Tuesday, August 24, 2010 (DT 26248)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, May 24, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26247 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, May 22, 2010

Introduction

I solved the top two-thirds of this puzzle without much difficulty, but I certainly got myself into a terrible muddle in the southeast corner.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Solutions:

demob - abbreviation British informal verb [with object] demobilize (troops); noun [mass noun] demobilization: we were waiting for our demob.

Eton - in full, Eton College, an independent (public, in the British sense) school for boys located in Eton, Berkshire, England.

Lancashire - a county in the North West of England.

rota - [Collins English Dictionary] noun Chiefly British a register of names showing the order in which people take their turn to perform certain duties.

yellow card - noun (in soccer and some other games) a yellow card shown by the referee to a player being cautioned.

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26248].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

27a Suitable music for the hairdressers' ball? (10)

Having put GARB at 25d instead of BRAG, there were no possible words that matched the checking letters here. If 19d had been incorrect, CHARLESTON would have fit (given the incorrect entry at 25d) - but I could not establish any connection between that word and hairdressers. Eventually, through a process of eliminating checking letters, I stumbled upon the correct answer, thereby also identifying the fact that my solution at 25d was wrong (unfortunately, I failed to realize that I only need reverse it for it to be correct).

29a Stevedore who doesn't carry as much weight as others? (10)

The error at 25d also impacted me here. The only word that seemed remotely possible was LOBSTERMAN, although I could not see how a lobsterman could be considered a stevedore. At this point, I should have pulled out the eraser and performed a thorough scrubbing of this corner of the puzzle, starting over from scratch. However, I failed to do so and therefore found myself at an impasse with the wrong solution at 29a and now no solution at 25d. In frustration, I looked to Libellule for guidance.

25d Boast about dress (4)

I interpreted this clue as:

• Boast about /\ dress (4)

when it should be:

• Boast /\ about dress (4)

That is, we are looking for a word meaning "boast" (BRAG) that is reversal (about) of a word meaning "dress" (GARB) - and not the other way around, as I had it.

However, it still seems to me that my original interpretation is the most natural one and that the setter's choice is rather forced.

In any event, my "error" here really messed me up on 27a and 29a.

Signing off for today - Falcon