Thursday, September 30, 2010 (DT 26280)

This puzzle, by Jay, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Introduction

I am sure that I found this puzzle to be a bit more difficult than did Big Dave. He awards it three stars for enjoyment and two for difficulty. I needed to use my Tool Chest to solve a few clues. Even at that, I ended up with an incorrect solution to one clue and an incomplete understanding of the wordplay for a second.

I confess that I am easily drawn off on tangents. And so it was today, where a chance remark by Big Dave about strippers being female led me off on a journey of discovery into the world of male stripping - fascinating not for what happened on stage but for the gruesome shenanigans behind the scenes.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Clues:

fiddle - noun 2 informal, chiefly British an act of defrauding, cheating, or falsifying: a major mortgage fiddle

Used in Solutions:

c - abbreviation Cricket (on scorecards) caught by: ME Waugh c Lara b Walsh 19

CID - abbreviation Criminal Investigation Department, the detective branch of the British police force

do¹ - verb 5 British informal swindle: a thousand pounds for one set of photos — Jacqui had been done

MOD - abbreviation (in the UK) Ministry of Defence

scrub round - Informal [likely British] to waive; avoid or ignore: we can scrub round the rules

test match - noun an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries: the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies

visiting card - noun British a card bearing a person's name and address, sent or left in lieu of a formal social or business visit [In North America, more likely to be referred to as calling card or business card]

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26280].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

9a Places where people look to clean suit? (5,5)

Big Dave indicates that the places we are looking for are "places where people look at ladies in various states of undress". Lets not neglect the ladies in our audience - there are also places where they can watch men discarding their suits (and this might even be a better fit for today's clue). The most famous of such performers (at least in North America) are undoubtedly the Chippendales. In doing a bit of research, I discovered that this was an extremely cut-throat organization; I lost track of how many principals ended up dead, most of them murdered by their partners - either business or marital. For some unfathomable reason, the current Wikipedia article has been edited to the point of incomprehensibility. To fill in the gaps, I would suggest reading this version of the article from April 2010.

2d A minor route out of the country (6)

I didn't quite get the wordplay here, thinking that it must be A + B (minor) + ROAD (route), where I supposed B had something to do with minor scales or minor keys in music. Not being well-versed in music theory, I couldn't really be sure whether I was on the right track or not. I learn from Big Dave that the wordplay is actually A + B-ROAD (minor route).

20d Mostly skilful goal from champion (6)

I understood the structure of the clue, with the definition being "champion" and the wordplay being a charade comprised of the first three letters (mostly) of a word (likely four letters in length) meaning "skilful" and END (goal). My downfall was in failing to recognize that "champion" could be a verb (which it happens to be in this case) as well as a noun. I settled (erroneously) on LEGEND for a solution, but was at a loss to explain the first part of the wordplay. It seems that I was in good company, as a fair number of the Brits confess to having made the same stumble. If you still haven't figured out the answer, it can be found in Big Dave's review.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 (DT 26279)

This puzzle, by Shamus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Introduction

After being subjected to a somewhat strenuous workout yesterday, my Tool Chest enjoyed a bit of a respite today - seeing only limited action. Despite this, Gazza still awarded the puzzle three stars for difficulty as well as three more for enjoyment.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Clues:

biscuit - noun 1

• British a small baked unleavened cake, typically crisp, flat, and sweet: a chocolate biscuit [North American cookie]
  
• North American a small, soft round cake like a scone

Used in Solutions:

brandy snap - noun British a crisp rolled gingerbread wafer, usually filled with cream

Rupert Brooke (1887 – 1915) - an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War

c - abbreviation Cricket (on scorecards) caught by: ME Waugh c Lara b Walsh 19

corporation - noun 3 dated , humorous a paunch [Note: a meaning found in both British and American dictionaries, but new to me; Gazza dates the expression to the mid-18^th century]

crust - noun 3 British informal a living or livelihood: I've been earning a crust wherever I can

henry (abbreviation H) - noun Physics the SI unit of inductance, equal to an electromotive force of one volt in a closed circuit with a uniform rate of change of current of one ampere per second

hotel - noun 2 a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication

pi² - adjective British informal short for pious

twiddle - noun [likely British] an unnecessary decoration, especially a curly one [Note: this sense of the word was found in Collins, Chambers and Oxford but not in the American dictionaries that I consulted]

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26279].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

Definitions posing as wordplay

There are two instances in today's puzzle where phrases that - on first glance - would appear to be anagram indicators are actually definitions. By a strange coincidence, these were also the first two clues that I solved today.

• 10a Old theologian left yard in a strange way (5)
• 2d Tot was first in a confused state (6)

The phrases "in a strange way" and "in a confused state" would both make excellent anagram indicators. However, today they are both definitions. I must say that encountering these two clues right off the start left me oddly addled.

12a Exercise equipment separated by European fellow holding record (4,3)

Gazza repeats a claim that I have seen several times recently, that EP (or Extended Play) is "an old record format no longer seen anywhere except in crosswords". However, the term is now applied to compact discs and music downloads and seems to be very much in use. Here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:

An extended play (or "EP" in common speech) is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length compact discs and music downloads as well. ... In the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (plus alternative versions of featured songs).

27a Test option scribbled in piece of paper (4-2,4)

Gazza tells us that the solution "is normally spelt 4-2,4" and it is in the National Post. Apparently, in the U.K., the numeration was given as "(4,2,4)". Perhaps the editors at the Daily Telegraph responsible for the syndication of the puzzle read Big Dave's blog. More likely, though, is that there may have been a discrepancy between the printed and online versions in Britain (when this happens, the version appearing in the National Post is almost invariably the former).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 (DT 26278)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, June 28, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26277 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 26, 2010

Introduction

Having gone back yesterday to pick up a dropped stitch, the National Post picks up its knitting today where it left off on Friday (of course, as usual, omitting the puzzle published in the U.K. on Saturday). It is a typically entertaining puzzle from Rufus, rating three stars both for difficulty and enjoyment in Libellule's books. While there were enough British terms in today's puzzle that - unlike yesterday - my Tool Chest received a fairly vigorous workout, I at least managed to figure out the name of the football club on my own.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Clues:

bar - preposition

• chiefly British [though commonly used in Canada, as well] except for: his kids were all gone now, bar one
• Horse Racing, British except the horses indicated (used when stating the odds)

Test match - noun an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries: the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies

Used in Solutions:

the Ashes - noun 2 a trophy for the winner of a series of Test matches in a cricket season between England and Australia [from a mock obituary notice published in the Sporting Times (2 September 1882), with reference to the symbolical remains of English cricket being taken to Australia after a sensational victory by the Australians at the Oval]

The Oval - a cricket ground in London, England

Croesus (595 BC – c. 547 BC) - a king of Lydia who was renowned for his wealth

form - noun 8 British a long bench without a back

obi² - noun variant form of obeah, a kind of sorcery practised especially in the Caribbean

Petticoat Lane Market - a fashion and clothing market located in London, England.

soigné - adjective (feminine soignée) dressed very elegantly; well groomed: she was dark, petite, and soignée

ta - exclamation British informal thank you

tyre - (US [and Canada] tire) noun

• a rubber covering, typically inflated or surrounding an inflated inner tube, placed round a wheel to form a soft contact with the road
• a strengthening band of metal fitted around the rim of a wheel, especially of a railway vehicle

Origin: late 15th century (denoting the curved pieces of iron plate with which carriage wheels were formerly shod): perhaps a variant of archaic tire, shortening of attire (because the tyre was the ‘clothing’ of the wheel)

West Ham United Football Club - an association football club based in London, England.

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26278].

The Brits seemed to be in a singularly testy mood, following England's 4-1 elimination from further competition in the FIFA World Cup at the hands (er, feet) of Germany the day before. The use of the word soignée in the puzzle generated one the lengthiest and most vehement discussions that I can remember ever seeing on Big Dave's blog. I can only imagine the reaction had Rufus used a German word rather than a French word.

CryticSue's comment alluding to "Swan Vestas" is a reference to a popular brand of British matches.

Swan Vesta is a brand name for the most popular brand of 'strike-anywhere' matches currently available in the UK, shorter than regular pocket matches they are particularly popular with smokers.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

24a One rejected a knight's title? It's a bloomer! (4)

Here "rejected" serves as a reversal indicator, used in the sense of 'sent back'. The definition is "bloomer" (a plant that produces flowers at a specified time) and the wordplay is I (one) + a reversal (rejected) of SIR (a knight's title) to give the solution IRIS.

In the surface reading, the word bloomer would be seen by the Brits to mean 'a serious or stupid mistake'. In the U.K., bloomer can also mean 'a large loaf [of bread] with diagonal slashes on a rounded top'.

3d Exhaust seen on American car (4)

While tire (meaning, to exhaust) is spelled with an 'i' in Britain (as it is in North America), the homophone meaning a component of an automobile (or other vehicle) is spelled tyre in the U.K. and tire in North America.

I note with interest that the OED advises readers, "Spell tyre with a y (the spelling tire is American)". Obviously, this advice should be ignored when solving today's puzzle. However, could the mere fact that Oxford feels compelled to offer this guidance be an indication that American spellings are beginning to make inroads even in Britain?

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, September 27, 2010 (DT 26270)

This puzzle, by Giovanni, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Friday, June 18, 2010

Introduction

Fans of Giovanni receive a treat today, being served up another one of his puzzles after having just partaken of one on Friday. It seems that the National Post has decided to go back and pick up a dropped stitch by running DT 26270 which would have appeared last Monday had the regular publication sequence been followed. Having been able to complete the puzzle without opening my Tool Chest, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it rated three stars for difficulty from Gnomethang. My success is obviously due, in no small part, to the almost total absence of Briticisms in today's puzzle.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

U² - adjective British colloquial said especially of language: typical of or acceptable to the upper classes

Today's Links

Gnomethang's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26270].

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, September 25, 2010 - Musical Farmer

Introduction

In today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon we are introduced to a farmer (11a), well known in song (and it's not The Farmer in the Dell). Also in the puzzle, we have a term for the branch of agriculture in which this farmer is clearly engaged (5d). Hidden in the solutions are a couple of the animals under his care (14a and 20a), as well as a word that might be used to describe his livestock, in general (17a). Perhaps there are more themed clues that I have missed. If you find some, please leave a comment.

