Friday, July 31, 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015 — DT 27724

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27724
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, February 13, 2015
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27724]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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
- 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

If I were rating this puzzle, I would add another star for difficulty to the two that Deep Threat has awarded it. I found it quite challenging even

I have had previous encounters with both the British cartoonist and the archaic adverb at 17d and — after a lot of intensive thought (and help from the checking letters) — managed to dredge them from the deep recesses of my mind. I correctly divined the significance of the date in 20a. The British card game was also new to me but I correctly guessed its existence as it was needed to complete the explanation of the clue. This process would seem to be akin to a physicist postulating the existence of some exotic hitherto undiscovered sub-atomic particle on the basis that it is needed to explain some observed phenomenon.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the 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.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

5a   Element /of/ bitterness leading to one having hesitation (7)

Gallium[5] (symbol Ga) is the chemical element of atomic number 31, a soft silvery-white metal which melts at about 30°C, just above room temperature.

7a   Bar /with/ some judges toping (5)

In law, estop[10] means to preclude by estoppel[10], a rule of evidence whereby a person is precluded from denying the truth of a statement of facts he has previously asserted. This seemingly overrides the conflicting principle that it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind.

9a   Stop crossing river // line (6)

In cricket, a crease is a line — not an area as it is in hockey and lacrosse. In cricket, a crease[10] is any of three lines (bowling crease, popping crease, or return crease) near each wicket marking positions for the bowler or batsman.

Dimensions of a cricket pitch and creases (click to enlarge)

10a   Gear isn't wobbly /in/ engineered frameworks (8)

11a   Be fine splashing about a bit of money -- i.e. this? (10)

To be precise, this is a semi-all-in-one clue. The entire clue provides the definition while the portion with the dashed underline serves as the wordplay.

13a   Salvation Army would have this instrument for greeting (4)

The rather unusual construction of this clue places the definition in the middle. I have no idea what such a clue might be called. If I were obliged to describe it, I might say that it is an implied deletion. A more common clue structure might run along the lines:
  • Salvation Army absent from greeting /for/ this instrument (4)
The Salvation Army[5] (abbreviation SA) is a worldwide Christian evangelical organization on quasi-military lines. Established in 1865 by William Booth, an English Methodist revivalist preacher, it is noted for its work with the poor and for its brass bands.

14a   Wild terrain bird occupies /shown by/ quirky illustrator (5,8)

The wordplay parses as HEATH (wild terrain) + ROBIN'S ON (bird occupies).

Heath[5] is a chiefly British term for an area of open uncultivated land, typically on acid sandy soil, with characteristic vegetation of heather, gorse, and coarse grasses.

William Heath Robinson[7] (signed as W. Heath Robinson, 1872–1944) was an English cartoonist and illustrator, best known for drawings of eccentric machines. In the UK, the term "Heath Robinson" has entered the language as a description of any unnecessarily complex and implausible contraption, similar to "Rube Goldberg" in the U.S. It is perhaps more often used in relation to temporary fixes using ingenuity and whatever is to hand, often string and tape, or unlikely cannibalisations. Its popularity is undoubtedly linked to Second World War Britain's shortages and the need to "make do and mend".

16a   Support good // game, /making/ boast (4)

It's BOGO time! Buy one definition and get a second for free. Not only does this clue have two definitions, it also features a bit of wordplay in the form of a charade.

"good" = G (show explanation )

The abbreviation G[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

hide explanation

Brag[11] is an old English card game similar to poker.

17a   Documentation /makes/ office assistant get saucy and protest (5,5)

19a   Mistake by army officer /brings/ ruin (8)

20a   No shooting it before 12 August? // Grumble (6)

Driven grouse shooting[7] is a field sport of the United Kingdom. It is popular because it provides a challenge due to the rapid flight of the grouse. The grouse shooting season extends from 12 August, often called the "Glorious Twelfth", to 10 December each year. Shooting takes place on grouse moors (show explanation ), areas of moorland in northern England and Scotland.

