Monday, June 1, 2015 — DT 27674

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27674
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Setter Shamus (Philip Marlow)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27674]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Gazza
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

I learned at least one new word today—not to mention new meanings for a few others.

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   Harassment /in/ MI6 HQ? (11)

The Secret Intelligence Service^[7] (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the British intelligence agency which supplies the British Government with foreign intelligence. It operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) alongside the internal Security Service (MI5), the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Defence Intelligence (DI).

As crypticsue points out in the thread attached to Comment #15 on Big Dave's blog, "John le Carre books [...] were always talking about stations in connection with spies". To which Michael adds "Yes, John Le Carre was always referring to London Station or Berlin Station or whatever when referring to MI6 Headquarters".

7a   Basil, say, among group /getting/ drink (7)

In Britain, sherbet^[5] is not another name for sorbet but, rather, a flavoured sweet effervescent powder eaten alone or made into a drink ⇒ disks of fruit-flavoured rice paper filled with sherbet.

8a   Italian staple // put in apricot tart (7)

Ricotta^[2] is a soft white unsalted Italian curd cheese made from sheep's or cow's milk and often used in sauces for ravioli, lasagne, etc.

10a   Mention of wrinkle /being/ genuine (5)

Pukka^[5] (or pukkah), a word of Hindi origin, means genuine ⇒ the more expensive brands are pukka natural mineral waters.

The word "pucker", when pronounced in a non-rhotic^[5] British accent ("puckah"), sounds like "pukka".

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

11a   Sign of the self? (9)

12a   The sliding in ice venue /is/ deliberate again (7)

14a   Ambition followed by inexperienced driver in the German // car (7)

"inexperienced driver" = L; "the German" = DER (show explanation)

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

In German, der^[8] is one of the several forms that the definite article may assume.

hide explanation

The Daimler Company Limited^[7], until 1910 The Daimler Motor Company Limited, was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in 1896. The company bought the right to the use of the Daimler name from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft of Germany.

Through a series of mergers and acquisitions stretching out over more than a century, Daimler and the Daimler brand have successively been owned by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) (1910), Jaguar Cars (1960), British Motor Corporation (1966), British Leyland (1968), the Ford Motor Company (1989) and finally Tata Motors (2008). As Tata has not used the Daimler marque since acquiring it, the brand would appear to be dormant.

The British automaker should not be confused with the German manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz automobiles, Daimler AG^[7] (formerly DaimlerChrysler AG and before that Daimler-Benz AG—which was formed through a merger of Benz & Cie. with the aforementioned Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft).

15a   A large restrictive area holding soft // drink for teenagers (7)

"soft"= P (show explanation)

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide explanation

Alcopop^[5] is a British colloquial term for a ready-mixed drink that resembles a soft drink but contains alcohol. In Canada, such a beverage is known as a cooler^[7].

18a   Short time in Lancashire town almost /producing/ laugh (7)

Chorley^[7] is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England, located 19.5 miles (31 km) north west of Manchester. Chorley is known as the home of the Chorley cake [which Gazza illustrates in his review].

20a   Unpleasant sensation // is in chest possibly (9)

21a   Walk proudly /in/ part of framework? (5)

22a   Account for // former partner left in agony (7)

23a   Skill // I kindled in a boy, nothing less (7)

24a   One initiating rage? (11)

Down

1d   Privilege after starter's gone to tuck into flesh /in/ animal (7)

A meerkat^[5] is any of three species of small southern African mongoose, especially the suricate.

2d   Country // invested in, say, billions after revolution (5)

3d   Place for filming footballer /is/ a disappointment (7)

A back^[5] is a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards ⇒ their backs showed some impressive running and passing.

4d   After a time, Fifties rocker's // rattled (7)

Aerate^[1] would appear to be used in the sense of to excite or perturb (a sense of the word that seems to exist only in The Chambers Dictionary).

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.

5d   Unidentified // fool blocking work to support trendy firm (9)

Nit^[5] is an informal British term for a foolish person ⇒ you stupid nit!.

6d   Two features of tennis /in/ another game (7)

Netball^[5] is a seven-a-side game in which goals are scored by throwing a ball so that it falls through a netted hoop. By contrast with basketball, a player receiving the ball must stand still until they have passed it to another player. (show more)

The development of netball^[7], derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. Games are played on a rectangular court with raised goal rings at each end. Each team attempts to score goals by passing a ball down the court and shooting it through its goal ring. Players are assigned specific positions, which define their roles within the team and restrict their movement to certain areas of the court. During general play, a player with the ball can hold onto it for only three seconds before shooting for a goal or passing to another player. The winning team is the one that scores the most goals. Netball games are 60 minutes long. Netball is most popular in Commonwealth nations, specifically in schools, and is predominantly played by women.

There are many differences with basketball. For instance, there are no backboards; a shot on goal can only be made from within the shooting circle (no three point shots); only certain players may enter the shooting circle (either as attackers or defenders); only two attackers and two defenders may be in the shooting circle at one time; the ball is moved up and down the court through passing and must be touched by a player in each adjacent third of the court (no end to end passes); players can hold the ball for only three seconds at any time and it must be released before the foot they were standing on when they caught it touches the ground again (no dribbling).

hide explanation

7d   Best // travel is arranged, needing to cover up, going to Spain (11)

"Spain" = E (show explanation)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E^[5] [from Spanish España]. 

hide explanation

9d   Broth nearly spilt // in a repugnant way (11)

13d   Reveal involvement of // brat with deceit about pet (9)

16d   Put up with dirty place, home for fliers? (7)

Pit^[5] is slang for a very dirty or untidy place.

17d   Groomed // European enters before finale (7)

18d   Fall /of/ dishonourable type in action (7)

19d   Volunteer, // one that could be given lead? (7)

Terrier^[5] is an informal British term for a member of the Territorial Army (TA)^[5] which was at one time the name of a volunteer UK force founded in 1908 to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined military personnel for use in an emergency. Since 2013, it has been called the Army Reserve.

Lead^[5] is a British term for a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other domestic animal ⇒ the dog is our constant walking companion and is always kept on a lead. Despite being characterized as a British term by Oxford Dictionaries Online, the word lead^[3] is found in The American Heritage Dictionary as another name for a leash.

21d   Garment /that's/ right in humorous show (5)

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