Saturday, January 30, 2016

Saturday, January 30, 2016 — Colourful Revolutionaries

Introduction

Today's colourful puzzle from Cox & Rathvon makes me wonder if they may have been inspired by having hooked up a home entertainment system — most of the cables certainly seem to be included.

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
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
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   Heard you're // old (4)

YORE~ — sounds like (heard) YOU'RE

I suppose these two words sound alike when spoken by some people!

3a   Prize // bulb O'Brien developed (4,6)

{BLUE RIBBON}* — anagram (developed) of BULB OBRIEN

In the US, a blue ribbon is awarded for a first place finish whereas in Canada it is awarded for a second place finish. First place in Canada is signified by a red ribbon which denotes a second place finish in the US.

Delving Deeper
The blue ribbon[7] is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order of knights. The spelling blue riband is still encountered in most English-speaking countries, but in the United States, the term was altered to blue ribbon, and ribbons of this color came to be awarded for first place in certain athletic or other competitive endeavours (such as county and state fairs). It also may be applied to distinguished members of a group or commission who have convened to address a situation or problem; the usual usage is "blue ribbon commission" or "blue-ribbon panel".

9a   Confined // little bug inside hat (7)

LI(MITE)D — MITE (little bug) contained in (inside) LID (hat)

11a   Bit // through sprout in entree (7)

_ROUT|IN|E_ — hidden in (through) spROUT IN Entree

A bit[3] is an entertainment routine given regularly by a performer; in other words, an act.

12a   Neighbour behind the first // group of monks (5)

_ORDER — [B]ORDER (neighbour) with the initial letter removed (behind the first)

13a   Story put back in plot // after the fact (7)

B(ELAT<)ED — {reversal (put back) of TALE (story)} contained in (in) BED ([garden] plot)

15a   Secretly holding // friend with Flash Gordon's foe (7)

PAL|MING — PAL (friend) + (with) MING (Flash Gordon's foe)

Flash Gordon[7] is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip.

The comic strip follows the adventures of Flash Gordon, a handsome polo player and Yale University graduate, and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. The story begins with Earth bombarded by fiery meteors. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to fly into space to find where the meteors originate. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale and they travel to the planet Mongo. The meteors are weapons devised by Ming the Merciless[7], Mongo's evil ruler.

16a   French chemist // tears up Mad (7)

PASTEUR* — anagram (mad) of TEARS UP

Louis Pasteur[5] (1822–1895) was a French chemist and bacteriologist. He introduced pasteurization and made pioneering studies in vaccination techniques.

Scratching the Surface
Mad[7] is an American humor magazine founded in 1952. It was widely imitated and influential, affecting satirical media as well as the cultural landscape of the 20th century, with editor Al Feldstein increasing readership to more than two million during its 1974 circulation peak.

18a   Not Guevara's // tally marks (7)

NOT|CHE|S — NOT (†) + CHE (Guevara; Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara[5]) + S ('s)

21a   Purple and silver grebe's middle // feathers (7)

PLUM|AG|E — PLUM ([shade of] purple) + (and) AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver) + E (grEbe's middle [letter])

23a   Desert beast eating one bit of rock // candy (7)

C(A|R)AMEL — CAMEL (desert beast) containing (eating) {A (one) + R (bit [initial letter] of Rock)}

25a   Family Guy's opening // bell sound (5)

CLAN|G — CLAN (family) + G (Guy's opening [initial letter])

Family Guy[7] is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian. The show is set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island, and exhibits much of its humor in the form of cutaway gags that often lampoon American culture.

27a   Officer/'s/ corny bit for the audience (7)

COLONEL~ — sounds like (for the audience) KERNEL (corny bit)

28a   Preserve farewell // musical piece (7)

CAN|TATA — CAN (preserve) + TATA (farewell)

Ta-ta[3] is a chiefly British expression of farewell.

A cantata[5] is a medium-length narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment, typically with solos, chorus, and orchestra.

29a   Distraction // about offensive baseball player making a mistake (3,7)

RE|D H|ERRING — RE (about; concerning) + DH (offensive baseball player; designated hitter) + ERRING (making a mistake)

A designated hitter[3,11] (abbreviation DH or dh) is a player on a baseball team, selected prior to the game, who substitutes for the pitcher at bat but does not take the field defensively.

