Thursday, April 27, 2017 — DT 28361

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28361
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, February 27, 2017
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28361]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops masquerading as The Klondike Kid
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

Rufus serves up a most enjoyable puzzle today that won't strain the brain cells too much but should tickle one's fancy.

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   Garden parties? (4,3,3)

6a   Back gas ring, /that's needed for/ this pudding (4)

Sago^[7] is a starch extracted from the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas — not to mention British school children.

Sago is often produced commercially in the form of "pearls". Sago pearls can be boiled with water or milk and sugar to make a sweet sago pudding. Sago pearls are similar in appearance to tapioca pearls and the two may be used interchangeably in some dishes. In the UK, both sago and tapioca have long been used in sweet milk puddings which, apparently, are an unwelcome staple at British boarding schools.

10a   Disinclined to use a palindrome? (5)

The structure of this clue is very similar to 23d in yesterday's puzzle — namely, a cryptic definition in which a "straight" definition (marked with a solid underline) is combined with cryptic elaboration (marked with a dotted underline). The clue states that the solution is a synonym for "disinclined" that furthermore happens to be a palindrome.

The difference between this clue and the one that we saw yesterday is that today the "straight" definition is a bit on the cryptic side and the elaboration is not so cryptic.

11a   Study secures present church // agreement (9)

"study"= CON (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

"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

12a   Notional // professor? (8)

How's that again?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, 'The Klondike Kid' writes The second is an adverb. ... or, rather, the first is an adjective.

13a   The state of the Sphinx and the Pyramids! (5)

15a   Visual // changes made to Capitol (7)

Scratching the Surface
The Capitol[5] is the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in ancient Rome. The word capitol[5] is a US term for a building housing a legislative assembly ⇒ the work is on display at the Utah state capitol. The Capitol[5] is the seat of the US Congress in Washington DC.

17a   He deprives others of their occupation (7)

19a   Partly improves personal // service (7)

In the Roman Catholic Church, vespers^[2] is the sixth of the canonical hours^*, taking place towards evening. In some other Christian churches, vespers^[2] is an evening service (also known as evensong).

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^* The canonical hours are the hours appointed for prayer and devotion or the services prescribed for these times, which are matins, lauds, terce, sext, none, vespers and compline.

21a   Large number make certain /you get/ blame (7)

"large number" = C (show explanation )

In cryptic crosswords,  "(a) number" is very often a Roman numeral and, in particular, terms such as "(a) large number", "many" or "a great many" are frequently used  to indicate that a large Roman numeral — generally C (100), D (500), or M (1000) — is required.

hide explanation

22a   High-quality // pupils (5)

Having filled in the wrong solution for 23d, my efforts here were significantly impeded. However, the penny did eventually drop.

24a   Electoral divisions, locally, // or in branches (8)

Historically, in Britain, a borough^[5] was a town sending representatives to Parliament.

27a   Unoriginal form of flattery (9)

An allusion to the quotation from English cleric and writer Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) that imitation is the sincerest of flattery (usually stated as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).

The ever-so-humble Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) extended this to imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.

28a   Eye-catching gadgets (5)

A hook and eye^[5] is a small metal hook and loop used together as a fastener on a garment.

29a   Awkward ones /giving/ negative votes (4)

How's that again?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, 'The Klondike Kid' writes Anagram (awkward) of NOES. ... or, just maybe, an anagram (awkward) of ONES.

30a   Nine crates mixed // fruit (10)

Down

1d   The Spanish scholar brought up // showing talent (4)

"the Spanish" = EL (show explanation )

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8].

hide explanation

2d   Recommends // Scottish silks, perhaps (9)

In Britain, silk^[5] is an informal term for a Queen’s (or King’s) Counsel [so named because of the right accorded to wear a gown made of silk].

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^* A Queen's Counsel^[7] (postnominal QC), or King's Counsel (postnominal KC) during the reign of a king, is an eminent lawyer (most often a barrister) who is appointed by the Queen to be one of "Her Majesty's Counsel learned in the law."

Advocate^[5] is the the Scottish and South African term for barrister.

Here and There

Barristers and solicitors[7] are two classes of lawyer. However, the distinction between them varies in different jurisdictions around the world. The following attempt to differentiate the two classes is likely highly oversimplified. The UK has a split legal profession in which barristers and solicitors have separate and distinct roles. Solicitors are attorneys which means they can act in the place of their client for legal purposes. However, a solicitor is not a member of the bar and therefore [generally (see below)] cannot speak on behalf of a client in court. A barrister is not an attorney and is usually forbidden, either by law or professional rules or both, from "conducting" litigation. This means that while the barrister speaks on the client's behalf in court, he or she can do so only when instructed by a solicitor or certain other qualified professional clients, such as patent agents. However, the foregoing would appear to be not entirely correct. Collins English Dictionary defines a solicitor[10], in Britain, as a lawyer who advises clients on matters of law, draws up legal documents, prepares cases for barristers, etc, and who may represent clients in certain courts and a barrister[10] (also called barrister-at-law), in England [not Britain], as a lawyer who has been called to the bar and is qualified to plead in the higher courts. In the US and Canada (with the exception of Quebec), there is generally no legal or regulatory distinction between a barrister and a solicitor - with any qualified lawyer being entitled to practice in either field. In the US, most lawyers call themselves attorneys while in Canada, lawyers will adopt different titles depending on the type of legal practice on which they choose to concentrate (barrister, solicitor, or barrister and solicitor).

3d   Troubled // the French to get help outside (5)

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

hide explanation

4d   Point // wrongly claimed (7)

5d   Transport // Clive arranged to accommodate ambassador's return (7)

HE^[2] is the abbreviation for His or Her Excellency, where Excellency^[2] (usually His, Her or Your Excellency or Your or Their Excellencies) is a title of honour given to certain people of high rank, e.g. ambassadors.

7d   In any case there's no // trouble (5)

8d   Went too far round /and/ toppled (10)

In the wordplay, the setter imagines that the solution could apply to a situation where a driver merely needs to make a left-hand turn but instead makes a U-turn.

9d   Area isn't developed // well? (8)

14d   Firm belief /in/ guilty verdict (10)

16d   Revolutionary's son to join staff /and/ figure on the board (8)

Che Guevara^[7] (1928–1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.

18d   Feel feathers /should be used in/ landing (9)

20d   Glorious /rendering of/ 'Under the Linden-tree' (7)

Linden^[5] is another term for the lime tree, especially in North America.

Scratching the Surface

"Under der Linden"[7] ("Under the Linden-tree") is a famous poem written by the medieval German lyric poet Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170 – c. 1230). It is written in Middle High German. Although it was originally written as a song, the melody for it has not survived; only the lyrics remain. Unter den Linden[7] ("under the linden trees") is a boulevard in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Running from the City Palace to Brandenburg Gate, it is named after the lime trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall on the median and the two broad carriageways. The avenue links numerous Berlin sights and landmarks.

Delving Deeper

Under the Linden-tree  By Walter von der Vogelweide (1170–1228) UNDER the linden-tree Upon the heath, There I lay with him.—Alas, When you go there, you’ll see The flowers beneath Crushed and trodden with the grass. By the forest in the dale, Tandarady! Sweetly sang the nightingale. I strolled unto the green: My lover true Was waiting there impatiently. Such welcome ne’er was seen— Ah, if you knew! My heart still throbs in ecstasy. Kisses?—Thousands—more!—he took: Tandarady! See, how red my lips now look! How he caressed me there, If anyone Should know: alas, how I should blush! And all our pastime fair! Ah, none, none, none Shall know, but he and I—hush, hush!— And the birdie on the tree. Tandarady! May that ever silent be!

21d   Crown taking firm course with uprising (7)

Tenor^[5] is a settled or prevailing character or direction, especially the course of a person's life or habits ⇒ the even tenor of life in the kitchen was disrupted the following day.

A coronet^[5] is a small or relatively simple crown, especially as worn by lesser royalty and peers or peeresses.

23d   A newly married woman has no right // to stay (5)

I initially wrote in BRIDE supposing — based on a rather cursory perusal of the clue — that the clue parsed as:

• A newly married woman has no right to stay (5)

a cryptic definition in which the portion with the dashed underline is cryptic elaboration telling us that were we to remove R (right), we would end up with BIDE (stay). At the time, the clue did seem a bit unusual — but, after all, the setter is Rufus so this did not really trouble me all that much. On closer examination, however, I can see that this interpretation probably does not quite work.

Needless to say, this erroneous solution caused me no end of grief on 22a until I finally managed to sort it out.

25d   He introduces // you and me with that girl (5)

26d   Oxford banker (4)

Banker is a whimsical Crosswordland term for a river — something that has banks.

 Isis^[10] is the local name for the River Thames at Oxford, England.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon