Friday, January 31, 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014 — DT 27307

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27307
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Setter
Unknown[Note 2]
Links to Hints and Full Review [Note 1]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27307 - Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27307 - 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
- solved but without being able to fully parse the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
- yet to be solved
Notes

Note 1: 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.

Note 2: Although gnomethang raises the possiblity that the setter might be Cephas (Peter Chamberlain), a number of the regulars on Big Dave's blog disagree.

Introduction

After getting off to a quick start, I struggled with this puzzle before setting it aside for a trip to the gym. That session seems to have worked wonders; upon picking up the puzzle on my return, the remainder readily fell into place.

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   Penny's relationship with Bob near to end of engagement produces drama (7,5)

Bob[2] is an informal term for shilling[2], a former monetary unit and coin of the UK, in use prior to the introduction of decimal currency.

In the British currency system used prior to Decimal Day[5] (February 15, 1971), a penny was equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound (and was abbreviated d, for denarius).

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). 

Contrary to what gnomethang indicates, I believe nigh[2] means simply "near" and not "near to" [at least, despite trying, I was unable to find it defined as "near to" in any of the dictionaries that I consulted]. In that case, the word "to" in the clue must therefore be a charade indicator, used in the sense of "pressing against" — as in expressions such as "put your shoulder to the wheel" or "with your nose to the grindstone".

Twelfth Night[5] is the evening of 5 January, the eve of the Epiphany and formerly the twelfth and last day of Christmas festivities.

Twelfth Night; or, What You Will[7] is a comedy by English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616), believed to have been written around 1601–02 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season.

9a   Great church parson I removed (7)

Minster[5] is a name used to designate a large or important church, typically one of cathedral status in the north of England that was built as part of a monastery York Minster.

10a   Travel document not completed by one corrupt returning traveller (7)

11a   Bremner holding decline back in crime (7)

Rory Bremner[7] is a Scottish impressionist, comedian, and television personality who is noted for his work in political satire and impressions of British public figures.

In his review, gnomethang makes reference to Billy Bremner[7] (1942–1997) who was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s.

12a   In trouble, Popeye's opening his can -- of this? (7)

Here my indication of the definition varies (quite markedly) from that used by gnomethang in his review. He has underlined only the word "this" while I have chosen to underline the entire clue. My rationale is that, while the pronoun "this" does take the place of the solution to the clue, it hardly provides sufficient information in its own right to be considered a definition. This is quite clearly a semi & lit. clue — one in which the entire clue constitutes the definition and the first portion of the clue provides the wordplay.

Popeye the Sailor Man[7] is a cartoon fictional character, who has appeared in comic strips as well as theatrical and television animated cartoons.. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre in January 1929; Popeye became the strip's title in later years. Spinach use was rare in the original comic strip. However, in the animated cartoons, Popeye invariably eats a can of spinach to endow himself with superhuman powers.

13a   Fish  gave off a whiff (5)

14a   Where we may find used paintbrush broke (9)

In his review, gnomethang uses the term skint[4,11] which is British slang for broke.

16a   I am priggish type, not unwise (9)

19a   Some colossal volley (5)

21a   Famous aristocrat retaining part-time soldiers (7)

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.

23a   Artist visiting Cockney area displaying full range of colours (7)

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

A cockney[5] is a native of the East End (of  London), traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang[5].

Note that the the East End[7] is to be distinguished from East London[7], which covers a much wider area.

Bow[7] is a district in East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. [Not only is Bow situated in East London, it falls within the narrower boundaries of the East End.] According to Wikipedia, "people often believe that to be a true Cockney you need to be born within earshot of the sound of Bow Bells and that these are the bells of Bow Church in the heart of Bow. However, the saying actually refers to St Mary-le-Bow, which is approximately 3 miles west on Cheapside, in the City of London."

24a   Oriental princess has last month in hospital with touch of anaemia (7)

A sultana[5] is (1) a wife or concubine of a sultan or (2) any other woman in a sultan’s family.

San[5] is an informal term for sanatorium[5] (British term for sanitarium[5]).

Ultimo[5] (abbreviation ult.[5]) is a dated expression meaning of last month the 3rd ultimo.

25a   Make threat to London College with no short answer (7)

Imperial College London[7] (officially The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university located in London, England, specialising in science, engineering, medicine and business. A former constituent college of the federal University of London, it became fully independent on in 2007, as part of the celebrations of its centenary.

26a   What parachutist should have done with a change of side for rich countryfolk (6,6)

Landed gentry[5] is a British term for upper class landowners.

Down


1d   Lay down cards taking in bridge opponents capable of defence (7)

2d   Beg favour after people losing head (7)

3d   Middle-aged and single (5-4)

The definition of middle age seems to vary from dictionary to dictionary. It is said by The American Heritage Dictionary[3], Chambers 21st Century Dictionary[2], and Collins English Dictionary[4,10] to to occur between the ages of 40 and 60. Oxford Dictionaries Online[5] has it delayed somewhat, being between 45 to 65. The Chambers Dictionary (which spells it as middle-age, with a hyphen) cheekily says it is between youth and old age, variously reckoned to suit the reckoner.

4d   They're full of stingers giving nettle-rash (5)

5d   Teacher's developed here, to teach (7)

Teacher's Highland Cream[7] is a brand of blended scotch whisky produced in Glasgow, Scotland by the American company Beam Inc. (producer of Jim Beam whiskey) who, through a series of corporate mergers and acquisitions, took control of the original producer, Scottish whisky distiller and blender William Teacher & Sons Ltd.

6d   The toad's transformed for lovers' tryst (3,4)

7d   One churning out some prints is artist (13)

8d   One's subtitle alternatively expression of surprise on seeing its author (2,4,3,4)

The subtitle of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is or, What You Will [see comment for 1a].

15d   Function featuring a performance that's gloomy (9)

A sine[5] is the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the side opposite a given angle (in a right-angled triangle) to the hypotenuse.

17d   Spanish food contains bit of turkey bone (7)

18d   Mounted second-rate attack giving abuse (7)

19d   Get very little writing as pen tip's broken (7)

Once again, I am going to vary (ever so slightly) from gnomethang in my indication of the definition. As I see it, the definition is "very little writing". Although the word "get" appears at the beginning of the clue, rather than in the middle, it serves a similar role to that of a link word (a word linking the definition and wordplay). This may be clearer if we rework the clue to have a simpler sentence structure:
  • Broken pen tips produce very little writing. (7)
20d   New York statue terribly damaged -- that's not right (7)

The Statue of Liberty[5] is a statue at the entrance to New York harbour, a symbol of welcome to immigrants, representing a draped female figure carrying a book of laws in her left hand and holding aloft a torch in her right. Dedicated in 1886, it was designed by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and was the gift of the French, commemorating the alliance of France and the US during the War of American Independence.

22d   Antelope dash over Germany (5)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Germany is D[5] [from German Deutschland].
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, January 30, 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014 — DT 27306

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27306
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, October 11, 2013
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27306]
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
- solved but without being able to fully parse the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

Giovanni subjects us to only a moderate workout today. I worked on the puzzle as my car was being serviced. The puzzle was finished long before my car was ready.

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   Unusually large  component of motor vehicle (6)

4a   Look at row on grandstand less full? (8)

9a   Insect's place revealed by entomologist ultimately (6)

10a   Cruel article penned by trendy philosopher (8)

David Hume[5] (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian. He rejected the possibility of certainty in knowledge and claimed that all the data of reason stem from experience. Notable works: A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–40) and History of England (1754–62).

11a   Report of former champion jockey in Midlands city (9)

Lester Piggott[5] is a retired English jockey. He was champion jockey nine times between 1960 and 1971 and again in 1981 and 1982; he won the Derby a record nine times.

