Monday, November 11, 2013 — DT 27244

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27244
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27244]
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
Notes This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, November 9, 2013 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Today's offering from Jay is a bit on the gentle side. There was at least one new British term for me — the dining establishment at 11d. However, I was able to decipher it from the wordplay and checking letters.

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   Man in church, intoxicated, quietly making a mess of rites (4,6)

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

6a   Lively horse loses right plate (4)

In a definition that I was only able to find in British dictionaries, a plate^[10] is a light horseshoe for flat racing [as distinguished from steeplechase].

9a   State of a house on the borders of Ireland (5)

10a   Morally justified in reforming this rogue? (9)

12a   Gain upper hand, seeing article covered by Spinners (4,3,6)

Here, you have a choice of soul music or folk. The Spinners^[7] are an American soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of classic hits especially during the 1970s. The group is also listed as the Detroit Spinners, and the Motown Spinners (for their 1960s recordings with the Detroit label). These group names were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British folk group also called The Spinners^[7].

14a   Letting on perhaps, initially to be agreeable (8)

Let^[5] is a chiefly British term meaning to allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments ⇒ (i) she let the flat [apartment] to a tenant; (ii) they’ve let out their house.

15a   A few locked in centre of firm's compound (6)

In chemistry, an isomer^[5] is each of two or more compounds with the same formula but a different arrangement of atoms in the molecule and different properties.

17a   Radio broadcast key for member of crew (6)

19a   Preserve wood in Greek island full of love like this (8)

The solution to the clue is not the wood preservative itself, but rather the same word used as a verb meaning to treat with the wood preservative.

21a   State hates cuts planned in service (13)

24a   Feeling queasy, dean arranged to accept university chair (9)

25a   Bitter and cold -- dry outside (5)

By dry^[10], I believe the setter may intend (with respect to wit or humour) shrewd and keen in an impersonal, sarcastic, or laconic way. Among the synonyms listed by Collins English Dictionary for this sense of the word are cutting and sharp.

26a   What wet concrete does for tennis? (4)

27a   They'll give an edge for writer accommodated by flatmates (10)

A flat^[10] would be called an apartment on this side of the Atlantic. Brits reserve the word apartment^[5] for a certain specific type of flat — typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays [seemingly either an upscale flat or one used for temporary occupancy].

Down

1d   Hot tune from Sixties musical? (4)

Hair^[7] (in full Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical) is a 1967 rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much comment and controversy. The musical broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical", using a racially integrated cast, and inviting the audience onstage for a "Be-In" finale.

2d   Person receiving conveyance from relative supporter (7)

3d   Poor reactions part creating delay (13)

4d   I rave about educated girl ignoring a pest (8)

Educating Rita^[7] is a 1980 stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell that was the basis of a 1983 Academy Award winning film.

5d   Continue to be detained by house guests (5)

In music or film, segue^[5] means to move without interruption from one piece of music or scene to another ⇒ allowing one song to segue into the next.

7d   Criminal's cover left dump unprotected (7)

8d   Point poor setter, say makes for financial security (4,6)

11d   Establishment offering ecstasy in food? (9,4)

Transport cafe^[5] is the British name for a truck stop^[5].

13d   Accommodation for a section with workers on empty trains (10)

See comment at 27a.

16d   Credit America, turning up communist campaigner (8)

18d   A sailor reported following second attack (7)

20d   Show respect for  see (7)

The misdirection here arises from being expected to interpret see^[10] as the diocese of a bishop, or the place within it where his cathedral or procathedral is situated.

22d   Minor difficulty with answer for one to concoct (5)

23d   Love of French son's poetic output (4)

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

In French, de^[8]is a preposition meaning of'.

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)

Remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice — Falcon