30a   Diplomat's gift // stuck in speech (4)

TACT~ — sounds like (in speech) TACKED (stuck)

Down

1d   Outcry that hurts long // needle bearer (6,4)

YELL|OW| PINE — YELL (outcry) + OW (that hurts; cry of pain) + PINE (long)

Yellow pine[5] is any of several North American pines having a strong yellowish wood.

2d   Demerol altered // shape again (7)

REMODEL* — anagram (altered) of DEMEROL

Scratching the Surface
Demerol[5] is a trademark for pethidine, a synthetic compound used as a painkilling drug, especially for women in labour.

4d   Horribly bad, ugly // insect (7)

LADYBUG* — anagram (horribly) of BAD UGLY

5d   Leap far, shifting // part of a hat (7)

EARFLAP* — anagram (shifting) of LEAP FAR

6d   Arctic native/'s/ one night in Quebec (5)

I|NUIT — I ([Roman numeral for] one) + NUIT (night in Quebec; French word meaning 'night')

The Inuit[5] are the members of an indigenous people of northern Canada and parts of Greenland and Alaska.

7d   Streaky horse/'s/ harness, in part, including end of rein (7)

BRI(N)DLE — BRIDLE (harness, in part) containing (including) N (end [final letter] of reiN)

Did you split the clue at the correct spot?

A brindle[3,4,11] is a brindled animal, brindled[3,4,11] meaning brown or grey streaked or patched with a darker colour a brindled dog.

8d   Carol // Trotsky returned (4)

NOEL< — reversal (returned) of LEON (Trotsky; Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky[5])

10d   Grow dull, // like a mountain lake? (7)

TARN|ISH — TARN (mountain lake) + ISH ([suffix denoting] like a)

The question mark indicates that the latter construction is whimsical.

14d   Frozen veggie brand // generating riots (5f5)

{GREEN GIANT}* — anagram (riots) of GENERATING

Green Giant[7] and Le Sueur are brands of frozen and canned vegetables owned by General Mills. The company's mascot is the Jolly Green Giant.

Delving Deeper
The Minnesota Valley Canning Company was founded in 1903 in Le Sueur, Minnesota. "The Valley of the Jolly Green Giant" refers to the Minnesota River valley around Le Sueur. The company was renamed to the Green Giant Company in 1950. In 1979 it merged with the Pillsbury Company; in 2001, the group was acquired by General Mills.

The company used the brand name "Le Sueur Z" for canned vegetables starting in 1903; "Le Sueur" by itself was first used in 1933. The brand "Green Giant Great Big Tender Peas" was first used in 1925.

In Canada the brand Le Sieur (= 'Sir' or 'Mister') has been used since at least 1964, instead of Le Sueur – presumably to avoid the implications of the French word sueur (= 'sweat').

17d   Pinch // truly improving jailbird (7)

SO|UP|CON — SO (truly; I am so glad) + UP (improving; her grades are up) + CON (jailbird)

19d   Amused // little pest went first (7)

TICK|LED — TICK (little pest) + LED (went first)

20d   Second, more abundant // collection for tasting (7)

S|AMPLER — S (second; abbrev.) + AMPLER (more abundant)

21d   Bird // shifted a pencil (7)

PELICAN* — anagram (shifted) of A PENCIL

22d   At a signal to pause, listened to // desert (7)

AT|A|CAMA~ — AT (†) + A (†) + CAMA {sounds like (listened to) COMMA (signal to pause)}

Another tenuous homophone that may well depend more on who's speaking than who's listening.

The Atacama Desert[5] is an arid region of western Chile, extending roughly 965 km (600 miles) southwards from the Peruvian border.

24d   Get up around quarter of nine /and/ wash (5)

RI(N)SE — RISE (get up) containing (around) N (quarter of nine; first — or, arguably, third — of four letters comprising the word NINE)

26d   Damage // small vehicle (4)

S|CAR — S (small; abbrev.) + CAR (vehicle)

Epilogue

The title of today's review is inspired by 3a, 29a, 1d, 14d, 18a, and 8d.
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, January 29, 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016 — DT 27893

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27893
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27893 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27893 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
crypticsue (Review)
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
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

This puzzle presents a fairly gentle exercise after some testing challenges earlier in the week.

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   Note sum charged in unauthorised occupation /of/ quantity of floor space (6,4)

In music — specifically, in tonic sol-fa — re is the second note of a major scale. In Britain, where the more common spelling is ray[5], re[5] is seen as a variant [or even worse, American] spelling.

6a   Fraud /from/ flipping computers (4)

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, flipping[5] is an informal British term used for emphasis or to express mild annoyance ⇒ (i) are you out of your flipping mind?; (ii) it’s flipping cold today.

9a   Dandy // to get fat (5)

Swell[5] is dated slang for a fashionable or stylish person of wealth or high social position a crowd of city swells.

10a   Eccentric directors /of/ stiff material (9)

12a   The woman records trial // wherein some get fleeced (5-8)

"records" = EPS (show explanation )

EP[10] (abbreviation for extended-play) is one of the formats in which music is sold, usually comprising four or five tracks.

hide explanation

14a   In support, learner left with care of // plumbing item (8)

"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

A ballcock[5] is a valve which is linked by a hinged arm to a ball floating on top of a liquid and opens or closes a tap automatically according to the height of the ball, especially in the cistern [tank] of a flushing toilet.

15a   Artist /has/ entry cut short (6)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres [5] (1780–1867) was a French painter. A pupil of Jacques-Louis David, he vigorously upheld neoclassicism in opposition to Delacroix’s romanticism. Notable works: Ambassadors of Agamemnon (1801) and The Bather (1808).

17a   Austen novel // to get from office (6)

Scratching the Surface
Jane Austen[5] (1775–1817) was an English novelist. Her major novels are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818). They are notable for skilful characterization, dry wit, and penetrating social observation.

19a   Ecstasy /gets/ a hip roue smashed (8)

Scratching the Surface
Ecstasy[5] is an illegal amphetamine-based synthetic drug with euphoric effects, originally produced as an appetite suppressant. Also called MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine).

21a   Where one's tried to get round // report of royals (5,8)

In Britain, the Court Circular[5] is a daily report of the activities and public engagements of royal family members, published in some newspapers.

24a   An elector undermined // liberal position (9)

25a   Detective // on public transport (5)

The Inspector Rebus[7] books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on the title character Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh, Scotland.

26a   Rejected love // that produces pain (4)

In Greek mythology, Eros[5] is the god of love, son of Aphrodite — the Roman equivalent being Cupid. The name is synonymous with sexual love or desire Eros drives us to transcend ourselves through desire.

27a   Estimate on repairing // starter home? (10)

Maisonette[3,4,11] (or maisonnette) is a chiefly British term for self-contained living accommodation often occupying two floors of a larger house and having its own outside entrance.

Down

1d   Window frame /made by/ son, with wood (4)

2d   Able to take a stretch briefly after university, // one's employed in the kitchen (7)

3d   Bloomer after posh car company /gives/ scary ride (6-7)

Roller[5] is an informal British term for a car made by Rolls-Royce.

4d   Oppose rugby forwards /getting/ cosmetic treatment (4,4)

In rugby, pack[5] denotes a team’s forwards considered as a group ⇒ I had doubts about Swansea’s pack at the beginning of the season.

5d   Make electrics safe /in/ underground shelter (5)

Electrics[5] is a British term for the system of electric wiring and parts in a house or vehicle ⇒ there’s something wrong with the electrics.

The Brits earth their electrics whereas we ground our wiring.

In Britain, earth is used as a noun[5] to mean an electrical connection to the ground, regarded as having zero electrical potential ensure metal fittings are electrically bonded to earth and as a verb[5] to mean to connect (an electrical device) with the ground the front metal panels must be soundly earthed. The equivalent term in North American is ground (both as a noun[5] and a verb[5]).

I can't help but note the irony that Oxford Dictionaries displays in defining earth as a British term meaning an "electrical connection to the ground" and ground as a North American term meaning an "electrical connection to the earth".

In the second definition, earth[5] is the underground lair of a badger or fox.

7d   Caught old tennis star pocketing one // keyboard (7)

I made progress here once I had eliminated Arthur Ashe[5].

Rod Laver[5] is an Australian former tennis player. In 1962 he became the second man (after Don Budge in 1938) to win the four major singles championships (British, American, French, and Australian) in one year; in 1969 he was the first to repeat this.

"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.

hide explanation

Clavier[5] is a term used in music for a keyboard instrument.

8d   Island // bananas to be put on old Turkish officer's vehicle (10)

In the Ottoman Empire, an aga[10] (or agha) was a military commander.

Madagascar[5] is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa; population 20,653,600 (est. 2009); official languages, Malagasy and French; capital, Antananarivo.

Delving Deeper
Settled by peoples of mixed Indo-Melanesian and African descent, Madagascar was visited by the Portuguese in 1500 but resisted colonization until the French established control in 1896. It regained its independence as the Malagasy Republic in 1960, changing its name back to Madagascar in 1975. Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in the world, and many of its plants and animals are not found elsewhere.

11d   Original ideas /from/ hit issue (13)

The solution is a word that I have never before seen used in the plural — suggesting this is something that rarely has siblings.

Brainchild[5] (plural brainchildren) is a informal term for an idea or invention which is considered to be a particular person’s creation ⇒ the statue is the brainchild of a local landscape artist.

13d   Arranges a best focus? Not at all! (10)

I would classify this clue as a semi-&lit. (or, if you prefer, semi-all-in-one). The latter part of the clue "Not at all!" instructs us that the definition is the very opposite of what has previously been stated. The portion of the clue with the dashed underline doubles as wordplay. This type of clue would have been termed a WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) by scchua, a former blogger on Big Dave's site.

16d   More masculine, given second // look (8)

Butcher's[10] is Cockney rhyming slang for a look. In Cockney rhyming slang, the slang word is obtained by replacing a word (in this case, "look") by a phrase with which it rhymes ("butcher's hook") and then dropping the rhyming word in the phrase. Through this process, "look" becomes "butcher's".

Butch[10] is an adjective meaning (of a woman or man) markedly or aggressively masculine. As a noun, butch can mean:
  1. a lesbian who is noticeably masculine; or
  2. a strong rugged man.
[However, in current usage, the term would seem to be used almost exclusively in the former sense.]

18d   One has a row /in/ kitchen mostly (7)

20d   Snack, // lightly cooked -- something boring (7)

Rarebit[5] (also Welsh rarebit) is a dish of melted and seasoned cheese on toast, sometimes with other ingredients.

22d   Vacation I arrange includes // ancient region of Eastern Mediterranean (5)

In classical times, Ionia[5] was the central part of the west coast of Asia Minor, which had long been inhabited by Hellenic people (the Ionians) and was again colonized by Greeks from the mainland from about the 8th century BC.

23d   Man perhaps // that follows Carl in Northern city (4)

Carlisle[5] is a city in northwestern England, the county town of Cumbria; population 73,600 (est. 2009).

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.
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, January 28, 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016 — DT 27892

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27892
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, August 28, 2015
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27892]
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

After yesterday's severe test, today's puzzle should prove to be a bit of a respite.

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   Two men of the match these days maybe (7,6)

9a   Puff-puff I missed going to game -- /get/ bus maybe? (9)

Puff-puff[10] is a name used by British children for a steam locomotive or railway train.

10a   Bit of willow // to dry up almost entirely (5)

Withe is an alternate spelling of withy[5], a tough, flexible branch of an osier or other willow, used for tying, binding, or basketry ⇒ (i) it is fixed with withies tied to the common rafters; (ii) [as modifier] a withy basket.

11a   Country // type agitated about end of hunting (5)

12a   Waste away /in/ northern river (4)

The River Wear[7] (pronounced WEER) in North East England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At 60 mi (97 km) long, it is one of the region's longest rivers.

13a   Receiving no sound // ideas, is put off female (4)

15a   Brief? // That sounds like our warm season (7)

What did he say?
In his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat mentionsthe current season.
Remember, this puzzle appeared in the UK on August 28 past.

17a   Part one got is making /for/ self-regard (7)

18a   Nasty little creature was first /to be found in/ ground (7)

20a   Like a sort of road // test with piece inserted (7)

Orbital[5] is short orbital road[5], a British term for a road passing round the outside of a town.

21a   Very bright person avoids having head /in/ shower (4)

22a   Some behaved abominably /in/ holy book (4)

Veda[5] denotes any of the four collections forming the earliest body of Indian scripture, consisting of the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda, which codified the ideas and practices of Vedic religion and laid down the basis of classical Hinduism. They were probably composed between 1500 and 700 BC, and contain hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual.

23a   Secret agent admits nothing having earlier captured English // soldier (5)

Historically, a sepoy[5] was an Indian soldier serving under British or other European orders ⇒ [as modifier] he could see the sepoy infantry advancing.

26a   Oz // no longer welcoming for people of taste? (5)

The wordplay is ONCE (no longer) containing (welcoming) U (for people of taste).

Oz[5] is the abbreviation for ounce(s).

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, Oz[5] is an informal Australian and New Zealand term for Australia ⇒ he spent the last few years in Oz.

27a   Encourage // one getting cross no end to go into country (9)

A mule[5] is the offspring of a donkey and a horse (strictly, a male donkey and a female horse), typically sterile and used as a beast of burden.

28a   Any barters etc to be arranged /in/ London thoroughfare (7,6)

Carnaby Street[5] is a street in the West End of London. It became famous in the 1960s as a centre of the popular fashion industry.

Down

1d   True, prior's home is wrong /for/ a leading nun (6,8)

A superior[5] is the head of a monastery or other religious institution. A Mother Superior[5] is the head of a female religious community.

Scratching the Surface
A prior[5] is the male head of a house or group of houses of certain religious orders, in particular the man next in rank below an abbot or the head of a house of friars.

2d   Willing // to study and study ultimately (5)

In Britain, to read[5] means to study (an academic subject) at a university ⇒ (i) I’m reading English at Cambridge; (ii) he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

3d   Silly banalities // that could describe monstrous appetite (10)

4d   Party with old man engaging women /in/ entrance (7)

5d   Great anger /brought by/ ending of power in electricity failure (7)

6d   Dad achieved victory after losing middle // piece on board (4)

A pawn[5] is a chess piece of the smallest size and value, that moves one square forwards along its file if unobstructed (or two on the first move), or one square diagonally forwards when making a capture. Each player begins with eight pawns on the second rank, and can promote a pawn to become any other piece (typically a queen) if it reaches the opponent’s end of the board.

7d   Fanatic // no longer, mister having reformed over time (9)

8d   Let pen fly with memos here and there, // working with no concern for boss? (4-10)

14d   A snack for your setter? (3,7)

The setter in question is not the person who compiled the puzzle.

16d   Muddle with man in charge // aiming to rescue the situation? (9)

19d   Like some divers // stuck initially in river plant (4-3)

The Dee[5] is a river in northeastern Scotland, which rises in the Grampian Mountains and flows eastwards past Balmoral Castle to the North Sea at Aberdeen. Another river of the same name rises in North Wales and flows past Chester and on into the Irish Sea.

20d   Lack of transparency /in/ a business community undermining work (7)

"business community" = CITY (show explanation )

The City[5] [or here, simply City] is short for the City of London[5] (not to be confused with the city of London).

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.

hide explanation

"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

24d   Identify // fish, one getting away (5)

The plaice[5] is either of two species of North Atlantic flatfish which are commercially important food fish. The European Pleuronectes platessa is often found in very shallow water while the American Hippoglossoides platessoides is found in deeper waters.

What did he say?
In his review, Deep Threat identifies the fish as one you might find in your local chippy.
Chippy[5] (also chippie) is an informal  British term for a fish-and-chip shop ⇒ there used to be a good chippy down the back of Albert Street.

25d   Loud organ /to convey/ terror (4)

"loud" = F (show explanation )

Forte[5] (abbreviation f[5]) is a musical direction meaning (as an adjective) loud or (as an adverb) loudly.

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

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 — DT 27891

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27891
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27891]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
pommers
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

Like many of the Brits commenting at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, my money was on Petitjean (John Pidgeon) as the setter of this puzzle. However, since he does not pop in to take a bow as is his usual practice, we may all be wrong.

The difficulty level of the puzzle is definitely elevated considerably above that to which we are accustomed. In fact, I don't believe I have ever seen such vitriolic comments on a puzzle as appear on Big Dave's site today. The setter has used a lot of unusual meanings for common words which seems to have raised the hackles of many.

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   Irish broadcaster's brogue ultimately wearing thin -- // this may be considered unlucky (8)

Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ[5]) is the official broadcasting organization of the Republic of Ireland.

5a   Check then decline // cost (6)

9a   Was jumper found in H&M // loo? (8)

Roo[5] is an informal Australian term for a kangaroo.

