Tuesday, May 19, 2009 (DT 25825)

This puzzle was originally published Wednesday, January 14, 2009 in the Daily Telegraph

Introduction

The National Post, which did not publish yesterday (it being the Victoria Day holiday in Canada), has skipped the puzzle that normally would have appeared yesterday.

I found today's puzzle to be especially difficult, as did many of those corresponding on the British discussion forums (listed below in Today's Links). I had to dig into my Tool Chest after only solving four or five clues unaided. However, I was able to complete the puzzle before visiting the online discussion forums, but I had little confidence in my solutions for several of the clues.

Today's Links

1. Crossword Ends in Violence (5) [DT 25825]: A solution to today's puzzle can be pieced together by perusing CEIV. I note that the author announced today that he was stopping the blog and seemingly signed off of cyberspace for good. However, as we shall see, overnight he seems to have a change of heart and is back again tomorrow.

There were four questions asked on AnswerBank concerning today's puzzle:

2. AnswerBank [DT 25825]-a: 19ac

3. AnswerBank [DT 25825]-b: 20d

4. AnswerBank [DT 25825]-c: 5d

5. AnswerBank [DT 25825]-d: 18d

The discussion on AnswerBank today goes beyond the usual mere provision of correct solutions.

Today's Puzzle

Clues that I had trouble deciphering:

12ac Out-and-out dump, we hear? House close to crumbling (5-3)

I solved this clue correctly, but did not understand the wordplay. However, there is a good explanation by Big Dave on CEIV.

19ac Speak noisily and sound impatient about bachelor with annoyance (3-5)

Again, I solved this one correctly and my take on the wordplay even matched that expressed on the online forums. However, I only arrived at my explanation for the wordplay via some very contorted and questionable reasoning which established a rather tenuous relationship between "hump" and "annoyance". I still consider the solution to be a bit of a stretch as I am unable to find any source that clearly establishes that "hump" is actually a synonym - or even a Briticism - for "annoyance".

15d Single woman, nurse, one overcome by fix (8)

I figured that the solution was SPINSTER, meaning "single woman", but could not decipher the remainder of the wordplay. Even after reading the explanation from Big Dave on CEIV, it took me a long time to understand the answer, which is:

15d Single woman [S(PIN)STER] /,\ nurse [SISTER], {one [I] overcome by (replaced by) fix [PIN]} (8)

That is, the "I" in "SISTER" is replaced by "PIN".

18d Stifle promotion for feminist remaining (7)

Another clue which I solved correctly without understanding the wordplay. There is a good explanation of the solution by Big Dave on CEIV.

20ac Foreign city once offered ton? Yes (6)

Yet another clue solved successfully without fully understanding the wordplay. I got the bit about "AY" meaning "Yes", but the "BOMB" part escaped me. Apparently, "goes like a bomb" and "goes like a ton" are British expressions (meaning to go fast?). The closest expression from this side of the pond to which I can relate is "bomb around" which has the connotation of driving fast but going nowhere in particular (e.g., "On Friday nights, the guys would bomb around town in their hotrods, hoping to impress the girls, before congregating at the hamburger stand.")

In summary, there were a few solutions in today's puzzle that I found very questionable. However, I don't feel too bad. Based on the online forums, I am not alone in feeling that way.

That's a wrap for today.