Monday, September 30, 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013 — DT 27214

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27214
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27214]
Big Dave's Review Written By
scchua
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

Introduction

As was the case with scchua, it was the southeast corner that caused me the most difficulty. In fact, I finally resorted to a little electronic assistance to complete three clues found there. However, in hindsight, I can see nothing in those particular clues to make them more difficult than the rest of the 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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across


1a   Actor, do this and you'll fail the audition? (10)

6a   Tucked up with a graduate teacher (4)

It would appear that — in Britain — to tuck someone up[5] is an alternative manner of saying to tuck someone in [to bed].

9a   Rat attached to end of cat's foot (7)

Rotter[4] is chiefly British slang for a worthless, unpleasant, or despicable person.

A trotter[5] is a pig’s foot used as food ⇒ (i)brawn* would be made from the trotters and the ears; (ii) he lay down the half-eaten trotter. The word may also be used a humorous reference to a human foot ⇒ dainty little trotters.

* brawn[5] is a British term for meat from a pig’s or calf’s head [and, seemingly, foot — based on the preceding usage example for trotter] that is cooked and pressed in a pot with jelly

10a   Tramp proclaimed ill-defined harangue (7)

12a   Popular farmhouse on film becomes target area (8,5)

Grange[10] is a chiefly British term for a farm, especially a farmhouse or country house with its various outbuildings.

14a   Draw on evidence of engagement as opener (4,4)

Ring pull[5] is the British name for a pull tab[5], a ring on a can that is pulled to break the seal in order to open it.

15a   Device for lifting a large beast (6)

17a   Nick a car and set off (6)

Nick takes on two different British slang meanings in this clue. I the surface reading, nick[5] means to steal ⇒ she nicked fivers from the till. In the cryptic reading, nick[5] means to arrest (someone) ⇒ Stuart and Dan got nicked for burglary.


19a   Person responsible for issue of paper? (8)

Issue[5] is a formal or legal term meaning children of one’s own the earl died without male issue.

The Guardian[7], known until 1959 as The Manchester Guardian (founded 1821), is a British national daily newspaper.

21a   Want one state to adopt a platform, being ineffectual (13)

24a   Tom might have one for the road! (4-3)

The cat's eye[7] (also cat's-eye[10] or Catseye[2]/catseye[5], the later being a British trademark) is a retroreflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers. It originated in the UK in 1933 and is today used all over the world. Cat's eye[2] is also a type of precious stone which resembles the eye of a cat when light is reflected onto it.

25a   A meal out with daughter, and a walk through the trees (7)

In Spain and Spanish-speaking areas, an alameda[5] is a public walkway or promenade, shaded with trees.

26a   Deposit one left in road (4)

27a   Imagined volunteers changing sides, following supporter (10)

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

Down


1d   Capable of leading the Open -- initially! (2,2)

2d   Calls for reform of prison after start of debate (5,2)

3d   Foie gras paste is served in process of initiation (4,2,7)

4d   Choke or accelerator (8)

5d   Name given to opera singer's place of rest (5)

7d   A non-conformist, Clegg is rumoured to support defeat (7)

Nick Clegg[5] is a British Liberal Democrat statesman, Deputy Prime Minister since 2010 (in coalition with the Conservatives).

8d   Party entitled to change sign here (6,4)

11d   Sit in carriage, being moved to see doctors (13)

13d   Outside study, student ties up long hair (10)

In Britain, to read[5] means to study (an academic subject) at a university (i) I’m reading English at Cambridge; (ii) he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

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.

16d   Exposed well-dressed fool (8)

18d   Engineers cutting short visit about IT performance (7)

The Corps of Royal Engineers[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

IT[5] is the abbreviation for information technology.

20d   Disease requiring peace and quiet? No way (7)

22d   Sloane Ranger backing shows venue (5)

Sloane Square[7] is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the fashionable London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) southwest of Charing Cross [considered to be the centre of London], in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The square lies at the east end of the trendy Kings Road and at the south end of the more conventionally smart Sloane Street linking to Knightsbridge. In the early 1980s, it lent its name to the "Sloane Rangers", the young underemployed, often snooty and ostentatiously well-off members of the upper classes.

A Sloane Ranger[5] (also called Sloane) is an informal term [clearly British] for a fashionable upper-class young woman, especially one living in London she speaks more like an Essex girl than a Sloane. The term was coined in the 1970s by combining Sloane Square and Lone Ranger (the name of a fictitious cowboy hero).

23d   Naked and poor -- that covers the start of life (4)
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)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Saturday, September 28, 2013 — Taking the Bad with the Good

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, the setters lay before us a meal in which the main course is  heavenly and the dessert is sinfully good.










Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   GUM(DR|O)P — {DR (doctor) + O (chocolate's centre; letter at the centre of chocOlate)} contained in GUMP (Forrest)
Forrest Gump[7] is a 1994 American film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The following line from the film has become very well known: "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.".
5a   PUMP|KIN — PUMP (shoe for a woman) + KIN (relative)

9a   AS|SAM — AS (playing; Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump) + SAM (surface-to-air missile)

10a   PANORAMIC* — anagram (convertible) of A CAR MOP IN

11a   DO(NOVA)N — DON (Mafia boss) containing (holding) NOVA (star)
Donovan[7] (born Donovan Phillips Leitch) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist whose song "Mellow Yellow" reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.
12a   CO(MES A)T — MESA (Western [geographic] feature) contained in (in) COT (bed)

13a   {ANGEL HAIR PASTA}* — anagram (cracked) of A PLATE SHARING A

17a   {DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE}* — anagram (exotic) of FIVE LADS COOKED
Devil's food cake[5] is a chiefly North American name for a rich chocolate cake.

By the way, it is not unusual for apostrophes to be omitted from the enumeration.
21a   TUR(N)KEY — N (north) contained in (in) TURKEY (Anatolian land)
Anatolia[5] is the western peninsula of Asia, bounded by the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean, that forms the greater part of Turkey.
23a   RAN (A|MO)K — {A (one) + MO (month)} contained in (in) RANK (class)

25a   {ISLE OF}~|MAN — sounds like (said) I LOVE (Isle of) + MAN (our kind)
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.
26a   BAT|ON — BAT (flying mammal) + ON (atop)

27a   LE(ADS) ON — LEON (Trotsky) containing (about) ADS (spots)
Leon Trotsky[5] (1879 – 1940) was a Russian revolutionary; born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein. He helped to organize the October Revolution with Lenin, and built up the Red Army. He was expelled from the Communist Party by Stalin in 1927 and exiled in 1929. He settled in Mexico in 1937, where he was later murdered by a Stalinist assassin.
28a   ENTERED* — anagram (on the move) of TEN DEER

Down


1d   _GUAR|DIAN_ — hidden in (riding in) JaGUAR DIANa

2d   MA|SON — MA (mother) + (and) SON (child)

3d   REM|OVAL — REM ("Stand" band) + OVAL (track)
"Stand"[7] is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from the album Green in 1989.
4d   POPINJAYS* — anagram (cast; moulded) of JOIN SAPPY

5d   P(AN)IC — PIC (movie) containing (about) AN (†)

6d   MAR|I|MBA — MAR (spoil) + I ([Roman numeral for] one) + MBA (business grad)

7d   {KAMA SUTR}*|A — {anagram (ruined) of A MUSKRAT} + A (†)
The Kama Sutra[5] is an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the art of love and sexual technique.
8d   N(ICE|T)Y — NY (New York) containing (about) ICE T ("Rhyme Pays" rapper)
Rhyme Pays[7] is the debut album of American rapper Ice-T (born Tracy Marrow), released in 1987.
14d   GUERRILLA* — anagram (breaking) of RULE A GIRL

15d   {RIO GRANDE}* — anagram (swimming) of ROGER AND I
The Rio Grande[5] is a river of North America which rises in the Rocky Mountains of SW Colorado and flows 3,030 km (1,880 miles) generally south-eastwards to the Gulf of Mexico, forming the US-Mexico frontier from El Paso to the sea.
16d   WEAKENED~ — sounds like (you might say) WEEKEND (Saturday and Sunday)

18d   IN K(NOT)S — INKS (signs) containing (outside) NOT (†)

19d   D|IN|GB|A|T — D (daughter) + IN (†) + GB (Great Britain) + A (†) + T (tenor)

20d   A|T WILL — A (†) + TWILL (woven fabric)

22d   YEMEN* — anagram (destroyed) of ENEMY

24d   MO(T)OR — T (Ford Model) contained in (into) MOOR (open tract of land)
The Ford Model T[7] (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie, T‑Model Ford, 'Model T Ford', or T) is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908 to May 27, 1927.

