Monday, May 28, 2012 - DT 26812

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26812
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26812]
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

This is a puzzle where you need to find a starting point and then build out from that beachhead. My electronic aids got to enjoy a long weekend.

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   Shot, clerical dignitary, reportedly at social function (10)

A canon^[5] is a member of the clergy who is on the staff of a cathedral, especially one who is a member of the chapter • he was appointed canon of Christ Church, Oxford.

13a   In New York, a sole cooked with onions (9)

In cookery, lyonnaise^[5] is an adjective indicating that food, especially sliced potatoes, is cooked with onions or with a white wine and onion sauce.

15a   Prince about to broadcast back in capital (8)

According to Chambers, P^[1] is an abbreviation for Prince.

16a   Old thriller writer taking stroll by river (6)

Eric Ambler^[7] (1909 – 1998) was an influential British author of spy novels who introduced a new realism to the genre.

1d   Stagger, having no head for wine (4)

Hock^[5] is a British term for a dry white wine from the German Rhineland.

2d   Trainer mostly worried about English racecourse (7)

Aintree Racecourse^[7], a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England is the home of the Grand National steeplechase, one of the most famous horse races in the world.

3d   Limitations of concise US poet, it’s said (12)

E. E. Cummings^[7] (1894 – 1962) was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. His name is often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings (in the style of some of his poems), although this is apparently not a style that he himself encouraged.

4d   Satirist, a Bel Air comic, on second (8)

François Rabelais^[7] (c. 1494 – 1553) was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar.

Bel Air^[7] is an affluent residential community in the hills of the Westside of the city of Los Angeles, California. Together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills it forms the Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles neighborhoods.

8d   Following bullock, soldier and dog (3,7)

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

21d   Pirate in element following my lead in sea-roving (7)

Cor^[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm: Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!

25d   Study prepared? Almost (4)

In Britain, to read^[5] means to study (an academic subject) at a university • I’m reading English at Cambridge or (with no object) he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[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)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon