Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 — DT 27103

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27103
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27103 - hints]
 Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27103 - review]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave (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

Introduction

Since crypticsue has a great deal more solving experience than I (she seems to solve as many puzzles in a day as I do in a week — and has been at it for many more years than I have), she naturally found many more "old chestnuts" than did I. Nevertheless, even I recognized the faces of many old friends in the crowd.

The puzzle being a Saturday prize puzzle in the UK, we have two postings related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — a day of publication posting containing hints to selected clues (and most of the comments from British solvers) and a post contest closing date review.

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   How ladies rode interests designated driver taken in drink (10)

In the cryptic reading, interests[5] is used in the sense of a group or organization having a common concern, especially in politics or business food interests in Scotland must continue to invest. The abbreviation DD[5] for "designated driver" is apparently common enough to make the dictionary ⇒ I’m the DD tonight.

6a   Experts regularly cut out pancreas (4)

9a   One revolting bachelor in dance (5)

Chambers lists B[2] as an abbreviation for Bachelor. I suspect that this may be in the sense of an academic degree, although one would normally expect to see it used only in combination with an indication of the field in which the degree was awarded (BA, BS, BSc, etc.).

10a   Limit Tory's retinue (9)

12a   Walk clumsily after boot's last seen in garbage (7)

Garbage[5] is used here in the sense of worthless or meaningless material or ideas.

13a   Bucket containing small aromatic plant (5)

15a   What could produce fir cone (7)

This is a true & lit. (all-in-one) clue. The entire clue, when read one way, is the definition and, when read a second way, is the wordplay.

17a   Noblewoman of the French moving kings, queens, etc (7)

In French, the word combination de (of) and le (the) is contracted to du.

19a   Excuse put forward before modern communications method (7)

Both Big Dave and crypticsue saw the definition as being "excuse put forward". That also happened to be my initial thought. However, it later occurred to me that the definition could simply be "excuse" and that the wordplay might be start with (put forward; begin the word with) PRE (before) + TEXT (modern communication method). I think that a cogent argument could well be made for either interpretation.

21a   Religious follower, a saint captivated by John Paul II perhaps (7)

John Paul II[7] (1920 – 2005), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the second-longest serving Pope in history and the first non-Italian since 1523. John Paul II was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. He is credited with helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe.

22a   Top awards left in gallery (5)

The gods[5] is an informal term for the gallery[5] (the highest balcony in a theatre, containing the cheapest seatsthey sat in the gods.

24a   In the style of President neglecting first state (7)

Barack Obama[5] is the 44th and current President of the United States.

27a   Hear a word broadcast as a tip for The Archers (9)

In the cryptic reading, one must ignore the misleading capitalization of The Archers. In the surface reading, the clue alludes to The Archers[7], a long-running British radio soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting". With over 17,000 episodes, it is both the world's longest-running radio soap opera and, since the cancellation of the American soap opera Guiding Light in September 2009, the world's longest-running soap opera in any format.

28a   Young creature found in pool (5)

29a   Plunder  alcoholic drink (4)

Sack[5] is a historical term for a dry white wine formerly imported into Britain from Spain and the Canaries.

30a   Contribution to argument from page -- won't Henry get upset (10)

In the UK, one's pennyworth[5] is a person’s contribution to a discussion Bob would have to put his two pennyworth in first. The expression seems to have a less negative connotation than the North American expression two cents (or two cents' worth)[5] which means an unsolicited opinion Mom got her two cents in.

Down


1d   Chap perhaps giving rise to Love (4)

2d   Posh girl's English yet enthralled by Italian poet (9)

Dante[5] (1265 – 1321), full name Dante Alighieri, was an Italian poet. His reputation rests chiefly on The Divine Comedy (circa 1309–20), an epic poem describing his spiritual journey through Hell and Purgatory and finally to Paradise. His love for Beatrice Portinari is described in Vita nuova (circa 1290-4).

3d   South American sex appeal envelops line dance (5)

SA[5] is an abbreviation for sex appeal (characterised by Oxford as an informal, dated usage).

4d   After end of year, old communist upset GCHQ worker perhaps (7)

In the UK, the acronym GCHQ[5] stands for Government Communications Headquarters[5], a British intelligence agency responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance to the UK government and armed forces.

5d   Diesel manufactured including new source of oil (7)

7d   Charles keeps nothing in disorderly state (5)

8d   Aids to anonymity for celebrated girls (10)

11d   Early explorer of America brought back to company -- this? (7)

John Cabot[5] is the anglicized name of Giovanni Caboto (circa 1450-circa 1498), an Italian explorer and navigator who sailed from Bristol, England in 1497 in search of Asia, but in fact landed on the mainland of North America, the first European to do so.

14d   Limit self-confidence in school tests -- they take the blame (10)

National Curriculum assessments[7] are a series of educational assessments, colloquially known as Sats or SATs, used to assess the attainment of children attending maintained schools in England. They comprise a mixture of teacher-led and test-based assessment depending on the age of the pupils. While the term SAT supposedly comes from the term Standard Assessment Tasks, it is popularly believed to be an acronym for a variety of other terms (Statutory Assessment Tests, Standard Attainment Tests, Standardised Achievement Tests and Standard Assessment Tests).

This is not to be confused with the US SAT[7], a standardized test to assess a student's readiness for college. It was first introduced in 1926, and its name and scoring have changed several times. It was first called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test.

16d   Fine good-for-nothing comes up with delicate tool (7)

A fretsaw[5] is a saw with a narrow blade stretched vertically on a frame, for cutting thin wood in patterns.

18d   Fan of old farm vehicle (9)

20d   Net to provide security from sound circus apparatus (7)

21d   Leave a group of musicians playing (7)

23d   Some profoundly rich piece of poetry (5)

25d   Not level like famous gardens (5)

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens[5], are a major botanical institution located at Kew, in London, England.

26d   Monstrous yarn that's historical originally? (4)

This is another true & lit. clue (see comment at 15a).
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, April 29, 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013 — DT 27102

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27102
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, February 15, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27102]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
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

Seeing that Gazza awarded this puzzle four stars for difficulty, I feel pretty good about only needing to call in my electronic assistants to help on the last couple of clues — although I did need to look to his review for an explanation of the finer points of a couple of clues.

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   Company's head of marketing, in place, working, and toeing the line (10)

6a   Device that may use electricity (50A) (4)

Wow, drawing 50 amps — that's a 6000 watt light fixture!

9a   Wants to be anything but diligent, start to finish (5)

10a   Pleasant old jokes that may be dished up (9)

12a   Scottish location could get tribe rehoused after abandonment (5,8)

The Hebrides[5] is a group of about 500 islands off the NW coast of Scotland. The Inner Hebrides include the islands of Skye, Mull, Jura, Islay, Iona, Coll, Eigg, Rhum, Staffa, and Tiree. A channel known as the Little Minch separates this group from the Outer Hebrides, which include the islands of Lewis and Harris, North and South Uist, Benbecula, Barra, and the isolated St Kilda group.

I suspect that the anagram indicator — "abandonment" — may be a whimsical cryptic crossword invention derived from abandon[5] 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.

14a   Be in place with English man of the people (8)

15a   What was requested by Solomon or Norman? (6)

Sir Norman Wisdom[7] (1915 – 2010) was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin. Some of his later appearances included roles in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street. He retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health deteriorated.

As recorded in the Bible, Solomon[7] was a king of Israel and the son of King David. One of the qualities most ascribed to Solomon is his wisdom. The book of 1 Kings recounts how Solomon prays for wisdom:
"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad".

"So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked...'"
17a   First indication of licentiousness, one having yearning to eat fruit (6)

19a   This resort's British? Absolutely correct! (8)

Brighton[5] is a resort on the south coast of England, in East Sussex; population 127,700 (est. 2009). It was patronized by the Prince of Wales (later George IV) from circa 1780 to 1827, and is noted for its Regency architecture. It became a city (with Hove) in 2000.

21a   Thought and study at place of worship cut short at one -- no turning back (13)

Con[5] is an archaic term meaning to study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing) the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry.

24a   Drug that should be deeper in somehow hard to inject (9)

H[5] is the abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

25a   Restraint that may pose problem for top man on board (5)

26a   Buss? She didn't want one! (4)

The solution seemed obvious — but certainly not the wordplay. I thought maybe the wordplay was intended to mean that "she" didn't want merely one kiss — she wanted more than one. This led me to a song which was a major hit near the end of World War II, "It's Been a Long, Long Time"[7] which begins "Kiss me once, then kiss me twice / Then kiss me once again. / It's been a long, long time." However, the connection to "she" definitely seemed rather tenuous, to say the least.