A grouse moor[5] is an area of managed moorland for the shooting of red grouse.

Moorland[5] is a chiefly British term for an extensive area of moor[5], a tract of open uncultivated upland, typically covered with heather.

hide explanation

The name 'driven grouse shooting' refers to the way in which the grouse are driven towards the hunters (termed 'guns') by beaters. A shooting party usually includes 8–10 guns who stand in a line in the butts—hides for shooting spaced some 20–30 m apart, screened by a turf or stone wall and usually sunken into the ground to minimise their profile—to shoot the grouse in flight. There is a strict code of conduct governing behaviour on the grouse moor for both safety and etiquette. Grouse shooting can also be undertaken by 'walking up' grouse over pointers, or by flushing the birds with other dogs.

22a   Composition /in/ middle of test, for example (5)

23a   Remove // additional cuts, giving us a let-off (7)

Let-off[5] is a [seemingly British] term denoting a chance to escape or avoid something, especially defeat ⇒ the team had two let-offs as shots rebounded to strike the defenders' legs.

Down

1d   Insect // to escape by the sound of it (4)

2d   Gentleman, wicked, upset hospital, /being/ only slightly ill (8)

Among other things, liverish[5] can mean slightly ill, as though having a disordered liver.

3d   A foreign character tucked into what could be dog // food (6)

Nu[5] is the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν).

4d   Rile sister being naughty -- // one should keep things clean (10)

5d   Greedily eat // egg or bananas (5)

6d   Region of the planet that has its attractions (13)

The magnetosphere[5] is the region surrounding the earth or another astronomical body in which its magnetic field is the predominant effective magnetic field.

8d   English city // quietly getting on after break (7)

"quietly" = P (show explanation )

Piano[3,5] (abbreviation p[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide explanation

Preston[5] is a city in northwestern England, the administrative centre of Lancashire, on the River Ribble; population 165,600 (est. 2009). It was the site in the 18th century of the first English cotton mills.

12d   A live gent's becoming excited /as/ a preacher (10)

14d   Possibly a growing factor // helping to make author money (7)

15d   Water /from/ clouds beginning to fall on wicket maybe (8)

This clue has nothing to do with cricket — aside from the surface reading perhaps.

A wicket[5] (also wicket door or wicket gate) is a small door or gate, especially one beside or in a larger one.

In my research, I discovered that it is a North Americanism to use wicket[5] in the sense of an opening in a door or wall, often fitted with glass or a grille and used for selling tickets or a similar purpose.

17d   Fruit /brought by/ daddy always getting eaten (6)

Ay[10] is an archaic or poetic term meaning ever or always.

One must insert a pause in the wordplay, making it read "daddy; always getting eaten" which parses as AY (always) contained in (getting eaten [by]) PAPA (daddy).

18d   Home group /featured in/ small picture (5)

21d   Test // for local dignitary when May has passed (4)
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, July 30, 2015

Thursday, July 30, 2015 — DT 27723

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27723
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Setter
Shamus (Philip Marlow)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27723]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Kath
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

My lack of familiarity with early twentieth century British broadcasting executives proved to be a stumbling block today.

A debate rages on Big Dave's Crossword Blog concerning the word appearing in the clue at 8a. It not only pits Northerner against Southerner but Lancastrian against Yorkshireman.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the 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.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   A prisoner released with greeting inside /for/ church member (11)

7a   Dispose of // actor lastly in cast (5)

8a   Busy at work? (9)

Busy[5] (also bizzy) is an informal British term for a police officer ⇒ I was picked up by the busies for possession.

There is a great deal of disagreement on Big Dave's Crossword Blog about the term busy. To begin with, many people believe it should be spelled bizzy. There is also a suggestion of it being a term peculiar to Liverpool that applies to a uniformed officer rather than a detective. Others cite sources to show that the term generally refers to a detective and not to a uniformed officer.