Leicester[5] [pronounced Lester] is a city in central England, on the River Soar, the county town of Leicestershire; population 294,900 (est. 2009). It was founded as a Roman settlement where the Fosse Way crosses the Soar (AD 50-100).

13a   Put soldiers around, befitting the Queen? (5)

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

14a   Name that is seen in capital, say -- an entertainer of yesteryear (6,7)

Anthony James Donegan (1931–2002), recording under the name of Lonnie Donegan[7], was a Scottish skiffle musician, who is often cited as a major influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums states Donegan was "Britain's most successful and influential recording artist before The Beatles. He chalked up 24 successive Top 30 hits, and was the first UK male to score two U.S. Top 10s". How can one help but remember a hit such as "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)".

17a   Not favouring valley odours? They're not so bad as they have been (13)

21a   Look less than half serious, as one generally inept? (5)

Lo[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

23a   Sailors at home occupying temporary accommodation keeping off the rum? (9)

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

Don't forget that you need more than one.

24a   RIP? Dispense with the slightest sign of grief (8)

25a   Gosh -- that's literature? Don't get so excited! (4,2)

Coo[5] is a British exclamation used to express surprise ‘Coo, ain’t it high!’ Mary squeaked.

26a   Opinion about American President's initial apprehension (8)

27a   Knight will go round trailing society woman? Rubbish! (6)

Down


1d   Blooming daughter must get locked up, plainly! (6)

Blooming[5] is an informal British expression used to express annoyance or for emphasis (i) of all the blooming cheek!; (ii) a blooming good read.


Bloody[5] is used in Britain to express anger, annoyance, or shock, or simply for emphasis (i) you took your bloody time; (ii) bloody Hell!—what was that?; (iii) it’s bloody cold outside.

Bally[5] is an old-fashioned euphemism for bloody.

2d   Fellow embracing Prince's wife? Not a prime minister! (9)

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall[7] (Camilla Rosemary; née Shand, previously Parker Bowles), is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II.

Harold MacMillan[7], 1st Earl of Stockton (1894–1986) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1957–63. His term of office saw the signing of the Test-Ban Treaty (1963) with the US and the USSR. Macmillan resigned on grounds of ill health shortly after the scandal surrounding John Profumo [a minister in his government who shared a mistress with a a Soviet diplomat].

3d   Manager of Beatles records, number one included (7)

Brian Epstein[5] (1934–1967) was an English businessman and music journalist, manager of the Beatles.

5d   Denies identity set up in legal documents (11)

6d   Particle of dust finally spotted in cell (7)

7d   Country's one match -- winger for Arsenal left out (5)

Arsenal Football Club[7] is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Holloway, London that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).

8d   Wine mature but lacking power? Chuck! (8)

12d   Travelling around, spot erratic old creature (11)

The triceratops[5] was a large quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaur living at the end of the Cretaceous period, having a massive head with two large horns, a smaller horn on the beaked snout, and a bony frill above the neck.

15d   New Testament exponent shows energy, one going through the letters (9)

16d   Cosy tale about ecclesiastical helpers (8)

18d   A bony bit between the eyes shows cut (7)

19d   Disgusting refusal is nothing to this person (7)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as compiler, setter, author, writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.

20d   Conditions in parts of America (6)

22d   Birds, pale and sickly, landing aboard ship (5)

The abbreviation for steamship is SS[10].
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, January 29, 2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 — DT 27305

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27305
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27305]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
pommers
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
- solved but without being able to fully parse the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

I didn't find the puzzle to be as difficult as pommers' rating would have us believe. Nevertheless, it is a puzzle where I only found an entry through the down clues, after having read through the entire list of across clues without being able to solve a single one of them. From my perspective, I would award it three stars for difficulty as well as three stars for enjoyment.

