Tuesday, February 9, 2016 — DT 27902

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27902
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27902]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By 2Kiwis
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

Given that I finished this puzzle without having resorted to the use of electronic aids, I would say that it sits toward the lower end of the three-star difficulty range. Moreover, I would heartily concur with KiwiColin's four-star enjoyment rating.

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   Training area for road users? (5,8)

9a   Offending Labour Party? (5,4)

Scratching the Surface
The Labour Party[5] in Britain is a left-of-centre political party formed to represent the interests of ordinary working people that since the Second World War has been in power 1945–51, 1964–70, 1974-9, and 1997–2010. Arising from the trade union movement at the end of the 19th century, it replaced the Liberals as the country’s second party after the First World War.

10a   Wind // breaker covering end of shore (5)

Scratching the Surface
I would presume that "wind breaker" is merely a generic description of a windbreak[5], a thing, such as a row of trees or a fence, wall, or screen, that provides shelter or protection from the wind. On several levels, it does not seem plausible that it could be referring to a windbreaker[5] (US trademark), a type of jacket which is known in the UK as a windcheater[5].

11a   Makes an inventory // first, in case of ladies (5)

12a   Particular // about kite mark? Quite the reverse (4)

The Kitemark^[5] (British trademark) is an official kite-shaped mark on goods approved by the British Standards Institution.

As the official spelling of the symbol is Kitemark (a single, capitalized word), "kite mark" would seem to be a generic description of the symbol.

13a   Suitable returns following // argument (4)

In publishing, the abbreviation f.^[10] is used to denote following (page).

In publishing, the abbreviation f.^[10] (plural ff.) is used to denote following (page).

15a   Argued about accepting quiet // promotion (7)

"quiet" = P (show explanation )

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide explanation

17a   Respect // excursion being cut short -- only right of course (7)

A tribute^[5] is an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.

18a   Watches // people after game (7)

A hunter^[5] is a watch with a hinged cover protecting the glass.

20a   Hide /from/ company and clean building (7)

21a   Runs to the rear // platform on water (4)

"runs" = R (show explanation )

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s).

In cricket, a run^[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.

hide explanation

22a   Shame! // Mine's the fourth of July! (4)

23a   Nut /is/ capable of going after exercise (5)

"exercise" = PE (show explanation )

PE^[5] is the abbreviation for physical education [or Phys Ed, as it was known in my school days]. 

hide explanation

26a   Nice surprise /for/ soldiers surrounded by rubbish? (5)

"soldiers" = 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

Tat^[5] is an informal British term for tasteless or shoddy clothes, jewellery, or ornaments ⇒ the place was decorated with all manner of gaudy tat.

27a   Not joining in // work can get initially unpopular (6,3)

"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

28a   Official // warned off after dealing (7,6)

Traffic warden^[5] is a British term for a uniformed official employed to locate and report on infringements of parking regulations.

Down

1d   Pub landlord /in/ council administration? (5,9)

This is a double definition in which the first definition is cryptic.

A landlord^[5] is a man who keeps lodgings, a boarding house, or a pub.

Local^[5] is an informal British term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒ a pint in the local.

Thus a "pub landlord" could be said to be a "local authority" — i.e., the man in charge of this drinking establishment.

The council^[10] (sometimes the Council) is a British [or maybe not so British] term for the local governing authority of a town, county, etc.

Local authority^[5] is a British term for an administrative body in local government ⇒ (i) you will need planning permission from your local authority; (ii) local authority housing.

2d   Containers // routed through Largs when empty (5)

Scratching the Surface
Largs[7] is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about 33 miles (53 km) from Glasgow. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its historic links with the Vikings and an annual festival is held each year in early September. In 1263 it was the site of the Battle of Largs between the Norwegian and the Scottish armies.

3d   Prospects /of/ lights on projections at sea (10)

4d   Become aware of // true side deceptive daughter's hidden (7)

5d   Split up // FBI agents in group (7)

G-man^[1] (abbreviation for Government man) is a US term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

6d   The state // of Ontario water? (4)

7d   Appreciation /of/ view expressed by King George? (9)

"King George" = GR (show explanation )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of King George is GR^[5] — from the Latin Georgius Rex.

hide explanation

8d   Complaint over duke/'s/ meal (4,10)

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington^[5] (1769–1852) was a British soldier and Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister from 1828–30 and again in 1834. Known as the Iron Duke, he served as commander of the British forces in the Peninsular War (1808–14) and in 1815 defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, so ending the Napoleonic Wars.

Beef Wellington^[5] is a dish consisting of beef coated in pâté and wrapped in puff pastry.

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, KiwiColin describes Wellington as Where my co-blogger is this week.. KiwiColin, flying solo for this review, is one-half of the blogging duo, the 2Kiwis — who, it should be no surprise, hail from New Zealand. Wellington[5] is the capital of New Zealand, situated at the southern tip of the North Island; population 179,463 (2006). It became the capital in 1865, when the seat of government was moved from Auckland.

14d   Worker trapped by wild pig with a // bear? (5,5)

"worker" = ANT (show explanation )

The phrase "worker" is commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT.

A worker^[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.

In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.

hide explanation

16d   Mostly neglectful -- reforming // to show respect (9)

19d   Turn bad, // as a follow-up TV series might be (4-3)

20d   Mysterious // tomb -- Inca, oddly (7)

Scratching the Surface
An Inca[5] is a member of a South American Indian people living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest.

24d   Some music that may strike one as familiar (5)

The clue is a cryptic definition which alludes to the expression strike a familiar chord meaning to sound well-known, reminding (one) of something familiar.

This would seem to be a variation on the expression strike (or touch) a chord meaning to cause someone to feel sympathy, emotion, or enthusiasm ⇒ the issue of food safety strikes a chord with almost everyone which is a figurative reference to the emotions being the ‘strings’ of the mind visualized as a musical instrument.

25d   Slowness to act to screen // a covered walkway (4)

A stoa^[5] is a classical portico (show explanation ) or roofed colonnade. The Stoa^[5] was the great hall in Athens in which the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno gave the founding lectures of the Stoic school of philosophy.

A portico^[5] is a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.

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