As it turns out, the reference is to a British schoolmarm named Frances Buss who apparently disliked kissing. Frances Buss[7] (1827 – 1894) was a headmistress and an English pioneer of women's education. A satirical rhyme referring to her and the headmistress of another English ladies college, Dorothea Beale[7], comments on their unmarried state as follows:
Miss Buss and Miss Beale,
Cupid's darts do not feel.
How different from us,
Miss Beale and Miss Buss.
27a   Irritating notelets sent out by this writer (10)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as compiler, setter, author, or writer to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must usually substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used  in the clue.

Down


1d   Dead fish in lake? Quite the opposite (4)

2d   Bug to remain attached to top half of mike (7)

"Be" meaning remain as in the phrase "let it be".

3d   Get in difficulty with yarn, one way or another (4,3,6)

While it is true that the first part of the clue provides the definition, the second part tells us that we must interpret the first part in two different manners.

4d   European and American in a train slightly confused (8)

5d   Page in Indian paper (5)

7d   'Missed nothing' -- that's admitted by keen journalist (7)

8d   What could be provided by nine thumps? Six, classically! (10)

In this instance, I deciphered the wordplay but failed to understand the definition ("Six, classically!").
Six of the best[5] is a chiefly historical or humorous British expression referring to a caning as a punishment, traditionally with six strokes of the cane one prefect would hold you down and the other would give you six of the best.

11d   The smallest possible round trip (7,6)

13d   Computer facility offering some magic pattern of lines (10)

16d   Golden title put on books for decoration (8)

 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.

18d   Fish in ditches, not river (7)

The tench[5] is a European freshwater fish (Tinca tinca) of the carp family, popular with anglers and widely introduced elsewhere.

20d   Brown jelly-like substance on round fruit (7)

22d   Personal dignity of 'catty' group (5)

23d   Island broadcaster audibly received (4)

Skye is a mountainous island of the Inner Hebrides (see 12a), now linked to the west coast of Scotland by a bridge; chief town, Portree. It is the largest and most northerly island of the group. Sky[7] is the brand name for a digital satellite television and radio service provided in the UK and Republic of Ireland by British Sky Broadcasting Group plc.
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, April 27, 2013

Saturday, April 27, 2013 — Turning the Calendar

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, is certainly very appropriate to the season — midway through it, the setters turn the page of the calendar from April to May.








Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   S(A)WHORSE — anagram (scattered) of SHOWERS containing (around) A (beginning [first letter] of April)

5a   T(R)OPIC — TOPIC (subject) containing (including) R (red)

10a   TYPE|E — TYPE (print) + E (excellent; mark on an academic assignment or exam)
Typee[7] (1846; in full: Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life) is American writer Herman Melville's first book, a classic in the literature of travel and adventure partly based on his actual experiences as a captive on the island Nuku Hiva (which Melville spelled as Nukuheva) in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands, in 1842. The title comes from the name of a valley there called Tai Pi Vai. It was Melville's most popular work during his lifetime, but made him notorious as the "man who lived among the cannibals." For 19th century readers, his career seemed to decline afterward, but during the early 20th century it was seen as the beginning of a career that peaked with Moby-Dick (1851).
11a   _RAINSTORM — [B]RAINSTORM (great idea) with the first letter deleted (after the first; the portion of the word after the first letter)

12a   PIT S|TOP — PITS (Stones; likely in reference to the English rock band The Rolling Stones[7]) + TOP (foremost)

13a   {PAY DIRT}*_ — anagram (altered) of DAY TRIP

14a   DEMONSTRATOR* — anagram (wrongly) of TERMS TORNADO
A very different kind of "shower".
19a   FORGE|T-(ME-N)OTS — FORGE (make) + {MEN (guys) contained in (into) TOTS (babies)}

22a   TEN(AN)TS — TENTS (primitive shelters) containing (housing) AN (one)
In the cryptic reading, the 's is read as a contraction of is (a link word between the wordplay and definition).
24a   V(A|CC)INE — VINE (climber) containing (swallows) {A (†) + CC (small amount of liquid; cubic centimetre}

25a   MOS|S PINKS — MOS (months) + (before) SPINKS (boxer Leon; American boxer Leon Spinks[7])

26a   L|ET ON — L (Liberal) + ETON (British school)
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].
27a   SUPPLY — double definition; "provide" & "in a flexible [supple] way"

28a   PR|I(M)ROSE_ — {PR (pair) + I ([Roman numeral for] one) + ROSE (came up)} containing (around) M (start [first letter] of May)

Down


1d   S(IT)-UPS — IT (the animal) contained in (inside) SUPS (eats)

2d   _WA|PITI_ — hidden in (in) OttaWA PITIed

3d   OVER T|HERE — OVERT (open) + HERE (present)

