Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 — DT 27171

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27171
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27171]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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

Being unfamiliar with the novel at 20a, I felt justified in seeking some electronic assistance. However, I kicked myself for failing to decipher 2d without help.

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   Heading off to give credit for writer (6)

4a   Choose not to take part in work with aggressive seller (3,3)

In the field of music, Op. (also op.)[5] is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

8a   Judge, we recalled, pointed instrument (4-4)

J[2] , as an abbreviation for Judge, is to be found in Chambers 21st Century Dictionary.

10a   Gold cross initially concealed in plant (6)

Or[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture. In heraldry, a tincture[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.

11a   Cautious fighting against unknown quantity (4)

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

12a   A sailor can't take this on board (5,5)

13a   Both comrades injured, so out of action (4,2,6)

Hors de combat[5] is an adjectival phrase adopted from French meaning out of action due to injury or damage their pilots had been rendered temporarily hors de combat. In French, the phrase means literally 'out of the fight'.

16a   Pie (any sort) and chips cooked (7,5)

Cornish pasty[10] is a British term for a pastry case with a filling of meat and vegetables.

20a   Book country hotel (7,3)

Continuing the Cornish theme ...

Jamaica Inn[7] is a novel by the English writer Daphne du Maurier (1907 – 1989), first published in 1936. It was later made into a film, also called Jamaica Inn, by Alfred Hitchcock. It is an eerie period piece set in Cornwall in 1820; the real Jamaica Inn still exists and is a pub in the middle of Bodmin Moor. The plot follows a group of murderous wreckers who run ships aground, kill the sailors and steal the loot.

21a   Lover's knot, say (4)

22a   Failing  to change sides (6)

23a   Flower husband presented to poorly Cynthia (8)

In British English, poorly[5] can be used as an adjective meaning unwell she looked poorly. Although — at least, to my ear — the clue reads poorly, that may not be the case for a Brit.

24a   Annoy the Parisian after final (6)

In French, le[8] is the masculine singular form of the definite article.

Nett[5] is an alternative British spelling of net in the sense (of an amount, value, or price) remaining after the deduction of tax or other contributions or (of a weight) excluding that of the packaging.

25a   A college teacher is one killed while hunting (6)

A don[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

In Greek mythology, Adonis[7] was a beautiful youth loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. He was killed by a boar, but Zeus decreed that he should spend the winter of each year in the underworld with Persephone and the summer months with Aphrodite.

Down


1d   Cabinetmaker inside fascinates her at once (8)

Thomas Sheraton[7] (1751 – 1806) was a furniture designer, one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Chippendale and George Hepplewhite.

2d   Easily irritated principal's dropped out of practice (5)

3d   Club about to lose support? Just the opposite (7)

In golf, brassie[5] is a name [somewhat dated, methinks] for a number two wood [so named because the wood was originally shod with brass].

5d   Gnome in lead crossing river beyond (7)

A gnome[3,4,11] [in a meaning that is new to me] is a pithy saying that expresses a general truth or fundamental principle or, in other words, an aphorism.

6d   Her co-star upset big band (9)

7d   Pinch this short girl (6)

9d   Snap decision at end of race? (5,6)

14d   Religious ceremony in US city, unfinished (9)

15d   Happy at last in idyllic island (8)

Two variants of this clue appeared in  the UK — this version in the printed edition of The Daily Telegraph and a slightly different version in the online edition of the puzzle in which "happy" was replaced by "merry". Deep Threat feels that happy is "perhaps less good as an anagram indicator". I presume that the rationale for the use of merry[5] as an anagram indicator comes from it being an adjective meaning slightly and good-humouredly drunk after the third beer he began to feel quite merry. However, happy[2] can have the same meaning. In fact, in North America, I am sure one would be more likely to see the latter rather than the former.

Atlantis[7] is a legendary island first mentioned by Plato about 360 BC. According to Plato, Atlantis was a naval power lying "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" that conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa around 9600 BC. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, Atlantis[5] was "beautiful and prosperous". In academia, the Atlantis story is seen as one of the many myths Plato incorporated into his work for stylistic reasons, in this case to represent his conceptualized ideal state. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune".

17d   Article misrepresented performance (7)

18d   Abbreviated answer printed in tough political publication (7)

Hansard[5] is the official verbatim record of debates in the British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, or South African parliament. It is named after Thomas C. Hansard (1776 – 1833), an English printer whose company originally printed it in Britain.

19d   A vet disturbed over service in bar (6)

The Royal Navy (abbreviation RN)[5] is the British navy.

21d   Little child I found in farm building (5)

In the Scottish and Northern English dialects, bairn[5] means a child.
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

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 — DT 27170

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27170
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, May 6, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27170]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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

My downfall today was a wrong entry at 10a. As usual, Rufus offers up some very entertaining fare. Not only does he stretch our powers of lateral thinking, he utilises a number of whimsical cryptic crossword conventions — some of which I was able to detect.

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   Wave to ship from high fairground attraction (13)

As a charade indicator, the word to[5] appears in the sense of indicating that two things are attached or linked — as one finds in the expressions "put one's shoulder to the wheel" or "have one's nose to the grindstone".

10a   Compensate for being out of line? (7)

I carelessly put in ADDRESS instead of REDRESS.

I would have to say that this is an all-in-one clue that is also a double definition. The entire clue can be read as a definition to produce either of the two results set forth in Libellule's review.

11a   Rent-a-party? It's a wind-up (7)

In British English, wind-up[5] [with wind used in the sense of coil or twist]  is an attempt to tease or irritate someone surely this was a wind-up. I would expect that is how it is meant to be read in the surface reading. In the cryptic reading, it presumably must be read as "wind up" [with wind used in the sense of the movement of air].

12a   In extremities they can be accommodating (4)

13a   Shakespeare's theatre in the round? (5)

The Globe Theatre[5] was a theatre in Southwark, London, erected in 1599, where many of Shakespeare’s plays were first publicly performed. The theatre’s site was rediscovered in 1989 and a reconstruction of the original theatre was opened in 1997.

14a   Is featured in current record (4)

17a   Complaint I will put to head (7)

Usually found in place names, ness[5] means a headland or promontory Orford Ness.

18a   Regretted planting tree in shade (7)

Although the meaning given for repine[10] is to be fretful or low-spirited through discontent, the list of synonyms listed in Collins English Dictionary includes the word grieve. One meaning of regret[10] is to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of.

19a   Preparing cheese  grill? (7)

22a   Big drop in Canadian and American currency (7)

Here the setter employs the word currency in a whimsical cryptic crossword sense of something having a current.

24a   Love girl's curved shape (4)

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter. 

25a   Something wicked about 'Nothing to declare'? (5)

26a   Musicians forbidden to speak (4)

29a   The opposite of praiseWell, no! (3-4)

30a   It dispels pain, sir (7)

I think that "dispels" is intended to be interpreted whimsically as dis-spells (spells incorrectly).

31a   Yet  it's neither sooner or later (2,3,4,4)

Down


2d   No cardinal's spoken about noise (7)

The definition here is more implied than explicit. The clue tells us that the solution is not cardinal (a type of number) — leaving us to surmise that it must therefore be a different of number.

3d   I was first to grasp being misrepresented (4)

4d   Consequences of Ulster's rebuilding (7)

5d   O to be in credit for one month! (7)

6d   Sounds like one bound for the crest of a wave (4)

7d   Family member losing head in high spirits (7)

8d   Home fixture exhausting directors (8,5)

I was done in by the error at 10a.

9d   Compulsory grounding for an aviator (6,7)

15d   Start being involved (5)

16d   Fish traps put out (5)

The sprat[3,4,11] is a small marine food fish (Clupea sprattus) of the northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea that is eaten fresh or smoked and is often canned in oil as a sardine. Also called brisling.

