Saturday, November 30, 2013

Saturday, November 30, 2013 — That's Not All Folks!

Introduction

Two trends continue in today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon. First, there would once again seem to be no clear theme to the puzzle and, second, Looney Tunes characters continue to make an appearance.







Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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

Across


1a   KINDER|G(ART)EN — KINDER (nicer) + GEN (general) containing (holds) ART (painting)

8a   HAIRPIECE* — anagram (all over) of I HEAP RICE

9a   MOPED — double definition; "vehicle" & "was blue"

11a   _INS|ULT_ — hidden in (from) TwaINS ULTimatum
... and never the Twain shall meet ...

Mark Twain
Shania Twain
12a   O|PEN| A|RMS — O (love; score of nil in tennis) + PEN (to write) + A (†) + RM (room) + S ('s)

13a   EUPHOR(B)IA — EUPHORIA (happiness) containing (engulfing) B ([the letter] bee)


Euphorbia [5] is a plant of a genus that comprises the spurges, herbaceous plants or shrubs with milky latex and very small, typically greenish, flowers. Many kinds are cultivated as ornamentals and some are of commercial importance.

16a   ANTS — the even numbered letters of mAgNaTeS (oddly ignored; odd numbered letters deleted)









Not this "Bugs" ...









18a   O|INK — O (round [letter]) + INK (sign)






... but definitely this "Porky".







19a   LODGE|POLE — LODGE (get stuck) + (with) POLE (European)

21a   GRAP(HIT)E — HIT (STRUCK) contained in (inside) GRAPE (fruit)

22a   PORT|I|A — PORT (left [hand side] on a ship) + I (†) + A (assist [on a goal in hockey])
Portia[7] is the heroine of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
25a   ELGAR* — anagram (arrangement) of REGAL
Sir Edward Elgar[5] (1857–1934) was an English composer. He is known particularly for the Enigma Variations (1899), the oratorio The Dream of Gerontius (1900), and for patriotic pieces such as the five Pomp and Circumstance marches (1901–30).
26a   WE|ARIS(OM)E — WE (you and I) + ARISE (come up) containing (with) OM (mantra)
Om[5] is a mystic syllable, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, and texts.

"With" usually serves as a charade indicator. I can't say that I have ever seen it used as a containment indicator before today.
27a   {NEW YORK TIMES}* — anagram (funny) of MONKEYS WRITE

Down


1d   KNITS< — reversal (uplifting; in a down clue) of STINK (smell)

2d   NAP|OLE|ON — NAP (snooze) + (then) OLE (cheer) + ON (†)
Napoleon I[5] (1769–1821) was emperor of France 1804–14 and again in 1815; full name Napoleon Bonaparte; known as Napoleon. In 1799 Napoleon joined a conspiracy which overthrew the Directory, becoming the supreme ruler of France. He declared himself emperor in 1804, and established an empire stretching from Spain to Poland. After defeats at Trafalgar (1805) and in Russia (1812), he abdicated and was exiled to the island of Elba (1814). He returned to power in 1815, but was defeated at Waterloo and exiled to the island of St Helena.
3d   EVEN — double definition; "flat; level" & "indeed"
Indeed[5] may be used to introduce a further and stronger or more surprising point the idea is attractive to many men and indeed to many women.
4d   {GLEN PLAID}* — anagram (erratically) of PEDALLING



Glen plaid[7] (short for Glen Urquhart plaid) or Glenurquhart check is a woollen fabric with a woven twill design of small and large checks.



5d   _ROM|A|NO_ — hidden in (stuffing) fROM A NOodle
Romano[5] is a strong-tasting hard cheese, originally made in Italy.
6d   ESPERANTO* — anagram (bad) of PROSE NEAT
Esperanto[5] is an artificial language devised in 1887 as an international medium of communication, based on roots from the chief European languages. It retains the structure of these languages and has the advantage of grammatical regularity and ease of pronunciation.
7d   CHAISE LONGUE — anagram (ordered) of ENOUGH LACE IS
A chaise longue[5] is a sofa with a backrest at only one end. The unfamiliar-looking spellinɡ of chaise longue (‘long chair’ in French) has led many people to interpret it as the more English chaise lounge. This is regarded as an error in British English but is a common and accepted variant in US English.
10d   {DISASTER AREA}* — anagram of (different view of) ERITREA AS SAD

14d   PENT|ANGLE — PENT (confined) + ANGLE (fish)



Pentangle[5] is another name for pentagram, a five-pointed star that is formed by drawing a continuous line in five straight segments, often used as a mystic and magical symbol.


15d   BELL (T)OWER — BELLOWER (somebody yelling) containing (around) T (front [first letter] of The)
A campanile[5] is an Italian bell tower, especially a free-standing one.

I first attempted to make the solution be TOWN CRIER
17d   HEDONISM* — anagram (exercised) of SONDHEIM
Stephen Sondheim[5] is an American composer and lyricist. He became famous with his lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story (1957). He has since written a number of musicals, including A Little Night Music (1973) and Sweeney Todd (1979).
20d   C(HER)RY — CRY (act unhappy) containing (about) HER (the lady)
In the cryptic reading, the 's becomes a contraction for is.
23d   TOO|L|S — TOO (excessively) + L (large) + (and) S (small)

24d   PART< — reversal (facing the other way) of TRAP (snare)
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, November 29, 2013

Friday, November 29, 2013 — DT 27260

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27260
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, August 19, 2013
Setter
Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27260]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Libellule
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience
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██████████████████████████████████
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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 always, Rufus delivers a very enjoyable puzzle with several clues to give one's brain a strenuous workout.

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   A dour bent shown by American tough (7)

5a   Kind of crossing made by Drake's ship (7)

Once all the checking letters were in place, the solution seemed fairly obvious. However, I had to do a bit of research to explain both definitions.

In the UK, a pelican crossing[5] is a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights operated by pedestrians. The name is derived from pe(destrian) li(ght) con(trolled), altered to conform with the bird's name.

The Golden Hind[7] or Hinde was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by English explorer Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596). She was originally known as the Pelican, but was renamed by Drake mid-voyage in 1578, as he prepared to enter the Strait of Magellan, calling it the Golden Hind to compliment his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose armorial crest was a golden 'hind' (a female deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage.

9a   About five get better in turn (5)

10a   Idle girl that goes round giving choice to consumers (4,5)

Read the definition as "that [which] goes round giving choice to consumers" or "[something] that goes round giving choice to consumers".

11a   Plant in peat, so it develops (10)

12a   Brand new  money-making concern (4)

14a   Isn't it particular what it sells? (7,5)

I think the phrasing of the clue is intended to be cryptically ironic — or, perhaps, ironically cryptic.

18a   Company offer definitive vote for union? (4,8)


21a   The sound of a pig at home in agreeable surroundings (4)

22a   Shared secret  belief (10)

25a   Defiant beast, rising (9)

26a   Come up with more money (5)

In Britain, an increase in salary or wages is called a rise[5] — rather than a raise[5], as it would be in North America.

27a   Peak time before break (7)

Mount Everest[5] is a mountain in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Rising to 8,848 m (29,028 ft), it is the highest mountain in the world; it was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealand mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (1914–1986).

28a   Level betting includes the French teams (7)

Evens[5] is a British term meaning even money[5], viz. odds offering an equal chance of winning or losing, with the amount won being the same as the stake.

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le[8].

Eleven[5] is the number of players on a cricket[7] side or an Association football[7] [soccer] team — and is often used as a metonym for such a team ⇒ at cricket I played in the first eleven.

Down


1d   Believe  one wouldn't say no to this (6)

I had some difficulty getting my head around this clue. Libellule indicates that it is a double definition, so I will go along with him on that assessment. In the second definition, the word "that" stands in for the solution, so the sense of it is "one wouldn't say no to accept". That is, one could accept either by saying yes (an active acceptance) or by saying nothing (a tacit acceptance).

2d   Draw in new capital (6)

Darwin[5] is the capital of Northern Territory, Australia; population 120,652 (2008).

3d   Fails to turn out as intended (10)

4d   Share  the port (5)

Split[5] is a seaport on the coast of southern Croatia; population 177,500 (est. 2009). Founded as a Roman colony in 78 BC, it contains the ruins of the palace of the emperor Diocletian, built in about AD 300.

5d   Plucky action taken by some of the players (9)

In music, pizzicato[5] can be used (1) as an adverb to mean (often as a direction) plucking the strings of a violin or other stringed instrument with one’s finger, (2) as an adjective to denote playing pizzicato, and (3) as as noun for the technique of playing pizzicato or a a note or passage played pizzicato.

6d   It makes a pass into a path (4)

... or a snake into a thnake!

7d   Car is not damaged, being strong (4-4)

8d   Score but one (8)

13d   The British  TT? (6,4)

The Tourist Trophy[5] (TT[5]) is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907.

15d   Financial expert comes into new organisation (9)

16d   It's to do with pursuit of game, naturally (2,6)

Course[5] (used as a noun) is a pursuit of game (especially hares) with greyhounds by sight rather than scent. As a verb, course means to pursue (game, especially hares) with greyhounds using sight rather than scent (i) many of the hares coursed escaped unharmed; (ii) she would course for hares with her greyhounds.

17d   Note about illustrious French city (8)

Grenoble[5] is an industrial city in SE France; population 158,746 (2006).

19d   Lure damaged net on the rocks (6)

20d   Numbers playing in Rugby competitions, perhaps (6)

Rugby sevens[7], also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is now recognised as an Olympic sport and will make its debut in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Rugby league sevens[7] (or simply sevens) is a seven-a-side derivative of rugby league football, which is usually a thirteen-a-side sport. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some rule changes and shorter games.

23d   Foil ... for trespassers? (5)

A cursory reading of this clue suggests that it may involve a reference to swordplay. However, on more careful analysis that idea does not appear to hold up.

Despite what Libellule indicates in his review, I am unable to parse the clue in such a way as to substantiate the swordplay reference. I say this because foil (a type of sword) is a noun and fence (to fight with swords) is a verb. I did suspect that foil might possibly also be a verb (in the sense of to fight with swords), but I can find no evidence to support that theory.

I therefore must conclude that foil[10] has to be interpreted as meaning to baffle or frustrate (a person, attempt, etc) or, perhaps, in the archaic sense of a setback or defeat. Thus a fence would foil a trespasser's intention to enter a property enclosed by such a barrier.

Even though the direct substitution of fence for foil is not supported, I suspect that the setter may well have had the swordplay connection in the back of his mind.

24d   Be a shade over-extravagant? (4)

Blue[10] is a [seemingly British] slang term meaning to to spend extravagantly or wastefully; in other words, to squander.
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, November 28, 2013

Thursday, November 28, 2013 — DT 27259

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27259
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27259 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27259 - Review] 
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
gnomethang (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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

My progress seemed to have come to a standstill with a couple of clues remaining unsolved. However, one final push got me to the finish line.

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   Miss flying west in Romania, crashing (8)

9a   One giving financial support to London arts centre gets decoration (8)

Angelica[5] is (1) a tall aromatic plant of the parsley family, with large leaves and yellowish-green flowers, which is used in cooking and herbal medicine or (2) the candied stalk of this plant, used in confectionery and cake decoration.

The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)[7] is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It contains galleries, a theatre, two cinemas, a bookshop and a bar.

10a   Top performer sings with backing (4)

In his review, gnomethang uses the expression "sings like a canary". I note that the same expression appears in the usage example at Oxford Dictionaries Online which defines sing[5] as an informal term meaning to act as an informer to the police as soon as he got put under pressure, he sang like a canary.

11a   Boiler getting detached makes a mess (6,2,4)

Offish[3,4,11] is an adjective meaning inclined to be distant and reserved; in other words, aloof or unapproachable.

13a   Royal person included in newspapers (8)

15a   Better ventilated zone by the sound of it (6)

In Britain (as in Boston), speakers typically append an R sound to words ending in a vowel. Thus area is pronounced as AIR-EE-AR. You may compare the American and British pronunciations of area at TheFreeDictionary website by clicking on the respective flag icons.

