Tuesday, December 29, 2009 (DT 26029)

This puzzle was originally published Wednesday, September 9, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

Once again, the National Post has given us a double dose of cryptic crosswords by publishing the puzzle that would normally have appeared yesterday (when the Post did not publish an edition) in addition to today's puzzle. This is twice now in the last few days that the Post has published an extra puzzle the day after it has skipped an issue. However, I personally think it would make far more sense for it to publish the extra puzzle the day before the skipped issue (as has sometimes been its practice in the past).

This posting covers the puzzle found on the Monday Diversions page. The puzzle on the Tuesday Diversions page will follow in a separate post.

Today's Glossary

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

bash - noun 3 Brit. an attempt: she’ll have a bash at anything

NT - abbreviation 1 National Trust: National Trust and National Trust for Scotland noun charitable organizations concerned with preserving historic buildings and monuments, and areas of natural beauty, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

scruff² - noun Brit. informal a scruffy person

silk - noun 4 Brit. informal a Queen’s (or King’s) Counsel. so named because of the right accorded to wear a gown made of silk

up - adverb 9 formal to or at university • up at Oxford

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 26029].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1d Inexperienced colt getting grant (6)

In the solution to this clue, colt is abbreviated as C. While I was not able to find this abbreviation listed in any of several reference sources that I consulted, I can only surmise that it might possibly be found in horse racing or equestrian publications. Another possibility is that it may relate to another meaning for colt that I found in British dictionaries "3 sport an inexperienced young team-player or a member of a junior team".

20d Outcome at college bash (6)

Tilsit appears to question the meaning of bash in this clue ("bash = SHOT? Hmmmm…"), which surprised me a bit as bash would seem to be used here in the distinctly British sense of attempt. Another word for attempt is shot, a meaning which is commonly found in North America.

Signing off for today - Falcon