Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 — DT 28111

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28111
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28111]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
2Kiwis
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, Jay delivers his customary enjoyable offering — one that lies on the gentler side of the difficulty spectrum.

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   Patient wearing undies /must get/ bags (10)

Scratching the Surface
Bags[5] is a dated British term for loose-fitting trousers ⇒ a pair of flannel bags.

6a   Voices disapproval of // nameless benefits (4)

If boo is used as an intransitive verb, then the definition would be "voices disapproval" as indicated by the 2Kiwis in their review. On the other hand, if boo is used as a transitive verb, then the definition would be "voices disapproval of" as I have chosen to show (merely to be different).

10a   Not at work -- ears oddly // tender! (5)

11a   Awful noise, always ignoring volume -- /that's/ criminal (9)

"volume" = V (show explanation )

In physics, V[5] is a symbol used to represent volume in mathematical formulae ⇒ pV = nRT.

hide explanation

12a   Season -- // time enough possibly (7)

13a   Memos about church // scores (7)

14a   Surprisingly, most earn full // amount (5,7)

18a   Time /for/ a few words about oneself? (4,8)

21a   Measures should incorporate exercises /in/ areas of Russia (7)

"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

The Steppes[10] are the huge grasslands of Eurasia, chiefly in Ukraine and Russia.

What did they say?
In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis refer to steps as [m]easures or dances.
I had interpreted measure[5] to mean a plan or course of action taken to achieve a particular purpose ⇒ cost-cutting measures and therefore presumed that the 2Kiwis use of the word "dances" is an alternative meaning of "steps" unrelated to "measures".

However, I discover that measure[5] is an archaic term for a dance, typically one that is stately ⇒ now tread we a measure!. Whether the 2Kiwis intended "measures" to be seen in this sense, I cannot say.

23a   Good horse getting agitated around quiet // rodents (7)

"good" = G (show explanation )

The abbreviation G[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

hide explanation

"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

24a   Avant-garde artist // stormed in drunk (9)

In the arts, a Modernist[2] is (or was) someone who practices or advocates Modernism[2], a movement in early 20th century art, literature, architecture, etc. which was characterized by the use of unconventional subject matter and style, experimental techniques, etc.

25a   Subject /of/ note crossing border (5)

"note" = TE (show explanation )

In music, te[5] (also ti[2]) is the seventh note of the major scale in tonic sol-fa. Judging by a perusal of entries in American and British dictionaries, the only recognized spelling in the US would seem to be ti[3,4,11] whereas, in the UK, the principal — or only — spelling would appear to be te[2,3,4,11], with ti given as an alternative spelling in some dictionaries. Oxford Dictionaries is more emphatic, giving the spelling as te[5] with ti shown as the North American spelling.

hide explanation

26a   Girl getting married has no right // to wait (4)

27a   Plots // succeeded initially with Conservative approaches (10)

Down

1d   British student with German bloke /getting/ drunk (6)

"student" = 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 jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

hide explanation

Otto[7] is a masculine German given name. It is one of two common names for German men that you are likely to encounter in Crosswordland — the other being Hans.

2d   Arrival /of/ popular fellow with light unit (6)

"fellow" = F (show explanation )

F[2] is the abbreviation for Fellow (of a society, etc). For instance, it is found in professional designations such as FRAIC (Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada).

hide explanation

Lux[5] is the SI unit* of illuminance (a measure of light as perceived by the human eye), equal to one lumen per square metre.
* The International System of Units[5] is a system of physical units (SI units) based on the metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, candela, and mole, together with a set of prefixes to indicate multiplication or division by a power of ten.
3d   Hatters top -- form exceptional, // mainly (3,3,4,4)

4d   A couple of roads up at home? // This causes an increase in blood pressure (9)

5d   Vote in European swindle /for/ one who's served his time (2-3)

7d   Make repairs to // complete catch (8)

Haul[5] is used in the sense of a number of fish caught ⇒ he landed a record pike haul.

8d   Put the accent on // tense (8)

9d   Funding /from/ seat of government supporting undertaking (7,7)

15d   Craft /of/ boxer holding on (9)

16d   Quiet doctor surrounded by fat // people suddenly gathering (5,3)

"doctor" = MO (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

A flash mob[5] is a large public gathering at which people perform an unusual or seemingly random act and then disperse, typically organized by means of the Internet or social media ⇒ equipped with cameras and LED lights, a flash mob of 135 people appeared out of nowhere to put on a performance.