I did recognize that the puzzle might be a pangram (one in which every letter of the alphabet appears at least once in the solutions to the clues). However, even with the knowledge that I was missing only a J and a Z, I still failed to solve 1a without a nudge from my electronic assistants.

As it turns out, the puzzle comes up one letter short of being a pangram (on Big Dave's blog, it is cheekily referred to as a pangra — almost a pangram). And I came up one clue short of finishing unassisted.

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   Seriously  funny remark (6,5)

This was my last one in, and I resorted to calling in my electronic assistants — perhaps prematurely.

9a   One leaving ring with a cut (5)

A quoit[5] is a ring of iron, rope, or rubber thrown in the game of quoits to encircle or land as near as possible to an upright peg.

According to The American Heritage Dictionary[3]:
The game quoits derives its name from quoit, specifically denoting a heavy iron ring slightly convex on the outside and concave inside, configured so as to give it an edge for cutting into the ground. Both the game and the term are associated almost exclusively with the Upper North (the northernmost tier of states from New York State westward to North Dakota). In fact, quoits is one of a dozen terms that are most reliable for delineating the Upper North dialect boundary.
10a   Boring outcome addled trio likes (3,6)

11a   Waiter is ace carving into joint before start of dinner (6,1)

12a   Crooked evil leer causing alarm (8)

14a   Deny detective's professional and extremely virile (8)

My thought was that to deny[10] (to declare something to be untrue) is hardly the same thing as to disprove[10] (to show something to be incorrect). However, The Chambers Dictionary tells us that disprove[1] also has the archaic meaning of to disapprove (to reject).

A detective inspector (DI)[5] is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

15a   Nose wanting small change (4)

17a   Plane originally took off without Young Conservatives being mentally prepared (7)

The Young Conservatives[7] was the youth wing of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party until the organisation was replaced in 1998 by Conservative Future.

19a   Display cheapish own-label bottles (4)

20a   No end to tacky books -- one with title (8)

The word "books" is often used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT).

21a   Weather in east mild, not cold, with sun (8)

23a   Career on the line? (7)

A receptionist who values her career would quickly alert her boss that "The president is on the line".

25a   Disagreeable old boy's an infamous doctor with unknown debts (9)

In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2])  is (1) a former male student of a school or college an old boy of Banbury County School or (2) a former male member of a sports team or company the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards. It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

Dr. No[7] is the sixth novel in the James Bond series by English author Ian Fleming (1908–1964), first published in the UK in 1958. Dr. No was the first of Fleming's novels to receive large-scale negative criticism in Britain, with Paul Johnson of the New Statesman writing his review about the "Sex, Snobbery and Sadism" of the story. When the book was released into the American market it was generally received more favourably. It was also the first James Bond feature film of the Eon Productions series, released in 1962 and starring Sean Connery.

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

26a   One following news covered by European outfit getting sense of weariness (5)

EU[5] is the abbreviation for European Union. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, N[5] is an abbreviation (used chiefly in place names) meaning New ⇒ N Zealand. Therefore, if "new" is used to clue N, "news" could be used to clue NN — or any number of Ns, for that matter.

27a   Checked fine -- for a change it's a trifling sum of money (11)

Down


2d   Put off love going to French resort (2,3)

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.

Nice[5] is a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy; population 348,721 (2007).

3d   Check pectin's set (7)

4d   Foolish spirit shown by Marines? Not so (8)

According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, go[5] is a British term [although I would argue that the term is hardly exclusive to the UK] meaning spirit, animation, or energy ⇒ there’s no go in me at all these days.

The Royal Marines (RM)[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.

5d   Notice that bloke in 'EastEnders' consuming endless cuppas (4)

An East Ender[5,10] (or Eastender[5]) is a native or inhabitant of the East End of London, an area whose residents are also referred to as cockneys

A cockney[5] is a native of East London [specifically the East End], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang[5].

EastEnders[7] is a British television soap opera which has been running in the United Kingdom since 1985. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End of London.

