Monday, February 28, 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011 (DT 26410)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26410
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, November 29, 2010
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26410]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ** Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance
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Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 26409 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, November 27, 2010

Introduction

I found that the clues today covered a broad range of level of difficulty. My Tool Chest let me down, failing to offer up the drill instruction at 29a as a possible solution. It also took me a long time to decipher 28a.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

The meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

lbw - abbreviation Cricket leg before wicket

leg before wicket - (also leg before)(abbreviation: lbw) adverb & adjective Cricket (of a batsman) adjudged by the umpire to be out through obstructing the ball with the leg (or other part of the body) rather than the bat, when the ball would otherwise have hit the wicket

Appearing in Solutions:

*(River) Cam - a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England

Campari - noun trademark a pinkish aperitif flavoured with bitters

deposit account - noun British a bank account that pays interest and is usually not able to be drawn on without notice or loss of interest

*eleven - cardinal number [6th entry] a sports team of eleven players: at cricket I played in the first eleven

H2 - symbol the chemical element hydrogen

Lab. - abbreviation British (following a politician's name) Labour, noun 2  [treated as singular or plural] the Labour Party: [as modifier] the Labour leader

Liberal - noun [2nd entry] a supporter or member of a Liberal Party, especially (in the UK) a Liberal Democrat

*RA - abbreviation [3rd entry] (in the UK) Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy, an organization dedicated to the cultivation of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain

Right dress - Drill command used in the British armed forces. At this command, individuals in a marching formation except those on the extreme right side turn their heads to the right and raise their right arms parallel to the ground in order to get the proper distance from each other. Individuals at the extreme right, apart from the individual at the front (the right marker), raise their right arms straight out in front of them

spin bowler - noun Cricket an expert at bowling with spin

Appearing on Big Dave's Blog

pants - plural noun 3 British informal rubbish; nonsense: he thought we were going to be absolute pants

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

28a   One doesn't have to have it (4)

I thought the solution might be NICE (nice to have, but not absolutely necessary). However, the solution to 13d proved that idea to be incorrect. While it seemed that the solution must be NEED, I couldn't really comprehend the wordplay as it seems to me that a "need" is something that you have to have (as opposed to something that you would merely like to have). Even after reading Libellule's hint, I still could not see the logic of the clue. Eventually (in the midst of writing this piece), the penny dropped.

The whole solution serves as a cryptic definition with "it" functioning as a placeholder for the solution. The clue is telling us that when "one doesn't have" (i.e., when one is lacking something), they have "it" (namely, NEED). This is a case where one needs to (at least mentally) to insert some punctuation (to flag a pause) and some emphasis. Think of the clue as reading "One doesn't have, to have it" or with a bit more manipulation "One [who] doesn't have, has it".

I would say that the clue is a merely a cryptic definition (as opposed to an & lit or semi & lit.) as there does not appear to be a second reading of the clue possible. The misdirection in the clue that makes it cryptic is that one's natural inclination is to read "have to have" in such a way as to make the meaning of the clue seem to be 'one doesn't need it'.

29a   Correct attire for drill instruction (5,5)

Someone with military training would undoubtedly have an edge in getting the solution to this clue. The candidate solutions identified by a couple of my electronic tools did not include the correct solution. Of the two choices that I was offered, RIGHT CROSS clearly seemed a better choice than RIGHT PRISM. However, I was to find out from Libellule that neither of these is the correct choice.

2d   Hydrogen air-locks (4)

This clue was overwhelmingly panned at Big Dave's site, with one observer calling it "pants". This is a British expression meaning 'rubbish or nonsense'. Apparently it can mean 'rubbish' in both the literal and figurative senses, as one writer cites a priceless example of usage by her daughter “Mum, I need some new bras – all mine are pants!!”.

4d   Going fast or simply standing (7)

Think of "standing" in the sense of 'standing for election'.

12d   Entranced over spring-time? Just the reverse! (10)

My initial thought was that this may be what I think of as a 'recipe-type' clue, with the wordplay being interpreted as "over spring, time" which is equivalent to "time over spring" or SPELL (time) + BOUND (spring). However, as this interpretation leaves much of the clue unused, it is obviously incorrect.

The correct interpretation is that "over" is playing the role of a link word between the definition (entranced) and the wordplay. Had the wordplay been been simply "spring-time", we would have had BOUND (spring) + SPELL (time). However, the phrase "Just the reverse!" directs us to do the opposite, which gives us SPELL (time) + BOUND (spring).

We get the same result - at the expense of a rather more verbose clue.

14d   He is the cause of many a bad thing (5)

Although I recognized that the solution is Flip Wilson's favourite scapegoat, I overlooked the charade in the wordplay. However, Libellule belatedly points it out in his review.

26d   Rome day that is endless (4)

As Libellule says, the solution "is also the 15th March in the Roman calendar". One might add (as Libellule actually does in response to a comment) that it is also the 15th of May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Saturday, February 26, 2011 - Coming of Age

Introduction

Warning: after solving today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon, you may be feeling your age.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

20a   Wager on a Greek character (4)

The definition is "Greek character" which happens to be BETA. The wordplay is BET (wager) + (on) A.

This wordplay violates the convention generally respected by British setters that, in an across clue, 'B on A' signifies 'A + B'. The rationale for this is that in order for B to be added to A, A must have been written first, and since English is written from left to right, this implies that the sequence must be 'A + B'. According to this convention, "wager on a" would be interpreted as 'A + BET = ABET'.

In a down clue, in addition to the former clue construction, we also frequently see 'B on A' signifying 'B + A', with the reasoning being that 'B on A' could mean 'B on top of A' (which obviously only applies in a down clue). A fair number of British solvers hold that the latter construction should be the only one permitted in down clues. However, it would appear that setters generally do not support this view, and the reality is that we often see both of these constructions in down clues.

And now we see, that in Cox and Rathvon puzzles, we can also have either construction in across clues.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend: "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a   B(RIG)ANDAGE - RIG (gear) contained in (in) BANDAGE (protective wrap)

6a   FAIR - double definition; "cricket" & "exhibition"

9a   UPTIMES* - anagram (strange) of IMPETUS

10a   THRIVED* - anagram (cast) of HIRED TV

12a   B(ARK)EEPER - BEEPER (pager) containing (worn by) ARK (old boat)

13a   BING|O - BING (Crosby) + (and) O (Hope's second; i.e., the second letter of "Hope")
Bing Crosby (1903 – 1977), an American singer and actor, and Bob Hope (1903 – 2003), a British-born American comedian and actor appeared together in seven Road to musical comedy films.
14a   RAPT~ - sounds like (to listeners) RAPPED (performed hip-hop)

16a   PERS(I|FLAG)E - {I FLAG (tire)} contained in (amid) PERSE (blue)

19a   DISC|OUR|AGE - DISC (record) + OUR AGE (the years we've lived)

20a   BET|A - BET (wager) + (on) A

23a   VIOLA_ - extracted (through the first half) from VIOLA[TIONS]
I would describe this is a curtailment type clue in which we are told which part of the fodder to keep rather than which part to discard.
24a   QUA(LIFIE*)D - {an anagram (odd) of FILE I} contained in (found in) QUAD (college courtyard)

26a   DRA(CH)MA - DRAMA (serious play) containing (about) CH (church)

27a   MACE|DON - MACE (club) + DON (teacher at Oxford)

28a   STEW< - reversal of (when sent back) WETS (gets moister)

29a   PL|UNDERAGE - PL (couple of plums; i.e., the first two letters of "plums") + UNDERAGE (too young)

Down

1d   BLU(BB)ER - BLUER (more depressed) containing (about) BB (air rifle pellet)

2d   INTER* - anagram (convertible) of I RENT

3d   AR(MI)ES - ARES (war god) containing (possesses) MI (Roman numeral for 1001)

4d   DIS|A|P|PEAR - DIS (Di's; short for Diana's) + A + (&) P + PEAR (fruit)
A&P - marketing banner and common name for The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, a U.S. supermarket chain, as well as its former subsidiary A&P Canada (now having been purchased and rebranded by Metro Inc.).
5d   GATOR~ - sounds like (audience's) GAITER (protection from splattering)

7d   ADVANTAGE* - an anagram (shot) of GAVE TAD AN

8d   RED(B)ONE - B ([musical] note) contained in (held by) REDONE (newly decorated)
Leon Redbone (born Dickran Gobalian) - singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics.
11d   REBUFF - double definition; "polish again" & "setback"

15d   P(ASTOR)AGE - PAGE (part of a book) containing (about) ASTOR (John Jacob [Astor])
John Jacob Astor (1763 – 1848), born Johann Jakob Astor, was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States. He was the creator of the first trust in America, from which he made his fortune in fur trading, real estate and opium.
17d   SIGNALMEN* - anagram (trashed) of ME IN SLANG

18d   POT|ASH - POT (shoot) + ASH (tree)