17d   On holiday, finished /revealing/ hurt feelings (8)

In the definition, "hurt" is a verb rather than an adjective as it is in the surface reading.

19d   Put down // limits of damage, on average (6)

20d   Resources /needed by/ group on board a ship (6)

In Crosswordland, you will find that a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS[10]. Thus phrases such as "aboard ship" or "on board ship" (or sometimes merely "on board") are Crosswordland code for 'contained in SS'.

In this clue, the phrase "on board a ship" is interpreted as contained in (on board) {A (from the clue) + SS (ship)}.
22d   Sun king runs in it // to go around (5)

"king" = K (show explanation )

K[5] is an abbreviation for king that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

"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
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

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 — DT 28110

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 28110
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28110]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
ShropshireLad
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
The National Post has skipped DT 28109 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, May 9, 2016.

Introduction

This gentle offering should not have caused you to raise much of a sweat.

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   Finish with lovely disguised // shot on court (4,6)

I will concede that the wordplay might be parsed — as ShropshireLad shows in his review — as DROP (finish with) + an anagram (disguised) of LOVELY. On the other hand, it could equally well be parsed as DROP (finish; the boxer finished his opponent with a stiff uppercut) + (with) an anagram (disguised) of LOVELY.

A drop shot[7] is a shot in some racquet sports in which the ball (or birdie) is hit relatively softly, and lands just over and close to the net. In tennis, a drop shot hit with a volley* is aptly coined a drop volley.
* A volley[7] in tennis is a shot in which the ball is struck before it bounces on the ground.
6a   Stone // circle located by mate (4)

In Britain, mate[5] — in addition to being a person’s husband, wife, or other sexual partner — is an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve.

9a   Mimic /shown in/ matter to be published about opening of theatre (7)

10a   Golf and water sport // on the increase (7)

Golf[5] is a code word representing the letter G, used in radio communication.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, ShropshireLad tells us that we need a water sport contested annually between Oxford & Cambridge.
The Boat Race[7] is an annual rowing race between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights on the River Thames in London, England. It usually takes place on the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April.

12a   What one may do at a reception // for model when breaking a finger (7,1,5)

Finger[5] is a measure of spirits in a glass, based on the breadth of a finger ⇒ two fingers of brandy.

Tot[5] is a chiefly British term for a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky or brandy ⇒ a tot of brandy.

14a   Regrettably // said of eccentric artist inside (6,2)

"artist" = RA (show explanation )

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[5]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. 

hide explanation

15a   Save // me -- deer rampaging (6)

17a   Quarrel involving a restaurant's initial // list of charges (6)

19a   First to commend a pamphlet about a // medical condition affecting sight (8)

ShropshireLad has omitted one piece of lego in his instructions. The full instructions would be "Take the first letter of ‘commend’ and add the first ‘a’ in the clue, followed by another term for a ‘pamphlet’. Then insert the last ‘a’ in the clue."

21a   Everything impartially considered, // infers Allan is wrong (2,3,8)

24a   Highlights // dramas at college (5,2)

In Britain, up[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒ they were up at Cambridge about the same time.

25a   Openly disobedient, // fainted when disciplined (7)

26a   Bird that's grounded // wherever heather protects it (4)

27a   Crew crossing island river /must show/ standard (10)

Down

1d   Cut // diamonds upon diamonds (4)

"diamonds" = D (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

2d   Operating daily? // Hypothetically (2,5)

3d   Girl declines /to see/ African landmark (8,5)

Victoria Falls[5] is a spectacular waterfall 109 m (355 ft) high, located on the River Zambezi, on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border. Its native name is Mosi-oa-tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders’.

4d   Employ tool and eels // set free (3,5)

5d   Slip lead off dog /to fetch/ bird (5)

7d   Archbishop, // affectedly proper, dined (7)

In the Christian Church, a primate[5] is the chief bishop or archbishop of a province ⇒ the primate of Poland.

8d   To run away with current partner /is/ warranted (10)

Leg it[5] is an informal British term meaning to:
  1. travel by foot or walk ⇒ I am part of a team legging it around London; or
  2. run away ⇒ he legged it after someone shouted at him.
In physics, I[5] is the symbol for electric current.