Today's Glossary

A selection of abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur - an American actress, comedienne and singer

[Don't] have a cow! - a humorous cautionary phrase, dating from the late 1950s at least, possibly of US origin. Although probably most frequently heard in the negative as an admonition to calm down, it may also be used in the affirmative sense, "She had a cow when she discovered that her daughter had actually been hanging out at the mall rather than studying at a friend's home." The phrase is often used by Shaggy in the cartoon series Scooby Doo. However, it is probably most closely associated with Bart Simpson from the cartoon series The Simpsons, who used the phrase "Don't have a cow, man!" as a catch phrase in early episodes of the series. And finally, it may be a fitting conclusion (in the context of today's clue) to note that according to essayist Diana Souhami, in her biography of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Stein used the term to have a cow to refer to her partner's orgasms.

"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" - a [North American] children's song about a farmer named MacDonald and the various animals he keeps on his farm

R (Restricted) - a category in various film rating systems. While motion picture rating is a provincial responsibility in Canada (and the rules therefore vary somewhat from province to province), in general an R-rating (where used) signifies that only persons 18 years of age and older are admitted to the film. On the other hand, under the Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system, this rating is used for films to which those under age 17 are admitted if accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

Barnaby Rudge - a historical novel by Charles Dickens

Leon Trotsky (1879 – 1940) - a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist theorist

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a {MAR|MOT}< - reversal (coming back) of {TOM (cat) + (and) RAM (sheep)}

5a ANNALIST~ - sounds like (in conversation) ANALYST (shrink)

9a NEW DELHI~ - sounds like (reportedly) KNEW (was familiar with) DELI (food store)

10a SUMMER - double definition; "hot time" and "one doing arithmetic"

11a {OLD MACDONALD}* - anagram (straightened out) of DAMN ODD LOCAL

13a B|RAN - BAN (restriction) containing (including) R (restricted)

14a {HAVE A COW}* - anagram of HOW A CAVE

17a BEA|STIES - BEA (Actress [Beatrice] Arthur) + STIES (pens)

18a L|ONE - L (50; i.e., Roman numeral for "50") + ONE (1)

20a HORSE-TRADING - anagram (out) of SORTING A HERD

23a STRAIN - double definition; "tax" and "ancestral line"


24a DO|NATION - DO (make) + NATION (country)

25a D(RUDGE)RY - RUDGE (Dicken's [novel] Barnaby [Rudge]) contained in (in) DRY (plain)

26a W(I)RING - I contained in (caught in) WRING (a squeeze) [Note: for clarity, I have undone the inverted sentence structure used by the setter]

Down

2d A|MEN - A + MEN (people)

3d MIDPOINTS* - anagram (organized) of TOP MINDS I

4d TO(LED)O - LED (was first) contained in (occupying) TOO (excessively)

5d {ANIMAL HUSBANDRY}* - anagram (ground) of IN A MARSHLAND BUY

6d NOSE-D__IVE - NO SED[at]IVE with AT deleted (missing AT)

7d LE(M)ON - LEON (Trotsky) containing M (half of M[y])

8d SPELL|BOUND - SPELL (recite [the letters of]) BOUND (jump)

12d FREEBOOTER* - anagram (altered) of ROTE BEFORE

15d ALLIGATOR* - anagram (mad) of AT GORILLA

16d DI(STAN)CE - STAN (Stanley) contained in (among) DICE (casino rollers)

19d M(INN)OW - MOW (cut the grass) containing (around) INN (tavern)

21d SWARD< - reversal (back) of DRAWS (pulls)

22d DOWN - double definition

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, September 24, 2010 (DT 26276)

This puzzle, by Giovanni, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Friday, June 25, 2010


Introduction

As Gazza says in his review, "a typical Giovanni", which for me means a slow start as I search for an entry point, fairly steady progress through most of the puzzle, and a few clues remaining to the end that require intense concentration. Gazza awards this puzzle four stars for difficulty and it certainly deserves that rating, especially for those of us on this side of the pond, given the number of British references it contains (although not as many as we were confronted with yesterday).

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

RE - abbreviation religious education (as a school subject)

Used in Solutions:

charlie - noun 1 British informal a fool

E² - abbreviation 4 Ecstasy [illicit drug]

Edgar the Ætheling (c.1051–c.1126) - last member of the Anglo-Saxon royal house of England [Note: Gazza identifies an earlier English king and also a Scottish king of the same name]

hock³ - noun British a dry white wine from the German Rhineland

Lester Piggott - a retired English professional jockey, considered to be the best of his generation and the greatest English flat jockey of all time

Leicester - a city in the East Midlands area of England; judging by its entry in Wikipedia, better known for motorcycle and bicycle racing than for horse racing

MB - abbreviation Bachelor of Medicine [from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus] [Note: this is the degree typically held by British medical doctors]

PRO - abbreviation 2 Public Relations Officer

RE - abbreviation (in the UK) Royal Engineers, the field engineering and construction corps of the British army

recce - British

• noun informal term for reconnaissance
• verb informal term for reconnoitre

rough - noun 1 chiefly British a disreputable and violent person

roughcast - noun 1 a mixture of plaster and small stones used to cover the outside walls of buildings [a particular type of stucco]

seedy - adjective 2 dated unwell: she felt weak and seedy

trad - noun traditional jazz or folk music

well¹ - adverb 2 [as submodifier] British informal very; extremely: he was well out of order

Wells - a small city in Somerset, England

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26276].

Although fairly obvious from the context, the term porkies used by Gazza is a British expression meaning lies (untruths). It is an example of British rhyming slang (sometimes referred to as Cockney rhyming slang). Rhyming slang is formed by equating a word with a phrase in which the final word rhymes with the original word, then dropping the rhyming word. Thus lie rhymes with porky-pie, drop pie and, ergo, porky means lie.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

13a Birds - gosh! - going over the Home Counties (5)

See Gazza's review and the ensuing comments for a discussion of the use of "going over" in this clue.

28a Undefined article included in the levy once (5)

In grammatical terms, the said "undefined article" is not an article at all, but rather a pronoun. When it is put in (included in) the defined article (i.e., the definite article actually appearing in the clue), the result is "one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy".

5d Very small city film properly put together (4-3)

Gazza informs us that Wells is "the smallest city in England". As such, its name seems quite appropriate, being  a charade of WELL (very) + S (small). This would appear to be a possible additional hint to the identity of the city.

18d Old jockey reportedly in city with race course (9)

There is a lot of British content in this clue. I found the city through matching the checking letters. I knew that the Brits pronounce Leicester as Le'ster, similar to the way Gloucester (which, in addition to being a city in Britain, also happens to be a major community within the City of Ottawa) is pronounced Glo'ster. This is a homophone (sounds like) clue as indicated by "reportedly", so I searched Wikipedia for a jockey named Lester. When I found none having that surname, I searched for one with a given name of Lester and came up with Lester Piggott - a famous British jockey. The final step was to confirm that Leicester has a race course (as you can see, this hint to the identity of the city didn't help me at all). I quickly scanned the Wikipedia article on Leicester, totally missing any reference to horse racing. I did see a fairly extensive description of motorcycle speedway and bicycle racing in Leicester. However, after seeing Gazza's reference to Leicester ("a city in the East Midlands with a racecourse") I revisited the Wikipedia article and - upon closer examination - found, not one, but two references to Leicester Racecourse. From these I learned only that:

• Leicester Racecourse is located to the south of the city in Oadby.
• There are also weekend [bus] services from ... Leicester Racecourse at Oadby (service 102).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, September 23, 2010 (DT 26275)

This puzzle, the first DT Cryptic to be set by Messinae, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, June 24, 2010

Introduction

I found it to be a most enjoyable puzzle today, although definitely more difficult (in my books) than yesterday's puzzle. However, Big Dave awards it only three stars - the same number as were conferred on yesterday's puzzle. No doubt the large number of Briticisms (including a couple of recently appointed members of Cabinet) in today's puzzle ratchet up the difficulty level significantly on this side of the Atlantic. All in all, I derived a great deal of satisfaction from having successfully completed this puzzle - even if my Tool Chest did get a substantial workout today.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (1806 – 1859) - a leading British civil engineer, famed for his bridges and dockyards, and especially for the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of famous steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges and tunnels

Theresa May - a British Conservative politician who serves as Home Secretary in the current Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government

takeaway - noun 1 British

• a restaurant or shop selling cooked food to be eaten elsewhere: a fast-food takeaway
• [as modifier]: a takeaway pizza
• a meal or dish bought from a shop or restaurant to be eaten elsewhere

          [Note: the equivalent North American expression is takeout]

Used in Solutions:

cru - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun

• 1. A vineyard or wine-producing region in France
• 2. A grade or class of wine: premier cru

list⁴ - verb archaic, poetic 1 intrans to listen. 2 to listen to something.

M² - abbreviation 10 British Motorway, followed by a number, as in M1

moor - noun chiefly British a tract of open uncultivated upland, typically covered with heather

OBE - abbreviation Officer of the Order of the British Empire

RE - abbreviation (in the UK) Royal Engineers, the field engineering and construction corps of the British army

term - noun 4 the end of a particular time, especially the end of pregnancy when the baby is about to be born

trainspotter - noun British

• a person who collects train or locomotive numbers as a hobby
• often derogatory a person who obsessively studies the minutiae of any minority interest or specialized hobby

Vince Cable - a British politician and Business Secretary in the cabinet of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26275].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

12a Vintage traveller through space in small vessel (5)

 At Big Dave's site, the discussion of this clue revolved around the syntax of the clue - whether the structure of this clue ("{wordplay} in {definition}") follows proper cryptic clue syntax. However, the clue triggers a question in my mind that did not arise on Big Dave's site. My question is whether vintage and cru are the same thing. While both are terms used to describe wine, my research appears to indicate that vintage refers to the year in which the grapes were grown and cru refers to the location where the grapes were grown.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 (DT 26274)

This puzzle, by Jay, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Introduction

Having been able to complete the puzzle without needing to resort to external aids, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the puzzle had earned a three star rating from Big Dave. Perhaps my solving ability is improving - or maybe I was just tuned to the right wavelength today.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

Ascot - a town in southern England, south-west of Windsor. Its racecourse is the site of an annual race meeting.

golf - noun 2 a code word representing the letter G, used in radio communication

Used in Solutions:

bent - adjective 2 British slang a dishonest; corrupt

River Dee

1 a river in NE Scotland, which rises in the Grampian Mountains and flows eastwards past Balmoral Castle to the North Sea at Aberdeen  

2 a river which rises in North Wales and flows past Chester and on into the Irish Sea

deputize (also deputise) - verb

• [no object] temporarily act or speak on behalf of someone else: the post-holder is required to deputize for the manager in their absence
• [with object] North American make (someone) a deputy

[I noted with interest that Chambers, Collins and Oxford all show deputize as the primary spelling, with deputise as the alternate spelling.]

jar¹ - noun British informal a glass of beer: let's have a jar

recondite - adjective (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse: the book is full of recondite information; Origin: mid 17th century: from Latin reconditus 'hidden, put away', past participle of recondere, from re- 'back' + condere 'put together, secrete'

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26274].

