Friday, August 4, 2017 — DT 28432

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28432
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, May 20, 2017
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28432 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28432 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) gnomethang (Review)
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
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

We finish off the week with what was a "Saturday prize puzzle" in the UK. It is not too difficult and we encounter in it an incidence of the rather rare triple definition.

On the podium today, I have placed 12a, 29a, and 9d with the nod going to 29a for having bested me.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Work out chairman/'s/ bust on board (10)

6a   Go // crazy when rejected (4)

10a   Mole's friend /is/ irritable (5)

Mole^[7] and Rat^[7], the latter known as "Ratty" to his friends, are two of the main characters in The Wind in the Willows^[7], a children's novel by British writer Kenneth Grahame (1859–1932), first published in 1908.

Ratty^[5] is an informal British term meaning bad-tempered and irritable ⇒ I was a bit ratty with the children.

11a   Very East European to be losing head, /that's/ common (9)

12a   Racer over 8 furlongs holds nothing back, /being/ one that works hard before Ascot (8)

A furlong^[5] is an eighth of a mile or 220 yards.

Ascot Racecourse^[7], located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom for thoroughbred horse racing.

The Royal Ascot^[7], held each year in June at Ascot Racecourse in England, comprises a series of horse races spread over a period of five days. Dating back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne, it is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. Day three (Thursday) is known colloquially (but not officially) as Ladies' Day.

The most prestigious viewing area is the Royal Enclosure which has a strictly enforced dress code. For women, only a day dress with a hat is acceptable, with rules applying to the length and style of the dress. In addition, women must not show bare midriffs or shoulders. For men, black or grey morning dress with top hat is required.

13a   Nick // excluding Switzerland (5)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Switzerland is CH^[5] [from French Confédération Helvétique 'Swiss Confederation'].

15a   Water tower (7)

17a   The Parisian visiting most of close // outside the church (7)

"the Parisian" = LA (show explanation )

In French, the feminine singular form of the definite article is la^[8].

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, close[5] is a British term for the precinct surrounding a cathedral.

19a   Man marooned on Treasure Island long time /finds/ large-leaved plant (7)

Benjamin "Ben" Gunn^[7] is a fictional character in the novel Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Gunn has been marooned for three years on Treasure Island by his crewmates, after his failure to find the treasure without the map.

Gunnera^[5] is a South American plant with extremely large leaves that resemble rhubarb and which is grown as a waterside ornamental.

21a   The Royal Marines heading lowly sailor/'s/ vessel (7)

"Royal Marines" = RM (show explanation )

The Royal Marines^[5] (abbreviation RM)^[5] is a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.

hide explanation

Ordinary seaman^[5] (abbreviation OS^[5]) is the lowest rank of sailor in the Royal Navy, below able seaman.

22a   A person from the Far North returning /in/ shock (5)

A Lapp^[5] is a member of an indigenous people of the extreme north of Scandinavia, traditionally associated with the herding of reindeer.

24a   Simple // detective joke, as some would tell it (8)

Sherlock Holmes^[7] is a fictional character created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). A London-based "consulting detective" whose abilities border on the fantastic, Holmes is known for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to adopt almost any disguise and his use of forensic science to solve difficult cases.

27a   Teen cried out -- // act as peacemaker (9)

28a   Reactionary fellow // that's full of gas (5)

Here and There
Blimp[5] is an informal British term for a pompous, reactionary type of person ⇒ you'll still find Colonel Blimps at local party level. Blimp[5] is an informal North American term for a fat person ⇒ I could work out four hours a day and still end up a blimp.

29a   Standard // choice of letters from the middle of the alphabet (4)

Having selected the letters L, M, N, and O "from the middle of the alphabet", I was at a loss to explain how R replaces L. Sometimes when one gets even ever so slightly offtrack, it is hard to get back on.

30a   Hamlet/'s/ resolution (10)

Scratching the Surface

Hamlet[7] (in full The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark) is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, the play dramatises the revenge Prince Hamlet is called to wreak upon his uncle, Claudius, by the ghost of Hamlet's father, King Hamlet. Claudius had murdered his own brother and seized the throne, also marrying his deceased brother's widow.

Down

1d   Stable // business (4)

2d   Elderly // mounting // clicking (7,2)

3d   Top person // bet gold goes up (5)

"gold" = OR (show explanation )

Or^[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture.

In heraldry, a tincture^[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.

hide explanation

4d   Shelter to put up // pauper (4-3)

5d   Entire river's // charms (7)

The River Ure^[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse.

7d   It is not commonly // a corrupting influence (5)

8d   Magistrates and journalists // bear great weight (5-5)

The verb bench-press^[5] means to raise (a weight) in a bench press^[5] (noun), a bodybuilding and weightlifting exercise in which a lifter lies on a bench with the feet on the floor and raises a weight with both arms.

9d   Sea creature // unadorned with pinch of salt (8)

Sodium chloride^[5] (symbol NaCl) is the scientific name for common salt.

14d   Lack of progress // disturbed antagonist (10)

16d   Drool dodderingly about clergyman turning up /in/ wartime operation (8)

Operation Overlord^[7] was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day).

18d   Use ol' Mini that's clapped out? /Get/ much bigger car (9)

Clapped-out^[5,10] (also clapped out^[2,10]) is an informal British term meaning worn out from age or heavy use and unable to work or operate ⇒ a clapped-out old van.

Scratching the Surface
Mini[7] is an automobile brand, currently owned by BMW, but originally introduced as a model under the Austin and Morris marques by the British Motor Corporation (BMC).

20d   Succeed /with/ a herb placed around top of escalope (7)

Scratching the Surface
An escalope[5] (also escallop)  is a thin slice of meat without any bone, typically a special cut of veal from the leg that is coated, fried, and served in a sauce.

21d   English parliamentarian in international // storm (7)

"parliamentarian" = MP (show explanation )

In Britain (as in Canada), a politician elected to the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament^[10] (abbreviation MP^[5]) or, informally, as a member^[5].

hide explanation

International^[5] is a British term for a game or contest between teams representing different countries in a sport ⇒ the Murrayfield rugby international.

 Test^[5] (short for Test match)^[5] denotes 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.

23d   Flag /and/ fade away (5)

Peter^[1] is another term for the Blue Peter^[5], a blue flag with a white square in the centre, raised by a ship about to leave port.

25d   Weapon // pierces a breastplate to some extent (5)

26d   Turn // corner (4)

Turn and spot are synonyms in the following context (possibly among others):

• 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. 
• A spot^[5] is a place for an individual item within a show ⇒ she couldn't do her usual singing spot in the club.

Corner and spot are synonyms in the following context:

• A corner^[5] is a difficult or awkward situation ⇒ I didn't wait for the prosecutor to try to get me in a corner.
• A spot^[5] (especially in the phrase 'in a spot') is a difficult situation.

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