Monday, December 30, 2013 — DT 27283

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27283[See note 1]
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, September 14, 2013[See note 2]
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27283 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27283 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) gnomethang (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 █ - yet to be solved
Notes [1] The National Post has skipped DT 27281 and DT 27282 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, September 12, 2013 and Friday, September 13, 2013. [2] 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

Although I had seen the British vegetables with the French name in at least one previous puzzle, the name did not come readily to mind. I also realized that a boozer is a pub, but needed a gentle push from my electronic assistants to get the first part of the name.

The National Post has skipped a couple of puzzles. Have they been discarded entirely or will they show up in future, out of order?

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   Steelworks made a stink on the outskirts of Exeter (7)

Exeter^[5] is a city in SW England, the county town of Devon, on the River Exe; population 109,200 (est. 2009). Exeter was founded by the Romans, who called it Isca.

8a   Dishonest man on board in last month returned (7)

10a   Mao Tse-tung cooked vegetables (10)

Mao Tse-tung^[5] (1893–1976) was a Chinese statesman, chairman of the Communist Party of the Chinese People’s Republic 1949–76 and head of state 1949–59.

Mangetout^[5] (French, literally 'eat all') is a British name for a pea of a variety with an edible pod, eaten when the pod is young and flat.

11a   Dingy English seaside feature (4)

Dun^[4,11], as an adjective, can mean dark and gloomy.

12a   Fashion designer a liberal authority in church (8)

Pierre Cardin^[5] is a French couturier, the first designer of haute couture to show a collection of clothes for men as well as women.

14a   Van Gogh painting is about to go up (6)

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh (1889)

Vincent Van Gogh^[5] (1853–1890) was a Dutch painter. He is best known for his post-impressionist work, influenced by contact with impressionist painting and Japanese woodcuts after he moved to Paris in 1886. His most famous pictures include several studies of sunflowers. Suffering from severe depression, he cut off part of his own ear and eventually committed suicide.

15a   He wrote novels when vaguely befuddled (6,5)

Evelyn Waugh^[5] (1903–1966), English novelist. His work was profoundly influenced by his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1930. Notable works: Decline and Fall (1928); Brideshead Revisited (1945).

19a   Suggestion about container for vegetable (6)

20a   Bath switched lock and prop (8)

22a   One will punch son in display of temper maybe (4)

As gnomethang states "other explosive outbursts are available" — and, alas, the first one to come to mind was PET. This wrong turn held me up considerably in the southwest quadrant.

23a   Italy's smooth source of elixir consumed by TT -- it'll raise spirits (10)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Italy is I^[5].

TT^[5] is the abbreviation for teetotal — not Tourist Trophy^[5] (a motorcycle race held on the Isle of Man).

25a   Woman engages lad for building work (7)

26a   Last character driven from pirates' home in atonement (7)

The Pirates of Penzance^[7] is a comic opera in two acts, with music by English composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and libretto by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911). The opera premiered in New York City in December 1879 and in London in April 1880.

Penzance^[5] is a resort town in SW England, on the south coast of Cornwall near Land’s End; population 21,500 (est. 2009).

Down

1d   Monkey unfortunately gets African antelopes (7)

Unfortunately, in his review, gnomethang appears to have dropped an A from ALAS.

2d   Sell fine piece of wood (4)

In Britain, flog^[4,5] is slang meaning to sell or offer for sale ⇒ he made a fortune flogging beads to hippies. In North America, the word generally means to publicize aggressively ⇒ flogging a new book^[3], although Random House includes the meaning to to sell, especially aggressively or vigorously^[11].

3d   Have dinner hosted by good French portrait photographer (6)

The name, though unknown, was easily obtainable from the wordplay.

Bon^[8] is the masculine, singular form of the French adjective meaning good.

Sir Cecil Beaton^[5] (1904–1980) was an English photographer famous for his fashion features and portraits of celebrities, particularly the British royal family. He later diversified into costume and set design, winning two Oscars for the film My Fair Lady (1964).

In his review, gnomethang reports that this clue is a replacement for the one which originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph:

• Nosh swallowed by good French cookery writer.

Unfortunately, as he goes on to explain, the name of the cookery writer is Beeton — not Beaton.
 
Mrs Isabella Mary Beeton^[5] (1836–1865) was an English writer on cookery, famous for her bestselling Book of Cookery and Household Management (1861).

In a highly unusual occurrence, the corrected clue has made its way into the syndicated puzzle.

4d   Money one accountant needed for certain plants (8)

Brass^[5] is British slang for money ⇒ they wanted to spend their newly acquired brass.

The abbreviation CA^[5] for Chartered Accountant  is used in Scotland — and was formerly employed in Canada. However, as of January 2013, Canadian CA's have adopted the CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) designation. In England and Wales, the designatory letters are ACA or FCA while in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) the acronym CAI is used.^[7]

A brassica^[5] is a plant of a genus that includes cabbage, swede [rutabaga], rape [canola], and mustard ⇒ brassicas are often plagued by whitefly.

5d   Dogged girl is flighty -- she's after rich mate (4-6)

6d   Stray animal originally taken in by fixer (7)

9d   Boozer, male, associated with ex-President (4,3,4)

Boozer^[5] is British slang for a pub or bar.

George Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 41st President of the US 1989–93; full name George Herbert Walker Bush. He negotiated further arms reductions with the Soviet Union and organized international action to expel the Iraqis from Kuwait in 1990.

George W. Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 43rd President of the US 2001–2009; full name George Walker Bush. He is the son of George Bush. One of his first acts as President was to launch a ‘War on Terror’ against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon; he also ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, maintaining that Saddam Hussein was developing chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.

While the clue could be referring to either of these ex-Presidents, perhaps the son is the more likely choice. Prior to his marriage, the younger Bush^[5] had multiple episodes of alcohol abuse. In one instance, on September 4, 1976, he was arrested near his family's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, for driving under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150 and had his Maine driver's license suspended until 1978. Bush's alleged drug usage is less clear; when asked about alleged past illicit drug use, Bush has consistently refused to answer. He defended his refusal to answer in a publicized casual conversation with a friend, saying that he feared setting a bad example for the younger generation.

The Old Bull and Bush^[7] is a Grade II listed [British term for a designated heritage building] public house near Hampstead Heath in London which gave its name to the music hall song "Down at the old Bull and Bush" sung by Florrie Forde^[7] (1875–1940), an Australian popular singer and entertainer who was one of the greatest stars of the early 20th century music hall.

Battle Cruiser (used by gnomethang in his review) is Cockney rhyming slang for boozer. [The Brits have slang words for slang!]

13d   Prediction of small return on investment by state (10)

Divi^[5] (or divvy) is an informal British term for a dividend or share, especially of profits earned by a cooperative ⇒ the divvy is being held at 8.8p [8.8 pence].

16d   A rapidly developing jeweller (8)

17d   Some hippopotamus I call Oliver perhaps (7)

Oliver! is a British musical, with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, that is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. It premièred in the West End [London] in 1960, began a successful Broadway run in 1963, and was made into a musical film in 1968.

18d   Great number wanting starter with full-flavoured exotic meat (7)

21d   Worked after time, fuel being sent to eastern Germany (6)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Germany is D^[5] [from German Deutschland].

24d   Metal  electrical wire (4)

In Britain, a a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance [a(n) (appliance) cord in North America], or that connects two points of a circuit together is known as a lead^[5]. 

In his review, gnomethang makes mention of jump leads^[5] — what North Americans would call jumper cables^[5].

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