Monday, November 9, 2015 — DT 27816

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27816
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 1, 2015
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27816]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Kitty
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

Being a fan of cryptic definitions, I quite enjoyed this puzzle as Rufus — the acknowledged master of this form — was at the top of his game.

The editors at the National Post once again struck me out as they came in with a fast ball down the middle of the plate when I was expecting a curve ball. That is to say, they did not skip a puzzle — or two — today as has been customary on a Monday.

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   Awakening /of/ love in Laura's unexpected (7)

"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

5a   Tommy's upset about parking // warning sign (7)

9a   Teacher/'s/ expression of disgust with our skipping university (5)

10a   Stores periodically issued? (9)

I have marked this as a cryptic definition — one in which we find a straight definition ("stores") followed by some cryptic elaboration (the portion of the clue with the dashed underline). According to this interpretation, the phrase "periodically issued" is suggestive of a magazine without actually constituting the definition of a magazine.

However, were we to introduce the implied text into the clue, we would be justified in calling it a double definition:

• 10a   Stores // [that are] periodically issued? (9)

Stores^[5] are supplies of equipment and food kept for use by members of an army, navy, or other institution, or the place where they are kept ⇒ (i) cupboards for medical stores; (ii) he keeps the ship’s stores; (iii) crates started arriving at the quartermaster’s stores.

A magazine^[5] is a store for arms, ammunition, and explosives for military use.

11a   Business // residence (10)

Residence^[5] is the fact of living in a particular place ⇒ (i) Rome was his main place of residence; (ii) she took up residence in Paris.

Occupation^[5] is the action of living in or using a building or other place ⇒ a property suitable for occupation by older people.

12a   How to express satisfaction at a stroke? (4)

Despite the question mark, this is — without question — a cryptic definition.

14a   Possibly she dreams it's // a principal post (12)

Headmistress^[5] is a chiefly British term for a woman who is the head teacher in a school.

Peering Behind the Picture

Kitty illustrates her review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog with a picture of Miss Agatha Trunchbull[5] who is the fictional headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School (Crunchem Hall Elementary School in the 1996 film) and main antagonist in Roald Dahl's book, Matilda, said to look "more like an eccentric and rather bloodthirsty follower of the stag-hounds than the headmistress of a nice school for children." She is a harsh, cruel educator and tyrant, and this, together with Matilda's unfair treatment from her parents, is perhaps why the book has remained popular among children, as something that the reader may be able to relate to.

18a   I accept order mistakenly // went to and fro (12)

21a   Constantly // right (4)

As an adverb, true^[5] can mean accurately or without variation.

22a   Our respect will be misplaced /for/ such an oppressor (10)

25a   Freely able to speak // with added detail (9)

26a   Oil producer under pressure has a heart of stone (5)

27a   It provides backing for actors (7)

28a   One in no hurry to leave the hospital? (7)

Down

1d   Gesture /that produces/ a lawsuit (6)

2d   Fresh topics /for/ study by light-minded scientists (6)

3d   Squabble a great deal? // Rubbish! (10)

Rubbish^[5] (characterized by Oxford Dictionaries as being a chiefly British term) is the British term for garbage^[5] (characterized by Oxford Dictionaries as being a chiefly North American term). I do note that although Oxford Dictionaries considers the word rubbish to be chiefly British, this view does not appear to be shared by American dictionaries.

4d   I'm fired about // restrictive practice (5)

5d   Foreign girl who drops in after marriage (9)

Signorina^[5] is is a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking unmarried woman, corresponding to Miss ⇒ Signorina Rosalba.

Signora^[5] is a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking married woman, corresponding to Mrs or madam ⇒ good night, Signora.

6d   It has misleading passages (4)

7d   Hairstyles for 16? (8)

The numeral "16" is a cross reference indicator directing the solver to insert the solution to clue 16d in its place to complete the clue. The directional indicator is customarily omitted in situations such as this where only a single clue starts in the light [light-coloured cell in the grid] that is being referenced.

8d   Spray coat produced by damp // suspect (8)

13d   Extend // an invitation to sleep on the floor? (7,3)

15d   Variety of odder army // transport (9)

16d   Relatives in a religious order (8)

As we saw in 10a, we could make an argument for this as a double definition by inserting the missing implicit text.

• 16d   Relatives // [who are] in a religious order (8)

17d   True // account supported by cleric (8)

A curate^[5] is:

1. (also assistant curate) a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest; or
2. an archaic term for a minister with pastoral responsibility.

19d   A way to travel /is/ to walk (6)

20d   Passionate // study in art (6)

23d   Old Prime Minister's going up // to rest (5)

Sir Robert Peel^[5] (1788–1850) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1834-5 and 1841-6. As Home Secretary (1828–30) he established the Metropolitan Police (hence the nicknames bobby and peeler). His repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 split the Conservatives and forced his resignation.

24d   Intended to go to Eastern // Front (4)

"Intended to go to" is a verbose way of saying "for" ⇒ they were raising funds for cancer research.

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