Friday, September 27, 2013 — DT 27213

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27213
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27213]
Big Dave's Review Written By Deep Threat
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

I needed help from my electronic assistants to track down an Italian dessert of which I have never had the pleasure of partaking.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Cronies loured terribly about vote for anti-terrorism measure (9,5)

Lour^[5] (or lower) is a verb meaning to look angry or sullen; scowl ⇒ the lofty statue lours at patients in the infirmary.

9a   A tram is broken down beside river in Indian city (8)

Amritsar^[5] is a city in the state of Punjab in NW India; population 1,194,700 (est. 2009). It became the centre of the Sikh faith and the site of its holiest temple, the Golden Temple.

10a   Lizard giving 'ell in activity (5)

12a   Volunteers lodged in posh hotel in state (4)

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)^[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency. 

In Britain — as we saw only yesterday — U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners. The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956). In Crosswordland, it is frequently clued by words such as posh or superior.

Hotel^[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication. 

13a   A container almost illuminated in area for dessert (10)

Zabaglione^[5] is an Italian sweet [dessert] made of whipped and heated egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine, served hot or cold.

15a   Greek character located beside cottage roof bird (8)

Nu^[5] is the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν).

16a   Characteristic of a pig beginning to grunt and like a marsh? (6)

18a   University's returned excellent piece of earthenware in fanciful state? (6)

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.

20a   Sucker might enjoy this work in ornate apse (8)

23a   Sinister figure with sly look holding paper and set of cards (4-6)

The Financial Times (FT)^[7] is a British international business newspaper [that is printed on characteristic salmon pink newsprint].

24a   Figure of authority among fascists arguably (4)

26a   A leg I shook, being of supple disposition (5)

27a   Lover is increasingly averse to alcohol, cutting a round (8)

Amoretto^[5] denotes a representation of Cupid in a work of art.

28a   Historic rebellion disrupted pastoral events (8,6)

The Peasants' Revolt^[7] was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381.

Down

2d   Smallish  item in woman's handbag? (7)

3d   Educational place beginning to transform army division (4)

Uni^[4,5] is a [seemingly British] informal term for university ⇒ he planned to go to uni.

4d   Occasion at crease with what's adopted there? (8)

In cricket, the crease is a line which demarcates a batsman's ground (the area in which the batsman stands to receive a delivery from the bowler). A player who is batting is said to be in. Conversely, a player who is fielding is said to be out. This is explained in the following:

CRICKET: AS EXPLAINED TO A FOREIGNER...

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Simple!

5d   Absolutely not keeping right in this country (6)

6d   Consistent character from say university lecturer? Something seldom seen outwardly (10)

L (or L.)^[1] is an abbreviation for lecturer.

7d   Pen and put in letter? (7)

8d   One left? That might summarise this unhappy singleton (6,5)

Perhaps I'm dense tonight, but it took me a very long time to figure out what Deep Threat is driving at in his review of this clue. ONEL {ONE + L (left)} forms the central portion (heart) of L(ONEL)Y. Thus, one might say that LONELY HEART can be described in a shortened form (summarised) as ONEL.

11d   Sudden advance from designer Mary, up to clothe fussy male (7,4)

Mary Quant^[5] is an English fashion designer. She was a principal creator of the ‘1960s look’, launching the miniskirt in 1966 and promoting bold colours and geometric designs. She was also one of the first to design for the ready-to-wear market.

14d   Prodigality in ladies, say, is displayed before hard head (10)

In Britain, the Ladies^[5] is another name for a women’s public toilet and lav^[10] is an informal short form for lavatory.

17d   Bird seen above endless river eager for feed (8)

The River Ouse^[5] may refer to a river of NE England, formed at the confluence of the Ure and Swale in North Yorkshire and flowing 92 km (57 miles) south-eastwards through York to the Humber estuary. There are also several other rivers in England having that name (or slight variations of it). I had always assumed that Ouse would rhyme with mouse — but apparently it rhymes with snooze.

19d   Toff is upset over employee latterly away from work? (3-4)

Making its second appearance in two days, toff^[5] is derogatory British slang for a rich or upper-class person.

21d   Dilapidated hotels with nothing to be seen in African country (7)

22d   Fruitlessly drugs may circulate here, we hear (2,4)

25d   Give up with tennis star on the air (4)

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