secret agent James Bond^[7].

10a   Practice for university man of learning (5)

11a   Beast retiring with a broken toe (6)

12a   Elevation above the peerage? (8)

The peerage^[5] consists of peers as a class ⇒ he was elevated to the peerage two years ago. A peer^[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron ⇒ hereditary peers could still dominate the proceedings of the House of Lords.

13a   Call again  to say one's piece (6)

In the first definition, cite^[5] is used in the sense of to summon (someone) to appear in court  ⇒ the writ cited only four of the signatories of the petition.

15a   French fortress, HQ until captured (8)

The Bastille^[5] is a fortress in Paris built in the 14th century and used in the 17th-18th centuries as a state prison. Its storming by the mob on 14 July 1789 marked the start of the French Revolution.

18a   Detains about a thousand supporters (8)

19a   Like to run, being so inclined (6)

21a   Comic actor holding a clerical appointment (8)

Charlie Chaplin^[7] (1889 – 1977) was a British comic actor and filmmaker who rose to fame in the silent era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures of the film industry.

23a   Stay around with the French in order to eat (6)

I would say that in order^[5] is being used in the sense of fit or suitable; or, as Oxford Dictionaries Online puts it, in the correct condition for operation or use ⇒ it is the liquidator’s task to put the affairs of the company in order.

26a   Home help needed in retreat in the country (5)

27a   Aristocratic Irishman cut by Scot (9)

A meeting of two of Crosswordland's favourite characters — one Irish and one Scottish.

28a   An Olympic runner before the official opening (5-6)

Down

1d   Member of the Police Force, if qualified (7)

2d   Relay arranged, in good time (5)

3d   Philosopher is alert to changes (9)

Aristotle^[5] (384 – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist. A pupil of Plato and tutor to Alexander the Great, he founded a school (the Lyceum) outside Athens. He is one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Western thought and his work was central to Islamic and Christian medieval philosophy. His surviving works cover a vast range of subjects, including logic, ethics, metaphysics, politics, natural science, and physics.

4d   Piece of boarded adornment (4)

This is an & lit. (all-in-one) clue. The entire clue can be read two ways — once as the definition and once as the wordplay. Dado^[3] is used in the sense of the lower portion of the wall of a room, decorated differently from the upper section, as with panels.

5d   The better runners suffer a setback at the start of this race (8)

This is a cryptic definition of a handicap race^[7]. I thought maybe that "setback" might refer to a faster runner starting from a position behind a slower runner. However, if such a method of handicapping actually exists, it is not mentioned in the Wikipedia article. Wikipedia does mention that faster runners may start later than slower runners — thus a setback in time.

6d   Extract loan with skill (5)

7d   Manage to define the bishop's position (7)

A see^[5] is the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop.

8d   After a drink, game for battle! (8)

The Battle of Waterloo^[7] was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher. It was the culminating battle of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last. The defeat at Waterloo ended his rule as Emperor of the French, marking the end of his Hundred Days return from exile.

14d   Royal Marine to order duck (8)

The Royal Marines (RM)^[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) that was founded in 1664, and trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.

In cricket, a duck^[5] is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒ he was out for a duck. In cryptic crossword puzzles, duck is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.

16d   Evaluate performance of stroke on the river (4,5)

The River Test^[7] is a river in Hampshire, England having a total length of 40 miles (64 km). Its upper reaches are renowned for the excellent quality of its fly fishing for trout.

While the clue elicited an image of cricket for crypticsue, I thought of golf. In ball games, a drive^[5] is a forceful stroke made with a free swing of the bat, racket, or foot against the ball ⇒ a hard drive to left field. [Interestingly, this usage example from Oxford Dictionaries Online appears to refer to baseball. In cricket, I would think that one might say a hard drive to the leg (or the off) ]. In golf, a drive is a shot from the tee ⇒ Greg hit a good drive at the 18th.

In cricket, the off^[5] (also off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other side of the field is known either as the leg^[5] (also leg side) or on (also on side).

17d   Being solvent, her career is taking off (8)

18d   Where lots go despite rising prices (7)

20d   Novel representation of one real English queen (7)

Eleanor of Aquitaine^[7] (1122 or 1124 – 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. She was queen consort of France (1137–1152) and England (1154–1189). She was the wife of King Henry II and the mother of King Richard I and King John.

22d   Lowest number in Meadow Street (5)

I could find no special significance to Meadow Street. It seems to be merely a convenient invention of the setter.

24d   Plant seen in Britain? That's right! (5)

25d   State without a health centre (4)

The name of a US state is found at the exact centre of the phrase "withoUT A Health".

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon