Wednesday, December 31, 2014 — DT 27553

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27553
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, July 28, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27553]
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

This puzzle should not delay your plans for New Year's Eve — unless, like me, you get distracted by British footwear. That digression led me eventually to insurance fraud in 19th century Britain.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   A sitter becoming // performer (7)

5a   Part of the rigging // works in the end (7)

One could say that there is an error in the clue— or one could take the view that the setter has exercised a degree of cryptic licence. It is understandable that one might think that the plural of op. (abbreviation for opus) would be ops. — certainly both the setter and Miffypops seem to believe that.

However, while the plural of opus^[5] is opuses or opera, the plural form of the abbreviation seems to be Opp.

9a   We must invade hill // fort (5)

A tor^[5] is a hill or rocky peak.

A tower^[4] is a place of defence or retreat.

10a   Munitions // produced by man and master (9)

11a   Rags to riches story // recalled in new adaptation (10)

Cinderella^[7], or The Little Glass Slipper is a European folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression in Histoires ou contes du temps passé published by Charles Perrault in 1697, and by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812).

A pantomime^[5] [mentioned by Miffypops in his review] is a traditional British theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.

12a   Wine /from/ Castile (4)

Castile^[5] is a region of central Spain, on the central plateau of the Iberian peninsula, formerly an independent Spanish kingdom.

Asti^[7] (formerly known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation.

14a   Where strategies are devised /for/ a chess match? (5,7)

18a   An overdrawn account (12)

21a   Agreed /it's/ over (4)

22a   Good man, and single, /will get/ to outclass all rivals (5,5)

25a   In which somebody is travelling flat out? (9)

26a   What one may get from a maid easy on the eye? (5)

This is an &lit.^[7] clue (sometimes called an all-in-one clue). The entire clue (when read one way) is the definition, but under a different interpretation takes on the roll of wordplay.

The wordplay tells us that the solution is hidden in (what one may get from) a maID EASy on the eye. Since "easy on the eye" is a meaningful phrase, we can consider it to be included in the hidden word fodder in its entirety.

27a   Difficult choice // to overthrow top woman (7)

28a   Where man cuts adrift? (7)

I would call this a semi-&lit. clue rather than a true &lit. clue. While the entire clue provides the definition, only the portion with the dashed underline is needed for the wordplay.

Down

1d   New act with hat /and/ stick (6)

2d   Pulling // to side (6)

3d   Not requiring further proof, // as might be expected (4,6)

4d   Girl needs two keys // to escape (5)

5d   Spell-check // 'restriction' (4,5)

6d   It may be worn /and/ [it may be] well-used (4)

The first three words of the clue are implicitly part of both definitions — which, for clarity, I have chosen to explicitly indicate.

A pump is a shoe on both sides of the Atlantic — albeit rather different on this side from what it is on the other side.

In North America, a pump^[3] is a woman's shoe that has medium or high heels and no fastenings. This type of shoe is known in Britain as a court shoe^[5].

On the other hand, in the UK,  a pump^[2,5,10] is either (1) a low-cut low-heeled shoe without fastenings, worn especially for dancing; (2) a plain, low-cut flat shoe for women or (3), chiefly in Northern England, a type of shoe with a rubber sole, used in games such as tennis; in other words, a gymshoe, sports shoe, trainer or plimsoll.

Plimsoll^[5] (also plimsole) is a British name for a light rubber-soled canvas shoe, worn especially for sports. One would guess that the alternate spelling derives from a confusion with the word "sole". The name is actually believed to come from the resemblance of the side of the sole to a Plimsoll line^[5], a marking on a ship’s side showing the limit of legal submersion when loaded with cargo under various sea conditions — named after Samuel Plimsoll (1824–1898), the English politician whose agitation in the 1870s resulted in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876, ending the practice of sending to sea overloaded and heavily insured old ships, from which the owners profited if they sank.

7d   He doesn't know what to believe (8)

8d   Lots /of/ beatings (8)

Lashings^[5] is an informal British term for a copious amount of something, especially food or drink ⇒ chocolate cake with lashings of cream.

13d   Coordinate new // colour scheme? (10)

Here the question mark indicates that we have a definition by example; that is, "colour scheme" is but an example of — or one aspect of — the solution.