20d   Not a word for a win on the way (7)

21d   Reasons for sediment (7)

22d   Such a bonus for drivers leads to a reduced cover charge (2-5)

Cover[5] (in reference to insurance) means to protect against a liability, loss, or accident involving financial consequences your contents are now covered against accidental loss or damage in transit. While the same verb form is used in both Britain and North America, we use a different form of the noun on this side of the pond. In the UK, the word cover[5] is used to denote protection by insurance against a liability, loss, or accident your policy provides cover against damage by subsidence. This is equivalent to the North American term coverage[5] meaning the amount of protection given by an insurance policy your policy provides coverage against damage by subsidence.

23d   Sue is of use (7)

Q. What is "sue" of "use"?
A. Sue is an anagram of use.

27d   Ring up Winnie? (4)

Winnie-the-Pooh[7] (or, as Disneyfied, Winnie the Pooh) is a fictional bear appearing in a series of children's stories by English author A. A. Milne (1882 – 1956).

28d   See post is sorted (4)

Post is the British term for mail. I have always thought it ironic that the Royal Mail delivers the post in Britain and Canada Post delivers the mail in Canada!
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

Monday, July 29, 2013

Monday, July 29, 2013 — DT 27169

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27169
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27169 - hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27169 - review] 
Big Dave's Review Written By
crypticsue (Hints)
crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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
Notes

 As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, July 27, 2013 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

As the Brits might say, I was chuffed [very pleased] at having finished this puzzle without the help of my electronic assistants — albeit over the course of three solving sessions. However, the wind quickly went out of my sails when I looked at crypticsue's review and found that she awarded it merely a single star for difficulty. My pride was further battered upon discovering that I had made a mistake at 13a.

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   Mum's outfit, with antique flower (8)

5a   Peg and I obtained starting price first (6)

Despite getting the correct solution, a bit of research was needed to explain it. A spigot[11] is a small peg or plug for stopping the vent of a cask. Spigot[4], in the sense of a tap, is a North American usage.

9a   Reserve team up to take a dive? (8)

In the UK, a reserve[4] is a member of a [sports] team who only plays if a playing member drops out; a substitute. In the surface reading, reserve team[10] is the British term for a second team of a sports club, such as a football club, made up of emerging and young players [in North American parlance, a farm team[10]].

10a   One in seven in need of a tissue? (6)

Sneezy is one of the seven dwarfs in Walt Disney's 1937 animated musical fantasy film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[7] based on a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The story had earlier been made into a Broadway play that debuted in 1912. The dwarfs are not given names in the fairy tale. In the 1912 production they were named Blick, Flick, Glick, Snick, Plick, Whick and Quee. Disney renamed them Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.

11a   Cups set out -- perhaps he did it (7)

12a   Cold, icy floor leads the French to crease up (7)

In French, le[8] is the masculine singular form of the definite article.

13a   One's installed to observe production (7-4)

I had THEATRE-DOOR. Besides the result being somewhat nonsensical, the hyphen should have been a dead give-away — but, of course, it doesn't appear in the grid.

In her review, crypticsue points out that the word "installed" in the clue is "referring to the fact that a theatrical production might be viewed from the stalls". For those, like myself, who may be somewhat challenged by theatre terminology in general — not to mention British variations, here is a bit of a primer:
While the dictionaries can't get together on the precise definition of a stall, they do at least agree that the term is British. The American Heritage Dictionary says that a stall[3,4,11] is a seat in the front part of a theater, the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary has it as a chairlike seat in a theater, especially one in the front section of the parquet [see following], and Collins English Dictionary defines it as a seat in a theatre or cinema that resembles a chair, usually fixed to the floor. In the plural, stalls is variously defined as the seats on the ground floor in a theatre[5] (Oxford Dictionaries Online), the seats on the ground floor of a theatre or cinema[2] (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary), or the area of seats on the ground floor of a theatre or cinema nearest to the stage or screen[4] (Collins English Dictionary).
  • the parquet[11] is the front part of the main floor of a theater, opera house, etc., between the musicians' area and the parterre [see following] or, especially in the U.S., the entire main-floor space for spectators; Collins English Dictionary defines parquet[4] as the US term for the stalls of a theatre
  • in the US, the parterre[11], also called the parquet circle, is the rear section of seats on the main floor of a theater, opera house, etc., under the balcony; in Britain, the parterre[4] is the pit in a theatre [the ground floor of the auditorium of a theatre]
16a   Collapse and wake up by good fire, confused (4,2,5)

21a   Up the longest? (7)

22a   Astronomer from Italy caught between girl and stars (7)

Galileo Galilei[5] (1564 – 1642) was an Italian astronomer and physicist. He discovered the constancy of a pendulum’s swing, formulated the law of uniform acceleration of falling bodies, and described the parabolic trajectory of projectiles. He applied the telescope to astronomy and observed craters on the moon, sunspots, Jupiter’s moons, and the phases of Venus.

Leo[5] is a large constellation (the Lion), said to represent the lion slain by Hercules. It contains the bright stars Regulus and Denebola and numerous galaxies.

23a   Sounded similar, conclusively (6)

24a   Journalist resisted changes (8)

I had not heard this dated or humorous term for a journalist before, but concluded that since a female actor is an actress, a female editor would naturally be called this.

25a   Rambling diatribe by the Queen! (6)

The ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus the cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina

26a   Elaborate presentation of badger's domestic tranquillity for audience? (3,5)

The burrow of a badger is known as a sett[5].

Down


1d   Ponder about one's ill-treatment (6)

2d   Inverted or broken strapping (6)

3d   Yet Reg's prepared to become most gloomy (7)

In Britain, grey[3,4,11] is the traditional and preferred spelling of what is more commonly spelled gray[3,4,11] in the US. Surprisingly, this distinction is recent, reportedly having only arisen in the 20th century[Farlex Trivia Dictionary].

4d   A contender? One cannot be serious! (11)

6d   Thinking of pounds I have laid out (7)

7d   Orthodox deity? (5,3)

The Greek Orthodox Church[5] (also known as the Greek Church) is the Eastern Orthodox Church which uses the Byzantine rite in Greek, in particular the national Church of Greece.

8d   Terence goes round bay getting wild fruit (8)

A tayberry[5] is a dark red soft fruit produced by crossing a blackberry and a raspberry.

12d   Cockney's doing topiary, using latest technology (7-4)

A cockney[5] is a native of East London [specifically the East End], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang[5].

14d   Secret of criminal that's completely unpunished (4-4)

15d   Engaging person (8)

17d   Neither liquid could be contained by that (7)

18d   Writer touched on mine being turned round (4-3)

19d   Rip off  coat (6)

Fleece[4] — in addition to being a fabric — may also be a jacket or top made from such a fabric (at least in Britain).

20d   Whipped us some dessert (6)
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

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Saturday, July 27, 2013 — Nest of Snakes

Introduction

Ophidiophobes may wish to take a pass on today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon.














Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend: "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed

"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a   BUSHMASTER* — anagram (loose) of AMHERST BUS
South American bushmaster, Lachesis muta
Bushmaster[7] is the common name for a member of the genus Lachesis — a genus of venomous pit vipers found in remote forested areas of Central and South America.

While a number of other communities — ranging from Australia to the United States — also bear this name, I am most familiar with Amherst, Nova Scotia[7] which is the shire town and largest population centre in Cumberland County.
6a   LOAF — double definition; "don't work" & "bread"

10a   BL|ADDER — BL (head [initial letter] and tail [final letter] of BulL) + ADDER (snake)
Northern copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen
Adder[7] can refer to (1) any of of several groups of venomous snakes of the Viperidae family, including Vipera berus, the common European adder, found in Europe and northern Asia; (2) members of the genus Acanthophis, death adders, a genus of elapid snakes found in Southeast Asia and Australia; (3) members of the genus Heterodon, hog-nosed snakes, a genus of harmless colubrid snakes found in North America; or (4) Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, the northern copperhead, a venomous viper found in the eastern United States.

Bullsnake, Pituophis catenifer sayi
The bullsnake[7] (Pituophis catenifer sayi) is a large nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to the central United States, northern Mexico, and southwestern Canada.
11a   S|MITTEN — S (small) + MITTEN (hand warmer)

12a   {L(I)LAC}< — reversal (back) of {CALL (†) containing (about) I (indigo)}
A fairly rigorous search failed to find any source that listed I as an abbreviation for indigo.
13a   BOOM|SLANG — BOOM (pole on a boat) + (with) SLANG (colourful language)
Boomslang, Dispholidus typus
The boomslang[7] (Dispholidus typus) is a large, venomous snake in the family Colubridae which is native and restricted to sub-Saharan Africa.
14a   BOA|STING — BOA (snake) + STING (bite)
Boa constrictor, Boa constrictor
The Boa constrictor[7] (Boa constrictor) is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. The Boa constrictor is a rare instance of an animal having the same common and scientific binomial name. A non-venomous snake, the boa will first strike at its prey, grabbing it with its teeth, it then proceeds to constrict the prey until death before consuming it whole.
16a   MUESLI* — anagram (developed) of MULE IS

19a   REKNIT< — reversal (returned) of TINKER (fiddle)

20a   ASP|I|RING — ASP (snake) + I (†) + RING (call)
Egyptian cobra, Naja haje
Asp[7] can refer to (1) Vipera aspis, a venomous viper found in Europe; (2) Cerastes cerastes, a venomous viper found in the Sahara desert; (3) Cerastes vipera, a venomous viper found in the Sahara desert; or (4) the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje, a venomous snake found in North Africa and parts of the Middle East. It is the latter that was supposedly responsible for Cleopatra's death.
22a   CAN|E(BRA)KE — CAN (†) + EKE (squeeze) containing (around) BRA (bikini top)
Canebrake rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus
The canebrake rattlesnake[7] (also known as the timber rattlesnake or banded rattlesnake), Crotalus horridus, is a species of venomous pit viper found in the eastern United States.
24a   C|LEFT — C (Conservative) + LEFT (remaining)

26a   G|ROUNDS — G (good; a grade on a school assignment) + ROUNDS (songs)

27a   MA(RI)MBA — RI ([initial] pair of [letters] in RIngs) contained in (in) MAMBA (snake)
Black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis
Dendroaspis (literally "tree asp"), commonly referred to as mamba[7], is a genus of family Elapidae which comprises four species, all of which are highly venomous, fast-moving land-dwelling snakes of Africa. They are feared throughout their ranges, especially the black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis.
28a   SNIT< — reversal (from the East; i.e., written right to left) of TINS (cans)

29a   {FER-DE-LANCE}* — anagram (out) of FEN CLEARED
Common lancehead, Bothrops atrox
Fer-de-Lance[7] can refer to a number of species of venomous pit vipers, namely (1) Bothrops lanceolatus, the Martinique lancehead snake; (2) Bothrops caribbaeus, the Saint Lucia lancehead; (3) Bothrops atrox, the common lancehead, native to tropical South America east of the Andes and to Trinidad; or (4) Bothrops asper, the terciopelo or Central American lancehead, native to Central and northwestern South America.

Down


1d   BABE|L — BABE (newcomer) + L (left)
In the Bible, the Tower of Babel[5] is a tower built in an attempt to reach heaven, which God frustrated by making its builders speak different languages so that they could not understand one another (Genesis 11:1-9).
2d   S(MALL) TALK — STALK (hunt) containing (around) MALL (shopping centre)

