Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013 — DT 27284

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27284
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, September 16, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27284]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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
- yet to be solved

Introduction

For New Year's Eve, we get a rather gentle puzzle that is unmistakably a Rufus creation.

Now should I tackle the New Year's Day puzzle or wait until tomorrow?

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   Would it take another like him to be of one mind? (7)

5a   Hire one to play the female lead (7)

9a   Fit girl given body-building exercises (5)

PT[5] is the abbreviation [British, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online] for physical training[5], the systematic use of exercises to promote bodily fitness and strength.

10a   Right to get outstanding performer on committee (9)

11a   Cleaners put off by public convenience (10)

In Britain, the Gents[5] is a term for a men’s public toilet.

12a   Better the non-drinker leaves this (4)

This is an & lit.[7] (all-in-one) clue. TT[5] is the abbreviation for teetotaller.

14a   Spirit conjured up by other spirits? (5,7)

Dutch courage[3,4,11] is false courage gained from drinking alcohol.

18a   They get passed on the road (7,5)

21a   Mail goes astray in country (4)

22a   New stars never cross (10)

25a   A whisker (3,6)

26a   Call of captain for ends? (5)

The definition might well be the entire clue (making this a semi & lit. clue). A captain of a sports team would call the toss of the coin at the start of a match to determine which end of the playing field his team will defend.

27a   Bound for Rouen, perhaps, with a note (2,5)

Te[5] is the British spelling of ti which (in tonic sol-fa) is the seventh note of a major scale.

28a   Not interrupted  without purpose (7)

Two definitions — the second appearing to have been invented by the setter. Endless[5] (with respect to a belt, chain, or tape) means having the ends joined to form a loop allowing continuous action endless-loop cassette tapes.

Down


1d   Gathers crowds when speaking (6)

2d   Incline towards getting a simple building (4-2)

3d   Stream of notes by Handel? (5,5)

George Frideric Handel[5] (1685–1759) was a German-born composer and organist, resident in England from 1712; born Georg Friedrich Händel. A prolific composer, he is chiefly remembered for his choral works, especially the oratorio Messiah (1742), and, for orchestra, his Water Music suite (circa 1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749).

4d   Try to have discrimination (5)

5d   Misery of a teacher working with horrible head (9)

The parsing of this clue would be an anagram (working) of {A + TEACHER + (with) H (first letter (head) of Horrible}.

In Britain, head[5] is short for for headmaster[5] (a man who is the head teacher in a school), headmistress[5] (ditto for a woman), or head teacher[5] (the teacher in charge of a school).

6d   Teases  wool in rows (4)

In knitting, a rib[5] is a combination of alternate plain and purl stitches producing a ridged, slightly elastic fabric (i) knit twenty rows of rib; (ii) knit a new rib.

7d   One's not afraid to speak -- probably! (1,4,3)

8d   Object about wrong-doers being supported (8)

13d   Farmed  in a civilised way (10)

15d   It may be tipped but not recommended by doctors (9)

16d   A bed made badly, George Eliot's work (4,4)

George Eliot[5] (1819–1880) was an English novelist; pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans. Her novels of provincial life are characterized by their exploration of moral problems and their development of the psychological analysis that marks the modern novel. Notable works: Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), and Middlemarch (1871-2).

17d   No townsperson having beer after 6.50 (8)

I think that 6.50 must be intended to indicate a time of day. If so, in North America, one would write it as 6:50. However, I could find no evidence that Brits write the time with a period, rather than a colon, as a separator.

19d   Reach a swirling river (6)

20d   It checks the growth of population (6)

23d   She tends to rush over certain points (5)

24d   University chaps, first that'll be ordered off (4)

To solve this clue, one must mentally rearrange a bit of punctuation in the wordplay making it "University, chaps first".
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)
Happy New Year's Eve — Falcon

Monday, December 30, 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013 — DT 27283

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27283[See note 1]
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, September 14, 2013[See note 2]
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27283 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27283 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
gnomethang (Review)
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
- yet to be solved
Notes
[1] The National Post has skipped DT 27281 and DT 27282 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, September 12, 2013 and Friday, September 13, 2013.

[2] 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.

