Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - DT 26560

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26560
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26560]
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 worked away on this puzzle throughout the day during breaks between other activities. Finally, at the end of the day, I was able to sit down and focus on the puzzle exclusively. Whether it was due to the cogitation that occurred between solving sessions, or a result of the period of uninterrupted concentration, or some combination of the two, but I was able to complete it. However, it certainly seemed like the puzzle was more difficult than the rating given by Gazza. Then again, maybe the fact that I finished without assistance indicates that it really is that easy.

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.

Biggles - nickname for James Bigglesworth, a pilot and adventurer, who is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of youth-oriented adventure books written by English author W. E. Johns.

box³ - noun 1 (also box tree) a slow-growing European evergreen shrub or small tree with small glossy dark green leaves. It is widely used in hedging and for topiary, and yields hard, heavy timber. [Buxus sempervirens, family Buxaceae]

Appearing in Solutions:

*B³ - symbol 1 chess bishop.

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

coup - French blow

[River] Exe - an English river that rises in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south (English Channel) coast of Devon.

gin² - noun 3 (also gin trap) a trap for catching birds or small mammals.

shelf¹ - noun 2 [a] a ledge of rock or protruding strip of land. [b] a submarine bank, or a part of the continental shelf.

Signing off for today - Falcon