Monday, November 30, 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015 — DT 27835

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27835
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Setter
Unknown — but quite possibly Petitjean (John Pidgeon)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27835]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Gazza
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 27833 and DT 27834 which were published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 20, 2015 and Monday, June 22, 2015.

Introduction

The Diversions page editor at the National Post has done it again, skipping a couple of puzzles. Will I ever learn? Of course, if I were to skip a couple of puzzles next week, you can be assured that none would be skipped in the paper.

Today's puzzle is surely the stiffest challenge we have faced in a long, long time. Even Gazza has awarded it four stars for difficulty. While the setter has not been positively identified, the consensus choice is Petitjean (John Pidgeon). He is known for setting clues that require a great deal of lateral thinking — or, in Gazza's turn of phrase "we need a slightly mad hat on to solve the puzzle". This is a phrase that one frequently sees being applied to Petitjean on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Gazza has interpreted clue 25d as an acknowledging of this by the setter.

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

5a   For instance, going about a quiet // walk in a showy way (6)

8a   Rosy /is/ sober having downed half of stout (8)

Guinness[7] is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Not only is it the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland, it is brewed in almost 60 countries worldwide and is available in over 120. Despite its close association with Ireland, the company's headquarters has been located in London since 1932. In 1997, it merged with Grand Metropolitan to form the multinational alcoholic drinks producer Diageo.

9a   Chorale needs arrangement // that's extremely infectious (7)

10a   Celebrate // making it out of Essex to Lancashire (5)

Scratching the Surface
Essex[5] is a county of southeastern England; county town, Chelmsford.

Lancashire[5] is a county of northwestern England, on the Irish Sea; administrative centre, Preston.

11a   Ideas came free /in/ places of learning (9)

13a   Spanish red wine poured over bit of cereal -- // attack with vigour (4,4)

Tinto[5] is Spanish or Portuguese red wine.

14a   Wail /for/ guys being muscle-bound (6)

In bodybuilding, lat[5] (usually lats) is an informal term for a latissimus muscle [a large muscle in the lower back] ⇒ the proper exercises for developing the lats.

17a   Old man is missing by // centre (3)

19a   Dismiss the odds of friend /becoming/ communist (3)

20a   Beginnings /of/ Rolling Stones (6)

Scratching the Surface
The Rolling Stones[5] are an English rock group featuring singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Originally a rhythm-and-blues band, they became successful with a much-imitated rebel image, and are known for songs such as ‘Satisfaction’ (1965) and ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ (1968).

23a   I am explosive, with discontented night // approaching (8)

26a   Prince briefly holding back-to-back recordings -- on one /there's/ hot stuff (9)

"recording" = EP (show explanation )

EP[10] (abbreviation for extended-play) is one of the formats in which music is sold, usually comprising four or five tracks.

hide explanation

28a   Message, small, delivered in double time (5)

Wee[5] is a chiefly Scottish adjective meaning little ⇒ (i) when I was just a wee bairn; (ii) the lyrics are a wee bit too sweet and sentimental. The word may be of Scottish origin but, like the Scots themselves, the word has migrated around the world.

29a   Third-rank rugby players // bet on racket (4,3)


(Click to enlarge)
The positions on a rugby team[7] are divided into forwards and backs.The forwards are further divided into a front row, a second row and a back row.

30a   Farah to increase // power (8)

Mo Farah[5] is a British long-distance runner, born in Somalia; full name Mohamed Farah. He won the Olympic gold medal for both the 5,000 metres and the 10,000 metres in 2012.

31a   Nice pad // -- downsized chez Lynam? (3,3)

Des res[5] is an informal British term for a desirable residence (used as a humorous allusion to the language used in housing advertisements) ⇒ they are converting a Victorian schoolhouse into a des res.

Des Lynam[7] is an Irish-born British television and radio presenter [announcer or host] based in the UK. In a broadcasting career spanning more than 40 years, he has hosted television coverage of many of the world's major sporting events as well as presenting other non-sporting programmes. He also presented programmes on BBC Radio.

Scratching the Surface
The clue is clearly intended to direct the solver's attention to an abode in Nice[5], a resort city on the French Riviera, near the border with Italy; population 348,721 (2007).

What did he say?
In his review, Gazza refers to ... estate agents' jargon ....
Estate agent[5] is the British term for real estate agent[5].

Down

1d   Lock up after a // protest (6)

Protest[5] is used in the sense of to declare (something) firmly and emphatically in response to doubt or accusation ⇒ (i) ‘I’m not being coy!’ Lucy protested; (ii) she has always protested her innocence.

2d   Rather // badly stained (7)

3d   Controversial engagement event one might expect in Birmingham shopping centre? (9)

The Bull Ring[7] is a major commercial area of Birmingham [England]. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held. Two shopping centres have been built in the area; in the 1960s, and then in 2003; the latter is styled as one word, Bullring.

4d   Throw // buns -- eating the majority (6)

5d   Some say 'Scrap Christmas // programming' (8)

To some, the solution sounds like (say) SHED (scrap) + YULE (Christmas). However, for those who pronounce the 'c' in "schedule", not so much.

6d   Males tormented // witches once here (5)

Salem[5] is a city and port in northeastern Massachusetts, on the Atlantic coast north of Boston; population 41,256 (est. 2008). First settled in 1626, it was the scene in 1692 of a notorious series of witchcraft trials.

7d   On the same wavelength -- /and/ about to be accepted by getting on (8)

You must be tuned to a British wavelength for this clue to work. Use the British spelling ageing[5] rather than the US spelling aging.

12d   Demure // lure of French is absent (3)

"of French" = DE (show explanation )

In French, de[8] is a preposition meaning 'of'' or 'from'.

hide explanation

15d   Reckoning guards caught // habit (9)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

In cricket, similar to baseball, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

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

hide explanation

16d   Too young /to be/ pinching booty, ignoring personal boundaries (5-3)

18d   Mercenary // Conservative avoids American questioning (8)

"Conservative" = C (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

21d   Eat interminably, /making/ loud noise (3)

22d   With slight disorder, been getting healthy -- /that's/ a perk (7)

24d   Daily // Echo (6)

The Daily Mirror[7] (informally The Mirror) is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903.

Scratching the Surface
The Daily Echo[7] is the name of two daily tabloid newspapers in southern England:
  • the Bournemouth Daily Echo covers south-east Dorset;
  • the Southern Daily Echo covers Southampton and Hampshire, excluding Portsmouth.

25d   Hat -- no tat! (6)

I would classify this clue as a cryptic definition of the type in which a straight definition (hat) is accompanied by a bit of cryptic elaboration (the portion of the clue with the dashed underline).

Titfer[5] [abbreviation of rhyming slang tit for tat] is an informal British term for a hat.

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.

Scratching the Surface
Tat[5] is an informal British term for tasteless or shoddy clothes, jewellery, or ornaments ⇒ the place was decorated with all manner of gaudy tat.

27d   Ashes could be reinvigorated with this // game (5)

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading is designed to draw the solver's attention to cricket — of course, presuming that the solver is knowledgeable about cricket.

The Ashes[10] is a cremated cricket stump in a pottery urn now preserved at Lord's [a cricket ground in London, England]. Victory or defeat in Test matches (show explanation ) between England and Australia is referred to as winning, losing, or retaining the Ashes.

A Test match[5] is an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries ⇒ the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies.

hide explanation

The concept of The Ashes originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval [a cricket ground in London, England], their first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.


The mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to "regain those ashes". The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes.
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

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015 — Dry Those Shocking Tears

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon turned out to be a rather serious workout. My electronic assistants — accustomed to enjoying the weekend off — even got called into action in a couple of instances.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Signing off for the moment — Falcon

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Falcon's Experience
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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
- yet to be solved

Legend: "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed

"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

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 (//).

Across

1a   Writer /of/ mail—a drunken bum (5,7)

{MILAN KUNDERA}* — anagram (bum) of MAIL A DRUNKEN

Milan Kundera[5] is a Czech novelist. He emigrated to France in 1975 after his books were banned in Czechoslovakia following the Soviet military invasion of 1968. Notable works: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979) and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984).

9a   Roughnecks // stop running in lines (7)

ROW(DIE)S — DIE (stop running) contained in (in) ROWS (lines)

10a   Something of interest to a podiatrist // stirred elation (7)

TOENAIL* — anagram (stirred) of ELATION

11a   Chiefs of Iroquois nations dammed up southern // river (5)

I_N_D_U_S_ — initial letters of (chiefs of) Iroquois Nations Dammed Up Southern

The Indus[5] is a river of southern Asia, about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) in length, flowing from Tibet through Kashmir and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Along its valley an early civilization flourished from circa 2600 to 1760 BC.

Scratching the Surface
The Iroquois[5] were a confederacy of six American Indian peoples (Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora) who lived mainly in southern Ontario and Quebec and northern New York State.

12a   Inventor // Elie taking in a performance (5,4)

ELI(A|S HOW)E — ELIE (†) containing (taking in) {A (†) + SHOW (performance)}

Elias Howe[5] (1819–1867) was an American inventor. In 1846 he patented the first sewing machine. Its principles were adapted by Isaac Merrit Singer and others in violation of Howe’s patent rights, and it took a seven-year litigation battle to secure the royalties.

13a   Posted about ten-cent // deposit (8)

SE(DIME)NT — SENT (posted) containing (about) DIME (ten-cent)

15a   Stick // a doll’s head in this spot (6)

A|D|HERE — A (†) + D (doll's head; initial letter of Doll) + HERE (in this spot)

18a   Switch position before football lineman/’s/ insult (6)

OFF|END — OFF (switch position; as opposed to 'on') + (before) END (football lineman)

In Canadian or American football, an end[3] is either of the players in the outermost position on the line of scrimmage.

19a   Old missile launcher // rolls on a hayfield in gallery display (8)

AR(BALES)T — BALES (rolls on a hayfield) contained in ART (gallery display)

Rolls on a hayfield
An arbalest[5] (also arblast) was a crossbow with a special mechanism for drawing back and releasing the string.

21a   More roots messed up // pantry (9)

STOREROOM* — anagram (messed up) of MORE ROOTS

23a   Designer Perry/’s/ selection of embellishments (5)

_ELLIS_ — hidden in (selection of) embELLIShments

Perry Ellis[5] (1940–1986) was an American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house.

25a   Do something bad, going around with // saint (7)

S(WITH)IN — SIN (do something bad) containing (going around) WITH (†)

St Swithin[5] (also Swithun) (died 862) was an English ecclesiastic. He was bishop of Winchester from 852. The tradition that if it rains on St Swithin’s day (July 15) it will do so for the next forty days may have its origin in the heavy rain said to have occurred when his relics were to be transferred to a shrine in Winchester cathedral.

26a   One in our cab playing // Arctic game (7)

CAR(I)BOU* — I ([Roman numeral for] one) contained in (in) anagram (playing) of OUR CAB

The caribou[10] is a large deer, Rangifer tarandus, of Arctic regions of North America, having large branched antlers in the male and female. It also occurs in Europe and Asia, where it is called a reindeer.

27a   Sensors // chosen by Chinese side, certainly (8,4)

ELECT|RIC E|YES — ELECT (chosen; as an adjective) + (by) RICE (Chinese side [dish]) + YES (certainly)

Down

1d   Movie director // strangely resists romance (6,8)

{MARTIN SCORSESE}* — anagram (strangely) of RESISTS ROMANCE

Martin Scorsese[5] is an American film director. Notable works: Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).

2d   Heard pack // sounded like cattle (5)

LOWED~ — sounds like (heard) LOAD (pack)

3d   Playwright // butchered lines I’m performing (4,5)

{NEIL SIM}*|ON — anagram (butchered) of LINES IM + ON (performing)

Neil Simon[5] is an American dramatist. Most of his plays are wry comedies portraying aspects of middle-class life; they include Barefoot in the Park (1963) and The Odd Couple (1965).

4d   Blind // drunk ingenues (8)

UNSEEING* — anagram (drunk) of INGENUES

5d   Particular // dock? (6)

DETAIL — double definition; the second being whimsical (as denoted by the question mark)

In the second definition, the setter uses "detail" in a whimsical cryptic crossword sense meaning to remove the tail — based on an analogy with words such as deflowered or defrocked.

6d   In audition, follows sheet music /for/ instruments (5)

REEDS — sounds like (in audition) READS (follows sheet music)

7d   Bullfighter/’s/ miffed at first, before receiving cheer (8)

M|AN(OLE)TE — M (miffed at first; initial letter of Miffed) + ANTE (before) containing (receiving) OLE ([Spanish] cheer)

Manolete[10] (1917-1947), original name Manuel Rodriguez y Sánchez, was a Spanish bullfighter.

8d   Swiss artist on deck hands out // some paper products (7,7)

KLEE|NEX T|ISSUES — KLEE (Swiss artist) + NEXT (on deck; the next player scheduled to bat in baseball) + ISSUES (hands out)

Paul Klee[5] (1879–1940) was a Swiss painter, resident in Germany 1906–33. He joined Kandinsky’s Blaue Reiter group in 1912 and later taught at the Bauhaus (1920–31). His work is characterized by his sense of colour and moves freely between abstraction and figuration.

Kleenex[5] is a trademark for an absorbent disposable paper tissue.

14d   Flipped top off spot /for/ flower (8)

{DA|FFO|DIL}< — reversal (flipped) of {LID (top) + OFF (†) + AD (spot; advertisement)}

16d   Completely opposed // matricide, after conversion (9)

DIAMETRIC* — anagram (after conversion) of MATRICIDE

17d   Forbidding bad care /for/ mugger? (8)

GRIM|ACER* — GRIM (forbidding) + anagram (bad) of CARE

20d   Brandy // cup can go back (6)

C{OG|NAC}< — C (cup; abbrev. found in recipes) + reversal (back) of {CAN (†) + GO (†)}

Cognac[5] is a high-quality brandy, strictly speaking that distilled in Cognac in western France.

22d   Mexican article bearing the // name of a woman (5)

E(THE)L — EL (Mexican article; Spanish definite article) containing THE (†; English definite article)

24d   Way to hit a tennis ball through // room (5)

LOB|BY — LOB (way to hit a tennis ball) + BY (through)

Epilogue

The title of today's review is inspired by 8d and 27a.
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

Friday, November 27, 2015

Friday, November 27, 2015 — DT 27832

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27832
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, June 19, 2015
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27832]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience
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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

Giovanni almost always throws in some words that I have never heard of. Today, it is not so much new words that he introduces but new meanings for words with which I thought I was very familiar.

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   Dog about to get spirited? // Fat cats may enjoy that! (10)

Pluto[7], also called Pluto the Pup, is a cartoon character created in 1930 by Walt Disney Productions. He is a yellow orange-color, medium-sized, short-haired dog with black ears. Unlike most Disney characters, Pluto is not anthropomorphic beyond some characteristics such as facial expression, though he did speak for a short portion of his history. He is Mickey Mouse's pet. Officially a mixed-breed dog, he made his debut as a bloodhound in the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang. Together with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy, Pluto is one of the "Sensational Six"—the biggest stars in the Disney universe. Though all six are non-human animals, Pluto alone is not dressed as a human.

6a   Something deceitful // in this campaign (4)

10a   Starts /making/ things in the bakery (5)

11a   Something supplied // for eyesight (9)

12a   Power when weapon /gives/ means to enter camp? (8)

"power" = P (show explanation )

In physics, P[10] is a symbol used to represent power (among other things).

hide explanation

13a   Anxiety when head's lost // hair (5)

15a   Lock up // prisoner? Excellent! (7)

17a   Out of rubbish I am afraid will emerge a // small animal (7)

A rotifer[5] is a minute multicellular aquatic animal of the phylum Rotifera.

19a   No n-noise? /One's/ falling asleep (7)

In his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat shows the definition as "One's falling asleep". However, I think it must be only "falling asleep" with the word "one's" playing the part of a link word.

21a   Sure to want new leader // to be relevant (7)

22a   Vehicle one needed to go round quiet // island (5)

"quiet" = 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

Capri[5] is an island off the west coast of Italy, south of Naples.

24a   Help bishop in need /to be/ easy-going (4-4)

"bishop" = B (show explanation )

B[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

27a   Room /in/ a hospital department accommodating dishevelled tramp (9)

From a British perspective, apartment[10] (often used in the plural) denotes any room in a building, usually one of several forming a suite, especially one that is spacious and well furnished and used as living accommodation, offices, etc.

Flat[5] is the term used in Britain for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America. 

28a   City // company being ventilated, it appears (5)

Remember that "being ventilated" means "having AIR allowed in".

Cairo[5] is the capital of Egypt, a port on the Nile near the head of its delta; population 6,758,600 (est. 2006).

29a   To catch // fish -- not hard after short time (4)

The hake[7] is any of several species of large-headed elongated fish with long jaws and strong teeth. It is a valuable commercial food fish.

30a   Unusual garden has to include the latest in fancy // shrubs (10)

The hydrangea[5] is any of many species of shrub or climbing plant with rounded or flattened flowering heads of small florets, native to Asia and America.

Down

1d   Left // harbour (4)

2d   Lacking knowledge, // a foreign king in play comes to nasty end (9)

"a foreign" = UN (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

King Lear[7] is a tragedy by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all.

3d   Place of refreshment /has/ nothing unaltered (5)

4d   Admonish // agent wandering (7)

Like many others, I questioned "wandering" meaning "rove". When I discovered that not only does this meaning exist but it is also a chiefly North American usage, I braced myself for the expected howls of outrage on Big Dave's site. I was not to be disappointed.

As a gerund, "wandering" can be used as a noun — as it is in the wordplay in this clue.

Rove[5] is a chiefly North American term for a journey, especially one with no specific destination; or, on other words, an act of wandering ⇒ a new exhibit will electrify campuses on its national rove.

5d   Food like beetroot served up /in/ stew (7)

Beetroot[5] is a chiefly British term for:
  1. the edible dark-red spherical root of a kind of beet, eaten as a vegetable; or
  2. the variety of beet (Beta vulgaris subspecies vulgaris) which produces beetroots.
From a British perspective, a beet[5] is:
  1. any of several subspecies of a herbaceous plant (Beta vulgaris) widely cultivated as a source of food for humans and livestock, and for processing into sugar. Some varieties are grown for their leaves and some for their swollen nutritious root.
  2. North American term for beetroot.
7d   Set of bells // that man installed in church (5)

Chime is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as "a bell"[5] and by Collins English Dictionary as "an individual bell"[10]. However, should one keep searching, one will discover that Chambers 21st Century Dictionary tells us that a chime[2] is an individual bell or a set of tuned bells.

"church" = CE (show explanation )

The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

hide explanation

8d   Remote inns supply // vegetable soup (10)

As an anagram indicator, supply is an adverb meaning 'in a supple manner'.

9d   Issuing some edict, a Tory // tyrant (8)

14d   Various locations (about 100) to give // one smashing images (10)

Today, the term iconoclast[5] is applied to a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions. Historically, the term was used for a destroyer of images used in religious worship, in particular:
  1. a supporter of the 8th- and 9th-century movement in the Byzantine Church which sought to abolish the veneration of icons and other religious images; or
  2. a Puritan of the 16th or 17th century.
16d   Pioneer // at home with computer technology, one at end of line (8)

IT[5] is the abbreviation for information technology.

18d   The fellow's entering country /to get/ commercial concession (9)

20d   Walk // right into cooking area (7)

A gallery[5] is a long room or passage, typically one that is partly open at the side to form a portico or colonnade (show explanation ).

A portico[5] is a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.

A colonnade[5] is a row of evenly spaced columns supporting a roof, an entablature, or arches.

hide explanation

21d   Playwright harbouring love /for/ dog (7)

Harold Pinter[5] (1930–2008) was an English dramatist, actor, and director. His plays are associated with the Theatre of the Absurd and are typically marked by a sense of menace. Notable plays: The Birthday Party (1958), The Caretaker (1960), and Party Time (1991). Nobel Prize for Literature (2005).

"love" = O (show explanation )

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.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

hide explanation

A pointer[5] is a dog of a breed that on scenting game stands rigid looking towards it.

23d   Board /offering/ eleventh scheme? (5)

25d   Roger or Francis -- /which/ is rasher? (5)

Roger Bacon[5] (circa 1214–1294) was an English philosopher, scientist, and Franciscan friar. Most notable for his work in the field of optics, he emphasized the need for an empirical approach to scientific study.

Francis Bacon[5], Baron Verulam and Viscount St Albans (1561–1626) was an English statesman and philosopher. As a scientist he advocated the inductive method; his views were instrumental in the founding of the Royal Society in 1660. Notable works: The Advancement of Learning (1605) and Novum Organum (1620).

Francis Bacon[5] (1909–1992) was a British painter, born in Ireland. His work chiefly depicts human figures in grotesquely distorted postures, set in confined interior spaces.

A rasher[5] is a thin slice of bacon ⇒ (i) two rashers of lean bacon; (ii) he cut into one of the rashers on his plate.

26d   Report of drinking bout /brings/ cries of disapproval (4)

I had never heard booze used in this sense. However, with the exception of Oxford Dictionaries, all my dictionaries — both British and American — define booze[2,3,4,10,11] as meaning a drinking bout or spree in addition to being alcoholic drink.
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

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thursday, November 26, 2015 — DT 27831

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 27831
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27831]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Falcon
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 can justifiably say that this is not a memorable puzzle. I reviewed this puzzle on Big Dave's Crossword Blog when it was published by The Daily Telegraph in June. Despite this, I had absolutely no recollection of the puzzle while I was solving it and only realized that I had reviewed it when I visited Big Dave's site upon completing it. I must say that my performance was consistent. The two clues (9d and 17d) which gave me trouble in June also caused difficulty today. However, today I did manage to sort out the wordplay for these two clues without the need to issue an SOS call to fellow bloggers.

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   Confused // symbol of royal authority, we hear (6)

Throw[5] is used in the sense of to disconcert or confuse ⇒ she frowned, thrown by this apparent change of tack.

4a   Two cricket sides combined // occasionally (3,3,2)

In cricket, the off[5]  (also called the off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other half of the field is known as either the on[5] (also called the on side) or the leg[5] (also called the leg side) ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg.

10a   Fragmentary // musical work male composed (9)

11a   Put forward // first person in job (5)

12a   Idiot accompanying a knight // somewhere in Belgium (7)

"knight" = N (show explanation )

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'].

As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines: 
  • K[2] as an abbreviation used in chess for knight. 
  • K[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a king. 
  • N[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a knight.
The dictionary fails to specify how one differentiates an abbreviation from a symbol.

hide explanation

Antwerp[5] is:
  1. a port in northern Belgium, on the Scheldt; population 472,071 (2008). By the 16th century it had become a leading European commercial and financial centre.
  2. a province of Belgium of which Antwerp is the capital.
13a   Contain // start of deception within popular part of puzzle (7)

14a   Golf, say, shown by green? // It's taken on board (5)

I believe the wordplay is CAR (Golf, say) + GO (shown by green). That is, the direction to go or proceed is indicated (shown) by a green traffic light.

The Volkswagen Golf[7] is a small family car produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across seven generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada (Mk1 and Mk5), and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico (Mk1).

15a   Adjustment of leg in my // revealing garment (8)

18a   A fee's wrong in part of weekend? // Most politicians want it! (4,4)

20a   Release // what eminent diplomat might wear? (5)

23a   In advance, see // vicar, one occupying bench (7)

The definition is expressed in a rather convoluted fashion -- a bit of Yoda speak, methinks.

A vicar[5] is a member of the clergy, although the meaning of the term varies among religious denominations. The term may mean:
  • in the the Church of England, an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman;
  • in other Anglican Churches, a member of the clergy deputizing for another;
  • in the Roman Catholic Church, a representative or deputy of a bishop;
  • in the US Episcopal Church, a clergyman in charge of a chapel;
  • a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service.
25a   Description of some champagne knocked back in English // motor? (7)

The adjective brut[5] (used to describe sparkling wine) means unsweetened; or, in other words, very dry.

26a   Assistant suppressing second // private comment (5)

27a   Distant character? (9)

28a   See Italy's changing, // supporting the government (8)

"see" = LO (show explanation )

Lo[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

hide explanation

A loyalist[5] is a person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt.

29a   Parisian article effectively // in poor condition (6)

After reflecting on my hint from June, I would say that effectively[2] is used in the sense of in an effective way and not — as I stated at that time — for all practical purposes.

Down

1d   Take steps // to bug and broadcast church (3-5)

"church" = CE (show explanation )

The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

hide explanation

2d   Go again into // some green territory (2-5)

3d   Unhappy // women discontentedly oppose desire before lunchtime (9)

I have no recollection of where I managed to come up with the statement desire would seem to be used in an archaic sense meaning to ask or command. In fact, I would say that beg[5] is likely being used in the sense of to ask formally for (permission to do something) ⇒ I beg to second the motion.

5d   Place for replenishing saloons? (7,7)

Saloon[5] (also saloon car) is a British term for a car [known in Canada, the US, and New Zealand as a sedan[10]] having a closed body and a closed boot [trunk] separated from the part in which the driver and passengers sit ⇒ a four-door saloon.

6d   A seasoning mostly /found in/ jelly (5)

7d   Argument // son expressed in end (7)

8d   Talk // during commemoration at tercentenary (6)

9d   Conceal // food with lower charges reportedly (4,5,5)

Keep[5] denotes food, clothes, and other essentials for living ⇒ the Society are paying for your keep.

16d   Drug // that is new probed by British university academic (9)

Ibuprofen[5] is a synthetic compound used widely as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug. Its alternative name is 2-(4-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid; chemical formula: C13H18O2.

17d   Give away tours outside of Rhodes, // going backwards (8)

The first time around, I had to issue an SOS call to my fellow bloggers. This time, I was able to figure it out with some assistance from my electronic helpers.

Scratching the Surface
Rhodes[5] is a Greek island in the southeastern Aegean, off the Turkish coast, the largest of the Dodecanese and the most easterly island in the Aegean; population 130,000 (est. 2004).

19d   Tiny meal left out after cooking /in/ day centre, maybe (7)

Day centre[5] (also day-care centre) is a British term for a place providing care and recreation facilities for those who cannot be fully independent.

This presumably is different from a daycare centre[10] which is a US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand term for an establishment offering daycare to preschool children, enabling their parents to work full time or have extended relief if child care is a problem. Also called (especially in Britain) day nursery.

21d   Old vessel // cut journey by engineers (7)

The engineers today are not the usual Corps of Royal Engineers[5] (the field engineering and construction corps of the British army who are also known as the sappers) but the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[7] (abbreviation REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee"), a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from battle tanks and helicopters to dental tools and cooking equipment/utensils.

22d   Area of expansion // becomes distorted when up above lake (6)

24d   Perfect // heart of quiet South Coast town (5)

Deal[7] is a town in Kent, England (population 30,085 at 2011 census) which lies on the English Channel, eight miles north-east of Dover. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town. Close to Deal is Walmer, a possible location for Julius Caesar's first arrival in Britain. Deal became a 'limb port' of the Cinque Ports in 1278 and grew into the busiest port in England; today it is a seaside resort, its quaint streets and houses the only reminder of its history. The coast of France is approximately twenty-five miles from the town and is visible on clear days.
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