On the day that this puzzle appeared in the U.K., it seems the Brits were biting their nails in trepidation - awaiting the budget to be delivered later that day.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

I noted a distinct difference in tone between the top half and the bottom half of the puzzle, with the former having words expressing clarity and completeness (such as those at 1a, 12a and 13a) and the latter having words conveying a sense of obscurity and lack of completeness (such as those at 19a, 21a, and 27a).

20d A couple of presents are neither here nor there (7)

Big Dave comments in his review "a bit careless to include part of the wordplay in the definition". While normally I would tend to agree with him, I beg to differ in this case. The clue is a charade of "a couple of presents" (i.e., two words, each of which means "present"), namely HERE and NOW (or, in reality, the other way around) forming a word (NOWHERE) that means "neither here nor there". I think it is quite a clever misdirection for the surface reading to seem to tell us that neither of the words making up the charade is "here" when one of the words is precisely that.


Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 (DT 26273)

This puzzle, by Ray T, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Introduction

When I saw that Gazza rated this puzzle four stars for difficulty, I understood why I needed to haul out the Tool Chest with about one-third of the puzzle remaining to be solved.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Solutions:

OS - abbreviation (as a size of clothing) outsize [equivalent to plus size or big and tall in North America]

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26273].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

14a Sunday setter's hiding last of clue riddle (5)

The solution was apparent from the checking letters and definition ("riddle", taking on a meaning that is rare in the real world but common in Crosswordland). However, I needed a bit of a nudge from Gazza to decipher the wordplay. Actually, the answer hit me as soon as I had read his opening words "in the surface reading the ‘s is short for 'is' ...".

20a Constituent of ropes is a long fibre (5)

Gazza identifies this as an "all-in-one" (i.e., & lit.) clue. However, although it certainly is at least very close to being one, I wonder if it fully qualifies. The first test (namely that the entire clue be a definition of the solution) is met, as the clue, in full, can be read as a definition of SISAL. However, the second test is that the entire clue can be read as wordplay. It seems to me that the wordplay is "constituent of ropes is a long" in which "constituent" is a hidden word indicator signifying that the solution is hidden in "ropeS IS A Long". I would say that "fibre" is a definition for SISAL. Thus, the second reading of the clue is a standard cryptic clue with wordplay and definition. This, I would think, may make the clue a partial & lit. (if I remember the name correctly, or is it semi & lit.) rather than a true & lit.

Of course, in the second reading, one could always argue that "fibre" is merely surplus padding added to the clue to enhance the surface reading. That argument would be more convincing if "fibre" were not also a definition for the solution.

3d Supporter after drink outside (7)

I briefly had BOOSTER entered here. However, the error of my ways became apparent as soon as I solved 14a.

16d China core thrown with undecorated exterior (9)

In the surface reading, "thrown" takes the meaning "formed (as is ceramic ware) on a potter's wheel".

19d Prepared to do porridge? (7)

For some reason, the surface reading of this clue does not resonate with me. I might say "Let's do lunch" or possibly even "Let's do breakfast" (meaning "Let's get together for lunch (or breakfast)"). But I've yet to hear anyone say "Let's do porridge". If I were cooking porridge for my breakfast, I would say that I was "making porridge", not "doing porridge". Interestingly, though, if someone were to say "What are you planning for dinner?", the response might be "I think I might do grilled salmon with a garden salad". Although, for me, the clue would have worked much better had it been worded "Prepared to make porridge", that may merely be a personal idiosyncrasy.

21d Ends of short dress giving quick flash (6)

Was this clue inspired by the pantyless escapades of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan who allowed the paparazzi to snatch a shot (or vice versa). Some believed that these "exposures" were nothing more than contrived publicity stunts. However, both girls have since moved on to other things (and both may soon be serving time).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, September 20, 2010 (DT 26272)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, June 21, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26270 and DT 26271 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Friday, June 18, 2010 and Saturday, June 19, 2010 respectively.

Introduction

If you like cryptic definitions as much as I do, you probably enjoyed this puzzle.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Solutions:

hock³ - noun British a dry white wine from the German Rhineland

knock-down - adjective [attributive] 1 informal (of a price) very low [used earlier to refer to reserve prices set at an auction]

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26272].

"Today" the Brits are occupying themselves watching matches at Wimbledon as they await the coming of the first warm days of summer. Rather ironic, as the first days of fall will soon be upon us. Visiting Big Dave's site is an interesting experience, not only must one contend with the differences in British language and customs but also the time warp.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a He's after a feline clutching a strip of leather - disaster! (11)

In his hint, Libellule shows how the solution might be arrived at as a simple charade. However, one must keep in mind that the reviews on Big Dave's site are just that - hints, not necessarily complete explanations. In this clue, we actually have a hybrid clue - a containment type clue where both the container and the contents are charades. The wordplay is {CAT (feline) + HE (he [i]s after)} containing (clutching) {A + STROP (strip of leather)}.

