Tuesday, September 5, 2017 — DT 28454

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28454
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, June 15, 2017
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28454]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By pommers
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

Today RayT serves up an entertaining — if not overly taxing — diversion.

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   Detective's set to pen 'Queen' // monograph (12)

"detective" = DI (show explanation )

A detective inspector (DI^[5]) is a senior police officer in the UK. Within the British police, inspector^[7] is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

hide explanation

"Queen" = ER (show explanation )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface

In his review, pommers includes a photo of English actor John Thaw in the role of Inspector Endeavour Morse[7] from the 1987–2000 British television drama series Inspector Morse[7] which is based on a series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. Morse is a senior CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officer with the Thames Valley Police force in Oxford, England — starting out as a Detective Inspector (DI) and rising to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) by series end. John Thaw is a particular favourite of Kath (remember she can have only one) who shares the Thursday blogging duties on Big Dave's Crossword Blog with pommers and myself.

8a   Mature // of French against passion being rejected (7)

"of French" = DE (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

9a   Mistake /from/ English sailor capsized in drink (7)

"sailor" = TAR (show explanation )

Tar^[5] is an informal, dated term for a sailor. The term, which dates from the 17th century, is perhaps an abbreviation of tarpaulin, which was also used as a nickname for a sailor at that time.

hide explanation

11a   More vacuous // European politician leading bank (7)

"politician" = 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

12a   Artful // dodgy videos, done inside (7)

"done" = U (show explanation )

In Britain, U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners.

The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable or, as today, done). 

hide explanation

13a   Utensil // initially cuts out rubbish, emptying russet? (5)

Scratching the Surface
A russet[5] is a dessert apple of a variety with a slightly rough brownish skin.

14a   Proposed /and/ celebrated embracing bird (9)

Mina^[2] is a seemingly rare^* [at least, outside the borders of Crosswordland] alternative spelling of myna (also mynah) any of various large, southeast Asian birds of the starling family, some of which can be taught to imitate human speech.

---

^* Among the several dictionaries that I consult on a regular basis, this spelling is found only in The Chambers Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary^[11] in addition to the cited entry from Chambers 21st Century Dictionary.

16a   Small argument facing head/'s/ inflexibility (9)

Ness^[5] (a term usually found in place names) means a headland or promontory ⇒ Orford Ness.

19a   A little cayenne pepper over // pasta (5)

21a   Due to receive manuscript // leaks (7)

23a   Woolly /from/ one adjacent catching a cold (7)

24a   Rolled back estimate /for/ recount (7)

Rolled^[5] here meaning operated as in "rolled the cameras".

25a   A partner with uglier exterior /in/ buff (7)

To address the point raised by pommers' in his review, amateur^[10] is used in the sense of a person who is fond of or admires something.

26a   Care of Bond's boss, hands Bond // opening (12)

James Bond^[5] (known also by his code name 007) is a fictional British secret agent in the spy novels of English author Ian Fleming (1908–1964).

M^[7] is a fictional character in English author Ian Fleming's James Bond books; the character (who is Bond's boss) is the Head of Secret Intelligence Service—also known as MI6. Over the course of the series, the actor playing the part has changed — although the changes have occurred less frequently than for the character of James Bond himself. In the Eon Productions series of films, M has been portrayed by four actors: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes, the incumbent.

Down

1d   Pipette /seen in/ operation for each succeeding doctor (7)

2d   More cunning // hoarder keeping vice half hidden (7)

3d   Nude dancing career involves new // stamina (9)

4d   Daughter's trailing dainty // material (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.

5d   Tory leader, over hard split, // prospered (7)

"hard" = H (show explanation )

H^[2,5] is an abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

hide explanation

6d   To stop shaking takes second in nudist // colony (7)

7d   Altering course, sniper /produces/ echo (12)

10d   Calamity // Jane finally after varmints due to blow (12)

Scratching the Surface

Calamity Jane[7] is a 1953 film that explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane (played by Doris Day) and Wild Bill Hickok (played by Howard Keel). In real life, Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (1852–1903), better known as Calamity Jane[7], was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for her claims of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure. She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire. Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in cannot be proven. It is known that she was illiterate, an itinerant alcoholic, and an occasional prostitute.

15d   Team acts badly protecting single // champ (9)

17d   Flames // gather over my dead body (7)

Having solved this puzzle using the modified version from the Telegraph Puzzles website, I was at a loss to understand why so many of those commenting on Big Dave's Crossword Blog were picking this as their Clue of the Day. Once I saw the original clue, I understood why.

As is the usual case, the National Post has published the clue as it appeared in the print edition of The Daily Telegraph — and which initially appeared on the Telegraph Puzzles website. Understandably, given the tragic event of the previous day, this clue was later changed on the Telegraph Puzzles website to read:

• Gather no returning // fire (7)

The Grenfell Tower fire^[7] occurred on 14 June 2017 [the day prior to the publication of this puzzle in the UK] at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of public housing flats in North Kensington, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, West London. It caused at least 80 deaths and over 70 injuries. A definitive death toll is not expected until at least 2018.

As of 30 August 2017, 57 victims had been identified by the Metropolitan Police and Coroner. Occupants for 23 of 129 flats died. Around 255 people survived.

18d   Weapon // male provided, raised holding butt (7)

19d   Member of clergy /putting/ counselling service under pressure (7)

"pressure" = P (show explanation )

In physics, p^[5] is a symbol used to represent pressure in mathematical formulae.

hide explanation

Relate^[7] is a charity providing relationship support throughout the United Kingdom. Services include counselling for couples, families, young people and individuals, sex therapy, mediation and training courses.

Prelate^[5] is a formal or historical term for a bishop or other high ecclesiastical dignitary.

20d   Most local // cuisine a restaurant protects (7)

22d   Back // authoritarian (5)

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