Monday, March 31, 2014 — DT 27350

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27350
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, December 2, 2013
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27350]
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 █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Rufus serves up another enjoyable offering today— sprinkled with delightful cryptic definitions, a style of clue for which he is the acknowledged master. As usual, I found myself struggling to categorize some of his clues, which often straddle the boundary between clue types. One often observes different reviewers placing such clues in different baskets.

Although Big Dave rated this puzzle as only deserving two stars for difficulty, I found it to be considerably more challenging. With some effort, I completed the right-hand-side unaided but needed lots of help from my electronic assistants on the left-hand-side.

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.

Definitions are underlined in the clue, with subsidiary indications being marked by means of a dashed underline in semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Bob finds two causes of power failure (3,5)

6a   Seizure, or an attempt at seizure (6)

9a   Excellent to include it, within limits (6)

10a   English football team at home getting penalty finally for foul play (8)

Aston Villa Football Club^[7] (commonly known as Villa) is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Birmingham that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).

11a   One after another (8)

12a   Point to Elizabeth’s favourite part of old England (6)

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex^[7] (1565 –1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I.

Wessex^[5] was the kingdom of the West Saxons, established in Hampshire in the early 6th century and gradually extended by conquest to include much of southern England. The name was revived in the 19th century by Thomas Hardy to designate the south-western counties of England (especially Dorset) in which his novels are set.

13a   As in pre-stage make-up? (6,6)

Greasepaint^[10] is a waxy or greasy substance used as make-up by actors.

The entire clue is intended to be the definition, although it does seem a bit awkward to me. I think the sense the surface reading is along the lines of "How pre-stage make-up may be described".

Greasepaint is theatrical or stage make-up. I surmise that "pre-stage" may allude to the fact that it is actually applied prior to going on stage.

16a   Sort of error that could make one late (5,7)

19a   Club porter (6)

21a   Mentions how one rears children (6,2)

Above you see my third attempt to mark the definition in this clue. On the first attempt, I marked it — like Big Dave — as a double definition with the two definitions being "mention" and "rears children". On the second attempt, I extended the second definition to be "how one rears children".

In the first instance, the words "how one" are not accounted for and I don't think one can simply dismiss them as a link phrase. In the second instance, the second definition just does not seem to ring true.

Thus I have elected to categorize the clue as a cryptic definition — admittedly one having a subsidiary indication that is a play on the phrase "brings up" meaning "rears children".

I suspect that calling this clue a cryptic definition rather than a double definition may be perceived by many as splitting hairs. I find that Rufus often produces clues which seem to straddle the boundaries of clue types.

23a   Give an order — to paint? (8)

Here, order^[5] refers to the insignia worn by members of an order of honour or merit.

24a   Take articles from magazine? (6)

25a   Desert fault (6)

26a   Girl’s second and he’s getting sporting prize (3,5)

The Ashes^[5] is a trophy for the winner of a series of Test matches [which are also commonly referred to as the Ashes] in a cricket season between England and Australia. The name arises from a mock obituary notice published in the Sporting Times (2 September 1882), with reference to the symbolical remains of English cricket being taken to Australia after a sensational victory by the Australians at the Oval [an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth].

A Test match^[5] is an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries.

Down

2d   Agreement to give son in marriage (6)

3d   Accident to make light of? (5)

The structure of this clue is not unlike that of 21a. While the clue relies on two different meanings of "spill", it is not structured as a double definition. Rather, I would say that the clue is a cryptic definition in which one meaning of the word "spill" (viz. accident) is used as the primary indication (or definition) and the other meaning of "spill" (viz. something used to light a fire) is used in the subsidiary indication.

A spill^[5] is a thin strip of wood or paper used for lighting a fire, candle, pipe, etc..

The entire clue is a cryptic definition alluding to the adage, "Don't cry over spilled milk".

4d   Too much rudder admits first watch to master (9)

5d   Servant troubles making these establishments harder to run nowadays (7)

Here we have yet another instance of a Rufus clue that is difficult to pigeonhole. I think one must consider this to be a semi-all-in-one clue — a clue in which the entire clue serves as the definition. Embedded within the clue is the wordplay which, in this case, is an anagram.

6d   Admit everything with cry of pain (5)

7d   Come about a printer’s setting (9)

As an anagram indicator, setting is used as in the term "place setting", an arrangement of dishes and cutlery at the dinner table.

8d   Musical piece that may take longer if cut short (8)

Another cryptic definition. The definition is "musical piece". The phrase "that may take longer if cut short" cryptically adds precision to the definition. This phrase is a subsidiary indication since, standing on its own, it is virtually meaningless. It only assumes meaning when considered in conjunction with the definition "musical piece".

13d   Planned on a magnificent scale, but badly organised (9)

14d   Given freedom at bottom of page — nothing new to say (9)

15d   Like Biblical swine, eager and wild (8)

The Gadarene swine refers to a story in the New Testament that occurs in Mark 5:1-13 . Jesus meets a man who is possessed by devils. Jesus orders the devils to come out of the man. They [the devils] beg him to send them into a nearby herd of 2000 pigs. Jesus does so, and the swine immediately jump off a cliff into the sea, where they drown.

17d   Topic for study may need pencil and paper — no ruler (7)

The first definition could well have been merely "topic" or even "topic for study". However, Rufus decorates it with an extra flourish to create a meaningful surface reading.

18d   Copper to rebuke one coming between vicar and his flock (6)

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu^[5] (from Latin cuprum).

Rate^[5] is an archaic term meaning to scold (someone) angrily ⇒ he rated the young man soundly for his want of respect.

A curate^[5] is a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest. A member of the flock might well deal with the curate rather than directly with the vicar.

20d   Spot-on old-time variety performance? (5)

22d   Key list put out for government securities (5)

Gilts^[5]  are fixed-interest loan securities issued by the UK government.

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