Here we are likely encountering the other meaning of mate (see 6a).

11d   One that office bungled, // seemingly (2,3,4,2,2)

13d   Tidy rapper adapted // Beatles song (3,7)

"Day Tripper"[7] is a song by the Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album. The single topped the UK Singles Chart and the song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1966.

Delving Deeper
A day-tripper[2,3,11] (or day tripper[5,10]) is a person who makes a trip to somewhere and returns within one day. Oxford Dictionaries considers the term day tripper[5] to be British despite its appearance in both of my customary American dictionaries.

16d   Reportedly harassed an // unpleasant woman (8)

18d   All are mad about // English beer (4,3)

Real ale[7] is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)* in 1973 for a type of beer defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".
* The Campaign for Real Ale[7] (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub. It is now the largest single-issue consumer group in the UK, and is a founding member of the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU).
Delving Deeper
The heart of the real ale definition is the maturation requirements. If the beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and still active on the yeast, it is a real ale; it is irrelevant whether the container is a cask or a bottle.

CAMRA does not support the promotion and sale of keg based craft beer in the UK. CAMRA's Internal Policy document states that real ale can only be served from cask without the use of additional carbonation. This policy means that "any beer brand which is produced in both cask and keg versions" is not admitted to CAMRA festivals or supported by CAMRA.[7]

20d   Risked /being/ where many martyrs died? (2,5)

22d   A // Greek starter (5)

In his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, ShropshireLad identifies this clue as a cryptic definition. Alternatively, I believe that one might well consider it to be a double definition (as I have chosen to show it).

Alpha[5] is a code word representing the letter A, used in radio communication.

Alpha[5] is the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α).

23d   A male cat, // tiny thing (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

Monday, August 29, 2016

Monday, August 29, 2016 — DT 27695 (Summer Monday Bonus Puzzle)

Prologue

For several years, the practice of the National Post has been not to publish on Monday between Canada Day and Labour Day. To provide readers of the blog with a bit of mental exercise to keep the grey matter well-tuned, I am providing a puzzle that the National Post has skipped (drawn from my reserve of reviews for unpublished puzzles). Today I offer you DT 27695 which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, January 10, 2015 and was skipped by the National Post on Thursday, June 25, 2015.


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27695
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27695 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27695 – 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
The National Post skipped this puzzle on Thursday, June 25, 2015.

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 is a fairly gentle "Saturday" puzzle. In the UK, the puzzle was printed correctly in the newspaper but there was initially an error in the puzzle (at 15a) on the website. As you can imagine, this generated a bit of chatter on Big Dave's blog.

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   Take over /from/ endlessly flexible worker (8)

"worker" = ANT (show explanation )

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

5a   Irregular // money order (6)

"order" = OM (show explanation )

The Order of Merit[7] (abbreviation OM[5]) is a dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, and is limited to 24 living recipients at one time from these countries plus a limited number of honorary members. The current membership includes one Canadian (former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien).

hide explanation

The rand[5] is the basic monetary unit of South Africa, equal to 100 cents.

8a   Woman goes round new // border village (6)

Gretna[7] is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Because they are near the Anglo-Scottish border, nearby Gretna Green and, to a lesser extent, Gretna, are historically linked to weddings because of the more liberal marriage laws in Scotland. "Gretna" has become a term for a place for quick, easy marriages. Much of the local economy is driven by the marriage industry, where by some accounts, as many as one of every six Scottish weddings takes place in Gretna or Gretna Green.

9a   Hazy // blue liquid no American has consumed (8)

10a   Central figure that's not unusual being // into hare coursing (4-4)

An anti-hero[5] is a central character in a story, film, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes — i.e., someone who is not a remarkable individual or unusual being.

Coursing[5] is the sport of hunting game animals such as hares with greyhounds using sight rather than scent. The best explanation that I have for the use of this word as a anagram indicator is that it may allude to the quarry running all over the place while being pursued.

11a   Island // also has land in the interior (6)

Tobago is one of two islands off the northeastern coast of Venezuela that together comprise the country of Trinidad and Tobago[5].

12a   Photo/'s/ empty, we hear that adds weight (8)

I definitely encountered a "solver's block" here! But, then again, I'm not at all certain that I would consider a hologram to be a photo.

