Thursday, July 31, 2014 — DT 27440

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27440
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27440]
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 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

For the second day in succession, entering a wrong solution blocked progress and caused me to call in my electronic backups for a bit of assistance.

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   Finch is back by hide (6)

A siskin^[5] is a small songbird related to the goldfinch, with yellow and black in the plumage. Species include the North Eurasian (spruce) siskin (Carduelis spinus), with dark-streaked greenish-yellow plumage, as well as several in the New World.

4a   Reinforce argument at university (4,2)

An incorrect entry at 5d certainly added to the challenge here.

In Britain, up^[5] may mean at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ? they were up at Cambridge about the same time.

8a   Head of lyceum getting paid for knowledge (8)

In ancient Athens, the Lyceum^[10] was a school and sports ground, the site of Aristotle's discussions with his pupils. It is also the name of the Aristotelian school of philosophy.

In more modern times, the term lyceum^[10] has been used to denote (1) (chiefly in the names of buildings) a public building for concerts, lectures, etc. or (2) a cultural organization responsible for presenting concerts, lectures, etc. However, Oxford Dictionaries Online characterises both of these as archaic US usages^[5]. Lyceum is also another name for lycée^[10], a French secondary school.

10a   Couple carry on producing a type of wool (3-3)

11a   Fruit, round almost (4)

12a   Hour in steam room relaxed former Lord Chancellor (6,4)

Sir Thomas More^[5] (1478–1535) was an English scholar and statesman, Lord Chancellor 1529–32; canonized as St Thomas More. His Utopia (1516), describing an ideal city state, established him as a leading humanist of the Renaissance. He was imprisoned in 1534 after opposing Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, and beheaded for opposing the Act of Supremacy. Feast day, 22 June.

13a   Exposed cult joined by rank and file in government industries (6,6)

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

16a   MPs settle in seconds (12)

A settle^[5] is a wooden bench with a high back and arms, typically incorporating a box under the seat.

In the UK [as in Canada], a backbencher^[5] is a Member of Parliament who does not hold office in the government or opposition and who sits behind the front benches in the House of Commons.

20a   A lot to say, possibly, after end of meal and show of patriotism (5,5)

A loyal toast^[5] is a toast proposed and drunk to the sovereign of one’s country.

21a   Pace stage (4)

22a   One feeding Norwegian painter in German city (6)

Edvard Munch^[5] (1863–1944) was a Norwegian painter and engraver. He infused his subjects with an intense emotionalism, exploring the use of vivid colour and linear distortion to express feelings about life and death. Notable works: the Frieze of Life sequence, incorporating The Scream (1893).

Munich^[5] is a city in southeastern Germany, capital of Bavaria; population 1,294,600 (est. 2006).

23a   Lazy type, unfeeling, on strike repeatedly (8)

24a   Occupier of tepee penning article (6)

25a   Bad result hurt (6)

Down

1d   Make plain, using charm abroad (5,3)

2d   Runs into dregs, disorderly crowd (5)

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s).

3d   Being stupid, I initially doubted short Greek character in charge (7)

The abbreviation i/c^[5] (especially in military contexts) is short for in charge of ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations.

5d   Remove from other court (7)

I had written in RETRACT (which, of course, I was unable to justify). Despite having misgivings about it, it did distract me in my efforts to solve 4a.

Ct^[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and seemingly in other contexts as well.

6d   Force to move from vault, gallons having been imbibed (9)

The abbreviation for gallon(s) is g^[10].

Frogmarch^[5] means to force (someone) to walk forward by holding and pinning their arms from behind ⇒ the cop frogmarched him down the steep stairs.

7d   Miserable attempt to support friend (6)

For those reading Gazza's comments, be aware that, in Britain, mate^[5] is an informal term (1) for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve or (2) used as a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒ ‘See you then, mate.’.

9d   Fall in and get carried away? (2,9)

14d   Bookkeeper’s sign — managed to get hold of one (9)

In astrology, Libra^[5] is the seventh sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters at the northern autumnal equinox (about 23 September).

15d   Without payment, worker shows ability to make own decisions (4,4)

17d   Become popular draw, performing (5,2)

18d   In the minority? Very much so! (3,4)

Not half^[5] is an informal British expression meaning to an extreme degree or very much so ⇒ she didn’t half flare up! [meaning that she flared up up to an extreme degree (she was not merely "half upset" but fully upset) or, in other words, she hit the roof].

19d   Mould across vehicle, sturdily built (6)

21d   Fur is small fit (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

Wednesday, July 30, 2014 — DT 27439

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27439
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, March 17, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27439]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
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

Although not a terribly difficult puzzle, I managed to create problems for myself in the lower half of the puzzle. I knew that bread was not kept in a breadbox in the UK, but I wrongly wrote in BREAD TIN which made 27a impossible to solve (at least, without a bit of electronic assistance that enabled me to see the light). Once I had 27a in place, the solution to 25d became blatantly obvious.

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   They say Rita's humour is warped (6,3,2)

9a   A watch and a clock which can't be relied on? (3-6)

10a   Opera house presenting extract from Tosca last year (5)

Tosca^[7] is an opera in three acts by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica (1857–1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847–1906). It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900.
La Scala^[5] is an opera house in Milan [Italy] built 1776-8 on the site of the church of Santa Maria della Scala.

11a   Exam refers to 'All about Eve' (1-5)

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).

All About Eve^[7] is a 1950 American drama film starring Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star. Anne Baxter plays Eve Harrington, an ambitious young fan who insinuates herself into Channing's life, ultimately threatening Channing's career and her personal relationships. Praised by critics at the time of its release, All About Eve was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture.

12a   Retired, Edward longed to be free (8)

13a   Realise she can make an anagram (6)

Encash^[5] is a British term meaning to convert (a cheque, money order, bond, etc.) into money ⇒ after the payment of one year’s contribution you may encash your bond at any time.

15a   She is a beautiful Italian (8)

In Italian, bella^[8] is the is the feminine form of the adjective 'beautiful'.

18a   Letter left with nobleman (8)

Here "letter" is used in the sense of someone who lets a property.

A lord^[10] is a male member of the nobility, especially in Britain.

The nobility in Britain or Ireland (whose members are known as peers^[5]) comprises the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.

In the UK, the House of Lords^[5] [to which Miffypops alludes in his review] is the higher [upper] chamber of Parliament, composed of peers and bishops.

19a   Goes hunting, we hear, for birds (6)

This is a homophone clue that depends upon a British pronunciation. The word "stork" (a kind of bird), when pronounced in a non-rhotic^[5] British accent ("sto'k"), sounds like "stalk" (to hunt). Non-rhotic accents omit the sound /r/ in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce /r/ in all contexts.

21a   It pushes up water rates in a reorganisation (8)

The definition appears to call for a noun, whereas the solution is an adjective. Initially, I put this down to the common practice in Britain to use adjectives as nouns (Indian in place of Indian restaurant, estate instead of estate car [station wagon], etc.). However, a search of British dictionaries failed to find artesian listed as a noun.

23a   Material on display requires renovation (6)

26a   Musician wants a meal right away (5)

Franz von Suppé^[7] or Francesco Suppé Demelli (1819–1895) was an Austrian composer of light operas who is notable for his four dozen operettas.

27a   Skeleton service? (4,5)

28a   Only a personal impression but admissible as evidence (11)

Down

1d   Desert people engaged in fierce competition (3,4)

In North America, rat^[3] means to betray one's associates by giving information ⇒ he ratted on his best friend to the police. However, in Britain, rat can take on the additional meaning of to default (on) or abandon ⇒ he ratted on the project at the last minute.

2d   Animal's low points (5)

3d   Such a joint may be found worldwide (9)

4d   Sound cure for cant (4)

For a change, a homophone that even North Americans can appreciate.

I would suggest you ignore Miffypops comments on this clue. First, it is not a double definition; it is a homophone clue. Second, although cant^[5] can be a nautical term meaning (of a ship) to swing around, that is not the sense in which the word is used here.

Cant^[5] simply means to have or cause to have a slanting or oblique position; in other words, to tilt. Heel^[5] means to cause (a boat or ship) to lean over.

5d   Indecision shows us soft in reason (8)

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

6d   She's a vessel in the drink (5)

This vessel is a ship; and, in Crosswordland, you will find that a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS^[10].

7d   Elderly relative gives £1,000 to graduate (7)

It would appear that American gangster slang has invaded Britain. Oxford Dictionaries Online^[5] and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary^[2] both characterise G (an abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars) as North American slang. However, Collins English Dictionary defines G^[10] (which it characterises as slang, mainly US) as a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds).

