Wednesday, November 6, 2013 — DT 27241

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27241
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, July 27, 2013
Setter Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27241 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27241 - Review]
Big Dave's Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (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

I nearly threw in the towel several times today. However, each time I was about to do so, the solution to another clue popped into mind. In the end, my electronic assistants sat idle again. Even a hitherto unheard of British composer did not faze me.

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   Furry creature, one engaged in permanent frisking (4,6)

The pine marten^[5] (Martes martes) is an arboreal weasel-like mammal that has a dark brown coat with a yellowish throat and a bushy tail, native to northern Eurasia.

6a   Toboggan you need to pull with energy (4)

North Americans will undoubtedly be puzzled by the British concept of a toboggan. To the Brits, a toboggan^[5] is a long, light, narrow vehicle, typically on runners, used for sliding downhill over snow or ice. You will find that they apply the term toboggan to almost any type of sled used for sliding downhill. I suppose by including the phrase "typically on runners" the definition leaves enough wiggle room to allow a 'true' toboggan (which has no runners) to squeeze in. Clearly the term must have been taken back to the UK by some British explorer who paid a visit to the colonies and went home very confused.

8a   Closet is turned out for date in June, perhaps (8)

... or maybe December.

9a   Woman in touring car gets the bird (6)

GT^[2] (abbreviation for Italian Gran Turismo, which translates as "grand touring" in English) is a name given to certain fast but comfortable sports cars.

10a   Ruined rugby side's first point (8)

While two major variants of the game of rugby exist in the real world, only one seems to have caught  on in Crosswordland. Rugby union^[5] (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.

11a   One can't play it at school (6)

My first thought here was hookey^[5], but I was to discover it to be a chiefly North American term.

12a   Free, after some string-pulling (4)

In her review, crypticsue identifies the definition as merely "free". However, I think one must consider the entire clue to be a cryptic definition.

14a   Rapper's critic (7)

18a   Hold spellbound during tenth rally (7)

20a   Spread trade, getting millions for diamonds? (4)

23a   Like to travel over water and attack (6)

24a   Spin doctor's new plan for cities -- extremely dear (8)

As I see it, the clue doesn't quite parse. Spin doctor is not a synonym for PR (public relations); rather a spin doctor is a practitioner in the field of public relations.

25a   Holiday that's a signal for disaster (6)

26a   One in favour of trees being replanted? (8)

27a   Make the drink go round (4)

28a   Not like Iris, dismal when drunk (10)

Down

1d   Trading record made by secretary's second reserve (8)

Contrary to my expectations, the clue does not appear to be referring to the trading of shares on the stock market. The term passbook^[3,4], in addition to being another name for a bankbook, can also be used for a customer's book in which is recorded by a trader [merchant] a list of credit sales to that customer.

Note: In the UK, it would seem that the term merchant^[5] means a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying goods to a particular trade ⇒ (i) a builders' merchant; (ii) a tea merchant. Merchant, in the sense of a retail trader [shopkeeper to the Brits], is a North American usage. In Britain, a trader^[2] is someone who trades, often one who owns or runs a shop or market stall, or who trades in a particular group of goods.

2d   Clothing Lynn so crazily (6)

3d   Old horse detaining you in France (6)

In French, tu^[8] is a pronoun meaning you.

4d   City area in ecstasy, showing recovery (9)

This clue requires a bit of familiarity with London, England and the operation of the British postal system.

The City^[5] is short for the City of London. Note, however, that the City of London^[5] is not the same thing as the city of London, but merely the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries and governed by the Lord Mayor and the Corporation^[5] (which, in Britain, is a group of people elected to govern a city, town, or borough ⇒ the City of London Corporation).

The City is also a metonym for the financial and commercial institutions located in the City of London ⇒ (i) the Budget got a stony reception from the City; (ii) [as modifier] a City analyst. This is analogous to the use of the terms Wall Street and Bay Street to refer to the financial institutions located in New York and Toronto respectively.

In the clue, the setter uses "City" as a surrogate for for the EC postcode which serves this area (postcode being the British counterpart of the Canadian postal code or American zip code). The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area^[7] (also known as the London EC postcode area) is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London Boroughs.

5d   People, say, to be kept in denial (8)

6d   Number suffering become depressed (8)

Frequently, terms such as many or a large number will be used to clue a large Roman numeral - such as L (fifty), C (hundred), D (five hundred) or M (thousand). However, as I am increasingly seeing, today's setter settles for merely number.

7d   Frenchman opts out of agreement formulated for drink (5,3)

In French, monsieur^[8] (abbreviation M^[8]) means gentleman or man.

13d   Light-headed composer consuming South American port (9)

Frederick Delius^[5] (1862–1934) was an English composer, of German and Scandinavian descent. He is best known for pastoral works such as Brigg Fair (1907), but he also wrote songs, concertos, and choral and theatre music.

15d   Four points pitched in television bulletin (8)

16d   It will strain commander to alight with Queen (8)

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.

17d   Used  to be in a job (8)

19d   One talks of overthrow of ruler, etc (8)

21d   Sun's best part? That's a laugh (6)

22d   In experiment, A levels may be worked out in the mind (6)

In the UK (with the exception of Scotland), A level^[5] (advanced level^[5]) is a qualification in a specific subject typically taken by school students aged 16-18, at a level above GCSE^[5] (General Certificate of Secondary Education). O level^[5] (ordinary level)^[5] is a qualification in a specific subject formerly taken by school students aged 14-16, at a level below A level. It was replaced in 1988 by the GCSE.

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