Moor[5] is a British term for a tract of open uncultivated upland, typically covered with heather.
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)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, September 27, 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013 — DT 27213

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27213
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27213]
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

Introduction

I needed help from my electronic assistants to track down an Italian dessert of which I have never had the pleasure of partaking.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across


1a   Cronies loured terribly about vote for anti-terrorism measure (9,5)

Lour[5] (or lower) is a verb meaning to look angry or sullen; scowl the lofty statue lours at patients in the infirmary.

9a   A tram is broken down beside river in Indian city (8)

Amritsar[5] is a city in the state of Punjab in NW India; population 1,194,700 (est. 2009). It became the centre of the Sikh faith and the site of its holiest temple, the Golden Temple.

10a   Lizard giving 'ell in activity (5)

12a   Volunteers lodged in posh hotel in state (4)

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency

In Britain — as we saw only yesterday — U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in 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). In Crosswordland, it is frequently clued by words such as posh or superior.

Hotel[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication

13a   A container almost illuminated in area for dessert (10)

Zabaglione[5] is an Italian sweet [dessert] made of whipped and heated egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine, served hot or cold.

15a   Greek character located beside cottage roof bird (8)

Nu[5] is the thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν).

16a   Characteristic of a pig beginning to grunt and like a marsh? (6)

18a   University's returned excellent piece of earthenware in fanciful state? (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.

20a   Sucker might enjoy this work in ornate apse (8)

23a   Sinister figure with sly look holding paper and set of cards (4-6)

The Financial Times (FT)[7] is a British international business newspaper [that is printed on characteristic salmon pink newsprint].

24a   Figure of authority among fascists arguably (4)

26a   A leg I shook, being of supple disposition (5)

27a   Lover is increasingly averse to alcohol, cutting a round (8)

Amoretto[5] denotes a representation of Cupid in a work of art.

28a   Historic rebellion disrupted pastoral events (8,6)

The Peasants' Revolt[7] was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381.

Down


2d   Smallish  item in woman's handbag? (7)

3d   Educational place beginning to transform army division (4)

Uni[4,5] is a [seemingly British] informal term for university he planned to go to uni.

4d   Occasion at crease with what's adopted there? (8)

In cricket, the crease is a line which demarcates a batsman's ground (the area in which the batsman stands to receive a delivery from the bowler). A player who is batting is said to be in. Conversely, a player who is fielding is said to be out. This is explained in the following:
CRICKET: AS EXPLAINED TO A FOREIGNER...
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.
Simple!
5d   Absolutely not keeping right in this country (6)

6d   Consistent character from say university lecturer? Something seldom seen outwardly (10)

L (or L.)[1] is an abbreviation for lecturer.

7d   Pen and put in letter? (7)

8d   One left? That might summarise this unhappy singleton (6,5)

Perhaps I'm dense tonight, but it took me a very long time to figure out what Deep Threat is driving at in his review of this clue. ONEL {ONE + L (left)} forms the central portion (heart) of L(ONEL)Y. Thus, one might say that LONELY HEART can be described in a shortened form (summarised) as ONEL.

11d   Sudden advance from designer Mary, up to clothe fussy male (7,4)

Mary Quant[5] is an English fashion designer. She was a principal creator of the ‘1960s look’, launching the miniskirt in 1966 and promoting bold colours and geometric designs. She was also one of the first to design for the ready-to-wear market.

14d   Prodigality in ladies, say, is displayed before hard head (10)

In Britain, the Ladies[5] is another name for a women’s public toilet and lav[10] is an informal short form for lavatory.

17d   Bird seen above endless river eager for feed (8)

The River Ouse[5] may refer to a river of NE England, formed at the confluence of the Ure and Swale in North Yorkshire and flowing 92 km (57 miles) south-eastwards through York to the Humber estuary. There are also several other rivers in England having that name (or slight variations of it). I had always assumed that Ouse would rhyme with mouse — but apparently it rhymes with snooze.

19d   Toff is upset over employee latterly away from work? (3-4)

Making its second appearance in two days, toff[5] is derogatory British slang for a rich or upper-class person.

21d   Dilapidated hotels with nothing to be seen in African country (7)

22d   Fruitlessly drugs may circulate here, we hear (2,4)

25d   Give up with tennis star on the air (4)
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)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, September 26, 2013 — DT 27212

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27212
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, June 24, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27212]
Big Dave's Review Written By
Libellule
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

Introduction

As you can see, I needed a few gentle nudges from my electronic helpers today.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across


1a   One well-liked at work that will have plenty of backing? (4,9)

10a   Go ahead and give money maybe (7)

11a   Concentration that's required when driving in France (7)

Essence[5] is an extract or concentrate obtained from a plant or other matter and used for flavouring or scent vanilla essence. Essence[8] is also the French word for gasoline.

12a   Female union of the Spanish and the French (4)

This happens to be a variation on a clue that Rufus employed in DT 27027 [The Daily Telegraph: November 19, 2012; National Post: February 5, 2013]:
  • 28d   She produces articles in Spanish and French (4)
In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el[8] while la[8] is the feminine singular form of the definite article in French.

13a   A game between two sides back in the country (5)

Rugby union (abbreviation 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.

14a   Complaint that may be socially acceptable in time (4)

In Britain, U[5] is used informally as an adjective (in 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). In Crosswordland, it is frequently clued by words such as posh or superior — but today it merely adopts its straightforward meaning.

17a   They don't like to assume anything (7)

Assume[3] is used in the sense of to put on or don ⇒ The queen assumed a velvet robe.

18a   About to get striker for return game (7)

In the surface reading, striker[10] is most likely a reference to soccer. The term is also used in cricket, but the context does not seem to fit as well. In soccer, a striker is an attacking player, especially one who generally positions himself near his opponent's goal in the hope of scoring. In cricket, a striker is the batsman who is about to play a ball.

In cricket, batsmen bat in pairs with the two batsman positioned at opposite ends of the pitch. The bowler delivers the ball from one end of the pitch to the batsman at the far end. It would be this batsman — the one toward whom the ball is delivered — that is the striker.

19a   Stop vessel caught in swell (4,3)

Swell[5] is dated slang for a fashionable or stylish person of wealth or high social position a crowd of city swells. In British slang, toff[5] is a derogatory term for a rich or upper-class person.

22a   Restaurant  cutlery (7)

In the UK, canteen[3,4,11] can mean (1) a box in which a set of cutlery is laid out or (2) the cutlery itself.

24a   One of the first people named in Somerset House (4)

In the Old Testament, Seth[10] is Adam's third son, given by God in place of the murdered Abel (Genesis 4:25).

25a   Makes eyes at the French on turning to leave (5)

In French, les[10] is the plural form of the definite article.

26a   Company doctor's card (4)

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.

29a   Flatter most sincerely? (7)

In 1820, English writer Charles Caleb Colton[7] (1780 – 1832) wrote "Imitation is the sincerest of flattery" which has since come to be phrased as "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

30a   Four will make an appearance in test of little importance (7)

31a   Old coppers that went by foot (5-8)

A penny-farthing[5] is an early type of bicycle, made in Britain, with a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel. It "went by foot" because it had to be pedalled. It was so-named because the relative sizes of the wheels was similar to that of a penny (in Britain, a large-diameter coin) in comparison to a farthing (a small-diameter British coin).

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).

The farthing[5], a former monetary unit and coin of the UK, withdrawn in 1961, was equal to a quarter of an old penny.

Down


2d   One who is ill and not operable? (7)

3d   Large number -- doesn't matter which, a large number (4)

4d   A beautiful woman describes Eastern ways (7)

In Roman mythology, Venus[5] is a goddess who was worshipped as the goddess of love in classical Rome. 

The use of the word "describe" as a containment indicator is a common cryptic crossword convention. This device relies on describe[3] being used in the sense of to trace the form or outline of ⇒ describe a circle with a compass. Thus, in today's clue, we have VENUS containing (describing) E with the rationale for the wordplay being that the container (VENUS) forms an outline around the contained entity (E) in a similar manner to the circumference of a circle forming an outline around the circular area contained within it.  

5d   Begin song outdoors (4,3)

6d   Charge for plant (4)

7d   Thing to change into this evening (7)

8d   Such an action may make Ian pretty upset with outfit (9,4)

9d   Account for all that talking? (9,4)

Dog and bone[5] (appearing in Big Dave's review) is British rhyming slang for a telephone.

15d   A Caledonian title of course (5)

Caledonia[10], the Roman name for Scotland, is now used poetically and, sometimes, humorously to refer to Scotland.

Ascot Racecourse[7] is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle.

16d   Surrounded by cultivated mango (5)

20d   Sailor climbs rope -- this one? (7)

21d   Natural cover in garden, originally (3,4)

Perhaps not really originally — rather, only after eating from the Tree of Knowledge.

22d   One who cribs in an exam upsets teacher (7)

23d   Feeling I'm one to get pushed around (7)

27d   Leading  sea  power (4)

The main[5] is an archaic or literary term referring to the open ocean. Another archaic meaning of main[2] is great strength, now usually found only in the phrase with might and main.

28d   Bearded Asian with head wound? (4)

Here, wound must be interpreted as the past participle of wind (to coil).
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)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 — DT 27211

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27211
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27211 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27211 - Review] 
Big Dave's Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
Big Dave (Review)
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
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

Today's puzzle leans to the gentle end of the spectrum. However, there are several Briticisms that might handicap one who had not previously encountered them.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across


3a   Small convenient drink (6)

6a   Ostentation shown by British page (4)

Pom[5] is Australian and New Zealand slang, often derogatory, for a British person. [Coincidentally, this term appeared in yesterday's puzzle.]

8a   Crew perhaps get tips from Oxford, Cambridge teams entering Thames (5)

Sports groups are often informally referred to by the number of players forming a team. Thus eleven for a cricket or soccer side, nine for a baseball team, and eight[5] for a rowing crew.

9a   Star Scottish footballer gets red card (3,2,6)

In soccer and some other games, red card[5] refers to a red card shown by the referee to a player who is being sent off the field Guerra was shown the red card for a foul on Meijer. A yellow card[5], on the other hand, is shown by the referee to a player being cautioned Eddis was shown the yellow card for a late tackle on Candlish.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club[7] (commonly known as Hearts or The Jam Tarts) are a Scottish professional football [soccer] club based in Edinburgh.

10a   Olympic winner to catch impressionist (5)

I managed to decipher the wordplay despite never having heard of this British Olympic athlete. The only name that came to mind was tennis player Maureen "little Mo" Connolly (1934 – 1969) — who was neither British nor an Olympian.

Mohamed "Mo" Farah[7] is a Somali-born British international track and field athlete in the long distance and middle-distance. He is the current 10,000 metres Olympic and World champion and 5000 metres Olympic, World and European champion.

Claude Monet[5] (1840–1926) was a  French painter. A founder member of the impressionists, his fascination with the play of light on objects led him to produce series of paintings of single subjects painted at different times of the day and under different weather conditions, such as the Water-lilies sequence (1899–1906; 1916 onwards).

11a   Former wife's custom is being sent abroad (11)

16a   Type inclined to have attraction to adventurous girl mostly (6)

It[5] (usually written in quotation marks, 'it') is an informal term [and — perhaps — euphemism] for sexual intercourse or sex appeal the only thing I knew nothing about was ‘it’.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland[7] (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 – 1898) under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice[7] who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world (the Wonderland of the title) populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures.

17a   Taking steamship round Channel Islands explorer returned in cutter (8)

The Channel Islands[5] are a group of islands in the English Channel off the NW coast of France, of which the largest are Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; population 200,000 (est. 2007). Formerly part of the dukedom of Normandy, they have owed allegiance to England since the Norman Conquest in 1066, and are now classed as Crown dependencies.

Sir John Ross[5] (1777 – 1856) was a British explorer. He led an expedition to Baffin Bay in 1818 and another in search of the North-West Passage between 1829 and 1833. On the second expedition, he journeyed in a steamship, the Victory, which he intended to use as an ice-breaker. However, it became stuck in the ice and had to be abandoned. He and his crew were rescued by a sailing ship, the Isabella.

Sir James Clark Ross[7] (1800 – 1862) was a British naval officer and explorer remembered today for his exploration of the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry and, in particular, his own expedition to Antarctica.

19a   Saint's given foreign church prominence (8)

I struggled a bit here until I remembered that saint can be abbreviated S[5] (chiefly in Catholic use S Ignatius Loyola)  as well as St[5].

The Church of England (CE)[10] is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

20a   Revoke excluding husband from part of church (6)

22a   How Oliver was portrayed in battle, unlikely to hold beach (5,3,3)

English general and statesman Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658) is reputed to have instructed portrait painter Sir Peter Lely (1618 – 1680) to capture his likeness "warts and all".

25a   One getting flame  to marry (5)

27a   Dressing, being given attire in new fashion (11)

28a   Innocent one in body of church (5)

29a   Boy dashed round yard (4)

30a   One stinging nettle finally confused with thorn (6)

Down


1d   Judgment after temper's raised (4)

2d   Defensive batsman, one playing for time with one wicket in hand (11)

In cricket, to stonewall[5] is to bat extremely defensively. 

On cricket scorecards, W[5] is used as an abbreviation for wicket(s). The word wicket[10] can take any of several meanings in cricket. It may be (1) either of two constructions, placed 22 yards apart, consisting of three pointed stumps stuck parallel in the ground with two wooden bails resting on top, at which the batsman stands; (2) the strip of ground between these [constructions] (i.e., the pitch); (3) a batsman's turn at batting or the period during which two batsmen bat ⇒ a third-wicket partnership; or (4) the act or instance of a batsman being got out ⇒ the bowler took six wickets. I presume that the abbreviation on the scorecard is related to one of the latter two meanings.

3d   Grandeur of railways in USA (11)

4d   Spies a convenience (6)

The Gents[5] is a [chiefly, but (I would hazard to say) not exclusively] British way to refer to a men’s public toilet.

5d   Lower classes intended resistance (8)

This clue relates to the NRS social grades[7], a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom. The categories were originally developed by the National Readership Survey to classify readers, but are now used by many other organisations for wider applications and have become a standard for market research. They were developed over 50 years ago and achieved widespread usage in 20th Century Britain. The classifications, which are based on the occupation of the head of the household, are shown in the following table.

Grade Social class Chief income earner's occupation
A upper middle class Higher managerial, administrative or professional
B middle class Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1 lower middle class Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional
C2 skilled working class Skilled manual workers
D working class Semi and unskilled manual workers
E Those at the lowest levels of subsistence Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the welfare state for their income

6d   Factory to design vintage model of car (5)

The Ford Model T[7] (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie, T‑Model Ford, 'Model T Ford', or T) is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908 to May 27, 1927.

7d   Test to following golden rule (5)

In the UK, MOT[5] (also MOT test) refers a compulsory annual test for safety and exhaust emissions of motor vehicles of more than a specified age. It is an abbreviation of Ministry of Transport, which introduced the original test.

12d   In the present month, all fellows will take time setting up in office (11)

Instant[5] is a dated expression used in formal correspondence to indicate 'of the present month'. It is a postpositive adjective (i.e., it follows the noun it modifies) and almost always appears as an abbreviation (inst). Thus, one might write "In reference to your letter of the 7th inst ...".

Big Dave takes exception to the lack of indication that the setter has employed the American spelling of installment — the British spelling being instalment[5].

13d   Press has short article taking popular line during Cold War (4,7)

14d   Get snug in finest leather (6)

15d   It's puzzling to put together dances with a wife (6)

18d   Redraft in coarse outline (8)

21d   Box with 'far, far better' character (6)

Sydney Carton[7] is a central character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by English writer Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870). Before going to the guillotine in place of his look-alike Charles Darnay, his final words are: ''It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

23d   Friendship as disaster spared California (5)

24d   Coach  some coaches (5)

26d   Take note of that man Miliband (4)

Ed Miliband[7] is a British Labour Party politician who is currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition.
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)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon