Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 - DT 26651

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26651
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wesnesday, September 7, 2011
Setter
Jay
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26651]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Falcon
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

The first clue looked like one that I had seen before, and I soon realized that I had seen the entire puzzle before - it being one that I had reviewed for Big Dave's Crossword Blog when the puzzle had originally appeared in the UK.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1a   Finding two pence in water brings a lump in one’s throat (5,5)

In Britain, pence[5] is a plural form of penny. Oxford advises that both pence and pennies have existed as plural forms of penny since at least the 16th century. The two forms now tend to be used for different purposes: pence refers to sums of money (five pounds and sixty-nine pence; ) while pennies refers to the coins themselves (I left two pennies on the table; ). The use of pence rather than penny as a singular (the chancellor will put one pence on income tax) is not regarded as correct in standard English.

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny[5] is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound (and is abbreviated p). In the system formerly used, a penny was equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound (and was abbreviated d, for denarius).

21a   Establishment figure? (7,6)

A founder member[2] is one of the members of a society, organization, etc who was instrumental in its foundation. I expect that North Americans would call such a person a founding member.

25a   A tall story — over very quick (5)

As I said when I wrote my review for Big Dave's site, I think that quick[2] is used in the sense of 'intelligent, alert or sharp' (alive). Quick (as a noun) also has an archaic sense where it means 'those who are alive' (or, in other words, the living). Thus, "the quick and the dead" means "the living and the dead". Several British readers commented that they thought that the clue was referring to this use of the word. In fact, I had considered and rejected that interpretation as 'quick' used in that way is a noun and I could find no evidence that 'alive' can be anything other than an adjective.

3d   Bank facility for putting up with brothers, for example (8,5)

In the UK, a standing order[5] is an instruction to a bank by an account holder to make regular fixed payments to a particular person or organization.

11d   Avoiding directors, this may go to the wall (8,5)

The British term for a wooden board running along the base of an interior wall is skirting or skirting board[5]. In North America, it would be called a baseboard[5].

13d   Picture young bird with fine taste (5,5)

In addition to its standard meaning, bird[5] is an informal British expression meaning a young woman or a man’s girlfriend.

22d   Paper encompassing student’s sphere of knowledge (5)

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in many countries if its driver is a learner under instruction. Learner plates are rare in North America, with Wikipedia mentioning only British Columbia and New Jersey as jurisdictions requiring their use.
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - DT 26650

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26650
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26650]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Without too much effort, I got down to the point of having only a single unsolved clue (26a). However, despite having correctly identified the first word in the solution, I could not find the second without help from my Tool Chest. As it turns out, it was a new meaning (to me) for a familiar term.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

10a   Daughter getting drink on house (4)

In British English, drum[5] is slang for a house or flat. What the Brits would call a flat is known as an apartment in North America. The word apartment seems to have a bit of a different meaning in Britain - and one on which the dictionaries do not appear to be in complete agreement (which might be an indication that the meaning is evolving). Chambers defines an apartment[2] as a single room in a house or flat, while Collins elaborates a bit by defining an apartment[4] as any room in a building, usually one of several forming a suite, especially one that is spacious and well furnished and used as living accommodation, offices, etc. As a second definition, my favourite British dictionaries all define apartment as a synonym for flat, with Chambers characterizing this usage as North American[2] and Collins portraying it as especially US and Canadian[4]. Oxford says that in British usage an apartment[5] is a flat, typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays, while in North American parlance it is any flat. In Britain, apartments[5] (in the plural) is also used to denote a set of private rooms in a very large house.

12a   Pub’s bill for wine (6)

Barsac[5] is a sweet white wine from the district of Barsac, a department of the Gironde in France.

26a   Plump boy’s petition (5,5)

A round robin[3] is a petition or protest on which the signatures are arranged in a circle in order to conceal the order of signing. The fact that this definition comes from the American Heritage Dictionary would indicate that this usage is not particularly British - although it is one with which I am not familiar. I am, however, well acquainted with its use in the sports world to denote a tournament in which each contestant is matched in turn against every other contestant (a usage which Collins English Dictionary characterizes as US and Canadian).

4d   Fish under bit of thick seaweed (6)

Tangle[5] is a name that may be applied to any of a number of brown seaweeds, especially oarweed.

5d   Talks with audience about value of a stately home (10,5)

Despite never having heard of this domocile, the name was derivable through the wordplay. Chatsworth House[7] is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England. It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family since 1549.

14d   Novelist’s rent on island (9)

Leslie Charteris[7] (1907 – 1993), born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, was a half-Chinese, half English author of primarily mystery fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint." As an alternative, Gazza suggests Scottish novelist and screenwriter Hugo Charteris[7] (1922 – 1970).

16d   Lose one’s nerve in container at sea? (6,3)

In British slang, bottle[5 is the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous and to bottle out[5] means to lose one’s nerve and decide not to do something.

17d   Girl falls in station (8)

This is a triple definition. Victoria is a girl's name, Victoria Falls[7] is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Victoria Station[7] is a major railway terminus and London Underground complex located in central London.

Victoria Coren (chosen by Gazza to illustrate this clue in his review)is a British writer, presenter (TV or radio host or news anchor) and champion poker player. Coren writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian newspapers and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect. Coren was the first woman to win an event on the European Poker Tour and the first player to win both a televised professional tournament (EPT London 2006) and a televised celebrity tournament (Celebrity Poker Club 2005).
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011 - DT 26649

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26649
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, September 5, 2011
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26649]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by 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 26648 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, September 3, 2011

Introduction

I found today's puzzle to be fairly easy so I was able to give my Tool Chest a rest.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

11a   Net return on a Yorkshire river holding (6)

The River Ure[7] is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale. Wensleydale[7] is the valley (dale) of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.

19a   An eight-foot long snooker rest? (6)

A spider[5] is a long-legged rest for a billiard cue that can be placed over a ball without touching it. It would appear that this device is fairly unique to the UK. According to Billiards Forum (a North American website), a spider rest is a form of mechanical bridge that is used in snooker, blackball, and British pool that is considerably taller, but otherwise similar to, the North American style mechanical bridge. Because the spider rest is taller, the player's cue sits higher which allows him or her to achieve a shot that may not otherwise be possible due to blocking object balls.

26a   Draw up Daily Telegraph leader (5)

The Daily Telegraph[7] , where this puzzle originally appeared, is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper based in London and distributed throughout the United Kingdom as well as internationally. Char[5] is an informal British term for a charwoman[5], which itself is a dated British word denoting a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office. A daily[5] (or daily help) is another dated British expression meaing a woman who is employed to clean someone else’s house each day.

27a   Cockney thieves may end up in hot water (3,6)

Tea leaf[5] is British rhyming slang for a thief. Rhyming slang is a feature, in particular, of the cockney[5] dialect spoken by the inhabitants of an area of East London.

1d   Render first aid (7)

In Britain, an adhesive strip of material for covering cuts and wounds is known as a plaster[5]. In North America, it might be called an adhesive bandage or a band-aid (a trademark that has entered into general usage).

4d   Source of power on the American football field (4)

I am quite familiar with a football field being called a gridiron. However, I do not recall ever having heard it referred to as a grid[3] - although the American Heritage Dictionary does support this meaning. It also says that gridiron[3] may denote the game of football itself in addition to the field of play.

5d   Very affected by going off to temporary accommodation (4,4)

Collins English Dictionary says that high camp[4] is a sophisticated form of camp[4] which, in turn, is defined as a style that is consciously artificial, exaggerated, vulgar, or mannered; one which is self-parodying, especially when in dubious taste.
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011 - Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Introduction

In today's puzzle, Cox and Rathvon serve up a veritable smorgasbord of tasty treats - desserts, dessert toppings, and candy. A few of these are quintessentially Canadian - but should be fairly well known beyond our borders. Less well known, perhaps, is Canada's first - and only - female Prime Minister, whose term in office was rather short. After sampling the sweets, one may well need to pay a visit to the professional at 25d.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend: "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed

"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
Across

Butter Tarts
1a   B(UTTER| T)ART - BART (Simpson boy [cartoon character Bart Simpson]) containing {UTTER (total) + T (portion of the; i.e., the first letter of 'The')}
A butter tart is a type of small pastry tart highly regarded in Canadian cuisine and considered one of Canada's quintessential desserts. The tart consists of butter, sugar, syrup, and egg filled into a flaky pastry and baked until the filling is semi-solid with a crunchy top.
6a   SCAT - double definition; "sing jazzily" & "make tracks"

