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