Loo[5] is an informal British term for a toilet.

Scratching the Surface
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB[7] is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children.

H&M exists in 61 countries with over 3,700 stores (of which 77 are found in Canada) and as of 2015 employed around 132,000 people. It is ranked the second largest global clothing retailer, just behind Spain-based Inditex (parent company of Zara), and leads over the third largest global clothing retailer, United States based Gap Inc.

10a   Call work flipping // imaginative (6)

12a   Masculine minced // pork pies (9)

Pork pie[10] (or porky) is British rhyming slang for a lie (in the sense of an untruth).

13a   Dispense /with/ non-universal kind of strike (5)

I wandered down a dead-end street and never found my way out. I tried to construct a solution in which the letter "A" in the solution stood for the Adult[7] film classification — designating a film that is not for everyone or, in other words, "non-universal".

Under the British system of film classification[7] a U (for 'universal') rating indicates that a film is suitable "for all the family" — or, at any rate, for those members over 4 years of age.

An all-out[2] strike is one in which everyone is participating.

14a   Deal with // company to get record when retiring (4)

16a   Skipper's first in fitting // boom (7)

19a   Beyond reproach, // Brandreth I calculate's content (7)

Scratching the Surface
Solving this clue was relatively easy. However, I had to read the clue multiple times before the surface reading made any sense at all. In part, this was due to thinking that "Brandreth I" might be the first of a line of ancient kings. I eventually concluded that the latter part of the surface reading is a contracted version of "Brandreth, I calculate, is content".

Gyles Brandreth[7] is is an English writer, broadcaster, actor, and former Conservative Member of Parliament.

21a   Performer who's likely to return a high score (4)

Here "return" is used in the sense of 'decline to perform'.

24a   Evergreen // rock idol, with energy (5)

An evergreen[5] is a person or thing of enduring freshness, success, or popularity ⇒ Monty Python and other TV evergreens.

25a   See other arrangement constricting male // trio (9)


27a   Demonstration rearranged for everyone // there (2,4)

The U that was discarded in 13a shows up here.

28a   Jam /and/ whipped creme bun (8)

In his review, pommers states I’m not sure that jam and the answer really mean the same thing. However, according to Collins English Dictionary, jam[10] and encumber[10] are both synonymous with clog and obstruct.

Scratching the Surface
I found no reference to a specific food item known as a "jam and whipped creme bun". I suspect that the French spelling of cream has been used purely to satisfy the needs of the anagram fodder.

Crème[7] or creme is a French word for 'cream', used in culinary terminology for various cream-like preparations, each often abbreviated to simply "creme". These include creams such as crème fraîche and crème Chantilly as well as custards such as crème anglaise, crème caramel, crème brulée and pot de crème.

Regulations in many jurisdictions restrict the use of the word cream[7] for foods. Words such as creme, kreme, creame, or whipped topping are often used for products which cannot legally be called cream.

29a   Roughly means to restrain a // matelot (6)

Matelot[5] is an informal British term for a sailor.

30a   Succeeded team's leading // stopper (8)

The abbreviation s[5] stands for succeeded, in the sense of to have taken over a throne, office, or other position from ⇒ he succeeded Hawke as Prime Minister. It might be seen, for instance, it charts of royal lineages.

Down

1d   Finish off roast chop sandwiches with // buffet (6)

In his review, pommers argues that the wordplay in this clue doesn't work. Personally, I had no issue with it, interpreting "finish off roast" to denote the final letter (finish) taken from (off) the word "roasT".

2d   Avoiding A&E, bandage // injury (6)

In his review, pommers suggests that using bandage as a synonym for insulate may be a step too far. However, on closer inspection, maybe not.

In the cryptic reading, bandage is not used in the medical sense. In general, bandage[10] means to cover or bind with a strip of any soft material. For instance, the InsulationIreland website provides instructions for Lagging Pipes with Fibre Bandage where lag[5] means to enclose or cover (a boiler, pipes, etc.) with material that provides heat insulation (i) all pipes and tanks in the attic should be lagged; (ii) (as adjective lagged) a lagged hot-water tank.

Scratching the Surface
A & E[5] (accident and emergency) is the British term for the Emergency Department in a hospital ⇒ (i) a nurse at work told me I should go to A & E; (ii) an A & E department.