8d   Composer has part written up for graduate (8)

Johann Sebastian Bach^[5] (1685–1750) was a German composer. An exceptional and prolific baroque composer, he produced a massive body of work — not to mention twenty children.

14d   Silly Eton chap that has a situation in Whitehall (8)

I don't think Miffypops has underlined the entire definition. I would say that the definition is "[something] that has a situation [i.e., is situated] in Whitehall" where the word "[something]" is implied by the context of the clue.

"Eton chap" would refer to a graduate of Eton College^[7], often referred to simply as Eton, a British independent [private] school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor". It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, and is one of the original nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. [Note: In Britain, "public schools" are a special class of private school; what North Americans would call public schools seem to be referred to in Britain by terms such as state-run or state-funded schools].

Whitehall^[5] is a street in Westminster, London, in which many government offices are located. The name is commonly used as an allusive reference to the British civil service or to the British government, its offices, or its policy ⇒ critics claim that councils are being railroaded by Whitehall into approving the schemes.

The Cenotaph^[7] is a war memorial situated on Whitehall in London. It began as a temporary structure erected for a peace parade following the end of the First World War but following an outpouring of national sentiment it was replaced in 1920 by a permanent structure and designated the United Kingdom's primary national war memorial.

16d   Articles from a picnic basket one's found in the meadow (9)

17d   Money box that's opened daily in the kitchen (5,3)

Again, as in 14d, I don't feel that Miffypops has underlined the entire definition. I would say that the definition is "[something] that's opened daily in the kitchen". Bread bin^[5] is the British name for a breadbox.

18d   Co-operation as in oil refining (7)

20d   He has to wait for a job (7)

22d   It could be a bit of a shock at harvest time (5)

A sheaf^[5] (plural sheaves) is a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping.

 A shock^[5] is a group of twelve sheaves of grain placed upright and supporting each other to allow the grain to dry and ripen.

24d   Bail set before one delivers excuse (5)

25d   Twice reduced by 50% (4)

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, July 29, 2014 — DT 27438

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27438
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, March 15, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27438 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27438 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - 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
The National Post has skipped DT 27437 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Friday, March 14, 2014. 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 thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle — and, judging by crypticsue's rating of four stars for enjoyment, the feeling appears to be mutual.

Although I had never heard of either the malted chocolate beverage or the British expression in which it is incorporated, I managed to solve the clue based on the other definition — thereby avoiding (or not) a mess in the southwestern corner.

Although I had heard of the Hebridean island (the ferry going to it leaves from the same dock on Mull as the ferry I once took to Iona), I failed to recognize the non-rhotic homophone.

Finally, I hope that crypticsue will not be upset with me for disputing her calls on what constitutes the defintion in a couple of the clues.

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   Indicator of wind's blow (4)

I concur with crypticsue's characterisation of this clue as a double definition.

3a   Model problem (5)

6a   Cut down garden weed (4)

Dock^[5] is a coarse weed of temperate regions, with inconspicuous greenish or reddish flowers. The leaves are used to relieve nettle stings.

8a   Protector of wildlife cites innovators in development (15)

9a   Acknowledge version of the Bible with cry of pain (6)

A chiefly British term, the Authorized Version^[5] (abbreviation AV)^[5] is an English translation of the Bible made in 1611 at the order of James I and still widely used, though never formally ‘authorized’. It is also called the King James Bible — a name by which it is undoubtedly better known in North America.

10a   Presenter of TV show with unusual format introducing new name (8)

Presenter^[5] is a British term for a person who introduces and appears in a television or radio programme. In North America, terms such as host, announcer or anchor might be used for such a person.

My interpretation of the wordplay varies ever so subtly from that of crypticsue. I parsed it as {an anagram (unusual) of FORMAT containing (introducing) N (new)} + N (name). She has incorporated both Ns into the anagram fodder which also works. Under her interpretation, the clue parses as an anagram (unusual) of {FORMAT containing (introducing) {N (name) + N (new)}}. I must say that I prefer my interpretation, if only because it requires fewer levels of parentheses.

11a   Observe large ship's make-up (8)

It would appear that crypticsue's attention must have wandered. Her parsing of the clue should read EYE (observe) + LINER (large ship).

13a   Deception taking in engineers is very funny thing (6)

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

15a   Group of actors in rep out for a change (6)

Rep^[5] is an informal shortened form of repertory^[5]. It can refer either to the performance of various plays, operas, or ballets by a company at regular short intervals,  or to a repertory theatre or company.

17a   One put on guard supports family (8)

A bearskin^[5] is a tall cap of black fur worn ceremonially by certain troops, such as the Guards [troops who ceremonially guard the sovereign] in the British army. The bearskin is also worn by four Canadian regiments: Canadian Grenadier Guards^[7], Governor General's Foot Guards^[7], Royal 22^e Régiment^[7], and The Royal Regiment of Canada^[7].

19a   Boy catching gnat gets bit (8)

21a   Make sudden move forward pinching old saloon (6)

In North America, we tend to think of a saloon as being a drinking establishment in the old west. In Britain, saloon^[5] (also called saloon bar) is another term for lounge bar^[5] (also called lounge^[10]), the smarter and more comfortably furnished [and more expensive] bar in a pub ⇒ they sat in a corner of the lounge bar until closing time. The more more plainly furnished [and less expensive] bar in a pub is known as the public bar^[5].

22a   Eden Hazard? Golden feet work deftly with energy (4,2,9)

Eden Hazard^[7] is a Belgian professional footballer [soccer player], who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League [the top tier of the English football league system] and the Belgium national team.

In the Bible, the tree of knowledge^[5] (also known as the tree of knowledge of good and evil) is the tree in the Garden of Eden bearing the forbidden fruit which Adam and Eve disobediently ate (Gen. 2:9, 3).

23a   Place serving officers Horlicks (4)

Although crypticsue does not mark it as such, I would say that this is another double definition.

Horlicks^[5] is a drink made from malted milk powder named after James and William Horlick, British-born brothers whose company first manufactured the drink in the US. In Britain, to make a Horlicks of^[5] (something) means to make a mess of (it).

24a   North American animal shed is unpleasant (5)

25a   Blue stuff upset stomachs (4)

Tum^[10] is an informal or childish word for stomach.

Down

1d   Host a former athlete dispatched outside (9)

The Host^[5] is the bread consecrated in the Eucharist^[5], the Christian service, ceremony, or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed. In Catholic use, the sacrament^[5] (also called the Blessed Sacrament or the Holy Sacrament) refers to the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, especially the bread or Host.

Steve Cram^[7] is a British retired track and field athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. 

2d   Provide comfort to computer games player (7)

In their hints and review, Big Dave and crypticsue seem to have missed marking part of the first definition which is clearly "provide comfort to". If you console someone, you provide comfort to them.

3d   Fish expert catches indefinite number possibly (9)

The letter n^[10] is used (especially in mathematics) as a symbol to represent an indefinite number (of) ⇒ there are n objects in a box.

4d   Regular correspondent's report of Scottish island (7)

Staffer^[5] is a chiefly North American term for a member of the staff of an organization, especially of a newspaper. A "regular correspondent" could be a staffer, as opposed to a special correspondent — such as a freelancer, for example.

Staffa^[5] is a small uninhabited [other than by seabirds] island of the Inner Hebrides, west of Mull. It is the site of Fingal’s Cave and is noted for its basalt columns.

The word "Staffer", when pronounced in a non-rhotic^[5] British accent, sounds like "Staffa". Non-rhotic accents omit the sound /r/ in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce /r/ in all contexts.

5d   One protected by terrible horn (5)

This is an &lit. clue (sometimes called an all-in-one clue) — a clue in which the entire clue (when read one way) is the the definition, but under a different interpretation takes on the role of wordplay.

6d   Changes the character of area in false set (9)

7d   It will make you go about carrying a sign of injury (7)

Cascara^[5] (also called cascara sagrada) is a purgative [laxative] made from the dried bark of an American buckthorn.

12d   Los Angeles strip is cleaner (9)

13d   Secretive about worship, in a way that lacks depth (9)

I believe that crypticsue has come up a bit short on the definition in her review. With the solution being an adverb, the definition must be the entire phrase "in a way that lacks depth".

14d   Name item in pie around Christmas primarily (9)

As an anagram indicator, pie^[10] is a variant spelling of pi^[10], a printing term meaning, as a noun, (1) a jumbled pile of printer's type or (2) a jumbled mixture or, as a verb, (1) to spill and mix (set type) indiscriminately or (2) to mix up. Thus the phrase "in pie" means in a jumbled mixture.

The wordplay parses as an anagram (in pie) of NAME ITEM containing (around) C (Christmas primarily; initial letter of Christmas).

