Friday, May 29, 2009 (DT 25835)

This puzzle was originally published Monday, January 26, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Was this an exceptionally easy puzzle or am I just getting very proficient at this art? Sadly, I suspect the former to be the case. However, I do take a bit of satisfaction in not only finishing today's puzzle, but doing so in record time.

Broken Link Has Been Fixed

Many thanks to xwd_fiend for pointing out the broken link to my Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum blog. It has now been fixed.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar place names, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

biscuit - (Brit.) a cookie (defn. 2b)

River Wear - a river in North East England

Today's Links

1. Crossword Ends in Violence (5) [DT 25835]: CEIV has the usual mix of hints, solutions (or near solutions) and explanations.

By the way, I notice that no one picked up on James Cary's relocation of the Red Sox from Boston to Chicago. Chicago's American League team is actually the White Sox.

I found no questions on AnswerBank discussing today's puzzle. It may have been so easy that no one needed assistance - or else everyone was still busy working on the previous puzzle (which was a Saturday prize puzzle).

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

Other than some moderately clever cryptic definitions, there was not much of interest in today's puzzle. Among the best, were the following:

13ac Cruiser perhaps, not QE2 (3,8,4)

25ac City providing home for Englishman who's moved? (9)

1d In violent reaction, cat striking? (8)

16d Some Guinness for one of the little people (4-4)

Hybrid Clues

It can sometimes be difficult to clearly assign a clue to a particular category, since it is fairly common for cryptic definitions to contain elements of regular clue types or vice versa. For instance, take 14d today:

14d Of acceptable quality, so none left, presumably (3,5)

This has the structure of a regular clue with a left-hand side and a right-hand side both leading to the same solution. However, I read the right-hand side as a cryptic definition (if none is left, then all are right), a fact that is flagged by the indicator "presumably".

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1ac BARE-FACED - CD

6ac DOUBT - CD

9ac CHIC|A|GO

10ac KNOCK-DOWN - DD

11ac A(NEM<)ONE

12ac RE(G)ALLY

13ac HER MAJESTYS SHIP - (with apostrophe omitted, of course)

18ac COUPLE|T

20ac OTHELLO - DD

22ac CAUTIONED* - (EDUCATION)

23ac STATION* - (ITS NOT A)

24ac SP(R)AT

25ac NEW|CASTLE - CD

Down

1d BACKLASH - CD

2d RA|IN|WEAR

3d FRANC|O

4d COOK|IE

5d DEMOCRAT< - s[TAR COMED]ian

6d DAR(K |A|G)ES

7d UNCOOL - DD

8d TR(END)Y

14d ALL RIGHT

15d E(S)TONIAN

16d HALF-PINT - CD

17d PROVEN|CE

18d C|ACT|US

19d USURER

20d OLD SAW

21d HAV_|AN|A - {mostly own [HAVE]} = [HAV]

And with that, I will sign off for today from my old castle. - Falcon