Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 — DT 27374

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27374
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, December 31 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27374]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
crypticsue
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
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

You shouldn't have too much difficulty with today's puzzle. In a couple of instances, my determination of the definition differs ever so slightly from what crypticsue shows in her 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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across


5a   Like a Romantic poet of an earlier age — strange irony in that (7)

George Gordon Byron[5], 6th Baron Byron (1788–1824), commonly known simply as Lord Byron[7], was an English poet. Byron’s poetry exerted considerable influence on the romantic movement, particularly on the Continent. Having joined the fight for Greek independence, he died of malaria before seeing serious action. Among Byron's best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812–18) and Don Juan (1819–24) and the short lyric She Walks in Beauty (1814).

7a   Light weight for a wild cat (5)

Ounce[5] is another term for snow leopard[5], a rare large cat (Panthera uncia) which has pale grey fur patterned with dark blotches and rings, living in the Altai mountains, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas.

9a   Start meal, first drop of ale included (6)

10a   Equestrian reportedly caught before winning trophy (5,3)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c[5] denotes caught (by).

The Ryder Cup[5] is a golf tournament held every two years and played between teams of male professionals from the US and Europe (originally Great Britain), first held in 1927. It is so named because the trophy [naturally also known as the Ryder Cup] was donated by Samuel Ryder (1859–1936), an English seed merchant.

11a   Diversion embarrassed the woman with band (3,7)

13a   Parking skill character’s shown (4)

After some contemplation, I have concluded that the definition is merely "character". The phrase "(i)s shown" fulfills the function of a link phrase — even though it comes at the end of the clue. This becomes evident when the wordplay is rephrased in the active voice rather than the passive voice:
  • Parking skill shows character (4)
14a   Group of undesirables regularly goes abroad (6,7)

16a   Young woman sneaking into film is sixteen (4)

17a   Opinion given in short testimonial, freely (10)

19a   American involved kept secret (2,6)

Here, I would say that the definition is merely "secret". I suspect that the word kept[5] may have been  used as a link word, perhaps in the sense of continued or caused to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc.

20a   New marker is strict (6)

22a   Refuse to sleep across river (5)

Doss[5] is an informal British term meaning to sleep in rough accommodation or on an improvised bed : he dossed down on a friend’s floor.

23a   Back nag that comes in last, commonly (7)

The "nag that comes in last" would be the END HORSE. A common person (as opposed to one from the upper class) — especially should they be a Cockney — might well pronounce this as END 'ORSE.

A cockney[5] is a native of East London. Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang[5].

Down


1d   Smooth things out in golf club (4)

2d   Managing care home, initially (2,6)

3d   Keen on pet food from a stand? (3,3)

4d   Mason’s beginning to enter unexpectedly repentant defendant’s plea? (10)

The setter could have begun this clue with any word whose initial letter is M. His choice may be an allusion to Perry Mason[7], the fictional defense attorney who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by American author Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970).

5d   Hardy book getting extravagant praise (5)

By placing the word "hardy" at the beginning of the clue, the setter is able to capitalize it, thus making it appear to be the surname of English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy[5] (1840–1928). Much of his work deals with the struggle against the indifferent force that inflicts the sufferings and ironies of life. Notable novels: The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1896).

6d   Business from upper-class customers from Surrey, say, poorly rated (8,5)

Here, the setter can't force "surrey" to the start of the clue, but capitalizes it anyway. This "misleading capitalization" is a bit of misdirection that is commonly exercised by the compilers of puzzles.

Surrey[5] is a county of southeastern England; county town, Kingston upon Thames.

A surrey[5] is a light four-wheeled carriage with two seats facing forwards. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, this is a US term. However, neither Collins English Dictionary[10] nor Chambers 21st Century Dictionary[2] characterize it as such. The name originally denoted a Surrey cart, first made in Surrey, from which the carriage was later adapted.

8d   Head of embassy has question about king for royal attendant (7)

Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

An equerry[5] is an officer of the British royal household who attends or assists members of the royal family he became equerry to the Duke of Kent. Historically, the term denoted an officer of the household of a prince or noble who had charge over the stables.

12d   Sharp temper in peak tourist period (4,6)

14d   Was monarch pelted, as stated? (7)

15d   Article in French newspaper promoting drink (8)

Le Monde[7] (English: The World) is a French daily evening newspaper continuously published in Paris since its first edition in December 1944. It is one of two French newspapers of record — the other being Le Figaro.

17d   Very moving verse heading start of obituary (4,2)

18d   Ring precinct for gas (5)

21d   Uncommon poison copper overlooked (4)

Curare[5] is a bitter resinous substance obtained from the bark and stems of some South American plants. It paralyses the motor nerves and is traditionally used by some Indian peoples to poison their arrows and blowpipe darts.

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu[5] (from Latin cuprum).
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, April 29, 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 — DT 27373

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27373
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, December 30, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27373]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops
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
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

Like Miffypops, I found this offering "a little trickier than usual" — although I do note that he awarded the puzzle a mere single star for difficulty. As usual from Rufus, we get a healthy dose of cryptic definitions — some exceptionally good and the odd one barely cryptic.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across


1a   Official providing payment for services to employees (8)

Tipstaff[5] is another name for a bailiff — in Britain, a sheriff’s officer who executes writs and processes and carries out distraints [seizures of property] and arrests. The term, a contraction of tipped staff, dates to the mid 16th century and first denoted the metal-tipped staff carried as a sign of office by a bailiff.

6a   Cash difference (6)

I was about to quibble with the statement by Miffypops that the second definition means "to alter". However, I discover that in heraldry, difference[5] is used as a verb meaning to alter (a coat of arms) to distinguish members or branches of a family.

Nevertheless, a less arcane explanation would be that difference[5] is used as a noun meaning a quantity by which amounts differ.

9a   Master tricky current (6)

10a   Put to the test again and evidently found wanting (8)

Here I will dispute that "evidently found wanting" is a definition for REPROVED. This would be like saying that "evidently caught speeding" is the definition of "ticketed".

As I see it, the entire clue is a cryptic definition with the first part (the portion with the solid underline) being the definition (primary indication) and the second part (the portion with the dashed underline) providing the subsidiary indication.

11a   Snail, say, is about to show resolution (8)

I would say that the definition here comes from the field of chemistry, where resolution[5] means the process of reducing or separating something into constituent parts or components.

12a   An egg I cracked, no longer fresh (6)

Ageing[5] would seem to be the more common British spelling of aging.

13a   Train-bearers (7,5)

The British say railway[10] and the Americans say railroad[10]. In Canada, we see both versions but I would think that the British term is likely more widely used.

16a   New order required, prepare to end rule (12)

Although I am familiar with the noun preponderance, this was my first encounter with this word in its verb form.

Preponderate[5] means to be greater in number, influence, or importance the advantages preponderate over this apparent disadvantage.

19a   Frenchman’s power (6)

Should not the clue have read "Frenchman's current"? After all, the ampere is a unit of current, not of power.

André-Marie Ampère[5] (1775–1836) was a French physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, who analysed the relationship between magnetic force and electric current.

The ampere[5] (abbreviation A) is a unit of electric current equal to a flow of one coulomb per second [named after the French physicist].

21a   Case of foreign wine returned by college head (8)

Retsina[5] is a Greek white or rosé wine flavoured with resin.

23a   Symbols of England at opening time (8)

While the clue is crafted to draw our attention to the opening time of a pub, the real intent is quite different.

A rose[5] is a stylized representation of a rose in heraldry or decoration, typically with five petals (especially as a national emblem of England) the Tudor rose.

24a   Close, hastened back to disturbance (6)

25a   Stand after having arranged to get seat (6)

26a   Is backing onto street, caught in act and stopped (8)

Down


2d   Mean though popular minister (6)

3d   Time for some magic (5)

4d   Right to enter guilty plea (9)

5d   Predicted violent war with foes (7)

6d   Desiccated coconut? (5)

This struck me as one of the least cryptic clues that I have ever encountered.

Copra[5] is dried coconut kernels, from which oil is obtained.

Desiccate[5] (usually as adjective desiccated) means to remove the moisture from (something), typically in order to preserve it desiccated coconut.

7d   Formerly together (2,3,4)

8d   Source of milk that may provide us with energy (8)

Guernsey[5] is a breed of dairy cattle from [the island of] Guernsey, noted for producing rich, creamy milk.

Guernsey[5] is an island in the English Channel, to the north-west of Jersey; population 65,900 (est. 2009); capital, St Peter Port. It is the second-largest of the Channel Islands.

13d   Act for traveller with grudge (9)

14d   Desires half my wages (9)

15d   Plain words about border flower (8)

The primrose[5] is a European plant (Primula vulgaris) of woodland and hedgerows, which produces pale yellow flowers in the early spring.

17d   Covered trial in final stages (7)

Once again, I have a minor quibble with Miffypops hint. The container here is not a verb meaning to finish but a noun meaning the conclusion.

18d   About to sit and take it easy (6)

20d   Duck or half duck served up in jellied eel (5)

Miffypops failed to mention that the half duck (DU) is reversed (served up, in a down clue).

22d   What one is not well out of? (5)

Those reading Miffypops hint should note that, in Britain, poorly[5] is not only used as an adverb, but also as an adjective meaning unwell ⇒ she looked poorly.
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 28, 2014

Monday, April 28, 2014 — DT 27372

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27372
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Setter
Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27372 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27372 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
gnomethang (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
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- yet to be solved
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

I got off to a slow start with this puzzle, then became mired several times. Each time, I was able to get started again and eventually completed the puzzle without needing to call in the electronic helpers.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across


1a   Open space for said hall of justice (9)

6a   Live band’s opening work is jazz (5)

In music, Op.[5] (also op.) is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

Bebop[5] is a type of jazz originating in the 1940s and characterized by complex harmony and rhythms. It is associated particularly with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie.

9a   Old iron, say (7)

10a   Emphasise hair streak (9)

11a   Set of teeth producing inane chatter (7)

12a   Oarsman catches lake fish that’s smoked (7)

A bloater[5] is a herring cured by salting and light smoking.

13a   Last place to catch a plane? (7,8)

17a   Sort of 12’s not a crustacean (7)

19a   Orphan Tommy’s part is non-existent (7)

22a   Hours pub is open? It’s determined by the passage of the sun (5,4)

A double definition with the first one being cryptic. In his review, gnomethang does so identify it despite not explicitly marking it as such.

In Britain, a local[7] is a pub convenient to a person’s home a pint in the local.

Local time[5] is the time at a particular place as measured from the sun’s transit over the meridian at that place, defined as noon.

23a   One may be dropped in error (7)

Clanger[5] is an informal British term for an absurd or embarrassing blunder the minister had dropped a massive political clanger. To drop a clanger is to make a blunder.

I initially wrote in BLOOMER — bloomer[5] being a dated informal British term for a serious or stupid mistake he never committed a bloomer. It appears that a Brit either commits bloomers or drops clangers — although I expect that some British women do drop their bloomers.

24a   Puzzle of engineers going by public transport (5)

The Corps of Royal Engineers[7], usually referred to simply as the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

A rebus[5] is a puzzle in which words are represented by combinations of pictures and individual letters; for instance, apex might be represented by a picture of an ape followed by a letter X.

25a   A British composer, one on the wagon (9)

Sir John Stainer[5] (1840–1901) was an English composer. He is remembered for his church music, including hymns, cantatas, and the oratorio Crucifixion (1887).

Down


1d   Tentative proposal makes sense with cockney girl (6)

A cockney[5] is a native of East London [specifically the East End], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang[5].

2d   One writes about drink (8)

Porter[5] is a dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature [originally made as a drink for porters].

3d   Grasp small volume in French, going to church (6)

A centilitre[5] (abbreviation cl) is a metric unit of capacity, equal to one hundredth of a litre [or 10 millilitres].

In Canada, we virtually always measure small volumes of liquid in millilitres (abbreviation ml). Europeans, on the other hand, almost invariably use centilitres. Thus, our 750 ml bottle of wine would be only 75 cl in Europe.

In French, en[8] is a preposition meaning in.

4d   Result of firing into the air? (6)

If one splits the solution (2,4) it denotes "firing into the air".

5d   Material, it can be felt (8)

In the second definition of this double definition, tangible[5] is used as a noun meaning a thing that is perceptible by touch.

In the first definition, it is used as

Material[5], as an adjective, means denoting or consisting of physical objects rather than the mind or spirit.

Tangible[5], as an adjective, means (1) perceptible by touch or (2) — in a more figurative sense — clear and definite; in other words, real the emphasis is now on tangible results. It would mean much the same thing if one were to say the emphasis is now on material results.

While the two meanings of tangible are, in essence, the same (just different parts of speech — noun and adjective), the elegance of the clue comes from the different meanings that the word "felt" can take on. In the surface reading, felt is a type of fabric (or material).

6d   Dancehall sweeper hoovers in everything (8)

In the UK, hoover[5] (a genericized version of the trade name Hoover) means (as a noun) a vacuum cleaner (from any manufacturer) and (as a verb) to clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner (he was hoovering the stairs).

The Hoover Company[7] started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name became synonymous with vacuum cleaners and vacuuming in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

7d   Move tons of money allocated (6)

I took a bit of research before I was able to reconcile the use of the word "of" as a link word between the wordplay and the definition.

The word of[10] can mean constituted by, containing, or characterized bya family of idiots, a rod of iron, a man of some depth — which would seem to explain its usage in this role.

8d   Old examination of shepherds (8)

Here, "of" forms part of the definition since the solution is an adjective.

13d   Signal no doubts (3-5)

The setter may have had no doubts — but I certainly do.

I wanted to underline "no doubts" as a second definition (in his review, gnomethang refers to it as a cryptic definition). However, after much wavering, I decided not to do so since ALL CLEAR (no doubts) does not match the numeration (there is no hyphen). On that account, I would presume that "no doubts" would have to be considered to be wordplay — but what one would call it, it know not.

All-clear[5] is a signal that danger or difficulty is over she was given the all-clear to travel home.

14d   Win easily but not in form (8)

In Britain, a form[5] is a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number. Thus the fifth form would be the counterpart to the fifth grade in North America and Form One would be like saying Grade One.

15d   Wrong to get unwell with a Mexican cake (8)

16d   Gas, neon has grit mixed with it (8)

18d   In alibi, car-bomber’s stashed acid (6)

Bicarb[5] is an informal short form for sodium bicarbonate[10] (also called bicarbonate of soda or baking soda), a white crystalline soluble compound used in effervescent drinks, baking powders, fire extinguishers, and in medicine as an antacid.

Strictly speaking [or even loosely speaking], sodium bicarbonate (which is also known as sodium hydrogen carbonate) is not an acid. It is an acid salt[5], a salt formed by incomplete replacement of the hydrogen of an acid, e.g. potassium hydrogen sulphate (KHSO4) [or sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3)].

19d   Summary not quite correct (6)

20d   Al Pacino’s last three characters get knocked off over a yarn (6)

Al Pacino[5] is American film actor. He achieved recognition with The Godfather (1972) and went on to receive eight Oscar nominations, winning one for Scent of a Woman (1992).

Alpaca[5] refers to the wool of the alpaca or fabric made from alpaca wool — the alpaca[5] (Lama pacos) being a long-haired domesticated South American mammal related to the llama, valued for its wool.

21d   Note: pair of kings ranks double (6)

In music, mi[2] is the third note of the major scale in sol-fa notation.

Rex[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

In the British armed forces, the term other ranks[5] (abbreviation OR[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.
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 26, 2014

Saturday, April 26, 2014 — A Bit of the Bard


Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon would seem to be representative of their usual offerings.

I suppose that the theme might have dealt with a TV actress participating in an event at a Sunday School picnic. However, I chose to look elsewhere.


Solution to Today's Puzzle


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
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- yet to be solved

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

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across


1a   Diamond magnate horsed around (6)

RHODES* — anagram (around) of HORSED

Cecil Rhodes[5] (1853–1902) was a British-born South African statesman, Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1890-6. He expanded British territory in southern Africa, annexing Bechuanaland (now Botswana) in 1884 and developing Rhodesia from 1889. By 1890 he had acquired 90 per cent of the world’s production of diamonds.