15d   Land of Hope (9)

Ruritania^[5] is an imaginary kingdom in central Europe used as a fictional background for the adventure novels of courtly intrigue and romance written by English novelist and playwright Anthony Hope (1863–1933).

16d   Outstanding part of the country (8)

17d   Consumer whose tastes are all too human (8)

19d   Very convincing // businessman? (6)

20d   Goods thrown out from ships /and/ planes in the morning (6)

23d   Observed holding a number up, // of necessity (5)

Terms such as "a number", "a large number", "many" or "a great many" are often indicators that a Roman numeral is required.

Needs^[5] is an archaic term denoting 'of necessity' as in the phrase 'must needs (or needs must) do something' meaning cannot avoid or cannot help doing something ⇒ they must needs depart.

24d   Shellfish // 100 pounds a thousand (4)

My eyebrows raised when I read Miffypops comment that L is the "avoirdupois abbreviation for pounds". However, after a bit of research I discovered that The Chambers Dictionary does, in fact, define the upper case L^[1] as the abbreviation for pound sterling (usually written £) and the lower case l^[1] as the abbreviation for pound weight (usually written lb). Both derive from the Latin word Libra.

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, December 30, 2014 — DT 27552

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27552
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, July 26, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27552 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27552 – 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
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

In her review on Big Dave's blog, crypticsue writes "I was  slow to get started with this one,  but, in the end, thought it a  fairly typical Saturday Prize Puzzle" which pretty well sums it up.

I made a guess at one British expression, but failed to nail it.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Settle on a posh // carriage (6)

In Britain, U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners. The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956). In Crosswordland, it is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable).

9a   On the map, going up in the world (10)

10a   Assured of success // in having got off the booze? (4,3,3)

I incorrectly guessed that the solution might be DONE AND DRY based on parsing the clue as:

• Assured of success /in/ having got off the booze? (4,3,3)

Home and dry^[5] is a British expression denoting having successfully achieved or being within sight of achieving one’s objective ⇒ at 3-0 up they should have been home and dry. The equivalent expression in North America is home free, while in Australia and New Zealand it is home and hosed (which sounds like it might indicate 'home and wet').

11a   Those doing wrong often do it inside (4)

12a   Express grief /having/ very small amount of money (4)

Wee^[5] is a chiefly Scottish adjective meaning little ⇒ (i) when I was just a wee bairn; (ii) the lyrics are a wee bit too sweet and sentimental. The word may be of Scottish origin but, like the Scots themselves, the word has migrated around the world.

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny^[5] (plural pennies [for separate coins] or pence [for a sum of money]) is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound. The abbreviation for penny or pence is p^[5].

14a   Melting tar -- closure /required in/ part of London (5,5)

Earls Court^[7] is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in central London, bordering the sub-districts of South Kensington to the east, West Kensington to the west, Chelsea to the south and Kensington to the north. It is home to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, one of the country's largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue.

17a   Cleaner with little energy's given notice // that needs to be worked out (7)

Char^[5], another name for a charwoman^[5], is a dated British term for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

18a   Want rotten // fielder far away from the wicket! (4,3)

In cricket, long off^[5] denotes (1) a fielding position far behind the bowler and towards the off side or (2) a fielder at this position.

The off^[5]  (also known as off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other half of the field is known as either the leg^[5] (also called leg side) or on (also called on side).

20a   Good circular pan covers beginning to require // basic preparation (10)

The abbreviation G^[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

21a   Ordered // without water (4)

22a   Information /coming from/ all directions (4)

23a   Change of accent is // appropriate (10)

In her review, crypticsue comes up a couple of letters short on the fodder. The wordplay is an anagram (change) of OF ACCENT IS.

25a   Gold phone is carried over to // car (10)

The symbol for the chemical element gold is Au^[5] (from Latin aurum).

Mobile^[5] is a British term for a mobile phone [North American cell phone^[5]] ⇒ we telephoned from our mobile to theirs.

26a   Bold // lover not liked initially (6)

Down

2d   Catch the girl singer appearing first? // Absolutely (10)

3d   River // port unfinished (4)

The River Dove^[7] is the principal river of the southwestern Peak District, in the Midlands of England and is around 72 kilometres (45 mi) in length. It rises on Axe Edge Moor near Buxton and flows generally south to its confluence with the River Trent at Newton Solney. From there, its waters reach the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. For most of its way it forms the boundary between the counties of Staffordshire (to the west) and Derbyshire (to the east).

The river is a famous trout stream. Charles Cotton's Fishing House, which was the inspiration for Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler, stands in the woods by the river near Hartington.

The river's name is now usually pronounced to rhyme with "love", but its original pronunciation rhymed with "rove". This pronunciation is still used by some residents of the lower reaches of the river.

Dover^[5] is a ferry port in Kent, in England, on the coast of the English Channel; population 35,200 (est. 2009). It is mainland Britain’s nearest point to the Continent, being only 35 km (22 miles) from Calais, France.

4d   A Parisian fiance/'s/ chance (10)

In French, the masculine singular form of the indefinite article is un^[8].

5d   Snoop's full of insulting // primness (7)

6d   For what reason put round fifth-rate // nursery rhyme fare? (4)

"Little Miss Muffet"^[7] is a nursery rhyme.

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a tuffet,

Eating of curds and whey;

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside her

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

7d   One's musical // tongue? (5,5)

8d   Now opening /for/ a season (6)

In Christian theology, Advent^[5] denotes the coming or second coming of Christ. Advent^[5] is also the name of the first season of the Church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays.

13d   Instruments /of/ supersonic potential (10)

15d   Accumulated // capital used on mansion and diamonds (10)

A pile^[5] is a very large building or complex of buildings. This is apparently not a Briticism as the definition is taken from The American Heritage Dictionary.

16d   Engineers taking part /in/ light diversion (10)

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.

19d   Local authority // advice is announced (7)

20d   Very pleasant // in gale, getting blown about! (6)

23d   Bobby's pocketed ring /and/ pen (4)

In Britain, bobby^[5] is an informal name for a police officer. The name comes from a nickname for Robert, the given name of Sir Robert Peel^[5] (1788–1850), British Prime Minister 1834-5 and 1841-6, who as Home Secretary (1828–30) established the Metropolitan Police [perhaps better known as Scotland Yard].

24d   Dear French // singer (4)

The French word for dear is cher^[8].

Cher^[7] (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Known for her distinctive contralto singing voice, she has been nicknamed the Goddess of Pop.

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, December 29, 2014 — DT 27551

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27551
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, July 25, 2014
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27551]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Deep Threat
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 27549 and DT 27550 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 and Thursday, July 24, 2014 respectively.

Introduction

The National Post has skipped the two puzzles that would have appeared had editions been published on Christmas and Boxing Day.

I needed a bit of electronic help today. However, in one instance, it was more a case of research than help.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Breeding establishment for Spooner -- /and/ [a breeding establishment] for us! (10)

Part of the definition is implied by the context of the clue. For clarity, I have inserted the implied words in italics. Not to do so would produce a rather incongruous result, as you can see from Deep Threat's review on Big Dave's blog, where he has underlined merely the word "us" as the definition.

A spoonerism^[5] is a verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect, as in the sentence you have hissed the mystery lectures. It is named after the Reverend W. A. Spooner (1844–1930), an English scholar who reputedly made such errors in speaking.

In this clue, the setter supposes that Rev. Spooner would mangle the word 'bloodstock' so that it came out of his mouth as 'stud block'.

Stud^[3] can denote not only a male animal, such as a stallion, that is kept for breeding, but also either (1) a  group of animals, especially horses, kept for breeding or (2) a stable or farm where these animals are kept. I had always thought that the latter usage was a Briticism, but these definitions all come from an American dictionary.

Block^[5] is used in the sense of a building or part of a complex used for a particular purpose.

Bloodstock^[5,10] refers to thoroughbred horses, especially those bred for racing, considered collectively ⇒ (i) his huge investment in bloodstock; (ii) the bloodstock industry.

In the definition, the word "establishment" likely alludes to an established (having been set up on a firm basis) collection of horses.

6a   Illustrious man /and/ very important lady in house (4)

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.

10a   Obscure // English female hides in lavatory, rather rudely (5)

The bog^[5] is an informal [rather rude] British term for the toilet.

11a   Dear // old lover musing (9)

12a   Where you see a five relative to four // well thought of! (2,6)

In the wordplay, the phrase "relative to" should be viewed as an anagram indicator. The wordplay poses the question "where would you see an anagram of A (from the clue), V ([Roman numeral for] five) and FOUR (again, from the clue)" which generates the response IN FAVOUR — FAVOUR being, as far as I am aware, the only possible anagram of the given fodder.

13a   Chemical // destroying trees (5)

In chemistry, an ester^[5] is an organic compound made by replacing the hydrogen of an acid by an alkyl or other organic group. Many naturally occurring fats and essential oils are esters of fatty acids.

15a   Smart little boy/'s/ menu option? (7)

17a   Some made dire decision -- about /to be/ mocked (7)

19a   Discloses // writers brought in by university press (5,2)

OUP^[10] is the abbreviation for Oxford University Press. Ironically, I had to use Collins English Dictionary as a source as the abbreviation is not found at Oxford Dictionaries Online.

21a   PM/'s/ obvious victory (7)

Stanley Baldwin^[5], 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley ( 1867–1947) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1923-4, 1924-9, and 1935-7. Despite the German occupation of the Rhineland and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (both 1936), Baldwin opposed demands for rearmament, believing that the public would not support it.

22a   Insert text /from/ F onwards? (5)

Even though I had the correct solution, I have to confess that the wordplay here eluded me.

24a   Member of the elite class // strictly adhering to regulations (8)

27a   Having trouble // as traveller occupying vehicle towed by tractor? (2,3,4)

In the cart^[5] is an informal British expression meaning in trouble or difficulty ⇒ if he didn’t finish the round the whole team would be in the cart. Deep Threat suggests that the expression alludes to the vehicle in which the condemned were once conveyed to the site of their public execution.

28a   Fabric // not at all nice with hole in it (5)

Voile^[5] is a thin, semi-transparent fabric of cotton, wool, or silk ⇒ a delicate cream voile blouse.

29a   Irish singer // always coming back to entertain any number (4)

Aye^[5] is an archaic or Scottish word meaning always or still ⇒ I’ve aye fancied seeing Edinburgh.

Enya^[7] (born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, anglicised as Enya Brennan) is an Irish singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Known for her distinctive sound, characterised by voice-layering, folk melodies, synthesised backdrops and ethereal reverberations, she has performed in 10 languages and is Ireland's best-selling solo musician. Her record sales stand at more than 75 million worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Her work has earned her four Grammy Awards and an Academy Award nomination.

30a   A widget he'd constructed -- // something hard to carry around? (4-6)

Down

1d   Darling // Ruth? (4)

Babe Ruth^[5] (1895–1948) was an American baseball player; born George Herman Ruth. He played for the Boston Red Sox (1914–19), the New York Yankees (1919–34), and the Boston Braves (1935). He set a record of 714 home runs which remained unbroken until 1974.

2d   Concerning East Anglian feature, this writer has /to be/ rude (9)

East Anglia^[5] is a region of eastern England consisting of the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and parts of Essex and Cambridgeshire.

The Fens^[5] is a name applied to the flat low-lying areas of eastern England, mainly in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, formerly marshland but largely drained for agriculture since the 17th century. A fen^[5] is a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land.

3d   Follow mother/'s/ unquestioning belief? (5)

I would say that dogma^[5] is an "unquestionable belief" — not an "unquestioning belief".

4d   Fix // article of clothing not properly done up? (3,4)

I expect that the wordplay may be referring to a bow tie.

5d   Danced /in/ item of clothing provocatively coloured? (7)

7d   Poet /and/ priest with holy books (5)

In the Bible, Eli^[5] is a priest who acted as a teacher to the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1-3).

In Crosswordland, the word "books" is often used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT). As is the case today, the clue often does not specify whether the reference is to the former or the latter. However, today's setter does help us out by specifying "holy books".

8d   Dominant, // ruling part of Yorkshire once (10)

A riding^[5] is one of three former administrative divisions of Yorkshire, specifically the East Riding, the North Riding, or the West Riding.

9d   After accident large tin /is/ intact (8)

14d   Associate // comic with place that's funny (10)

On Big Dave's blog, Deep Threat mentions that there was a typo in both the printed and online versions of the puzzle in the UK. What happened is that the word "associate" was misspelled as "assosiate". As this error does not appear in the National Post, it would have been introduced during the production process at The Daily Telegraph, after the syndicated version of the puzzle had been distributed. Even though we don't see the syndicated puzzle in Canada until five and a half months after it appears in Britain, I am quite certain that the syndicated puzzle is actually distributed prior to its publication in The Daily Telegraph as it apparently appears in some papers around the world on the same day as in Britain.

16d   King established calm /in/ part of Lincolnshire once (8)

From the wordplay, this had to be either KESTEVEN or RESTEVEN. Having narrowed it down to those two options, it may be a bit harsh to penalize myself for using electronic assistance to verify which one is correct.

K^[5] is an abbreviation for king that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

The Parts of Kesteven^[7] are a traditional subdivision of Lincolnshire, England. This subdivision had long had a separate county administration (Quarter Sessions), along with the other two parts, Lindsey and Holland. Note that the definition in the clue specifically incorporates the word "part" which should provide an additional hint to the solution to anyone familiar with the former administrative divisions of England.

18d   County's side /in/ an undesirable financial situation (9)

Down^[5] is one of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland, since 1973 an administrative district; chief town, Downpatrick.

20d   Webfooted // pair of chums (7)

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.’.

21d   Large old rocker /appears to be/ intolerant (7)

Ted^[2] is short for Teddy boy^[5], a slang term originally applied to a young man belonging to a subculture in 1950s Britain characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff) and a liking for rock-and-roll music.The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the term Teddy boy^[2] is now applied to any unruly or rowdy adolescent male.

23d   A yen at the end of a day /for/ exotic dish (5)

The yen^[5] (abbreviation Y^[5])  is the basic monetary unit of Japan.

Satay^[5] (also satai or saté) is an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer and served with a spiced sauce that typically contains peanuts.

25d   The first woman to occupy a position in the French // bank (5)

In the Bible, Eve^[5] is the first woman, companion of Adam and mother of Cain and Abel. [No mention of Seth and their other sons and daughters].^{[Gen 5:4]}

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

26d   Some that may be walking /in/ units (4)

I would say that this is a double definition with the first being cryptic.

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, December 27, 2014 — Holiday Film Fest

Introduction

As we wind down after the Christmas festivities and the hectic Boxing Day shopping, what better way to relax than with today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon and a few old films — some very old and one of which, at least, has a seasonal theme.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   General ran through /and/ took a quick look (7)

G|LANCED — G (general) + LANCED (ran through)

5a   Feeling // tense, as tossing and turning (7)

SENSATE* — anagram (tossing and turning) of TENSE AS

9a   To charm rascals, I revamped // Dickens story (1,9,5)

{A CHRISTMAS CAROL}* — anagram (revamped) of TO CHARM RASCALS I

A Christmas Carol^[7] is a novella by English writer Charles Dickens (1812–1870), first published in 1843. The novella tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

10a   Made vocal music with young ladies /in/ shades (10)

SUNG|LASSES — SUNG (made vocal music) + (with) LASSES (young ladies)

11a   Yours truly, with an // import (4)

ME|AN — ME (yours truly; myself) + (with) AN (†)

Import^[5] is used in an archaic sense denoting to indicate or signify ⇒ having thus seen, what is imported in a Man’s trusting his Heart.

13a   Drunk men drop a // ball of aromatic stuff (8)

POMANDER* — anagram (drunk) of MEN DROP A

15a   Mad Hatter/'s/ menace (6)

THREAT* — anagram (mad) of HATTER

The Hatter^[7] (called Hatta in Through the Looking-Glass) is a fictional character in English writer Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and the story's sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase "mad as a hatter" pre-dates Carroll's works and the characters the Hatter and the March Hare are initially referred to as "both mad" by the Cheshire Cat, with both first appearing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in the seventh chapter titled "A Mad Tea-Party".

17a   If // old Peruvians, dance at the end (2,4)

IN CAS|E — INCAS (old Peruvians) + E {dance at the end; final letter (end) of dancE}

The Incas^[5] were a South American Indian people living in the central Andes before the Spanish conquest.

The Incas arrived in the Cuzco valley in Peru circa AD 1200. When the Spanish invaded in the early 1530s, the Inca empire covered most of modern Ecuador and Peru, much of Bolivia, and parts of Argentina and Chile. Inca technology and architecture were highly developed despite a lack of wheeled vehicles and of writing. Their descendants, speaking Quechua, still make up about half of Peru’s population. 

18a   Female vermin at the top of // hotel (8)

SHE|RAT|ON — SHE (female) + RAT (vermin) + ON (at the top of)

20a   Lump // left in bed (4)

C(L)OT — L (left) contained in (in) COT (bed)

21a   Western alliance involved in episodic story // of a legislator (10)

SE(NATO)RIAL — NATO (Western alliance) contained in (involved in) SERIAL (episodic story)

25a   Cast fat Athens people /for/ a sci-fi movie (6,2,3,4)

{PLANET OF THE APES}* — anagram (cast) of FAT ATHENS PEOPLE

Planet of the Apes^[7] is a 1968 American science fiction film based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle. It was the first in a series of five films made between 1968 and 1973. A remake of the film was released in 2001, followed by additional sequels in 2011 and 2014.

26a   Balancing // part of the day (7)

EVENING — double definition

27a   Saint with some bread // takes a walk (7)

ST|ROLLS — ST (saint) + (with) ROLLS (some bread)

Down

1d   In Quebec, fat sits in front of small // pot (5)

GRAS|S — GRAS (In Quebec, fat; French word meaning 'fat'^[8]) + (sits in front of) S (small)

2d   White, // like chicken (5)

AS|HEN — AS (like) + HEN (chicken)

3d   Cold // country's foremost mountainous quality (10)

C|HILLINESS — C {country's foremost; initial letter (foremost) of Country} + HILLINESS (mountainous quality)

4d   Hated // legal paper, taking exam (8)

DE(TEST)ED — DEED (legal paper) containing (taking) TEST (exam)

5d   Passed out // one-fourth of a deck of cards (6)

SPADES* — anagram (out) of PASSED

6d   Pleasant // resort in France (4)

NICE — double definition

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

7d   Understanding // guys caught in a hail (9)

A|GREE(MEN)T — MEN (guys) contained in (caught in) {A (†) + GREET (hail)}

8d   Duke after the first // Duke (9)

_ELLINGTON — [W]ELLINGTON (duke) with the initial letter removed (after the first)

Although rather more convoluted, a case could be made to parse the clue as:

• Duke // after the first Duke (9)

where the wordplay would be read as "after the first, Duke".

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington^[5] (1769–1852) was a British soldier and Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister from 1828–30 and again in 1834. Known as the Iron Duke, he served as commander of the British forces in the Peninsular War (1808–14) and in 1815 defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, so ending the Napoleonic Wars.

Duke Ellington^[5] (1899–1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader; born Edward Kennedy Ellington. Coming to fame in the early 1930s, Ellington wrote over 900 compositions and was one of the first popular musicians to write extended pieces. Notable works: Mood Indigo (1930).

12d   Roar about a melee /with/ Ben Hur, for one (10)

CH(A|RIOT)EER — CHEER (roar) containing (about) {A (†) + RIOT (melee)}

The setters have misspelled Ben-Hur.

Ben-Hur^[7] is a 1959 American epic historical drama film. A remake of the 1925 silent film with the same name, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. A subsequent remake of the film is scheduled to be released in February 2016.

The Wallace novel^[7] recounts in descriptive detail the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur, a fictional Jewish prince from Jerusalem, who is enslaved by the Romans at the beginning of the 1st century and becomes a charioteer and a Christian. Running in parallel with Judah's narrative is the unfolding story of Jesus, who comes from the same region and is a similar age. The novel reflects themes of betrayal, conviction, and redemption, with a revenge plot that leads to a story of love and compassion.

There is an element of likely unintended irony in the clue. One notable feature in the film^[7] involved the opening titles. Concerned that a roaring Leo the Lion (the MGM mascot) would create the wrong mood for the sensitive and sacred nativity scene, director William Wyler received permission to replace the traditional logo with one in which Leo the Lion is quiet. It was the first time in MGM history that the lion logo was not seen roaring.

