Wednesday, July 14, 2010 (DT 26209)

This puzzle was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, April 8, 2010

Introduction

Like many of the Brits, I thought today's puzzle warranted more than the two stars for difficulty awarded by Big Dave.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

international - noun 1 a sports match or competition between two national teams. 2 (also internationalist) someone who takes part in, or has taken part in, such a match or competition.

nap³ - noun 2 British a tipster's prediction of the probable winner of a race.

Henry Tate - an English sugar merchant noted for establishing the Tate Gallery, London.

Tate - an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art.

Tate & Lyle plc - a U.K.-based multinational agri-processor primarily known for its sugar refining and golden syrup business which trades on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TATE.

Used in Solutions:

cap - noun 8 a someone chosen for a team representing a country, etc; b the fact of being chosen for such a team.

G² - abbreviation 1 German.

Port Louis - is the capital of Mauritius.

punter - noun 1 informal, chiefly British a person who gambles, places a bet, or makes a risky investment; a customer or client, especially a member of an audience; a prostitute's client.

River Alph - a fictional river mentioned in the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem begins "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/ A stately pleasure-dome decree : / Where Alph, the sacred river, ran ..."

SM - abbreviation 2 Sergeant-Major.

Jack Teagarden - American jazz trombonist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist.

U² - adjective Brit colloq said especially of language: typical of or acceptable to the upper classes [therefore, posh].

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26209].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

17a Ploughing ahead with it begs this question? (5,3,3,4)

I actually failed to spot the anagram, thinking this was a cryptic definition. Certainly if one were to plough ahead with some endeavour (ignoring or failing to take into consideration the opinions of others), one might well be met with the reaction expressed in this question. Knowing that it is also an anagram makes the clue even more interesting.

15d Sweet old man in Tate? (5,5)

This clue, clearly intended to evoke an image of the Tate Gallery, is also a reference to Sir Henry Tate, the British sugar merchant and philanthropist who bankrolled the establishment of the gallery.

Signing off for today - Falcon