Friday, August 31, 2012 - DT 26895

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26895
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 18, 2012
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26895]
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 26894 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 16, 2012.

Introduction

Today, Rufus serves up a fairly easy puzzle and even goes light on the Briticisms.

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.

13a   He keeps an eye on the hands to avoid overtime (5-7)

This is not an boss monitoring the employees, but an employee watching the clock.

2d   Soldiers are unable to withdraw (6)

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

3d   We set about the final course (5)

In Britain, a sweet^[5] may be either (1) a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar • a bag of sweets [in North America known as candy] or (2) a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a pudding or dessert.

6d   Steps — quiet ones (5)

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).

13d   Big plunge on Swiss bank? (6,3)

The Cresta Run^[5] is a hazardously winding, steeply banked channel of ice built each year at the Cresta Valley, St Moritz, Switzerland, as a tobogganing [sledding] course, on which competitors race on light toboggans [sleds] in a characteristic head-first position. Such a run was first built in 1884.

Toboggan is the British name for a sled and bears absolutely no resemblance to what would be known as a toboggan in North American. A Cresta sled is very similar – if not identical – to a skeleton sled.

For more on this subject, see my review of DT 26375.

15d   Words are not about to stick (8)

Gum^[2] as a noun is (1) any of various substances found in certain plants, especially trees, that produce a sticky solution or gel when added to water, used in confectionery, gummed envelopes, etc. or (2) this or any similar substance used as glue. As a verb, it means to to smear, glue or unite something with gum.

17d   Rough cowl on chimney in Scotland (7)

In Scottish and Northern English, lum^[5] means chimney.

18d   Recover one’s possession? (6)

It seems that I was not alone in thinking that this clue is rather tenuous.

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, August 30, 2012 - DT 26893

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26893
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, June 15, 2012
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26893]
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 I finished without help, I thought the puzzle was a bit more difficult than the 1-2 stars awarded by Gazza. The difference is likely a few British terms that I hadn't previously encountered — but which I managed to figure out through the expenditure of a fair amount of brain power.

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   Local gusher as representative of village interests? (6,4)

In Britain, parish-pump^[5] is an adjective meaning of local importance or interest only; parochial • I looked down on parish-pump politics. I would guess that, at one time, people gossiped around the parish pump just as they do today around the water cooler.

9a   Show contempt for our monarch? Something bad, mischief (10)

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.

12a   Abhor look given by unbelievers, not half (6)

Lo^[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event • and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

13a   Maid flashing piece of jewellery showing love (8)

It seems that virtually any verb indicating motion can be used as an anagram indicator. Here, flash^[5] is presumably used in the sense of to move or pass very quickly. Thus "maid flashing" would be interpreted as '[the letters forming the word] maid moving quickly". While the same result would eventually be obtained if one were to move the letters slowly, it is undoubtedly more efficient to move them quickly!

18a   Author who could convey sly images with ink (8,4)

Kingsley Amis^[7] (1922 – 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism. He has been called "the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century."

21a   Salesfolk carrying very good books — they’ve been given new coats (8)

According to Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, a repaint^[2] is a repainted golf ball. In Crosswordland, books are usually either the Old Testament (OT) or New Testament (NT). A1^[4][5] or A-one^[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

25a   Land with extreme fear more established, as some might say (5,5)

This homophone clue only works when pronounced with  a British accent. Say the phrase TERROR (extreme fear) + FIRMER (more established) using a soft British R (rather than the hard North American R) and it sounds like TERRA FIRMA.

26a   Fish husband gets to cook? Not bass (4)

While it is a fish in the surface reading, bass (abbreviation B^[2]) becomes a musical term for purposes of the cryptic analysis.

1d   Oar to make progress in shallow water (6)

The second usage of paddle would seem to be British. Oxford Dictionaries defines paddle^[5] (as a verb) to mean to walk with bare feet in shallow water • the children paddled at the water’s edge. While this is not indicated to be a British expression, Oxford Dictionaries goes on to define paddle (as a noun) as a chiefly British term meaning an act of walking with bare feet in shallow water • I went for a paddle.

