Tuesday, January 13, 2015 — DT 27562

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27562
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, August 7, 2014
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27562]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Kath
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

As can be expected from a puzzle set by RayT, today's offering is highly enjoyable. Some observers thought that it was "a bit trickier than his usual level".

The review of today's puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog was written by Kath who is flying solo for the second time. She is likely known to you as the alley cat half of the archy and mehitabel blogging duo, as well as being a prolific contributor to the comments section of Big Dave's blog.

Lest you be confused by remarks at Big Dave's site mentioning "two consecutive days of excellent puzzles from this setter", the Toughie on the previous day was set by Beam (another pseudonym used by RayT). The Toughie is a more difficult cryptic crossword puzzle that is published in The Daily Telegraph.

As an innovation being introduced to the blog this week, "Scratching the Surface" boxes display comments intended to help readers better appreciate the surface reading of the clue, but do not contribute to solving the clue (for which one must dig beneath the surface).

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   Lucky // devil on a trip abroad (12)

As an anagram indicator, abroad^[3,4,11] is likely used in the sense (said of news, rumours, etc.) in general circulation, at large, spread around, or current. I'm sure we all know how quickly rumours change as they circulate! Abroad also has an archaic meaning of not on target, wide of the mark, or in error.

9a   Supporter's order unfinished /in/ bar (9)

A brasserie^[5] is a restaurant in France or in a French style.

As explained by Kath in her review, the wordplay here is BRA (supporter) + S ('s) + SERIE_ {SERIE[S] (order) with the final letter removed (unfinished)}.

I must admit that I had some initial misgivings about equating order with series. However, Collins English Dictionary defines series^[10] as a group or connected succession of similar or related things, usually arranged in order. Below this definition, we find order listed as a synonym for series.

Although I did get the correct solution, I arrived at it on the presumption that BRASSERIE must be an anagram (order unfinished) of BRASSIERE (supporter) — well the anagram part is correct even if the anagram indicator is more than a little suspect. My rather tenuous logic was that all the right ingredients were present in BRASSIERE, but a bit more mixing was required to get the finished product, BRASSERIE.

10a   Cold // sponge, toe to head (5)

Loofa is an alternative (mainly US) spelling of loofah^[10], the fibrous interior of the fruit of the dishcloth gourd, which is dried, bleached, and used as a bath sponge or for scrubbing. The use of an American spelling would normally generate a howl of protest on Big Dave's blog, but RayT seems to have slipped this one past the guardians of British language purity.

11a   Inside restrains a neurotic // lunatic (6)

In the cryptic reading, lunatic is used as an adjective.

12a   Facing // work with flower plot (8)

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.

The setter uses flower in a whimsical cryptic crossword sense meaning something that flows — in other words, a river.

The Po^[7] is a river that arises in the Cottian Alps and flows eastward across northern Italy entering the Adriatic Sea through a delta near Venice.

13a   Better to accept advice finally /from/ doctor (6)

15a   Turn small pan over /for/ vegetables (8)

18a   Appearance by Queen lavishly ends // earlier (8)

It is a rare occasion indeed when the Queen does not make an appearance in a RayT puzzle — and today is not such an occasion.

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.

19a   Animals // issued with large back of humps (6)

There are a couple of senses in which "issued" might mean "came".

Issue from^[5] means to come, go, or flow out from ⇒ exotic smells issued from a nearby building. Technically, "issued (from)" means "came out (from)", but I expect that it would not be unusual in common speech for the word "out" to be dropped.

Issue^[5] can also mean result or be derived from ⇒ the struggles of history issue from the divided heart of humanity.

21a   Literal // account given by minister (8)

A curate^[5] is a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest.

23a   Shameless, // to need love before noon, in short (6)

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

26a   Bear, Mohawk's original // symbol (5)

27a   Nuisance embracing single girl upset // killjoy (9)

28a   Bloke's scream approaching unending stretch /for/ killing (12)

I think that "bloke's scream" could well have clued MAN'S LAUGHTER. However, RayT has made the clue a bit more complicated with the wordplay being MAN (bloke) + S ('s) + LAUGH (scream) + (approaching) TER {unending stretch; TER[M] (stretch) with the final letter removed (unending)}.