4a   Vocally disapprove of tropical wood shop (8)

{BOU|TIQUE}~ — sounds like (vocally) {BOO (disapprove of) + TEAK (tropical wood)}

9a   That's exactly right: run behind hopper (5)

BIN|GO — GO (run; function or operate) following (behind) BIN (hopper; container)

10a   Some artists mad, in a storm about article (9)

ANIM(A)TORS* — anagram (mad) of IN A STORM containing (about) {A ([indefinite] article)}

11a   Film unit goaded in Balkan area competition (5-6,4)

TH(REE-L|EGGED) RACE — {REEL (film unit) + EGGED (goaded)} contained in THRACE (Balkan area)

Thrace[5] was an ancient country lying west of the Black Sea and north of the Aegean. It is now divided between Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece.

12a   One short and pale (4)

A|SHY — A (one) + SHY (short; he left school just shy of his fourteenth birthday)

13a   Book-loving debtor's promise accepted by he-men (8)

STUD(IOU)S — IOU (debtor's promise) contained in (accepted by) STUDS (he-men)

18a   Essayist's writing about border flower (8)

P(RIM)ROSE — PROSE (essayist's writing) containing (about) RIM (border)

19a   Shakespearean name written in diagonally (4)

_IAGO_ — hidden in (written in) dIAGOnally

Iago[7] is a fictional character in Othello (c. 1601–04) written by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The play's main antagonist, Iago is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. Iago hates Othello (who is also known as "The Moor") and devises a plan to destroy him by making him believe that his wife is having an affair with his lieutenant, Michael Cassio.

22a   TV actress warm and secure about her Shakespeare role (7,8)

HEAT(HER) LOCK|LEAR — {HEAT (warm) + (and) LOCK (secure) containing (about) HER (†)} + LEAR (Shakespearean role)

King Lear[7] is a tragedy by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.

Heather Locklear[7] is an American actress, known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker, Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place and Caitlin Moore on Spin City. She had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland and has a main role on the TNT drama-comedy television series Franklin & Bash as of 2013.

25a   Street cop wrongly under wraps (3-6)

{TOP SECRET}* — anagram (wrongly) of STREET COP

26a   Run around a deck of sorts (5)

T(A)ROT — TROT (run) containing (around) A (†)

27a   Home has sacred exterior—we mean it (8)

HO(NEST)LY — NEST (home) contained in (has ... exterior) HOLY (sacred)

28a   Detective is phony Uncle Sam (6)

SHAM|US — SHAM (phony) + US (Uncle Sam)

Shamus[5] is an informal North American term for a private detective.

Uncle Sam[5] is a personification of the federal government or citizens of the US. It is said (from the time of the first recorded instances) to have arisen as an expansion of the letters US.


Down


1d   Object of a joke in actual part of a debate (8)

RE(BUTT)AL — BUTT (object of a joke) contained in (in) REAL (actual)

2d   Sedative drugs not including the first joint possession (9)

_OWNERS|HIP — OWNERS {[D]OWNERS (sedative drugs) with the initial letter deleted (not including the first [letter])} + HIP (joint)

3d   Circling small spot, Edward behaved theatrically (6)

E(MOTE)D — ED ([diminutive of] Edward) containing (circling) MOTE (small spot)

5d   Bagel and piece of chicken due (5)

O|WING — O ([letter that looks like a] bagel) + (and) WING (piece of chicken)

6d   Cross section seen from behind hidden entrance (8)

{TRAP|DOOR} — reversal (seen from behind) of {ROOD (cross) + PART (section)}

7d   Incompletely estimate a share (5)

QUOT_|A — QUOT {QUOT[A] (estimate)} with the final letter deleted (incompletely)} + A (†)

8d   Holiday diner swallowing piece of spinach (6)

EA(S)TER — EATER (diner) containing (swallowing) S (piece [initial letter] of Spinach)

10d   A gambler's helper (7)

A|BETTOR — A (†) + BETTOR (gambler)

14d   Cry after British princess's serve (4,3)

DI|SH OUT — SHOUT (cry) following (after) DI (British princess; diminutive for Diana)

Diana, Princess of Wales[5] (1961–1997) was the former wife of Prince Charles; title before marriage Lady Diana Frances Spencer. The daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, she married Prince Charles in 1981; the couple were divorced in 1996. She became a popular figure through her charity work and glamorous media appearances, and her death in a car crash in Paris gave rise to intense national mourning.

15d   Underarms disturbed tattoo maker? (5,4)

{SNARE DRUM}* — anagram (disturbed) of UNDERARMS

A tattoo[5] is an evening drum or bugle signal recalling soldiers to their quarters.

16d   Tenses some very big people recited aloud (8)

TIGHTENS~ — sounds like (recited aloud) TITANS (some very big people)

In Greek mythology, the Titans[7] were a primeval race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky), that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. They were immortal giants of incredible strength and were also the first pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses.

17d   Athenian significant other boxes (8)

SO|CRATES — SO (significant other) + CRATES (boxes)

SO[11] is the abbreviation for significant other[11], specifically in the sense of a spouse or cohabiting lover. While this strikes me as an abbreviation that might be used in texting, I have found no evidence of that being the case.

Socrates[5] (469–399 BC) was a Greek philosopher. As represented in the writings of his disciple Plato, he engaged in dialogue with others in an attempt to define ethical concepts by exposing and dispelling error (the Socratic method). Charged with introducing strange gods and corrupting the young, Socrates was sentenced to death and died by drinking hemlock.

20d   Yonder church's roofing material (6)

THAT|CH — THAT (yonder) + CH (church)

"That one" would denote the yonder one, while "this one" would signify the near one.

21d   Draw sailor's first boat (6)

S|KETCH — S (sailor's first; first letter of Sailor) + KETCH (boat)

23d   A Southern writera Quaker? (5)

A|S|PEN — A (†) + S (Southern) + PEN (writer)

A Quaker[5] is a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox circa 1650 and devoted to peaceful principles. Central to the Quakers’ belief is the doctrine of the ’Inner Light', or sense of Christ’s direct working in the soul. This has led them to reject both formal ministry and all set forms of worship.

The aspen[5] is a poplar tree with small rounded long-stalked leaves that tremble in the breeze. Several species exist, in particular the European Populus tremula and the North American quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides).

24d   Red Russian river in the country (5)

R|URAL — R (red) + URAL (Russian river)

The Ural River[5] is a river, 1,575 miles (2,534 km) long, that rises at the southern end of the Ural Mountains in western Russia and flows through western Kazakhstan to the Caspian Sea at Atyraū.
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 25, 2014

Friday, April 25, 2014 — DT 27371

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27371
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, December 27, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27371]
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
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

While I finished without calling in the electronic reinforcements, I found parts of the puzzle rather tricky.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across


1a   Dance with energy and desire (4)

3a   Government department’s feature that may suit self-employed writer? (4,6)

The Home Office[5] (abbreviation HO or H.O.[10]) is the British government department dealing with domestic affairs, including law and order, immigration, and broadcasting, in England and Wales.

9a   Reluctant to shed outer bits of clothes (4)

Loth is a variant spelling of loath[5].

10a   Copper about to join worker in African country? That’s risky (5-3-2)

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu[5] (from Latin cuprum).

11a   Saint and sailors wearing fuzz (7)

The Royal Navy[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.

St Bernard[5] (circa 996-circa 1081) was a French monk who founded two hospices for travellers in the Alps. The St Bernard passes, where the hospices were situated, and St Bernard dogs are named after him.

13a   A female with some pride? (7)

14a   One to crow as heretic, clan getting disturbed (11)

Chanticleer[5] is a name given to a domestic cock, especially in fairy tales.

18a   Financial executive given wave by politician in bed (11)

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).

21a   Someone to emulate for instance (7)

22a   Sympathy and money needed by Heather (7)

Ling[5] is another name for the common heather (Calluna vulgaris), a purple-flowered Eurasian heath that grows abundantly on moorland and heathland.

23a   What critical PhD examiner may be, showing opposition (10)

24a   A lass hasn’t left — is seen around port (4)

Riga[5] is a port on the Baltic Sea, capital of Latvia; population 722,000 (est. 2007).

25a   Brief strain troubled politician (10)

A Tory[4] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain or Canada. Historically, a Tory was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679-80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.

26a   Remain idle (4)

There are a couple of possible interpretations for this clue. It could be a double definition since rest[3] can mean to remain or linger as well as to idle[5] in the sense of to spend time doing nothing.

A second possible explanation might relate to the expression to be resting[5] which is used euphemistically by British actors to indicate that they are out of work she was an actress but doing domestic work while she was resting. Thus rest might mean to remain idle (i.e., be unemployed).

Down


1d   Sufferer from lumbago may restrain from action (4,4)

2d   Father’s friend has caged a bird (8)

4d   Like an egg that’s old and useless (5)

5d   First-class old mini-dwelling ending with the National Trust (9)

In Britain, the National Trust[5] (abbreviation NT) is a trust for the preservation of places of historic interest or natural beauty in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, founded in 1895 and supported by endowment and private subscription. The National Trust for Scotland[7], a separate organization, was founded in 1931.

6d   Quartet outside small room full of zest? (11)

In Britain, lav[10] is an informal short form for lavatory.

7d   Trendy action for sure (6)

8d   I get so nasty as self-centred person (6)

12d   Expects fun and games will be interrupted by one head (11)

15d   Able to take part, not having lost heart (9)

16d   New Lab. has one formal procedure deriving from its founder? (8)

The Labour Party[5] (abbreviation Lab.[5]) in Britain is a left-of-centre political party formed to represent the interests of ordinary working people that since the Second World War has been in power 1945–51, 1964–70, 1974-9, and 1997–2010. Arising from the trade union movement at the end of the 19th century, it replaced the Liberals as the country’s second party after the First World War.

New Labour[10] was a rebranding of the British Labour Party and its policies undertaken by Tony Blair and his supporters in the run-up to the 1997 general election in Great Britain and maintained during the Labour Party's period of government under Blair's premiership. Never an official title, it denotes the more right-wing/social democratic trend in Labour thinking and policy intended to make the party electable after its electoral catastrophes of the 1980s.

A Blairite[10] is a supporter of the modernizing policies of Tony Blair[5], British Labour statesman who was Prime Minister 1997–2007.

17d   Sweet female opening charity event with tirade (8)

In Britain, rag[5] (usually used as a modifier) refers to a programme of stunts, parades, and other entertainments organized by students to raise money for charity rag week.

19d   Disown bombast that goes around the City (6)

The City[5] is short for the City of London. Take note that the City of London[5] is not the same thing as the city of London, but merely the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries and governed by the Lord Mayor and the Corporation[5] [in Britain, a group of people elected to govern a city, town, or borough].

In the clue, the setter uses "the City" as a surrogate for for the EC postcode which serves the City of London [postcode being the British counterpart of the Canadian postal code or American zip code]. The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area[7] (also known as the London EC postcode area) is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London boroughs.

20d   Woman noted for work in market has closed early (6)

In the New Testament, Martha[5] is the the sister of Lazarus and Mary and friend of Jesus (Luke 10:40). When Jesus visited them, Martha prepared and served the meal. After the meal, Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. This story has given rise to a Martha being a term for a woman who keeps herself very busy with domestic affairs.

As a Canadian engineer, I had no difficulty recognizing the reference to Martha.

The Sons of Martha is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling. It is inspired by the biblical story of Mary and Martha as told in Luke 10:38–42. It celebrates the careful work done by workers and builders to provide for others' physical needs.

The Sons of Martha was written in 1907 and was adopted by the author in 1922 to be part of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer[7] performed by engineering graduates in Canada as they prepare to enter the profession.

In the bible story, Christ visits a home where two sisters, Mary and Martha, live; Mary sits at the visitor's feet to listen to him while Martha races about attending to the hospitality until her patience runs out, and she calls on Mary to help her. Martha is chided for her mundane concerns, and told that "Mary has chosen what is better".

22d   This monk is one who may deal with monkfish, we hear! (5)

The monkfish[5] (Lophius piscatorius) is a bottom-dwelling anglerfish of European waters.
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