3d   Sound of 'The Chain' // in umpteenth 'Rumours'? (5)

This is a hallmark Petitjean clue.

Scratching the Surface
"The Chain"[7] is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their best-selling album Rumours. It is the only song from the album credited to all five members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood); "The Chain" was created from combinations of several previously rejected materials, including solo work by Buckingham, Nicks and Christine McVie. It was assembled, often manually by splicing tapes with a razor blade, at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, with hired engineers Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut. It has attained particular fame in the United Kingdom, where the instrumental section is used as the theme tune for the BBC's television coverage of Formula One.

4d   Volume is turned up -- one has /to get/ sensitive (7)

Here we need to interpret "one has" as being the speaker referring to himself or herself in the third person. One[5], as a pronoun, can be used to refer to the speaker, or any person, as representing people in general ⇒ (i) one must admire him for his willingness; (ii) one gets the impression that he is ahead.

6d   Nothing in a loan sum that's out of order /or/ exceptional (9)

7d   Soldier to run away, secretly // timid creature (8)

A soldier[5] is a member of a wingless caste of ant or termite with a large specially modified head and jaws, involved chiefly in defence.

8d   Latin and so on (2,6)

11d   Like a P /in/ PDQ (4)

15d   Band/'s/ trunk carried by soldiers and gunners (9)

"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

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery[7] (RA), is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.

17d   Exercises // a drag to set up, in charge of Seconds (8)

"in charge of" = 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

18d   Cast adore his // setting for 'Cecil's Place' (8)

To the best my knowledge, "Cecil's Place" is a figment of the setter's imagination.

Cecil Rhodes[5] (1853–1902) was a British-born South African statesman, Prime Minister of Cape Colony 1890-6. He expanded British territory in southern Africa, annexing Bechuanaland (now Botswana) in 1884 and developing Rhodesia [which was named after him] from 1889. By 1890 he had acquired 90 per cent of the world’s production of diamonds.

Delving Deeper
Rhodesia[5] is the former name of a large territory in central southern Africa which was divided into Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The region was developed, beginning in 1889, by British-born South African statesman Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902) [for whom it was named] through the British South Africa Company, which administered it until Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing British colony in 1923 and Northern Rhodesia a British protectorate in 1924.

20d   Regularly flaunt electronic // instrument (4)

21d   Broodingly romantic /and/ persistent, by ousting companion (7)

The wordplay is CHRONIC (persistent) with BY (from the clue) replacing (ousting) CH (companion).

A Companion of Honour (abbreviation CH) is a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour[7], an order of the Commonwealth realms[7] founded by King George V in June 1917 as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion.

Byronic[5] means:
  1. characteristic of Lord Byron or his poetry;
  2. (of a man) alluringly dark, mysterious, and moody.
Delving Deeper
George Gordon Byron[5], 6th Baron Byron (1788–1824), commonly known simply as Lord Byron[7], was an English poet. Byron’s poetry exerted considerable influence on the romantic movement, particularly on the Continent. Having joined the fight for Greek independence, he died of malaria before seeing serious action. Among Byron's best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812–18) and Don Juan (1819–24) and the short lyric She Walks in Beauty (1814).

22d   Doctor cuts through plaster /in/ battle (6)

"doctor" = MB (show explanation )

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree. 

hide explanation

23d   Shred /is/ what blubber under stress may do (4,2)

Clearly, the clue depends on blubber meaning someone who cries. But, surely, that would be a blubberer, not a blubber. Maybe not on the other side of the pond.

Blub[2,5,10] (short for blubber) is an informal (Oxford), colloquial (Chambers) or slang (Collins) British term meaning to cry noisily and uncontrollably; in other words, to sob. By extension, a blubber would be someone who blubs — or, more formally, a blubberer.

26d   Start off trick /and/ escape (5)

In his review, pommers says See my comment on 1d.  This time it’s done correctly.

Well, I think that depends on how one interprets the instruction. Being a cryptic puzzle, instructions are open to interpretation. Here, in order to solve the clue, we must interpret "Start off trick" to mean remove ([take] off) the initial letter (start) from the word [d]ELUDE (trick) and use what remains. However, I would think that one could equally well interpret the instruction as use the initial letter (start) taken from (off) the word D[elude] (trick).
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