19d   DIV(ID)ES - ID (I'd) contained in (encountered in) DIVES (seedy bars)

21d   AN|DANTE - AN + DANTE (Italian poet)
Dante Alighieri - Durante degli Alighieri (c.1265 – 1321), commonly known as Dante, was a major Italian poet of the Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called Commedia and later called Divina by Boccaccio, is considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature.
22d   CIRC(L)E - CIRCE (sorceress) contains (keeps) L (large)
In Greek mythology, Circe (from the Greek Kírkē "falcon") is a minor goddess of magic (or sometimes a nymph, witch, enchantress or sorceress) living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey.
24d   QU(A)IL_ - QUIL[T] (quilt mostly; i.e., all but the final letter of "quilt") containing (covering) A

25d   _IN|DIA_ - hidden in (amid) plaIN DIAgrams

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, February 25, 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011 (DT 26408)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26408
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, November 26, 2010
Setter
Giovanni
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26408]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - *** Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance
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Introduction

After being subjected to an especially strenuous workout yesterday, my Tool Chest got a bit of a reprieve today and was only called upon to help with two or three clues.

In a couple of cases today, I have posted entries for a word from more than one dictionary as the dictionaries either have different - though equally applicable - meanings or provide details concerning different aspects of the meaning of the word.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

The meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

eleven - cardinal number [6th entry] a sports team of eleven players: at cricket I played in the first eleven

*leg - noun 5 (also leg side, on or on side) Cricket the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The opposite of off.

soft soap - noun 2 informal persuasive flattery

Appearing in Solutions:

en croute - adjective & adverb in a pastry crust: [as postpositive adjective] salmon en croute

flannel - [Oxford Dictionaries Online] noun
  • 2 British a small piece of towelling used for washing oneself.
  • 3 British informal bland fluent talk indulged in to avoid addressing a difficult subject or situation directly: a simple admittance of ignorance was much to be preferred to any amount of flannel
flannel - [Search Chambers] noun 2 (also face flannel) Brit except Scotland a small square of towelling for washing with. Compare face cloth. 3 colloq flattery or meaningless talk intended to hide one's ignorance or true intentions

flannel - [Collins English Dictionary] noun
  • 4. Brit a small piece of cloth used to wash the face and hands; face cloth; US and Canadian equivalent washcloth [the term face cloth is also common in Canada - and is certainly the term that I would be most likely to use]
  • 5. Brit informal indirect or evasive talk; deceiving flattery
front - noun 4 boldness and confidence of manner: he's got a bit of talent and a lot of front

hack1 - [Collins English Dictionary] verb 3. (in sport, esp rugby) to foul (an opposing player) by kicking or striking his shins

hack1 - [Oxford Dictionaries Online] verb 1 kick wildly or roughly: he had to race from his line to hack the ball into the stand

*on - (also on side) noun Cricket the leg side (or, simply, leg), noun 5 the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The opposite of off.

*p - abbreviation [4th entry] Music piano (softly)

*or2 - noun gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture

*RE - abbreviation religious education (as a school subject)

Sussex - a former county of southern England [south of London, bordering the English Channel]. It was divided in 1974 into the counties of East Sussex and West Sussex.

tum - noun, Brit colloq the stomach

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

21a   Kicks overworked hirelings (5)

I had to smile upon reading Kath's comment on Big Dave's blog, in reference to the word 'hack' meaning 'to kick', when she says "Was almost beginning to wonder if it could be yet another strange sporting term!" It seems no one had the heart to inform her how right she was, as 'hack' means '(in sport, especially rugby) to foul (an opposing player) by kicking or striking his shins'.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011 (DT 26407)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26407
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Setter
Ray T
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26407]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - *** Enjoyment - ****
Falcon's Performance
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Introduction

My Tool Chest received a severe workout today. Without its help, I was totally unable to enter the NW quadrant and able to do scarcely better in the SE. However, the other two quadrants were conquered quite readily.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

The meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

hack (someone) off - phrasal verb [British] informal annoy or infuriate someone: it really hacks me off when they whine about what a poor job we're doing
  • hacked off - adjective U.K. informal irritatedannoyed or dissatisfied
Innisfree - a small island in Lough Gill, Ireland, featured in the poem Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats

Thomas Long (1621–1707) - English clergyman and writer on Church politics

pound1 - noun 2 (also pound sterling) (plural pounds sterling) the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence

Romeo - noun 2 a code word representing the letter R, used in radio communication

*Territorial Army (abbreviation TA) - (in the UK) a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency.