9a   C(A|MILL)A - {A (†) + MILL (factory)} contained in (in) CA (California)
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary; née Shand, previously Parker Bowles) is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the titles of Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Chester. Although Camilla became the Princess of Wales upon her marriage to the Prince of Wales, she has chosen to be known by the alternative and lesser title of the Duchess of Cornwall, thereby avoiding confusion with her husband's first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. She is known by this title worldwide, but in Scotland protocol determines that she is properly styled the Duchess of Rothesay.
10a   D(ECO)RUM - ECO (Italian novelist [Umberto Eco]) contained in (wearing) DRUM (barrel)

12a   HASH - double definition; "make a mess of" & "hemp product"

Nanaimo Bars
13a   NAN(AIM)O BAR - NANOBAR (little bit of pressure) containing (about) AIM (plan)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. A nanobar is one-billionth (10−9) of a bar.

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert of Canadian origin popular across North America. The Nanaimo bar is a bar cookie which requires no baking, and is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavoured butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares.
15a   S(EVIL|L)E - {EVIL (bad) + L (piece of luck; i.e., the first letter of 'Luck')} contained in (in) SE (southeastern)
There is definitely some cryptic misdirection here, as Seville is actually located in southwestern Spain.
16a   T(I|BET)AN - {I (†) + BET (wager} contained in (invested in) TAN (bronze; as bask in the sun)

18a   F(OR)EVER - FEVER (frenzy) containing (around) OR (operating room)

20a   CALIPER* - anagram (plastic) of REPLICA

Egg Custard Tart
22a   {EGG CUSTARD}* - anagram (fresh) of DAGGER CUTS
Custard tarts have long been a favourite pastry in the British Isles, and are also widely enjoyed in Australia and New Zealand [as well as Canada, I might add]. They are often called egg custard tarts or simply egg custards to distinguish the egg-based filling from the commonly-served cornflour-based custards. They are sold in supermarkets and bakeries throughout the UK.
24a   F(RE)T - RE (about) contained in (entering) FT ([abbreviation for] fort)

26a   G(IVES) IN - IVES (Currier's partner [in the American printmaking firm Currier and Ives]) contained in (in) GIN (spirit)

27a   {MADE WAR}< - reversal of (returning) {RAW (unprocessed) + EDAM ([Dutch] cheese)}

28a   TOLL - double definition; "tax" & "chime"

Maple Syrup
29a   {MAPLE SYRUP}* - anagram (turned) of YAMS PURPLE
Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees that is often eaten with waffles, pancakes, oatmeal (porridge), and French toast. It is also used as an ingredient in baking, and as a sweetener and flavouring agent. It is frequently used in desserts or simply poured over them - in the case of ice cream, for example.

In cold climates, maple trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate some of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Quebec, Canada is by far the largest producer, making about three-quarters of the world's output. Vermont is the largest producer in the United States, and generates about 5.5 percent of the global supply.
Down

1d   BA(C)CH|US - {BACH ([German] composer [Johann Sebastian Bach]) + (with) US (our group)} containing (taking) C (cup)
In Greek mythology, Bacchus was another name for Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Semele. Originally a god of the fertility of nature, associated with wild and ecstatic religious rites, in later traditions he is a god of wine who loosens inhibitions and inspires creativity in music and poetry. Bacchus is the name which was adopted by the Romans for this god.
Mesa Verde Cactus
2d   _TI|ME SA|VER_ - hidden in (through) cacTI MESA VERde
The Mesa Verde cactus or Mesa Verde fishhook cactus, Sclerocactus mesae-verde, is a species of cactus in the Sclerocactus genus occurring in habitat at 4000–5000 ft. only in Colorado and New Mexico in the Four Corners region, United States.
3d   ELL|A - ELL (wing) + (along with) A (†)
Ella Fitzgerald (1917 – 1996), also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella", was an American jazz and song vocalist.
Teacake
4d   TEA CAKE - sounds like (heard) TEAK (wood) + ACHE (yearn)
A teacake is a light yeast-based sweet bun containing dried fruit, typically served toasted and buttered. However, as detailed in the Wikipedia article cited, there is much variation in teacakes (or tea cakes) around the world, and even regionally within the UK and the US.
5d   RED|RAFT - RED (embarrassed) + RAFT (multitude)

7d   CAROB - anagram (developed) of BROCA
Paul Broca (1824 – 1880) was a French physician, surgeon, anatomist, and anthropologist who is best known for his research on Broca's area, a region of the frontal lobe of the brain responsible for articulated language that has been named after him. It seems that, in Crosswordland, he may also have moonlighted as a food scientist.
8d   T(A|MAR)IN - {A (†) + MAR (blemish)} contained in TIN (metal)

11d   C(A|MP|B)ELL - CELL (room) containing (occupied by) {A (†) + MP (legislator; i.e., Member of Parliament) + B (British)}
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, PC, CC, QC is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993 (132 days). Campbell was the first and to date the only female Prime Minister of Canada, the first baby boomer to hold that office, and the only PM to have been born in British Columbia.
14d   F(LAV)OURS - LAV (john) containing (getting into) FOURS (quartets)

17d   TOP-DRAWER< - reversal (brought back) of {REWARD (prize) + POT (Mary Jane; i.e., marijuana)}

18d   FR(E)IGHT - E (empty) contained in (in) FRIGHT (panic)

19d   ROTUNDA* - anagram (dancing) of DO A TURN

Caramel Candy
20d   C(A|R)AMEL - CAMEL (ruminant) containing (eating) {A (†) + R (bit of rock; i.e., first letter of 'Rock')}

21d   RAT|TRAP< - reversal (going the other way) of {PART (leave) + TAR (sailor)}

23d   GA(V)EL - GAEL (highlander) containing (grabbing) V (vibist's first; i.e,, first letter of 'Vibist' [a musician who plays the vibraphone])

25d   A|DDS - A (†) + DDS (dental surgeon's degree; i.e., Doctor of Dental Surgery)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, November 25, 2011

Friday, November 25, 2011 - DT 26647

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26647
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, September 2, 2011
Setter
Giovanni
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26647]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I placed a question mark beside 13d, needing to research the political party referenced there. The setter, on the other hand, inserted a half-dozen question marks into the puzzle. The question marks in 5a and 25a  signal that the clues are cryptic definitions, while those in 9a, 7d and 20d indicate that the solution is an example of the definition (or vice versa). The question mark at 13d may also fall into this latter category.

I suffered a real mental block at 5d, where even though I had correctly figured out the "opening initially" and "reddish-brown" parts of the wordplay, I still failed to get the solution without using a word finder tool.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1a   It’s a sort of bird, we affirm (6)

The weaver[5] (also weaver bird) is a finch-like songbird of tropical Africa and Asia, related to the sparrows and building elaborately woven nests.

9a   Yokelish drama excited visitors to the seaside pier? (13)

In the UK, a holidaymaker[5] is a person on holiday away from home (or, as we would say in North America, on vacation).

10a   Hurried to far end of valley to grab one plant (8)

The valerian[5] is a Eurasian plant belong to the family Valerianaceae which typically bears clusters of small pink or white flowers. There are several species, in particular common valerian (Valeriana officinalis), a valued medicinal herb, and the Mediterranean red valerian (Centranthus ruber), grown for its spurred flowers which attract butterflies.

14a   Obscure group of women beginning to laugh coming in drunk (8)

Twilight[5] can mean a period or state of obscurity, ambiguity, or gradual decline. Usage examples of this sense of the word are (as a noun) "he was in the twilight of his career" and (as a nounal adjective) "a twilight world of secrecy".

19a   Single maiden with name for being poker-faced (6)

In cricket, a maiden, also known as a maiden over, (abbreviation M)[5] is an over in which no runs are scored. An over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

25a   Opposition group kept slightly in the dark? (6,7)

The Shadow Cabinet[7] is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government (the style of parliamentary democracy used in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth countries, including Canada) who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow each individual member of the official cabinet. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to pass criticism on the current government and its respective legislation, as well as offering alternative policies.

2d   I’m happier somehow, having abandoned pious biblical tribe (7)

Pi[5] is an informal British short form for pious.

6d   Part of New Zealand’s collection of books in the past (5)

Otago[5] is a region of New Zealand, on the SE coast of the South Island. In cryptic crossword clues, "books" often means either OT (Old Testament) or NT (New Testament).

7d   Time to study philosopher? It’s routine drudgery (9)

In the UK, read[5] means to study an academic subject at a university (I’m reading English at Cambridge). John Stuart Mill (1806–73) was an English philosopher and economist. Mill is best known for his political and moral works, especially On Liberty (1859), which argued for the importance of individuality, and Utilitarianism (1861), which extensively developed Bentham’s theory.

13d   Copy political party with untruth about woman being nasty? (9)

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)[5] is an extreme Loyalist political party in Northern Ireland, co-founded by Ian Paisley in 1972.

15d   All right for getting covered, wearing fur around old city (9)

In cryptic crossword clues, "old city" often refers to Ur[5], an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium bc, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium bc.

18d   Expert concealing old company’s shortfall (7)

Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI)[7] was a British chemical company, taken over in 2008 by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British economy".

20d   Maiden has upset cat? A blunder (7)

For a change, maiden is not a cricket term (see note for 19a). We are also treated, as a novelty, to a solution from this side of the Atlantic. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, misstep[5] is a North American term for a mistake or blunder, although Gazza waffles a bit saying only that is "mainly North American".
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thursday, November 24, 2011 - DT 26646

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26646
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Setter
Ray T
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26646]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

As Big Dave indicates, this is hardly one of Ray T's more difficult puzzles. I tackled it after a long day behind the wheel, so time was somewhat limited and my mind was definitely not as sharp as it might have been earlier in the day. I initially interpreted "getting" at 11a as a charade indicator (rather than a containment indicator), and thus tried to put the T at the end of the solution (instead of inside it). At 19d, I wrote the I and the E rather sloppily, making the I look like an L - which messed me up for quite some time on 23a.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

7a   Singer’s cadenza ends in very old record (8)

A cadenza[5] is a virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concerto or other musical work, typically near the end. In South Africa, have a cadenza[5] is an informal expression meaning to be extremely agitated (the party is having a cadenza about subliminal messages on the news) [said to be from Danny Kaye's The Little Fiddle, a humorous recording made in the 1940s]. However, no matter what meaning one ascribes to cadenza, the surface reading does not seem to make a lot of sense.

9a   Criminal after fine, one almost in jug (6)

In Britain, a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison might be referred to informally as a lag[5] (both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment).

10a   Hamlet perhaps, desperate character chasing Ophelia’s heart (4)

Desperate Dan[7] is a wild west character in the British comic The Dandy. He first appeared in its first issue, dated 4 December 1937. He is apparently the world's strongest man, able to lift a cow with one hand. Even his beard is so tough he has to shave with a blowtorch.

At first blush, the wordplay seems to be reversed with DAN following (chasing) E (Ophelia's heart). However, one must mentally insert a comma with the wordplay then having the sense 'desperate character[,] chasing [is] Ophelia's heart'.

15a   It’s hard when one’s out of luck! (6)

Hard cheese[5] is an informal British expression used to express sympathy over a petty matter (jolly hard cheese, better luck next time!).

20a   Hitch cables to rock (8)

My objective was to find an anagram (hitch) of CABLES TO meaning "rock", but I ended up with just the opposite. Or did I - a rock can be an obstacle, n'est-ce pas?

24a   Criminal proclivity? (4)

In Britain, bent[5] is an adjective used informally to mean dishonest or corrupt (a bent cop).

26a   Turn up record, ‘Endless Love’ by Queen (8)

'Endless' often indicates the deletion of the last letter of a word. However, here it signifies that both ends of the word "love" must be removed to produce OV. The wordplay is DISC (record) + OV (endless love) + (by) ER (the royal monogram of Queen Elizabeth, from the Latin Elizabetha Regina).

The inclusion of a reference to his favourite rock band (Queen) is a characteristic trademark of a Ray T puzzle. I'm not sure that Queen ever recorded Endless Love, but Diana Ross and Lionel Richie certainly did.



1d   Amorous and sensual, topless, embracing chap (8)

Another trademark of Ray T is the slightly risqué clue - although this one is definitely quite tame by his standards.

16d   …ergo sum initially includes case for philosopher (8)

If you thought Descartes, you had the wrong chap - not to mention an extra letter. Cogito ergo sum[7] is the Latin expression of Descartes famous dictum 'I think, therefore I am'.

19d   Challenged, providing over in action (6)

I carelessly entered DENIED here.

21d   Opening of big estate for shoot (6)

Estate is probably not a word that most North Americans would use for a ranch, but it would seem to be one that the Brits might use.

22d   Nearly American on ‘Fifty-Second Street’ (6)

In the UK, mo[5] is an informal term for a short period of time (hang on a mo!) [abbreviation of  moment].
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 - DT 26645

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26645
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Setter
Jay
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26645]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

After a slow start, I seemed to get tuned into the right wavelength today and was able to finish without help from my Tool Chest.

I failed to notice the Nina in this puzzle. A Nina consists of a word, words or phrase hidden within a pattern of cells in the completed grid. Look at the "light" squares along the outer edges of the grid and you will see that they contain the words LIGHT and SHADE (each of which appears twice). Presumably, these refer to the shaded and unshaded (light) spaces in a crossword grid. In Britain, a light is a blank space in a crossword puzzle to be filled by a letter. You can read more on this subject at What is a Nina?

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.
9a   Hanging around, admits love for housework (9)

In the UK, hoover[5] (a genericized version of the trade name Hoover) means (as a noun) a vacuum cleaner (from any manufacturer) and (as a verb) to clean (something) with a vacuum cleaner (he was hoovering the stairs). The Hoover Company[7] started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name became synonymous with vacuum cleaners and vacuuming in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The extra O comes from "love", a score of zero in tennis. The numeral "0" resembles the letter "O", giving rise to this substitution in cryptic crosswords.
13a   Theatre audience chase complimentary drinks — here? (4,5)

In Britain, a free house[5] is a pub not controlled by a brewery and therefore not restricted to selling particular brands of beer or spirits.

20a   Muzzle new crew? (4)

For this clue to work, one must interpret "muzzle" as 'put a gag on' and not merely 'gag'.

4d   Food for a politician sheltering in bothy? (7)

In Scotland, a bothy[5] is a small hut or cottage, especially one for housing farm labourers or for use as a mountain refuge. A Lib.[5] is a member of the Liberal Party[5], a British political party.

5d   Keep tabs on regular time for race (5,5)

This version of the clue also appeared in the printed edition of The Daily Telegraph in Britain. However, the version that appeared online in the UK was:
  • Follow regular source of trouble for mile maybe (5,5)
13d   Dreams supporters welcome volunteers with measurements (10)

As we saw yesterday, the Territorial Army (TA)[5] is a British volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency.

14d   I lengthen edited composition, free from prejudice (9)

Despite the discussion on Big Dave's blog on this matter, I would say that the anagram indicator is "edited composition". This I would interpret to mean I LENGTHEN with its composition edited (i.e., with its makeup changed).

15d   Refuge assists these council employees (4,5)

In the UK, a home help[5] is a person employed, especially by a local authority, to help in another’s home.

26d   Region where soldiers are protected by motorists (4)

The Automobile Association (AA[5]) is the British counterpart to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) or American Automobile Association (AAA). The Royal Engineers (RE)[5] is the field engineering and construction corps of the British army.

28d   Pleasant corner of market lacks hotel (4)

Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - DT 26644

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26644
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26644]
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
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Although the puzzle contains a fair dose of Briticisms, it is relatively easy and I did complete it unaided. However, I'm sure I took far longer to solve it than did most of the Brits.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

9a   Shop in African country without a pointer to policy (9)

Guinea is a country on the west coast of Africa; population 10,058,000 (est. 2009); languages, French (official), Fulani, Susu, Malinke, and others; capital, Conakry. Part of a feudal Fulani empire from the 16th century, Guinea was colonized by France, becoming part of French West Africa. It became an independent republic in 1958.

13a   Established English author backed for honour (6)

I have often seen the creator of a puzzle refer to himself or herself in a clue as "setter" or "compiler". However, whoever fashioned today's offering apparently prefers to be referred to as "author". These usages usually indicate that either 'ME' or 'I' must be substituted for whatever title the person producing the puzzle has chosen to employ.

15a   Delightful soul getting tipsy around Channel Islands with American (8)

The wordplay in this clue could almost be parsed two ways. As Gazza seems to have seen it initially, it might be {soul getting tipsy} around {Channel Islands with American} or it might be (as he appears to have converted to on second thought) {soul getting tipsy around Channel Islands} with {American}. In the former instance, "American" would be replaced by the first occurrence of US in the solution while, in the latter, it would be the second occurrence. The latter choice might be slightly preferred, as this interpretation makes "with" a straight-forward charade indicator. In the former choice, "with" would need to imply 'preceded by' - a meaning which I think is certainly not out of the question.

The Channel Islands (CI)[5] are a group of islands in the English Channel off the NW coast of France, of which the largest are Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; population 200,000 (est. 2007). Formerly part of the dukedom of Normandy, they have owed allegiance to England since the Norman Conquest in 1066, and are now classed as Crown dependencies.

24a   Tense and quiet game held in rickety hut (7)

In Britain, tig[5] is another name for the children's game of tag. Piano (p)[5] is a musical direction meaning soft  or quiet.

29a   Worthy Irish county and river (5)

Mayo[5] is a county in the Republic of Ireland, in the north-west in the province of Connacht; county town, Castlebar.

1d   Cheshire VIP? (3,6)

Cheshire[5] is a kind of firm crumbly cheese, originally made in Cheshire[5], a county of west central England; county town, Chester.

2d   Dispossess six entering a form of therapy (5)

In psychiatry, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)[4] is the treatment of certain psychotic conditions by passing an electric current through the brain to induce coma or convulsions. It is also called electroshock therapy.

5d   Retired fellow showing appeal in elaborate resume (8)

While I hardly think that "It"[7] can be considered an abbreviation (as Gazza describes it), it is a term that has come to mean sex appeal - although, in its earliest manifestation, it seems that the term pertained more to personality than to glamorous looks. Although the term had been used as early as 1904 by Rudyard Kipling, it was popularized  in the 1927 film It starring Clara Bow (who became known as the It Girl).

6d   Note volunteers on largely pleasant ship (7)

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency.

8d   Flower that’s charmingly old-fashioned close to shed (5)

The Tweed[5] is a river which rises in the Southern Uplands of Scotland and flows generally eastwards, crossing into NE England and entering the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed. For part of its lower course it forms the border between Scotland and England. Twee[5] is a British expression denoting excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental (although the film’s a bit twee, it’s watchable). Finally, "flower" takes on its fanciful cryptic crossword meaning of river (something that flows) - a cryptic crossword convention that I discussed in yesterday's blog.

14d   Criticism following article on special rural parts (3,6)

In informal British speech, stick[5] means severe criticism or treatment (I took a lot of stick from the press).

17d   Educational institute with good group, one linguistically talented (8)

In the UK, poly[5] is used as a short form for polytechnic[5], an institution of higher education offering courses at degree level or below, especially in vocational subjects. In Britain the term polytechnic has largely dropped out of use. In 1989 British polytechnics gained autonomy from local education authorities and in 1992 were able to call themselves universities.

19d   Artist in East supporting this country — and another (7)

A Royal Academician (RA)[5] is a member of the Royal Academy of the Arts[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose was to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. Also, when solving this clue, keep in mind that the puzzle was originally published in the United Kingdom.

22d   Clumsily move logs (6)

According to several dictionaries, lumber[4] meaning "logs" is a North American usage, not British. In my experience, the term invariably means sawn timber but the dictionaries do say that it can mean simply logs. In Britain, lumber[5] means articles of furniture or other household items that are no longer useful and inconveniently take up storage space. In Scotland, lumber[5] is used informally (as a verb) to mean casually strike up a relationship with a prospective sexual partner (he lumbered her from a pub in London) or (as a noun) to denote a person regarded as a prospective sexual partner (they end the evening in a disco where they wait for a lumber).
References: 
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
Signing off for today - Falcon