3d   {ME|DOC}< — reversal (sent back) of {COD (fish) + EM (Emily)}
Médoc[5] is a red wine produced in Médoc, the area along the left bank of the Gironde estuary in SW France.
4d   S(ARAB)AND — ARAB (of Middle Eastern origin) contained in {[surrounded by] SAND (in desert environs)}
One might parse the clue simply as:
  • ARAB (of Middle Eastern origin) contained in (in) SAND (desert environs)
or
  • ARAB (of Middle Eastern origin) contained in (in ... environs) SAND (desert)
However, neither of these options work to my satisfaction. The more elegant interpretation is to recognize that the phrase "in desert environs" is equivalent to saying 'surrounded by sand' and make that substitution; after which, the clue would read:
  • Dance of Middle Eastern origin surrounded by sand (8)
By the way, the dance seems to have mellowed over the centuries. A saraband[3] is (1) a fast, erotic dance of the 16th century of Mexico and Spain; (2) a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries, in slow triple time; or (3) the music for either of these dances.
5d   E(AS)TON — AS (while) contained in (while in) ETON (school in England)
Sheena Easton[7] (born Sheena Shirley Orr) is a Scottish recording artist who is is a two-time Grammy Award winner.

Eton College[7], often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent [private] school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor". It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, and is one of the original nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. [Note: In Britain, "public schools" are a special class of private school; what North Americans would call public schools seem to be referred to in Britain by terms such as state-run or state-funded schools].
7d   OSTIA* — anagram (scattered) of OATS I
Ostia[5] is an ancient city and harbour which was situated on the western coast of Italy at the mouth of the River Tiber. It was the first colony founded by ancient Rome and was a major port and commercial centre.
8d   FINAGLING* — anagram (deceitfully) of ANGLING IF
This is an & lit.[7] (all-in-one) clue — a type of clue in which the entire clue is both the definition (when read one way) and the wordplay (when read another way).
9d   MISS|OUR|I — MISS (fail to see) + OUR (†) + I (interest)

14d   {BIRD CAGES}* — anagram (cracked) of BIG CARS ED

15d   TAILBONE* — anagram (transformed) of ALIEN BOT

17d   {SPIDER-MAN}* — {anagram (bad) of DREAM} contained in (in) SPIN (turn)
Spider-Man[7] is a fictional character, a comic book superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.
18d   ESTEE|MED — MED (drug) preceded by (fronted by) ESTEE (Ms. Lauder)
Estée Lauder[7] (1906 – 2004) was an American businesswoman who was the co-founder, along with her husband, Joseph Lauder, of Estée Lauder Companies, her eponymous cosmetics company.
21d   L(ASS)IE — LIE (tell fibs) containing (about) ASS (donkey)
Lassie[7] is a fictional female collie dog character created by Anglo-American author Eric Knight (1897 – 1943) [he acquired American citizenship shortly before his death] in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, Knight's novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home. This was followed by six other MGM feature films through 1951. In 1954, the long-running, Emmy winning television series Lassie debuted and ran for 19 years.
23d   {NAOM|I}< — reversal (withdrawing) of {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + MOAN (gripe)}
Naomi Watts[7] is a British-Australian actress who has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
24d   CAROL~ — sounds like (sound) CARREL (little room for studying)

25d   T|RACE — T (start [initial letter] of Timed) + RACE (competition)
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

Friday, July 26, 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013 — DT 27168

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27168
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, May 3, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27168]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
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

Gazza tells us that he found this puzzle to be "just about the easiest Giovanni puzzle [he's] ever blogged" — to which my electronic aids can attribute their day off.

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


6a   One in affair with members of the Government? Documentation is kept here (6,7)

8a   Exaggerate having left party (6)

9a   Old writer and editor at university talked freely (6,2)

In British English, up[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge they were up at Cambridge about the same time

10a   Call a boffin -- his place of work is in here (3)

Giovanni has twisted the word order around a bit for cryptic effect. If one were to straighten it out, the clue would read "His [a boffin's] place of work is [found] in [the phrase] 'call a boffin'".

Boffin[5] is British slang for (1) a person engaged in scientific or technical research the boffins at the Telecommunications Research Establishment or (2) a person with knowledge or a skill considered to be complex or arcane a computer boffin.

11a   A feature of some churches bringing hope (6)

12a   A dull truism, the French lacking ability! (8)

In French, the feminine singular form of the definite article is la[8].

14a   Proud Henry's No. 1 -- wicked too, wanting decapitation! (7)

16a   Terrible grief with peacemakers needed to stop this? (7)

This is an & lit. (all-in-one) clue. The entire clue is the definition (when read one way) and the wordplay (when read another way). The wordplay is an anagram (terrible) of GRIEF containing (with ... needed to stop this) UN (peacemakers). As Gazza points out, stop is used in the sense of to plug. In the cryptic reading the antecedent of the pronoun "this" is 'an anagram of GRIEF' (terrible grief).

20a   Chinese location is quiet -- excellent! -- be in suspense entering it (8)

A1[4][5] or A-one[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

23a   Coal not prime requirement for fire (6)

I think that the phrase "not prime requirement" is meant to be interpreted as a more concise way of saying 'the requirement is that the first letter not be included".

24a   Sentimentality from nameless fool (3)

While American dictionaries do list 'a stupid or oafish person' as a (secondary) definition for the word, North Americans are more likely to think of a goon[3,4,11] as being a thug. Apparently, this latter usage doesn't exist — or is less common — in Britain.

The Goon Show[7] was a British radio comedy programme featuring Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers — originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960.

25a   Offer nasty pie to man -- it may well be poisonous (8)

26a   Silly person drinking too freely, surviving on the field (3,3)

As Gazza indicates not out[5] is a cricket term, meaning (with respect to a side [team] or a batsman) having begun an innings and not been dismissed Hussain scored 89 not out as Essex won by three wickets. An example of the use of the term is in reference to a batsman who is not out when the side has been dismissed. In cricket, batsmen bat in pairs. Thus, once ten of the eleven players on a side are out, the side is dismissed as there are no longer enough players left to form a pair. The remaining player is said to be "not out".

Although the term has no official status in baseball, it might well be used informally, for instance, with respect to a batter fouling off a pitch that would otherwise have been a called strike three — thereby surviving to face another pitch.

27a   No luck with this gag -- terrible joke (8,5)

Down


1d   A weapon found hidden in heather is causing panic (8)

Ling[5] is the common heather (Calluna vulgaris), a purple-flowered Eurasian heath that grows abundantly on moorland and heathland.

2d   13 receiving hand out over time, being work-shy (8)

The number "13" is a cross reference to clue 13d. It indicates that the solution to clue 13d is to be substituted in its place to complete the clue.

3d   Man clawed by a tiger? One of the circus performers (7)

Rob Brydon[7] (mentioned by Gazza in his review) is a Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter [host or emcee], singer and impressionist.

4d   A bishop ecstatic out of his diocese? (6)

B[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

5d   End under canvas? (6)

6d   Festive harlot cavorting in high-class accommodation (4-4,5)

7d   So vehicle is broken into by crazy nerd? It makes one speechless (13)

13d   What sounds like trendy watering-hole (3)

15d   Animal house on front of garden (3)

17d   Perceived worry in industry -- for the nobs wanting awkward minions kept under? (8)

Nob is a chiefly British slang term for a person of wealth or social standing[3] or a person of social distinction[4].

18d   Party enjoyment? Fighting not the first requirement! (8)

If the definition is take to be "party" (function), then the wordplay is FUN (enjoyment) + CTION {[A]CTION (fighting) with the first letter deleted (not the first requirement)}. This is the same construction as was used in 23a.

Gazza suggests an alternative interpretation where the definition might also be seen to be "requirement" (function), in which case the wordplay would be FUN (party enjoyment) + CTION {[A]CTION (fighting) with the first letter deleted (not the first)}.

19d   Birds -- 15 flying ones (7)

Once again, the number in the clue is a cross reference indicator.

21d   Cloud and rain -- ultimately I am taking vehicle (6)

22d   Hospital crew achieving eminence (6)

Sports groups are often informally referred to by the number of players forming a team. Thus eleven for a cricket or soccer team, nine for a baseball team, and eight[5] for a rowing team.
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