Introduction
Once again, I was able to complete the puzzle without resorting to my Tool Chest. Upon completion, I did check to confirm the name of the English market town. Despite having never heard of this community, the wordplay seemed to lead one quite obviously to a single destination.
A Word About This Blog
As it has been some time since I have done so, perhaps it is timely that I say a few words about this blog, especially for the benefit of readers who may have discovered it recently. During the week, the National Post publishes a syndicated puzzle originating from The Daily Telegraph in the U.K., although the Post does not identify it as such. The puzzles are published in the Post some time after they appear in Great Britain. The length of this delay varies, but is currently three months (to the day).
In my blog, I provide a link to Big Dave's Crossword Blog, a U.K. site that covers The Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword puzzle (as well as a few others). Currently the National Post does not carry the puzzles which appear in the U.K. on Saturday. The Post will occasionally skip other puzzles as well. Thus, it sometimes takes a bit of detective work to figure out the precise identity of the puzzles which appear in the Post. Performing this match is one service this blog provides.
Given that Big Dave and his gang deliver a pretty complete review of the puzzle, I aim in my blog to provide material that complements what appears on his site. In particular, I provide a glossary of words, expressions, geographical names, etc. that are particularly British - things that presumably would be ingrained in the brain of the average Briton but might be totally foreign to North Americans. I also may comment on differences between British English and North American English, or between customs in Britain and North America. As there are apparently a fair number of British readers of the blog, I will sometimes include examples (primarily for their interest) of how things may be done in North America (for example, my comments a few days ago regarding customs related to hat tricks in hockey).
I usually provide a commentary on a selection of clues in the puzzle. This may take the form of an analysis of the clue, some background to aid in understanding the surface reading of the clue, a discussion of a particular term that appears in the clue, or just a comment on something that I find interesting (and I have to admit that I do tend to go off on tangents sometimes in pursuing ideas). I also try to provide additional information where I think that the hint given at Big Dave's site might be obscure to North American readers.
Finally, I sometimes comment on discussions taking place on Big Dave's site that I think may be of interest to readers.
With respect to my blogs on the Daily Telegraph puzzles, I highly recommend that you read my commentaries in conjunction with the corresponding hints on Big Dave's site to fully benefit from them as my remarks may be elaborating on something which appears on his site.
On Saturday, the National Post publishes a puzzle created by American setters Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon. My review on that day takes quite a different form, in that I provide a full solution to the puzzle.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Used in Solutions:
Isle of Arran - the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. [Note: not to be confused with the Aran Islands, a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland.]
baggage - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 3. Informal, old-fashioned a. a pert young woman b. an immoral woman or prostitute.
CE - abbreviation Church of England.
Evesham - a rural market town in Worcestershire, England.
Hammond Innes - an obscure English novelist.
mog - noun British informal another term for moggie.
- moggie (also moggy) - noun British informal a cat.
Today's Links
Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26257].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
1a Traveller may take along this immoral woman (7)
This is a double definition with one definition being "traveller may take along this" and the second being "immoral woman". The solution is BAGGAGE. I had to visit three dictionary sites before finding baggage defined as "immoral woman". Oxford defines it only as "dated a cheeky or disagreeable girl or woman", while Chambers has it as "usually humorous, colloquial an annoying or unpleasant woman". Finally, at The Free Dictionary site, I found that (in addition to the aforementioned meaning) Collins English Dictionary gives "Informal, old-fashioned an immoral woman or prostitute" and the American Heritage Dictionary provides "a woman prostitute".
19a Nobleman executed? That is strange (5)
Keep in mind that execution in Crosswordland is almost always by beheading.
28a Perhaps country family's cat returned holding head of dormouse (7)
The definition is "perhaps country" with the solution being KINGDOM (some kingdoms may be countries - and some countries may be kingdoms). In clues, an 's may signify a possessive form or it may be a contraction for is or has. Here, in the surface reading, the 's is used to denote a possessive form. However, in the cryptic reading, I believe it is being used as a contraction for has. Thus the wordplay is KIN (family) + (has) GOM {a reversal (returned) of MOG (cat)} containing (holding) D (head of dormouse; i.e., first letter of the word "dormouse").
20d Ring in extremely remarkable safe (7)
I spent a lot of time down a dead end path here, thinking that the definition might be "safe" and the solution might be RESCUED (which actually fits all the checking letters). Of course, with that solution there was no making sense of the wordplay. Fortunately, I eventually got back on the right path.
Signing off for today - Falcon
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.