Thursday, January 8}, 2015 — DT 27559

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27559
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, August 4, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27559]
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 is a typically gentle Rufus offering but among his more enjoyable efforts.

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   Prepare to give orders -- /or/ receive one? (4,7)

9a   Working steam mill // of no great importance (5-4)

10a   Turn aside /for/ inspiration (5)

11a   Stays /with/ sailor on a date in Rome (6)

The definition is surely "stays" rather than "stays with" as indicated by Miffypops in his review. The word "with^[11]" is a link between the definition and wordplay and, as such, would be used in the sense of characterized by or having ⇒ a person with intelligence and initiative.

In the Royal Navy, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, able seaman^[5] (abbreviation AB^[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman^[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.

12a   Rubbish-holder /in/ container ship (3-5)

Bin^[5] is a British term for (1) a receptacle in which to deposit rubbish^[5] [garbage^[5]]; (2) a capacious receptacle for storing a specified substance ⇒ a compost bin; or (3) a partitioned stand for storing bottles of wine. In the first and especially the second senses, I would say that this term is not entirely British.

13a   Acting as a unit /providing/ some wooden blocks (2,4)

15a   Fifty per cent of wisecrackers /may be/ fools (8)

18a   It could result in deflation being on the way (8)

The entire clue constitutes a cryptic definition [which is why I have underlined the entire clue]. The surface reading of the clue is constructed in such a way as to make us think that it is a reference to the economy. The portion with  the solid underline provides a straight definition (or primary indication). It tells us that the solution is something that causes deflation. The portion of the clue with the dashed underline is what I like to think of as the subsidiary indication in such a clue. It cryptically reveals that this instance of deflation actually happens on the road (way).

19a   Second best part /in/ hilarious performance (6)

21a   Cow /appears as/ appropriate in marshland (8)

A fen^[5] is a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land. The Fens^[5] [to which Miffypops alludes in his review] 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.

23a   50 is 10? // Pay attention! (6)

26a   Medium for broadcasting // three dances (5)

In the field of physics, ether^[3] is an all-pervading, infinitely elastic, massless medium formerly postulated as the medium of propagation of electromagnetic waves.

27a   Definitely // caught and bowled (3-3-3)

In cricket, there are eleven ways in which a batsman can be dismissed^[7] (in other words, be out). The two which lead the list are:

1. Bowled: the bowler has hit the wicket with the delivery and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without dislodging a bail it is not out).
2. Caught: the batsman has hit the ball with his bat, or with his hand which was holding the bat, and the ball has been caught before it has touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.

28a   A lover can be excited /and/ lose equilibrium (11)

Down

1d   After exam tucked into meal // with a will (7)

This time (unlike in 11a) the word "with" is part of the definition.

2d   Gurkha kit includes // uniform of this colour (5)

My copy of The Chambers Dictionary (11th Edition) shows khaki^[1] as meaning a cloth of [a khaki] colour used for military uniforms but not to mean the uniform itself. However, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary does list khaki^[2] as meaning (1) a dull brownish-yellow or brownish-green colour; (2) cloth of this colour; or (3) a military uniform made of such cloth.

Other dictionaries show khaki^[3,5,11] as meaning a uniform or other clothing either only — or usually — when used in the plural (khakis) in a similar manner to words such as pants or trousers ⇒ he pulled on his khakis.

3d   Shouted /as/ told to strike (6,3)

4d   Graduate elected /as/ principal (4)

Miffypops' hint for the first part of the charade is "One of the two abbreviations used by a graduate". I have to admit that one rarely sees any degree other than a BA or an MA in Crosswordland. This perhaps explains the dearth of science-related clues to be found in puzzles — a situation about which a certain visitor to Big Dave's blog frequently complains.

5d   A confused Crimean // statesman, perhaps (8)

6d   Boring bit /of/ exercise (5)

7d   Places visited on holidays, // or between holidays (7)

I somehow failed to grasp the wordplay before reading Miffypops' explanation. Truth be told, I flagged the clue with the intention of revisiting it but carelessly neglected to do so.

8d   For now // it's set at Greenwich (8)

This is not a double definition as the numeration for the second part of the clue is (4,4).

Greenwich Mean Time^[5] (abbreviation GMT) is the mean solar time at the Greenwich meridian, adopted as the standard time in a zone that includes the British Isles. It is also the standard against which other time zones are compared. Thus Eastern Standard Time (EST) is shown as GMT-5 as it is five hours behind GMT.

14d   Chelsea versus Bath? (3,5)

The surface reading suggests a match between sports teams representing [see disclaimer below] these two communities — one that might well turn into a food fight.

Chelsea^[5] is a residential district of London, on the north bank of the River Thames.

Bath^[5] is a spa town in southwestern England; population 81,600 (est. 2009). The town was founded by the Romans, who called it Aquae Sulis, and was a fashionable spa in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Chelsea bun^[5] is a British term for a flat, spiral-shaped currant bun sprinkled with sugar.

Bath bun^[5] is a British term for a round yeast bun containing currants and topped with icing or sugar.

As Miffypops alludes in his review, sports teams representing these two communities would apparently be unlikely to meet as Chelsea is known for football (soccer) [see disclaimer below] and Bath for rugby.

Chelsea Football Club^[7] is an English professional football [soccer] club based in Fulham, London [and thus seemingly not based in Chelsea at all]. Founded in 1905, the club plays in the Premier League [the top tier of the English football league system].

Bath Rugby^[7] (also known as just Bath) is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath, Somerset. They play in the Aviva Premiership league [the top division of the English rugby union system].

In case you hadn't noticed, Miffypops is an avowed fan of rugby union. 

Although I have never been able to locate a source that defined the term, oikball [which appears in Miffypops' comments] appears to be a derogatory term for football [soccer] used primarily by rugby fans.

Oik^[5] (also oick) is an informal British term for an uncouth or obnoxious person or, as Cambridge Dictionaries Online puts it, an oik is a rude and unpleasant man from a low social class ⇒ In his latest film he plays a racist oik from the East End of London.

There is an old British adage "Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen." This saying cleverly contrasts football (or soccer) with rugby. "Ruffian" is an old-fashioned word meaning a tough, violent, possibly criminal person. The saying shows the irony of the fact that a rough and dangerous game like rugby was played by polite, well-educated "gentlemen", while the much gentler and safer game of football was played by tough, lower-class men with a reputation for violence. Even today rugby players might seem to be very polite gentlemen when compared to many footballers, especially those seen swearing at referees and angrily abusing them when a decision goes against them. Some people might even say that this old British saying still applies today.

16d   It's not true // oil, in fact, needs changing (9)

17d   Playboy lifestyle -- /but you get/ nothing for nothing? (4,4)

18d   Trains /for/ smokers? (7)

20d   One who painted the heartless // Dickensian doctor (7)

Édouard Manet^[5] (1832–1883) was a French painter. He adopted a realist approach which greatly influenced the impressionists, using pure colour to give a direct unsentimental effect. Notable works: Déjeuner sur l’herbe (1863), Olympia (1865), and A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882).
Doctor Alexandre Manette^[7] is a character in A Tale of Two Cities^[7] (1859), a novel by English writer Charles Dickens (1812–1870), set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.

As Miffypops suggests, one must avoid the other French painter (the one to whom I was originally drawn).

Claude Monet^[5] (1840–1926) was a French painter. A founder member of the impressionists, his fascination with the play of light on objects led him to produce series of paintings of single subjects painted at different times of the day and under different weather conditions, such as the Water-lilies sequence (1899–1906; 1916 onwards).

22d   Silent comedy film star (5)

The Marx Brothers^[5] were a family of American comedians, consisting of the brothers Chico (Leonard, 1887–1961), Harpo (Adolph Arthur, 1888–1964), Groucho (Julius Henry, 1890–1977), and Zeppo (Herbert, 1901–79). Their films, which are characterized by their anarchic humour, include Duck Soup (1933) and A Night at the Opera (1935).

Adolph "Harpo" Marx (later Arthur "Harpo" Marx; 1888–1964) was an American comedian, film star, mime artist and musician, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish blonde wig, and never spoke during performances (he blew a horn or whistled to communicate). He frequently used props such as a horn cane, made up of a lead pipe, tape, and a bulbhorn, and he played the harp in most of his films.

24d   The point of growing roses (5)

25d   Attempt // to assassinate? (4)

Here the question mark is a key element of the second definition, indicating that the solution is but one means of accomplishing the stated end.

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