Thursday, November 5, 2015 — DT 27814

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27814
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, May 29, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27814]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Deep Threat
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 rather gentle puzzle from Giovanni, although I recall that the northeast corner did mount a bit of a struggle.

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   Pal is hot, ill -- // doctor may be here (8)

6a   Humble // way followed by saint (6)

9a   Counsellor /taking/ fellows to eminence in Devon? (6)

Eminence^[5] is a formal or literary term denoting a piece of rising ground ⇒ an eminence commanding the River Emme.

A tor^[7] is a large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest. In the South West of England, the term is commonly also used for the hills themselves – particularly the high points of Dartmoor in Devon and Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

As a charade indicator, the word "to" is used in the sense of "pressed against"—as in expressions such as "shoulder to the wheel" or "nose to the grindstone".

10a   Representative of death in play? (8)

I think this is intended to be a cryptic definition — but it is so cryptic that it is difficult to be certain. Nevertheless, I have marked it as a cryptic definition which contains a straight definition (the portion with the solid underline).

Death of a Salesman^[7] is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances, and has been revived on Broadway four times, winning three Tony Awards for Best Revival. It is considered to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.

11a   Vehicle /taking/ hundred to match, first to leave (8)

This clue employs the same overall structure as 9a, with "taking" acting as a link word and "to" (the first instance) serving as a charade indicator.

12a   Pimple at side of leg? // You've got it! (4,2)

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

Spot on^[5] is an informal British expression denoting completely accurate or accurately ⇒ your reviews are spot on.

13a   Procedural matter /that is/ troubling to poor friend (5,2,5)

A point of order^[5] is a query in a formal debate or meeting as to whether correct procedure is being followed.

16a   Component of birthday tea? /That's/ very easy! (1,5,2,4)

Tea may be either a drink or a meal, especially in Britain. (more )

The British distinguish between afternoon tea and high tea, although both may be referred to simply as tea^[10]. Afternoon tea^[2,5,7,10] (or low tea) is a light afternoon meal, typically eaten between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, at which tea, sandwiches, biscuits [British term for cookies or crackers] and cakes are served.

High tea^[7] (also known as meat tea) is the evening meal or dinner of the working class, typically eaten between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. It typically consists of a hot dish such as fish and chips, shepherd's pie, or macaroni cheese [macaroni and cheese to North Americans], followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. Occasionally there would be cold cuts of meat, such as ham salad. Traditionally high tea was eaten by middle to upper class children (whose parents would have a more formal dinner later) or by labourers, miners and the like when they came home from work. The term was first used around 1825 and high is used in the sense of well-advanced (like high noon, for example) to signify that it was taken later in the day.

hide explanation

19a   Olympic event /brings/ endless debate (6)

21a   Much less // solitary with others being brought in (3,5)

23a   Private // home, the thing gone round by friend (8)

In Britain, mate^[5] is:

1. an informal term for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve; or
2. a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒ ‘See you then, mate.’.

24a   Saturn maybe /in/ lecture (6)

The Saturn^[7] family of American rocket boosters was developed by a team of mostly German rocket scientists led by Wernher von Braun to launch heavy payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. Originally proposed as a military satellite launcher, they were adopted as the launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program. Three versions were built and flown: Saturn I, Saturn IB, and Saturn V.

Rocket^[5] is an informal British term for a severe reprimand ⇒ he got a rocket from the Director.

25a   Bishop has amusing // setback (6)

"bishop" = B (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

26a   Waters flowing back -- chaps collected // sludge (8)

Chap^[5] is an informal British [although well-travelled, I would say] term for a man or a boy ⇒ he sounded like a nice, caring sort of chap.

Down

2d   Zero quiet periods /in/ staged entertainments (6)

"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

3d   Disciple repentant finally, embraced by Lord (5)

The entire clue — or merely the portion with the solid underline — could be considered to provide the definition while the portion with the dashed underline constitutes the wordplay.

A lord^[10] is a male member of the nobility, especially in Britain.

The nobility in Britain or Ireland (whose members are known as peers^[5]) comprises the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.

St Peter^[5] is an Apostle; born Simon. Peter (‘stone’) is the name given him by Jesus, signifying the rock on which he would establish his Church. He is regarded by Roman Catholics as the first bishop of the Church at Rome, where he is said to have been martyred in about AD 67. He is often represented as the keeper of the door of heaven.

4d   Avert the face /from/ performance with a team going under (4,5)

A turn^[5] is a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession ⇒ (i) Lewis gave her best ever comic turn; (ii) he was asked to do a turn at a children’s party.

"team" = SIDE (show explanation )

Side^[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒ there was a mixture of old and young players in their side. [note that a player is "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America]

In North America, the term side^[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage would seem to exist as well in the UK, the term side^[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you..

hide explanation

5d   Most juicy // book about powerful female -- desire to get hold of it (7)

She^[7], subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by English writer Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925), first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and as of 1965 with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books of all time. Extraordinarily popular upon its release, She has never been out of print.

The story is a first-person narrative that follows the journey of Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey to a lost kingdom in the African interior. There they encounter a primitive race of natives and a mysterious white queen named Ayesha who reigns as the all-powerful "She", or "She-who-must-be-obeyed". In this work, Rider Haggard developed the conventions of the Lost World subgenre, which many later authors emulated.

6d   A long way /for/ Davis, the jazz musician (5)

Miles Davis^[5] (1926–1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. In the 1950s he played and recorded arrangements in a new style which became known as ‘cool’ jazz, heard on albums such as Kind of Blue (1959). In the 1960s he pioneered the fusion of jazz and rock.

7d   Head of Department is leading programme of study, /giving/ lecture (9)

8d   Experienced // diner may want food thus enhanced (8)

13d   Power coming to // pulpit activity (9)

14d   Female over coffee looking embarrassed /to be/ buttered up (9)

15d   Voluntary // work gets a lot in after training (8)

"work" = OP (show explanation )

In music, an opus^[5] (plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.

The abbreviation Op.^[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..

Opus^[5] can also be used in a more general sense to mean an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico.

hide explanation

17d   Shows hesitation, // fine changes being needed (7)

"fine" = F (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

18d   One who may be looking for a permanent job // involving some winter nights (6)

20d   Good-looking // products finally taken to market (5)

22d   See copper, male // who may be standing in for colleague? (5)

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.

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu^[5] (from late Latin cuprum).

Locum^[5] (short for locum tenens) is a British term for a person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession, especially a cleric or doctor.

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