13a   Bounder in Channel Islands with a // jumpy creature (6)

"bounder" = CAD (show explanation )

Bounder[5] is a dated informal British term for a dishonourable man he is nothing but a fortune-seeking bounder.

Cad[5,10] is a dated informal British term for a man who behaves dishonourably, especially towards a woman her adulterous cad of a husband.

hide explanation

"Channel Islands" = CI (show explanation )

The Channel Islands[5] (abbreviation CI[5]) are a group of islands in the English Channel off the northwestern coast of France, of which the largest are Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney. Formerly part of the dukedom of Normandy, they have owed allegiance to England since the Norman Conquest in 1066, and are now classed as Crown dependencies

hide explanation

Do cicadas jump? I could find no evidence of it. On the other hand, I could find no proof that they do not jump.

A cicada[5] is any of a large number of species (in many genera) of large homopterous insect with long transparent wings, found chiefly in warm countries. The male cicada makes a loud, shrill droning noise by vibrating two membranes on its abdomen.

The only reference I found that might suggest they jump is the following excerpt from a Wikipedia article, "Cicadas are often colloquially called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are various species of swarming grasshopper. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs."[7]

15a   That follows // coffee before end of dinner (6)

Presented with two options, the 'latter one' is the 'one that follows' the former one. Although they convey the same meaning, 'latter' is a prepositive modifier and 'that follows' is a postpositive modifier.

In the UK, the clue was correct in the printed edition of The Daily Telegraph but on the website it initially appeared as:
  • 15a   That follows // coffee after end of dinner (6)
You can imagine the consternation that caused.

18a   Unreal -- // lotion being smeared round less than half of navel (8)

20a   Leniency /is/ unknown among the non-clerical (6)

"unknown" = X (show explanation )

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are customarily represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

hide explanation

21a   Jack played games making the introduction /for/ major celeb (8)

"Jack" = TAR (show explanation )

The entry for jack in The Chambers Dictionary would fill a page if it were not spread over parts of two pages. Among the definitions, one finds jack[1] defined as (often with capital) a sailor.

Tar[5] is an informal, dated term for a sailor. The term, which dates from the 17th century, is perhaps an abbreviation of tarpaulin, which was also used as a nickname for a sailor at that time.

hide explanation

23a   Initiative // to stick with small part, backing number one (8)

Gum[3] is used in the sense of to fix in place with gum.

Technically, glue[3] and gum[3] are two different classes of adhesive, with the former being  obtained by boiling collagenous animal parts such as bones, hides, and hooves while the latter is exuded by certain plants and trees. However I would be more likely than not to refer to any sticky substance (or the process of using it) as glue rather than gum. I suspect the term gum may be more widely used in the UK than it is in North America.

24a   Odd characters from town meeting over street // heading in opposite directions (3-3)

"over" = O (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.

hide explanation

25a   What one could be doing with a pitch fork (6)

26a   Expelled from university /and/ locked up (4,4)

Down[5] is a British term meaning away from a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒ he was down from Oxford. Of course, if you were "sent down", you would be away not by your own choice. Send down[10] is a British term meaning to expel from a university, especially permanently.

Send down[10] is also an informal British term meaning to send to prison. Then again, send up[10] would also seem to mean to send to prison in the UK.

Meanwhile, across the pond ...
Up the river[5] is an informal North American expression meaning to or in prison we were lucky not to be sent up the river that time boy [with allusion to Sing Sing prison, situated up the Hudson River from the city of New York].

Down

1d   Disgrace, having no time /for/ Greek character (5)

Sigma[5] is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Σ, σ).

2d   Sounds like an insignificant item of female attire (9)

3d   Dabbler /and/ a friend going to ancient city (7)

"friend" = MATE (show explanation )

In Britain, mate[5] is an informal term (1) for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve or (2) used as a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒ ‘See you then, mate.’.

hide explanation

"ancient city" = UR (show explanation )

Ur[5] is an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC. Ur[7] is considered by many to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham.

hide explanation

4d   Holy orders (3,12)

In the Bible, the Ten Commandments[5] are the divine rules of conduct given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, according to Exod. 20:1-17.

Scratching the Surface
Holy orders[5] is the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the clergy, especially in the grades of bishop, priest, or deacon.

5d   Like the Tin Man, // mug with twitch -- 'O my heart!' (7)

Is the Tin Man a robot? Discuss.

A robot[5] is a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.

The Tin Woodman[7], better known as the Tin Man, is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and reappeared in many other Oz books.

Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman used to make his living chopping down trees in the forests of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe to prevent him from marrying his sweetheart, after being bribed by the lazy old woman who kept the Munchkin maiden as a servant, and did not wish to lose her. The enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one. Each time he lost a limb, Nathan Oliver L'Esperance replaced it with a prosthetic limb made of tin. Finally, nothing was left of him but tin. However, Ku-Klip, the tinsmith who helped him, neglected to replace his heart. Once Nick Chopper was made entirely of tin, he was no longer able to love the lady he had fallen for.

Baum emphasized that the Tin Woodman remains alive, in contrast to the windup mechanical man Tik-Tok Dorothy meets in a later book. Nick Chopper was not turned into a machine, but rather had his flesh body replaced by a metal one.

So, by the definition above, he is seemingly not a robot. But, on the other hand, a robot[5] is a person — or fictional character — who behaves in a mechanical or unemotional manner.

6d   Less than a full team play out // miniature scene (7)

I do believe that crypticsue intended to say "Put a DRAMA (play) outside IO (ten being less than a full team of eleven players)".

Eleven[5] is the number of players on a cricket[7] side or an Association football[7] [soccer] team — and is often used as a metonym for such a team ⇒ at cricket I played in the first eleven.

7d   Nearly everyone // having greatest importance (4,2,3)

12d   Henry taking steps /in/ the gloaming (4-5)

Hal[nameberry] is a venerable nickname for Henry, Harry [itself a variant of Henry] and Harold, famously used by Shakespeare in King Henry IV as the name of the king's son, the future Henry V.

14d   Angry remark // that should make you think (9)

In clues of this structure (in which the wordplay begins with the word "that"), mentally insert the word "something" (or "someone", if appropriate) before the word "that" in the definition.

16d   VAT guy arrests one // driver (7)

A value added tax[5] (abbreviation VAT) is a tax on the amount by which the value of an article has been increased at each stage of its production or distribution. In the European Union

The European Union value added tax[7] (or EU VAT) is a value added tax on goods and services within the European Union (EU). The EU's institutions do not collect the tax, but EU member states (including the UK) are each required to adopt a value added tax that complies with the EU VAT code. Different rates of VAT apply in different EU member states, ranging from 15 to 27%.

Canada's Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) are each instances of a value added tax.[7]

17d   Common-sounding element of poetry and slang? (7)

Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in Cockney rhyming slang.

19d   For the audience, draw a number -- // get tense (7)

22d   Beam before negative response for send-up // material (5)
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

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Saturday, August 27, 2016 — Nomads of the Diamond

Introduction

As several readers have commented, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon sits toward the lower end of the difficulty range.

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   Some witches test the limits of // English city (8)

COVEN|TRY — COVEN (some witches) + TRY (test the limits of; as in try one's patience)

Coventry[5] is an industrial city in the west Midlands of England; population 271,100 (est. 2009).

5a   Quarterback // tossed spears (6)

PASSER* — anagram (tossed) of SPEARS

9a   Radical // new exit terms (9)

EXTREMIST* — anagram (new) of EXIT TERMS

11a   Study split // African river (5)

CON|GO — CON (study) + GO (split; depart)

Con[5] is an archaic term meaning to study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing)  ⇒ the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry.

12a   Sell // part of a bicycle to an auditor (6)

PEDDLE~ — sounds like (to an auditor) PEDAL (part of a bicycle)

13a   Reduce // legal document (8)

CONTRACT — double definition

15a   Most colourless // neckwear in old times (8)

PAS(TIES)T — TIES (neckwear) contained in (in) PAST (old times)

16a   Speaker’s hurting // fly (4)

SOAR~ — sounds like (speaker's) SORE (hurting)

19a   Folk history // left valuable resource (4)

L|ORE — L (left) + ORE (valuable resource)

20a   Family ruler // making noises with chains (8)

CLAN|KING — CLAN (family) + KING (ruler)

23a   Weapon inside man’s // clothing articles (8)

G(ARM)ENTS — ARM (weapon) contained in (inside) GENTS (MANS)

24a   Fellow’s eating 1000 // heroes (6)

CHA(M)PS — CHAP (fellow) containing (eating) M ([Roman numeral for one] thousand)

27a   Summer // snake (5)

ADDER — double definition; the first being someone or something that calculates a sum

In electronics, adder[5] is a term for a unit which adds together two input variables.