What did she say?
In comment #21 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, fran says I see the scousers have a completely different vocabulary to the rest of us ; better stay away from the Liverpool Echo.
Scouser[5] is an informal British term for a person from Liverpool.

The Liverpool Echo[7] is Liverpool's daily newspaper.

10a   Devise // trick before cold short month? (7)

11a   Fruit // grew in front of joint (7)

12a   Remove // antique Victorian bottles (5)

13a   Lead a number with a very revolutionary // dance (5,4)

Bossa nova[5] is (1) a style of Brazilian music derived from samba but placing more emphasis on melody and less on percussion or (2) a dance to this music.

16a   Many aimed, we're told, /for/ growing area? (9)

Allotment[5] is a British term for a plot of land rented by an individual for growing vegetables or flowers. This term is also used in Canada — at least in Ottawa — although one would be more apt to hear the longer version of the name, allotment garden[7].

18a   Rule // backed in part usually (5)

Sutra[5] denotes a rule or aphorism in Sanskrit literature, or a set of these on a technical subject. The most well-known is undoubtedly the Kama Sutra[5], an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the art of love and sexual technique.

19a   One found in a Latin setting? (7)

This is an &lit. (all-in-one) clue, a type of clue in which the the entire clue serves as both the definition and the wordplay — under different interpretations, of course.

22a   Learner in step with old student recalled // part of experiment (7)

"learner" = L (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

"old student" = OB (show explanation )

In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2])  is (1) a former male student of a school or college ⇒an old boy of Banbury County School or (2) a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards. It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

hide explanation

23a   Peer on river /for/ sporting event (4,5)

The River Test[7] is a river in Hampshire, England. It has a total length of 40 miles (64 km) and it flows through downland from its source near Ashe to the sea at the head of Southampton Water. In its upper reaches it is a chalk stream, and is used for fly fishing for trout. The river plays a significant part in Richard Adams' novel Watership Down.

A Test match[5] is an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries ⇒ the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies.

24a   White // trailer carrying soldiers (5)

"soldiers" = OR (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

25a   Commercial arena // creating ample racket (11)

Down

1d   Plan Irene devised /is/ never failing (9)

2d   Entertainment organiser // getting wine before film (7)

Redcoat[5] is a British term for an organizer and entertainer at a Butlin's holiday camp.

Butlins[7] (also Butlin's) is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Holiday camp[5] is a British term for a site for holidaymakers [vacationers] with accommodation, entertainment, and leisure facilities.

3d   Best deal I arranged /for/ furniture item (4,5)

4d   Place in ground /for/ Italian team? (5)

Football Club Internazionale Milano S.p.A., commonly referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan[7] outside of Italy, is a professional Italian football [soccer] club based in Milan, Lombardy, Italy that plays in Serie A, the top flight of Italian football.

5d   Capital /of/ three islands in North America (7)

Cos is an alternative spelling of Kos[5], a Greek island in the southeastern Aegean, one of the Dodecanese group. It is the home of cos lettuce[5] (known to North Americans as romaine[5]).

Nicosia[5] is the capital of Cyprus; population 233,000 (est. 2007). Since 1974 it has been divided into Greek and Turkish sectors.

6d   Bouquet in hearing /for/ BBC bigwig (5)

In the UK, the clue that appeared in the printed edition of The Daily Telegraph differed from that which was used on The Telegraph website indicating that the clue was changed after the paper had gone to production. Not surprisingly, the syndicated puzzle carried by the National Post has used the former version. The version on The Telegraph website is:
  • 6d   Bouquet in hearing /for/ BBC DG (5)
The fact that I had never heard of the British broadcasting executive made this clue more than a little challenging. I got off on the wrong foot supposing that "bouquet" was referring to a smell. After an initial (and incorrect) guess that the name we are looking for could be Reich — which I surmised might conceivably be pronounced "reek" (a decidedly unappealing "bouquet") — Mr. Google came to my rescue.