Cuppa[3,4,11] is an informal British term for a cup of tea.

6d   Head of English came back prepared (8)

7d   Bad-tempered over money, or bread (9)

8d   Unusual demand shown for second-hand clothes (4-2-5)

12d   Sentenced again once verdict is challenged (11)

As an anagram indicator, I would say that challenged[5] is used in the euphemistic sense indicating that someone suffers disability in a specified respect ⇒ my experience of being physically challenged.
The use with a preceding adverb (e.g. physically challenged), originally intended to give a more positive tone than terms such as disabled or handicapped, arose in the US in the 1980s and quickly spread to the UK and elsewhere. Despite the serious intention the term rapidly became stalled by uses whose intention was to make fun of the attempts at euphemism and whose tone was usually clearly ironic: examples include cerebrally challenged, conversationally challenged, and follicularly challenged.
13d   Train from Crewe finally expected, having squashed cat (7)

Crewe[5] is a town and major railway junction in Cheshire, west central England; population 77,700 (est. 2009).

16d   Tender fish is tiddler (9)

The ling[5] is any of a number of long-bodied edible marine fishes, in particular Molva molva, a large East Atlantic fish related to the cod.

Tiddler[5] is a British term for (1) a small fish, especially a stickleback or minnow or (2) a young or unusually small person or thing he was only a little tiddler, ten years old.

Nurseling[5] is an archaic spelling of nursling[5], a baby that is being breastfed.

17d   Rich as the Italian back in profit almost, going to clubs (8)

In Italian,  il[8] is the masculine singular form of the definite article.

C[1] is the abbreviation for clubs, a suit in a deck of cards.

18d   Eleven struggling to secure work -- one will get put in post (8)

In music, Op.[5] (also op.) is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

19d   Female figure performed repeatedly for lawman (7)

I did not know that, in music, a figure[10] is a characteristic short pattern of notes.

22d   Sincere about source of contentment being peace (5)

24d   Desert with good bio-diversity (4)

The Gobi Desert[5] is a barren plateau of southern Mongolia and northern China.
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, January 28, 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 — DT 27304

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27304
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27304]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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
- solved but without being able to fully parse the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
- yet to be solved

Introduction

The run of gentle puzzles continues with today's offering from Jay.

As you will see from the display of candles should you visit Big Dave's Crossword Blog, today marks the 5th anniversary of the start of his site. Congratulations are definitely in 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


1a   Bird -- large one in sort of American pie (7)

The pecan[2] is a a deciduous North American tree, widely cultivated for its edible nut. Pecan pie[7] is a pie made primarily with corn syrup and pecan nuts that is popularly served at holiday meals and is considered a specialty of Southern U.S. cuisine.

5a   Country retreat with distinctive characteristic (7)

9a   In Croatia, rarely-worn headdress (5)

10a   Tenure for a performer in high office with no parking (9)

In Britain, residency[5] may denote a musician’s regular engagement at a club or other venue he saw me at a folk club where I was doing the residency one Sunday night.

11a   The man has skill and beat idol (5-5)

12a   Criminal boss is firm about the old man retiring (4)

A capo[5] is the head of a crime syndicate, especially the Mafia, or a branch of one the Sicilian capo claims he controls most of the world’s heroin trade.

14a   Ramsay, perhaps rues art at cooking -- regret coming back? (12)

It took me a while to realize that there is no n in the solution.

Gordon Ramsay[7] is a Scottish celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. Ramsay is known for hosting TV programmes about competitive cookery and food, both in Britain and in North America.

A restaurateur[5] is a person who owns and manages a restaurant. Oxford Dictionaries Online informs us that the word restaurateur is taken directly from the French form and warns us that, although common, restauranteur with an n is a misspelling. Nevertheless, The American Heritage Dictionary lists restauranteur[3] as an alternative spelling.

18a   A few words on mislaid file and a pronouncement from judge (4,8)

21a   Source of rancour in diminutive politician (4)

In the UK [as is also the case in Canada], a Tory[5] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party.
Originally, the term referred to a member of the English political party opposing the exclusion of James II from the succession. It remained the name for members of the English, later British, parliamentary party supporting the established religious and political order until the emergence of the Conservative Party in the 1830s.
22a   Cameron and Osborne, perhaps, ignore Bush being drunk? (10)

David Cameron[5] is a British Conservative politician who has been Prime Minister of the UK since 2010.

George Osborne[7] is a British Conservative politician who has been Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury of the United Kingdom since 2010.

Downing Street[7], located in Whitehall in the central part of London, England, has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British Cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an office held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer [a position equivalent to Minister of Finance or Secretary of the Treasury]. The Prime Minister's official residence is 10 Downing Street; the Chancellor's official residence is next door at Number 11.

George W. Bush[5] is an American Republican statesman, 43rd President of the US 2001–2009; full name George Walker Bush.

Prior to his marriage, Bush[7] 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.

25a   Period going by motorboat without a break (9)

26a   Reason for university being involved in lawsuit (5)

27a   Calm down after a stew of sausage (7)

28a   Police weapons must encompass first of thug's experiences (7)

Taster[5] is a British term for a small quantity or brief experience of something, intended as a sample the song is a taster for the band’s new LP.

A taser[5] is a weapon firing barbs attached by wires to batteries, causing temporary paralysis. The name comes from the initial letters of Tom Swift's electric rifle (a fictitious weapon), on the pattern of laser.

Tom Swift[7] (in the 2nd series Tom Swift, Jr.) is the central character in five series of books, first appearing in 1910, totaling more than 100 volumes, of American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention and technology. Most of the various series focus on Tom's inventions, a number of which anticipated actual inventions, including the taser. "TASER" is an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle."

I note from recent news reports that the "correct" term now seems to be conducted energy weapon (CEW), with police spokespersons tripping over their tongues in their efforts to avoid uttering the word taser.

Down


1d   Irregular, but attending church in case of publicity (6)

2d   Wild animals ignoring male climbers in tropics (6)

A liana[5] is a woody climbing plant that hangs from trees, especially in tropical rainforests.

3d   Plan to recycle alcoholic drink (10)

Chartreuse[5] is (1) a pale green or yellow liqueur made from brandy and aromatic herbs or (2) a pale yellow or green colour resembling the liqueur chartreuse.

4d   The point of Russian orthodoxy? (5)

5d   Sidles out, upset and abandoned (9)

Abandon[10] is used in the sense of to surrender (oneself) to emotion without restraint.

6d   Agrees on turning up and does, with no heart (4)

7d   Hardened, Queen gets new deal (8)

Anne[5] (1665–1714) was queen of England and Scotland (known as Great Britain from 1707) and Ireland 1702–14. The last of the Stuart monarchs, daughter of the Catholic James II (but herself a Protestant), she succeeded her brother-in-law William III to the throne. None of her children survived into adulthood, and by the Act of Settlement (1701) the throne passed to the House of Hanover on her death.

8d   Important to lodge hardware for computer (8)

13d   Produce finance on small cars (10)

15d   Fermented Argentine fruit (9)

16d   Collection of boats seeing large number suffering, surrounded by footballers (8)

The Football Association[7], also known simply as the FA, is the governing body of football [soccer] in England. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in England.

17d   When protecting female face insults (8)

19d   Tense  time yet to come? (6)

20d   Evaluate energy absorbed by a couple of ships (6)

The abbreviation for steamship is SS[10].

23d   Person being entertained is judged by audience (5)

24d   Call to stop article supporting Doctor (4)

Doctor Who[7] is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior appears as a blue police box. The show has had widespread distribution in North America and apparently is currently available in Canada on the SPACE specialty channel on cable and satellite.
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