Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 (DT 26494)

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26494
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Setter
Shamus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26494]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I needed a fair amount of assistance from my Tool Chest today, primarily due to the setter having employed a number of words in senses that - although not unknown to me - are not necessarily ones that pop readily to mind. I must say that it was a bit disheartening to see that the puzzle rated merely two stars for difficulty from Gazza.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

describe - [American Heritage Dictionary] verb 4. To trace the form or outline of • describe a circle with a compass. [Note: thus enclose]

favour - noun 1 [3rd entry] archaic a thing such as a badge or knot of ribbons that is given or worn as a mark of liking or support.

purse - verb (with reference to the lips) pucker or contract [i.e., compress], typically to express disapproval or irritation[with object] Marianne took a glance at her reflection and pursed her lips disgustedly; [no object] under stress his lips would purse slightly

Winchester College - an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England. It is the oldest of the original nine English public schools defined by the Public Schools Act 1868 which also included Eton, Harrow and Charterhouse.

zip - noun 1 (also zip fastener) chiefly British [a] a device consisting of two flexible strips of metal or plastic with interlocking projections closed or opened by pulling a slide along them, used to fasten garments, bags, and other items. [i.e., a zipper] [b] [as modifier] denoting something fastened by a zipa zip pocket

zip - verb 3 Computing compress (a file) so that it takes less space in storage.

Appearing in Solutions:

lento - Music (especially as a direction) adjective slow or adverb slowly.

nose - noun 3 [2nd entry] informal a police informer.

pot1 - noun 3 [possibly British] informal a prize in a sporting contest, especially a silver cup.

rosette - noun 1 a rose-shaped decoration, typically made of ribbon, worn by supporters of a sports team or political party or awarded as a prize.

so - conjunction [2nd entry] introducing a question following on from what was said previouslyso what did he do about it?

*tin - noun 1 [3rd entry] British informal, dated money.

tinpot - adjective British colloquial cheap or poor quality; paltry or contemptible • tinpot dictator. [Note; although Chambers, Collins and Oxford all characterise this as a British term, it is definitely also well-known in Canada.]

tissue - noun 3 [in singular] an intricate structure or network made from a number of connected itemssuch scandalous stories are a tissue of lies

wee1 - adjective chiefly Scottish littlewhen I was just a wee bairn; the lyrics are a wee bit too sweet and sentimental [Note: In Canada, with its rich Scottish heritage, this word is far from unfamiliar.]

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.

4d   Concern shown after beginning of television series (6)

The definition is "series" for which the solution is TISSUE and the wordplay is ISSUE (concern) following (after) T (beginning of Television). Gazza comments "This word [tissue] means an intricate, complex structure but I can’t see how that means series." To understand why, see the entry for tissue in Today's Glossary where the phrase "a tissue of lies" could equally well be replaced by "a series of lies".

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, May 30, 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011 - DT 26493

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26493
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, March 7, 2011
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26493]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 26492 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, March 5, 2011

Introduction

My progress seemed to have ground to a halt with five clues remaining to be solved. However, with one final push, I did manage to complete the puzzle without assistance. The final two clues to be solved were 8d and 16d. The former is a word with which I was not well acquainted and for the latter I spent a great deal of time looking for a plant of the botanical variety.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

measure - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun 5. A device used for measuring.

Appearing in Solutions:

dip - noun 5 informal, dated a pickpocket.

Eton College - a boys‘ public school in southern England, on the River Thames opposite Windsor, founded in 1440 by Henry VI to prepare scholars for King’s College, Cambridge. [Note: a 'public' school in Britain would be regarded as a 'private' school in North America.]
public school - noun
  • 1 (in the UK) a private fee-paying secondary school, especially one for boarders.
  • 2 (chiefly in North America) a school supported by public funds.
*p3 - [American Heritage Dictionary] abbreviation 1. piano2 adverb & adjective Music in a soft or quiet tone (used chiefly as a direction).

*RA - abbreviation [5th entry] (in the UK) Royal Artillery

ramp - noun 4 British informal a swindle, especially one involving a fraudulent increase of the price of a share.

reefer1 - noun informal [a] a cannabis cigarette. [b] cannabis. [origin: (1930s) perhaps related to Mexican Spanish grifo '(smoker of) cannabis']

reefer2 - noun 1 short for reefer jacket, a thick close-fitting double-breasted jacket.

sally1 - noun 2 a witty or lively remark, especially one made as an attack or as a diversion in an argument; a retort.

tailpiece - noun 1 [a] a part added to the end of a story or piece of writing. [b] a small decorative design at the foot of a page or the end of a chapter or book.

tick4 - noun (in phrase on tick) British informal on credit. [origin: (mid 17th century) apparently short for ticket in the phrase on the ticket, referring to an IOU or promise to pay]

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Saturday, May 28, 2011 - On The Water

Introduction


In today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon, the setters present us with a fleet of boats ranging from single person craft propelled by paddle or oar up to behemoths of the ocean, and ranging from vessels existing in antiquity up to those of the modern age.

