Wednesday, August 11, 2010 (DT 26236)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, May 10, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26235 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, May 8, 2010

Introduction

I solved pretty much all of this puzzle unaided with the exception of the north east quadrant (for which I had to dig into the Tool Chest). An incorrect solution initially at 9a was partly to blame for my difficulties.

In case you missed Libellule's comment to my blog of Thursday, August 5, 2010, I would point out that although many of the setters are identified on Big Dave's site by a pseudonym (such as is the case today with Rufus), the puzzles actually appear in The Daily Telegraph without attribution. The pseudonyms shown on Big Dave's site are those used by these setters in other publications (e.g., Rufus being the pseudonym of today's setter, Roger Squires, in the Guardian).

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Solutions:

bloomer¹ - noun British informal, dated a serious or stupid mistake. (Origin: late 19th century: equivalent to blooming error.)

bloomer² - noun British a large loaf with diagonal slashes on a rounded top.

(Raymond) Chandler (1888-1959) - Anglo-American novelist and screenwriter "who had an immense stylistic influence upon the modern private detective story, especially in the style of the writing and the attitudes now characteristic of the genre."

(Battle of) Edgehill (October 23, 1642) - the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War.

(David) Lloyd George - known as the Welsh Wizard, "the first and so far only Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the only Prime Minister to have spoken English as a second language, Welsh having been his first".

(Saint) George - patron saint of England.

HE - abbreviation high explosive.

RN - abbreviation 1 Royal Navy.

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26236].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

9a There are strong links between its members (5,4)

I initially penciled in CHAIN MAIL here, but not without a lingering doubt in the back of my mind. As things turned out, my sense of uncertainty was well-founded as this solution proved to be incorrect - which I found out when I was stymied on 5d.

14a Recognise Bill has surplus wealth (8)

The definition is "recognise" with the solution being ACCREDIT. The wordplay is AC (bill; i.e., short for "account" from "bill of account") + CREDIT (surplus wealth). The latter portion of the charade gave me pause but a bit of research reveals that Chambers gives one definition of credit to be "the amount of money available to one at one's bank" (a definition which, I suppose, one could say "fits the bill").

7d Succeed in getting a woman to take it on (7)

Don't be fooled by Libellule's commentary, this is not a container type clue (and Libellule may well have intended his words as merely a hint rather than an analysis of the clue). It is a charade, with the wordplay being IN + (getting) HER (a woman) + (to take ... on) IT.

18d Mistake made by baker (7)

When I saw - almost immediately - the solution to this double definition, in which both meanings are Briticisms, I thought perhaps I should apply for honourary U.K. citizenship. Then again, maybe I've seen this "golden oldie" before.

20d Is inclined to enter the church, subject to purification (7)

In the surface reading, "subject to" is an adverb meaning conditional on. However, in the cryptic reading one must treat the word "subject" as a verb as it would be used in the phrase "subject one to the process of purification".

22d Conception many find immaculate (5)

The definition is "immaculate" with the solution being IDEAL. The wordplay is IDEA (conception) + L (many; i.e., the Roman numeral for fifty).

Words or phrases such as "many" or "a large number" may be used by setters to indicate any large Roman numeral, including L (fifty), C (hundred), D (five hundred) and M (one thousand).

Signing off for today - Falcon