Tuesday, May 6, 2014 — DT 27378

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27378
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, January 4, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27378 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27378 - 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 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
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 enjoyed this puzzle immensely as I found the clues to be very well crafted, with the wordplay and definitions combining to produce very elegant surface readings.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Reproducing Booth in spirit, I will be crusader against drink (14)

William Booth^[5] (1829–1912) was an English religious leader, founder and first general of the Salvation Army. A Methodist revivalist preacher, in 1865 he established a mission in the East End of London which later became the Salvation Army.

During its early years The Salvation Army faced a great deal of opposition, especially from those in the alcohol-selling industry who were concerned that the activities of Booth and his followers would persuade the poorer classes to stop drinking. One group opposed to Booth and The Salvation Army was the Skeleton Army, a diffuse group, particularly in Southern England, that opposed and disrupted The Salvation Army's marches against alcohol from the early 1880s until about 1892. Clashes between the two groups lead to the deaths of several Salvationists and injuries to many others.^[7]  

10a   Be at focus? Not exactly what Sir Humphrey does (9)

Sir Humphrey Appleby^[7], GCB, KBE, MVO, MA (Oxon), is a fictional character from the British television series Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs (a fictional department of the British government). In the last episode of Yes Minister, he becomes Cabinet Secretary, the position he retains during Yes, Prime Minister.

A master of obfuscation and manipulation, Sir Humphrey is given to making long-winded and convoluted statements. He is committed to maintaining the status quo for the country in general and for the Civil Service in particular, and will stop at nothing to do so — whether that means baffling his opponents with technical jargon, strategically appointing allies to supposedly impartial boards, or setting up an interdepartmental committee to smother his Minister's proposals in red tape.

11a   Discernment shown by taking son into art gallery (5)

The Tate Gallery^[5] (commonly known simply as the Tate) is a national museum of art in London, England founded in 1897 by the sugar manufacturer Sir Henry Tate (1819–1899) to house his collection of modern British paintings, as a nucleus for a permanent national collection of modern art. It was renamed Tate Britain in 2000, when the new Tate Modern gallery opened. [... by which time, it would seem, Mr. Tate's original collection could no longer be considered "modern".]

12a   Dismissed footballer in wild place (7)

In cricket and baseball, out^[5] signifies no longer batting or at bat, having had one’s innings or at bat ended by the fielding side.

A back^[5] is a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards ⇒ their backs showed some impressive running and passing.

The outback^[5] is a term that specifically refers to the remote and usually uninhabited inland districts of Australia ⇒ a two-week tour of the outback; or, more generally, outback denotes any remote or sparsely populated inland region ⇒ the outback of Ontario. [I can't say that I've ever heard the term applied to Ontario before.]

13a   Cycle endlessly wearing one skimpy costume (6)

I would think that the clue should read "Cycling endlessly ...".

Note: This comment was based on the following incorrect parsing of the wordplay on my part:

• BIKIN[G] (cycle endlessly) + (wearing) I ([Roman numeral for] one)

As Big Dave points out [in a comment below], if the wordplay is parsed as:

• BIK[E] (cycle endlessly) + IN (wearing) + I ([Roman numeral for] one)

the clue works perfectly.

15a   Turner at sea portrayed dynamic content (4)

J. M. W. Turner^[5] (1775–1851) was an English painter; full name Joseph Mallord William Turner. He made his name with landscapes and stormy seascapes, becoming increasingly concerned with depicting the power of light by the use of primary colours, often arranged in a swirling vortex. Notable works: Rain, Steam, Speed (1844); The Fighting Téméraire (1838).

17a   Clears jungle for American president with journalists (10)

George Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 41st President of the US 1989–93; full name George Herbert Walker Bush. 

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.

To the best of my knowledge, I have never encountered bushwhack having any meaning other than to ambush. However, I discover that bushwhack^[5] can also mean (1) to live or travel in bush country, (2) to cut or push one’s way through dense vegetation, or (3) to work clearing scrub and felling trees in bush country. In all its senses, the word seems to be specific to North America, Australia and New Zealand.