Introduction

Although I had seen the British vegetables with the French name in at least one previous puzzle, the name did not come readily to mind. I also realized that a boozer is a pub, but needed a gentle push from my electronic assistants to get the first part of the name.

The National Post has skipped a couple of puzzles. Have they been discarded entirely or will they show up in future, out of order?

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


7a   Steelworks made a stink on the outskirts of Exeter (7)

Exeter[5] is a city in SW England, the county town of Devon, on the River Exe; population 109,200 (est. 2009). Exeter was founded by the Romans, who called it Isca.

8a   Dishonest man on board in last month returned (7)

10a   Mao Tse-tung cooked vegetables (10)

Mao Tse-tung[5] (1893–1976) was a Chinese statesman, chairman of the Communist Party of the Chinese People’s Republic 1949–76 and head of state 1949–59.

Mangetout[5] (French, literally 'eat all') is a British name for a pea of a variety with an edible pod, eaten when the pod is young and flat.

11a   Dingy English seaside feature (4)

Dun[4,11], as an adjective, can mean dark and gloomy.

12a   Fashion designer a liberal authority in church (8)

Pierre Cardin[5] is a French couturier, the first designer of haute couture to show a collection of clothes for men as well as women.

14a   Van Gogh painting is about to go up (6)

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh (1889)
Vincent Van Gogh[5] (1853–1890) was a Dutch painter. He is best known for his post-impressionist work, influenced by contact with impressionist painting and Japanese woodcuts after he moved to Paris in 1886. His most famous pictures include several studies of sunflowers. Suffering from severe depression, he cut off part of his own ear and eventually committed suicide.

15a   He wrote novels when vaguely befuddled (6,5)

Evelyn Waugh[5] (1903–1966), English novelist. His work was profoundly influenced by his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1930. Notable works: Decline and Fall (1928); Brideshead Revisited (1945).

19a   Suggestion about container for vegetable (6)

20a   Bath switched lock and prop (8)

22a   One will punch son in display of temper maybe (4)

As gnomethang states "other explosive outbursts are available" — and, alas, the first one to come to mind was PET. This wrong turn held me up considerably in the southwest quadrant.

23a   Italy's smooth source of elixir consumed by TT -- it'll raise spirits (10)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Italy is I[5].

TT[5] is the abbreviation for teetotal — not Tourist Trophy[5] (a motorcycle race held on the Isle of Man).

25a   Woman engages lad for building work (7)

26a   Last character driven from pirates' home in atonement (7)

The Pirates of Penzance[7] is a comic opera in two acts, with music by English composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and libretto by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911). The opera premiered in New York City in December 1879 and in London in April 1880.

Penzance[5] is a resort town in SW England, on the south coast of Cornwall near Land’s End; population 21,500 (est. 2009).

Down


1d   Monkey unfortunately gets African antelopes (7)

Unfortunately, in his review, gnomethang appears to have dropped an A from ALAS.

2d   Sell fine piece of wood (4)

In Britain, flog[4,5] is slang meaning to sell or offer for sale he made a fortune flogging beads to hippies. In North America, the word generally means to publicize aggressively ⇒ flogging a new book[3], although Random House includes the meaning to to sell, especially aggressively or vigorously[11].

3d   Have dinner hosted by good French portrait photographer (6)

The name, though unknown, was easily obtainable from the wordplay.

Bon[8] is the masculine, singular form of the French adjective meaning good.

Sir Cecil Beaton[5] (1904–1980) was an English photographer famous for his fashion features and portraits of celebrities, particularly the British royal family. He later diversified into costume and set design, winning two Oscars for the film My Fair Lady (1964).

In his review, gnomethang reports that this clue is a replacement for the one which originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph:
  • Nosh swallowed by good French cookery writer.
Unfortunately, as he goes on to explain, the name of the cookery writer is Beeton — not Beaton.
 
Mrs Isabella Mary Beeton[5] (1836–1865) was an English writer on cookery, famous for her bestselling Book of Cookery and Household Management (1861).

In a highly unusual occurrence, the corrected clue has made its way into the syndicated puzzle.

4d   Money one accountant needed for certain plants (8)

Brass[5] is British slang for money ⇒ they wanted to spend their newly acquired brass.

The abbreviation CA[5] for Chartered Accountant  is used in Scotland — and was formerly employed in Canada. However, as of January 2013, Canadian CA's have adopted the CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation. In England and Wales, the designatory letters are ACA or FCA while in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) the acronym CAI is used.[7]

A brassica[5] is a plant of a genus that includes cabbage, swede [rutabaga], rape [canola], and mustard brassicas are often plagued by whitefly.

5d   Dogged girl is flighty -- she's after rich mate (4-6)

6d   Stray animal originally taken in by fixer (7)

9d   Boozer, male, associated with ex-President (4,3,4)

Boozer[5] is British slang for a pub or bar.

George Bush[5] is an American Republican statesman, 41st President of the US 1989–93; full name George Herbert Walker Bush. He negotiated further arms reductions with the Soviet Union and organized international action to expel the Iraqis from Kuwait in 1990.

George W. Bush[5] is an American Republican statesman, 43rd President of the US 2001–2009; full name George Walker Bush. He is the son of George Bush. One of his first acts as President was to launch a ‘War on Terror’ against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon; he also ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, maintaining that Saddam Hussein was developing chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.

While the clue could be referring to either of these ex-Presidents, perhaps the son is the more likely choice. Prior to his marriage, the younger Bush[5] had multiple episodes of alcohol abuse. In one instance, on September 4, 1976, he was arrested near his family's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, for driving under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150 and had his Maine driver's license suspended until 1978. Bush's alleged drug usage is less clear; when asked about alleged past illicit drug use, Bush has consistently refused to answer. He defended his refusal to answer in a publicized casual conversation with a friend, saying that he feared setting a bad example for the younger generation.

The Old Bull and Bush[7] is a Grade II listed [British term for a designated heritage building] public house near Hampstead Heath in London which gave its name to the music hall song "Down at the old Bull and Bush" sung by Florrie Forde[7] (1875–1940), an Australian popular singer and entertainer who was one of the greatest stars of the early 20th century music hall.

Battle Cruiser (used by gnomethang in his review) is Cockney rhyming slang for boozer. [The Brits have slang words for slang!]

13d   Prediction of small return on investment by state (10)

Divi[5] (or divvy) is an informal British term for a dividend or share, especially of profits earned by a cooperative the divvy is being held at 8.8p [8.8 pence].

16d   A rapidly developing jeweller (8)

17d   Some hippopotamus I call Oliver perhaps (7)

Oliver! is a British musical, with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, that is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. It premièred in the West End [London] in 1960, began a successful Broadway run in 1963, and was made into a musical film in 1968.

18d   Great number wanting starter with full-flavoured exotic meat (7)

21d   Worked after time, fuel being sent to eastern Germany (6)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Germany is D[5] [from German Deutschland].

24d   Metal  electrical wire (4)

In Britain, a a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance [a(n) (appliance) cord in North America], or that connects two points of a circuit together is known as a lead[5]

In his review, gnomethang makes mention of jump leads[5] — what North Americans would call jumper cables[5].
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, December 28, 2013

Saturday, December 28, 2013 — Merry Christmas

Introduction

While today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon does have a handful of clues relating to Christmas, the theme is not sustained throughout the puzzle.









Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   _A|_R|_G|_Y|_L|_E|_S — last letters (last items) of agendA foR BoxinG DaY wilL bE ChristmaS

5a   K(NOW)ING — KING (monarch) containing (wrapping) NOW (present)

9a   {HIT PARADE}* — anagram (breaking) of APARTHEID

10a   HACKS — double definition; "bad writers" & "coughs"

11a   REST|ORE — REST (balance) + (with) ORE (valuable rock)

12a   DIL_|EMMA — EMMA (Austen novel; novel by English writer Jane Austen) following (sitting behind) DIL (unfinished dill; DILL with the final letter deleted)
Jane Austen[5] (1775–1817) was an English novelist. Her major novels are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818). They are notable for skilful characterization, dry wit, and penetrating social observation.
13a   _DECAF< — reversal (returning) of FACED (confronted)