The adder[5] (also called viper) is a small venomous Eurasian snake (Vipera berus) which has a dark zigzag pattern on its back and bears live young. It is the only poisonous snake in Britain.

28a   Jogger taking a rest (9)

REM(A)INDER — REMINDER ([memory] jogger) containing A (†)

29a   Very small // adolescent’s slingshot, e. g. (6)

TEEN|S|Y — TEEN (adolescent) + S ('s) + Y ([letter that looks like a] slingshot)

30a   A constant critic runs into // disordered collections of letters (8)

A|NAG|RAMS — A (†) + NAG (constant critic) + RAMS (runs into)

Down

1d   Some birdsong: // a form of speech? (6)

CHEEPS* — anagram of (a form of) SPEECH

2d   In Kosovo, tediously // cast a ballot (5)

_VO|TED_ — hidden in (in) KosoVO TEDiously

Scratching the Surface
Kosovo[5] is an autonomous area in the Balkans, formerly a part of Yugoslavia; population 1,804,800 (est. 2009); capital, Priština. It borders on Albania and the majority of the people are of Albanian descent. In 1998 Kosovo was attacked by Serbian forces intent on expelling the Albanian population; the aggression was halted by NATO bombing in 1999, and Kosovo was put under UN administration. In 2008 it declared itself independent.

3d   Gratuitous // taunts by head of state (8)

NEEDLES|S — NEEDLES (taunts) + (by) S (head [initial letter] of State)

4d   Coach, after the first // game stopper (4)

_RAIN — [T]RAIN (coach; teach) with the initial letter removed (after the first)

6d   A Highlander’s // neckwear (6)

A|SCOT|S — A (†) + SCOT (Highlander) + S ('S)

An ascot[5,10] (also ascot tie) is a man’s broad silk necktie in the form of a scarf with square ends, usually secured with an ornamental stud. The name derives from the place name Ascot [the location of one of England's major horse racing courses], by association with formal dress at race meetings held there.

7d   Join a chorus // wrong, with girl playing “G” (4,5)

SIN|G AL|ON|G — SIN (wrong) + (with) GAL (girl) + ON (playing; What's on tonight at the movie theatre?) + G (†)

8d   Birds/’/ roster— so disorganized (8)

ROOSTERS — anagram (disorganized) of ROSTER SO

10d   Grand // castle material behind you (8)

THOU|SAND — SAND (castle material; one built on a beach) following (behind) THOU (you; to a Quaker)

14d   Offender // upset rival, too (8)

VIOLATOR* — anagram (upset) of RIVAL TOO

15d   Bird/’s/ constituent crest (9)

PART|RIDGE — PART (constituent) + RIDGE (crest; of a hill)

17d   Outrageous // diatribe about a banner? (8)

FLAG|RANT — a "diatribe about [concerning] a banner" might otherwise be referred to as a "FLAG (banner) RANT (diatribe)"

18d   Correcting // prose or poetry read aloud (8)

RIGHTING~ — sounds like (read aloud) WRITING (prose or poetry)

21d   Bruins keeping down // hairy features (6)

BEAR(D)S — BEARS (bruins) containing (keeping) D (down; abbrev. found in crossword puzzles)

22d   Roasts errant // members of a National League team (6)

ASTROS* — anagram (errant) of ROASTS

Has this puzzle spent several years on the shelf ? The Astros are currently in their fourth season in the American League!

Then again, the word errant[5] does mean not in the right place!

The Houston Astros[7] are an American professional baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are members of the American League (AL) West division in Major League Baseball (MLB), having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL).

25d   Press, TV, and radio // help Emily in return (5)

{ME|DIA}< — reversal (in return) of {AID (help) + EM ([diminutive of] Emily)}

26d   Sign: // “No Males” (4)

O|MEN — O (no; letter that looks like a zero) + MEN (males)

Epilogue

The title of today's review is inspired by the error at 22d.
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