Thursday, September 20, 2012 - DT 26911

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26911
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, July 6, 2012
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26911]
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

This puzzle did not give me major difficulties - with the exception of the Scottish institution of higher learning which I had not previously encountered. Not only did it account for the two across clues for which I needed to seek assistance but it also provided two checking letters for 18d (which quickly fell into place once I had identified the university).

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   My hesitation about central heating after second day it isn’t needed! (8)

About a week ago, we encountered this British exclamation that can take on a variety of forms. Cor^[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒ Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!

Related exclamations are (1) blimey^[5] (also cor blimey), an exclamation used informally to express surprise, excitement, or alarm and (2) gorblimey^[5], an informal expression of surprise or indignation.

In case anyone is wondering, c.h.^[1] appears in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition as an abbreviation for "central heating". 

9a   Artist and count meeting only very occasionally (6)

RA^[5] is the abbreviation for Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

12a   Festive occasion with a couple of unknowns –- lots of stars too (6)

In mathematics, an unknown^[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

15a   Complete country, as it was, without Scripture (6)

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

17a & 24a   University tower that somehow enthrals one (6-4)

Heriot-Watt University^[7] is a public research university based in Edinburgh, established in 1821 as the world's first mechanics' institute. The eighth oldest higher education institution in the United Kingdom, it has been a university by Royal Charter since 1966.

20a   A cool den specially made for pet (8)

A clue more to be expected from Ray T than Giovanni!

23a   Awfully quaint, a Fifties youth is seen as behind the times (10)

Ted^[2] is British slang for Teddy boy. In 1950s Britain, a Teddy boy^[5] was a young man of a subculture characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff) and a liking for rock-and-roll music.The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the application of the term may not be limited solely to youth of the 1950s. It defines Teddy boy^[2] as an unruly or rowdy adolescent, especially one in the 1950s who dressed in Edwardian-style clothes, e.g. drainpipe trousers and a long jacket.

1d   Start off with exploit that is to restrict tax (8)

VAT^[5] (value added tax) is a tax on the amount by which the value of an article has been increased at each stage of its production or distribution. This system of taxation is used in Europe, where it is known as the VAT (or, more fully, the EU VAT) and in Canada, where it is called the GST (Goods and Services Tax) or, in provinces where the federal and provincial sales tax systems have been integrated, the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). This system of taxation is not currently in use in the United States.^[7] 

2d   Duke’s odd — one has stretched skin (4)

Rum^[5] is dated British slang meaning odd or peculiar.

6d   Look — a delicate batting stroke! (6)

In ball games, glance^[5] means to deflect (the ball) slightly with a delicate contact ⇒ he glanced the ball into the corner of the net [seemingly a reference to soccer]. In cricket — the sport of interest in this clue — it means (1) to deflect (the ball) with the bat held slantwise or (2) to play such a stroke against (the bowler) ⇒ Simpson glanced Statham’s fourth ball.

18d   Source of pleasure is English paper (8)

This clue was no trouble at all — once the Scottish University had finally revealed the remaining two checking letters.

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