Question: Name an item that can be found in a pie which is served primarily around Christmas. Answer: the solution to the clue

16d   Regret about detective (7)

Inspector Endeavour Morse^[7] is a fictional character in the eponymous series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, as well as the 33-episode 1987–2000 television drama Inspector Morse^[7], with the character played by John Thaw. Morse is a senior CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officer with the Thames Valley Police force in Oxford, England.

17d   Fruit and nuts (7)

18d   Supreme power to make monk dig furiously (7)

Kingdom^[5] is used in the sense of the spiritual reign or authority of God.

20d   Michael Finnegan's content being small (5)

In this case, crypticsue appears to have included a bit more than is called for in the definition which I would make as merely "small" with the word "being" serving as a link between the wordplay and definition.

Michael Finnegan^[7] is an example of an unboundedly long song, which can continue with numerous variations until the singer decides (or is forced) to stop. Like most other perpetual songs, this song tends to be sung by schoolchildren. It is a popular song often sung around a campfire or during scouting events.

Each four-line verse starts with the line "There once was a man named Michael Finnegan" (or "There was an old man named Michael Finnegan") and ends with the words "Poor old Michael Finnegan (begin ag'in)", leading to another verse. For example:

There once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
He grew whiskers on his chinnigin,
Shaved them off and they grew in ag'in,
Poor old Michael Finnegan (begin ag'in)

There once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
Climbed a tree and hit his shinnigin,
Took off several yards of skinnigin,
Poor old Michael Finnegan (begin ag'in)

And so forth, ad infinitum ...

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

Monday, July 28, 2014 — DT 27432 (Bonus Puzzle)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27432
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, March 8, 2014
Setter Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27432 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27432 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - 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
The National Post skipped this puzzle which — under its regular publication schedule — would have appeared on Monday, July 21, 2014. 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

For those who are suffering from CCWS (Cryptic Crossword Withdrawal Syndrome), I present your Monday fix — namely, the puzzle that the National Post skipped one week ago.

During July and August, the National Post does not publish an edition on Monday. In years past, a Monday Diversions page has sometimes been printed in either a preceding or subsequent edition of the paper. However, that practice appears to have been discontinued. In order to afford readers the opportunity to tackle the puzzles that the National Post has skipped, throughout the summer I will be posting (with a one week delay) the puzzles that would normally have appeared on Monday.

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   Round we had -- and hadn't paid (4)

3a   Very useful, home price covering rebuilt lab (10)

8a   Mockery made of tryst Eva organised (8)

9a   Awkward ridge gets left in waistbelt (6)

A waistbelt^[10] is [what else] a belt encircling the waist.

10a   Two Spanish articles following pop as a local speciality (6)

The word "local" is interpreted in the context of Spanish.

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8].

In Spanish, the feminine singular form of the definite article is la^[8].

11a   Green buggy? (4,4)

13a   Train rodents to roll over after French bread (8)

The bread is spendable rather than edible.

The euro^[5] is the single European currency, which replaced the national currencies of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands in 2002. Seventeen member states of the European Union now use the euro.

Eurostar^[5] (trademark) is the high-speed passenger rail service that links London with various European cities via the Channel Tunnel.

14a   Wrote from prison: 'Study's gone west' (6)

Pen as a synonym for prison appears to be a shortened form of penitentiary, even though penitentiary is characterised as a North American term by Chambers 21st Century Dictionary^[2], Collins English Dictionary^[10] and  Oxford Dictionaries Online^[5].

16a   Young woman's mother the French brought back (6)

In French, the plural form of the definite article is les^[10].

19a   Unbecoming to be in drag, if getting a makeover (5,3)

When I worked out what seemed to be the only possible arrangement of the letters in this anagram, I could scarcely bring myself to believe that such a term existed — but one must never underestimate the Brits.

Infra dig^[5] is an informal, chiefly British term meaning beneath one or demeaning ⇒ she regarded playing for the Pony Club as deeply infra dig. The term is an abbreviation of Latin infra dignitatem 'beneath (one's) dignity'.

21a   Journalist's taken back intended hostile challenge (8)

22a   Journey cut short through irrelevancies (6)

23a   I sped round lake to drive away (6)

24a   Many-sided but with no sides? (3-5)

25a   Fry often gets tipsy around the Queen -- sheer impudence! (10)

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.