15a   LAMBASTES* — anagram (with abandon) of MEAT SLABS
As an anagram indicator, abandon[5] is used in the sense of complete lack of inhibition or restraint she sings and sways with total abandon or, as The Chambers Dictionary defines it, careless freedom of action.
17a   B|AND|WAG|ON — B (bishop; chess piece) + AND (†) + WAG (jokester) + ON (riding; "on a horse")

19a   MA(X)IM — X (kiss) contained in (applied to middle of) MAIM (wound)

21a   DELIGHT — double definition, the second whimsical: "please" & "extinguish"
If you start a fire by lighting it, does it not follow that you would extinguish it by delighting it?
23a   APR|I||COT — COT (bed) following (at the end of) APR (April) I (1) [April 1 being All Fool's Day]

25a   CHOIR~ — sounds like (vocalized) QUIRE (25 sheets of paper)

26a   PEIGNOIRS — anagram (changed) of REPOSING I

27a   S|LENDER — S (small) + LENDER (bank at times)

28a   G|ESTATE — G (grand) + ESTATE (piece of property)

Down


1d   AD(HERE)D — ADD (tag on) containing (outside of) HERE (present)

2d   GATES — double definition; "Bill from Microsoft" & "means of access"
Bill Gates[5] is the co-founder of the computer software company Microsoft.
3d   LEADOFF — LEAF (page) containing (includes) {DO (act) + F (four's beginning; first letter (beginning) of Four}
In baseball, leadoff[5] is an adjective denoting the first batter in a line-up or of an inning Washington’s lead-off man.
4d   SHA*|KE (A LE)G — anagram (bum) of HAS + KEG (barrel) containing (†) ALE (some beer)

5d   KNEAD~ — sounds like (in audition) NEED (be desperate for)

6d   OPHE*|LIA< — anagram (lost) of HOPE + (and) a reversal (returned) of AIL (trouble)
Ophelia[7] is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
7d   IN|COME T|AX — IN (popular) + COMET (member of a team that flies; one of Santa's reindeer) + AX (chopper)

8d   G(AS|B)AGS — GAGS (jokes) containing (about) {AS (impersonating) + B (British)}

14d   C(AN)AL ZONE — CALZONE (Italian dish; folded pizza containing a filling) containing (seen around) AN (one)

16d   MAN|DATING — MAN (husband) preceding (prior to) DATING (social activity)

17d   BO_|DICES — BO (boy mostly; BOY with the final letter deleted) + DICES (cuts up)

18d   WA(GERE)D — WAD (bundle) containing (split by) GERE (Chicago actor; Richard Gere)
Chicago[7] is a 2002 musical film adapted from the satirical stage musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Jazz Age Chicago. The film stars Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
19d   MAR|IN|A|S — MAR (damage) + IN (†) + A (area) + S ('s)

20d   MAT(IS|S)E — {IS (†) + S (struggling initially; first [initial] letter of Struggling)} contained in (taken in by) MATE (partner)
Henri Matisse[5] (1869–1954) was a French painter and sculptor. His use of non-naturalistic colour led him to be regarded as a leader of the Fauvists. His later painting and sculpture displays a trend towards formal simplification and abstraction, and includes large figure compositions and abstracts made from cut-out coloured paper.
22d   TAPIR~ — sounds like (pronounced) TAPER (gradual decrease)
The tapir[5] is a nocturnal hoofed mammal with a stout body, sturdy limbs, and a short flexible proboscis, native to the forests of tropical America and Malaysia.
24d   CHIN|A — CHIN (projecting feature [of the face]) + (on) A (article)
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, December 27, 2013 — DT 27280

Holiday Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27280
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27280]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
pommers
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
- yet to be solved

Introduction

Today, we welcome the return of pommers to the blogger's chair after a long absence.

With family visiting for the holidays, I have not yet had an opportunity to solve this puzzle.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, December 26, 2013 — DT 27279

Holiday Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27279
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27279]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave
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
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Thursday Diversions page in the Friday, December 27, 2013 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

It was thoughtful of the National Post to give us a puzzle to solve on Thursday — too bad they didn't publish it until Friday!

With family visiting for the holidays, you will be seeing a scaled-back version of the blog for the next few days.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 — DT 27278

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27278
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, September 9, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27278]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Christmas Diversions page in the Tuesday, December 24, 2013 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you enjoyed this offering from Rufus as much as I did.

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   Loans saved, can make a move (8)

6a   Where the Ark went fast (6)

A play on two meanings of the word fast[5] — moving at high speed or firmly fixed or attached he made a rope fast to each corner.

Mount Ararat[5] comprises a pair of volcanic peaks in eastern Turkey, near the borders with Armenia and Iran. The higher peak, which rises to 5,165 m (16,946 ft), is the traditional site of the resting place of Noah’s ark after the Flood (Gen. 8:4).

9a   Name for girls and boys, evenly distributed (6)

This is one of those names, like Beverly, which was once a common boy's name but has become almost exclusively a girl's name.

As Libellule states, the solution is "only just an anagram", meaning that one merely needs to displace a single letter.

10a   A compulsory turn-out (8)

11a   Blue tits flying offer something deaf people may appreciate (8)

A tit[Britannica Concise Encyclopedia] is any of several songbirds closely related to the chickadee, including the great tit (Parus major), found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia and the tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), native to North America. These birds are called either "chickadees" or "titmice" in North America, and just "tits" in the rest of the English-speaking world.[7]

The blue tit[5] (Parus caeruleus) is a small tit (songbird) with a blue cap, greenish-blue back, and yellow underparts, widespread in Eurasia and NW Africa.

12a   Cycle  chain? (6)

13a   Change sides (5,2,5)

16a   Today's charge for electricity? (7,5)

As I like to look at it, in some clues, the primary and secondary indication are not definition and wordplay but (as in this clue) definition and elaboration. Thus the primary indication (definition) would be "today's charge" with the secondary indication (elaboration) being "for electricity".

19a   Did not see but heard spray (6)

21a   Legal man shifting on treaty (8)

23a   Suggestive of financial aid in hiring charge (8)

Redolent[10] (followed by of or with) means reminiscent or suggestive (of)   ⇒ a picture redolent of the 18th century.

24a   Manages to rope in live artist (6)

Sir Peter Paul Rubens[5] (1577–1640) was a Flemish painter. The foremost exponent of northern Baroque, he is best known for his portraits and mythological paintings featuring voluptuous female nudes, as in Venus and Adonis (circa 1635).

25a   Also seen in the guise of a dandy (2,4)

Swell[5] is dated slang for a fashionable or stylish person of wealth or high social position ⇒ a crowd of city swells.

26a   Not all there being called into action (8)

Down


2d   Swallow or dove circling over ancient city (6)

Ur[5] is an ancient Sumerian city that formerly existed on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC.

3d   A student's destiny to get grant (5)

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

4d   Force prisoners to take exercise (9)

5d   Pins inserted into joints (7)

... on a barbeque, perhaps.

6d   Unfortunately one is taken in by it (5)

This is a semi & lit. (semi-all-in-one) clue. The entire clue serves as the definition while the first portion of the clue forms the wordplay.

7d   Appearing every second (9)

8d   Particularly  the highest (5,3)

13d   An all-star cast? (9)

An astrologer is said to cast[5] a horoscope.

14d   Possibly terrorise a noisy carouser (9)

15d   Work  shop? (8)

17d   Formed a queue at the back (7)

Plait[3,4,11] is not a word that I would ever use, preferring the word braid instead. The pronunciation of the word differs markedly between Britain (plat, rhyming with flat) and North America (plate).

In the surface reading, we are expected to interpret queue[5] in the chiefly British sense of  a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed. However, in the cryptic analysis we must recognize that queue is an archaic name for a plait of hair worn at the back.

18d   Irishman goes to church for spiritual guidance (6)

The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

20d   Stay and brood (5)

In Scottish dialect (as well as South African dialect), stay[5] means to live permanently where do you stay?. In the Scottish lowlands (in particular), "stay" would be a synonym for "dwell", whereas in most places it would merely indicate a sojourn.

22d   Hood and sash worn in Royal Navy (5)

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

Robin Hood[5] was a semi-legendary English medieval outlaw, reputed to have robbed the rich and helped the poor. Although he is generally associated with Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, it seems likely that the real Robin Hood operated in Yorkshire in the early 13th century.
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, December 24, 2013

Tuesday, December 24, 2013 — DT 27277

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27277
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27277 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27277 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave  (Hints)
gnomethang (Review)
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
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.