4d   STROP< — reversal of (from the East) PORTS (fortified wines)
This being a down clue, should the clue not have specified "from the south" as the reversal indicator?
6d   R|A|SPY — {A (†) + SPY (secret agent)} following (behind) R (restricted; film classification)

7d   P(LOW) INTO — PINTO (spotted pony) containing (circling) LOW (mean)

8d   C(OMET*)ARY — CARY (Grant; English-born American actor Cary Grant[7] (1904 – 1986)) containing (includes) anagram (new) of TOME

9d   DIAPASON* — anagram (playing) of SAD PIANO

15d   O|SMO(SIN)G — SIN (stray) contained in (inside) {O (ring) + (with) SMOG (hazardous vapour)}

16d   RETICULUM* — anagram (unfortunately) of RULE IM CUT

17d   OFTTIMES* — anagram (misplaced) of SOFT ITEM

18d   C(RANKS) UP — CUP (vessel) containing (†) RANKS (enlisted personnel)

20d   G(I)OT|TO — GOT TO (bothered) containing (about) I ([Roman numeral for] one)
Giotto di Bondone[7] (1266/7 – 1337), better known simply as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.
21d   SEANCE* — anagram (affected) of A SCENE

23d   NEPAL* — anagram (flying around) of PLANE

24d   V|IS|OR — V (violet) + IS (†) + OR (alternative)
Something to shade your eyes from the light.
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, April 26, 2013

Friday, April 26, 2013 — DT 27101

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27101
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Setter
Petitjean (John Pidgeon)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27101]
Big Dave's Review Written By
pommers
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

It would certainly be germane to note that today's puzzle appeared in The Daily Telegraph on February 14, 2013 (Valentine's Day).

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   You may get the point of this today (6,5)

7a   Some gigolo! Nerdy one with no friends (5)

8a   Tricky task: sell a pitch (5,4)

10a   Head of the Arts replaced by very predatory creature (7)

11a   Minute outwardly powerless muscles (7)

12a   Popular place for mosaic perhaps (5)

Like pommers, I also toyed with SET for "place".

13a   Dodgy poseur embracing her is fantasy figure (9)

16a   City and church make public transport available for invalids (4,5)

A bath chair[5] is a dated term referring to a kind of wheelchair for invalids, typically with a hood. It is
named after the city of Bath[5], which attracted many invalids because of the supposed curative powers of its hot springs.

18a   Drinks and sandwiches (5)

In Britain, round[5] means (1) a slice of bread two rounds of toast; or (2) the quantity of sandwiches made from two slices of bread.

19a   I'm left in show which is endless graft (7)

To explain pommers' comment, in Britain graft[5] may mean (as a noun) hard work success came after years of hard graft and (as a verb) to work hard I need people prepared to go out and graft.

22a   Stuff with taleggio -- originally a fine cheese (7)

My first reaction was that this clue must surely take the award for the vaguest definition ever perpetrated on solvers. However, The Chambers Dictionary defines stuff[1] as cloth, especially woolen. Whether this is the same thing as taffeta, you be the judge.

Taleggio[5] is a type of soft Italian cheese made from cow’s milk — named after the Taleggio valley in Lombardy.

23a   Break up most of dismal coal while it glows (9)

Again I followed in pommers' footsteps, initially thinking that "most of" would signify all but the last letter.

24a   Crush in a party (5)

25a   Unlikely mature crone will provide you with ideal relationship (4,7)

Down


1d   Hundred and fifty select few endlessly bathed in a warm glow (9)

2d   Exercise right before panel to give false evidence (7)

The exercise in question would be a Physical Education (PE)[5] class.

3d   What are the odds of dryish fizzy drink leading to a tummy ache? (9)

Dyspepsia[4] is indigestion or upset stomach.

4d   Start off voting dole out (5)

5d   Following run on icy surface winter sports enthusiast is more reckless (7)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation R[5] indicates run(s).

6d   Wind you and I have commonly (5)

The wordplay is WE (you and I) + AVE (a common way to pronounce "have" — especially in the East End of London (home of the Cockneys).

7d   Nothing's on screen that Shakespeare wrote (4,2,5)

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.

The phrase in the solution comes from William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, a snippet of which pommers quotes in his review.

