Saturday, May 30, 2015

Saturday, May 30, 2015 — Cause of Sleeplessness in Washington City?

Introduction

As I recall, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon did not present any special difficulties. My slowness in posting the solution results from being tied up with house guests this weekend.

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

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Egg on // expert debater’s face (4)

PRO|D — PRO (expert) + D (Debater's face [initial letter])

3a   Rushes around fire // storms (10)

HURRI(CAN)ES — HURRIES (rushes) containing (around) CAN (fire; dismiss from employment)

9a   Charges // a levy, reportedly (7)

ATTACKS~ — sounds like (reportedly) {A (†) + TAX (levy)}

11a   Mulch, // except inside cistern (7)

TAN(BAR)K — BAR (except) contained in (inside) TANK (cistern)

Tanbark[3,4,11] is (1) the bark of various trees, especially the the oak and hemlock, used as a source of tannin (a substance used in tanning hides) or (2) shredded bark from which the tannin has been extracted, used to cover circus arenas, racetracks, and other surfaces.

12a   Grades // Groucho orally (5)

MARKS~ — sounds like (orally) MARX (Groucho [one of the Marx Brothers])

The Marx Brothers[5] were a family of American comedians, consisting of the brothers Chico (Leonard, 1887–1961), Harpo (Adolph Arthur, 1888–1964), Groucho (Julius Henry, 1890–1977), and Zeppo (Herbert, 1901–79). Their films, which are characterized by their anarchic humour, include Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935).

13a   A bishop cut off // some seafood (7)

A|B|ALONE — A (†) + B (bishop; chess piece) + ALONE (cut off)

An abalone[10] is any of various edible marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Haliotis, having an ear-shaped shell that is perforated with a row of respiratory holes. The shells are used for ornament or decoration. Also called: ear shell, haliotis, or ormer.

15a   For vocalizing, pen // musical work for singers (7)

CHORALE~ — sounds like (for vocalizing) CORRAL (pen; a place to confine animals)

16a   Make a home outside a // Washington city (7)

SE(A)TTLE — SETTLE (make a home) containing (outside) A (†)

18a   Dishing all about // affair (7)

SHINDIG* — anagram (all about) of DISHING

21a   Cold-blooded sort put a stop to // paving stuff (7)

ASP|HALT — ASP (cold-blooded sort) + HALT (put a stop to)

23a   Making a mistake about a piece of jewelry (7)

E(A)RRING — ERRING (making a mistake) containing (about) A (†)

25a   True origin of magic // kingdom (5)

REAL|M — REAL (true) + M (origin [initial letter] of Magic)

27a   A barrier in front of insect /is/ firm (7)

A|DAM|ANT — A (†) + DAM (barrier) + (in front of) ANT (insect)

28a   Prominent // foreigner in street (7)

S(ALIEN)T — ALIEN (foreigner) contained in (in) ST ([abbreviation for] street)

29a   Indian river test // of manufacturing (10)

INDUS|TRIAL_ — INDUS (Indian river) + TRIAL (test)

The Indus[5] is a river of southern Asia, about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) in length, flowing from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Along its valley an early civilization flourished from circa 2600 to 1760 BC.

30a   Employer // going through warehouse receipts (4)

_USE|R_ — hidden in (going through) warehoUSE Receipts

Down

1d   Reportedly, agricultural acres help // drug seller (10)

PHARMACIST~ — sounds like (reportedly) {FARM (agricultural acres) + ASSIST (help)}

2d   Strange root in a // Great Lake (7)

ONTARIO* — anagram (strange) of ROOT IN A

4d   Trendy // new capsule (7)

UPSCALE* — anagram (new) of CAPSULE

5d   Time article in informer’s // palms (7)

RAT(T|AN)S — {T (time) + AN ([indefinite] article)} contained in (in) {RAT (informer) + S ('s)}

Rattan[5] is (1) the thin jointed stems of a palm, used to make furniture ⇒ a rattan armchair; (2) a length of rattan used as a walking stick; or (3) the tropical Old World climbing palm which yields rattan, with long, spiny, jointed stems.

6d   Residential unit // against party (5)

CON|DO — CON (against) + DO (party)

7d   Next // goal involving Mars (7)

NE(ARES)T — NET (goal; as in hockey or soccer) containing (involving) ARES (MARS; god of war)

In Greek mythology, Ares[5] is the war god, son of Zeus and Hera. Roman equivalent Mars. The equivalent god in Roman mythology is Mars.

8d   Japanese fermented beverage // account (4)

SAKE — double definition

10d   Dessert // crust ad revised (7)

CUSTARD* — anagram (revised) of CRUST AD

14d   Something with five feet // meant Peter ill (10)

PENTAMETER* — anagram (ill) of MEANT PETER

17d   A place containing trim // clothing (7)

A|P(PARE)L — A (†) + PL ([abbreviation for] place) containing (†) PARE (trim)

19d   I come down again /in/ part of Europe (7)

I|RELAND — I (†) + RELAND (come down again; on an airstrip)

20d   Trash trailing green, // sparkly bits (7)

G|LITTER — LITTER (trash) following (trailing) G (green)

21d   Gold rush connected with a // town of Maine (7)

AU|GUST|A — AU ([symbol for the chemical element] gold) + GUST (rush; of air) + A (†)

Augusta[7] is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest U.S. state capital (after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota).

22d   At first, Altman made us // a movie about Mozart (7)

A|MADE|US — A (at first, Altman; initial letter of Altman) + MADE (†) + US (†)

Amadeus[7] is a 1984 American period drama film directed by Miloš Forman, written by Peter Shaffer, and adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus (1979). The story, set in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the 18th century, gives a highly fictionalized account of the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

Scratching the Surface
In reality, this film was made by Miloš Forman— not Robert Altman.

Robert Altman[7] (1925–2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.

Jan Tomáš Forman , known as Miloš Forman[7], is a Czech film director, screenwriter, actor, and professor.

24d   Harvests // rotten pears (5)

REAPS* — anagram (rotten) of PEARS

26d   Painter // laid off (4)

DALI* — anagram (off) of LAID

Epilogue

The title of today's post is inspired by 16a and 18a.
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, May 29, 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015 — DT 27673

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27673
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, December 15, 2014
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27673]
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

Today we have the usual fare from Rufus—enjoyable but not overly difficult. I wouldn't say that this puzzle rated three stars for difficulty—perhaps Miffypops merely neglected to change the stars from their default setting in the template.

At Comment #3 on Big Dave's blog, Miffypops asks Who’s ashes are we scattering across the blog today Big Dave?. This—and the ensuing discussion—relate to the practice on the blog of displaying snowflakes falling across the screen in the weeks leading up to Christmas (this puzzle having been published in the UK on December 15, 2014).

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   Pirate on S American river // that may be seen on board (6,5)

Read the definition as "that [which] may be seen on board" or "[something] that may be seen on board".

Long John Silver[7] is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the novel Treasure Island (1883) by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894). The most colorful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture.

The River Plate[7] is a wide estuary on the Atlantic coast of South America at the border between Argentina and Uruguay, formed by the confluence of the Rivers Paraná and Uruguay. The cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo lie on its shores. In 1939 it was the scene of a naval battle in which the British defeated the Germans. The Spanish name is Río de la Plata.

Board[5,10] is an archaic term for a table, especially one used for eating at, and especially when laden with foodhe looked at the banquet which was spread upon his board.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's blog, Miffypops says "As this river has only five letters it is not the Amazon or the Orinoco. It must therefore be the one with the football team named after it."
River Plate Football Club[7] was a sports club from Uruguay, founded in 1897 in Montevideo. It is considered one of the four giants of the first era in Uruguayan football [soccer]. After the second decade of the twentieth century, the club entered in ostracism and disappeared in 1929.

9a   Game /that's/ bound to go with whisky (9)

10a   Reserves // bets on races (5)

Book[5] denotes a bookmaker’s record of bets accepted and money paid out.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's blog, Miffypops refers to bookmakers as "Turf Accountants".
When I first encountered the term "turf accountant", I presumed that it must be jocular British slang for a bookie. As it turns out, it is quite the opposite. Turf accountant[5,10] is a formal British name for a bookmaker.

11a   Nelly is confused about love, /and/ without boyfriends? (6)

"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.

hide explanation

12a   Reptile // brings back one young salmon in ten (8)

13a   Curiosity // may make one tarry (6)

15a   Dead centre? (8)

18a   Quasar exploding round one high-class // constellation (8)

"high-class" = 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, it is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior or—as today—high-class) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).

hide explanation

In astronomy, Aquarius[5] is the name of a large constellation (the Water Carrier or Water Bearer), said to represent a man pouring water from a jar. It contains no bright stars but has several planetary nebulae.

19a   Back on board (6)

It took a while to resolve whether I should be thinking nautically or in terms of a gameboard.

21a   Not very bright, /so/ extra-shy (8)

Not a double definition at all—at least not in my opinion. I would say that the clue is a charade.

Shy[5] is a dated term meaning, as a noun, an act of flinging or throwing something at a target and, as a verb, to fling or throw (something) at a target he tore the spectacles off and shied them at her.

23a   Their losses may get roundabout compensation (6)

Roundabout[10] is a British name for a merry-go-round.

What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts[Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus] (or, more simply, it's swings and roundabouts) is a British saying meaning that the positive and negative results of a situation or action balance each other ⇒ The route through town would be shorter, but there'll be more traffic." "Well, it's just swings and roundabouts.

26a   He gets put out, /becomes/ angry (3,2)

27a   Script one created /for/ TV's Morse? (9)

Inspector Endeavour Morse[7] is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, as well as the 33-episode 1987–2000 television drama Inspector Morse[7], with the character played by John Thaw. Morse is a senior CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officer with the Thames Valley Police force in Oxford, England.

28a   Seconds // subside? (7,4)

The seconds[5] are the reserve team of a sports club.

In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage would seem to exist as well in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you..

A reserve[5] is an extra player in a team, serving as a possible substitute ⇒ he was reserve hooker [position on a rugby team] for the World Cup team. The reserves[5] are the the second-choice team ⇒ playing in the first team has been a big step up after the reserves.

Split "subside" (3,4) to get RESERVE (sub) + TEAM (side).

Down

1d   Student // involved in chorals (7)

2d   Flower // some pull up inappropriately (5)

3d   Cares a lot about // powered flight (9)

4d   Past prime minister /is the product of/ sanctimonious island race (4)

Pi[5] is an informal British short form for pious.

"island race" = TT (show explanation)

The Tourist Trophy[5] (abbreviation TT[5]) is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.

hide explanation

William Pitt[5] (1759–1806), known as Pitt the Younger, was Prime Minister of Britain 1783–1801 and 1804-6, The youngest-ever Prime Minister, he introduced reforms to reduce the national debt. He was the son of William Pitt[5], 1st Earl of Chatham (1708–1778) who was known as Pitt the Elder. As Secretary of State (effectively Prime Minister), the elder Pitt headed coalition governments 1756–61 and 1766-8. He brought the Seven Years War to an end in 1763 and also masterminded the conquest of French possessions overseas, particularly in Canada and India.

5d   The tales bandied about /by/ sportsmen (8)

6d   It may retain warmth // that will show at the end of three months (5)

7d   Mary holding child /featured in/ stonework (7)

8d   Full // make up? (8)

"Make up" meaning complete? Perhaps is the sense of ⇒ I need only one more piece to make up a full set.

14d   It takes a turn for the better (8)

I thought maybe roulette might be another name for a roulette wheel—but that would seem not to be the case. I suppose if one interprets "takes" as meaning "involves" then one could say that roulette involves "a turn for the better".

16d   Place to be for an alibi (9)

17d   Chases // jobs (8)

18d   One more // convert on earth (7)

20d   /This is/ no way to drink // patent medicine (7)

The wordplay is NO (from the clue) + ST (way; abbreviation for street) + (to) RUM (drink).

The word "to" is used as a charade indicator in the sense of "pressed against"—as in expressions such as "shoulder to the wheel" or "nose to the grindstone".

Despite appearing at the beginning of the clue, the words "this is" fulfill the role of a link phrase.

22d   One's saucy prank! (5)

After considerable searching, I concluded that capers aren't saucy—but a sauce may be capery. I can only deduce that the clue is a not a double definition but, rather, a cryptic definition built around an allusion to the fact that capers can be used in sauces.

Caper sauce[10] is sauce flavoured with capers   ⇒ wild duck in caper sauce .

24d   Chemical, // inert in another form (5)

Nitre[5] is another term for saltpetre[5] which, in turn, is another term for potassium nitrate[5], a white crystalline salt which occurs naturally in nitre and is used in preserving meat and as a constituent of gunpowder. [This series of definitions seems to have been composed by M. C. Escher—since, as in his drawings, if you follow a path far enough, you end up back where you started.] I suspect that what may be intended by this sequence of definitions is not that potassium nitrate is one component of nitre but that the naturally occurring form of potassium nitrate is called nitre.

Saltpetre (potassium nitrate) was once thought to induce impotence, and is still falsely rumored to be in institutional food (such as military fare) as an anaphrodisiac [a drug that reduces sexual desire]; however, there is no scientific evidence for such properties.[7]

25d   One employs // American with hesitation (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, May 28, 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015 — DT 27672

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27672
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27672 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27672 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
crypticsue (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

The puzzle may be easy but that is no guarantee that one won't stumble—as I did at 14d.

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   Attendant's needed after petticoat // sliding (8)

Taking a closer look
Not being shy to explore a woman's undergarments, I had a look at the definition of petticoat and found that it seems to vary somewhat between American and British dictionaries. The American Heritage Dictionary defines petticoat[3] as a girl's or woman's undergarment, worn under a dress or skirt, that is often full and trimmed with ruffles or lace. This would appear to be a fancier garment than that described by the British dictionaries. Typical is Oxford Dictionaries Online which defines petticoat[5] as a woman’s light, loose undergarment hanging from the shoulders or the waist, worn under a skirt or dress—exactly what I would call a slip.

9a   Minute device // one could go off after a while (4,4)

The use of the word "device" to clue BOMB would seem to be exceedingly weak. The best explanation that I could find is that a bomb[5] is a thing resembling a bomb in shape, in particular ... a pear-shaped weight used to anchor a fishing line to the bottom.

10a   Not favouring // some indignant individuals (4)

11a   Colour /that's/ vulgar after a time (8,4)

13a   Close shave going over the top? (5,3)

A close shave, really? A razor cut appears to be neither a shaved head nor even a buzz cut. Depending on the dictionary one chooses to look at, a razor cut is either a short or tapered haircut effected with a razor[5], or a fluffy hairstyle, usually tapering at the neck, trimmed by a razor[10]. I did not find the term razor cut in either of the American dictionaries that I regularly consult.

15a   Flower planted in sediment /is/ ruined (6)

"Flower" = PO (show explanation)

Flower is used in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of something that flows — in other words, a river.

The Po[7] is a river that arises in the Cottian Alps and flows eastward across northern Italy entering the Adriatic Sea through a delta near Venice.

hide explanation

What did she say?
In her review on Big Dave's blog, crypticsue says I am going to be kind to my fellow blogger   and just say that the Italian river PO ....
On December 31, 2010 in a review of DT 26437, gnomethang described the Po as a Chinese river—a faux pas he has never managed to live down.

16a   Curtain // evidentially drawn out at intervals (4)

17a   Where one learns // one's social status? (5)

18a   Mammoth /seen in/ press reaching Estonia's capital (4)

20a   Works to get across independent // statement of grievance (6)

"independent"= I (show explanation)

I[1] is the abbreviation for independent, likely in the context of a politician with no party affiliation. 

hide explanation

21a   Heavenly // ale -- three drunk (8)

23a   Unintended consequence /of/ engineers striking (12)

"engineers" = RE (show explanation)

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

hide explanation

26a   Its passengers don't take flight (4)

Lift[5] is the British term for an elevator[5].

27a   Lameness bothered // representatives (8)

28a   Kindness // to pass over diamonds given by final bequest (8)

Go means to pass in the sense of As time goes by.

"over" = O and "diamonds" = D (show explanation)

In cricket, an over[5] (abbreviation O[5]) is 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.

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

hide explanation

Down

2d   Polish // one's speech? (8)

3d   Hull's high-water mark (8,4)

A Plimsoll line[5] is a marking on a ship’s side showing the limit of legal submersion when loaded with cargo under various sea conditions — named after Samuel Plimsoll (1824–1898), the English politician whose agitation in the 1870s resulted in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876, ending the practice of sending to sea overloaded and heavily insured old ships, from which the owners profited if they sank.

What did she say?
In her review on Big Dave's blog, crypticsue says "The canvas shoes we wore for school PE are apparently called Plimsolls because ...".
Plimsoll[5] (also plimsole) is a British name for a light rubber-soled canvas shoe, worn especially for sports. One would guess that the alternate spelling derives from a confusion with the word "sole". As crypticsue informs us, the name is believed to come from the resemblance of the side of the sole to the Plimsoll line on the side of a ship.

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, we are likely expected to to interpret Hull as either the river or the city.

The River Hull[7] is a navigable river in Yorkshire in the north of England. It rises from a series of springs to the west of Driffield, and enters the Humber estuary at Kingston upon Hull.

Hull[5] is a city and port in northeastern England, situated at the junction of the Hull and Humber Rivers; population 263,000 (est. 2009). Official name Kingston upon Hull.

4d   Bill I had put on in charge, // that leaves a bitter taste (6)

I believe the definition to be "that leaves a bitter taste", a postpositive adjectival phrase that is equivalent to the adjective "acidic". One would say  Lemon juice is an acidic substance or  Lemon juice is a substance that leaves a bitter taste.

"in charge" = IC (show explanation)

The abbreviation i/c[5,10] (especially in military contexts) is short for in charge (of) ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations.

hide explanation

5d   Case for the sewer (4)

6d   Same ship suffering // stress (8)

7d   Object // to delay, nothing's to be held up (4)

8d   Sailor dispatched over limitless reef // one's failed to show up (8)

"Sailor" = AB (show explanation)

In the Royal Navy, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills. 

hide explanation

12d   Born with real worries /in/ relation to partner (7-2-3)

14d   Business // pace has two characters rising at another's expense (5)

I never did figure out the wordplay on my own and needed crypticsue's explanation. I was trying desperately to make something out of "pace" = RATE.

Tread[5] is used in the sense of walk on or along ⇒ shoppers will soon be treading the floors of the new shopping mall. Actors are said to tread the boards while expectant fathers once paced the floor.

16d   Turn to mist /and/ spray over Pisa (8)

17d   Roman underground terminus? (8)

19d   Appreciative /for/ quantity of coal (8)

Grateful (in reference to the coal) would seem to be a term invented by the setter patterned after words such as mouthful, bellyful and barrelful.

22d   Style // set around one ring (6)

24d   European // flag-bearer (4)

The second salute to Poland today.

25d   Chorus // starts to serenade in noisy group (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

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 — DT 27671

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27671
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, December 12, 2014
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27671]
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

I did not think that this was Giovanni at his most demanding—although some commenters on Big Dave's blog might beg to differ. However, under pressure of the blog deadline, I did resort to a bit of electronic assistance on a couple of clues. I was chastened to discover that the solution to one was a word that should be very familiar to any crossword aficionado while The Chambers Dictionary characterizes the other as a Canadian expression. A double dose of embarrassment.

By the way, if you did not follow-up on Gazza's suggestion in a response to Comment #33 on the review of yesterday's puzzle at Big Dave's site, I recommend you do so. He pointed out an article in which cryptic crossword setter Anax (Dean Mayer) explains the process of creating a puzzle. Here is a direct link to the article. It definitely gives you an appreciation for the view from the other side of the fence.

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   Conservative legislation reintroduced /to bring/ financial recoupment? (8)

5a   Famous US science teacher/'s/ optical instruments (6)

John Scopes[7] (1900–1970) was a teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, who was charged on May 5, 1925 for violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools. He was tried in a case known as the Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and commonly referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial.

... and the verdict was ... (show explanation)

The case ended on July 21, 1925, with a guilty verdict, and Scopes was fined 100 dollars. The case was appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. In a 3-1 decision written by Chief Justice Grafton Green the Butler Act was held to be constitutional, but the court overturned Scopes's conviction on a technicality: the judge had set the fine instead of the jury. The Butler Act remained until May 18, 1967, when it was repealed by the Tennessee legislature.

hide explanation

9a   This person's posturing /as/ impressive (8)

"This person's" = IM (show explanation)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the) compiler, (the) setter, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue. Today, the setter has made the scenario slightly more complicated by combining "This person" with the verb "to be" producing "This person's" (contraction for "This person is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (I am).

hide explanation

10a   Probing hospital, MO started // pretty well (6)

Scratching the Surface
A medical officer[5] (abbreviation MO[5]) is a doctor in charge of the health services of a civilian or military authority or other organization.

11a   Management of image by company with a policy /to be/ sweet (7)

"Management of image by company" is certainly a very verbose way to say PR.

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.

Praline[5] is either (1) a smooth, sweet substance made by boiling nuts in sugar and grinding the mixture, used especially as a filling for chocolates ⇒ white chocolate and praline cheesecake or (2) [which is likely the meaning needed today] a chocolate filled with praline ⇒ pralines laced with alcohol.

12a   Fellow, sure clumsy, // gets covered in muck (7)

Muck[5] is farmyard manure, widely used as fertilizer.

Manure[5] as a verb means to apply manure to (land).

Like Roland at Comment #16 on Big Dave's blog, I initially thought that "gets covered in muck" should lead to MANURED, rather than MANURES. In his response to this comment, Gazza advises "You need to read the 12a clue as “gets (a field, say) covered in muck”".

I arrived at a somewhat different rationalization for the solution. Since the clumsy fellow gets covered in muck, one could say that he MANURES himself.

Under either explanation, I think the clue is a bit clumsy.

13a   Crazy leader is nut // to be made ineffective (11)

16a   Imbibers who go to pot? (3,8)

21a   Wreck entrance /in/ seaside resort (7)

Margate[7] is a seaside town in East Kent, England. For at least 250 years, Margate has been a leading seaside resort in the UK, drawing Londoners to its beaches, Margate Sands.

22a   Claim /made by/ little old female in crowd (7)

The word "little" indicates that we need the abbreviation for old.

23a   Girl, // one in spectacles putting off outsiders (6)

24a   Not wholly engaged at work? (4-4)

25a   Becomes aware of // meaning when listening (6)

26a   Bishop most strange /and/ least likely to be sober? (8)

"Bishop" = B (show explanation)

B[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

Down

1d   Cold rebel // touchy and irritable (6)

According to The Chambers Dictionary, chippy[1] is an informal Canadian term meaning touchy, quarrelsome, or aggressive. In this sense, it is commonly used to describe the play in hockey games. [I believe this may well be the first time I have seen Chambers designate a meaning as Canadian.]

2d   Seem /to be/ a listener keeping very quiet (6)

"very quiet" = PP (show explanation)

Pianissimo (abbreviation pp)[5] is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very soft or very quiet or (as an adverb) very softly or very quietly.

hide explanation

3d   Obtains new // defence (7)

4d   Result /of/ trick on train (11)

6d   Officer, // one taking line south of mountain pass (7)

7d   Completely heartless paper with monstrous female /given/ advancement (8)

8d   Dotty is sedate, /showing/ reserve (3,5)

12d   Businesses stalled here? (11)

14d   Disorder aboard ship /making/ trips (8)

"aboard ship" = contained in SS (show explanation)

In Crosswordland, you will find that a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS[10]. Thus "aboard ship" is code for 'contained in SS'.

hide explanation

Tumble[10] is used in the sense of a state of confusion.

15d   Man perhaps overcome by beautiful // sort of design (4,4)

The Isle of Man[5]  is an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system.

Fair Isle[10] is an intricate multicoloured pattern knitted with Shetland wool into various garments, such as sweaters. It is named after one of the Shetland Islands where the pattern originated.

Fair Isle[5] is one of the Shetland Islands, lying about halfway between Orkney and the main Shetland group.

What did he say?
In his review, Deep Threat lets us know that Man is but an example by indicating that the second part of the solution could be  Man or Wight or Muck or….
The Isle of Wight[5] is an island off the south coast of England, a county since 1974; population 131,700 (est. 2009); administrative centre, Newport. It lies at the entrance to Southampton Water and is separated from the mainland by the Solent and Spithead.

Muck[7] is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach. The island's only road, about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) long, connects the two.

17d   One taking practical approach /is/ on a roll (7)

18d   Gun // beginning to scare owl? (7)

19d   Spell out // letters at end of crossword clue, all right? (6)

Doh! I got the first two letters, no problem. It was the last four that eluded me. When my electronic assistant served up the solution, I could not believe I had failed to see it immediately. My downfall was due to thinking that the DE came at the end of the solution making the definition "all right"—which turned out to be anything but right.

20d   Sanction // at the moment that gets transmitted (6)

As meaning at the moment as in the phrase as we speak.

Sanction[5] is an interesting word, being—effectively—virtually its own antonym. It can mean either official permission or approval for an action or a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.
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