Introduction

Cephas serves up an enjoyable puzzle with a couple of clues for Canadian solvers.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all readers a very Merry Christmas.

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   Scoffed after material's seen as fake (9)

9a   Banality cut short by revolutionary (6)

Che Guevara[7] (1928 – 1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.

10a   Complain before coming in to get building work (9)

11a   Popular commander of French using secret language (2,4)

The abbreviation CO[5] stands for Commanding Officer.

In French, de[8] is a preposition meaning of'.

12a   Battles shown in colour in middle of night, providing satisfaction (9)

A war, of course, would usually include many battles — a fact that the setter has incorporated into the wording of the clue.

13a   Not often models will be in disarray (6)

17a   Old bird from Missouri with a following (3)

MO[5] is the official postal abbreviation for Missouri.

19a   Crumble onion cube on meal on rare occasions (4,2,1,4,4)

20a   Length of history fellow traveller has written out twice (3)

The ell[5] is a former measure of length (equivalent to six hand breadths) used mainly for textiles, locally variable but typically about 45 inches in England and 37 inches in Scotland.

21a   Champ's moment of truth (6)

25a   Keeping members apart, answer's to adopt a non-committal attitude (9)

As has become the custom, the hyphen has been transformed into a question mark in the National Post.

26a   Clothes that are not worn out? (6)

I saw the intent of the clue, but thought of BRIEFS and SHORTS long before uncovering the correct undergarments.

27a   Wrong thing designed, not right it's worn in bed (9)

28a   View prison, one might say it's worth a look (6)

Nick[5] is British slang for (1) a prison ⇒ he’ll end up in the nick for the rest of his life or (2) a police station ⇒ he was being fingerprinted in the nick.

29a   Out racing around battlefield (9)

The Battle of Agincourt[5] was a battle in northern France in 1415 during the Hundred Years War, in which the English under Henry V defeated a large French army. The victory, achieved largely by use of the longbow, allowed Henry to occupy Normandy.

Down


2d   Come to an Irish funeral party held inside (6)

3d   What to do to end the act? (6)

No, not that act!

4d   Is the woman able to land across the water? (6)

... from a British perspective!

5d   Sad lot's noting sober religious behaviour from 4 Down (7,8)

The Toronto Blessing[5], a term coined by British newspapers, describes the revival and resulting phenomena that began in January 1994 at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church, now the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF), a neocharismatic evangelical Christian church located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Participants in the conferences and meetings sponsored by TACF have reported healings, incidents of personal transformation and a greater awareness of God's love.

6d   Joiner in Rose's place is restricted in vision (9)

In the surface reading, joiner[5] may have been intended by the setter in the chiefly British sense of a person who constructs the wooden components of a building, such as stairs, doors, and door and window frames bricklayers and joiners are needed to convert derelict properties.

7d   Agreement needed by one playing instrument (9)

8d   Edward keeps some harmful creatures. Not to worry! (5,4)

14d   Hundred going the right way for assembly (9)

Concourse[5] is a formal term for a crowd or assembly of people a vast concourse of onlookers.

15d   Not the underclothes to be removed -- rascal! (9)

As an anagram indicator, remove[5] is used in the dated sense of to change one’s home or place of residence by moving to (another place) he removed to Wales and began afresh.

16d   Socialist record to the fore, it can amount to disgrace (9)

17d   Miss West moaned at regular intervals (3)

Mary Jane West[7] (1893–1980), known as Mae West, was an American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades.

Known for her bawdy double entendres, West made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in New York before moving to Hollywood. One of the more controversial movie stars of her day, West encountered many problems, including censorship. Asked about the various efforts to impede her career, West said, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it."

18d   A couple of lines, that's everything (3)

22d   Harp on about unfortunate youngster (6)

23d   Scored slowly (6)

Adagio[5] is a musical term that (1) as an adjective or adverb is used (especially as a direction) to denote in slow time and (2) as a noun to mean a movement, passage, or composition marked to be performed adagio.

24d   Angry look from head of gardeners and inferior (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