9d   Recipe for disaster in affectionate gesture by horseman? (4,2,5)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse[5] are four allegorical mounted figures, commonly identified as Pestilence (or Conquest), War, Famine, and Death, whose arrival heralds the end of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation. The term is used to refer to people or phenomena seen as agents of imminent catastrophe in 2003, the airline industry survived the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

14d   Bonfire temperature's hot beside unusual chrysanth (9)

Chrysanth[5] is an informal British term for a cultivated chrysanthemum. Pyrethrum is an aromatic plant (genus Tanacetum — but formerly Chrysanthemum or Pyrethrum)) of the daisy family, typically having feathery foliage and brightly coloured flowers. There are several species, in particular T. coccineum, grown as an ornamental, and T. cinerariifolium, grown as a source of the insecticide pyrethrum.

15d   Count out and pay with small change and no tip (9)

17d   Talk English at the French country house in the Dordogne? (7)

In French, the word combination à (at) and le (the) is contracted to au[5].

Dordogne[7] is a department in southwestern France. The department is located in the region of Aquitaine between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees. and is named after the great Dordogne river that runs through it.

18d   Give up  burden (7)

Burden[5] is an archaic term meaning the refrain or chorus of a song.

20d   Claim some characters in Donizetti's opera are contrary (5)

Gaetano Donizetti[5] (1797 – 1848) was an Italian composer. His operas include tragedies such as Lucia di Lammermoor (1835) and comedies such as Don Pasquale (1843).

21d   Underground root's original potato maybe (5)

The Tube[5] (British trademark) is (1) the underground railway system in London, England a cross-London trek on the Tube or (2) a train running on the Tube I caught the tube home. In Britain, underground[5] (often the Underground) means an underground railway, especially the one in London travel chaos on the Underground.
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

Thursday, April 25, 2013 — DT 27100

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27100
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27100]
Big Dave's Review Written By
scchua
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

Today, Jay delivers his usual entertaining puzzle.


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


7a   Something to wear two times? (7)

I had interpreted the clue merely as a cryptic definition — which I believe it is. However, it can also be interpreted as a standard cryptic clue with the definition being "something to wear" and the wordplay being DOUBLE T (two times or TT).

8a   Going without a bite after onset of fever (7)

I have no idea why scchua states that "“bite” does double duty here". Perhaps he originally had the definition as being "going without a bite", then neglected to remove his comment after revising his definition.

10a   Drew in less developed area of desolation (10)

11a   Slow very nearly becomes fast (4)

In music, lento[5] is a direction meaning slow or slowly.

12a   Oppose working during cold weather feature (8)

14a   Acquired rights, finally, on popular bars (6)

15a   Potentially make a profit from Roman gear pinched by substitute (5,2,4)

19a   Leave day before tree's destroyed (6)

20a   Do better than bodyguard for criminal overloaded with executive staff (3-5)

22a   Beer bellies may give you piles (4)

23a   Honest sailor loves naked company administrators (5-5)

25a   Coppers must welcome a new act of atonement (7)

In Britain, pence[5] is a plural form of penny. Oxford advises that both pence and pennies have existed as plural forms of penny since at least the 16th century. The two forms now tend to be used for different purposes: pence refers to sums of money (five pounds and sixty-nine pence) while pennies refers to the coins themselves (I left two pennies on the table).

26a   Collects people who stump up to cross river (7)

In church use, a collect[5] is a short prayer, especially one assigned to a particular day or season.

In Britain, to stump something up[5] is to pay a sum of money a buyer would have to stump up at least £8.5 million for the site.

Down


1d   Keep tabs on  screen (7)

Sometimes, it seems that one cannot see a solution even though it is staring one square in the eyes. I certainly felt rather dumb when my wordfinder software presented the one word which fit the checking letters. Where was the word displayed — why, on the screen of my computer, of course!

2d   A posh young lady once returned to get tucked up (4)

Tuck someone up[5] is another way of saying tuck someone in (put someone to bed).

3d   Eccentric wanting party underneath waterfall (6)

It would seem to be a bit of a stretch to define a weir as a waterfall. A weir[5] is a a low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow.

4d   Annoying hospital, wanting a second dressing for arm (8)

5d   Get atlas out crossing motorway, seeing pillar pointing up (10)

The M1[7] is a north–south motorway [controlled access, multilane divided highway] in England connecting London to Leeds.

6d   One refusal covers idiot's vacuity (7)

Nit[5] is British slang for a foolish person you stupid nit!

9d   Amends made for poverty, with right to replace leader (11)

13d   Time of year for pastime requiring punctuation and space? (7,3)

Insert an apostrophe (punctuation) and a space into "pastime" to make pa's time.