John Reith[5], 1st Baron Reith (1889–1971) was a British broadcasting executive who established the tradition of independent public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The first Director-General (DG) of the British Broadcasting Corporation — from the establishment of the public broadcaster in 1927 until 1938, his concept of broadcasting as a way of educating the masses marked for a long time the BBC and similar organisations around the world.

7d   Body once dictated to? (11)

A secretariat[10] is a body of secretaries.

9d   Old scheme supported by a right-winger /is/ illustrative (11)

14d   Group rises before spring // to begin operations (3,2,4)

I took a bit of contemplation for me to realize that "rises and falls" are alternatively "ups and downs".

15d   Exactly in America // characteristic of glasses? (2,3,4)

On the nose[5] is an informal, chiefly North American expression denoting precisely ⇒ at ten on the nose the van pulled up

17d   More clean-cut // person of dubious loyalties (7)

A trimmer[5] is a a person who adapts their views to the prevailing political trends for personal advancement : he is a clever trimmer, a closet federalist unchanged at heart.

18d   Good man with morning in area /showing/ resilience (7)

20d   Leaves to get in hot water /in/ Asian area? (5)

Assam[5] is a state in northeastern India; capital, Dispur. Most of the state lies in the valley of the Brahmaputra River; it is noted for the production of tea.

21d   Fool about /to get/ explosive (5)

Nitre[5] (US niter) is an alternative name for saltpetre[5] (US saltpeter) which, in turn, is an alternative name for potassium nitrate[5], a white crystalline salt which is used in preserving meat and as a constituent of gunpowder.
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, July 29, 2015

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 — DT 27722

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27722
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27722]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
2Kiwis
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

I needed to call in my electronic backups to help mop up the southwest corner. Other than that, the puzzle presented no great difficulty. Even two of those three stubborn clues should have been very "gettable".

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the 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.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Supercilious // saleswomen with no heart -- dodgy! (6)

4a   Germany collapse after victory -- /that's/ a bonus (8)

"Germany" = D (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading almost certainly relates to a sports team that represents Germany.

To pick but one example, the Germany national football team[5] (German: Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft) is the men's football [soccer] team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908.

9a   Does a test // when, for example, crude is extracted from soil (6)

10a   Bush /has/ first of aides thrown out by hotel (8)

"hotel" = H (show explanation )

Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.

hide explanation

The explanations provided by the 2Kiwis — while they get you to the correct destination — often take a different route to get there than the setter intended. Here the wordplay is:
  • {A (first [letter] of Aides) + anagram (out) of THROWN} following (by) H (hotel)
The word "by" implies following since in order for one to write the portion of the solution given by the first part of the wordplay by H, the H would have to already be in place (and thus to have been written first).

12a   Not worried, /with/ charge for nursing waived! (8)

13a   Strike by qualified teacher /means/ chaos (6)

15a   Odd items /from/ abandoned scan beside tip (4,3,6)

As an anagram indicator, abandoned[10] is used as an adjective meaning unrestrained or uninhibited ⇒ wild, abandoned dancing.

18a   Bird/'s/ bizarre throaty screech cut short (6-7)

A man with a clock knows the time; a man with two clocks is not sure. When it comes to spelling, the same could be said of a man with six dictionaries.

The oystercatcher[2,3,5,10] (oyster-catcher[1]; oystercatcher or oyster catcher[11]) is any of several species of wading bird of the genus Haematopus with black-and-white or all-black plumage and a strong orange-red bill, typically found on the coast and feeding chiefly on mussels, limpets and crabs, etc but, despite its name, not oysters.

20a   City's former title -- // looking back, crowd roar (6)

I expected "City" to be a reference to Manchester City Football Club[7] — which is undoubtedly the result intended by the setter.

Bombay[5] is the former name (until 1995) for Mumbai[5], a city and port on the west coast of India, capital of the state of Maharashtra; population 13,922,100 (est. 2009).