2d A mother for the first orphan? (4)

One should just enjoy this clue and not think too deeply about it. If you consider an orphan to be someone without parents, then Adam (being not only the first man, but the first human) must have been an orphan. However, most dictionaries define an orphan as "a child whose parents are dead". If Adam never had parents, then obviously they couldn't have died and Adam would therefore not meet the conditions to be called an orphan. Not only that, was Adam ever a child?

12d Top dog of the Variety Club? (5,6)

Variety Club, or more formally Variety, the Children's Charity, is an international charitable organization with roots in show business. As the Variety International website explains:

The vernacular of the circus is employed in the Variety structure with the Chapters called “Tents” and the members “Barkers.” The Board of Directors of Variety International, their Associations, and Tents, are called “Crews,” as they are relied on to “build” our Tents worldwide. They are composed of the following elected officers:

President – “Chief Barker": Calls or attracts people to the Tents

Vice Presidents – “First and Second Assistant Chief Barker": Provide assistance in attracting members

Treasurer – “Dough Guy": Literally the “dough” (slang) or “money” guy

Secretary – “Property Master": Is responsible for crew needs

Publicist – “Press Guy”: Handles all publicity and press releases

President Emeritus – “Big Boss”

International Office – “Big Top"

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, September 18, 2010 - Celebration of Cinema

Introduction

Today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon appears to be directed to film buffs (23a) with a nod to the Toronto International Film Festival (1a) which wraps up this weekend. While we are present for the first showing of some films (6d) - perhaps even ones that have been specially selected (14d), it seems that the non-mainstream films are hidden from us (12a). We even get to enjoy a retrospective screening of Mutiny on the Bounty (13a). The members of the film crew are the last to arrive, perhaps due to slow service at a Japanese restaurant, still carrying the remnants of their unfinished meal (29a). Several actors and actresses make an appearance (10a, 12a, and 14d) and, if we are quick, we might get some popcorn before it is all gone (19a). The surface reading of a number of other clues plays on this theme as well.

Revisiting Last Week's Puzzle

The theme in last week's puzzle may have escaped me, but not perceptive reader, Patrick Jordan, who commented "The theme is 'parts of the human head', which are found in these Across answers: BROWnouts, ChEYEnne, diagNOSEd, unclEARed, TOO THick, and lolLIPops. " To which I will add PATEllas and BEAR Down.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle, as well as personalities featured therein

Used in Clues:

Che Guevara (1928 - 1967) - an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat, military theorist, and major figure of the Cuban Revolution

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) - an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art

Used in Solutions:

Yasser Arafat (1929 - 2004) - a Palestinian leader (including serving as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)) and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize

Vin Diesel - an American actor, writer, director and producer

Tom Hanks - an American actor, producer, writer and director

no-hit (game) - a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter". Throwing a no-hitter is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff: only 268 have been thrown in Major League Baseball history since 1875, an average of about two per year, ... In most cases in MLB, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game.

Toronto International Film Festival (abbreviation TIFF) - a publicly-attended non-competitive film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Mae West (1893 - 1980) - an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a PLAIN|TIFF - PLAIN (clear) + TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)

6a PICOT* - anagram (new) of TOPIC

9a PIT|CH IN - PIT (cavity) + (in front of) CHIN (the lower jaw)

10a MA(E WES)T - EWES (sheep) contained in (involved in) MAT (tangle)

11a REMIT< - reversal (back) of TIMER (game official) 12a V|IN DIES|EL - V (Roman numeral for five) + INDIES (non-mainstream films) + (by) EL (the Spanish; i.e., the Spanish word meaning "the")

13a T(AHIT)I - TI (note; i.e., musical note as in do, re, mi, ...) containing (about) an anagram (exotic) of THAI

15a A|RAF(A)T - A + {RAFT (simple vessel) containing (carrying) A}

19a PI(N|IN)G - PIG (glutton) containing (eating) {N (last of popcorn; i.e., last letter in the word "popcorn") + IN}

20a CURS|OR - CURS (mongrels) + OR

23a C(INEP<)HILE - reversal of (sent west; i.e., written right to left) {PEN (writer) + I} contained in ([sent] ... into) CHILE (South American land) [Note: as I see it, the words "sent west into" combine the reversal indicator (sent west) and containment indicator (sent into) into a single phrase]

25a PEA(R)L - RING (peal; as bells) containing (inset with) R (red)

26a RUB|ICON - RUB (polish) + ICON (symbol)

27a MU(STAN)G - MUG (rob) containing (straddling) STAN (Stanley)

28a MOLES - a double definition (in essence), although it could perhaps be viewed as a cryptic definition due to the inclusion of the word "with"; "furry burrowers" and "dark spots"

29a CAME|RAMEN - CAME (arrived) + (with) RAMEN (noodle soup)

Down

1d PO(P A)RT - PA (dad) contained in (seen in) PORT (harbour)

2d A|U(TOMATO)N - {A + UN (French article)} containing (about) TOMATO (vegetable)

3d NO-H|IT - NOH (Japanese drama) + IT

4d INN|OVATE - INN (bar) + OVATE (shaped like an egg)

5d F(OMEN)T - OMEN (sign) contained in (in) FT (fort)

6d PREMIERES* - anagram (somehow) of SEEM RIPER

7d CHES|S - CHES (Guevara's) + S (second)

8d TOT|ALITY* - anagram (wandering) of ITALY following (after) TOT (youngster)

14d HAND-PICKS - {D (low-quality) PIC (movie)} contained in (consumed by) HANKS (Tom, the actor)

16d FI(RE AL|A)RM - FIRM (company) containing (importing) {REAL (concrete) + A}

17d SPECTRUM* - anagram (ordered) of CRUMPETS

18d SU(PERM)OM* - PERM (hairstyle) contained in (in) an anagram (adapted) of SUMO

21d B|IONIC - B (bass) + IONIC (of a certain Greek order)

22d P(LUG)-IN - PIN (peg) containing (acquiring) LUG (cart; as a verb)

24d NOBEL~ - sounds like (in the audience) KNOW (recognize) BELLE (beautiful woman)

25d P(OS)ER - OS (bagels; a bagel is shaped like the letter 'O') contained in (inside) PER (for every)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, September 17, 2010 (DT 26269)

This puzzle, which Tilsit tentatively attributes to Campbell, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, June 17, 2010

Introduction

I thought that this was going to be an exceptionally easy solve when the solutions to the first two or three clues that I looked at came to me almost instantly. However, that rate of progress soon slowed markedly. There was a broad range of clues in this puzzle, some easy ones to allow one to gain a foothold and some fairly difficult ones to exercise the grey matter.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

recorder - noun 3

• (Recorder)(in England and Wales) a barrister appointed to serve as a part-time judge
• British historical a judge in certain courts

sapper - noun

• a soldier responsible for tasks such as building and repairing roads and bridges, laying and clearing mines, etc.
• British a private soldier in the Corps of Royal Engineers

Used in Solutions:

Everyman - a late 15th-century English morality play

mug¹ - noun

• 3 British informal a stupid or gullible person
• 4 US informal a hoodlum or thug

RE - abbreviation (in the UK) Royal Engineers

Toby - dog in traditional British Punch and Judy puppet shows

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26269].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

6d Not where they serve in doubles? (7,3)

As I read Tilsit's review, I pounced on his comment "what is the purpose of “in”? Surely the clue would read better without it." "Aha!", I said to myself, "He's missed the tennis reference!". I continued reading, secretly hoping that none of the Brits would pick up on it - thereby leaving me a scrap for my blog. However, the point did not slip by Gazza unnoticed.

The setter serves up a surface reading that is intended to misdirect us into thinking about tennis (the puzzle was published in the U.K. a week prior to the start of Wimbledon). However, what the setter actually has in mind is a type of drinking establishment - one he imagines draws its name, not from its clientele, but from the restricted range of drinks served therein.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, September 16, 2010 (DT 26268)

This puzzle, by Jay, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Introduction

Although today's puzzle is certainly quite a bit easier than the very challenging one that we saw yesterday, it is not without its tricky clues. One clue alone involves an archaic name for a farm animal, a British name for a farm building plus not one - but two - cricket terms.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

extra - Cricket a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman

hole in the wall - noun informal

• 1 British an automatic cash dispenser installed in the outside wall of a bank
• 2 chiefly North American a small dingy bar, shop, or restaurant

neat - noun archaic

• a bovine animal
• [mass noun] cattle

Used in Solutions:

breadline - noun

• 1 (the breadline) British the poorest condition in which it is acceptable to live: they are not well off , but they are not on the breadline
• 2 North American a queue of people waiting to receive free food

bye¹ - 2 Cricket a run scored from a ball that passes the batsman without being hit (recorded as an extra, not credited to the individual batsman)

byre - noun British a cowshed

pint - noun British informal a pint of beer: we'll probably go for a pint on the way home [Note: a fairly common expression in Canada as well]

SP - abbreviation starting price, the final odds at the start of a horse race

splodge - noun & verb British another term for splotch

sup¹ - verb dated or Northern English take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls:

• [with object] she supped up her soup delightedly
• [no object] he was supping straight from the bottle

sup¹ - noun

• a sip of liquid:he took another sup of wine
• [mass noun] Northern English & Irish alcoholic drink

Today's Links
Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26268].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a Pet given oxtail? (7)

After finding the solution, I wrote a big question mark against this clue as I could not figure out the wordplay. That is a signal to myself to come back to the clue for another attempt. Well, I did eventually figure it out. The wordplay is a charade of another name for an ox + a word meaning to trail closely behind (dog). For the first part of the charade, it might also say a word for what the ox would be today if not for some fairly life-changing surgery in his youth.

11a People deputising to cover golf rankings (9)

One might wonder if G as an abbreviation for golf is allowed in cryptic crosswords, then why not F for football or H for hockey? The answer is that golf is the code word for G in the international radio-telephony spelling alphabet. For the same reason, O for Oscar and R for Romeo are permissible, but T for Thomas is not.

23a Poor people waiting at the hole in the wall? (9)

Two expressions that Oxford says have different meanings in Britain and North America come into play here. The first of these is breadline, which in Britain means "the poorest condition in which it is acceptable to live" while in North America is "a queue of people waiting to receive free food". There does seem to be a certain connection between the two meanings, and one wonders how the former understanding of the expression could come into being without the existence of the latter. Chambers indicates that the latter meaning is "Originally US", suggesting that it is used in Britain as well. Of course, in North America, we would not commonly call it a queue. If we did (or if the expression had developed in Britain), it would likely have been breadqueue rather than breadline.

