Saturday, June 29, 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013 — Olio

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, we seem to get a little bit of everything thrown into the pot — with no clear theme that I have been able to discern. Perhaps an eagle-eyed reader will be able to find a common thread.

Finally, you may be pleased to see that last week's puzzle and its solution have now been posted at Saturday, June 22, 2013 - Seeing Stars.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   B(RAIN S)URGEON — BURGEON (flower) containing (fed by) RAINS (showers)

10a   A|R|C LAMP — A (†) + R (red) CLAMP (fastener)

11a   F(EVER)ED — FED (G-man) containing (keeps) EVER (continually)
In the US, G-man[3,4,11] is an informal term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and fed[3,4,11] is slang for a federal official or law-enforcement officer — in particular, an agent of the FBI.
12a   G(A|ME W)ARDEN — GARDEN (†) containing (suppressing) {A (†) + MEW (catcall)}

13a   OGRE< — reversal (backward) of ERGO (so)
Shrek![7] is a picture book written and illustrated in 1990 by American writer William Steig (1907 – 2003) about a young ogre who finds the ogre of his dreams when he leaves home to see the world. The book served as the basis for the popular Shrek film series.
15a   _VISH|NU_ — hidden in (embraces) derVISH NUttily
In Hinduism, Vishnu[5] is a god, originally a minor Vedic god, now regarded by his worshippers as the supreme deity and saviour, by others as the preserver of the cosmos in a triad with Brahma and Shiva. Vishnu is considered by Hindus to have had nine earthly incarnations or avatars, including Rama, Krishna, and the historical Buddha; the tenth avatar will herald the end of the world.
16a   TUR(A)N|DOT — {TURN (reverse) + DOT (point)} containing (about) A (†)
Turandot[7] is an opera in three acts by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924). The opera was unfinished at the time of Puccini's death in 1924 and was completed by fellow Italian composer Franco Alfano (1875 – 1954) in 1926.
19a   RO(W HO)USE — ROUSE (get agitated) containing (about) WHO (†)

21a   {ONE-TWO}~ — sounds like (we hear) {WON (was successful) + TOO (also)}

24a   TAIL~ — sounds like (recited) TALE (story)

25a   FOREST(ALL)S — ALL (everything) contained in (in) FORESTS (woodlands)

27a   PEG|A|S|US — PEG (identify) + A (†) + S (southern) + US (U.S.)
In Greek mythology, Pegasus[5] was a winged horse which sprang from the blood of Medusa when Perseus cut off her head.
28a   I RE|SIGN — IRE (anger) + (with) SIGN (gesture)

29a   {SERIAL RIGHTS}~ — sounds like (discussed) {CEREAL (grain) + RITES (ceremonies)}

Down


2d   {REAR WINDOW}* — anagram (amok) of WIDOWER RAN
Rear Window[7] is a 1954 American suspense film directed by English film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980).
3d   IMP|ART — ART (paintings) produced by IMPS (rascals) would be IMP ART (what rascals paint)

4d   SOFTEN UP — anagram (spoiled) of POETS FUN

5d   R|AVE — R (Republican) + AVE (greeting)

6d   ENRAGED* — anagram (terribly) of ANGERED
This is an & lit. (all-in-one) clue in which the entire clue is both the definition (when read one way) and the wordplay (when read a second way).
7d   NUD(G)E — NUDE (painter's model) containing (receives) G (good)

8d   HAN(G)OVER — HANOVER (British royal family) containing (inherits) G (general; film classification)
The House of Hanover[5] was the British royal house from 1714 to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
9d   SCAM(P)S — P (chief of police; first letter of Police) contained in (amid) SCAMS (cons)

14d   {MAIN STREET}* — anagram (badly) of TERMINATES
Main Street: The Story of Carol Kennicott[7] is a satirical novel by American writer Sinclair Lewis (1885 – 1951) that was published in 1920.
17d   THOU|SAND — THOU ([archaic form of] you) + SAND (employ grit on)

18d   ESPOUSER* — anagram (new) of PROSE USE

20d   W|RINGER — W (with) + RINGER (bell)

22d   TILSIT* — anagram (misprinted) LIST IT
Tilsit[5] is a semi-hard mild cheese, named after the town in East Prussia (now Sovetsk, Russia) where it was first produced.
23d   HE|WING — HE (male) + WING (hockey position)

24d   TAP(A)S — TAPS (dances) containing (around) A (†)

26d   _OSS|A_ — hidden in (spanning) acrOSS Asia
Mount Ossa[5] is a mountain in Thessaly, NE Greece, south of Mount Olympus, rising to a height of 1,978 m (6,489 ft). In Greek mythology the giants were said to have piled Mount Ossa on to Mount Pelion, and vice versa, in an attempt to reach heaven and destroy the gods.
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, June 28, 2013

Friday, June 28, 2013 — DT 27146

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27146
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, April 8, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27146]
Big Dave's 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

Introduction

This puzzle is unmistakeably the work of Rufus. Personally, I would give it four stars for enjoyment — but maybe my delight reflects the fact that I have been deprived of my daily crossword fix for much of the past month.

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 a top actor went over as Romeo? (4-7)

The adjective star-crossed[5] is a literary term meaning thwarted by bad luck star-crossed lovers. The term was first used by William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet (1597).

9a   Deviation from normal unusually rare? Can be (9)

10a   Calculator  that slides? (5)

This would seem to be a cryptic definition that might also be seen as a double definition — where the two definitions are "calculator" and "(something) that slides".

11a   Stolen gun and car (3,3)

12a   Dish for a Scotsman? Girl returns with one (8)

For a change, today's Scotsman is not named Ian. Nora Batty (whom Libellule uses as an example in his hint) is a character from the long-running (1973-2010) British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine[7]. The series was set and filmed in and around the West Yorkshire town of Holmfirth — a picturesque spot that I had the pleasure of visiting on a recent trip to England.

13a   Society girl rejecting a title? Rubbish! (6)

15a   Exhibit skill with kite perhaps (8)

Kite[5] is an informal and dated British term for an aircraft.

18a   They should be able to identify any salts in a mixture (8)

Although I have indicated a truncated version of the definition, I think one could well consider the entire clue to constitute the definition — thereby making this a semi all-in-one clue.

19a   Union leader caught in female clothing gets imprisonment (6)

21a   Does it get fed up with hunters? (3-5)

23a   Inventor having no team backing (6)

26a   Perfume from far Oman (5)

27a   Share in a growing concern (9)

In Britain, an allotment[5] is a plot of land rented by an individual for growing vegetables or flowers. In North America, such a piece of land would likely be referred to by the expanded version of the name — allotment garden.

28a   Espy otters playing around the point, they have set mannerisms (11)

Down


1d   Mother's in the outhouse, drunk! (7)

2d   Get an organising middleman (5)

3d   Feline killer? (9)

4d   Has improperly won a point (4)

5d   Sequence of events in coarse novel (8)

6d   American lawyer without force or histrionics (5)

In the US, a district attorney[5] is a public official who acts as prosecutor for the state in a particular district.

7d   Keep on being saucy about half-sister (7)

8d   Recommend  someone to take legal action (8)

14d   Underwear packed for one who's smart (8)

In Britain, a very clever person might be referred to informally as a brainbox[5].

16d   The French Revolution (4,1'4)

Coup d'état[5], meaning a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government, is a French phrase that has entered the English language.

17d   In the main it's the cheapest way to travel (8)

The main[5] is an archaic or literary term referring to the open ocean.

18d   Equip group with sign of mourning (7)

20d   They're played, so raising the devil (7)

22d   Gather together for a church service (5)

24d   Little in the odds to make it a popular gamble (5)

A lottery or event such as a horse race in which the stakes of the participants constitute the prize is known in Britain as a sweepstake[4] (short form sweep[4]) and in the US as a sweepstakes[3] (short form sweeps[3]).

25d   Unhappy  university sportsman (4)

In Britain, a blue[5] is a person who has represented Cambridge University (a Cambridge blue) or Oxford University (an Oxford blue) at a particular sport in a match between the two universities a flyweight boxing blue. This usage almost certainly arises from the colours associated with these universities — and hence the colour of the uniforms worn by their athletes. Cambridge blue[5] is a pale blue colour, while Oxford blue[5] is a dark blue, typically with a purple tinge.
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, June 27, 2013

Thursday, June 27, 2013 — DT 27145

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27145
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27145 - hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27145 - review]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave (hints)
crypticsue (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

After nearly a month involving virtually nonstop travel, my life may be returning to something approaching normality. I needed a fair bit of assistance from my electronic helpers today — no doubt an indication that my puzzle solving skills have become rusty through lack of practice.

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   Concealed weapon revealed in argument between two seconds (5-5)

A swordstick[5] is a hollow walking stick containing a blade that can be used as a sword. In addition to the cited entry from Oxford Dictionaries Online, this term is also spelled as a single word in Collins English Dictionary[10] and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary[2]. However, it is hyphenated in The Chambers Dictionary[1].

Tick[3,4] is a chiefly British term meaning a moment.

6a   Novelist's foreign friends (4)

Sir Kingsley Amis[5] (1922 – 1995) was an English novelist who achieved popular success with his first novel Lucky Jim (1954). His later novels include The Old Devils (Booker Prize, 1986) and The Folks that Live on the Hill (1990). His son, Martin Amis[5], is also a novelist whose notable works include The Rachel Papers (1973), Money (1984), and Time’s Arrow (1991).

Ami[8] (plural amis) is the masculine form of the French word meaning 'friend'.

9a   Egg's general character is about right for starter (10)

Should you look in The Chambers Dictionary [and, seemingly, only there], you will find that egg[1] is a slang term for a bomb or mine.

10a   Advertising material mostly making indistinct impression (4)

12a   Loss of power taking heart from scandal (6)

13a   Foreign Office swore to be single-minded (8)

15a   He lent banger, crashing somewhere in East London (7,5)

A banger[3,4] is a noisy, decrepit old car.

Bethnal Green[7] is a district in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Located 3.3 miles (5.3 km) northeast of Charing Cross [considered to be the centre of London], it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney, Middlesex.

18a   Traveller's joy seeing father's to tolerate daughter (3,4,5)

Traveller's joy[5] (also called old man's beard[5]) is a tall scrambling clematis (Clematis vitalba) with small fragrant flowers and tufts of grey hairs around the seeds. Native to Eurasia and North Africa, it grows chiefly on calcareous soils.

21a   Personnel retained by one directing exciting film perhaps (8)

I was unable to find a dictionary reference corroborating crypticsue's assertion that tiller means "someone steering a boat" — as opposed to a mechanism for steering a boat. Thus, I would hazard to say that (in the cryptic reading) we are expected to interpret "one directing" as referring to 'a thing that directs' rather than 'a person who directs' (as is the case in the surface reading).

22a   Good court official is well (6)

An usher[3,4] is one who serves as official doorkeeper, as in a courtroom or legislative chamber.

24a   Liberal award for division (4)

OBE[5] is the abbreviation for Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

The Order of the British Empire[5] is an order of knighthood instituted in 1917 and divided into five classes: Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE), Knight or Dame Commander (KBE/DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE). The two highest classes entail the awarding of a knighthood.

25a   Have a large holding of Grammar School property (10)

26a   Information about lake valley (4)

Gen[5] is British slang for information ⇒ you’ve got more gen on him than we have.

27a   A doctor in the Oval returned casual footwear (10)

The Oval[7], referred to as the Kia Oval due to a commercial sponsorship deal, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club, and also traditionally hosts the final Test match[5] [an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries] of each English summer season in late August or early September.

Down


1d   Bold character in a manuscript held by boy (6)

Samson[5] was an Israelite leader (probably 11th century BC) famous for his strength (Judges 13-16). He fell in love with Delilah and confided to her that his strength lay in his uncut hair. She betrayed him to the Philistines who cut off his hair and blinded him, but his hair grew again, and he pulled down the pillars of a house, destroying himself and a large gathering of Philistines.

2d   Fancy spout round back of urn (6)

3d   Offensive elegies a bard composed (12)

4d   Pie Italian restaurant served up (4)

Trat[1] is a short form [which I could find only listed in The Chambers Dictionary] for trattoria[2], a restaurant, especially an informal one that serves Italian food.

5d   Assembled coven do act, wickedly (10)

Convocate[10] is an archaic term meaning to summon or call together. While in modern usage the more common verbal form would be convoke[10], the nounal form (convocation[10]) continues to be commonly found.

7d   Treacle in large quantities -- see about tucking in (8)

Lo[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

8d   Small nuclear weapon demanding attention (8)

The Trident[5] is a US-designed submarine-launched long-range ballistic missile. British Vanguard class submarines are armed with Trident missiles purchased from the US but equipped with British-built warheads.

11d   Confusion of Cameron's advice on petty criminals in speech? (6-6)

In British English, hugger-mugger[5] may be used as an adjective meaning confused or disorderly a spirit of careless frivolity where all was hugger-mugger or as an noun denoting disorder or confusion the vast hugger-mugger of alleys. Brits would pronounce this term somewhat like 'huggah-muggah' which sounds very similar to the way they would say 'hug a mugger'. Presumably, the clue is intimating that British Prime Minister David Cameron[5] is soft on crime.

The clue alludes to the apparently widely held belief in the UK that Cameron (prior to becoming Prime Minister) said in a speech that Brits should "hug-a-hoodie" (embrace teenagers wearing hoodies). As this clip from the BBC points out, the Conservative politician Cameron never uttered those words. Rather the phrase comes from a Labour Party press release.

14d   There's virtue having a gun in game (10)

A Sten gun[5] is a type of lightweight British sub-machine gun. The name is derived from the initials of the inventors' surnames, Shepherd and Turpin, suggested by Bren[5] (or Bren gun), a lightweight quick-firing machine gun used by the Allied forces in the Second World War whose name is a blend of Brno (a town in the Czech Republic where it was originally made) and Enfield in England (site of the Royal Small Arms Factory where it was later made).

16d   Old Labour leader's diary for March (8)

Michael Foot[7] (1913 – 2010) was a British Labour Party politician and man of letters. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992. He was deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980, and later became the Leader of the Opposition from 1980 to 1983. Surprisingly, he doesn't rate a mention in Oxford Dictionaries Online.

The capitalization of "March" is a bit of cryptic misdirection by the setter.

17d   With skill embraces woman deserving love (8)

19d   Couturier provides such an elegant sample (6)

Coco Chanel[5] (1883 – 1971) was a French couturière; born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Her simple but sophisticated garments were a radical departure from the stiff corseted styles of the day. She also diversified into perfumes, costume jewellery, and textiles.

20d   Swimmer swears violently (6)

23d   Garment, a Roman one (4)

The definition is technically "Roman one". Since the antecedent of the pronoun "one" is "garment", the definition is effectively "Roman garment".
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, June 26, 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 — DT 27144

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27144
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, April 5, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27144]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 — DT 27143

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27143
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Setter
RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27143]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Tilsit
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, June 24, 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013 — DT 27142

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27142
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27142]
Big Dave's Review Written By
scchua
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Saturday, June 22, 2013 — Seeing Stars

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, the setters take us on a tour of the night sky.

Blog postings have been a bit erratic during June as I have been travelling almost continuously throughout the month. I hope things will settle back to a more normal situation for the next couple of months.


Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across

1a   DENEBOLA* — anagram (sadly) of BED ALONE
Denebola[5] is the second-brightest star in the constellation Leo. The name comes from Arabic dhanab al(-asad) '(lion's) tail'.
5a   ALTAIR* — anagram (twirling) of LARIAT
Altair[5] is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila. The name comes from Arabic, literally 'flying eagle'.
9a   VI(T)AL — T (piece [first letter] of Text) contained in VIAL (small bottle)

10a   BE(LL)ATRIX — LL (Mr. Bean; Leon Leonwood Bean[7], founder of American retailer L.L.Bean[7]) contained in (embraced by) BEATRIX (Potter; Beatrix Potter[7], English author of children's books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit)
Bellatrix[7] is the third brightest star in the constellation Orion. The name is Latin for "female warrior".
12a   S(HOOF)LY — HOOF (step; as a verb) contained in (in) SLY (tricky)
The American dessert shoofly pie[3] is a pie with a filling of molasses [treacle to British readers] and brown sugar. [So called because one will supposedly have to shoo away the flies attracted to the sweet filling.] This delicacy is similar to a traditional English dessert known as treacle tart[4].
13a   AMHERST* — anagram (running around) of HAMSTER
Amherst College[7] is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States.
14a   P(O|L)ARIS — {O (nothing) + L (left)} contained in (in) PARIS (French capital)
Polaris[5], also known as the Pole Star or North Star, is a fairly bright star located within one degree of the celestial north pole, in the constellation Ursa Minor. The name comes from medieval Latin polaris 'heavenly', from Latin polus 'end of an axis'.
16a   SHAMU_ — SHAMU[S] ([private] detective) with the last letter deleted (cut short)
Shamu[7] was the star of a very popular killer whale show at SeaWorld San Diego in the mid - late 1960s. After her death in 1971, the name Shamu continued to be used in SeaWorld "Shamu" orca shows for different killer whales in different SeaWorld parks.
18a   ABE|AM — ABE (Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln[5] (1809 – 1865), 16th President of the United States) + AM (in the morning)

20a   CAN|OPUS — CAN (dismiss) + OPUS (musical work)
Canopus[5] is the second-brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the constellation Carina. It is visible only to observers in the southern hemisphere.
23a   S(WEAR) AT — SAT (wasn't used) containing (around) WEAR (sport)

24a   M(A|R)INER — MINER (worker underground) containing (holds) {A (†) + R (piece [first letter] of Rock)}

26a   AL(DEBAR)AN — DEBAR (shut out) contained in (taken in by) ALAN (Rickman; English actor Alan Rickman[7])
Aldebaran[5] is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. The name comes from Arabic, meaning 'the follower (of the Pleiades)'.
27a   P(AG)AN — PAN (god with legs of a goat; in Greek mythology, Pan[5] was a god of flocks and herds, typically represented with the horns, ears, and legs of a goat on a man’s body) containing (given) AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver)

28a   SIRIUS~ — sounds like (sounding) SERIOUS (sober)
Sirius[5], also known as the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the sky, south of the celestial equator in the constellation Canis Major. The name is Latin from from Greek seirios astēr 'scorching star'.
29a   AR(C)TUR|US — C (cup) contained in (accepted by) ARTUR (Rubenstein; Polish-American classical pianist Arthur* Rubenstein[7] (1887 – 1982)) + (and) US (U.S.)
Arcturus[5] is the fourth-brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the constellation Boötes. The name comes from Greek arktos 'bear' + ouros 'guardian' (because of its position in line with the tail of Ursa Major).

*Rubinstein's birth name was Artur, although in English-speaking countries, he preferred to be known as Arthur Rubinstein. However, his United States impresario Sol Hurok insisted he be billed as Artur, and records were released in the West under both versions of his name.

Down


1d   DI|VEST — DI ([Roman numeral for] 501) + VEST (sleeveless garment)
Is the number "501" a reference to Levi's 501 jeans — or just a convenient way to clue DI?
2d   {NIT|RO}< — reversal (turned back) of {OR (†) + TIN (metal)}

3d   BALEFUL* — anagram (shuffled) of BLUE ALF

4d   LOB|BY — LOB (toss) + BY (past)

6d   L(OATH)ES — OATH (promise) contained in (kept by) LES (Lester)

7d   AGRARIANS* — anagram (developed) of GRAIN SARA

8d   RE(X) ST|OUT — {REST (others) + OUT (asleep)} containing (around) X ([Roman numeral for] ten)
Rex Stout[7] (1886 – 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe.
11d   LI(A|IS)ON — {A (article) + IS (†)} contained in (eaten by) LION (large feline)

14d   PRETENDE*|R — anagram (tricky) of REPENTED + R (caper, ultimately; ultimate [last] letter of capeR)

15d   RICH(T)ER — RICHER (with more money) containing (gaining) T (time)
Charles Richter[7] (1900 – 1985) was an American seismologist and physicist who is most famous as the creator of the Richter magnitude scale which, until the development of the moment magnitude scale in 1979, was used to quantify the size of earthquakes.
17d   MARS|HALS — MARS (planet) + HALS (Dutch painter;likely Frans Hals the Elder[7] (c. 1582 – 1666) although five of his sons as well as his brother were also painters)

19d   _M|ARAB|OU_ — hidden in (seen in) griM ARAB OUtpost

21d   PAR|A|PET — {PAR (normal) + PET (domestic animal)} containing (going around) A (†)

22d   BRONCS~ — sounds like (heard) BRONX (New York borough)

24d   MA(NO)R — NO (†) contained in (inside) MAR (damage)

25d   NIGER* — anagram (over) of REIGN
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, June 21, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013 — DT 27141

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27141
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27141]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thursday, June 20, 2013 — DT 27140

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27140
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, April 1, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27140]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 — DT 27139

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27139
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27139 - hints]
 Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27139 -  review]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave (hints)
gnomethang (review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two postings related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — one on the date of publication containing hints for selected clues as well as 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.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 — DT 27138

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27138
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, March 29, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27138]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, June 17, 2013

Monday, June 17, 2013 - DT 27137

Vacation Edition
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27137
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27137]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Falcon
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Notes

I am currently on vacation. Today's abbreviated posting was prepared prior to my departure and provides a link to the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle that I expect to be published today. However, the National Post has been known to alter its publication schedule unexpectedly, so there is no guarantee that my forecast will necessarily prove to be accurate.

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Saturday, June 15, 2013 — Parlez-vous français?


Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, the setters give us a soupçon of Canada's other official language.

I have also posted last week's puzzle at National Post Cryptic Crossword for June 8, 2013.






Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   {LAISSEZ-FAIRE}~ — sounds like (in speech) {LAYS (sets) + A (†) + FAIR (satisfactory)}

10a   HO(T SP)OT — HOOT (riot) containing (about) TSP (teaspoon)

11a   FA(C)ULTY — FAULTY (wrong) containing (about) C (average grade)

12a   PIE(D-A-TE)RRE — PIERRE (Trudeau; former Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau[7]) containing DATE (appointment)

13a   L(IS)T — IS (†) contained in (kept by) LT (lieutenant)

15a   RO(SET)TE — SET (laid) contained in (in) ROTE (routine)

16a   S(CH)OLAR — CH (first couple of [letters in] CHanges) contained in (inside) SOLAR (of the sun)

18a   NO|MINE|E — NO (†) + MINE (coal-source) + E (energy)

21a   PAL|M OIL — PAL (associate) + MOIL (hard work)

23a   A|RID — A (†) + RID (free)

24a   {BILLET-DOU}*|X — anagram (modified) of BUD ELLIOT + (closing with) X (kiss)
Bud Elliot would appear to be a convenient invented name, although there was a former American college  football coach named Bud Elliott[7] (1931 – 2005).
26a   HATCH|ET — HATCH (give birth to) + ET (alien; E.T. The Extraterrestrial[7])

27a   T(RUST) IN — RUST (corrosion) contained in (-filled) TIN (can)

28a   {CARTE BLANCHE}* — anagram (reformed) of CENTRAL BEACH

Down


2d   ASP|HALTING — ASP (reptile) + HALTING (putting an a stop to)

3d   SO T|HERE — SOT (drunk) + HERE (in this place)

4d   EF|FOR|TS — hidden in (some) reliEF FOR TSars

5d   F|ACE — F (failing [grade]) + ACE (fighter pilot)

6d   ILL| WILL — ILL (I shall; I'll) + WILL (shall)

7d   EGYPT — first letters (pilots) of Expedition Gauging Your Place To

8d   CHAPERON* — anagram (unstable) of ON A PERCH

9d   STEERS —double definition; "guides" & "the beasts in a cattle drive"

14d   WHO|LE T|RUTH — WHO (the person that) + LET (permitted) + RUTH (the Babe; former baseball player Babe Ruth[7])

17d   RELAXING* — anagram (might make) of ALEX GRIN

19d   MOISTER* — anagram (motile) of ITS MORE

20d   EDICTAL* — anagram (odd) of DIALECT
The definition is "of a proclamation".
21d   PE(LOT)ON — PEON (labourer) containing (keeps) LOT (parking place)

22d   OPORTO* — anagram (moved) of TO POOR
Porto, also known as Oporto[7] in English, is the second-largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon.
23d   {AD HOC}~ — sounds like (recital of) {ADD (total) + HOCK (pawn)}

25d   SH(O)E — SHE (the lady) containing (carrying) O ([symbol for the chemical element] oxygen)

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