Monday, July 13, 2009 (DT 25870)

This puzzle was originally published Saturday, March 7, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Not too difficult a puzzle - especially considering that it was a Saturday prize puzzle in the U.K.

Today's Glossary

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

Avesta - the holy scriptures of Zoroastrianism

Faro - a city in southern Portugal

Holbeach - a town in southern Lincolnshire, England

just - based on fact or sound reason; well-founded (adj., defn. 6)

Lewes - the county town of East Sussex, England

Limpopo River - a large river in southern Africa

opener - cricket either of the two batsmen who begins the batting for their team (defn. 4)

plc - abbrev. public limited company

Po River - a river in northern Italy

Renfrew - a town near Glasgow, Scotland

requite - to avenge (defn. 2)

U - abbrev. upper class (hence, socially acceptable) English

vesta - Brit. a short friction match with a wood or wax shank (defn. 3)

Today's Links

As is the rule for a Saturday prize puzzle, there are more than the usual number of questions related to today's puzzle on AnswerBank. I found twelve questions, which (together with the clues to which they relate) are:

• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-a: 24ac
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-b: 27ac, 29ac
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-c: 9ac
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-d: 28ac
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-e: 14ac, 14d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-f: 17ac, 17d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-g: 17ac, 20ac, 22ac, 17d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-h: 9ac
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-i: 6d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-j: 17d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-k: 12ac, 3d, 6d
• AnswerBank [DT 25870]-l: 6d

Big Dave's date-of-publication hints for today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 25870] - Hints and Peter Biddlecombe's post-submission-date review at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 25870] - Review.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

Like Peter Biddlecombe, I initially questioned "just" meaning "according to the facts" and "requite" meaning "avenge". However, I found dictionaries supporting both of these meanings (see Today's Glossary).

I must say that I found Big Dave's comment "It’s a shame when setters resort to lesser known towns ..." to be rather ironic, as virtually every town that ever appears in one of these puzzles is at best lesser known to me.

Signing off for today - Falcon