The second is the phrase "hole in the wall" which in Britain is an ATM, while in North America this could mean a dingy bar, for example (prompting me to unsuccessfully attempt to fit dive into the solution).

The clue is a cryptic definition of people waiting their turn to withdraw "bread" from an ATM.

17d Sounds like an insult, but it's not what it seems! (7)

A nice homophone that works on this side of the Atlantic also.

23d Extras, for example, include right to neat housing (5)

There are four terms in this clue that are likely to cause problems for solvers:

• neat, an archaic word for cattle;
• extra, a cricket term meaning "a run scored other than from a hit with the bat";
• bye, another cricket term meaning "a run scored from a ball that passes the batsman without being hit" (a particular instance of an of extra); and
• byre, a British term for a cowshed.

I quickly recognized the first two terms (from having seen them in previous puzzles) and spent quite some time, to no avail, attempting to justify BARNS as the solution. A search for words matching the checking list turned up a fairly short list, with the last one being byre. Upon seeing it, I immediately recalled having visited one at a museum in Ireland - not a stand-alone one like Big Dave shows us in his review, but one that was integrated right into the house (if I remember correctly, the entire dwelling may have been called a byre).

The house is a two-room cottage, with one room being a bedroom and the second room (shown in the picture below) a combination kitchen and cattle stall. The picture is taken from in front of the fireplace looking across the kitchen to the stable area. The dining table is in the left foreground and a sideboard holding the family's dishes is on the right. You can see a trough in the floor separating the kitchen from the area occupied by the livestock. I well remember an American tourist pointing to the trough and saying to her husband "Oh, that must be where they put the cows' food." and his reply "Hmph! It wasn't used for food. The cows were pointed in the other direction!" I can say this, the milk would definitely be fresh - one could almost reach it from the dining table (removing any need for refrigeration!).


24d Live with daughter, in good health (5)

I was fine here, once I had figured out whether daughter came first or last.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, September 15, 2010 (DT 26267)

This puzzle, by Shamus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Introduction

I found today's puzzle to be more difficult than the three stars that Gazza rates it - and it is comforting to see that the Brits are overwhelmingly in agreement with me. Usually, even if I can't solve a clue, I can at least tell what type of clue it is or see some element of the wordplay. There were more than a few clues today that, on first reading, I had not the faintest notion as to what they might be. It took an incredibly long time to solve the first two or three clues, but then things started to roll. I needed my Tool Chest but I did eventually complete the puzzle. I did notice, though, that when I reviewed the clues prior to writing the blog that most of them actually seemed quite straightforward. I guess that is the mark of an excellent cryptic clue - obscure until solved and obvious once solved.

Today's Glossary

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

Used in Clues:

china - noun 2 British informal a friend [from rhyming slang china plate ‘mate’]

Nancy - a city in north-eastern France

see² - noun the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop

Used in Solutions:

Ely - a city in Cambridgeshire, England, site of Ely Cathedral and seat of the Diocese of Ely

clotted cream - noun chiefly British thick cream obtained by heating milk slowly and then allowing it to cool while the cream content rises to the top in coagulated lumps

Anita Loos - (1888 – 1981) - an American screenwriter, playwright and author best known for her novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes which was made into a motion picture starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell

prom - noun informal 1 British short for promenade (sense 1 of the noun): she took a short cut along the prom

promenade - noun 1 a paved public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort

wet - adjective 2 British informal

• showing a lack of forcefulness or strength of character; feeble: they thought the cadets were a bit wet
• Conservative with liberal tendencies, especially as regarded by right-wing Conservatives [a word seemingly much used by Margaret Thatcher]

wet - noun 2 British informal

• a person lacking forcefulness or strength of character
• a Conservative with liberal tendencies
  

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26267].

I note with interest that two American establishments of higher learning (MIT and West Point) appear in today's puzzle - without raising a peep of protest from across the pond.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

11a Wrongly put dear deal in dearer terms (5,2)

A bit of a tongue twister, this! The wordplay is easy enough to spot, being an anagram (wrongly) of PUT DEAR giving TRADE UP as the solution. But as for the rest of the clue, "deal in dearer terms", I can but guess at what the setter had in mind. Certainly deal can mean trade and dearer means more expensive. Terms might mean many things, among them "stipulated or agreed requirements", " stated charges", or "a tenancy of a fixed period" (the latter being legal terminology). If we use the latter meaning, then "deal in dearer terms" might relate to trading up to more expensive living quarters. But that is little more than a wild guess.

6d Story about horse carrying European ancestry? (7)

This was actually the second clue that I solved today and I got the solution (LINEAGE) from the definition (ancestry) and one checking letter. I then had to figure out the wordplay. My first thought was that "story" accounts for LINE in the solution as line can mean "a false or exaggerated remark or story" as in "he fed me a line about his connections in Hollywood". When that didn't work out, I had to resort to Plan B in which a "story" is just a LIE.

The clue, like a Russian Babushka doll, is a container within a container with the wordplay being LIE (story) containing (about) {NAG (horse) containing E (European)}.

Signing off for today - Falcon