Monday, March 25, 2013 — DT 27075

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27075
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27075]
Big Dave's Review Written By Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 27074 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, January 14, 2013.

Introduction

I thought that for one week, at least, we might find ourselves aligned with the British weekly publication schedule. However, the editors at the National Post have thrown a spanner into the works by skipping the puzzle that was published in the UK on Monday January 14. Thus we are presented today with a 'Tuesday' puzzle. It is a bit on the easy side — so still a gentle start to the week.

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.

Across

1a   Choose  the best  tool (4)

3a   Surpassing food, kosher (5-5)

9a   Accomplished daughter, single (4)

10a   Block, centre reportedly for US government agency (5,5)

The Peace Corps^[10], established in 1961, is an agency of the US government that sends American volunteers to developing countries, where they work on educational and other projects.

11a   Mad sort, eccentric achieving fame (7)

13a   Old leader in tragedy greeting jealous husband (7)

Othello^[7] is the title character in Shakespeare's Othello (c.1601–1604). Othello is a Moorish prince living in Venice, an ambassador of the Moors. After time in Venice, Othello is appointed general in the Venetian Army. His officer Iago tricks him into believing that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with his Lieutenant, Michael Cassio. Othello kills his wife out of jealousy by suffocating her in her sleep, only to realize that his wife was faithful, at which point he commits suicide.

14a   Change involving clubs causes argument (11)

18a   The password confused union rep (4,7)

21a   Remove from auxiliary court (7)

22a   Severe, the south wind close to shore (7)

Auster^[10] is a poetic name for the south wind.

23a   One who's often overly emotional in play group (5,5)

Queen^[7] are a British rock band formed in London in 1970, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals).

24a   No end of prime cheese (4)

Prime^[5] is used in the sense of to prepare (someone) for a situation, typically by supplying them with relevant information  ⇒ the sentries had been primed to admit him without challenge.

25a   Massive statue by a lake (10)

26a   Band's hit (4)

Down

1d   Stand in front of pavilion at Leeds ground (8)

Leeds^[5] is an industrial city in West Yorkshire, northern England; population 441,100 (est. 2009). It developed as a wool town in the Middle Ages, becoming a centre of the clothing trade in the Industrial Revolution. In Britain, a pavilion^[5] is a building at a cricket ground [field] or other sports ground, used for changing and taking refreshments. In the cryptic reading, ground is to be interpreted as the past participle of the verb 'to grind'.

2d   Film fan ordered nice high teas (8)

A cineaste^[5] is (1) a filmmaker or (2) a person who is fond of or knowledgeable about the cinema.

4d   Fish in river swallowed by ray (5)

The bream^[5] is a greenish-bronze deep-bodied freshwater fish (Abramis brama) native to Europe. Beam (as mentioned by Deep Threat in his review) is a pseudonym used by Ray Terrell (whom we know as RayT) when he sets Toughie puzzles in The Daily Telegraph.

5d   Successes against Conservatives? Independent candidates initially restrained (9)

6d   Bribes help to bring in sponsors? Just the opposite (4-7)

Backhander^[5] is British slang for a secret and illegal payment; in other words, a bribe ⇒ a fortune had been paid in backhanders to local officials.

7d   In a jaunty manner, first-rate lines written about the Italian (6)

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.

In Italian, the masculine form of the definite article is il^[8].

8d   Tyrant posted abroad (6)

Abroad^[5] is used in the sense of freely moving about ⇒ hospital inmates abroad on the streets of the town.

12d   Challenges mother, unfortunately, over in African port (3,2,6)

Dar es Salaam^[5] is the chief port and former capital of Tanzania; population 2,930,000 (est. 2007). It was founded in 1866 by the sultan of Zanzibar. Its Arabic name means ‘haven of peace’.

15d   Military command connected with revolution (5-4)

16d   Unconcerned about a heartless judge (8)

17d   Person supporting that woman through a depression (8)

19d   Models changed rarely (6)

20d   Air  filter (6)

22d   Ring any number in department (5)

"I suggest that you check with someone who is an expert in that field, it not being my department".

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