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