Monday, September 21, 2015 — DT 27775

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27775
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27775]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Gazza
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
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 27773 and DT 27774 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, April 11, 2015 and Monday, April 13, 2015.

Introduction

My lack of familiarity with what I presume to be a relatively minor English cathedral was my downfall today.

I also not that today's setter is fond of clues in which the wordplay and solutions have to be read as entire phrases for them to work.

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   Declining // money poor director hoards in retirement (6)

4a   Cooking over with a new // set of casseroles? (8)

10a   Slip when manoeuvring round vehicle's rear? // It's a driving problem (5,4)

Wheel spin^[2] (or wheelspin^[5,10]) is [a seemingly British term for] the rotation of the wheels of a vehicle as a result of reduced road-surface frictional force, causing a spin without any forward movement of the vehicle ⇒ (i) traction control cuts engine power as soon as sensors detect wheelspin; (ii) I accelerated very gently, trying to find optimum traction and avoid wheelspin; (iii) The thing just zooms cleanly away: no wheelspin, no tugging on the steering wheel. The common term in North America would be spinning one's tires.

11a   End around middle of July /for/ flower (5)

I think the middle of July would, in fact, be a couple of months late for the end of this flower's season.

12a   Hot sauce /found in/ key course mainly (7)

Even sitting at my keyboard with it staring me in the face, it took a while for the association between "Tab" and "key" to sink in.

Ascot Racecourse^[7] is an English racecourse, located in the village of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32^* annual Group One races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle.
[^* In another article, Wikipedia lists 35 Group One races in Great Britain^[7].]

Tabasco^[5] (also Tabasco sauce) is the trademark for a pungent sauce made from the fruit of a capsicum pepper (Capsicum frutescens or Capsicum annuum). [Note: In the past some woody forms of the species Capsicum annuum have been called Capsicum frutescens, but the features that were used to distinguish those forms appear in many populations of Capsicum annuum and there is no consistently recognizable Capsicum frutescens species.]^[7]

13a   Peacekeeping outfit /seen in/ strip (7)

The clueing here is a variation on something that we saw in the puzzle that appeared on Friday last.

"peacekeeper" = UN (show explanation )

The United Nations^[5] (abbreviation UN) is an international organization of countries set up in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

The UN Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security, and may call on members to take action, chiefly peacekeeping action, to enforce its decisions.

hide explanation

Here "peacekeeping" is used to denote "of or belonging to a peacekeeper". Thus a "peacekeeping outfit" could be called "UN DRESS". This is the first example of needing to read the wordplay and solution as entire phrases.

14a   Artist starts to display increasingly indistinct // lines (5)

"artist" = RA (show explanation )

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA^[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5] (also Royal Academy), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. 

hide explanation

15a   Sameness? // It could be shown by card (8)

In the first definition, identity^[5] is used in the sense of a close similarity or affinity ⇒ an identity between the company’s own interests and those of the local community.

18a   A tune number put first, a // thing that's hated (8)

20a   King with a yen to wander /in/ country (5)

"king" = K (show explanation )

K^[5] is an abbreviation for king that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

23a   Level // dish supplied by a university (7)

25a   I had limited Greek character in charge /being/ asinine (7)

Iota^[5] is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).

"in charge" = IC (show explanation )

The abbreviation i/c^[5] can be short for either

1. (especially in military contexts) in charge of ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations; or
2. in command ⇒ 2 i/c = second in command.

hide explanation

26a   City /is/ in front of competition, we're told (5)

Leeds^[5] is an industrial city in West Yorkshire, northern England; population 441,100 (est. 2009). It developed as a wool town in the Middle Ages, becoming a centre of the clothing trade in the Industrial Revolution.

27a   Type of band that is covering Queen /in/ restaurant (9)

"Queen" = ER (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 Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

hide explanation

A brasserie^[5] is a restaurant in France or in a French style.

28a   Show more cleverness than // son in public place of trade (8)

29a   Actor // cited cathedral location (6)

Due to the the homophone indicator in this clue being positioned in the middle, the definition could be either "actor" or "cathedral location". I had to peruse a map of English cathedral sites to solve the clue.

Wells Cathedral

Wells Cathedral^[7] is a Church of England place of worship in Wells, Somerset, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle, and is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. As with other cathedrals, it is the mother church of the diocese and contains the bishop's throne (cathedra). The present building dates from 1175 to 1490, an earlier church having been built on the site in 705. It is moderately sized among the medieval cathedrals of England, falling between those of massive proportion, such as Lincoln and York, and the much smaller cathedrals of Oxford and Carlisle. With its broad west front and large central tower, it is the dominant feature of its small cathedral city and a landmark in the Somerset countryside. Wells has been variously described as "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and as "the most poetic" of English cathedrals.

Orson Welles^[5] (1915–1985) was an American film director and actor. His realistic radio dramatization in 1938 of H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds persuaded many listeners that a Martian invasion was really happening. Notable films as director and actor include Citizen Kane (1941) and as actor The Third Man (1949).

Down

1d   Deterioration /of/ performer in part of NI? (8)

Down^[5] is one of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland, since 1973 an administrative district; chief town, Downpatrick.

Turn^[5] is used in the sense of a performer giving a short performance ⇒ Malton’s comedy turn, Mark Poole, takes to the stage tonight in Cinderella.

As Gazza alludes to in his review, turn^[5] can also mean a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession ⇒ (i) Lewis gave her best ever comic turn; (ii) he was asked to do a turn at a children’s party.

Thus a "performer in part of Northern Ireland (NI)" might be referred to as a "Down turn" — a second instance of the wordplay and solution being entire phrases.

2d   Unduly high offer // completed to get book and papers (7)

3d   Learner wearing this poor tattered // garment (4,5)

"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

5d   Opening on river by Paris, say, /for/ speculative funding (7,7)

The River Ure^[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse.

6d   Famous // plea to bar rebel of yesteryear? (5)

Ted^[2] is short for Teddy boy^[5], a slang term originally applied to a young man belonging to a subculture in 1950s Britain characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff (show explanation ) and a liking for rock-and-roll music.The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the term Teddy boy^[2] is now applied to any unruly or rowdy adolescent male.

Quiff^[3,4] is a chiefly British term for a prominent tuft of hair, especially one brushed up above the forehead.

hide explanation

Once again, you must read the wordplay and the solution as entire phrases. Thus a "plea to bar rebel of yesterday" might be "no Ted".

7d   Fine lieutenant protecting soldiers /in/ disorder (7)

I tried to make the solution to this clue start with F. It was only when I finally figured out the solution to 4a that the penny dropped here.

"fine" = A1 (show explanation )

A1^[4][5] or A-one^[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

hide explanation

8d   Show up /with/ former model (6)

9d   Work poet is developing with song for a counterpart (8,6)

"work" = OP (show explanation )

In music, an opus^[5] (plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.

The abbreviation Op.^[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..

Opus^[5] can also be used in a more general sense to mean an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico

hide explanation

16d   Grab children /and/ enter into dispute (4,5)

17d   Criticise scare that's whipped up /in/ part of body (8)

I spent way too much time trying to put an anagram of SCARE into a part of the body to form a word meaning criticise.

19d   A teen's organised before time -- // most unlike a teen? (7)

21d   Spontaneous // type of note? (7)

In music, a natural^[5] is a natural^[5] note; that is, a note that is neither sharp nor flat.

22d   A vote with nothing finally /for/ revered figure (6)

In Greek mythology, Apollo^[5] was a god, son of Zeus and Leto and brother of Artemis. He is associated with music, poetic inspiration, archery, prophecy, medicine, pastoral life, and the sun.

24d   Surrey town // some reps omitted (5)

Epsom^[5] is a town in Surrey, southeastern England; population 35,000 (est. 2009). The annual Derby and Oaks horse races are held at its racecourse on Epsom Downs.

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