Monday, June 8, 2009 (DT 25845)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, February 6, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

A moderately easy puzzle today. Due to laziness on my part, I had the wrong solution for one clue.

Today's Glossary

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

blow - (Brit. slang) often used in mild curses, expressions of annoyance, astonishment, etc: to damn, curse or blast (verb, defn. 12)

Thomas Carlyle - 19th century Scottish writer, historian and teacher

chav - (Brit. slang) a young working-class person who dresses in casual sports clothes

Ely - a city near Cambridge, England

eminence - an area of high ground (noun, defn. 2)

Today's Links

1. Crossword Ends in Violence (5) [DT 25845]: CEIV discusses most of the clues in today's puzzle.

I found only one question on AnswerBank discussing today's puzzle.

2. AnswerBank [DT 25845]-a: 13ac

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

3d What is this about? "Blow men" is! (6,3)

I presume the setter had in mind the definition listed above; for North Americans, this expression might evoke a more risqué image.

5d Holy person rebuked and beaten (8)

This was my one error - I too easily accepted the first word to pop into my head. I had STRIPPED rather than STRAPPED. While RIPPED did seem plausible for "rebuked", I must admit that STRIPPED was rather a stretch for "beaten".

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1ac BACKWARDS STEP - CD

9ac AL(MA| MA)TER

10ac HO(I)ST

11ac EX|TENT

12ac OPERATIC* - {PIRATE CO}*

13ac S|AMPLE

15ac S(E|DATE)LY

18ac BLUE|BELL - BELL sounds like BELLE

19ac STATIC - CD

21ac INTIMATE - DD

23ac ART|H|UR

26ac H|AIRY

27ac {ETHNI}*|CITY - {IN THE}*

28ac TRANSVESTITE* - {ARTISTS EVENT}*

Down

1d BEATERS - CD

2d CO|MET

3d {WOMENS LIB}* - {BLOW MEN IS}*

4d RAT|E

5d ST|RAPPED

6d _ETHER - t[ETHER]

7d MISTREAT* - {IS MATTER}*

8d STICK|_Y - STICK + da[Y]

14d MOUNT|AI|N

16d A(STEROID)S

17d SLATTERN* - {LETS RANT}*

18d B|RIGHT

20d CAR|L|YLE<

22d MAY|OR

24d H(AIT)I

25d _CHAV_ - pani[C HAV]ov

Signing off for today - Falcon