13d   Rule // head of a school pronounced (9)

PRINCIPLE — sounds like (pronounced) PRINCIPAL (head of a school)

14d   Appliance // line with one voltage among computer accessories (9)

MIC(ROW|A|V)E — {ROW (line) + (with) A (one) + V (voltage)} contained in (among) MICE (computer accessories)

16d   Monotonous song is about India's first // wines (8)

CH(I)ANT|IS — {CHANT (monotonous song) + IS (†)} containing (about) I {India's first; initial (first) letter of India}

Chianti^[5] is a dry red Italian wine produced in Tuscany named after the Chianti Mountains, Italy.

19d   Fit // Chaney into petition (6)

BE(LON)G — LON (Chaney) contained in (into) BEG (petition)

Lon Chaney^[7] (1883–1930) was an American actor during the age of silent films. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney is known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces."

22d   Rascal alongside the Spanish drive (5)

IMP|EL — IMP (rascal) + (alongside) EL (the Spanish; Spanish definite article)

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

23d   Tilts // catalogues (5)

LISTS — double definition

24d   Truck // seen in those mirrors (4)

_SE|MI_ — hidden in (seen in) thoSE MIrrors

Epilogue

The theme of today's puzzle is inspired by 9a and 25a — and let's not leave out 12d and even 19d.

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

Friday, December 26, 2014 — DT 27505 (Bonus Puzzle)

Prologue

This being Boxing Day in Canada, the National Post did not publish an edition today. For those readers who cannot bear to pass a day without a puzzle, here is one to keep you occupied until the National Post resumes normal service.

This is the second of the two puzzles that that the National Post skipped on October 27. I posted the first as a Bonus Puzzle on Remembrance Day.

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27505
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 2, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27505]
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
Notes
On Monday, October 27, 2014, the National Post leapt forward to DT 27506 thereby skipping DT 27504 (which I posted as a Bonus Puzzle on Remembrance Day, November 11, 2014) and DT 27505 (which I post as a Bonus Puzzle today).

Introduction

I was making great progress until I got stuck in the Spanish port. However, I was more than pleased with my performance given that Miffypops rated the puzzle as being worthy of three stars for difficulty.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   He has to arrange terms ahead (10)

The clue is a cryptic definition with an anagram embedded in it. Although I deduced the correct solution from the cryptic definition, I failed to notice the anagram.

Headmaster^[5] is a chiefly British term for a man who is the head teacher in a school.

6a   Its music is forbidden to the listener (4)

Another cryptic definition, this time with a homophone embedded in it.

10a   Smoke /coming from/ vehicle carrying retired soldier (5)

A GI^[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war. Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

11a   The speed at which we go (5,4)

12a   Play a role in drama group, /but/ behave independently (3,1,4)

The second part of the clue is considered to be wordplay rather than a second definition as the numeration differs from that given.

13a   He enters races with a // foreign character (5)

The Tourist Trophy^[5] (abbreviation TT^[5]) is a motorcycle-racing competition held annually on roads in the Isle of Man since 1907. For many years, the Isle of Man TT^[7] was the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. The race is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed for racing. Since, in a time trial, each competitor races alone against the clock, the event could be described as a "series of races".

Theta^[5] is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet (Θ, θ).

15a   One would carry out a suspended sentence for old sailors (7)

A yardarm^[10] is either of the two tapering outer ends of a ship's yard. A yard^[10] is a cylindrical wooden or hollow metal spar, tapered at the ends, slung from a mast of a square-rigged or lateen-rigged vessel and used for suspending a sail. 

The last man hung from the yardarm in the Royal Navy was a Royal Marine executed on 13 July 1860 on the Algerine-class gunboat^[7] Leven.

17a   Failure to accept // FA rules being broken (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.

19a   New rise // just coming into effect (7)

21a   Old empire // that lacks arms and backing (7)

Read the second definition as "[a thing] that lacks arms and backing".

The Ottoman Empire^[5] was the Turkish empire, established in northern Anatolia by Osman I at the end of the 13th century and expanded by his successors to include all of Asia Minor and much of southeastern Europe. After setbacks caused by the invasion of the Mongol ruler Tamerlane in 1402, Constantinople was captured in 1453. The empire reached its zenith under Suleiman in the mid 16th century; it had greatly declined by the 19th century and collapsed after the First World War.