26a   Monster not on trail (4)

Down

1d   Fully extended providing picnic? (9)

2d   Satanist's lived riotously -- wish proper reforming's to come (5-10)

I would say that one is meant to interpret the phrase "to come" as "to follow" emphasizing that the latter anagram follows the former one.

3d   Second of this month (7)

Instant^[5] is a dated expression once used in business letters. It is a postpositive adjective meaning of the current month ⇒ your letter of the 6th instant.

4d   Envoy, a German taking part as tourist (7)

5d   Cricketer and members going over feature (3,4)

In cricket, leg slip^[5] is (1) a fielding position just behind the batsman on the leg side or (2) a fielder at leg slip.

Leg^[5] (also known as leg side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg.

6d   Final cardiogram disguised bloomer (7,8)

Tagetes erecta^[7], the Mexican marigold, also called Aztec marigold, is a species of the genus Tagetes native to Mexico and Central America. Despite its being native to the Americas, it is often called African marigold.

7d   Wield cross held in upturned palm perhaps (5)

12d   Grain port (3)

Rye^[5] is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. In medieval times, however, as an important member of the Cinque Ports confederation, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.

15d   No-holds-barred cannibalism? (3-3-3)

17d   Pronounce as an alternative to wonder (3)

The phrase "an alternative to" is supposedly equivalent to "or", although I cannot think of a single instance where I could directly substitute one for the other.

This is one of those British homophones that does not travel well. The word "or", when pronounced in a non-rhotic^[5] British accent, sounds like "awe". Non-rhotic accents omit the sound /r/ in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce /r/ in all contexts.

18d   Fat left a stain finally on jazzy lino (7)

19d   Learned not to start or repeat (7)

20d   Footballers agree with a deadly final ending? (7)

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.

21d   Setter perhaps needs clue at the end to cover up dead duck (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

Saturday, July 26, 2014 — Ups and Downs

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon proved to be a bit more of a challenge than usual, but looking back at it I cannot see why. Perhaps I was just not at the top of my game today.

We get raised up near the end of the first half only to be knocked out shortly into the second half.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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 █ - yet to be solved

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	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   "Young lady, cut and run" (6)

GAL|LOP — GAL (young lady) + LOP (cut)

5a   Member of the clan in changing of the guard? (8)

DAUGHTER* — anagram of (changing of) THE GUARD

9a   Roll beam around a small house (8)

BUN|G(A)LOW — BUN (roll) + {GLOW (beam) containing (around) A (†)}

10a   Second-rate farm's offshoot (6)

B|RANCH — B (second-rate; a B-movie, for instance) + RANCH (farm)

I'm sure some readers may dispute whether a ranch is a farm.

11a   Some European uttered something salty? (6)

_PEAN|UT_ — hidden in (some) EuroPEAN UTtered

12a   Old British coin nowhere near article (8)

FAR|THING — FAR (nowhere near) + THING (article)

A farthing^[5] is a former monetary unit and coin of the UK, withdrawn in 1961, equal to a quarter of an old [pre-decimalisation] penny.

13a   Work with soup, crackers (4)

OPUS* — anagram (crackers) of SOUP

In music, an opus^[5] (from Latin, literally 'work') is a separate composition or set of compositions. Its abbreviated form, Op.^[5] (also op.), is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. Opus^[5] can also be used in a more general sense meaning an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico.

15a   Deal makers dive inside taverns (10)

BAR(GAINER)S — GAINER (bar) contained in (inside) BARS (taverns)

A gainer^[10] (also called full gainer) is a type of dive in which the diver leaves the board facing forward and completes a full backward somersault to enter the water feet first with his back to the diving board. A half gainer^[10] is a type of dive in which the diver completes a half backward somersault to enter the water headfirst facing the diving board.

17a   Southern beauty, if pronounced trend leader (10)

BELL|WETHER — sounds like (pronounced) {BELLE (Southern beauty) + WHETHER (if)}

The Southern belle^[7] (derived from the French word belle, 'beautiful') is an archetype for a young woman of the American Deep South's upper class.

A wether^[5] is a castrated ram. A bellwether^[5] is the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck. The term bellwether is also used figuratively to mean something that leads or indicates a trend ⇒ [The UK parliamentary constituency of] Basildon is now the bellwether of Britain’s voting behaviour.

Ironically, the above usage example is rather dated as the UK parliamentary constituency of Basildon^[7] ceased to exist in 2010 when it was split into two parts which were each combined with adjoining areas to form two new constituencies. However, during its existence, it "was one of the best known bellwether constituencies in the (sic) Britain, having voted for the winning party in each election since its creation."

19a   Some grain right in front of rocks (4)

R|ICE — R (right) + (in front of) ICE (rocks; ice cubes)

20a   Big performance, and clownish (8)

GIG|ANTIC — GIG (performance) + (and) ANTIC (clownish)

22a   Opens last part of menu printed in red ink (6)

DEB(U)TS — U (last part [letter] of menU) contained in (printed in) DEBTS (red ink)

24a   Silver finish on a slate (6)

AG|END|A — AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver) + END (finish) + (on) A (†)

25a   Raised field put in a new order (8)

UPLIFTED* — anagram (in a new order) of FIELD PUT

26a   Break down in award pitch (8)

GRA(DIE)NT — DIE (break down) contained in (in) GRANT (award)

27a   Group of six tsetse flies? (6)

SESTET* — anagram (flies) of TSETSE

The tsetse^[5] (also called tsetse fly) is an African bloodsucking fly which bites humans and other mammals, transmitting sleeping sickness and nagana.

Down

2d   One attractive and sharp (5)

A|CUTE — A (one) + CUTE (attractive)

3d   Myths, for example, involved in advances (7)

L(EG)ENDS — EG (for example) contained in (involved in) LENDS (advances)

4d   Friend with a piece of furniture that you can stand (9)

PAL|A|TABLE — PAL (friend) + (with) A (†) + TABLE (piece of furniture)

A palatable outcome being one "that you can stand".

5d   Knocked out something fluffy given to Dracula? (4,3,3,5)

DOWN FOR THE COUNT — DOWN (something fluffy) + FOR (given to) + THE COUNT (Dracula)

Count Dracula^[7] is the title character and primary antagonist of the 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula by Irish writer Bram Stoker (1847–1912).

6d   Brownish boards, except for the first (5)

_UMBER — [L]UMBER (boards) with the initial letter removed (except for the first)

Note to British readers: In North America, lumber^[5,3,4,11] is timber that has been sawn into rough or finished boards, planks, or other structural members of standard or specified length.

Note to North American readers: In Britain, lumber^[5] denotes articles of furniture or other household items that are no longer useful and inconveniently take up storage space ⇒ a lumber room.

7d   Warm chicken for pagan (7)

HEAT|HEN — HEAT (warm) + HEN (chicken)

8d   Odd head of copper penny pocketed by Clapton (9)

E(C|CENT)RIC — {C (head [initial letter] of Copper) + CENT (penny)} contained in (pocketed by) ERIC (Clapton)

Eric Clapton^[5] is an English blues and rock guitarist, singer, and composer, known particularly for the song ‘Layla’ (1972) and for his group Cream (1966-8).

Note to British readers: In Canada and the United States, a penny^[3] is a coin that is worth one cent. The Canadian penny^[7] was withdrawn from use in 2013 although it still remains legal tender.

14d   Chief seizing no-good movie director (9)

PREMI(NG)ER — PREMIER (chief) containing (seizing) NG (no good)

This is a recycling (with minor refurbishment) of a clue that Cox & Rathvon used in their puzzle of March 15, 2014:

• 7d   Provincial leader embracing no-good movie director (9)

The following is a recycling (with no refurbishment) of comments I made then:

While one could further decompose the wordplay into N (no) and G (good; for instance, a grade received on a school assignment or test), NG^[3,4,11] and/or its variants N.G., ng, and n.g. are listed in several dictionaries as abbreviations for no good.

Otto Preminger^[5] (1906–1986) was an Austrian-born American film director, noted for films such as The Moon is Blue (1953), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), and Bonjour Tristesse (1958).

16d   Barkers shown some beer (9)

AIRED|ALES — AIRED (shown) + ALES (some beers; the others being lagers)

An Airedale^[5] is a large terrier of a rough-coated black-and-tan breed [from Airedale, a district in Yorkshire, where the dog was bred].

18d   Found out fifty made money (7)

L|EARNED — L ([Roman numeral for] fifty) + EARNED (made money)

19d   Turns away half of real fans (7)

RE|BUFFS — RE ([first] half of REal) + BUFFS (fans)

21d   Follow the start of the running event (5)

T|RACE — T (the start [initial letter] of The) + RACE (running event)

23d   Topic is the ego (5)

THE|ME — THE (†) + ME (ego)

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