Tyneside - an industrial conurbation on the banks of the River Tyne, in NE England, stretching from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast

tyre - noun automotive U.K. spelling of  tire3

Appearing in Solutions:

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

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780 – 1867) - French Neoclassical painter

L.[S.D] or l.[s.d.] - U.K. money pounds, [shillings, pence] [ Latin librae, solidi, denarii]

ness - noun [usually in place names] a headland or promontory: Orford Ness

Thomas Paine (c. 1737 – 1809) - author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He has been called "a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination."

REME - abbreviation (in the British army) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 – 1882) - English poet, illustrator, painter and translator

slate - verb 2 British informal criticize severely: his work was slated by the critics

sniffy - adjective informal scornful; contemptuous: some people are sniffy about tea bags

Thomas Paine

When so many Brits commented that they had never heard of Thomas Paine, I was not very surprised. After all, I supposed, the works of this American revolutionary pamphleteer were probably not a hit in the U.K.. I was surprised, however, to learn how well regarded he seems to be in Britain. According to the Wikipedia article:
In England a statue of Paine, quill pen and inverted copy of Rights of Man in hand, stands in King Street, Thetford, Norfolk, his birth place. Moreover, in Thetford, the Sixth form is named after him. Thomas Paine was ranked #34 in the 100 Greatest Britons 2002 extensive Nationwide poll conducted by the BBC. ... Yearly, between 4 and 14 July, the Lewes Town Council in the United Kingdom celebrates the life and work of Thomas Paine.
Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

25a   End of term examinations? (9)

I realized from the question mark that there would be some sort of twist involved in this clue. I thought that "end of term" might refer to a pregnancy. While this proved not to be the correct interpretation, it was perhaps not an unreasonable attempt. Look for the end of another term - and not the academic term that the setter undoubtedly hopes we fall for.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 (DT 26406)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26406
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Setter
Jay
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26406]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ** Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance
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Introduction

Having worked into the wee hours of the morning on a review of the puzzle (coincidentally also by Jay) appearing in today's Daily Telegraph for Big Dave's site, I should have been have been well-prepared to tackle this puzzle. I did dip into the Tool Chest for assistance on the last couple of clues. One of those (17a) is easy enough that I can have no excuse for not solving it unaided. However, I have a much better case for 21a, where the solution is a British word that I had never before encountered combined with some very tricky wordplay (well explained by Big Dave).

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Solutions:

aggro - noun British informal
  • aggressive, violent behaviour.
  • problems and difficulties
alcopop - noun British informal a ready-mixed drink that resembles a soft drink but contains alcohol

River Dee - a 70-mile (110 km) long river in the United Kingdom that travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries (also any of several other rivers by that name in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia)

pot1 - noun 3 [almost certainly British] informal a prize in a sporting contest, especially a silver cup
At the Free Dictionary Online, this meaning appears in Collins English Dictionary, but not in the American Heritage Dictionary. Furthermore, it appears in the U.K. version of Encarta, but not in the U.S. version.
metal - noun 2 (also road metal) broken stone for use in road-making
Somewhat surprisingly, this seems not to be a Briticism, as the definition also appears in American dictionaries.
satnav - noun navigation dependent on information received from satellites (more commonly known in North America as GPS)

U3 = abbreviation 1 unionist

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

15a   Beat favourite? In a race one might (7)

The clue is, I would say, a semi &lit. The entire clue serves as the definition which (once one untangles the convoluted manner in which it has been expressed) amounts to "one who might beat the favourite in a race". The is WHIPPET, a breed of racing dog. The wordplay is WHIP (beat) + PET (favourite).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (DT 26405)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26405
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Setter
Shamus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26405]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - *** Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┐
████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┘

Introduction

The planets have aligned and this 'Tuesday' puzzle is actually appearing here in Canada on a Tuesday. My thought processes must also have aligned with those of the setter, in that I was able to complete it without resorting to my Tool Chest. In part, this was imposed on me by necessity seeing that I finished the puzzle while sitting in my doctor's waiting room.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Solutions:

chinless wonder - noun British informal an ineffectual upper-class man

dowager - noun
  • a widow with a title or property derived from her late husband
    • [as modifier]: the dowager duchess
    • [postpositive]: the queen dowager
  • informal a dignified elderly woman
* Financial Times (FT) - a British international business newspaper [conspicuously published on pink newsprint]

nick - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun 2. Chiefly British Slang A prison or police station

* nit1 - noun informal 2 British a foolish person: you stupid nit!

sup1 - noun
  • a sip of liquid: he took another sup of wine
  • Northern English & Irish alcoholic drink
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
taster - noun 2 British a small quantity or brief experience of something, intended as a sample: the song is a taster for the band's new LP

time - noun 2 [15th entry] British the moment at which the opening hours of a pub end: the landlord called time

River Ure - river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 119km long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1a   Sort of dense and clownish with modicum of refinement? (8,6)

This clue undoubtedly merits dissecting, given that some of the Brits did not appear to understand it even after learning that it is an & lit. clue. In fact, judging by comments on Big Dave's Blog, it would seem that some Brits might have liked to have had the clue drawn and quartered.

The clue is a true & lit. (all-in-one) in which the entire clue serves as the definition as well as the wordplay. The solution, CHINLESS WONDER, is a British expression describing "an ineffectual upper-class man". Thus we have someone who, although possessing a bit (modicum) of refinement (presumably due to their upper class upbringing), is not too bright (sort of dense) and doesn't act in a very dignified manner (sort of clownish). The wordplay is an anagram of (sort of) DENSE + (and) CLOWNISH + first letter of (modicum of) R(efinement).

21a   Drunk holding paper, edition showing some parts of body? (4,6)

Those who follow Big Dave's Cryptic Crossword  Blog will no doubt recall an illustration accompanying the review of the previous puzzle, the one which appeared in the National Post last Friday - the puzzle, that is, not the picture (unfortunately). The picture showed a buxom young woman wearing North American braces (and precious little else). Well, not entirely true, she was wearing jeans.

The present clue had many Brits wondering what picture Big Dave might choose to illustrate it. Given the solution to the clue, I wonder if the ladies might have been suggesting that fairness dictated a picture of a male. I must say the comments triggered visions of Michelangelo's David standing in the Piazza della Signoria holding a bottle of Chianti while reading a newspaper. 

26a   Medical intervention that's important here's roughly done exposing hospital? (7,7)

The definition is "medical intervention" for which the solution is KEYHOLE SURGERY. The wordplay is KEY (important) + an anagram of {HERES ROUG[H]LY with the H (hospital) being deleted (exposing)}.

The rationale for using the word "exposing" as a deletion indicator may arise from the term "outing" (meaning exposing) which, in another context, could mean 'removing or ejecting'. In the fanciful world of cryptic crosswords, we sometimes see this sort of indirect establishment of 'equivalence' through the logic of 'If A = B1, and B2 = C, then A = C) - of course, ignoring the real world fact that B1 does not equal B2.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, February 21, 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011

Happy Family Day

It being a provincial holiday in many parts of Canada, the National Post did not publish an edition today.

To those celebrating Family Day - or whatever the day may be called in your part of the country - enjoy.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Saturday, February 19, 2011 - Divers Ducks

Introduction

Today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon presents divers ducks - with most of them also being divers, although one is a dabbler. Dabbling ducks feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving.

I couldn't help but think that in 29a the Brits might have clued it as "Ducks and duck made out of bone" - 'duck' being a batsman's score of nought in cricket and probably the nearest British equivalent to the North American expression 'goose egg'.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend: "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a   SECTOR* - anagram (going crazy) of SCOTER
Male Scoter
scoter - noun a northern diving duck that winters off the coast, the male of which has mainly black plumage. Genus Melanitta, family Anatidae: three species





4a   SO|AP (D)ISH - SO (too) + APISH (imitative) containing (holding) D (down)

9a   NUREDA* - anagram (foreign) of UNREAD
  • Jan Neruda (1834 – 1891) - Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of "the May school".
  • Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) - pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda.
10a   QUA(C)KERS - QUAKERS (friends) containing (acquiring) C ([Roman numeral for] 100)
Quaker - noun a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox circa 1650 and devoted to peaceful principles.
12a   GOLDENEYE~ - sounds like (if overheard) GOAL DENY
Male Goldeneye
goldeneye - noun a migratory northern diving duck, the male of which has a dark head with a white cheek patch and yellow eyes. Genus Bucephala, family Anatidae: two species, in particular the common goldeneye (B. clangula)
13a   FOLIO* - anagram (spilled) OF OIL

14a   LIED - double definition; "song" & "told a tale"

15a   CAN|V|A|S(B)ACK - CAN (dismiss) + V ([Roman numeral for] five) + A + SACK (bag) containing B (second-rate)
Male Canvasback
canvasback - noun a North American diving duck with a long, sloping black bill , related to the common pochard. Aythya valisineria, family Anatidae