16d   Teachers incubate bird (8)

The National Union of Teachers (NUT)[7] is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

17d   The lower socioeconomic groups took part in election, getting committed (7)

This clue is based on the NRS social grades[7], a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom. The categories were originally developed by the National Readership Survey to classify readers, but are now used by many other organisations for wider applications and have become a standard for market research. They were developed over 50 years ago and achieved widespread usage in 20th Century Britain. The classifications, which are based on the occupation of the head of the household, are shown in the following table.

Grade Social class Chief income earner's occupation
A upper middle class Higher managerial, administrative or professional
B middle class Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1 lower middle class Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional
C2 skilled working class Skilled manual workers
D working class Semi and unskilled manual workers
E Those at the lowest levels of subsistence Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the welfare state for their income

18d   Done 'urt by method of delivery? (7)

In Britain, overarm[5] can be used as either an adjective or adverb to indicate that a throw or a stroke with a racket is made with the hand or arm passing above the level of the shoulder (i) [as adjective] the bowler was happy to demonstrate his overarm technique; (ii) [as adverb] competitors can throw overarm or underarm. The counterpart to this term in North America is overhand[5].

21d   Wordsworth lines? Yes (6)

William Wordsworth[5] (1770 – 1850) was an English poet. Much of his work was inspired by the Lake District. His Lyrical Ballads (1798), which was composed with Coleridge and included ‘Tintern Abbey’, was a landmark in romanticism. Other notable poems: ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ (sonnet, 1815) and The Prelude (1850). He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1843.

24d   Love city and kiss stone! (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.
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

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 — DT 27099

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27099
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27099]
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

Today, we have a rather gentle offering from a mystery setter.

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   Scoundrel with gag (6)

5a   Mother brought in slab on which a plate rests (5,3)

9a   Keith, appearing in 'Loot' with me, is cast in a film (4,4,2,3)

Some Like It Hot[7] is an American romantic screwball comedy film released in 1959 which was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and George Raft.

10a   Stumped by corset? There's a surprise! (6,2)

In cricket, to stump[5,10] a batsman means that a fielder, especially a wicketkeeper, dismisses a batsman by dislodging the bails of the wicket with the ball while the batsman is out of the crease but not running. On cricket scorecards, this act is indicated by the abbreviation st[5] meaning stumped by.

A roll-on[7] is a woman's foundation garment, made of elasticized material and having no fastenings.

Stroll on![2] is an [apparently British] exclamation of surprise, disbelief, etc.

11a   Article by a member on small boat (6)

In many Commonwealth countries (including Britain and Canada), a member of the House of Commons or similar legislative body is known as a Member of Parliament[10] (or MP[5] for short).

12a   Heated chow? (3,3)

14a   Right of way coming from convent across it (8)

16a   Title spelled backwards with wrong date, it's emerged (8)

19a   A fund in hand for swimming maybe (6)

21a   Fruit -- round variety (6)

23a   Sponger ruined pair's tea (8)

25a   Continue a poem translated years ago (4,4,1,4)

26a   A banker's intoxicated state (8)

27a   Student, at first, reportedly reserved in group (6)

Down


2d   Rice dish recipe for starters -- it's too complicated (7)

3d   Speed discovered during post-mortem, possibly (5)

4d   Shakespearean prince fleeing in the gloaming (4-5)

Prince Hal is a name by which Henry, the Prince of Wales (the future King Henry V) is known in William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1[7] and Henry IV, Part 2[7].

5d   Started to study at college around North (5,2)

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

6d   Composer in seventh heaven (5)

Sir Arthur Bliss[7] (1891 – 1975) was an English composer and conductor.

7d   Power held by male here, surprisingly short-lived (9)

8d   Draw Turk's head in a pamphlet (7)

A Turk's head[5] is an ornamental knot resembling a turban in shape, made in the end of a rope to form a stopper.

13d   Rail fare may be put away here (6-3)

15d   Rain's rare for resort, but overdue (2,7)

17d   Hurt, depressed English dramatist (7)

Christopher Marlowe[7] (1564 – 1593) was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day. He greatly influenced William Shakespeare, who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe's mysterious early death.

18d   First secretary perhaps losing little time finding official document (7)

First Secretary[7] is the senior diplomatic rank at the officer level.

20d   Style of interior design having red coat applied (3,4)

22d   Horse-play? (5)

Equus[7] is a play by English playwright Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses.

24d   Son's desire to be smart (5)

Swish[5] is British slang meaning impressively smart and fashionable dinner at a swish hotel.
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