Thursday, January 22, 2015 — DT 27569

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27569
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, August 15, 2014
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27569]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

The review of today's puzzle at Big Dave's Crossword Blog was written by Big Dave himself. I must say that he seems to be a bit of an 8a today. He certainly doesn't have anything charitable to say about either the puzzle or the setter.

I almost always enjoy Giovanni's puzzles which are among the more challenging that we face. Unlike Big Dave, I found today's puzzle to be especially challenging. It provided a real mental workout and I needed to call on my electronic aids in order to finish it.

You may recall a couple of days ago when we had an especially easy puzzle I told you that we would shortly pay for that respite. Well, today is payback time.

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   Relate, // one way or the other (5)

4a   Manages // hard American groups (8)

H^[5] is an abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

8a   Former Labour politician, // fellow not best pleased (8)

Richard Crossman^[7] (1907–1974) was a British Labour Party politician and author who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists. Late in his life, Crossman was editor of the New Statesman [a British political and cultural magazine published weekly in London], but is best known today for his posthumously published three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister.

What did he say?

In his review, Big Dave mentions Yes Minister[7], a hugely popular satirical British sitcom that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980 and 1984. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. Set principally in the private office of a British Cabinet minister in the (fictional) Department of Administrative Affairs, Yes Minister follows the ministerial career of The Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP. His various struggles to formulate and enact legislation or effect departmental changes are opposed by the British Civil Service. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, continued with the same cast and followed the events of the premiership of Jim Hacker after his unexpected elevation to Number 10* upon the resignation of the previous PM. The series was based, in part, on the published diaries of Richard Crossman. * No. 10 Downing Street, the address of the office and residence of the British Prime Minister

9a   Going off after short time, // running (8)

Go off^[3] is a chiefly British expression meaning to become spoiled or rancid ⇒ The orange juice has gone off.

11a   Vehicle /of/ writer unserviceable, dumped by motorway (7)

I initially took the definition to be "vehicle of writer" and entered OMNIBUS. Of course, not only could I not explain the wordplay, this played havoc with my efforts on 1d.

The abbreviation for unserviceable is U/S^[10].

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

13a   Dear Parisian among idiots // who may look skyward? (9)

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

Twitcher^[5] is an informal British term for a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds.

The solution to this clue surely would have come much sooner had I been familiar with the latter term.

15a   Country // dinner earl organised to back ex-PM (8,7)

Lord Frederick North^[5] (1732–1792) was a British Tory statesman, Prime Minister 1770–82. He sought to avoid the War of American Independence, but was regarded as responsible for the loss of the American colonies.

What did he say?

Is Northern Ireland actually a country?  According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, Northern Ireland[5] holds the status of a province — the only major division of the United Kingdom to do so, with England[5] and Scotland[5] being considered countries and Wales[5] a principality. After writing the above, I see that pommers made the same point in a comment on Big Dave's blog. This may also possibly be the point that Big Dave is alluding to in his comment that "this country would score 100 points on the TV show Pointless!". Pointless[7] is a quiz show that has aired on the BBC since 2009. The object of the game is for contestants not only to provide correct answers, but also provide the most obscure possible correct answers. A high score (to a maximum of 100 points) is awarded for well-known answers and a low score for obscure answers. The team with the lowest score is the winner. The maximum score of 100 points is also awarded for an incorrect answer. Therefore Big Dave's comment might mean either that the "country" in the solution is so well-known that it would score 100 points or that it is not a country at all and would therefore score 100 points for being an incorrect answer.

18a   Inspiring // part of hospital accommodation lacking nothing (9)

From my experience, I would almost say that the Crosswordland Hospital consists solely of the ear, nose and throat (ENT^[2]) department.

21a   Worker // noticing things old boy missed (7)

Well, this old boy is still suffering from the bruises caused by the self-inflicted kicking given for missing this one. No, it was not "old boy" which I didn't know; I couldn't think of the worker.

In Britain, an old boy^[5] (abbreviation OB^[2])  is (1) a former male student of a school or college ⇒an old boy of Banbury County School or (2) a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards. It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

22a   Initial change made to wedding // vehicle (8)

24a   Metal pieces, // now rare, I repaired (8)

25a   Inventor /of/ peg attached to plate (8)

26a   Moves very gradually /or/ stops, avoiding maximum speed! (5)

In physics, the symbol c^[5] is used to represent the speed of light in a vacuum ⇒ E = mc².

Down

1d   Order soldiers in advance exercise // to make fresh start (10)

This was one of my last one's in as I had an incorrect entry at 11a for the longest time.

The Order of Merit^[7] (abbreviation OM^[5]) is a dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, and is limited to 24 living recipients at one time from these countries plus a limited number of honorary members. The current membership includes one Canadian (former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien).

Recce^[5] is an informal British term for reconnaissance.

2d   Fish /is/ starter -- starter for lunch brought in (8)

Scratching the Surface
Starter[5] is a chiefly British term [according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, but certainly a term that is far from being foreign to Canada] meaning the first course of a meal.

3d   Lady president, one of two /in/ something flowery (8)

George Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 41st President of the US 1989–93; full name George Herbert Walker Bush.
  George W. Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 43rd President of the US 2001–2009; full name George Walker Bush. He is the son of George Bush.

4d   Hound // knight kept in shed (4)

N^[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].

5d   Scandinavian // dish that's spicy and cold (6)

In Pakistani cooking, balti^[5] is a spicy dish cooked in a small two-handled pan known as a karahi.

6d   Absence of wickedness /in/ one seeking to be religious (6)

7d   'Scum' -- // ultimately obnoxious word for criminal (4)

In British slang, a lag^[5] is a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison ⇒ both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.

10d   Making a protest, start to slash // barriers (8)

12d   Bird /with/ shining body descending on fish (8)

The ling^[5] is any of a number of long-bodied edible marine fishes including various species of large East Atlantic fish related to the cod, in particular Molva molva, which is of commercial importance.

14d   Femme fatale // used absurdly long hair to ensnare Conservative (10)

The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.^[10] or Con.^[10].

16d   First appearance on stage /brings/ delight (8)

If the second definition were "brings delight" (as Big Dave indicates in his review), the solution would have to be ENTRANCES. Thus, with the solution being ENTRANCE the second definition must merely be "delight".

17d   Weapons of a specialised unit -- a US soldier's carrying one (8)

The SS^[5] (abbreviation of German Schutzstaffel 'defence squadron') was the Nazi special police force. Founded in 1925 by Hitler as a personal bodyguard, the SS provided security forces (including the Gestapo) and administered the concentration camps.

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).

Assagai is an alternative spelling of assegai^[5], a slender, iron-tipped, hardwood spear used chiefly by southern African peoples.

19d   Plant /needing/ good financial management? (6)

The thrift^[5] is a European plant (Armeria maritima) which forms low-growing tufts of slender leaves with rounded pink flower heads, growing chiefly on sea cliffs and mountains. Also called sea pink.

20d   A Parisian is getting on, /achieving/ complete agreement (6)

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

22d   Church work /must be/ cut (4)

In music, Op.^[5] (also op.) is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

23d   Old country // lake rising (4)

Eire^[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland, the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.

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