Monday, October 5, 2015 — DT 27787

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27787
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27787]
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 27785 and DT 27786 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, April 25, 2015 and Monday, April 27, 2015.

Introduction

I had quite a bit of difficulty in the northwest quadrant and likely spent as much time there as I did on the rest of the puzzle. Elsewhere in the puzzle, I found a couple of definitions to be rather questionable.

The National Post has once again skipped a couple of puzzles so the review that I had prepared for today is sitting unused. Oh well, not to despair. I shall serve it to you on Thanksgiving Day when the National Post does not publish.

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

4a   Like some magazines including detailed art // index (8)

The setter uses "detailed" in a whimsical cryptic crossword sense meaning having the tail removed — based on an analogy with words such as deflowered or defrocked.

8a   Writer /finding/ soldiers in sound condition (6)

"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.

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George Orwell^[5] (1903–1950) was a British novelist and essayist, born in India; pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair. Orwell’s work is characterized by his concern for social injustice. His most famous works are Animal Farm (1945), a satire on Communism as it developed under Stalin, and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), a dystopian account of a future state in which every aspect of life is controlled by Big Brother.

9a   Exercise? It is embraced by poet mostly /for/ fitness (8)

"exercise" = PT (show explanation )

PT^[5] is the abbreviation [British, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online] for physical training^[5], the systematic use of exercises to promote bodily fitness and strength.

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W. H. Auden^[5] (1907–1973) was a British-born poet, resident in America from 1939; full name Wystan Hugh Auden. Look, Stranger! (1936) and Spain (1937, on the Civil War) secured his position as a leading left-wing poet. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Anxiety (1947).

10a   Breakdown -- /and/ what might resolve it? (8)

Scratching the Surface
The Brits might well see breakdown[10] in the surface reading as referring to a failure of the engine or other working parts of a vehicle or machine [in particular, an automobile] ⇒ Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. In Britain, roadside assistance is known as breakdown service[10] ⇒ If you stop on the hard shoulder, wait for the police or breakdown service.

11a   Influence // unsettling camp hosted by Italian (6)

In his review, Gazza chooses the second of a couple of possible explanations for the use of "Italian" to clue IT (show explanation ).

• It.^[10] is an abbreviation for Italian or Italy.


• Italian^[10] is another name for Italian vermouth. It^[5] is an informal, dated British term for Italian vermouth ⇒ he poured a gin and it.

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12a   Note chap devised /for/ memorial site (8)

13a   Set aside // bowling regulation? (8)

In cricket, an over^[5] is a span of bowling, in particular a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

I had seen the wordplay as a simple charade, OVER (bowling) + RULE (regulation). However, in his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Gazza points out that one can read the wordplay as a phrase with "bowling regulation" leading to "over rule".

16a   Rigid boat /in/ difficulty (8)

19a   English politician, one going into old drink // shop (8)

21a   It's carried out smoothly in bars (6)

In music, legato^[5] means:

1. (as an adverb or adjective) in a smooth flowing manner, without breaks between notes ⇒ (i) the notes were played legato by the bassoons; (ii) his tremolo and legato work; or
2. (as a noun) a piece or passage marked to be performed legato.

What is known to a British musician as a bar, would be called a measure by an American musician.

A bar^[7] (or measure) is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats, each of which are assigned a particular note value. The word bar is more common in British English, and the word measure is more common in American English, although musicians generally understand both usages.

Originally, the word bar derives from the vertical lines drawn through the staff [or stave] to mark off metrical units. In British English, the vertical line is also known as a bar, but often the term bar-line is used in order to avoid confusion between the two meanings of bar. In American English, the word bar stands for the lines and nothing else.

23a   Second collection of teachers surrounding fellows /in/ Tube station (8)

"second" = MO (show explanation )

Mo^[5] (abbreviation for moment) is an informal, chiefly British term for a short period of time ⇒ hang on a mo!.

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In the UK, NUT^[5] stands for the National Union of Teachers [much to the delight of their students, I am sure].

The Tube^[5] is a British trademark for the underground railway system in London ⇒ a cross-London trek on the Tube.

Bank and Monument^[7] are interlinked London Underground and Docklands Light Railway stations that form a public transport complex spanning the length of King William Street in the City of London (not to be confused with the city of London ). Bank station, named after the Bank of England, opened in 1900 at Bank junction and is served by the Central, Northern and Waterloo and City lines, and the Docklands Light Railway. Monument station, named after the Monument to the Great Fire of London, opened in 1884 and is served by the District and Circle lines. The stations have been linked as an interchange since 1933. The station complex is the one of the busiest on the London Underground network.

The City of London^[7] is a city and ceremonial county within London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the conurbation has since grown far beyond the City's borders. The City is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London. It is one of two districts of London to hold city status, the other being the adjacent City of Westminster.

It is widely referred to simply as the City (often written as just "City" and differentiated from the phrase "the city of London" by capitalising "City") and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km²), in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. This is analogous to the use of the terms Wall Street and Bay Street to refer to the financial institutions located in New York and Toronto respectively.

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24a   Trail of paper shredded for union? (8)

25a   Something soothing // in a car being convertible (6)

Arnica^[5] is:

1. any of many species of plant of the daisy family which bears yellow, daisy-like flowers, found in cooler regions of the northern hemisphere; or
2. a preparation of the arnica plant used medicinally, especially for the treatment of bruises.

26a   Educated // lawyer led astray with yen to quit (4-4)

"yen" = Y (show explanation )

The yen^[5] (abbreviation Y^[5])  is the basic monetary unit of Japan.

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Down

1d   Ornament, // new, carried by vehicle ridden on time (7)

"new" = N (show explanation )

N^[5] is an abbreviation (chiefly in place names) for New ⇒ N Zealand.

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2d   Diplomat will chase after // infernal creature (9)

HE^[2] is the abbreviation for His or Her Excellency, where Excellency^[2] (usually His, Her or Your Excellency or Your or Their Excellencies) is a title of honour given to certain people of high rank, e.g. ambassadors.

A hellhound^[5] is a demon in the form of a dog.

3d   State // unfortunately close to risk area (6)

4d   Object to cricket? The reverse -- // it shows limited focus (11,4)

After reversing the wordplay, it becomes GRASSHOPPER (cricket) + MIND (to object).

I might object to crickets and grasshoppers being considered synonymous.

A cricket^[5] is any of many genera and species of insect in the family Gryllidae related to the grasshoppers but with shorter legs. The male produces a characteristic musical chirping sound.

A grasshopper^[5] is any of many genera and species of plant-eating insect of the family Acrididae with long hind legs which are used for jumping and for producing a chirping sound, frequenting grassy places and low vegetation.

A grasshopper mind^[2] is a mind that is unable to concentrate on any one subject for long.

5d   Foreign party // unconscious on drink, we hear (8)

6d   Arrange // shot in film (3-2)

Once again, I would question the validity of the definition.

A shot^[10] is a length of film taken by a single camera without breaks, used with others to build up a full motion picture or television film.

Set-up^[10] (or setup) denotes the position of the camera, microphones, and performers at the beginning of a scene.

I had guessed that a set-up might be a type of cinematic shot used to establish the time and place of the ensuing action. However, I was unable to find any evidence to support that conjecture.

7d   Progressive // artist caught in ring (7)

"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. 

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"caught" = C (show explanation )

In cricket, similar to baseball, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out^[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

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

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14d   Slate // prudish article penned by socialist (9)

Slate^[5] is an informal British term meaning to criticize severely ⇒ his work was slated by the critics.

15d   Put hands round // device in saloon? (8)

Saloon^[5] (also saloon car) is a British term for a car [known in Canada, the US, and New Zealand as a sedan^[10]] having a closed body and a closed boot [trunk] separated from the part in which the driver and passengers sit ⇒ a four-door saloon.

17d   Exotic name individual /gives/ plant (7)

An anemone^[5] is any of numerous species of plant of the buttercup family which typically has brightly coloured flowers and deeply divided leaves.

18d   Vessel in front // that generates heat? (7)

What did he say?

In his review, Gazza tells us that the vessel in questions is one used to hold ashes or even The Ashes. The Ashes[10] is a cremated cricket stump in a pottery urn now preserved at Lord's [a cricket ground in London, England]. Victory or defeat in Test matches between England and Australia is referred to as winning, losing, or retaining the Ashes. 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. hide explanation The concept of The Ashes originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval [a cricket ground in London, England], their first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to "regain those ashes". The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes.

20d   Evidence of wit, that might prevent disorder /in/ Asian border region (6)

Might this clue be a timely reminder to get your flu shot?

Punjab^[5] (also the Punjab) is a region of northwestern India and Pakistan, a wide, fertile plain traversed by the Indus and the five tributaries which gave the region its name.

22d   A wife's offence -- lacking love. // Terrible! (5)

"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).

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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