2d   Rogue artist’s beginning to collude with gangster (6)

It would seem that Al Capone has established himself firmly as the crime boss in Crosswordland. RA^[5] is the abbreviation for Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of the Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

3d   Man who traditionally comes with a crook’s food? (9,3)

In the surface reading, it appears that the setter might be referring to someone who delivers a meal to a prisoner in jail. However, beneath the misdirection, he is actually talking about food that might be eaten by someone who traditionally carries a crook (hooked staff).

8d   One tiny lad turned up? Attendance ‘moderate’! (8)

Timothy Cratchit, called "Tiny Tim"^[7], is a fictional character from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He is a minor character, the young son of Bob Cratchit (the abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge), and is seen only briefly, but serves as an important symbol of the consequences of the protagonist's choices.

11d   Greedy folk given power knowing that just won’t happen! (4,5,3)

In Britain, fly^[5] can mean knowing and clever • she’s fly enough not to get tricked out of it.

16d   Runner is gathering fighting corps before hard battle (8)

The Royal Marines (RM)^[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) that was founded in 1664, and trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances. H^[5] is the abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead • a 2H pencil.

19d   Female on a lake in an imaginary land of old (6)

Faerie^[5] is an archaic or literary term for fairyland • the world of faerie.

20d   Claim made by theologian about revolutionary denomination (6)

Doctor of Divinity^[7] (D.D. or DD, Divinitatis Doctor in Latin) is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects. In the United Kingdom, Doctor of Divinity has traditionally been the highest doctorate granted by universities, usually conferred upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction. In the United States the Doctor of Divinity is usually awarded as an honorary degree.

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, August 29, 2012 - DT 26892

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26892
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, June 14, 2012
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26892]
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

Big Dave says that he enjoyed today's puzzle "even if some of the wordplay needed a bit of thought". I would say that I enjoyed it precisely because some of the wordplay demanded a bit of thought.

I managed to solve most of the puzzle on my own, but needed lots of electronic help in the northwest quadrant. I failed to identify the Scottish Island — despite once having been as close as Skye.

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   A mean rib I cooked in this French contraption (4-5)

A bain-marie^[10] is a a vessel for holding hot water, in which sauces and other dishes are gently cooked or kept warm.

12a   Nurse’s nouveau riche second husband (7)

The fact that nurse could be a synonym for cherish was news to me. However, according to Collins English Dictionary, one meaning of the verb nurse^[10] is to attend to carefully; foster, cherish • (i) he nursed the magazine through its first year (ii) having a very small majority he nursed the constituency diligently. Furthermore, Chambers Thesaurus lists the following synonyms for nurse: preserve, sustain, support, nourish, cherish, harbour, entertain, encourage, keep, foster, boost, promote, advance, further, nurture, help, aid, assist.

19a    Run through 20% of repertoire with Electric Light Orchestra very loud (4,3)

Fortissimo (abbreviation ff)^[5] is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very loud  or (as an adverb) very loudly.

27a   Iconic Italian biscuit (9)

Giuseppe Garibaldi^[5] (1807–82), Italian patriot and military leader of the Risorgimento. With his volunteer force of ‘Red Shirts’ he captured Sicily and southern Italy from the Bourbons in 1860-61, thereby playing a key role in the establishment of a united kingdom of Italy. In Britain, a garibaldi^[5] is a biscuit [cookie] containing a layer of compressed currants.

30a    Free? Then go see round new tourist attraction (10)

Stonehenge^[5] is a megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Completed in several constructional phases from circa 2950 bc, it is composed of a circle of sarsen stones surrounded by a bank and ditch and enclosing a circle of smaller bluestones. Within this inner circle is a horseshoe arrangement of five trilithons with the axis aligned on the midsummer sunrise, an orientation that was probably for ritual purposes.

1d   Island’s unexpectedly busiest but not best time (4)

Uist^[5] consists of two islands in the Outer Hebrides, North Uist and South Uist, lying to the south of Lewis and Harris and separated from each other by the island of Benbecula.

11d   MG catching Lotus before second of Mercedes in mix-up (7)

The Elan^[7] is an automobile model manufactured by Lotus Cars.

16d   Pride member displayed in avoidance of praline centre in second of two chocolate bars (4,3)

A Lion Bar^[7] is a chocolate bar made by Nestlé, and is primarily marketed in the UK. Club^[7] is a chocolate bar sold under the Jacob's brand in the UK by United Biscuits.

20d   Fixed rent for cosy accommodation (7)

A flatlet^[10] is a flat [apartment] having only a few rooms.

21d   Cusp of Aquarius rising fortuitously? Or Gemini? Or Libra? (3,4)

In Astrology, each of the twelve signs is associated with one of the four classical Greek elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water. The Air signs^[7] are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

23d   Stuff oneself with Cheddar or similar (5)

Cheddar Gorge^[7] is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be over 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. Cheddar Gorge^[7] will also be familiar to the Bris as the name of a recurring segment on the BBC radio comedy game show, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue^[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

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - DT 26891

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26891
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26891]
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

Today, Jay delivers a highly entertaining but not overly difficult puzzle.

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.

3a   Small amount of vintage wine set before doctor (5)

Oxford Dictionaries defines cru^[5] as (in France) a vineyard or group of vineyards, especially one of recognized superior quality • the newest of the Beaujolais crus. Collins English Dictionary defines cru^[10] similarly as (in France) a vineyard, group of vineyards, or wine-producing region. However, other dictionaries extend the meaning to include wine. The American Heritage Dictionary defines cru^[3] as (1) a vineyard or wine-producing region in France or (2) a grade or class of wine • premier cru. The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition defines cru^[1] as (in France) either (1) a vineyard or group of vineyards or (2) a vintage.

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine^[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree.

9a   A fellow’s first short, short and sweet (6)

Despite F^[2] being a valid abbreviation for Fellow (of a society, etc), Jay chooses to clue F as "fellow's first". The wordplay is A (given in the clue) + F (fellow's first) + TERS {TERSE (short) with the final letter deleted (short)}.

In Britain, a sweet^[5] may be either (1) a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar • a bag of sweets [in North America known as candy] or (2) a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a pudding or dessert. Also, in Britain, afters^[5] is the sweet course following the main course of a meal; pudding • there was apple pie for afters.

10a   Make economies, and ditch engineers first (8)

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

11a   Their changes add years of tradition (8)

The definition is "tradition". However, one could parse the clue in a couple of different ways. Pommers chooses an anagram (changes) of THEIR + (add) AGE (years; age being used as a noun). I saw it as an anagram (changes) of THEIR + AGE (add years; age being used as a verb).

13a   Murmuring ‘Money holds nothing before golf!’ (6)

Golf^[5] is a code word representing the letter G, used in radio communication.

1d   Accuses exercises after one man starts and feels pain (9)

PE^[5] is the abbreviation for Physical Education, otherwise known as gym class. Although the British bloggers always seem to refer to it as the abbreviation for "physical exercise", I have yet to find that variant in any dictionary.

2d   Animal races covered by Herald (7)

The setter tries to create a bit of misdirection by capitalizing the first letter of "Herald" to make the word appear to be the name of a newspaper.  The Tourist Trophy (TT)^[5] is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.

3d   Source of irony in angry worker’s breakfast? (9)

In cryptic crossword puzzles, the usual "workers" are the ants, although they do occasionally get pushed aside by the bees or the hands.

4d   Be disconcerting to a Parisian, never being wrong (7)

Un^[8] is the masculine singular form of the French indefinite article.

5d   Sailors in revolutionary vessel destroyed by fire (5)

The Royal Navy (abbreviation RN)^[5] is the British navy.

12d   Translate Latin ‘cedi’ to yield ‘the very same’ (9)

This clue is even more clever than it first appears. "Cedi" is a form of the Latin verb cedere meaning to yield.

13d   Prisoner with record of French uprising modified behaviour (9)

De^[8] is a French preposition meaning of.

14d   Big support for stars (5,4)

I would differ with Pommers on how to classify this clue. I do not think it is a cryptic definition at all. The wordplay is GREAT (big) + BEAR (support) giving us the name of a constellation (stars).

17d   Party girl dunking digestive vacantly in coffee (7)

Ladette^[5] is British slang for a young woman who behaves in a boisterously assertive or crude manner and engages in heavy drinking sessions [from 'lad' + 'ette'].

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, August 27, 2012 - DT 26890

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26890
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26890]
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, August 25, 2012 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

The last few unsolved clues stubbornly resisted all efforts to crack them until I called in my electronic reinforcements. Not only did they vanquish the few remaining clues, with their help I discovered that I had wandered down the wrong path in a couple of places.

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.

3a   Peers go out together in a London suburb (5,5)

A peer^[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron • hereditary peers could still dominate the proceedings of the House of Lords. Earls Court^[7] is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-London district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles (5 km) west south-west of Charing Cross [Charing Cross is considered to be the centre of London]. It is home to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, one of the country's largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue.

20a   Spotted blunder by Greek character in retirement flat occasionally used? (4-1-5)

A pied-à-terre^[5] is a small flat [apartment], house, or room kept for occasional use. The wordplay is PIED (spotted; having two or more different colours, like the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin'^[7]) + a reversal (in retirement) of {ERR (blunder) + ETA (Greek character)}.

25a   Outspoken Shaw play, unfinished (6)

Candida^[7], a comedy by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950), was written in 1894 and first published in 1898.

4d   Theologian after game fish (4)

Doctor of Divinity^[7] (D.D. or DD, Divinitatis Doctor in Latin) is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects. In the United Kingdom, Doctor of Divinity has traditionally been the highest doctorate granted by universities, usually conferred upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction. In the United States the Doctor of Divinity is usually awarded as an honorary degree.

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.

A rudd^[5] is a European freshwater fish (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) of the carp family with a silvery body and red fins.

16d   Service uniform, good worn by lad (8)

In the Christian Church, evensong^[5] is a service of evening prayers, psalms, and canticles, conducted according to a set form, especially that of the Anglican Church • choral evensong.

17d   Reportedly call boy to find a spice (8)

Tarragon almost fit, but for one checking letter. Gazza illustrates this clue with a photo of English comedian Eric Morecambe^[7] (1926 – 1984).

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, August 25, 2012 - Around the House

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon, we are taken on a tour of the house.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a   {KITCHEN SINK}* — anagram (distorted) of IN INK SKETCH

9a   LE|G ROOM — LE (the Parisian; French word for 'the') + GROOM (bride's man)

10a   POW|WOWS — POW (captured soldier; prison of war) + WOWS (really impresses

11a   SAT(I)E — SATE (stuff) containing (involving) I ([Roman numeral for] one)

Erik Satie^[7], born Éric Alfred Leslie Satie, (1866 – 1925) was a French composer and pianist.

12a   {DEN MOTHER}* — anagram (disturbed) of ENDOTHERM

13a   PA(NICK)Y — NICK (cut) contained in (in) PAY (salary)

15a   SEISMAL* — anagram of (mixing of) AIMLESS

17a   SOD|A POP — SOD (green covering) + {A POP} (for each)

19a   L|EG|ALLY — L ([Roman numeral for] fifty) + EG (for example; from Latin exempli gratia 'for the sake of example') + ALLY (join forces; used as a verb)

20a   {ATTIC SALT}* — anagram (revamped) of A STILT ACT

A term that I found only in a couple of dictionaries, attic salt (also attic wit) is dry, delicate wit^[9] or refined incisive wit^[10].

22a   BENCH — double definition; "dugout seat" & "Hall-of-Fame catcher [Johnny Bench]^[7]"

For those who may be unfamiliar with a baseball field, a dugout^[3,4] is either of two usually sunken shelters (one at either side of the field) where managers, trainers, etc. sit and players wait when not on the field.

24a   LA(FIT)TE — FIT (tantrum) contained in (held by) LATE (former)

Jean Lafitte^[7] (ca. 1776 – ca. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother (and fellow pirate), Pierre Lafitte^[7], spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte." The latter has become the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places named for him.

25a   TRUSSED~ — sounds like (outspoken) TRUST (confidence)

26a   CLOSE|T D|RAM|A — CLOSE (near) + TD (touchdown) + RAM (drive) + A (†)

A closet drama^[5] is a play to be read rather than acted.

In rugby, a touchdown^[4] is the act of placing or touching the ball on the ground behind the goal line, as in scoring a try^[5] (an act of touching the ball down behind the opposing goal line, scoring points and entitling the scoring side to a kick at goal). In Canadian and American football, it is a scoring play worth six points, achieved by being in possession of the ball in the opposing team's end zone.

Down

1d   KI(L)TS — L (left) contained in (in) KITS (gear boxes)

2d   TIGHTENED* — anagram (mistakenly) of THE GENT ID

3d   H(A)OLE — A (article) contained in (in) HOLE (ditch)

In Hawaii, haole^[3] is a term for a white person ('foreign' or 'foreigner' in the Hawaiian language).

4d   {NAME DAY}* — anagram (excited) of ANY NAME

In the Roman Catholic Church, a name day^[4] is the feast day of a saint whose name one bears.

5d   IMP|ENDS — IMP (mischief maker) + ENDS (puts a stop to)

6d   KOW<|TOWING — reversal (backing up) of WOK (Chinese [cooking] vessel) + TOWING (tugging; "tuging" being an obvious misprint)

7d   JOSH — double definition; "name for a male" & "kid"

8d   A|ST|RALLY — A (†) + ST (street) + RALLY (gathering)

13d   PAS|SABLE — PAS (Dad's; Pa's) + SABLE (fur)

14d   COP|ACETIC — COP (nab) + ACETIC (kind of acid)

16d   MELANESIA* — anagram (travelling) of SEE MANILA

Melanesia^[7] is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia. The name Melanesia was first used by Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1832 to denote an ethnic and geographical grouping of islands distinct from Polynesia and Micronesia. Manila is the capital city of the Philippines. If one were to visit Melanesia intending to see Manila, one would be disappointed as Manila is located nowhere near Melanesia.

18d   PLACE|BO — PLACE (spot) + BO (body-odour)

19d   {LET IT}*| BE_ — anagram (changed) of TITLE + (by) BE (leading pair [of letters] of BEatles)

The Beatles^[7] were a rock band formed in Liverpool, England in 1960, who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music.

21d   _TIFF — [S]TIFF (resistant) with the first letter deleted (after the first)

22d   BOUND — double definition; "required" & "leap"

23d   _HY|DRA_ — hidden in (featuring) frotHY DRAma

In Greek mythology, the Hydra^[5] was a many-headed snake whose heads grew again as they were cut off, eventually killed by Hercules.

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, August 24, 2012 - DT 26889

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26889
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 11, 2012
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26889]
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 26888 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 9, 2012.

Introduction

Three quadrants were completed quite easily but the northwest corner put up quite a fight. I needed lots of electronic assistance there. I also made the task difficult by putting the second S in the wrong spot in 7d which held me up on 14a.

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.

5a   Sea-mist represented by painter (7)

Henri Matisse^[7] (1869 – 1954) was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. Although he was initially labelled a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting. 

11a   Underwriter? (10)

This is a whimsical cryptic definition — a Rufus specialty — whose nature is clearly flagged by the question mark. The setter supposes that a subscriber must be someone who writes (scribes) under something (as indicated by the prefix sub-).

18a   Insured vehicle — it went west (7,5)

Cover (in reference to insurance) means to protect against a liability, loss, or accident involving financial consequences • your contents are now covered against accidental loss or damage in transit. While the same verb form is used in both Britain and North America, we use a different form of the noun on this side of the pond. In the UK, cover^[5] means protection by insurance against a liability, loss, or accident • your policy provides cover against damage by subsidence. This is equivalent of the North American term coverage^[5], the amount of protection given by an insurance policy.

22a   Shop Irishman is opening, with Republic’s backing (10)

In cryptic crosswords, Scotsmen are almost invariably named Ian and Irishmen are nearly always called Pat.

Eire^[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland, and was the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.

28a   Proceeds, thanks to royalty (7)

Ta^[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you • ‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully. In Britain, takings^[5] is the amount of money earned by a business from the sale of goods or services • the big test for the shop’s new look is whether it’ll boost takings. In North America, one would likely use the term earnings in this situation, although income, revenue or receipts might also be used.

2d   Close — doubly close in fact (6)

I am rephrasing Libellule's explanation slightly, the goal being to bring out the subtlety in the clue. The solution is a word that means "not far away or close at hand". If split (4,2), each part would also mean the same thing.

3d   Cor, blow me! (6,4)

Cor^[8] is the French word for horn. The first part of the clue constitutes inverse wordplay. That is, the setter gives us the result of the wordplay and we must find the wordplay that would produce it (a setter might use the phrase "French horn" to clue the letters COR). The latter part of the clue tells us that the solution is something that can be blown — in this case, a wind instrument in the orchestra.

The surface reading would be meaningful to readers in the UK, although likely not to most North Americans. Cor^[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm • Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got! and blow^[5] is a British euphemism for damn • ‘Well, blow me’, he said, ‘I never knew that.’

6d   Thermal insulation units for clothes (4)

Tog^[5] is a British unit of thermal resistance used to express the insulating properties of clothes and quilts. The name comes from togs^[5] (clothes) on the pattern of an earlier unit called the clo (first element of clothes).

7d   Runs slap into traffic jams (5-3)

When all else fails, read the instructions. I carelessly entered SNARLS-UP (rather than SNARL-UPS) which caused much gnashing of teeth on 14a.

20d   Parts always carried by sea-going vessel (6)

Today's "sea-going vessel" is the usual steamship (abbreviation SS^[5]).

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, August 23, 2012 - DT 26887

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26887
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, June 8, 2012
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26887]
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

Giovanni delivers a fairly typical offering today. There are a few British expressions I had not previously encountered, such as the soldiers at 1a and the overcharges at 24a.

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   Something bag-like carried by soldiers and pillagers (10)

In Britain, a ranker^[5] may be either (1) a soldier in the ranks; a private or (2) a commissioned officer who has been in the ranks.

9a   Like some American spellings unacceptable to snooty English? (3-1)

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). 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). Conversely, non-U indicates something that would be unacceptable to the upper social classes (the snooty English).

11a   Curved edge in the auditorium’s barrier (6)

In Britain, a groyne^[5] (US spelling groin) a low wall or sturdy timber barrier built out into the sea from a beach to check erosion and drifting. It sounds like groin^[5], which is the architectural term for a curved edge formed by two intersecting vaults.

12a   Town providing overnight resting place for daughter (7)

Bedford^[7] is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England.

21a   Maiden getting on and regarded as rich (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.

22a   Church member meeting the Queen is a smoothie (7)

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.

Gazza's illustration for this clue is English actor Nigel Havers^[7] who starred in the 1987 British television series The Charmer^[7].

24a  Overcharges for plants (6)

Rush^[5] is an informal, dated British expression meaning to overcharge (a customer) • They rushed you, all right! It’s not worth a penny more than £120.

2d   A group of coppers becoming sour (4)

In Britain, the the detective division of a police force is known as the Criminal Investigation Department (or CID)^[10].

3d   Untidy person getting right into scrape (6)

In Britain, a person with a dirty or untidy appearance is known as a scruff^[5].

4d   Trick class to do as told (7)

In Britain, a form^[5] is a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number. Thus the fifth form would be the linguistic counterpart to the fifth grade in North America and Form 1 would be like saying Grade 1.

14d   Artist beginning to draw, as keen as mustard (5)

Jacques-Louis David^[7] (1748 – 1825) was an influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era.

Keen as mustard^[5] is a British expression meaning extremely eager or enthusiastic.

19d   Make off having eaten second sweet (7)

In Britain, a sweet^[5] may be either (1) a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar • a bag of sweets [in North America known as candy] or (2) a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a pudding or dessert.

20d   No place for driver to hang about — it’s hell! (3,4)

The pit^[5] is a literary term for hell. The pits^[10] is slang for the worst possible person, place, or thing.

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