Thursday, November 16, 2017 — DT 28506

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28506
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28506]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Mr Kitty
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★ / ★★	Enjoyment - ★★ / ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

The puzzle may not have been overly testing but it was still a fun solve.

By the way, in case new readers might be wondering, the contents of the various boxes found scatted through the review is material that is irrelevant to solving the puzzle but which hopefully might enhance a reader's enjoyment of the puzzle. Scratching the Surface explains how Brits might interpret the surface reading of the clue; Delving Deeper provides additional information about a topic beyond what is needed to solve the clue; Behind the Picture gives information on illustrations found in the reviews on Big Dave's Crossword Blog; What Did He/She/They Say explains remarks made in reviews or comments on Big Dave's site; Here and There discusses differences between British and American English.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Sorceress standing by small // birch (6)

4a   Tea without milk or sugar /for/ minister (8)

Cha (also chai) is an alternative spelling of char^[5], an informal British name for tea [as a drink].

9a   Certainly not // name of listener (2,4)

No fear^[5] is an informal British phrase used as an emphatic expression of denial or refusal ⇒ ‘Are you coming with me?’ ‘No fear—it's too exciting here.’

10a   Blunt criticism /from/ stalwart that goes to club (8)

Brick^[5] is a dated informal British term for a generous, helpful, and reliable person ⇒ ‘You are really a brick, Vi,’ Gloria said.

11a   Heather cuddled by Bill // without hesitation (9)

Ling^[5] is another name for the common heather^[5], a purple-flowered Eurasian heath that grows abundantly on moorland and heathland.

Scratching the Surface

Heather and Bill are characters from the the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the show's tenth series, Bill Potts[7] serves as a companion of the twelfth incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor. The first gay full-time companion of the Doctor, she is played by Pearl Mackie. In the initial episode of the tenth series, Bill develops a mutual attraction to Heather (played by Stephanie Hyam). Heather dies in episode one but returns in the series finale [yes, such things do happen in Dr Who] to save Bill and share a kiss (see Mr Kitty's illustration on Big Dave's Crossword Blog).

13a   Argument /made by/ group against (3-2)

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

14a   Wallpaper may be // put in one's place? (3,4,2,4)

The more obvious meaning of the first part of the clue would seem to be that a roll of wallpaper must be cut into pieces that fit the area to be covered. However, there might also be another explanation. Size^[7] (noun) is a gelatinous solution used in preparing walls prior to the application of wallpaper and size^[7] (verb) means to treat with size. So perhaps if one were redecorating, one would cut the old wallpaper down in order to size the walls in preparation for hanging the new wallpaper.

17a   Blubber's found by obscene killing -- // complain very loudly (3,4,6)

21a   Complete // shock when female is fired (5)

Right^[5] is an informal British expression (used for emphasis) meaning complete or absolute ⇒ I felt a right idiot.

23a   Quarrel after religious edict /brings one to/ this Spanish spectacle (9)

A bull^[5] is a papal edict ⇒ the Pope issued a bull of excommunication.

24a   Press dogged by one caller, not half // sarcastic (8)

25a   Liquid measure, // litre, swallowed by girl, working (6)

26a   Date one person regularly /in/ travel firm (2,6)

27a   Passionate // tale gripping millions (6)

Down

1d   Strong // wines drunk, unknown number (6)

"unknown number" = Y (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

2d   A pack of hounds may be // completely confused, initially, over tracks (2,4,3)

Mr Kitty most assuredly intended to write "Stick together a (2,4) phrase meaning completely ...".

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In full cry^* is a mainly British term that means expressing an opinion loudly and forcefully. Full cry originated and is still used as a hunting expression referring to a pack of hounds all baying in pursuit of their quarry.

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^*Ref: Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. and Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

3d   Check on a dazzling display /in/ ceremonial carriage (7)

A chariot^[5,10] is a light four-wheeled horse-drawn ceremonial carriage with back seats and a coachman's seat.

5d   Plant // book under author's name (5,6)

Thomas Hardy^[5] (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet. Much of his work deals with the struggle against the indifferent force that inflicts the sufferings and ironies of life. Notable novels: The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1896).

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A hardy annual^[5] is an annual plant that may be sown in the open ground.

Delving Deeper
Hardy annual[5] is an informal British term for a thing that recurs continually or at regular intervals ⇒ it's that hardy annual again, the cross-generational love story, spanning three decades.

6d   Artist/'s/ picture -- seeing that, what of it? (7)

Pablo Picasso^[5] (1881–1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, and graphic artist, resident in France from 1904. Picasso’s prolific inventiveness and technical versatility made him the dominant figure in avant-garde art in the first half of the 20th century. Following his Blue Period (1901-4) and Rose Period (1905-6), Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) signalled his development of cubism (1908–14). In the 1920s and 1930s he adopted a neoclassical figurative style and produced semi-surrealist paintings using increasingly violent imagery, notably The Three Dancers (1935) and Guernica (1937).

7d   A couple of books on Old Testament // religious leader (5)

An abbot^[5] is a man who is the head of an abbey of monks.

8d   Element /of/ unusual ringtone (8)

12d   Fall from vessel /and/ get carried away? (2,9)

15d   Rough // Irish professional soldier (9)

16d   Son worrying about rook /showing/ sign of injury (8)

R^[5] is an abbreviation for rook that is used in recording moves in chess. (show more )

A rook^[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top in the shape of a battlement, that can move (if not obstructed by another chess piece) any number of spaces in any direction along a rank or file on which it stands. Each player starts the game with two rooks at opposite ends of the first rank.

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Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, a rook[5] is a gregarious Eurasian crow with black plumage and a bare face, nesting in colonies in treetops.

18d   Framework /of/ room locked up by the Parisian (7)

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

hide explanation

19d   Uncooperative // suspect fainted (7)

20d   Having an unpleasant smell, // writing fluid in pen (6)

22d   Unattractively large // total before deductions (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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon