Saturday, September 7, 2013 — What's in a name?

Introduction

William Shakespeare wrote "What's in a name?". In today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, the setters seem to be using a cryptic crossword device that runs "What's in a name? No, just the opposite."

When I originally posted this blog entry, I didn't have access to my usual assortment of tools given that I was working as a guest on a computer in a hotel lobby. Consequently, I had to be very innovative in preparing the posting. I did manage to create a pdf image of the puzzle which is to be found at the foregoing link. However, creating the usual jpg image eluded me until I returned home and was able to once again use my customary tools.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   MUSH — double definition; "word to a [dog] team" & "sentimental stuff"

3a   E(NAME)LL|IN|G — NAME (title) contained in (inside) ELL (wing) + IN (†) + G (green)

9a   TRUSSED~ — sounds like (vocally) TRUST (faith)

11a   LE(SOTH*)O — LEO (lion; constellation or sign of the zodiac) containing (circling) an anagram (poor) of HOST

12a   OR(NAME|NT)AL — {NAME (call) + NT (New Testament)} contained in (in) ORAL (exam)

For clarity, I have restore the normal sentence structure which the setters have altered in the interest of cryptic effect.

13a   CROP — double definition; "stomach [of a bird]" & "what's harvested"

15a   MI(KIT)A — MIA (missing in action; military term) containing (carrying) KIT (gear)

Stan Mikita^[7] is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League.

16a   A(ME|N AME)N — {ME (self) + NAME (identify)} contained in (in) AN (†)

18a   TU(NA ME|L)T — {NAME (signature) + L (left)} contained in (in) TUT (boy king)

Tutankhamun^[7] (popularly referred to as King Tut) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled ca. 1332 BC – 1323 BC). He ascended to the throne around the age of 9 and died at about 18 years of age.

20a   WRITES~ — sounds like (for an audience) RITES (rituals)

23a  HAIL — double definition; "greet" & "some cold weather"

24a  T(OUR|NAME)NT — OUR NAME (what we call ourselves) contained in (in) TNT (explosive)

27a   ECHIDNA*  — anagram (loosely) of CHAINED

28a   CAY|USES — CAY (island) + USES (employs)

29a   SUR(I|NAME|S)E — {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + NAME (celebrity) + S ('s)} contained in (embraced by) SURE (certain)

30a   _ANK|A_ — hidden in (contributing to) bANK Account

Paul Anka^[7] is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor.

Down

1d   M|OTTO — M (†) + OTTO (Preminger; )

Otto Preminger^[7] (1905 – 1986) was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.

2d   SPUTNIK*  — anagram (rudely) of STINK UP

4d   N(AD)INE — AD (spot) contained in (in) NINE (#9)

Chuck Berry^[7] is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. His song Nadine^[7] was released in February 1964. It peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the R&B chart, and #27 on the UK Singles Chart [and apparently #9 on the Crosswordland Chart].

5d   MAL(LA|RM)E — {LA (Los Angeles) + RM (room)} contained in (in the grip of) MALE (masculine)

Stéphane Mallarmé^[7] (1842 – 1898) was a French poet. A symbolist, he experimented with rhythm and syntax by transposing words and omitting grammatical elements. Notable poems: ‘Hérodiade’ (circa 1871) and ‘L’Après-midi d’un faune’ (1876).

6d   LIST — double definition; "lean over" & "catalogue"

7d   INTER|IM — IM (I'm) following (behind) INTER (place in a tomb; verb)

8d   GROUPINGS*  — anagram (free) of PIGS ON RUG

10d   SOMETIME~ — sounds like (to be announced) {SUM (result of adding) + THYME (seasoning)}

14d   ENTR(EAT)Y — EAT (dine) contained in (in) ENTRY (vestibule)

15d   MATCHLESS — double definition, the second being cryptic; "nonpareil" & "lacking a light?"

17d   PLEONASM* — anagram (misspelled) of ON SAMPLE

19d   NEITHER* — anagram (exercising) of IN THERE

21d   T|REASON — T (insurgent's ultimate; final (ultimate) letter of insurgenT) + REASON (motive)

22d   WRECKS~ — sounds like (overheard) REX (Latin [word for] king)

25d   TOSCA — anagram (change) of COATS

Tosca^[7] is an opera in three acts by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica (1857 – 1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847 – 1906). It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900.

26d   ODIN — O (love; score of zero in tennis) + DIN (thunder)

In Scandinavian mythology, Odin^[7] is the supreme god and creator, god of victory and the dead while his son Thor^[7] is the god of thunder, the weather, agriculture, and the home.

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