Tuesday, October 11, 2016 — DT 28152

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28152
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28152]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By ShropshireLad
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
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 28147 through DT 28151 which were published in The Daily Telegraph from Wednesday, June 22, 2016 to Monday, June 27, 2016.

Introduction

After stuffing themselves on turkey this past weekend, the amazingly agile editors at the National Post are still able to leap over five puzzles today.

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   Partner to dash round record // storage site (5)

"partner to dash" = DOT (show explanation )

Dots and dashes are the component elements of Morse code.

hide explanation

"record" = 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

4a   Obscure // muscles displayed by acrobat's last trick (8)

10a   A largely outspoken party // of greenish hue (7)

If one considers the solution to be an adjective, then the definition is "of greenish hue" — as I have marked the clue above.

On the other hand, should one deem the solution to be a noun, the definition would be merely "greenish hue" — as ShropshireLad has shown in his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog. In this case, the word "of" becomes a link word.

• A largely outspoken party /of/ greenish hue (7)

11a   Reportedly recognised gesture /in/ avant-garde group (3,4)

In a broad sense, new wave^[5] simply refers to a new movement or trend, especially in the arts ⇒ a new wave was coming in architecture. More specifically:

1. (Music) new wave is a name applied to a style of rock music popular in the late 1970s, deriving from punk but generally more poppy in sound and less aggressive in performance; or
2. (Cinema) another term for nouvelle vague (French for 'new wave'), a grouping of French film directors in the late 1950s and 1960s who reacted against established French cinema and sought to make more individualistic and stylistically innovative films. Exponents included Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Resnais, and François Truffaut.

12a   Official covering English // bank (4)

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, ShropshireLad writes [t]he official here has been appearing in the ‘Euro 2016’ competition in various eye catching colours of dress. The 2016 UEFA European Championship[7], commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organised by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations),the administrative body for association football [soccer] in Europe. It was held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016 [during which period today's puzzle appeared in the UK]. Spain were the two-time defending champions, having won the 2008 and 2012 tournaments, but were eliminated in the round of 16 [the first round of the knockout phase] by Italy. Portugal won the tournament for the first time, following a 1–0 victory after extra time over the host team, France, in the final played at the Stade de France near Paris. The pictures above depict several versions of kit (uniforms) worn by soccer referees. Despite the EURO 2016 logo, these may not be the kit worn by referees at UEFA 2016 [the website where I found this illustration is somewhat abstruse and so I am unsure as to exactly what the illustration portrays]. It may merely be a picture of referees selected to officiate EURO 2016 matches — outfitted in their regular league kit rather than in EURO 2016 garb. However, the photos do serve to make the point that game officials in soccer are often attired far more colourfully than those who police Canadian and American football games.

13a   Retired peer with line /that's/ comical (5)

A  peer^[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.

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

14a   Helpful // sort (4)

17a   Good to wear it on beach -- must when swimming! (7,7)

This is a full-fledged &lit.^[7] clue (sometimes called an all-in-one clue). The entire clue (when read one way) is the definition, but under a different interpretation takes on the role of wordplay.

Bathing costume and swimming costume^[5] are British terms for a bathing suit^[5].

19a   Set of steps to manoeuvre /for/ crew member (6,8)

A flight engineer^[10] is the member of an aircraft crew who is responsible for the operation of the aircraft's systems, including the engines, during flight.

22a   Exotic sport // backed in boom usually (4)

Sumo^[5] (also sumo wrestling) is a Japanese form of heavyweight wrestling, in which a wrestler wins a bout by forcing his opponent outside a marked circle or by making him touch the ground with any part of his body except the soles of his feet.

23a   Dress /creating/ fuss before service (5)

"service" = RN (show explanation )

The Royal Navy^[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.

hide explanation

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, ShropshireLad refers to RN as an abbreviation for the ‘Senior Service’. Senior Service[5] is a British term for the Royal Navy. A standing "Navy Royal", with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, originated in the early 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII.[7] The English Army was first established as a standing military force in 1660.[7] I trust that it is self-evident that the Royal Air Force came into existence much later.

24a   Nut without a second // piece of tobacco (4)

Although ShropshireLad appears to have choked on the term, a chew^[10] is something that is chewed ⇒ a chew of tobacco.

27a   Customer that's habitually appearing /in/ periodical (7)

Periodical^[10] is an adjective meaning periodic or occasional.

28a   Vessels entering river /in/ huge area (7)

The River Exe^[7] rises on Exmoor in Somerset, 8.4 kilometres (5 mi) from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south (English Channel) coast of Devon.

29a   Old man in sham woolly // shawl (8)

A pashmina^[10] is a shawl made from fine-quality goat's wool.

30a   Affectedly pretty type's first // to use social medium (5)

Twee^[5] is a British term meaning excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental ⇒ although the film’s a bit twee, it’s watchable.

Down

1d   Big tirade put out with no end of ranting? (8)

Here is another full-fledged &lit. clue (see 17a). Such clues are seldom seen, so it is a rare treat to spot, not one, but two of them today.

2d   Annoying person defending nonsense /in/ demonstration (7)

3d   Drink close to park /in/ wood (4)

5d   Unusually beloved nun fears rejecting a // timid type (6,2,6)

6d   Pull shown by Northern // community (4)

7d   Metal /found in/ heart of crust (7)

The symbol for the chemical element uranium is U^[5] [which also happens to be the middle letter (heart) of crUst].

8d   Correct // pieces penned by journalist (5)

9d   Decorator ruing working /in/ very strong material (10,4)

15d   Wine container, say, overturned /in/ indulgent bout (5)

Bin^[5] is a British term for a partitioned stand for storing bottles of wine.

16d   Uncover // set of cartoons (5)

18d   Bully // tired after start of belligerent argument (8)

20d   Go miles off course /in/ French city (7)

Limoges^[5] is a city in west central France, the capital of Limousin; population 139,026 (2006). Famous in the late Middle Ages for enamel work, it has been noted since the 18th century for the production of porcelain.

21d   Improve // two bridge players with luck initially deficient (7)

In the card game bridge, North^[5] and South^[5] comprise one partnership and play against East^[5] and West^[5] who form the other partnership.

22d   Something sweet /in/ your short parting drink (5)

"drink" = SUP (show explanation )

As a verb, sup^[5] is a dated or Northern English term meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls ⇒ (i) she supped up her soup delightedly; (ii) he was supping straight from the bottle.

As a noun, sup^[5] means (1) a sip of liquid ⇒ he took another sup of wine or (2) in Northern England or Ireland, an alcoholic drink ⇒ the latest sup from those blokes at the brewery.

hide explanation

25d   Choice // fruit (4)

26d   Row /of/ listening devices turned up (4)

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