Hopefully, I have avoided making any blunders in the solutions this week. Many thanks to MG for her note pointing out the error at 2d in my solution to last weeks puzzle, where I confused the words 'ordinance' and 'ordnance' - an error I have now corrected.


Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   BRI(GANTI*)NE  or BR(IGANT*)INE - BRINE (sea water) containing (surrounding) an anagram (new) of GIANT

6a   YAW|L - YAW (swerve sharply) + L (left)

9a   C|ORACLE - C ([Roman numeral for] 100) + ORACLE (visionary)

10a   TUGBOAT* - anagram (lost) of TUBA GOT
Note: In this clue, a "tower" is not a tall structure but rather 'something that tows'.
12a   OVER|T - OVER (ended) + T (time)

13a   CAT(A)MA|RAN - {CAT (feline) + MA (mom) + RAN (trotted)} containing (around) A

14a   F(RIG)ATE - RIG (tractor-trailer) contained in (kept in) FATE (lot)

16a   SP(LASH)Y - LASH (tie) contained in (acquired by) SPY (agent)

18a   MAESTRO* - anagram (trashed) of SOME ART

20a   C|A|RAVEL - C (cruised initially; i.e., the first letter of Cruised) + A (one) + RAVEL (knot)

22a   _OU|TRIGGER - OU (after the first you; i.e., the part of yOU that remains after the first letter is deleted) + TRIGGER (set off)

24a   S(IN)EW - SEW (stitch) containing (taking) IN

25a   G|ALL|EON - {ALL (entire) + EON (period of time)} following (chasing) G (good)

26a   T(R)IRE|ME - {TIRE (exhaust) + ME} containing (taking) R (run)

27a   D(O)RY - DRY (out of the water) containing (with ... aboard) O (nothing)

28a   {OCEAN LINER}* - anagram (odd) of RELIANCE ON

Down

1d   B(AC)K| OF|F - {BK (book) + OF + F (facts initially; i.e., first letter of Facts)} containing (including) AC (sort of current; i.e., alternating current)

2d   I|S(RAEL<)ITE - {RAEL [reversal (retreating) of LEAR (king)]} contained in (in) {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + SITE (location)}
King Lear - a tragedy by William Shakespeare, considered to be one of his greatest dramatic masterpieces. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king.
3d   A|SCOT - A + SCOT (Gaelic person)
Ascot Racecourse - a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races, the same number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle, and owned by the Crown Estate.
4d   TREACLE* - anagram (prepared) of Electra
Electra - Greek Mythology the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She persuaded her brother Orestes to kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (their mother's lover) in revenge for the murder of Agamemnon.
5d   NOTATES* - anagram (novel) of TEST ON A

7d   AM|OUR - AM (in the morning) + OUR (involving us)

8d   LA(TEN)CY - TEN (decade) contained in (in) LACY (finely meshed)

11d   G|AMBLER - G (green) + AMBLER (stroller)

15d   A|ST|RIDE - A (one) + ST (street) + RIDE (go on; e.g., a horse or a train)

17d   S(EVENT)EEN - SEEN (observed) containing (with ... inside) EVENT (something happening)

18d   MO(ON| G)OD - MOOD (spirit) containing (taking) {ON + G (gravity)}
g - symbol Physics the acceleration due to gravity, equal to 9.81 m/s2 [at the surface of the Earth]. Note: the symbol is customarily written in italics (g) to distinguish it from the symbol g (meaning gram), something that Oxford fails to do.
19d   ORGANIC* - anagram (bananas) of IN CARGO

20d   CORETTA* - anagram (agitated) of REACT TO
Coretta Scott King - (1927 – 2006) American author, activist, and civil rights leader and the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. She helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
21d   {LOW GEAR}~ - sounds like (speaking) {LO (look) + GERE (Chicago actor [Richard Gere])}
American actor Richard Gere played the role of Billy Flynn in the 2002 musical film Chicago which was adapted from the 1975 stage musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Jazz age Chicago.
23d   TILER< - reversal (from the rear) of RELIT (illuminated again)

24d   STILL - double definition; "quiet" & "apparatus from making liquor"

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, May 27, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011 - DT 26491

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26491
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, March 4, 2011
Setter
Giovanni
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26491]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

After having little work to do so far this week, my Tool Chest received a good workout today. I was therefore somewhat heartened to see that the Brits (for the most part) also found this puzzle to be relatively difficult.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

Harry [Potter] - an adolescent wizard who is the title character of a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling which chronicles the adventures of Harry and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Nelson [Mandela] - (b.1918), South African statesman, President 1994-9; full name Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 as an activist for the African National Congress (ANC). Released in 1990, as leader of the ANC he engaged in talks on the introduction of majority rule with President F. W. de Klerk, with whom he shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He became the country's first democratically elected President in 1994.

Soho - an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable transformation. It now is predominantly a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices, with only a small remnant of sex industry venues.

spiv - noun British informal a man, typically a flashy dresser, who makes a living by disreputable dealings.

Appearing in Solutions:

alehouse - noun dated an inn or public house.

Anton [Bruckner] - (1824 – 1896), Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets.

bee-eater - noun a brightly coloured insectivorous bird with a large head and a long downcurved bill, typically having long central tail feathers. Family Meropidae: three genera, in particular Merops, and including the European bee-eater (M. apiaster)
Note: Although the numeration in the puzzle indicates that the name of this bird is two words, in the entry cited above from Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford Dictionary of English), it is shown as a single hyphenated word, as it is at the TheFreeDictionary.com (in entries from both The American Heritage Dictionary and Collins English Dictionary) as well as in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition.
[Robert] Burns - (1759–96), Scottish poet, best known for poems such as ‘The Jolly Beggars’ (1786) and ‘Tam o’ Shanter (1791), and for old Scottish songs which he collected, including Auld Lang Syne. Burns Night celebrations are held in Scotland and elsewhere on his birthday, 25 January.

*CE - abbreviation [1st entry] Church of England

la - definite article (feminine) French the

lepidopteran - noun Entomology [a member of] an order of insects that comprises the butterflies and moths. They have four large scale-covered wings that bear distinctive markings, and larvae that are caterpillars.

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

[Loch] Ness - a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 km (23 mi) southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 15.8 m (52 ft) above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the Cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie".

NT - abbreviation [2nd entry] New Testament

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

*p3 - [American Heritage Dictionary] abbreviation 1. piano2 adverb & adjective Music in a soft or quiet tone (used chiefly as a direction). [or, by extension, gentle]

Robben Island - a small island off the coast of South Africa, near Cape Town. It is the site of the former prison used for the detention of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela.

Ron [Weasley] - a fictional character and in the Harry Potter book series written by British author J. K. Rowling which chronicles the adventures of adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Tarka the Otter: His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers - a novel by Henry Williamson relating the experiences of an otter, first published in 1927.

tout1 - noun 1 (also ticket tout) British a person who buys up tickets for an event to resell them at a profit [North American scalper]; a person soliciting custom or business, typically in a direct or persistent manner. 2 North American a person who offers racing tips for a share of any resulting winnings.

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.

26a   The way we hear Genesis (4)

The definition is "genesis" for which the solution is ROOT, with the wordplay telling us that we are seeking something that sounds like (we hear) ROUTE (the way).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thursday, May 26, 2011 (DT 26490)

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26490
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26490]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
██████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Today's puzzle presents a fair challenge with a goodly dose of, among other things, English football and British geography. Amazingly, I was able to work out the "multi-clue" combination - despite never having heard the expression. I did call my electronic assistants into play on 14d, although they were of little help. In the end, I was able to work out the solution for this clue from the wordplay - but then needed to look it up in a dictionary to verify that such a word actually exists (yes, it does in Britain). I take some consolation in seeing that many of the Brits had difficulty with these clues.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

The Hay Wain by John Constable
John Constable - (1776 – 1837) English Romantic painter whose most famous paintings include Dedham Vale of 1802 and The Hay Wain of 1821.

East End - the part of London [England] east of the City as far as the River Lea, including the Docklands.

Jersey - the largest of the Channel Islands; population 91,900 (est. 2009); capital, St Helier.

New Romney - a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbor began to be silted in. New Romney was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea.

Wayne Rooney - English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.

slowcoach - noun British informal a person who acts or moves slowly: ‘Come on , slowcoach,’ urged George

Snowdon - the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland.

Chris Waddle - former footballer from England who played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France. He also played 62 times for the England national football team between 1985 and 1991. He currently works as a co-commentator for ESPN's Premier League football coverage, and for BBC 5 Live.

Appearing in Solutions:

bun - noun 1. round bread roll: a small round bread roll, sometimes sweetened and with added fruit or spice. 2. [likely chiefly British] small cake: a small round sweet cake. [Note: My conclusion that the latter usage is chiefly British is based on a comparison of entries in several dictionaries, some British and some American.]

bunce - noun British informal money or profit gained by someone: they can turn their hand to many jobs as long as there's a bit of bunce in it

Cyclops - noun 1. Greek Mythology a member of a race of savage one-eyed giants. In the Odyssey, Odysseus escaped death by blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus.

de - preposition French from

hoot1 - [Collins English Dictionary] verb 4. British to blow a horn.

M and S - abbreviation Marks and Spencer plc (also known as M&S), a British retailer with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries.

Wednesday's child - according to the traditional English nursery rhyme Monday's Child, "Wednesday's child is full of woe".

*R2 - abbreviation [13th entry] Cricket [not to mention baseball] (on scorecards) run(s).

scraggy - adjective [a] (of a person or animal) thin and bony. [b] (also chiefly North American scraggly) ragged, thin, or untidy in form or appearance: an old man with a scraggy beard

show (someone) a clean pair of heels - phrase informal run away (from someone) extremely fast.

Appearing on Big Dave's Blog:

mocks - noun 1 British informal mock examinations: obtaining Grade A in mocks

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.

1d   Slowcoach Waddle played on right (7)

The surface reading of this clue seems to be themed on English football. "Slowcoach" is British slang for 'a person who acts or moves slowly'. Chris Waddle is a former English football player who is currently a television sports commentator. Waddle played wing, but I was not able to determine whether he actually played on the right or on the left. The wordplay is an anagram (played) of WADDLE + R (right) producing DAWDLER (slowcoach). Given that Waddle played 62 times for the England national football team over the course of his career, it would seem apparent that he was anything but a dawdler.

2d   5 in place of white line (6-2-3-4)

The "5" is a cross-reference to clue 5a. Strictly speaking, since there are two clues with the number 5 (5a and 5d) the setter really should have specified which one is intended to be the target of the cross-reference. Making the substitution indicated by the cross-reference, the clue becomes:
  • Humdrum in place of white-line (6-2-3-4)
This is a double definition where the two definitions are "humdrum" and "place of white line", with the solution being MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 (DT 26489)

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26489
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Setter
Jay
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26489]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Pommers
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

For the second day running my Tool Chest sat idle. However, it was quite an enjoyable exercise with several clues to stretch the brain muscles.

Today, Big Dave welcomes a new addition to his circle of bloggers as Pommers delivers his first review. He and I will be sharing duties reviewing the "Wednesday" puzzles for Big Dave - with Pommers carrying the bulk of the load.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

fell3 - noun a hill or stretch of high moorland, especially in northern England.

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

retsina - noun a Greek white or rosé wine flavoured with resin.

*tyre - noun automotive U.K. spelling of  tire3

Appearing in Solutions:

climbing frame - noun British a structure of joined bars or logs for children to climb on.

ICI - abbreviation Imperial Chemical Industries (Limited).

intermediate - [The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition] noun a racing car tyre with tread between that on a slick and a wet tyre.

*Isle of Man - an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system; population 82,000 (est. 2009); capital, Douglas. The island was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.

*L2 - abbreviation [5th entry] British (on a motor vehicle) learner driver.

*L or l - U.K. money pounds [Latin librae]

moor1 - noun chiefly British a tract of open uncultivated upland, typically covered with heather.

*OR - abbreviation [3rd entry] Military, British other ranks (as opposed to commissioned officers).

redwing - noun 1 a small migratory thrush that breeds mainly in northern Europe, with red underwings showing in flight. Turdus iliacus, family Turdidae 2 any of a number of red-winged birds, especially the American red-winged blackbird. Several species, in particular Agelaius phoeniceus, family Icteridae

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 (DT 26488)

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26488
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Setter
Shamus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26488]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes
Today's puzzle is a pangram (i.e, it employs each letter of the alphabet at least once).

Introduction

I completed today's puzzle without the assistance of my Tool Chest but I did find it to be a good workout for my brain - an quite an enjoyable bit of exercise, to boot. I did fail to notice that it is a pangram, though.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

clot - noun 2 British informal a foolish or clumsy person: Watch where you're going, you clot!

Appearing in Solutions:

A - [The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition] abbreviation amateur

commonplace - noun 1 [a] a usual or ordinary thing: bombing has become almost a commonplace of public life there [b] a trite saying or topic; a platitude: it is a commonplace to talk of the young being alienated

D - [The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition] abbreviation Director

false dawn - noun 1 a promising situation which comes to nothing: after so many false dawns, Britain was finally enjoying an export-led boom 2 a transient light which precedes the rising of the sun by about an hour, commonly seen in Eastern countries.

*I3 - abbreviation [2nd entry] Italy (international vehicle registration)

Java1 - a large island in the Malay Archipelago, forming part of Indonesia; population 120,000,000 (est. 2008) (with Madura).

[Benito] Mussolini - (1883–1945), Italian Fascist statesman, Prime Minister 1922–43; known as Il Duce (‘the leader’); full name Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini. He founded the Italian Fascist Party in 1919. He annexed Abyssinia in 1936 and entered the Second World War on Germany's side in 1940. Forced to resign after the Allied invasion of Sicily, he was rescued from imprisonment by German paratroopers, but was captured and executed by Italian communist partisans.

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

*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 [or off side].

Qu. - [The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition] abbreviation Queen

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.

12a   Director enthralled by two Latin books of old is a clot (5)

The definition is the British slang term "clot" which means IDIOT. The wordplay is D (Director) contained in (enthralled by) {II (two Latin; i.e., the Roman numeral for two) + OT (books of old; i.e., Old Testament}.

25a   Polished by English cricket side followed by six-footer (7)

The definition is "polished" for which the solution is ELEGANT. The wordplay is E (English) + LEG (cricket side; see Today's Glossary) + ANT (six-footer; an insect and thus "a small arthropod animal that has six legs" with the corresponding number of feet).

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011 - Victoria Day

Introduction

It being the annual Victoria Day national holiday in Canada, the National Post did not publish an edition today.

Enjoy the holiday - Falcon

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Saturday, May 21, 2011 - Possessive Fauna

Introduction

In today's puzzle by Cox and Rathvon, the setters introduce us to a number of members of the animal kingdom, each of which shows itself to have a possessive trait.

Note: the puzzle appears here just as it does in the National Post (in both the online and print editions) with the right hand edge of the grid having been trimmed off.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   {LION'S SHARE}* - anagram (in disrepair) of LAOS SHRINE

6a   _AMMO_ - hidden in (some) mAMMOths

9a   CA(DAVE)R - CAR (coach; e.g., railway coach) containing (keeps) DAVE ([Canadian comedian and actor Dave] Thomas)

10a   FINA(G)LE - G ($1000) contained in (in) FINALE (conclusion)

12a   S|UN - S (soprano) + UN (a French; i.e., the French word meaning 'a')

13a   {RABBIT'S FOOT}* - anagram (gets changed) of FOR TOTS A BIB

14a   PI(NBA)LL - PILL (sourpuss) containing (takes in) NBA [National Basketball Association]

16a   PAR|ADO|X - PAR (average) + ADO (trouble) + (with) X (times; i.e., multiplication symbol)

18a   T|HE ARTS - T (tailor's first; i.e., first letter of T[ailor]) + HEARTS (suit)

19a   PO(LICE)D - LICE (bugs) contained in (in) POD (spacecraft compartment)

20a   {HORNET'S NEST}* - anagram (awfully) of TENSE NORTHS

24a   DEW~ - sounds like (in audition) DO (produce)

26a   OR(BIT)AL - ORAL (test) containing (involving) BIT

27a   ON(STAG)E - STAG (buck) contained in (accepted by) ONE (a person)

28a   KIND - double definition; "merciful" & "sort"

29a   S(NAIL'S) PACE - NAILS (studs) contained in SPACE

Down

1d   LOCKS - double definition; "some hair" & "fasteners"

2d   ORD(I)NANCE - ORDNANCE (military supplies) containing (split by) I ([Roman numeral for] one)

3d   S|EVER - S (ultimately knives; i.e., the final - or ultimate - letter of [knive]S) + EVER (always)

4d   HA(REBEL)LS - HALS contains (frames) REBEL (revolutionary)

5d   _RAFFI_ - hidden in (stuck in) tRAFFIc
Canadian children's entertainer Raffi (Raffi Cavoukian)
7d   M(A|G)OO - MOO (Elsie's comment; i.e., a comment from Elsie the Cow, mascot of the Borden Company) containing (about) {A + G}
Quincy Magoo (or simply Mr. Magoo) is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem. However, through uncanny streaks of luck, the situation always seems to work itself out for him, leaving him no worse than before.
8d   OVERT|AXED - OVERT (in public) + AXED (cut)

11d   NOSTRIL* - anagram (fixed) of SLIT RON

14d   PITCH|FOR|K - PITCH (sales spiel) + FOR + K ($1000)

15d   {AIR VENT}* - anagram (renovated) of TAVERN I

16d   PEPPERONI* - anagram (working) of ON PIE PREP

17d   DOC(U)DRAM|A - {DOC (doctor) + DRAM (shot) + A} containing (outside) U (university)

21d   ROBIN_ -  ROBIN[G] (dressing; as a verb) with the last letter deleted (most of)

22d   S(AL)ON - SON (kid) containing (about) AL ([American actor and director Al] Pacino)

23d   T|ASKS - T (tribe's chief; i.e., first - or chief - letter of "tribe") + ASKS (demands)

25d   W(HER)E - WE (our group) containing (accepts) HER

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011 - DT 26487

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26487
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, February 28, 2011
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26487]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 26486 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, February 26, 2011

Introduction

Today we have a very enjoyable puzzle from Rufus, with some appropriately themed clues from this ex-member of the Royal Navy. Despite its plethora of Briticisms, I made fairly short work of this puzzle. I did seek assistance from my Tool Chest on 9a (a British expression that seemed to be new even to the Brits) and 8d (where I was handicapped by having erroneously convinced myself for some unfathomable reason that the solution might end in -ing).

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues:

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.

century - noun 2 a score of a hundred in a sporting event, especially a batsman's score of a hundred runs in cricket.

CND - abbreviation (in the UK) Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

send someone to Coventry - phrase chiefly British refuse to associate with or speak to someone. [mid 18th century: sometimes said to stem from the extreme unpopularity of soldiers stationed in Coventry, who were cut off socially by the citizens, or because Royalist prisoners were sent there during the English Civil War, the city being staunchly Parliamentarian]

*duck5 - noun Cricket a batsman's score of nought: he was out for a duck

form - noun 10 British a hare's lair.

international - noun 1 British [a] a game or contest between teams representing different countries in a sport. [b] a player who has taken part in an international game or contest.
Although I realize that the word 'international' appears in the clue as an adjective, I have chosen to use its definition as a noun as I believe it better illustrates the surface reading of the clue.
minority - noun 2 the state or period of being under the age of full legal responsibility.

quaver - noun 2 Music, chiefly British a note having the time value of an eighth of a semibreve or half a crotchet, represented by a large dot with a hooked stem.  Also called eighth note
For someone like myself who has only a passing familiarity with music terminology at the best of times and certainly had no idea of this British musical term, the intended misdirection in the surface reading of the clue was totally lost.
ring2 - verb 2 British call by telephone: [with object] I rang her this morning; Harriet rang Dorothy up next day; [no object] she rang to tell him the good news
While this use of 'ring' would surely be understood on this side of the Atlantic, North Americans themselves would almost invariably say 'call'.
tickle - verb 1 [3rd entry] catch (a trout) by lightly rubbing it so that it moves backwards into the hand.

try - noun 2 Rugby an act of touching the ball down behind the opposing goal line, scoring points and entitling the scoring side to a kick at goal.

TT - abbreviation Tourist Trophy, a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.

Appearing in Solutions:

A. E. Housman - (1859–1936), English poet and classical scholar; full name Alfred Edward Housman. He is now chiefly remembered for the poems collected in A Shropshire Lad (1896), a series of nostalgic verses largely based on ballad forms.

nitrate - noun Chemistry a salt or ester of nitric acid, containing the anion NO3 or the group-NO3.

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.

8d   Quite satisfied with what spring holds? (3,8)

This is a double definition with the second being cryptic. The first definition is "quite satisfied" with the solution being WELL CONTENT which is also what one might find in a spring (in the sense of a source of water).

Th term well content is not to be found at Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford Dictionary of English), Search Chambers (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary), the Free Online Dictionary (American Heritage Dictionary and Collins English Dictionary), The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition, MSN Encarta (UK or US), or Macmillan Online Dictionary (British or American versions). The term (spelled well-content, with a hyphen) is found in Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed., The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus, Infoplease Dictionary (Random House Unabridged Dictionary), and Dictionary.com (Random House Dictionary).

Signing off for today - Falcon