Thursday, December 31, 2009 (DT 26033)

This puzzle was originally published Monday, September 14, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26032 published Saturday, September 12, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Today's puzzle was not overly difficult and contained a number of clues with very nice surface readings. However, I struggled a bit to understand the wordplay for 21a.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

cover (in full, cover point) - noun, cricket the fielding position forward and to the right of the batsman

Dame Edith Sitwell - British poet

bran tub - noun Brit. a lucky dip in which items are buried in bran

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26033].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

11a Are all his shots singles through cover? (6)

Of course, the allusion to cricket in the surface reading totally escaped me until it was pointed out in Big Dave's review. As nearly as I can make out, a cover (point) is a fielding position on a cricket pitch. So, when a batter drives through cover (as in this photo) (or, in the wording of the clue, makes shots through cover), he hits the ball through this area of the field. The expression would seem to be somewhat analogous to a drive to right (field) in baseball (i.e., a line drive hit between first and second base into the outfield).

15a They have no choice, poor chaps (7)

The "poor chaps" are BEGGARS, and the wordplay indicates that they face a Hobson's choice, "a choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all".

I thought that beggars choice might be an alternative version of Hobson's choice. While I did manage to find several books having the title Beggar's Choice, I did not find the expression listed in any reference source. However, as Big Dave points out, the allusion would actually seem to be to the old adage "beggar's can't be choosers".

21 They have titles within their grasp (7)

It is sometimes difficult to precisely pigeon-hole some clues as they may exhibit characteristics of different types of clue. I did struggle a bit to categorize this clue, especially after seeing Big Dave classify it as a double definition. After considerable thought, I think that I would be more inclined to call it a cryptic definition. I presume Big Dave is basing his statement on the fact that "they have titles" is clearly a definition for HOLDERS and "they who grasp" would also be holders. However, this second definition does not appear explicitly in the clue, and the wording that is present, viz. "within their grasp" is hardly, in my view, a definition for HOLDERS.

I guess one could view this clue either as a double definition with one of the definitions being implicit or cryptic, or (as I prefer to do) as a cryptic definition with a straight definition imbedded in it. In the end, it may all just be a glass half-full or glass half-empty situation.

Wishing everyone the Happiest of New Years - Falcon

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 (DT 26031)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, September 11, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I found that there was some fairly tricky wordplay today, especially in the southwest quadrant.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

all over the shop - Brit. (?) colloq scattered everywhere; in numerous places (the equivalent expression in North America would be all over the place)

Goldsmiths - a constituent college of the University of London (England)

SCR - abbreviation Brit. Senior Common (or Combination) Room: noun Brit. a room used for social purposes by fellows, lecturers, and other senior members of a college

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26031].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

24a Awkward situation when academic's room put next to a gym (6)

In this clue, "awkward situation" defines a SCRAPE and the wordplay is SCR (Senior Common Room, or academic's room) abutting (put next to) A PE (physical education, or gym). Despite the surface reading of "a gym" making it appear that gym is an athletic facility, it is actually a course of study (as in gym class). I have to confess that I only discovered the existence of an SCR from Libellule's review. I'm afraid that the best attempt I was able to produce was a highly implausible SC (1 Austral, NZ School Certificate) plus R (room).

20d Mad person's shell? (7)

Libellule states, "A simple but enjoyable double definition." Surely he has misspoken and meant to say "cryptic definition"?

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 (DT 26030)

This puzzle was originally published Thursday, September 10, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

This puzzle is the second part of today's double header.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

HE - abbreviation 3 His or Her Excellency (a title of honour given to certain people of high rank, eg ambassadors)

livery - adjective liverish: 3. disagreeable; crabbed; melancholy: to have a liverish disposition

OBE - abbreviation, Brit (Officer of the) Order of the British Empire, an award given to honour personal or professional excellence, or services to the country

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26030].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1d Key storage area (6)

I only realized that this was a double definition upon reading Gazza's review. A key could be considered to be a LOCKER (something that locks), while a LOCKER is also a storage area. I had seen this latter part, but originally had thought this clue might be a cryptic definition of a locker with the word key narrowing the choices to a particular type of storage area since a key fits inside a lock.

11d Went in and made a record (7)

For some reason, I find this clue very unsatisfying. It is a double definition for ENTERED where the second definition relates to creating an entry (record) in a computer data base.

14d Saw last of essays to be summarized (7)

Although I failed to find a reference source, summarized seems to mean potted (as confirmed by Gazza in his review).

17d Delights confronting credit controller in aircraft (3-5)

Credit is tick; although I once again failed to find a reference source for this meaning, I am guessing it may relate to, for instance, a teacher making a tick (check mark) beside an answer on a test indicating that the student got it correct (and, therefore, receives credit for the answer).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 (DT 26029)

This puzzle was originally published Wednesday, September 9, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Once again, the National Post has given us a double dose of cryptic crosswords by publishing the puzzle that would normally have appeared yesterday (when the Post did not publish an edition) in addition to today's puzzle. This is twice now in the last few days that the Post has published an extra puzzle the day after it has skipped an issue. However, I personally think it would make far more sense for it to publish the extra puzzle the day before the skipped issue (as has sometimes been its practice in the past).

This posting covers the puzzle found on the Monday Diversions page. The puzzle on the Tuesday Diversions page will follow in a separate post.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

bash - noun 3 Brit. an attempt: she’ll have a bash at anything

NT - abbreviation 1 National Trust: National Trust and National Trust for Scotland noun charitable organizations concerned with preserving historic buildings and monuments, and areas of natural beauty, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

scruff² - noun Brit. informal a scruffy person

silk - noun 4 Brit. informal a Queen’s (or King’s) Counsel. so named because of the right accorded to wear a gown made of silk

up - adverb 9 formal to or at university • up at Oxford

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26029].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1d Inexperienced colt getting grant (6)

In the solution to this clue, colt is abbreviated as C. While I was not able to find this abbreviation listed in any of several reference sources that I consulted, I can only surmise that it might possibly be found in horse racing or equestrian publications. Another possibility is that it may relate to another meaning for colt that I found in British dictionaries "3 sport an inexperienced young team-player or a member of a junior team".

20d Outcome at college bash (6)

Tilsit appears to question the meaning of bash in this clue ("bash = SHOT? Hmmmm…"), which surprised me a bit as bash would seem to be used here in the distinctly British sense of attempt. Another word for attempt is shot, a meaning which is commonly found in North America.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, December 28, 2009

Introduction

The National Post did not publish today as many businesses and institutions take the day off in lieu of the Boxing Day holiday which this year fell on a Saturday. This has allowed me to catch up on some of the puzzles that I was not able to get done over the weekend.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, December 26, 2009 - Dressed for the Cold

Introduction

Today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon presents us with several items of winter clothing, one of which was new to me.

Christmas festivities have delayed me in posting this blog.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

26a Departs through English port (5)

The setters may be using D as an abbreviation for departs. However, I could find no reference to substantiate this as a valid meaning. Perhaps they are using an indirect reference here. D is an abbreviation for dead or died, which is also a meaning for departed. However, if this were to be the case, departs would seem to be in the wrong tense; that is, the clue would need to read "Departed through English port".

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a _PIC|ADOR_ - hidden in (in) ePIC ADORed

5a WAR|RANT - WAR RANT; in other words a RANT (bombastic speech) concerning (about) WAR (conflict)

9a P(U)RIM - U (half of US) contained in (involved in) PRIM (stiffly formal); Purim: Jewish holy day

10a BALAC<|LAVA - CA (California) LAB (research centre) reversed (backed) LAVA (hot rock)

11a TI(BE)TAN - BE (take place) contained in (held by) TITAN (giant)

12a SERVANT* - anagram of (changed) TAVERNS

13a SALOPETTES* - anagram of (after adjusting) TEST A SLOPE; salopettes: plural noun padded or fleecy trousers with a high waist and shoulder straps, worn for skiing

16a S|CAR - S (small) CAR (wheels)

18a PAWN - DD; "someone manipulated" and "deposit as security"

19a TURTLENECK* - anagram of (bum) TUCKER LENT

22a LI(MITE)D - MITE (arachnid) contained in (inside) LID (cap)

23a P|ARAGON - ARAGON (part of Spain) following (after) P (Portugal's capital; i.e., capital letter or first letter of Portugal)

25a DOWN| PARK|A - DOWN (further south) PARK (temporarily leave) A

26a D|OVER - D (departs) OVER (through)

27a PI(RAT)ED - PIED (like the Piper) containing (catching) RAT (vermin)

28a HAS|SLED - HAS (possesses) SLED (means for coasting)

Down

1d PUP|ATE|S - PUP (youngster) ATE (worried) next to (by) S (start of school; i.e., first letter of school)

2d C(A)RIB - CRIB (plagiarized work) containing (about) A

3d {DEMO TAPE}* - anagram of (rambling) POET MADE

4d ROB|IN - ROB (steal from) IN (popular)

5d WELL-S|PENT - WELLS (sources of oil) PENT (shut up)

6d RE(CO|R)D - CO (company) R (run) contained in (in) RED (debit side)

7d A|VALANC(H)E - A VALANCE (curtain) containing (surrounding) H (hot)

8d TRAIT|OR - TRAIT (characteristic) OR (otherwise)

14d {LAWN MO(W)ER}* - anagram of (agitated) WARN ELMO containing (about) W (chemical symbol for tungsten, also known as wolfram)

15d T|HUND(E)RED - E (economy initially) contained in (in) T (start of twentieth) HUNDRED (century)

17d HE|BRIDES - HE (man) and BRIDES (new wife's)

18d P(ILED<) UP - PUP (pooch) containing (outside) DELI (sandwich shop) reversed (on the way back)

20d KIND|RE|D - KIND (considerate) RE (with regard to) D (poor; as a school grade, for example)

21d S(TOP) IT - TOP (best) contained in (among) SIT (rest)

23d P|EACH - P (penny) EACH (per)

24d GAVE|L - GAVE (presented) L (Liberal) /and\ GAVEL (MC Hammer); in the definition, MC actually means Master of Ceremonies, although the surface reading is intended to make us think of the rap singer, MC Hammer

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, December 26, 2009 (DT 26028)

This puzzle was originally published Tuesday, September 8, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

The National Post provided a double dose of cryptic crossword puzzles today. In addition to the regular Saturday offering from Cox and Rathvon, the Post published a page of Friday Diversions - features that would have appeared yesterday had it not been Christmas. This posting deals with the Daily Telegraph puzzle. The Cox and Rathvon puzzle will be covered in a second posting.

As I have not yet completed the puzzle (lots of Christmas-related activities to attend to), this is a preliminary posting to provide the link to Big Dave's site.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

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Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26028].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

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Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, December 24, 2009 (DT 26027)

This puzzle was originally published Monday, September 7, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26026 which was published Saturday, September 5, 2009 in the Daily Telegraph

Introduction

There were a considerable number of very clever clues in today's puzzle. Although I got off to a good start, I bogged down somewhat when the puzzle was about three-quarters completed. I must admit that I failed to solve a few of the final clues solely from the wordplay; instead I had to resort to picking solutions from lists of words or phrases matching the checking letters. However, in this process, the correct solution was easy to match to the wordplay. In fact, once the wordplay was understood, I often felt like kicking myself for not being able to see it right away.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

all-rounder - noun Brit. a person competent in a range of skills

rounders - plural noun treated as sing. a ball game similar to baseball, in which players run round a circuit of bases after hitting the ball with a cylindrical wooden bat, scoring a rounder if all four bases are reached before the ball is fielded

sago - noun 1 edible starch obtained from a palm, dried and processed to produce a flour or granules. 2 (also sago pudding) a sweet dish made from sago and milk

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26027].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

9a For this pudding turn gas to zero (4)

Sago is a substance that I have only ever encountered in crossword puzzles, although I understand that it is quite similar to tapioca, a dessert that my mother often served.

29a Eight in a row (4)

Although I was on the right course with my initial attempt, CREW, I eventually determined that I needed a different word to describe a rowing team. And I see from Big Dave's site that I was not alone in heading down the wrong path here.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas - Falcon

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 (DT 26025)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, September 4, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I found it difficult to find a starting point in today's puzzle; although, once I had solved a few clues, others began to fall into place. However, it took me forever to see the wordplay in 7d, the wordplay in 19a was not entirely clear to me and I eventually gave up on 23d.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

duck¹ - noun 5 cricket a batsman's score of zero

East Coker - a village in Somerset, England and the title of a poem by T.S. Eliot

livery - adj. liverish (3. disagreeable; crabbed; melancholy: to have a liverish disposition)

pi² - Brit slang adj a short form of pious (by extension, very good)

rocket¹ - noun 4 Brit colloq a severe reprimand

rover - noun archaic a pirate

Sark - a small island in the English Channel, one of the Channel Islands

River Stour - any of several rivers in the UK

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26025].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

19a Company deficit - one's dealt with huge figures (7)

The wordplay is CO (company) LOSS (deficit) I (one) and the definition is COLOSSI (huge figures). I have no idea how "dealt with" contributes to the clue - and Gazza offers no explanation.

23d Woman in English society, this person (6)

Having totally failed to recognize the appearance in this clue of Esme, perhaps I should add to Big Dave's well-known distaste for clues involving people's names, my distaste for solutions that are people's names. Although I have a dim recollection of having encountered this name at some point in the past, it is certainly not one that comes readily to mind. I threw in the towel not being able to decide whether the solution was ESSE or ESNE - with neither being correct, as I was to discover.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 (DT 26024)

This puzzle was originally published Thursday, September 3, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I think I found this puzzle to be a bit more difficult than Libellule rates it. Perhaps I was just distracted by the unfinished Christmas shopping still hanging over my head.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

cover note - noun Brit. a temporary certificate showing that a person has a current insurance policy

grafter - noun Brit. colloq 1 a hard worker

gutted - adjective Brit. informal bitterly disappointed or upset

Loadsamoney - an obnoxious character, created by British comedian Harry Enfield, who constantly boasts about how much money he earns

loadsamoney - British, informal, humourous, satirical A colourful variation of the phrase "loads of money", referring to the free flowing of money, to large amounts spent or earned, or to the perceived acquisitiveness and materialism engendered in society by a booming economy.

ramrod - (Chambers, British dictionary) noun 2 someone who is strict, stern and inflexible, both physically and morally [Note: the term would appear to have a bit broader sense in Britain than in North America, where it would generally refer specifically to a strict boss: ramrod - (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, North American dictionary) 3. A harshly demanding overseer; a disciplinarian]

RE - Royal Engineers (surely this British Army corps has made a sufficient number of appearances in recent puzzles that a reference is not required)

sub - (probably) Brit. verb 3 to lend (especially a small amount of money) • Can you sub me a quid till tomorrow?

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26024].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

8a Labourers needed to put beams on top of garage (8)

The solution:

GRAFTERS (labourers) /needed\ RAFTERS (beams) following (put ... on) G (top of garage; i.e., first letter of garage)

Note that for ease of explanation, I have reordered the clue a bit so that it reads "Labourers needed beams put on top of garage" simply to eliminate the split indicator "to put ... on".

This clue incorporates several frequently-seen cryptic crossword constructions:

• Needed as a linking word - we often see the word needed used to link the wordplay and the definition. The rationale seems to be that the solution to the wordplay needs to be a word matching the definition.
• top of ... indicating first letter of ... - other similar constructions commonly encountered are head of ..., first of ..., etc.
• on as a positional indicator - Here, due to this being an across clue, on is used to indicate following (i.e., Y on X indicates Y appended to X or XY) . Yesterday, we saw that in a down clue, on has the opposite meaning, where Y on X indicates Y on top of X or YX). Sometimes, on is also used as a container indicator, where XZ on Y would mean XYZ (equivalent to XZ worn by Y).

22a Annual arts awards having backing of the stars (6)

This clue proves just how dense I am today. Even after reading Libellule's review, I struggled with the wordplay. The solution is hidden backwards in the clue ("annuaL ARTS Awards"). The hidden word indicator is having and the reversal indicator is, of course, backing.

12d Close friends have it (3)

At first, I thought close friends might have one's ear (which impeded progress significantly on 14a).

18d Status diminished by reserve (5-2)

A reserve (backup) could be a stand-in or a stand-by. Status is standing, so "status diminished" could be "standin", or possibly just "stand". In my experience, truncation-type clues such as this often involve stripping only a single letter from the end of a word, so stand-in seems to be the most probable solution. However, there still remains the word by to account for. To my mind, it may be merely padding to aid the surface reading, although Libellule views it as part of the truncation indicator (i.e., diminished by).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, December 21, 2009 (DT 26023)

This puzzle was originally published Wednesday, September 2, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26020, DT 26021, and DT 26022 published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, August 29, Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, 2009 respectively.

Introduction

A number of previously unheard of words made the north-east quadrant particularly difficult today.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

John Dyer - painter and Welsh poet turned clergyman

Joseph Grimaldi - "the most celebrated of English clowns"

OTT - abbreviation, Brit. informal over the top

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26023].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

22a Drive with crack on surface (3-2-3-2)

I did find the correct solution but relied on Tilsit to explain the wordplay. The solution is GET-UP-AND-GO which is given by the definition "drive". Tilsit does a good job of explaining the individual elements of the wordplay. However, if you are still wondering how the pieces fit together, the answer is AND (with) GO (crack) following (on) GET UP (surface).

13d Filming away from the studio, love scene around noon (2,8)

Yet another case where I arrived at the correct solution without getting the wordplay - perhaps because I was looking for something more substantial.

19d Handsome youth from Northern Ireland's giving support to a function (6)

The solution is ADONIS (handsome youth) with the wordplay being NIS (Northern Ireland's) following (giving support to) A DO (function). The wordplay works on two levels. At the first level, this being a down clue, the second part of the solution (NIS) supports the first part (ADO), as they are stacked one on top of the other. At the second level, "giving support to" can mean "following", as in the case of fans of a sports team. I note that Tilsit states, "NIS = “Northern Ireland is”". Perhaps I have misinterpreted his intent, but this could be seen to imply that N is an abbreviation for Northern Ireland [i.e., "N + IS = (Northern Ireland) + is"]. I have presumed that "NIS = NI'S" with NI being the abbreviation for Northern Ireland. Then again, perhaps he is really just trying to say the same thing as I am.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Three Beers for Cheer

Introduction

In today's puzzle, Cox and Rathvon offer up not three cheers, but rather, three beers. While the puzzle generally exhibits these setters' typical careful handiwork, I do have to question the construction of clue 21d.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

20a Cold bug comes with bend and jerk (9)

While I did not find any dictionary that actually listed "cold" as a definition for antarctic, it does not take much poetic licence to make the connection.

21d Monarch's chair tossed in the sound (6)

In the surface reading, sound is presumably used in the sense of "a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two larger bodies of water". In the cryptic reading, the phrase "in the sound" is a homophone (sounds like) indicator, signifying that THROWN (tossed) sounds like THRONE (monarch's chair). However, the clue seems to have been constructed in reverse, as the clue would appear to produce the solution THRONE, whereas the grid demands the solution THROWN.

Monarch's chair [THRONE] /\ {tossed [THROWN] in the sound (sounds like)} = THRONE

In order to obtain the solution demanded by the grid, one must place the definition (tossed) in the middle of the wordplay (monarch's chair in the sound), which I would deem to be a clear violation of cryptic convention.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

7a BAR|GAIN S|ALE - BAR (tavern) GAINS (gets) ALE (beer)

8a _RO|C_ - hidden word (caged by) in afRO-Canadians

10a FAN|FARE - DD, with one being cryptic: FAN FARE (ballpark food)

11a TO|ASTER - TO ASTER (garden flower)

12a EDICT* - anagram (wrongly) of CITED

13a REM(A)INDER - REMINDER (mnemonic device) containing (about) A

14a HOT|EL| PORTER - HOT (warm) EL (the Spanish) PORTER (beer)

20a ANT|ARC|TIC - ANT (bug) plus (comes with) ARC (bend) and TIC (jerk)

23a S|AUDI - S (small) AUDI (German car)

24a MARIMBA* - anagram (playing) of RIB MAMA

25a AL(COHO)L - ALL (completely) containing (covering) COHO (kink of salmon)

26a NEW~ - sounds like (when read aloud) KNEW (understood)

27a SOCK|DO|LAGER - SOCK (cover for a club; i.e., golf club head cover) DO (party) LAGER (beer)

Down

1d BRAN|DISH - BRAN (cereal) DISH (bowl)

2d VA(CAN)T - CAN (small container) contained in (into) VAT (big container)

3d INTEGRAL* - anagram (reconfigured) of TRIANGLE

4d BAN|TAM - BAN (disallow) TAM (headwear)

5d ME(DALIS)T - MET (Metropolitan; the Metropolitan Museum of Art - which, in crosswords, may be the North American counterpart of the Tate) containing (houses) DALIS (surrealist's; Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali)

6d G|RATED - G RATED (for all viewers; G (General) is the North American film classification indicating suitability for audiences of all ages - equivalent to the British U (Universal) rating)

7d BUFFET - DD

9d CU|RARE - CU (chemical symbol for copper) RARE (very unusual)

15d TIRAMISU* - anagram (out) of I MUST AIR

16d OR|CHARDS - OR CHARDS (greens)

17d ROUG(HAG)E - HAG (witch) contained in (wearing) ROUGE (makeup)

18d M|ADMEN - M (One thousand; Roman numeral) ADMEN (guys making commercials)

19d P(ILL)AR - PAR (norm) contains (pens) ILL (bad)

21d THROWN - sounds like (in the sound) THRONE (monarch's chair) [see Commentary]

22d TRANCE* anagram (wrong) of NECTAR

23d S|ICILY - S (south) ICILY (coldly)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, December 18, 2009 (DT 26019)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, August 28, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

A rather enjoyable puzzle today, and fairly typical in terms of degree of difficulty. I did finish with unanswered questions concerning a couple of clues, for which I eagerly turned to Gazza's review to have answered.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

blighter - noun Brit. informal a person regarded with contempt, irritation, or pity

bloke - noun Brit. informal a man

bod - noun informal 2 chiefly Brit. a person

Lancelot "Capability" Brown - 18th century English landscape architect

CO - abbreviation 3 Commanding Officer

Sir. W.S. Gilbert - English librettist who, together with composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, wrote fourteen comic operas

Mons - city in Belgium, site of the Battle of Mons, the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in World War I

OM - abbreviation Brit (Member of the) Order of Merit

S² - abbreviation 2 Saint

waffle² [Collins English Dictionary] - verb Informal chiefly Brit. to speak or write in a vague and wordy manner; he waffled on for hours [note: in North America, waffle is generally used in the sense of "To speak, write, or act evasively"].

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26019].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

11a This person is indifferent and is trapped (2-3-2)

Having arrived at the solution to this clue more through intuition than analysis, I only realized that I had overlooked the wordplay involving "indifferent" meaning so-so when I read Gazza's review.

23a Humorous writer, awkward blighter, hard to shake off (7)

This is yet another case where I got a bit sloppy in my solving technique. Not realizing that I had unknowingly dropped the "h" in forming the anagram, I was then puzzled by the "hard to shake off" part of the wordplay. How easy it is to overlook the obvious sometimes!

27a Unimportant happenings given no individual broadcasts (3-6)

One can also arrive at the same destination as Gazza ("NONE (no individual)") via a slightly less direct route:

N (no) ONE (individual)

3d Capability, perhaps shown by naughty lap dancers (10)

Perhaps due to being distracted by the lap dancers, I searched in vain for an explanation of why "Capability" might mean landscaper. Thankfully, the answer is revealed by Gazza.

Although this might, on first blush, seem to be one of the most obscure references I have ever encountered in a puzzle, it would actually have been remarkably easy to find the explanation for the wordplay. If one goes to the "Capability" article in Wikipedia, there (under the heading "See also") one will find an entry "Capability Brown, an English landscape artist" (although, from this entry, one could be forgiven if they got the impresssion that he was a painter rather than a landscape architect).

7d Island's city house, no outstandingly impressive thing (8)

Perhaps the apostrophe is misplaced and the clue should have read "Islands' city". Honolulu, the capital of the state of Hawaii, is located on the island of Oahu, one of several islands in the Hawaiian archipelago that make up the state of Hawaii. According to Wikipedia, Honolulu (officially known as the City and County of Honolulu) is the only incorporated city in the state of Hawaii (and therefore on the Hawaiian Islands).

15d A fellow keeping partner outside home is detested (10)

I discovered from Gazza's review that I wasn't the only one to be visited by visions of nesting Russian dolls upon deciphering this clue.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, December 17, 2009 (DT 26018)

This puzzle was originally published Thursday, August 27, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Although it was far from being a difficult puzzle, there were a number of rather tricky clues where I first found the solution and then reverse engineered the wordplay.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

bags (or bags I) - Brit. informal a child’s expression used to make a claim to something (therefore, to reserve something)

grass - noun 4 Brit. informal a police informer

GT - noun a name given to certain fast but comfortable sports cars (abbreviation of Italian gran turismo grand touring)

prom - noun, colloq 1 a walkway or promenade

RE - abbreviation Royal Engineer (sapper) : 2 Brit. a soldier in the Corps of Royal Engineers

shufti - noun Brit. informal a quick look or reconnoitre

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26018].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

10a Where to write for job requiring wit (8)

Libellule wonders, "... how does the answer accurately fit the definition? Would “What to write” be better?" However, I see no reason why one cannot write on a postcard.

11a Soldiers capture unknown informer and producer of grain (3,5)

Botany would not appear to be the forte of this setter, who appears to have confused rye grass with rye. Rye grass is any of nine species of tufted grasses of the genus lolium, while rye (the grain) , is secale cereale - a totally separate species of grass altogether.

13a Fit to be included in Civil Service, having strong links (6)

I seriously questioned whether cables have links, as I have always thought of them as being like wire ropes rather than being chains. However, Oxford defines cable as "noun 4 the chain of a ship’s anchor".

6d Eggs on reserve in handy container (6,3)

My interpretation of the solution is as follows:

CLUTCH (eggs) before (on, it being a down clue) BAG (reserve) /in\ CLUTCH BAG (handy container)

I am guessing that bag (meaning reserve) may relate to "Bags", an expression used by British children to lay claim to (i.e., reserve) something (ref: Chambers and Oxford), although neither dictionary lists either an actual noun or a verb having this meaning.

However, Libellule may (or, then again, may not) offer a different interpretation of the wordplay. It is hard to know, as I find his explanation to be a bit vague (speaking from the perspective of a North American, of course).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 (DT 26017)

This puzzle was originally published Wednesday, August 26, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

It was a relatively easy puzzle today. To top it off, Big Dave has covered virtually every point that I had flagged as possible fodder for the blog today. Consequently, more time for Christmas shopping.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Louis Bleriot - French aviation pioneer

RR - abbreviation 2. Right Reverend: Brit. a title of respect for an Anglican or Roman Catholic bishop

Edmund Spenser - English poet

ton - noun 8 colloq a speed, score or sum, etc of 100

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26017].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

8a Artist fashionable after good month at university (7)

As a rule, "at university" is UP; but there is an exception to every rule, as today's puzzle proves.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 (DT 26016)

This puzzle was originally published Tuesday, August 25, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

While not a terribly difficult puzzle today, I did manage to stumble over one clue.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

describe - [American Heritage® Dictionary ] tr.v. 4 To trace the form or outline of: describe a circle with a compass

MB - abbreviation 1 Bachelor of Medicine, Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus

nurse¹ - verb 3 treat or hold carefully or protectively

sister - noun 5 (often Sister) Brit. a senior female nurse

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26016].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

2d A wit badly described by brand new U.S. novelist (4,5)

It took a bit of pondering to figure out why "described" is a container indicator. It is used in the sense of to form the outline of. Thus MARK (brand) and N (new) form the outline of TWAI, an anagram (badly) of A WIT.

9d Nursing home's senior nurse left (8)

A couple of Briticisms in this clue did me in. In Britain, a senior female nurse is a Sister. While I knew that "home" is IN (as "at home"), I didn't recognize "nursing" as a container indicator. Furthermore, I was working on the mistaken notion that "left" was an instruction to delete some letters. All the British dictionaries provide a definition for nurse along the lines of "to hold carefully or protectively", a sense of the word that I did not find in American dictionaries. My best effort attempt at a solution was MINISTER, on the basis that nurses minister to the needs of their patients (although in North America, one might be more apt to use this word in relation to a member of the clergy than to a nurse). Of course, I learned from Gazza's review that the right solution ironically is SINISTER.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, December 14, 2009 (DT 26015)

This puzzle was originally published Monday, August 24, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26014 which was published Saturday, August 22, 2009 in the Daily Telegraph

Introduction

It was not an overly difficult puzzle today - certainly much easier than some to which we have been subjected recently. However, I did fail to find the solution to one clue and missed some elements of the wordplay on a few others.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

roll-on - noun 2 Brit a woman's light elastic corset.

solo - noun 4 (in full solo whist) a card game based on whist, in which various declarations are made and the declarer does not have a partner

tell ¹ [American Heritage® Dictionary] - v.tr. 8. To name or number one by one; count: telling one's blessings; 16 windows, all told.

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26015].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

12a Unusual combination of destructive and constructive forces (4)

I'm afraid I overlooked the military amalgamation of the Royal Artillery (RA) with the Royal Engineers (RE). Instead, I prepared a chemical alloy of radium (Ra) and rhenium (Re). It was somewhat plausible, definitely being an "unusual combination", with radium satisfying the "destructive" criterion (a "highly toxic radioactive metallic element, remarkable for its active spontaneous disintegration") and rhenium supplying the "constructive" factor (a "metallic element whose very high melting point makes it a useful ingredient in alloys"). Although, I must admit that I was a little uneasy about not properly accounting for the word "forces" in the clue.

6d Row of drunks? (4)

Much to my chagrin, I was not able to figure out this clue. "Row" is used in the sense of a street (row¹ noun 4 often in street-names: a street with a continuous line of houses on one or both sides). From Tilsit I learn that the solution is that proverbial address to which drunks are said to be destined.

7d Sort of deodorant put on by women (4-2)

Tilsit says that a "roll-on" is a type of panty-hose, while Chambers defines it as a type of corset. However. the two may not necessarily be mutually exclusive - it may simply be a type of body shaping panty-hose. In any case, it is an undergarment worn by British women.

18d Guarantees certain bonds (8)

Before reading Tilsit's review, I had failed to notice the "certain bonds" equals SURE TIES wordplay. Instead I had thought of bond in the financial instrument sense, and thought "certain bonds" might refer to bail bonds, for example. Since this would just be a type of guarantee (one to appear in court), I considered this to be an extremely weak double definition. However, once the true wordplay was pointed out, I developed a much improved opinion of the clue.

22d Quickly remove label showing exorbitant price (3,3)

Here, I thought "label" might be considered to be a bit of padding to facilitate the surface reading. "Quickly remove" on its own - it seems to me - defines the solution.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, December 12, 2009 - Colours of the Season

Introduction

Today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon gives us a few holiday themed clues, highlighted in rich tones of red, green, ruby and plum.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Ty Cobb - legendary Detroit Tiger, nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", generally regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time

rudesby - noun 1. an uncivil, turbulent fellow

shucks - exclamation informal, chiefly N. Amer. used to express surprise, regret, etc.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

12a Truly keeping grand (7)

This is an & lit. (or "all-in-one") clue. The clue can be read two ways. In the first reading "truly keeping grand" is a definition of REGALLY. In the second reading, the wordplay is REALLY (truly) containing (keeping) G (grand).

15d Perfume ingredient list including wonder from the east (9)

In an across clue, the phrase "from the east" is used to indicate that the letters run right to left (i.e., east to west), a reversal of their normal order. However, since this is a down clue, should not the wordplay read "wonder from the south", to indicate that the letters run from bottom to top?

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a P(A|BU)LUM - PLUM (fruit) containing (with ... inside) A BU (bug mostly)

5a MODICUM - ODIC (of a lyric poem) contained in (retained by) MUM (mother)

9a _SUS|HI_ - hidden word in (offered by) jeSUS HImself

10a S(EVEN)TIES - EVEN (unvarying) contained in (in) STIES (pens)

11a PERUS|A|L - PERU'S (South American country's) A (one) L (lake)

12a RE(G)ALLY - & lit. clue; REALLY (truly) containing (keeping) G (grand)

13a {RED (LET)TER DAY}* - an anagram of (awfully) RARE TEDDY containing (bears) LET (allow)

18a {GREENSLEEVES}* - an anagram of (playing) SEVEN REELS EG

21a HATCH|ET - HATCH (devise) ET (extraterrestrial)

23a WAS|SAIL - WAS SAIL (put out to sea)

25a {CONCORDAT}* - an anagram of (corrupt) DOCTOR CAN

26a WAIVE~ - sounds like (heard) WAVE (roller)

27a SP(RING)Y - RING (band) contained in (in) SPY (sight)

28a RU(DES)BY - RUBY (certain port) containing (accepting) DES (of French)

Down

1d PAS|SPORT - PA'S (dad's) SPORT (recreational activity)

2d BEST|RIDE - BEST (superlative) RIDE (transportation)

3d L|AIRS - L (left) AIRS (vents)

4d {MISTLETOE}* - an anagram of (novel) TITLE SOME

5d M|OVER - M (married) OVER (again)

6d DEN|I|GRATE - DEN (study) plus (with) I (one) GRATE (framework)

7d CHILLY~ - sounds like (by the sound of it) CHILI (bean dish)

8d MOSE(Y)S - MOSES (Hebrew prophet) containing (taking) Y (year)

14d EARTHBORN* - an anagram of (reformed) ABHORRENT

15d ROS(EWA<)TER - ROSTER (list) containing (including) EWA {reversal of (from the east) AWE (wonder)}

16d A(VIA)RIES - ARIES (ram) contains (goes around) VIA (by way of)

17d PSALTERY* - an anagram of (new) RAP STYLE

19d S|HUCKS - S (small) HUCK'S (Huckleberry (Huck) Finn, a character created by American writer Mark Twain)

20d A|TONER - A TONER (cleansing solution)

22d T(ODD)Y - TY (legendary American baseball player Ty Cobb) contains (swallows) ODD (strange)

24d SO|WED - SO (subsequently) WED (got married)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, December 11, 2009 (DT 26013)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, August 21, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26011 and DT 26012 published in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20, 2009 respectively.

Introduction

I certainly found this puzzle to be a considerable challenge. As I had a number of other commitments to attend to this weekend, I worked on it off-and-on over two days before finishing it.

Given the struggle that I was having with the puzzle, I was dumbfounded when I first arrived at the expected puzzle (DT 26011) on Big Dave's site to see the introduction begin, "This is an easy puzzle ...". Thankfully, a peek at the first clue showed that the National Post had not published the next puzzle in the sequence. Once I did find the correct puzzle, I was greatly relieved to see that the degree of difficulty had been rated as four stars.

An erroneous solution at 8d caused me lots of problems in the north-east corner.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Clare of Assisi - founder of the Order of Saint Clare

Ely - a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England

Geordie - colloq noun 1 someone who was born on or who lives on Tyneside. 2 the Tyneside dialect.

hock² - noun a white wine, originally only one made in Hochheim, on the River Main, in Germany, but now applied to all white wines from the Rhine valley.

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester - English Libertine and friend of King Charles II

St Ives - a town in Cornwall, England

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26013].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a Stones incorporating Californian singer and N.Y. players? (8)

The players in question could be Yankees or Mets, but not Knicks, Giants, Jets, Rangers or Islanders.

13a Plant girl on tandem? (5)

You will find a hint here.

6d Big hit winning everything (5,4)

Libellule seems to have overlooked (understandably so, I should point out) that the setter may be on a baseball theme today (or perhaps this clue is just a coincidence). In baseball, a grand slam is a home run with the bases loaded, scoring four runs (thus it is definitely a "big hit"). This usually involves the batter hitting the ball out of the park, but occasionally one may see an "inside the park" home run.

8d Common person accounting for about half of the population? (8)

Having opted for an incorrect solution, EARTHMAN, greatly impeded me in completing the remainder of the north-east corner. Eventually suspecting that it might be wrong, I peeked at Libellule's hint which showed me the error of my ways. Once I had corrected this error, the rest of the corner fell into place fairly quickly.

11d Drinks a lot of water in Geordieland from what we hear (4)

I only solved this clue with the help of the hint from Libellule. Unfortunately, even though the setter has apparently misplaced Geordieland (according to comments on Big Dave's blog), I cannot fall back on that as an excuse for my lack of success on this clue. I'm afraid that my knowledge of the geography of England is not sufficiently detailed for this error to have had any impact whatsoever on my ability to solve the clue. While I did think that the clue might be referring to a lake, it never occurred to me that I should actually be looking for a river.

20d Politician not in power in European country (4)

Although I figured out the right country, the wordplay baffled me - and I only deciphered it with the aid of Libellule's hint. In hindsight, I think I should have gotten it with a little bit of work, but I suppose I was just too worn down by that time to make the effort.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, December 10, 2009 (DT 26010)

This puzzle was originally published Tuesday, August 18, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I found it to be a relatively challenging puzzle today, one that required me to open my Tool Chest early and use the tools extensively. I thought that I had completed the puzzle successfully (albeit with a question mark about the wordplay for one clue), only to discover that I had the wrong solution for that clue.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

batman - noun dated (in the British armed forces) an officer’s personal valet or attendant.

daily - noun 2 (also daily help) Brit. dated a domestic cleaner.

DI - abbreviation 2 Detective Inspector.

domestic - noun 1 (also domestic worker or domestic help) a person employed to do domestic tasks. 2 informal a violent quarrel between family members.

orderly - noun 2 a soldier who carries orders or performs minor tasks for an officer.

smack - noun a single-masted sailing boat used for coasting or fishing.

stodge - noun informal, chiefly Brit. 1 food that is heavy, filling, and high in carbohydrates. 2 dull and uninspired material or work.

U³ - abbreviation 2 united.

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26010].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

17a Aim head of arrow tip (6)

Like Tilsit, I initially had a question in my mind about this clue ("Not sure about SPIRE as “tip”."). However, Chambers does give a couple of definitions that could fit:

• spire¹ - noun 2 anything tall and tapering, eg a flower spike, the top of a tree, etc.
• spire² - noun 2 zool the top part of a spiral shell.

26a Metal nuts get replaced by new (8)

My take on the wordplay in this clue varies ever so slightly from that given by Tilsit in his review. I would say that the anagram indicator is simply replaced (rather than replaced by) and that by is a positional indicator (signifying beside). Replaced here has the sense of the letters being put in new places (i.e., positions).

Using this wordplay, the clue parses as:

TUNGSTEN (metal) /\ anagram of (replaced) {NUTS GET} beside (by) N (new)

2d Absorbed and immersed in speech (4)

I didn't like this clue much when I first saw it. Now - after pondering it for a bit - I have perhaps warmed to it to the point where I can tolerate it. Since absorbed and immersed mean the same thing (Chambers: be immersed in something to be occupied or involved deeply in it; to be absorbed), the clue could just as well have been phrased "Immersed and absorbed in speech".

19d Plug hole's entrance (6)

I think I just presumed that the solution must be ADVERT, having developed the (perhaps erroneous) impression from another recent puzzle that advert is the British contraction for advertisement, whereas ad is a North American version. However, I discovered from Tilsit's review that my answer was, in fact, wrong.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 (DT 26009)

This puzzle was originally published Monday, August 17, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

The National Post has skipped DT 26008 published Saturday, August 15, 2009 in the Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Today Ottawa is experiencing its first major snowfall of the winter. Having risen late this morning and spending the morning at the gym and the early part of the afternoon clearing the snow from my driveway, it was mid-afternoon before I had a chance to tackle the puzzle. Luckily, it was not too difficult and I completed it in a very respectable time.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

E-boat - noun a German torpedo boat used in the Second World War.

MB - abbreviation 1 Medicinae Baccalaureus (Latin), Bachelor of Medicine.

slip - noun 10 cricket a one of three fielders (first slip, second slip and third slip) standing near to and roughly in line with the wicket-keeper on the on side; b (often slips) this fielding position.

sneak - verb 3 Brit. informal inform someone in authority of a person’s misdeeds.

trooper - noun 2 chiefly Brit. a ship used for transporting troops.

Whit - noun Whitsun or Whitsuntide, in the Christian church: the week beginning with Whit Sunday, particularly the first three days.

Whitstable - a seaside town in Kent, England, famous for its oysters

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26009].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

6d It takes pluck to remove it (6)

As it turns out, the solution is not FEATHER. However, taking into consideration Gazza's reservations about the real solution, it just might be a better fit.

19a Go quietly to spill the beans (5)

Working on the assumption that "spill" must be an anagram indicator led me astray on the wordplay. Despite this, as well as the fact that the British slang meaning of sneak was totally unknown to me, I still managed to find the correct solution from the definition and checking letters.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 (DT 26007)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, August 14, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I had an easier time with the upper half than the lower half today. On the whole, I found the puzzle to be a bit more difficult than what the Brits seem to have rated it.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

clapped out - adjective colloq 1 said of a machine, etc: old, worn out and no longer working properly. 2 said of a person: exhausted.

clapped-out - adjective informal, chiefly Brit. worn out from age or heavy use.

con² - verb old use to read over and learn by heart.

Ken Dodd - British comedian

lumber - noun 1 chiefly Brit. disused articles of furniture that inconveniently take up space. 2 chiefly N. Amer. partly prepared timber.

real ale - noun chiefly Brit. cask-conditioned beer that is served traditionally, without additional gas pressure.

Territorial Army (abbreviation TA) - noun in the UK: a fully trained volunteer force intended to provide back-up to the regular army in cases of emergency.

Universal (abbreviation U) - British film rating signifying "All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children." (i.e., visible to all)

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26007].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

5d Brown bits and pieces left to go out (5)

The clue seemed to be screaming that the solution was (L)UMBER (LUMBER with the L deleted), but how does lumber equate to "bits and pieces"? It became clear when I discovered that in Britain the word "lumber" apparently has a totally different meaning than in North America (one that is not even remotely similar).

18a It could be abandoned in Lent season (3-9)

While "abandoned" does not strike me as an obvious candidate for the role of an anagram indicator, I long ago learned that this position seems to be open to any word that should happen to walk in off the street.

26a Comic theologian seen at party (4)

Having never heard of Ken Dodd was a definite handicap on this clue. I ended up with DIDO as my answer, thinking that it might somehow relate to "comic".

3d They may come in in the middle of a sentence (6,8)

I never noticed the repetition "in in" until I was writing the blog, so I solved the clue as if it contained a single "in". With minimal checking letters, I thought I had come up with a perfect solution, PAROLE HEARINGS. However, a few more checking letters quickly eliminated that possibility.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, December 7, 2009 (DT 26006)

This puzzle was originally published Thursday, August 13, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I must say we are presented with an interesting assortment of food items today - unfortunately some of it being most unappealing. It must have been a rather easy puzzle today - given that I finished almost all of it sitting in the waiting room at the garage while my car was being serviced. I did need to pop open the Tool Chest when I got home for help with the final couple of clues.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

bangers and mash - sausages and mashed potatoes, popular British pub grub

inch - noun Scot. a small island near the seacoast

long pig - noun human flesh, used as food (translation of a Polynesian term)

rouble - alternative spelling of ruble, noun the basic monetary unit of Russia and some other former republics of the USSR

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26006].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

7a Worried about foreign currency in the borders of Thailand (8)

This clue contains what I like to think of as a "shell indicator", i.e., an indicator that instructs one to keep only the first and last letters of a word (i.e., its shell). In fact, it is one of three examples of this type of clue in today's puzzle. The indicator here is the phrase, "the borders of" which is to be interpreted as "the first and last letters of". In this case, the indicator acts on "Thailand" to produce the result TD.

8a White meat that extended gourmand? (4,3)

"Long pig" is a term used in some Pacific islands for human flesh used as food. Does one infer from "white meat" that cannibals dined only on Caucasians? In search of an answer, I consulted several reference sources, none of which indicated that the term was specific to the flesh of the white man. From an account in Robert Louis Stevenson's book, In the South Seas, it would appear that the term was applied to human flesh, in general, and not merely to the flesh of the white man. However, I note that Gazza says "this term was used in the past among the cannibals in some Pacific islands for white man’s flesh". I wonder if Gazza had a source for this or whether he merely inferred the meaning from the wording of the clue (or perhaps skewed the wording of the hint a bit to match that of the clue).

As an aside, it seems that this must be prime season for cannibals, as eBay is offering "fantastic deals on long pig". Which just goes to illustrate the absurdity of their practice of automatically generating custom advertisements based on search terms!

1d Language outwardly revered in universities (4)

This is the second example of a "shell indicator" in today's puzzle. Here "outwardly revered" signifies that we are to use the first and last letters of "revered" (i.e., RD).

18d People generally leave northwards, seeing potential danger (7)

Mantrap has two meanings, namely "a trap set to catch trespassers or poachers" and "(slang) a woman considered dangerously seductive and scheming." I was not familiar with the former and I notice that the British dictionaries do not seem to include the latter.

22d Mangy dog often outside for meat (6)

In the third example of a "shell indicator" in today's puzzle, "often outside" instructs us to use the first and last (i.e., outside) letters of "often" (i.e., ON).

Signing off for today - Falcon