Friday, February 13, 2015 — DT 27585

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27585
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27585]
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

Big Dave awarded this puzzle two stars for difficulty which I would say pretty much sums up my experience.

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   Informed about origin of dubious // promotion on the web (6)

Adware^[5] (trademark in the US) is a computing term for software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material such as banners or pop-ups when a user is online.

5a   Money // firm when invested in central heating (4,4)

I initially supposed that COLD CASH might be a good — if rather wry — fit. I was thinking of "cold" in the sense of frozen stiff, and thus "firm". Perhaps my choice was influenced by having just come indoors with my fingers frozen after a couple of hours of clearing snow from my driveway.

The abbreviation for central heating is c.h.^[1] This is perhaps a term that one might see in real estate ads in the UK where central heating is likely not as ubiquitous as it is here. In Canada, I think this feature would be considered to be pretty much a given.

Hard cash^[2,4,5,10] denotes negotiable coins and banknotes as opposed to other forms of payment (such as cheques and credit) ⇒ hard cash may soon be back in fashion.

I noted with interest that the term hard cash is found only in the British dictionaries, despite it being an expression that I am certain is used here in Canada. This is possibly explained by Oxford Dictionaries Online which tells us that cold cash^[5] is a North American term for hard cash.

9a   Elector not sure /to be/ forgiven a lot, possibly including treason without cause (8,5)

Floating voter^[5] is a British term for a person who has not decided which way to vote in an election, or one who does not consistently vote for the same political party ⇒ the party leader stepped up his efforts to appeal to floating voters. However, Collins English Dictionary provides a more restrictive meaning, defining floating voter^[10] as a person who does not vote consistently for any single political party.

Reflecting on Big Dave's Commentary
Contrary to the way Big Dave has marked the clue, I would consider the words "to be" to constitute a link phrase rather than being part of the definition. Surely, the illustration in Big Dave's review shows a "floating candidate" rather than a "floating voter". Of course, should he be elected, he will presumably get to vote in whatever elected body he happens to be "floating" for.

10a   Available when needed, /but/ moaned about empty neighbourhood (2,6)

11a   Fixed /with/ diplomatic handling, reportedly (6)

12a   What may tie up // call on the way? (6)

14a   Poles given to eating nuts /and/ flowers (8)

A gentian^[5] is any of several species of plant found in temperate and mountainous regions, which typically has violet or vivid blue trumpet-shaped flowers. Many kinds are cultivated as ornamentals, especially as arctic alpines, and some are of medicinal use.

16a   Monitor // lively chat by women and follow (8)

19a   Careless // young lady attached to soldiers (6)

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

21a   Cut // dead awkward Luddite ignoring theologian (6)

Doctor of Divinity^[7] (abbreviation D.D. or DD, Divinitatis Doctor in Latin) is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects. In the United Kingdom, Doctor of Divinity has traditionally been the highest doctorate granted by universities, usually conferred upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction. In the United States, the Doctor of Divinity is usually awarded as an honorary degree.

Scratching the Surface
Historically, a Luddite[5] was a member of any of the bands of English workers who destroyed machinery, especially in cotton and woollen mills, which they believed was threatening their jobs (1811–16). In modern usage, it is a derogatory term for a person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology ⇒ a small-minded Luddite resisting progress.

23a   Area island group use up /creating/ pollution (4,4)

The Channel Islands^[5] (abbreviation CI^[5]) are a group of islands in the English Channel off the northwestern coast of France, of which the largest are Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney. Formerly part of the dukedom of Normandy, they have owed allegiance to England since the Norman Conquest in 1066, and are now classed as Crown dependencies.

25a   Screen worker's nude // game? (9,4)

Blindman's-buff^[2] (also blindman's buff^{[1, 11]}, blind man's buff^[5], or US [and Canada] blindman's bluff^{[5, 11]}) is a children's game in which one child wears a blindfold and tries to catch the other children. Traditionally the blindfolded child would give three slaps or buffs (short for buffets) to anyone they caught.

26a   Practise, /seeing/ Shearer troubled before Newcastle's final (8)

Scratching the Surface

Newcastle United Football Club[7] (often abbreviated to NUFC) is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End. The club has been a member of the Premier League [the top tier of English football] for all but two years of the competition's history, and has never dropped below English football's second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. Alan Shearer[7] is an English retired footballer [soccer player]. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team. He was widely regarded as one of the world's best strikers, being both Newcastle's and the Premier League's record goalscorer. Since retiring as a player in 2006, Shearer has worked as a television pundit for the BBC. In 2009, he briefly left his BBC role to become Newcastle United's manager in the last eight games of their 2008–09 season, in an unsuccessful attempt to save them from relegation.

27a   Tracks // I'd found in grass (6)

Grass is an informal British term meaning (1) as a noun^[5], a police informer and (2) as a verb^[5], to inform the police of someone’s criminal activities or plans ⇒ someone had grassed on the thieves. This expression may derive from rhyming slang (grasshopper 'copper').

Delving Deeper
Rhyming slang[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in Cockney rhyming slang. Similarly, grass — shortened from grasshopper — would mean 'copper'.

Down

2d   Dead // time after month full of enjoyment (7)

3d   Trouble about // love? (5)

4d   Alienated // journalist swigging rum (9)

Rum^[5] is a dated informal British term meaning odd or peculiar ⇒ it’s a rum business, certainly.

5d   Shamefaced // Government supporting party after swing (7)

G^[1] is an abbreviation for Government as in G-man^[1], a US term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As there were no howls of protest on Big Dave's blog regarding this Americanism, it would appear that few Brits bothered to look it up.

6d   Runs one to check // pin (5)

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s).

7d   Questions of a religious nature // caught a chemist out (9)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.^[2,10] or c^[5] denotes caught or caught by.

8d   Operator // performing under sudden influx (7)

13d   Comprehensive /is/ undecided, with no study (9)

Con^[5] is an archaic term meaning to study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing)  ⇒ the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry.

15d   Plant // caught, surrounded by angry Russians (9)

Another batsman out in cricket (see comment at 7d).

Behind the Picture
In his review, Big Dave illustrates this clue with a picture of Narcissus[5] who, in Greek mythology, was a beautiful youth who rejected the nymph Echo and fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. He pined away and was changed into the flower that bears his name.

17d   Good-humoured // sailor in a 4 x 440 yds (7)

Since 440 yds is a quarter mile, 4 x 440 yds is a MILE.

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.

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, "a 4 x 440 yds" refers to a relay race over a total distance of 1 mile in which each of the four members of the relay team runs 440 yds.

18d   Allocate a position to // person with BSc, but without university (7)

Gradate ^[5] means to arrange in steps or grades of size, amount, or quality ⇒ (as adjective gradated) the Temple compound became a series of concentric circles of gradated purity.

20d   Tighten up, /seeing/ nurse welcome spat (7)

In the UK, a State Enrolled Nurse^[5] (abbreviation SEN) is a nurse enrolled on a state register and having a qualification lower than that of a State Registered Nurse.

22d   Bush // makes appearance in newsreel, derided (5)

An elder^[5] is any of numerous species of small tree or shrub with pithy stems, white flowers, and bluish-black or red berries.

Scratching the Surface

While the surface reading could be referring to either of two US Presidents, I would say that it is more apt to be the latter than the former: 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.

24d   Three minutes' boxing /gets you/ shot (5)

A round^[10] is one of a number of periods constituting a boxing, wrestling, or other match, each usually lasting three minutes.

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