19a   BUFF|LE(HE)AD - BUFF (polish) + LEAD (metal) containing (inlaid with) HE (male)
Male Bufflehead
bufflehead - noun a small North American diving duck related to the goldeneye, with a large puffy head. The male has white plumage with a black back. Bucephala albeola, family Anatidae


20a   CRAM< - reversal (returned) of MARC
Oh, dear! Who are the setters intending us to think of here? Is it the famous Roman Mark Antony or the Puerto Rican singer (and husband of Jennifer Lopez) Marc Anthony. Perhaps it is neither of these, but rather the Warner Brothers cartoon character Marc Antony.
23a   L|EAST - L (bit of Lighting) + EAST (direction)

25a   MERG(ANS)ER - MERGER (union) containing (obtains) ANS (answer)
Male Merganser
merganser - noun a fish-eating diving duck with a long, thin serrated and hooked bill.  Also called sawbill. Genus Mergus, family Anatidae: six species





26a   W(ADD|L)ING - {ADD (tally) + L ([Roman numeral for] fifty)} contained in (in) WING (part of hospital)

27a   S|HEATH - S (southern) + HEATH (evergreen shrub)

28a   NORM|ANDY - ANDY (Warhol) following (behind) NORM (par)
Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) - American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art.
29a   OS|TEAL - OS (goose eggs; Os) + TEAL (duck)
Male Teal in flight
teal - noun a small freshwater [dabbling] duck, typically with a greenish band on the wing that is most prominent in flight. Genus Anas, family Anatidae: several species, in particular the common Eurasian and Canadian (green-winged) teal (A. crecca)













Down

1d   SE(NEG)AL - SEAL (symbol) containing NEG (negative)

2d   {CORAL REEF}* - anagram (plastic) of OF CLEARER

3d   OL(DI)ES - DI (Diane) contained in (in) OLES (cheers)
Diane Chambers - fictional character portrayed by Shelley Long on the American television show Cheers (1982–1987, 1993), and on several episodes of the subsequent Cheers spin-off Frasier.
5d   {OF USE}* - anagram (beaten) of US FOE

6d   PACIFIST - {IF (assuming that) + IS} contained in (in) PACT (agreement)

7d   I|DEAL - I ([Roman numeral for] one) + DEAL (pass around [cards])

8d   HAS|SOCK - HAS (possesses) + SOCK (belt; meaning 'to punch')

11d   SERAPH* - anagram (twisted) of PHRASE

16d   _VIA|GRA_ - hidden in (in) BoliVIA GRAnular

17d   A(EROS)PACE - APACE (quickly) containing (comprehending) EROS (love)

18d   ALIT|ALIA - ALIT (landed) + (with) ALIA (others)
  • alia - noun Latin others or other things; as in the phrase inter alia, among other things
  • Alitalia - the largest Italian airline
19d   BALD|WIN - BALD (outright; as in 'a bald lie') + WIN (victory)
Alec Baldwin - American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.
21d   MARSHAL~ - sounds like MARTIAL (military)

22d   PATH(O)S - O (love) contained in (in) PATHS (ways)
Explanation: the letter O looks like the number 0 which is 'love' in tennis
24d   _ALDER_ - CALDERA (volcanic crater) with the first and last letters deleted (trimmed on both sides)

25d   MINED< - reversal (on the way back) of DENIM (material)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011 (DT 26404)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26404
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, November 22, 2010
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26404]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ** Enjoyment - ***
Falcon's Performance
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Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 26403 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, November 20, 2010


Introduction

I thought I would need to resort to the Tool Chest today with three or four clues remaining to be solved. However, one final determined push caused them to fall. The final holdouts were 4a, 1d, 6d and 7d. I managed to solve 18a without understanding the allusion to the Duke of Wellington. However, a gentle nudge from Libellule sent me off on an interesting jaunt through the bedrooms of the British upper class.

Finally, based on feedback that it is difficult to read, no more red text on green background in the glossary.

Anagram Indicators

Anagram indicators are words in the clue that instruct us to rearrange the letters in a word, word scrap, or group of words to form a different word. By "word scrap", I mean a string of letters that does not form an actual word. For instance, a clue may instruct us to delete letters from a word (thus creating a 'word scrap') which is then anagrammed to make a new word [my spell-checker is telling me that 'anagrammed' is, itself, a new word].

There are a vast number of words that setters employ as anagram indicators and it is sometimes not easy to see why words qualify for this role. The use of a word as an anagram indicator may be based on a meaning that is not one of the first to come to mind - and may even be founded on a meaning that is archaic or otherwise quite obscure.

In Commentary on Today's Puzzle, I examine a couple of instances of this found in today's puzzle.

Today's Glossary

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

Appearing in Clues:

The meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

evens - plural noun British another term for even money: the colt was 4-6 favourite after opening at evens

Appearing in Solutions:

"Publish and be damned" - retort of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, to courtesan Harriette Wilson (his former mistress) when informed of her plans to write her memoirs.
Harriette Wilson (1786 - 1845) was a celebrated British Regency courtesan, whose clients included the Prince of Wales, the Lord Chancellor and four future Prime Ministers. Among her other lovers with whom she had a business arrangement was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who commented "publish, and be damned" when informed of her plans to write her memoirs. Her decision to publish was partly based on the broken promises of her lovers to provide her with an income in her older age. The memoirs are still in print. [If you work the streets of Hintonburg, you are called a prostitute (or worse); if you ply your trade in the bedrooms of the British nobility you are referred to as a courtesan].
stitch-up - noun British informal an act of placing someone in a position in which they will be wrongly blamed for something, or of manipulating a situation to one's advantage

suspender - noun
  • 1 (usually suspenders) British an elastic strap attached to a belt or garter, fastened to the top of a stocking to hold it up
  • 2 (suspenders) North American a pair of braces for holding up trousers
Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

21a   Troops stepped out in this formation (7)

The key to understanding the wordplay in this clue is to know that an echelon is a step-like formation of soldiers; that is, a formation in which each succeeding rank of soldiers is displaced laterally relative to the rank preceding it - a point that several of the Brits appear to have missed, judging by their comments.

22a   Cheering custom following papal trip (8)

The definition is "cheering" with the solution being APPLAUSE. The wordplay is USE (custom) after (following) an anagram (trip) of PAPAL.

In this clue, the use of "trip" as an anagram indicator is likely based on the meaning, 'to dance around' [trip - verb walk, run, or dance with quick light steps].

5d   Earned aggravation when closed (6)

There is a bit of discussion on Big Dave's site regarding "closed" meaning "neared". I think it does in the sense of "As the Spitfire closed, the German pilot took evasive action".

14d   Uncle Sam's braces (10)

This clue depends on the solver not equating "braces" with 'suspenders', and thus works in Britain but falls down in North America. In Britain, suspenders are used to hold up socks, rather than trousers.

I love the illustration that Big Dave has inserted to accompany Libellule's hint for this clue. The only way it could be improved might be to have the buxom young lady outfitted in socks and British suspenders : )

16d   Cut-throat bunch of hustlers (8)

The definition is "cut-throat", having the solution RUTHLESS. The wordplay is an anagram (bunch) of HUSTLERS. I would presume that "bunch" qualifies as an anagram indicator due to its meaning "collect or fasten into a compact group". Thus the letters forming the word "hustlers" can also be collected into a compact group (word) that just happens to be 'ruthless'. Nevertheless, I was not surprised to see several of the Brits object to this word being used as an anagram indicator.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thursday, February 17, 2011 (DT 26402)

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26402
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, November 19, 2010
Setter
Giovanni
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26402]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - *** Enjoyment - ****
Falcon's Performance
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Introduction

My performance would have been considerably poorer had I used the act of checking for the existence and location of the town of Chard to mark the point at which I opened my Tool Chest. However, given that I get to set and enforce the rules, I decided to forgive this infraction. Despite ignoring it, my performance was not exactly outstanding, as (like a great many of the Brits) I struggled to complete the lower half of the puzzle. Moreover, I was left not fully comprehending the wordplay in one or two of clues.

Today's Glossary

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

Appearing in Clues:

The meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

Chard - town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England

Appearing in Solutions:

Francis Bacon (1909 – 1992) -  a figurative painter (born in Ireland to English parents) known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery

CD2 - abbreviation corps diplomatique (diplomatic corps) [French]

con4 - archaic study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing): the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry

daemon1 - noun
  • (in ancient Greek belief) a divinity or supernatural being of a nature between gods and humans.
    • an inner or attendant spirit or inspiring force.
  • archaic spelling of demon
EC - abbreviation East Central (London postal district)
The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area, also known as the London EC postcode area, is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London and parts of the London Boroughs of Islington, Camden, Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
Lorelei - a rock on the bank of the Rhine, held by legend to be the home of a siren whose song lures boatmen to destruction
  • the siren said to live on the Lorelei rock
MP - noun a Member of Parliament: more than 80 MPs have signed the Commons motion
Although obvious to British and Canadian readers, perhaps not to visitors from some other parts of the world.
RR - abbreviation Right Reverend, adjective a title given to a bishop, especially in the Anglican Church

service tree - noun a Eurasian tree of the rose family, closely related to the rowan.
  • Genus Sorbus, family Rosaceae: the southern European true service tree (S. domestica), with compound leaves and green-brown fruits that are edible when overripe, and the wild service tree (S. torminalis), with lobed leaves and brown berries
shedload - noun British informal a large amount or number [Origin: (1990s) from  shed  + load; perhaps euphemistic after shitload]

terminus - noun 1 chiefly British the end of a railway or other transport route, or a station at such a point ; a terminal
  • an oil or gas terminal
tester2 - noun a canopy over a four-poster bed

tester3 - [Collins English Dictionary] noun another name for teston2, an English silver coin of the 16th century, originally worth one shilling, bearing the head of Henry VIII

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

13a   What you get in the argument is extremely loud (3-9)

Despite seeing the correct solution, I could not decipher the wordplay and, although Gazza explains it, it just does not work well for me. "What you get in the argument" is seemingly 'ear' splitting 'thgument'. I say, so what!

Had the residue been something meaningful (rather than the apparent gibberish 'thgument' I would probably have been impressed. For example, suppose the wordplay had been "How an afterthought becomes Juicy Fruit" in which PEARS (juicy fruit) is created by EAR splitting PS (afterthought; i.e., post script).

 This could also work in reverse where the wordplay "How Juicy Fruit becomes an afterthought" could be interpreted as PEARS (juicy fruit) becomes PS (afterthought) by EAR splitting (leaving).

Am I expecting too much or have I, perhaps, overlooked some clever allusion in this clue?

23a   Only Conservative doctrine that's seen as mistake (8)

The error in the clue to which Gazza refers in his review has not manifested itself in the National Post. This is truly remarkable, given that the error apparently appeared in the print edition of the Daily Telegraph as well as in the online edition. This is the first time I can recall ever having seen an error in the print edition of the Daily Telegraph be corrected in the syndicated version of the puzzle.

24a   One examining old coin found in part of bed (6)

Initially it occurred to me that this clue might possibly be a triple definition, but I lost faith in this theory when several sources failed to indicate the existence of a coin matching the solution to the clue. Then, when Gazza's review confirmed my original idea, a more intensive search proved successful. However, there remains an apparent discrepancy in that Gazza indicates that the coin was worth six pence while Collins states that it was "originally worth one shilling" [12 pence]. Perhaps the value of the coin changed over time.

5d   Siren in mythology with garland on (7)

There has been a long-standing debate regarding the role of the word "on" in a down clue. Before discussing the views of the two opposing camps, let's first review some basics.

'On' can be used as a charade indicator in two opposite senses. In the most general sense, 'on' is used in the sense of 'attached to' or 'added to'. Thus 'A on B' would mean 'A added to B' which, by convention, is BA. The argument supporting this ordering of the elements A and B is that 'A added to B' indicates that B is written first and A is then added to it. Since the English language is written from left to right, this implies the order is BA. Using this version of the cryptic device, "mythology with garland on" is equivalent to "garland on mythology" or "LEI on LORE" which would produce the solution LORELEI (A on B = BA).

In the particular case of a down clue, 'A on B' can also be interpreted as 'A on top of B' or 'AB'. Thus "mythology with garland on" is equivalent to "garland on mythology" or "LEI on LORE" which would produce the solution LEILORE (since, in this special case, A on B = AB).

One school of thought holds that the general (former) case should be permitted in both across and down clues, with the latter (special) case also being allowed in down clues.

The contrary view, to which Gazza would appear to adhere (based on his comment "“On” in a down clue is supposed to mean on top of or before rather than after."), holds that only the latter case should be permitted in a down clue with the former case only being allowed in an across clue. This group argues that it would be confusing to allow both versions of the clue to exist in down clues.

In the real world (or, rather, the unreal world of cryptic crosswords) we find both cases appearing in down clues, and so we must be prepared to encounter either of them. In any event, I do not see how the confusion that this ambiguity produces is any different from any other form of misdirection that the setter may throw at us. After all, misdirection is the cryptic crossword setter's stock in trade.

Signing off for today - Falcon