22a   Where the goat goes without corn? (5)

Rufus often throws in a clue or two with some rather unusual characteristics. Here he alerts us to the situation with a question mark. The word "where" indicates that the solution is the name of a place. The wordplay tells us to remove "corn" from the astronomical or astrological goat.

In astronomy, Capricorn^[10] is another name for Capricornus^[10], a faint zodiacal constellation in the southern hemisphere, lying between Sagittarius and Aquarius. The constellation (also called the Goat) is said to represent a goat with a fish’s tail^[5].

In astrology, Capricorn^[10] (also called the Goat) is the tenth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♑, having a cardinal earth classification and ruled by the planet Saturn. The sun is in this sign between about December 22 and January 19.

Capri^[5] is an island off the west coast of Italy, south of Naples.

24a   Duck /needs/ to retain its feathers (4,4)

The wordplay is KEEP (to retain) + DOWN (its feathers; the feathers of a duck).

27a   Stars of the printed word (9)

28a   One wants to be so described (5)

The real meaning is likely not the first to spring to mind. Interpret this as "One who is in want would be so described."

29a   Some will turn /to/ gin (4)

In his review, Miffypops illustrates this clue with a leg-hold trap which perplexes me, as a fairly extensive perusal of the dictionaries led me to conclude that a gin is a wire snare.

A gin^[2] (also gin trap) is a wire noose laid as a snare or trap for catching game.

30a   Tender name, perhaps (10)

This is an &lit.^[7] clue (sometimes called an all-in-one clue). The entire clue (when read one way) is the the definition, but under a different interpretation takes on the roll of wordplay — in this case, an anagram.

Down

1d   Kick /from/ a horse (4)

As a verb, hack^[5] means to kick wildly or roughly ⇒ he had to race from his line to hack the ball into the stand. As a noun, hack^[5] means (in sport) a kick or a stroke with a stick inflicted on another player.

Hack^[5] can also mean (1) a horse for ordinary riding, (2) a good-quality lightweight riding horse, especially one used in the show ring, (3) a horse let out for hire, or (4) an inferior or worn-out horse.

2d   Cigars, ale possibly /and/ port (9)

Algeciras^[5] is a ferry port and resort in southern Spain; population 115,333 (2008).

3d   Girl /gets/ married with a song (5)

In music, an aria^[5] is a long accompanied song for a solo voice, typically one in an opera or oratorio.

4d   Weapon of no use at the front? (7)

5d   He demands payment // absolutely right with gold (7)

Or^[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture.

Shylock^[5] is a Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, who lends money to Antonio but demands in return a pound of Antonio’s own flesh should the debt not be repaid on time. The term Shylock has come to mean a moneylender who charges extremely high rates of interest.

Exact^[10] means to force or compel (payment or performance) or to extort ⇒ to exact tribute.

Thus Shylock could be described as being an exactor, someone who exacts a high rate of return from those who borrow money from him.

7d   Routed, beat a // retreat (5)

As an anagram indicator, rout^[5] means to defeat and cause to retreat in disorder — with the emphasis on disorder.

I suppose if one stretches the definitions of retreat and abate far enough, they may just barely meet.

8d   Was unlucky in raffle, /but/ lucky in Russian roulette (4,1,5)

I think one would not be unjustified should they consider the latter part of the clue to be a second definition.

9d   How fat it might be -- /but/ does it matter? (4,2,2)

14d   Outgoing trade? (5,5)

This is another &lit. (all-in-one) clue (see comment at 30a).

16d   Earliest engineering // workshops (8)

18d   Homes were rebuilt /but/ the location's vague (9)

20d   Receives /and/ deceives (5,2)

21d   How a bishop should be, /in/ control (7)

A see^[10] is the diocese of a bishop, or the place within it where his cathedral or procathedral is situated.

23d   Ancient city, // favourite with artist (5)

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.

Petra^[5] is an ancient city of southwestern Asia, in present-day Jordan. The city, which lies in a hollow surrounded by cliffs, is accessible only through narrow gorges. Its extensive ruins include temples and tombs hewn from the rose-red sandstone cliffs.

25d   University teacher or // patron (5)

A don^[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

26d   Peer of the stage? (4)

Peer Gynt^[7] is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906). Written in the Bokmål form of Norwegian and loosely based on a Norwegian fairly tale, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays.

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