As an aside, I have uncovered why I have been experiencing problems with this feature (as mentioned in a previous post). My Adobe Flash Player installation had become corrupted.

16a   Group of countries in Arab locality (4)

17a   The Queen entering American university gets high mark (5)

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology[5] (abbreviation MIT) is a US institute of higher education, famous for scientific and technical research, founded in 1861 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

18a   Record and intercept communication (electronic) (4)

20a   Make a priest confused in road (6)

21a   Wizard journalist made erratic progress (8)

Harry Potter[7] is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The series, named after the titular character, chronicles the adventures of a wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Potter[5] (the chiefly British counterpart to the North American term putter) means to move with little energy or direction ⇒ to potter about town.

23a   Hides what sports fan does before match (4,2,6)

Go to ground[5] can mean (with respect to a fox or other animal) to enter its earth or burrow rabbits evicted from one set of burrows will go to ground elsewhere or (with respect to a person) to hide or become inaccessible, especially for a long time he went to ground following the presidential coup.

A ground[5] is an area of land, often with associated buildings, used for a particular sport (i) a football ground; (ii) Liverpool’s new ground is nearing completion.

26a   Russian -- one near front (4)

27a   A warrior going round is flipping rough (8)

28a   Take up a case set down by one departure point (8)

Down


2d   Complete transformation of triangle (8)

Having encountered this word yesterday as a noun, today we see it as an adjective.

3d   Apply oneself at school acquiring good C or D (7-5)

In this clue, "C or D" is a reference 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

The abbreviation G[10] for good may relate to its use in rating school assignments or tests.

4d   Courage of London police let out (6)

The Metropolitan Police Service[7] (widely known informally as the Met[5]) is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police. As we saw yesterday, the Met is also referred to by the metonym Scotland Yard after the location of its original headquarters in a road called Great Scotland Yard in Whitehall.

5d   New trouble to fix (4)

6d   I allow small number inside without knowledge (8)

7d   One peccadillo's overturned condition of divorce (4)

A legal term, nisi[5] is a post positive adjective denoting that (a decree, order, or rule) takes effect or is valid only after certain conditions are met an order nisi. In English law, a decree nisi[5] is an order by a court of law stating the date on which a marriage will end unless a good reason not to grant a divorce is produced.

8d   In variety show, rare song often performed (8)

A warhorse[3] is a musical or dramatic work that has been performed so often that it has become widely familiar.

12d   I sign draft re revised parliamentary procedure (5,7)

First reading[5] is the first presentation of a bill to a legislative assembly, to permit its introduction.

14d   Upstart harbours display of petulance (5)

Strop[5] is British slang for a bad mood or a temper[5] (in the sense of an angry state of mind) Nathalie gets in a strop and makes to leave.

16d   Horse-drawn coach makes bishop rather unwell by morning (8)

B[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

A brougham[5] is a horse-drawn carriage with a roof, four wheels, and an open driver’s seat in front.

17d   Chap handin' out instrument (8)

19d   Delightful lake in rustic surrounding (8)

While it is true, as gnomethang comments in his review, that "PEASANT is an adjective synonymous with rustic", rustic[5] can also be used as a noun meaning an unsophisticated country person they paused to watch the rustics dance and carouse.

22d   Make false turn at bunker (6)

Bunk[5] is British slang meaning to abscond or play truant from school or work he bunked off school all week. As I did not find the noun bunker (in the sense of someone who bunks) in any dictionary, this word form could be the invention of the setter — although, if so, it would not not be much of a stretch.

24d   Aristocrat and paragon, beheaded (4)

According to The Chambers Dictionary, pearl[1] can mean a paragon or prized example.

25d   Lecherously eye up for a dance (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

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 — DT 27258

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27258
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, August 16, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27258]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Gazza
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 suffered a brain cramp on 7d. I knew precisely what the solution was but found myself totally unable to think of the word.

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   The old man has got hold of a wonderful cure (7)

5a   Professional word of a particular type that conveys wisdom (7)

9a   Fruit captured by capable monkey (5)

10a   Demure, needing to get with it, I have to be Methodist (9)

I managed to decipher the solution from the wordplay, but needed help from Mr. Google to draw the association between the definition and the solution.

A Primitive Methodist[5] is a member of a society of Methodists which was formed in 1811 and joined the united Methodist Church in 1932.

11a   Legal document for vehicle (10)

12a   Word of defiance is a habit (4)

14a   Style of building erect hair, cut unconventionally (12)

18a   What you might see in prisoners' exercise yard is compelling (12)

Gazza indicates that you are to "split the answer (4,8) to get what you might see in a prison yard". I would argue that you might equally well split the answer (3,9).

21a   Through listening, recognises dissident expressions (4)

22a   A unit briefly installed in summer (10)

Based on the checking letters, I was able to figure out the solution using a Word Finder program. However, I needed Gazza's review to understand the wordplay.

25a   Unity of chaps evident in a salute (9)

26a   Academic at ceremony may have this chicken (5)

27a   Strong American coin no longer used (7)

A solidus[5] is a gold coin of the later Roman Empire.

28a   General flying in balloon (7)

Down


1d   Cops reduced -- Yard's course of action (6)

Scotland Yard[5] is the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, situated from 1829 to 1890 in Great Scotland Yard off Whitehall, from 1890 until 1967 in New Scotland Yard on the Thames Embankment, and from 1967 onwards in New Scotland Yard, Westminster. The name is used, in particular, as a metonym for the Criminal Investigation Department [detective branch] of the London Metropolitan Police force.

2d   Appointing an overthrown Lib Dem leader of yesteryear (6)

The clue was not difficult to solve — even with no prior knowledge of the British politician.

The Liberal Democrats[5] (Lib Dem[5]) are a British political party formed in 1988 through a merger of a majority of the membership of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. Originally called the Social and Liberal Democrats, the party was officially renamed in 1989 as the Liberal Democrats.

Sir Menzies "Ming" Campbell[5] is a British Liberal Democrat politician who was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.

3d   Actor seen swirling round front of cinema -- bless! (10)

4d   Mountain with limited height, a first in a series (5)

Alpha[5] is the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α). As a modifier, it is used to denote the first of a series of items or categories, e.g. forms of a chemical compound the α and β chains of haemoglobin.

5d   New Jersey location, place for prisoners, but not women (9)

I knew the New Jersey location, but relied on Gazza to explain the British connection.

Princetown[7] is a village on Dartmoor, an area of moorland in  the English county of Devon. At around 435 metres (1,430 feet) above sea level, it is the highest settlement on the moor, and one of the highest in the United Kingdom. The village is the site of Dartmoor Prison.

Princeton[7] is a municipality in New Jersey that is best known as the location of Princeton University.

6d   Dish of egg and greasy liquid served up (4)

7d   The last thing you'd expect an actor to say? (8)

Although the word was on the tip of my tongue, no amount of effort would force it to mind. I even thought of epithet and epigram — but still it eluded me.

8d   Showed some sign of life with the food being passed round (8)

13d   Cinema -- cool, funny, cheap (10)

15d   Pomposity of the male saints going round each very small home (9)

I think the definition must be intended in a literary sense. Pompous[2], in reference to language, means inappropriately grand and flowery; in other words, pretentious. Heavy[5], in reference to a literary work, means overly serious or difficult.

16d   Terrible goings-on -- Conservative in traditional Liberal footwear! (8)

17d   Mathematical value worked out by a girl, ten (8)

The fodder also produces the anagram TRIANGLE, although I would not consider this to be a "mathematical value".

An integral[2] is a mathematical function of which a given function is the derivative, i.e. which yields that function when differentiated, and which may express the area under the curve of a graph of the function.

19d   Places to the north with men in a dazed state (6)

In the British armed forces, the term other ranks[5] (abbreviation OR[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.

20d   Irishman leading church meeting of a spooky nature (6)

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

23d   Coffee time with others turning up all around (5)

24d   Psychiatrist's not right to quarrel (4)

Sigmund Freud[5] (1856–1939) was an Austrian neurologist and psychotherapist. He was the first to emphasize the significance of unconscious processes in normal and neurotic behaviour, and was the founder of psychoanalysis as both a theory of personality and a therapeutic practice.
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

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013 — DT 27257

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27257
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27257]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave
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

This proved to be an enjoyable puzzle. While I managed to solve very few clues on my first read through, that were enough to establish a foothold from which I was then able to work my way gradually through the remainder 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


7a   Nothing stopping mobile phone use providing reception for everyone (4,5)

8a   Demonstrated this stitch used in embroidery? (5)

A satin stitch[5] is a long straight embroidery stitch, giving the appearance of satin embroider the thicker stems in satin stitch.

10a   Phoney conflict in the main? (3,3)

The main[5] is an archaic or literary term referring to the open ocean.

Cod[5] is an informal British term meaning not authentic or fake a cod Mittel-European accent.

Cod war[5] refers to any of several disputes between Britain and Iceland in the period 1958–76, concerning fishing rights in waters around Iceland. Britain and Iceland once again found themselves on opposite sides of a fishing dispute when Britain lined up behind Canada and Iceland supported Spain in the the Turbot War of 1995. Ironically, in this latter dispute, Britain and Iceland would each appear to find themselves on the opposite side of the issue from where they were in the Cod Wars.

11a   Tires and emission systems (8)

This clue would seem to work much better in North America than in the UK. The British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile component) is tyre[5]. Thus, I presume that Brits — unlike North Americans — would probably not see the clue as a collection of auto parts. However, perhaps the North American spelling is well enough known in Britain that the clue might still work on this level.

12a   We are encouraged to like these  environmentalists (6)

Although I recognized the environmentalists, I didn't comprehend the wordplay until I saw Big Dave's pictorial. It certainly didn't help my cause that I tried to split the clue on the wrong side of the word "these".

A Green party[7] is a formally organised political party based on the principles of Green politics, such as social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and environmentalism. In the UK, there are separate Green parties for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England and Wales.

The Green Party of England and Wales[7] (GPEW) is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom. It currently has one Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, Caroline Lucas, who represents the constituency of Brighton Pavilion. Judging by the comments in his review, she has obviously not endeared herself to Big Dave [despite the encouragement alluded to in the clue].

14a   Note  comment (6)

A double definition is a style of clue in which each of the two definitions is synonymous with a third word without themselves being synonyms. In this case, note is intended in the sense of to take notice of or observe and comment in the sense of to express briefly and casually. However, the double definition is weakened somewhat by the fact that note itself can also mean comment.

16a   The opposite of legs being trim (4)

17a   Hum coming from adults welcoming return of easy listening (5)

In British and Irish slang, hum can be a verb meaning to smell unpleasant when the wind drops this stuff really hums[5,10] or (2) a noun meaning a bad smell[2] or an unpleasant odour[10].

The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate.

Note that the use of "adults" in the plural indicates that the letter A appears twice in the solution.

MOR[5] (with reference to music) is an abbreviation for middle-of-the-road he played dippy MOR ballads I was proud not to recognize.

18a   Side with running mate (4)

I think side is an example of a term that is not completely foreign to North Americans, but — at the same time — is a word that is not used as commonly here as it is in Britain.

In Britain, a side[5] is a sports team there was a mixture of old and young players in their side. In North America, while a sports team might be referred to as a side in certain contexts, the usage would be far more rare and the term would likely be used in a far more generic sense than in the UK. For instance, one might say "The two sides faced off in the deciding game." but likely not "The Toronto side reached the playoffs for the first time in many years".

19a   Turn air blue endlessly, resulting in sending-off (6)

21a   Light dress with short sleeves originally (6)

24a   Interrupt  barber? (3,5)

26a   Cocktail is magic without vermouth (6)

The setter uses "without" in the sense of 'on the outside of' rather than 'lacking'.

Mojo[5] is a chiefly US term meaning (1) a magic charm, talisman, or spell ⇒ someone must have their mojo working over at the record company or (2) influence, especially magic power ⇒ the name has no mojo.

In the UK, it[5] is an informal, dated term for Italian vermouth ⇒ <he poured a gin and it [a cocktail containing gin and Italian vermouth].

A mojito[5] is a cocktail consisting of white rum, lime or lemon juice, sugar, mint, ice, and carbonated or soda water.

27a   Oasis embraced by chav endearingly (5)

Chav[5] is an informal and derogatory British term for a young lower-class person typified by brash and loutish behaviour and the wearing of (real or imitation) designer clothes.

28a   Bullying's both right and good among corrupt matrons (9)

Down


1d   Bogus Foreign Office procedures arising (5)

Most of the dictionaries that I consulted listed spoof only as a noun or verb. However, The Chambers Dictionary also shows spoof[1] as an adjective meaning bogus.

2d   Sun presently lower -- an early sign of spring? (8)

The snowdrop[5] (Galanthus nivalis) is a bulbous European plant which bears drooping white flowers during the late winter. Snowdrops are a common flower in Canada.

3d   Beginning dressing for the audience (6)

I quickly recognized that "for the audience" must be a homophone indicator. However, it took me a long time to twig to what the sound-alike words might be. Apparently, the Brits — or, at least, some of them — pronounce source (beginning) and sauce (dressing) in a similar manner. I presume that the former is pronounced with a soft British "R" making it sound somewhat like the latter.

I have often used the speech samples found at TheFreeDictionary website to compare British and American pronunciations. However, I went there today only to discover that this feature appears to have been discontinued.

The foregoing statement seems not to be true. Either this feature was missing earlier today and has now reappeared, or its earlier absence is yet another symptom of my flaky desktop computer (I am currently using my laptop). In any event, I invite you to listen to the British speech samples at TheFreeDictionary website and hear for yourself why source and sauce would be homophones for the Brits — and anything but for North Americans!

4d   Man maybe using lipsalve regularly (4)

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.

5d   Gap holiday before university with mother going topless! (6)

Vac[5] is an informal British term for vacation. In Britain, the word vacation[5] means a fixed holiday period between terms in universities and law courts the Easter vacation. Here, holiday[4] is used in the sense of a day on which work is suspended by law or custom, such as a religious festival, bank holiday, etc.

The Brits use the term holiday[4] (often holidays), rather than vacation (as in North America), to refer to a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreation. As is often the case in Canada, the British term (holidays) and the American term (vacation) are used virtually interchangeably ⇒ I am planning to take my summer holidays (or vacation) in August this year.

6d   Hard work so I ran it past expert (9)

H[5] is the abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

9d   Doctor perhaps ignoring one pressure or another -- he'll work his way to the top (6)

13d   Kisses and cuddles eventually working up good head of steam (5)

This would work as either a noun or a verb. As a noun, snog[5] is an informal British term for a long kiss or a period of amorous kissing and cuddling he gave her a proper snog, not just a peck. As a verb, it means to kiss and cuddle amorously (i) the pair were snogging on the sofa; (ii) he snogged my girl at a party.

15d   New Bulgarian's missed header overshadowing United debut (9)

17d   Sailor left low about coming out completely (6)

In the Royal Navy, able seaman[5] (abbreviation AB[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman.

18d   'Time!' Getting busy, jog drunk for beer mugs (4-4)

Toby jug[5] is a chiefly British term for a beer jug or mug in the form of a stout old man wearing a three-cornered hat.

20d   We stand on this  together (6)

Obviously, Big Dave intended to write "... if split (2,4) ...".

22d   Strict disciplinarian runs a place to sleep over (6)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation R[5] denotes run(s).

23d   It's clear introduction of traffic is choking Channel Island (5)

The Channel Islands[5] (abbreviation CI[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. 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.

Sark[5] is one of the smaller Channel Islands, a small island lying to the east of Guernsey.

25d   Betting pool is drag (4)

Tote[4] is short for totalizator[4] (known in North America as pari-mutuel), a system of betting on horse races in which the aggregate stake, less an administration charge and tax, is paid out to winners in proportion to their stake.
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