Down

1d   Left one's husband by bar // to circulate (7)

2d   Stones /featuring/ old sidekick Watts' finale (5)

In Britain, mate^[5] [used by Kath in her review] 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.’.

Scratching the Surface
Charlie Watts[7] is an English drummer, best known as a member of the English rock band, The Rolling Stones.

3d   Unfaithful // siren, nice in a bad way (9)

Scratching the Surface
A siren[5] is a woman who is considered to be alluring or fascinating but also dangerous in some way. In Greek mythology, a siren[5] was a woman or winged creature whose singing lured unwary sailors on to rocks.

4d   The woman's commonly spoken // mistakes (4)

To the British ear this may be a good homonym. However, it hardly constitutes such to the North American ear.

Here "commonly spoken" denotes as spoken by the common people — as opposed to the upper crust. In particular, this is how the word might be pronounced by a cockney.

A cockney^[5] is a native of East London [specifically that part of East London known as the East End], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow^[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang^[5].

5d   Pie hasn't splattered // actor (8)

6d   Awfully long, awful massacre often starts // battle (5)

The Alamo^[5] is a mission in San Antonio, Texas, site of a siege [the Battle of the Alamo] in 1836 by Mexican forces, in which all 180 defenders were killed. [At the time, Texas was fighting to break away from Mexico, of which it then formed a part, in a conflict known as the Texas Revolution.]

7d   The setter's raised with obedience outside // home (8)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the) compiler, (the) setter, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue. Today, the setter has made the scenario slightly more complicated by combining "setter" with the verb "to be" producing "setter's" (contraction for "setter is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (I am).

8d   Consumed case of raspberries eating fine // dessert (6)

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries Online surprisingly characterizes as British].

Afters^[5] is an informal British term for the sweet course following the main course of a meal; or, in British parlance, pudding [see following] ⇒ there was apple pie for afters.

Whereas in North America, the term pudding^[5] denotes specifically a dessert with a soft or creamy consistency, in Britain the term pudding^[5] [which Kath shortens to "pud" in her remarks] refers to either (1) [seemingly any] cooked sweet dish served after the main course of a meal or (2) the dessert course of a meal ⇒ what’s for pudding?.

Thus the terms dessert, pudding and afters would appear to be synonymous in Britain. The response to What’s for pudding? seemingly could be Apple pie.

14d   Outrage /seeing/ altar boy oddly on town (8)

16d   Marine/'s/ a force in extreme environment (9)

F^[5] is a symbol used in physics to represent force.

17d   Animal // act taking time with tailless cat (8)

The platypus^[5] is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) which frequents lakes and streams in eastern Australia. It has a sensitive pliable bill shaped like that of a duck, webbed feet with venomous spurs, and dense fur. Also called duckbill or duck-billed platypus.

Moggie^[5] (or moggy) [the latter used by Kath in her review] is an informal British term for a cat, typically one that is does not have a pedigree or is otherwise unremarkable ⇒ I have three other cats (two moggies and one Bengal/Tonkinese cross).

18d   Starves consuming last of sustenance? Hardly! (6)

The entire clue constitutes the definition. The word "hardly" indicates that the solution is the opposite of what is defined by the preceding portion of the clue (the part of the clue with the dashed underline) which also provides the containment-type wordplay.

20d   Belonging to 'chosen', a Tory // politician (7)

Note on Kath's comment: Since reference is made to "a Tory politician", this may be a Canadian senator rather than an American one.

22d   Drink followed by endless pole // dance (5)

24d   Idiot swallowing Sun/'s/ spin (5)

From the respective dictionary entries, it would appear that twit may have a slightly different connotation in the UK than it does in North America. However, I think that I may be more familiar with the British usage of the word.

American dictionaries define twit as an informal term for a foolishly annoying person^[3] or an insignificant or bothersome person^[11]. On the other hand, British dictionaries define twit as an informal term meaning variously a fool or idiot^[2], a foolish or stupid person, an idiot^[10], and a silly or foolish person^[5]. Both Oxford Dictionaries Online and Collins English Dictionary characterize the term as being chiefly British.

25d   Area covering Thailand formerly -- mass in excess? (4)

Although Kath, in her review, marks the entire clue as being the definition, I believe it is only the first three words. However, the entire clue does serve as the wordplay.

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