22a   Send letter // immediately for broadcast (5,3)

24a   A card game daughter // cut short (8)

25a   Outburst /from/ one caught in traffic (6)

26a   Key /for/ the contents of the cupboard, perhaps (8)

In North America, these are stored in the closet. (show explanation )

A skeleton in the cupboard[5] (North American skeleton in the closet) is a discreditable or embarrassing fact that someone wishes to keep secret.

hide explanation

27a   View from the east on a king // is in accord (6)

"king" = GR (show explanation )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of King George is GR[5] — from the Latin Georgius Rex.

hide explanation

Down

1d   Formality /shown by/ top of the bill before church? (6)

2d   Enrols, // since worried about kid son (9)

3d   Lose temper /and/ take a plane then head out across lake (3,3,3,6)

5d   Nation // protected by counter-revolutionaries? (4)

6d   Act honourably // -- Tory obsession is supporting party (2,3,5,5)

7d   Answer with cost of disaster /for/ island (5)

8d   Settle on service /for/ Asia, say (8)

Mass[5] is the celebration of the Christian Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

11d   Mortification /due to/ article impounded by coppers? (7)

Pence[5] is a plural form of penny[5], a British bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound in Britain's modern decimal currency system.

Just two days ago, we saw mortification meaning gangrene. Today, it takes a different meaning.

In Christianity, mortification[3,4,5] is the practice of asceticism by penitential discipline of the body and the appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation to overcome desire for sin and to strengthen the will.

14d   Employees on paper // tired, so sacked (7)

As an anagram indicator, sack[5] is used in the chiefly historical sense of to plunder and destroy (a captured town or building).

16d   Joint // operator in trouble after cold (9)

17d   Better money /for/ those in authority (3,5)

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

19d   Tears spilt over fine // sweet (6)

"fine" = F (show explanation )

F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries Online surprisingly characterizes as British].

hide explanation

Sweet[5] is the British term for either (1) a piece of candy[5]a bag of sweets or (2) a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a pudding or dessert.

Afters[5] is an informal British term for the sweet course following the main course of a meal; or, in British parlance, pudding [see following] ⇒ there was apple pie for afters.

Whereas in North America, the term pudding[5] denotes specifically a dessert with a soft or creamy consistency, in Britain the term pudding[5] refers to either (1) [seemingly any] cooked sweet dish served after the main course of a meal or (2) the dessert course of a meal ⇒ what’s for pudding?.

Thus the terms dessert, pudding and afters would appear to be synonymous in Britain. The response to What’s for pudding? seemingly could be Apple pie.

21d   Spread /of/, say, strike rising (5)

Marge[5] is an informal British term for margarine.

23d   Love suppressed by the girl's // idol (4)

"love" = O (show explanation )

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.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

hide explanation
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, July 28, 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015 — DT 27721

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27721
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27721]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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
- 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
The National Post has skipped DT 27720 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, February 9, 2015 and which appeared on this blog yesterday as a Bonus Puzzle.

Introduction

This puzzle should certainly not cause you to work up much of a sweat — which is just as well on a hot day like today.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the 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.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Time lag's got /to be/ extended (7)

In British slang, a lag[5] is a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison ⇒ both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.

5a   Flesh is cut -- /that's/ mean (7)

Like Chris at Comment #21 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I initially questioned the use of cut as an anagram indicator. The best explanation I can offer is that cut[5] is likely being used in the sense of to mix (an illegal drug) with another substance speed cut with rat poison.

9a   Ordinary // American university next to Alabama (5)

"Alabama" = AL (show explanation )

In official postal use, AL[5] is the abbreviation for Alabama.

hide explanation

10a   Greedy, // getting stung by debts (9)

I have misgivings concerning the wordplay that are similar to those expressed by Gazza.

11a   Peculiar // person (10)

12a   Mother's temperature // -- it rises on board a ship (4)

14a   Criminal man's honest? It /creates/ confusion (12)

18a   Crazily invest more to secure MP/'s/ changes for the better (12)

21a   Cheat has no right /to get/ sign of approval from teacher (4)

22a   Without a thought, // recluse lays ground to ignore what's proper (10)

"what's proper" = U (show explanation )

In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners.

The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable) — or, as today, by "what's proper".

hide explanation

25a   Staying // much absorbed, initially, in what carriage driver is doing? (9)

26a   Fish with a line? // Perfect (5)

Ide[5] is another name for the orfe[5], a silvery freshwater fish (Leuciscus idus) of the carp family, which is fished commercially in eastern Europe.

27a   Orchestral performance has new ending -- /that's/ a worry (7)

28a   Groan -- Edward's // spotted (7)

We need the longer short form for Edward. Think of Senator Kennedy.

Down

1d   Where one might find artists // hard-working? Not us! (6)

2d   Skirts // no good in gardens (6)

"good" = G (show explanation )

The abbreviation G[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

hide explanation

In Britain, a garden[10] is an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a house — what would be known in Canada and the US as a yard.

3d   I've let son out to purchase one // box set (10)

4d   Picked up // king, perhaps, to capture rook (5)

"rook" = R (show explanation )

R[5] is an abbreviation for rook that is used in recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

5d   Military vessel? It's not seen in the main (9)

The phrase "in the main"[5] can be read as meaning either 'on the whole' or 'on the open ocean'.

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

6d   Behind time, // with others turning up (4)

7d   Remote // island with very old diamonds (8)

"diamonds" = D (show explanation )

Diamonds[2] (abbreviation D[2]) is one of the four suits of playing-cards.

hide explanation

So[5] is an adverb (used for emphasis) meaning extremely or very much ⇒ she looked so pretty.

Old is used in the sense of former. In addition to meaning dead, the term late[3] can mean having recently occupied a position or place the company's late president gave the address. [Notwithstanding this usage being in the dictionary, were I to see or hear this statement, I would certainly envision a message from beyond the grave!]

8d   Stall // he has that is containing junk (8)

Tat[5] is an informal British term for tasteless or shoddy clothes, jewellery, or ornaments ⇒ the place was decorated with all manner of gaudy tat.

13d   Caught mad character in government, // babbling (10)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.[2,10] or c[5] denotes caught or caught by.

hide explanation

"government" = G (show explanation )

G[1] is the abbreviation for Government as in G-man (Government man), a US term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

hide explanation

The Hatter[7] (called Hatta in Through the Looking-Glass) is a fictional character in English writer Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and the story's sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase "mad as a hatter" pre-dates Carroll's works and the characters the Hatter and the March Hare are initially referred to as "both mad" by the Cheshire Cat, with both first appearing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in the seventh chapter titled "A Mad Tea-Party".

15d   Where one might hear music transformed into // action (9)

To fully accord with the clue, Gazza might better have phrased his hint as "a venue for a musical performance is followed by an anagram (transformed) of INTO".

16d   Mash is, to Richard, somewhat // remarkable (8)

17d   Small rodents returning in animal enclosure, /for/ example (8)

19d   Approve // climb, we hear? (6)

20d   Went round // cricket club -- was first unknown to be welcomed in (6)

"cricket club" = CC (show explanation )

CC[5] is the abbreviation for Cricket Club.

hide explanation

"unknown" = Y (show explanation )

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are customarily represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

hide explanation

23d   Slowly moves // insect, top to bottom (5)

The sedge[1] (also sedge fly) is any of several mayflies or caddis flies, common along rivers. It has a very restricted range, being found only in the vicinity of page 1412 of certain editions of The Chambers Dictionary.

This insect was the subject of an interesting exchange in the thread starting at Comment #7 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog.

24d   The man maintaining I would // go to ground (4)

The phrase go to ground[5] means (1) of a fox or other animal, to enter its earth or burrow ⇒ rabbits evicted from one set of burrows will go to ground elsewhere or (2) of a person, to hide or become inaccessible, especially for a long time ⇒ he went to ground following the presidential coup.
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