18a   One on the bench is bitter being kept back in lively game (10)

20a   Disgraced cricketer’s incredulous expression (2,2)

Mohammad Asif^[7] is a Pakistani bowler in cricket. For his role in fixing cricket matches, in 2011 he received a one-year prison sentence on top of a 7 year ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

22a   Model’s easy chance (6)

Sitter^[5] is an informal British sports term for an easy catch or shot ⇒ he scored some great goals but missed some sitters.

In cricket, dolly^[5] [used by gnomethang in his review] is an informal term for an easy catch ⇒ he fumbled a dolly at slip [a fielding position].

23a   Without knowledge of peacekeepers a conflict heads east (7)

I would parse this as UN (peacekeepers; United Nations) + A (from the clue) + WAR (conflict) coming before (heads) E (east). I don't think the word "heads" is being used to signify the initial (head) letter of East. If that were the intent, I would expect to see the clue phrased as "head of east". To indicate the first two letters of east, the setter might use "heads of east".

26a   Supporter of the classics finally cut short (5)

In Greek mythology, Atlas^[5] was one of the Titans, who was punished for his part in their revolt against Zeus by being made to support the heavens. He became identified with the Atlas Mountains.

27a   Performer of ritual mostly bombastic in inclination (9)

28a   Breaking up rioting detains reprobate (14)

I'm not sure why gnomethang underlines the word "reprobate". As he clearly states in his review, this is the anagram indicator, not the definition.

Down

2d   Whistler’s just the thing to renovate (5)

3d   Reckless uprising trapping American soldier (6)

This soldier is not a GI — in fact, he is not even an American.

Historically, a hussar^[5,10] was a a member of any of various light cavalry regiments in European armies, renowned for their elegant dress which was modelled on that of the Hungarian hussars (a 15th century Hungarian light cavalry regiment).

4d   Rogue bishop to go without protection (10)

B^[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

Blackguard^[5] is a dated term for a man who behaves in a dishonourable or contemptible way.

5d   Wooden actor (4)

Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree^[7] (1852 – 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Although Tree was regarded as a versatile and skilled actor, particularly in character roles, by his later years, his technique was seen as mannered and old fashioned.

6d   Bird extremely ridiculous concealing head (7)

While one might limit the definition to merely "bird", the entire clue certainly provides a fitting definition as there is a popular belief that this bird buries its head in the sand if pursued.

7d   Gut feelings of scientist going wrong finding neutron not electron (9)

8d   Cause of failure — it’s the fake dosh counterfeited (3,4,2,5)

"Dosh" is part of the anagram fodder. To solve the clue, one merely needs to recognize it as such — its meaning is immaterial. However, its meaning is germane to the surface reading of the clue.

Dosh is an informal British term for money ⇒ cycling saves you a heap of dosh.

Once again, I'm puzzled as to why gnomethang has underlined a portion of the clue in addition to the definition — in this case, the anagram fodder.

9d   Murder suspect to lam scoundrel painfully (7,7)

Colonel Mustard is one of the murder suspects in the British board game Cluedo^[7] (which is named Clue in North America).

14d   One throws weight around club after drink (4-6)

In his review, gnomethang refers to a shot as a "short drink of spirits". In Britain, a short^[5] is a drink of spirits served in a small measure or, as Collins English Dictionary puts it, a drink of spirits as opposed to a long drink such as beer^[10].

16d   Using numbers is a drug (9)

19d   Tramples partner’s issue (7)

21d   Repeat the standard nonsense (6)

24d   Friend takes a turn round motorway (5)

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway [controlled access, multi-lane divided highway] in England connecting London to Leeds.

25d   Sportsman entertaining rabbi (4)

In Britain, a blue^[5] is a person who has represented Cambridge University (a Cambridge blue) or Oxford University (an Oxford blue) at a particular sport in a match between the two universities ⇒ a flyweight boxing blue. This usage almost certainly arises from the colours associated with these universities — and hence the colour of the uniforms worn by their athletes. Cambridge blue^[5] is a pale blue colour (actually a medium tone of spring green), while Oxford blue^[5] is a dark blue, typically with a purple tinge (actually a very dark tone of azure). 

I assumed that there must be a British rabbi by the name of Blue — an assumption that proved well-founded.

Lionel Blue^[7] is a British Reform rabbi, journalist and broadcaster. He was the first British rabbi publicly to declare his homosexuality. He is best known for his longstanding work with the media, most notably his wry and gentle sense of humour on "Thought for the Day" on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

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