Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - DT 26867

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26867
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26867]
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

You shouldn't find today's offering from Jay to be too taxing.

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   A way into church offering social status (5)

The Church of England (abbreviation CE)[5] is the English branch of the Western Christian Church, which combines Catholic and Protestant traditions, rejects the Pope’s authority, and has the monarch as its titular head. The English Church was part of the Catholic Church until the Reformation of the 16th century; after Henry VIII failed to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon he repudiated papal supremacy, bringing the Church under the control of the Crown.

17a   Careless broadcast shows needs (5)

Was Pommers being a bit careless when he wrote his hint, "This word for needs is a homophone (broadcast) of a word meaning careless or negligent."? I can't think of any homophone such as he describes. I saw the wordplay as an anagram (broadcast) of SLACK (careless).

20a   Hope game has primarily got something for devotees (6,3)

I was sure that the devotees here were sports fans — rather than religious adherents — which threw me well off track.

Rugby union (RU)[5] is a form of rugby played in teams of fifteen, in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen.

25a   Ring, and yearn to express a view (5)

The use of the word "ring" to clue the letter O is known as a visual clue[7]. Single letter visual clues are fairly common (others being the use of "love" and "duck" to clue the letter O, since "love" is a score of 0 in tennis or squash and duck is a batsman's score of 0 in cricket, and the number 0 looks like the letter O). However, multi-letter visual clues (other than simple plurals of those already mentioned) are less common. The most commonly encountered one is likely the use of the word "spectacles" to clue OO — which looks like a drawing of a pair of spectacles.

27a   Shade’s a bit circumspect, really (7)

A new meaning for me, shade[5] is a literary term for a ghost • the ghost is the shade of Lucy Walters, first mistress of Charles II.

28a   Cards on the table? Heard why party is in part of garden (3-4)

In Britain, a garden[5] is defined as a piece of ground adjoining a house, typically cultivated to provide a lawn and flowerbeds. Thus a British garden is equivalent to a North American yard, and encompasses the lawn as well as the flower beds.

7d   Resident’s final check on bingo call (9)

The British version of bingo[7] bears very little resemblance to the North American game of the same name (or one might say that they are about as similar as cricket and baseball). The British game (formerly called housey-housey) and the North American version both involve matching numbers drawn at random to those on tickets (Britain) or cards (North America). However, the format of British tickets is totally different from that of North American cards — and, consequently, so are the winning combinations. In Britain, it is common for winners to yell "House!" (rather than "Bingo!") when a winning combination is attained.

There is some discussion on Big Dave's blog concerning the use of "on" as a charade indicator. Here, it is used in the sense of 'added to' as 'a wing on a house'. When used in this fashion, "B on A" becomes AB (the rationale being that in order to add B to A, you first need to write A and then add B, with English text being written left to right). In a down clue, "on" could also mean 'on top of' with "B on A" then being BA (B written on top of A in a down clue). While the former usage is equally meaningful in either an across or a down clue, the latter clearly applies only in a down clue. Some people hold that the former usage should not be used in a down clue in that it creates ambiguity as to which interpretation is the correct one. Given that the objective of a cryptic crossword compiler is to create misdirection, this element of ambiguity would hardly seem unfair. In fact, there are any number of words which can have multiple meanings in cryptic puzzles. One example is the word "without" which can mean either 'lacking' or 'outside of'. Another is the word "about" which can sometimes be an anagram indicator, sometimes a containment indicator, or sometimes it is charade fodder (cluing any of the abbreviations C, CA or RE).

8d   Italy invested in grant for such a tree (7)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Italy is I[5].

15d   Drunken binge — rue a pickled vegetable! (9)

Aubergine[5] is the British name for eggplant. My thoughts concerning the double anagram indicator closely paralleled those of Pommers. While aubergine can be pickled (per this recipe from Jamie Oliver), Pommers is likely correct in thinking that the two words (drunken and pickled) are included mainly to enhance the surface reading.

17d   Better protected by circuits in computers (7)

"Better" here is a verb, used in the sense "Athletes in London hope to better their previous results."

22d   Collapsed on top of lump hammer (5)

A lump hammer[10] (which I suspect is a British term) would seem to be a mini version of a sledgehammer — similar in appearance, but with a shorter handle and smaller head.

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

Monday, July 30, 2012

Monday, July 30, 2012 - DT 26866

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26866
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26866]
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
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, July 28, 2012 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

This puzzle from an unknown setter appears to have received Gazza's seal of approval.

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   Rather inferior wine I bottled, rouge with no body (8)

Médoc[5] is a red wine (or rouge[2] ) produced in Médoc, the area along the left bank of the Gironde estuary in SW France.

10a   Spirits supplied by good landlords (6)

In Britain, a man who keeps a pub is known as a landlord[5]. Mine host[5]. is a humorous reference to the landlord or landlady of a pub mine host raised his glass of whisky.

11a   Singular person who amuses perfectionist (8)

Although there is nothing very difficult about this clue, it seems that it just did not tickle my thought processes sufficiently to produce a solution. Singular, as a grammatical term, is abbreviated s[5].

12a   Book a week in it, local resort (1,4,4,5)

A Town Like Alice[7] (U.S. title: The Legacy) is a novel by the British-Australian author Nevil Shute. The novel was adapted to film in 1956 as A Town Like Alice. It starred Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch, directed by Jack Lee. This film was known as Rape of Malaya in U.S. cinemas, and by various other titles in non-English-speaking countries.

15a   Woodhouse or Wodehouse finally married academic (4)

Emma Woodhouse[7] is the 20-year old protagonist of Jane Austen's novel Emma. Wodehouse[7] is an English surname, the best-known holder of which is likely English humour writer P.G. Wodehouse[7].

19a   Some basket chairs, etc, hard to carve (4)

If you fail to see the solution hidden (some) in baskET CHairs, you get a second chance in ETC, Hard.

27a   See rubbish leading to cave (6)

Grot is British slang for something unpleasant, dirty, or of poor quality they watch endless grot on telly [television]. Reggie Perrin (mentioned in Gazza's review) is the title character in the 1970s BBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (reprised as Reggie Perrin[7] in 2009-2010). The series is based on a novel of the same name (after being retitled to match the name of the television series) by English comedy writer David Nobbs. The story concerns a middle-aged middle manager, Reggie Perrin, who is driven to bizarre behaviour by the pointlessness of his job as a sales executive at Sunshine Desserts. After being fired from this job, Reggie "opens a shop called Grot, where he sells useless products like square hoops, round dice and Tom's wine (made from sprouts, nettles and the like) hoping it will be an interesting failure. However, the products are snapped up as novelties, and Grot becomes a huge success."

There was a minor controversy at Big Dave's site regarding the word "See" in the clue. As I see it, if you see a synonym for rubbish in front of (leading) TO as being another name for a cave, then you will have found the solution. Should you not see this, then you will be left with some blank squares in the grid.

3d   River Trent’s banks? (4)

The Tees[5] is a river of NE England which rises in Cumbria and flows 128 km (80 miles) generally south-eastwards to the North Sea at Middlesbrough. The Trent[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.

4d  Pottery in Russian vehicle (6)

I interpretted pottery[5] to be used here in the sense of a factory or workshop where pottery is made a visit to a Staffordshire pottery. Troika[7] was an art pottery operating in Cornwall from 1963 to 1983. Troika, as Gazza interprets it, can also refer to the pottery that was produced by this studio — which are now apparently considered to be antique ceramics and sought after by collectors.

5d   Rebound causing defender to shoot (8)

A back[5] is a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards their backs showed some impressive running and passing. This definition applies to games such as association football (soccer) and field hockey, but not to North American football where there are both offensive and defensive backs (who alternately take the field depending on which team has possession of the ball). In hockey (ice hockey for the Brits), the equivalent position is called a defenceman (in both men's and women's hockey).

6d   Conservative writer? Correct (4-6)

In Britain, as in Canada, blue is the colour associated with the Conservative party — although it would, no doubt, have been more accurate to phrase this the other way around.

13d   Stolen jewellery? Nonsense (10)

I managed to come up with the correct solution — without knowing why. Tomfoolery (often shortened to tom; rhyming slang)[1] means jewellery, especially stolen jewellery [obviously a British usage].

14d   Latest in dock 19 is a two-master (5)

The number "19" is a cross-reference indicator. To complete the clue, insert the solution to 19a (the only entry starting on the square numbered 19) in place of the cross-reference indicator.

18d   Old man, leader of Hallé and American orchestra (7)

The Hallé[7] is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England.

26d   Chapter about origin of wedding band (4)

While, in general, either c.[2] or ch[2] are accepted as abbreviations for chapter, only one is valid today.
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

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012 - Cheese Tasting

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon we get to sample a few varieties of cheese.The puzzle is not overly difficult but the American setters do throw in a couple of British terms.









Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across

1a   GRAND(E DAM)E* - EDAM (cheese) contained in (in) an anagram (terrible) of DANGER

6a   SCAM_ - SCAM[P] (rascal) with the last letter deleted (curtailed)

9a   ANNE|X - ANNE (English Queen; Queen Anne[7]) + X (kiss)

10a   SYCOPHANT* - anagram (when confused) of ACTS PHONY

12a   P(OTHER)B - OTHER (else) contained in (stuck in) PB ([symbol for the chemical element] lead)

13a   DR|OUGHT - DR (doctor) + OUGHT (should)

14a   SO|T - SO (very) + T (true)

15a   CON|AN O'(BRIE)N - CON (sting) + ANON (soon) containing (eating) BRIE (cheese)

18a   S(CREAM)INGLY - SINGLY (one at a time) containing (eating) CREAM (kind of cheese)

21a   FIR_ - FIR[E] (shoot) with the last letter deleted (cut short)

22a   PLECTRA* - anagram (apart) of CPR TALE

24a   AND|ANTE - AND (†) + ANTE (start for a card game)

26a   QUID|DITCH - QUID (British pound) + DITCH (trench)
This clue will appeal to fans of Harry Potter — but may be lost on anyone else.
27a   BL|IN|I - BL (pair [i.e., first two letters] of BLueberries) + IN (†) + I ([Roman numeral for] one)

28a   _EATS - [H]EATS (warms up) with the first letter deleted (except for the first bit)

29a   SWI(SHINE)SS - SWISS (kind of cheese) containing (possessing) SHINE (gloss)

Down

1d   GRAMP(USE)S - GRAMPS (Dad's dad) containing (has) USE (†)

2d   AN|NOT|AT|OR - AN (one) + NOT (†) + AT (near) + OR (operating room)

3d   D(IX)IE - DIE (stop working) containing (around) IX (nine)

4d   DUST(B)IN - DUSTIN (Hoffman; American actor Dustin Hoffman[7]) containing (acquires) B (second-rate)
Dustbin[4] is the British term for a garbage can or trash can.
5d   MACE|DON - MACE (club) + DON (fellow at Oxford)
At Oxford and Cambridge universities, a fellow[10] is a member of the governing body of a college who is usually a member of the teaching staff. A don[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

Macedon[10] (also known as Macedonia) is a region of the Southern Balkans, now divided among Greece, Bulgaria, and modern-day Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). As a kingdom in the ancient world it achieved prominence under Philip II (359–336 bc) and his son Alexander the Great.
7d   CLAN|G - CLAN (family) + G ($1000)

8d   MOTE|T - MOTE (spot) + T (Trombone's opening [letter])

11d   P|LOWBOY - P (piano; musical direction) + (and) LOWBOY (chest of drawers

15d   CHA(RTE)D - RTE (route) contained in (in) CHAD (African country)

16d   INF(ANT)ILE - ANT (insect) contained in (entering) {IN (†) + FILE (column)}

17d   NURSERIES* - anagram (fixed up) of REINSURES

19d   {IN A STEW}* - anagram (tangled) of AS TWINE

20d   G(N)ASHES - N (last [letter] of corN) contained in (in) GASHES (wide swaths)

22d   PIQUE~ - sounds like (heard) PEAK (climax)

23d   EXIST* - anagram (playing) of TEX IS

25d   DUB|A|I - DUB (name) + A ([indefinite] article) + I (island)
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

Friday, July 27, 2012

Friday, July 27, 2012 - DT 26865

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26865
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, May 14, 2012
Setter
Rufus
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26865]
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 26864 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

Introduction

Today we have a very enjoyable offering from Rufus that you may find to be slightly more of a challenge than his customary fare.

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   The fisherman who does will be more pleased than the boatman (5,1,4)

Although I may be stretching things a bit by claiming to have solved this clue, I did see the correct solution —  I just had absolutely no idea why it was correct. The boatman here is a participant in a rowing competition. Dictionaries from either side of the Atlantic agree that "catch a crab" is a faux pas in rowing — they just don't agree on the details. According to Collins English Dictionary[4], it means to make a stroke in which the oar either misses the water or digs too deeply, causing the rower to fall backwards. On the other hand, The American Heritage Dictionary[3] says it is to make a faulty stroke in rowing that causes the blade of the oar to strike the water on the recovery stroke.

18a   Uninhibited side-to-side movement by footballer (4,8)

Another case where I didn't understand the wordplay but still managed to find the correct solution. Here "side-to-side" means from one team to another. In professional association football (soccer), a free transfer[7] involves a club releasing a player once the player's contract has expired or making a player available just before the end of the contract.

26a   Direction from a governor that must be obeyed (5)

I missed the hidden word wordplay and concocted a theory that the clue might be a reference to Lord North[7] who was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782, leading Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence.

28a   Is no longer a back number? (3-4)

In Britain, an issue of a periodical earlier than the current one is called a back number[5] (known in North America as a back issue). The term back number is also used informally in the UK to denote a person or thing seen as outdated or past their prime.

2d   A learner can get many grants (6)

Apologies if you've seen this before! 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 various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

3d   Quiet, shy chap to turn into a violent one (10)

More apologies! Piano[3,5] (abbreviation p[5]), is a musical direction meaning either soft or quiet (as an adjective) or softly or quietly (as an adverb).

4d   There’s a moral in the thickness of thieves (5)

This time I did see the hidden word. I expect that some will complain that the final two words of the clue are totally unnecessary to the cryptic reading of the clue. Nevertheless, the hidden word is found in the phrase "the thickness of thieves" which, of course, is a variation on the well-known expression "thick as thieves".

5d   Irregularities in a semolina recipe (9)

It seems to me that the use of "recipe" as an anagram indicator might be considered to be a bit of an irregularity. Anagram indicators are normally verbs expressing some idea of movement or mixing. A recipe might provide the instructions to create an anagram but it is hardly going to accomplish the task.

6d   Bespectacled greeting in American state (4)

Here we have a fairly rare sighting of a type of clue known as a visual clue[7]. The letter combination OO looks like a drawing of a pair of spectacles. As "bespectacled" means wearing spectacles, the wordplay is interpreted as HI (greeting) contained in (wearing) OO (spectacles).

20d   Part of 100-metre dash (6)

It took a long time for the penny to drop on this clue. As my mother used to say, the solution is "hiding in plain sight".

23d   Huge cost of electrical safety precaution (5)

In Britain, the earth[5] represents a very large amount her hat cost the earth.

24d   Drop out of old American college (4)

To complete Libellule's thought, Cambridge, Massachusetts is the home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)[7].
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

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012 - DT 26863

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26863
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, May 10, 2012
Setter
Giovanni
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26863]
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 was surprised to see that this puzzle was rated four stars for difficulty by Gazza. My performance can likely be attributed to the small number of British references in the puzzle – and those that are present are all familiar to me.

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   Sign this writer on to go to extremes (4)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as setter, compiler, author, or writer to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must usually substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used  in the clue. 

12a   Superior map produced by duke to show type of territory (6)

As we saw in yesterday's puzzle, in Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective with respect to language or social behaviour meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes (U manners). In today's puzzle, the setter clues it as "superior" (whereas yesterday it was "socially acceptable"). The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

21a   Second bean plant at top of pole? (6-2)

Runner bean[5] is a British name for what I know as the scarlet runner bean. According to Wikipedia[7], " In the UK, the flowers are often ignored, or treated as an attractive bonus to cultivating the plant for the beans, whereas in the US the scarlet runner is widely grown for its attractive flowers by people who would never think of eating it." In my experience, Canadians are closer to the Yanks than the Brits when it comes to this plant.

3d   My delight no longer conveyed in song (12)

Although I did eventually get the correct solution (it was my last one in), I only understood the wordplay after reading the lyrics to the song.

4d   Zestful organisation to help motorists coming to journey’s end (4)

The Royal Automobile Club[7] (RAC) is a British private club. Founded in 1897 with the aim of encouraging the development of motoring in Britain, today the Royal Automobile Club is one of London’s finest private members' clubs. Like many other "gentlemen's clubs" in London today, the Royal Automobile Club now has women as well as men as members.

RAC Limited[7] is a private limited company based in the United Kingdom supplying roadside assistance as well as other products and services for motorists. It started its existence as part of the Royal Automobile Club but has since been divested.
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

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - DT 26862

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26862
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Setter
Ray T
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26862]
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

In today's puzzle, Ray T has toned down the difficulty — as well as the innuendo — a notch.

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   Still Caledonian’s first dressed in tartan (6)

Caledonia[10], the Roman name for Scotland, is now used poetically and, sometimes, humorously. Caledonian may either be an adjective meaning of or relating to Scotland or, as in this clue, a noun (used in a literary context) denoting a native or inhabitant of Scotland.

14a   Go abroad, it’s grand in Abu Dhabi (8)

... Abu Dhabi[10] being an example of an emirate.

15a   Pressure’s socially acceptable wearing frock (6)

In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective with respect to language or social behaviour meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes (U manners). In today's puzzle, the setter clues it as "socially acceptable". The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

22a   Push Tory leader for financial statement (6)

Big Dave's illustration shows British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne carrying his Budget speech to the House of Commons in the traditional red budget box[7].

1d   In eating, our man devours (8)

Big Dave illustrates this clue with a picture of himself.

3d   Liberal in Conservatives perhaps, to a degree (6)

Like Canada, Britain has Liberal and Conservative Parties.

5d   Changed midstream detaining Navy engineer (10)

In case you are wondering, N[1] as an abbreviation for navy is found in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition — although seemingly nowhere else.

8d   Got well-educated, no beginner (6)

Big Dave must have been distracted by 16d, as the end of this hint appears to have gone missing. The wordplay is LEARNED (well-educated) with the initial letter deleted (no beginner).

13d   An impediment to free speech? (10)

Still distracted, Big Dave has repeated the phrase "inflammation of the" in the hint.

16d   One displaying tackle on pitch? (8)

Should not the streaker in Big Dave's illustrations have been male since tackle[5] is British vulgar slang for a man’s genitals?

21d   Exclusive class owns large country pile (6)

A pile[5] is a large imposing building or group of buildings a Victorian Gothic pile. I was surprised to discover that this is apparently not a Briticism as it is also found in The American Heritage Dictionary[3].

24d   Queen turned over in check (4)

It would not be a Ray T puzzle without a mention of his favourite band in the surface reading — which happens to double as Her Majesty in the cryptic reading. By tradition, British monarchs use initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus Queen Elizabeth's initials are ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
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

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - DT 26861

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26861
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Setter
Jay
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26861]
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

The puzzle not being overly difficult today, my electronic assistants got to enjoy a day off.

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   Thank you note asks for money (4)

Ta[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.

3a   Learner wearing joke jumper is a clumsy fool (10)

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 various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction. In British and Irish slang, a cod[10] is a hoax or trick.

9a   Voting system is working in gaol (6)

In Britain, gaol[5] is an alternative spelling of jail. Proportional representation (abbreviation PR)[5] is an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

10a   King George and father grab a quiet drink (6)

By tradition, British monarchs use initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus Queen Elizabeth's initials are ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina — and those of her father, King George VI were GR[5] — from Georgius Rex.

Piano[3,5] (abbreviation p[5]), is a musical direction meaning either soft or quiet (as an adjective) or softly or quietly (as an adverb).

13a   Bed rest taken regularly after some golf game (8)

Rounders[5,7] is a a ball game – similar to and a precursor of baseball – played (chiefly by British and Irish schoolchildren) with a cylindrical wooden bat, in which players run round a circuit of bases after hitting the ball.

14a   Field sports, initially with copper present (6)

A copper[2] is a coin of low value made of copper or bronze. Oxford Dictionaries may think this is a British term[5], but I would say that it enjoys widespread use in North America.

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   Put up with topless yobbos and aggressive moves (4,4)

Yobbo[5] is another term for yob[5] (back slang for boy), both being informal British terms for a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth.

24a   Grudgingly accept new role in gallery (8)

The Tate Gallery[5] (or simply the Tate) is a national museum of art at Millbank, London, founded in 1897 by the sugar manufacturer Sir Henry Tate (1819–99) to house his collection of modern British paintings, as a nucleus for a permanent national collection of modern art. It was renamed Tate Britain in 2000, when the new Tate Modern gallery opened.

26a   Almost cherished name for man of the church (4)

A dean[7], in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church. In the Church of England and elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, the dean is the chief resident cleric of a cathedral or other collegiate church and the head of the chapter of canons. If the cathedral or collegiate church has its own parish, the dean is usually also rector of the parish.

1d   Set off in time and fixed with engineers inside (9)

The Corps of Royal Engineers (RE)[5] is the field engineering and construction corps of the British army.

In his review, Pommers alludes that rigged is "a word which can mean fixed or kitted out". In Britain, a kit[5] is the clothing used for an activity such as a sport and to kit someone or something out (or up)[5] is to provide someone or something with the appropriate clothing or equipment we were all kitted out in life jackets.

2d   Pregnant rep lies about investor (8,7)

In Britain, a partner not sharing in the actual work of a firm is known as a sleeping partner[5]. In North America, such a person would be called a silent partner[5].

4d   Old fools, trapping English wild cats (7)

Clot[5] is British slang for a a foolish or clumsy person Watch where you’re going, you clot!

15d   Always popular, the first lady runs without experience (9)

"The first lady" is not Michelle Obama[5], but the first woman mentioned in the Bible.

17d   Mourn the French way? (3)

Rue[8] is the French word for street.

18d   Block sources of support and help useless posh bloke (4,3)

In British slang, toff[5] is a derogatory term for a rich or upper-class person.
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

Monday, July 23, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012 - DT 26860

Puzzle at a Glance
Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number
DT 26860
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26860]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Crypticsue
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
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, July 21, 2012 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

The puzzle was a bit more of a challenge to me than it was to Crypticsue — and, perhaps not surprisingly, a bit more enjoyable for me also. This, no doubt, reflects the fact that she has considerable more experience than I do with these puzzles.

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   Seaside treat best to eat cold (4-3)

Choc-ice[5] is a British term for a small bar of ice cream with a thin coating of chocolate.

5a   Strange dog is running round Oxford University (7)

Chambers 21st Century Dictionary[2] and Collins English Dictionary[10] both list OU as the definition for either the Open University or Oxford University. Ironically, Oxford Dictionaries[5] includes only the former.

11a   Cameron drinking ice tea mixed with a bit of elderberry for a spell of calm (9)

David Cameron[7] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. I have to raise my hand in response to Crypticsue's query, "Anyone else spend time trying to fit ‘Dave’ into this one?!". This based on previous mentions on Big Dave's blog to "Call me Dave" in reference to the Prime Minister. Wikipedia says that "Cameron is reported to be known to friends and family as "Dave", though he invariably uses "David'" in public. Critics often refer to him as "Call me Dave", implying populism in the same way as "Call me Tony" was used in 1997." During the 13 year period that Labour was in power in the UK (starting in 1997 with the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair), senior civil servants were encouraged to call ministers by their first names. This practice was apparently terminated shortly before the 2010 general election in which the Conservatives took power. [read more]

12a   Blackadder finally trapped by silly plan (5)

Blackadder[7] is a British sitcom that appeared on the BBC intermittently from 1983 to 1989 (with occasional subsequent specials). It starred British comic actor Rowan Atkinson — well-known for his portrayal of Mr. Bean.

17a   Soldier on manoeuvres peers around at all times (9)

In her hint, Crypticsue alludes to Mary, a regular contributor to the comments section of Big Dave's blog. Mary is well-known for "coining" new words — her most famous being 'perservate'.

26a   Maiden wriggling toes in water (7)

In cricket, a maiden[5], 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.

27a   Happy with a smaller amount in sack (7)

One meaning for blessed is characterized by happiness or good fortunea blessed time.

28a         One who’s chosen no wealth: ultimate in abstinence (7)

Mine[3] is used in the sense of an abundant supply or source of something valuable • This guidebook is a mine of information.

1d   Climber and sycophant will be seen by the Queen (7)

It would appear that the word creep may have a broader meaning on the other side of the Atlantic. The American Heritage Dictionary defines creep as meaning an annoyingly unpleasant or repulsive person[3] , whereas Collins English Dictionary has it as a person considered to be obnoxious or servile[4] (the latter corresponding to the usage in the clue).

By tradition, British monarchs use initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus Queen Elizabeth's initials are ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

2d   Herb for e.g. an omelette? In part (7)

Given that "e.g." means "for example", the "for" in the clue would seem to be rather redundant from a grammatical perspective. However, the clue would not work otherwise.

3d   Cost after top of ivy’s hacked off (5)

To hack someone off is slang (presumably British) meaning to annoy or infuriate someone it really hacks me off when they whine about what a poor job we’re doing.

7d   Paper folding in spring almost a first for Murdoch (7)

The definition is "paper folding" for which the solution is ORIGAMI. The wordplay which produces this is {A (from the clue) + M (first [letter] for Murdoch)} contained in (in) ORIGI {ORIGIN (spring) with the last letter deleted (almost)}. The setter has inverted the sentence structure, so that the clue reads, in essence, 'in ORIGI, [put] AM'.

The surface reading refers to the demise of the British tabloid newspaper News of the World[7] in July 2011 (spring almost — missed it by three weeks) due to the phone hacking scandal. The paper was owned by Australian American media mogul Rupert Murdoch[7].

8d   Pacify pet in French (7)

Crypticsue says "pet [is used] in the sense of delightful". However, I was not able to find this meaning in my collection of British dictionaries. I interpreted pet[5] to have been used as an affectionate form of address don’t cry, pet, it’s all right. Although Oxford Dictionaries characterises this as a British usage, I would have to say that the Brits in no way exercise exclusive jurisdiction over this term.

En[8] is a French preposition meaning in.

16d   Left in church, my gran’s upset reverend (9)

The Church of England (abbreviation CE)[5] is the English branch of the Western Christian Church, which combines Catholic and Protestant traditions, rejects the Pope’s authority, and has the monarch as its titular head. The English Church was part of the Catholic Church until the Reformation of the 16th century; after Henry VIII failed to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon he repudiated papal supremacy, bringing the Church under the control of the Crown.

17d   Saw dog held by lead (7)

In Britain, a lead[5] is a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other domestic animal the dog is our constant walking companion and is always kept on a lead. In the cryptic reading of the clue, lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb[5].

21d   Desperate fellow put in stake at a steady pace (7)

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. And he likes to eat cow pies! [The humour here may be unintentional as cow pies[5] are known as cowpats[5] in Britain].

23d   Fear King’s inside slaughtered (5)

Rex (Latin for king, abbreviation R)[5] denotes the reigning king (used following the name of a monarch or in the titles of lawsuits, e.g. Rex v. Jones: the Crown versus Jones) [also see comment for 1d].

24d   Dialect I’d picked up in the Isle of Man (5)

The Isle of Man (abbreviation IOM)[5] is an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system. 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.
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