Wednesday, September 6, 2017 — DT 28455

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28455
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, June 16, 2017
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28455]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Senf
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's puzzle from Giovanni is situated on the less difficult end of his spectrum but is a highly enjoyable solve. I am always introduced to a new bit of knowledge when I solve his puzzles — today, it is the Roman poet.

Today, between the puzzle and Senf's review of it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, you are taken on a tour of three historic English cricket grounds.

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   Paddy joining African party with English /shows/ self-restraint (10)

Paddy^[5] is an informal British term for A fit of temper ⇒ John drove off in a paddy.

The African National Congress^[5] (abbreviation ANC) is a South African political party and black nationalist organization. Having been banned by the South African government 1960–90, the ANC was victorious in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994 and its leader Nelson Mandela became the country’s President.

6a   Self-satisfied // son, one taken for a fool (4)

Mug^[5] is an informal British term for a stupid or gullible person ⇒ they were no mugs where finance was concerned.

9a   Intervention when cold is caught -- this being taken? (10)

10a   Liveliness /of/ brother crossing island (4)

12a   Map /reveals/ lake in hollow (4)

A pan^[5] is a hollow in the ground in which water may collect or in which a deposit of salt remains after water has evaporated.

13a   Firm came down to meet one about // partnership arrangement (9)

15a   Father's attempts /to make/ small cakes (8)

16a   Bricklayer /cum/ jazz musician? (6)

A double definition, the first being whimsical — or, as Senf puts it in his review, "tongue in cheek".

Fats Waller^[5] (1904–1943) was an American jazz pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and singer; born Thomas Wright Waller. He was the foremost exponent of the New York ‘stride school’ of piano playing.

18a   Attract // only some apprentices (6)

20a   Mass dumped in waterway // in a Swiss region (8)

A canton^[5] is a subdivision of a country established for political or administrative purposes; in particular, a state of the Swiss Confederation.

23a   Most gossipy // woman's appearing in court (9)

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Senf describes the woman as an actress (who appeared with Eric Sykes). Hattie Jacques[7] (1922–1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She was a regular of the Carry On films in which she typically played strict, no-nonsense characters, and was also a prolific television and radio performer. From 1958 to 1974 she appeared in 14 Carry On films, playing various roles including the formidable hospital matron. On television she had a long professional partnership with English comedian Eric Sykes (1923–2012), with whom she co-starred in two long-running series. The role endeared her to the public and the two became staples of British television.

24a   When speaking, regrets // trick (4)

26a   Our gentlemen must suppress this // desire (4)

27a   Record reversal of very good policy /for establishing/ control (10)

Pi^[5] is an informal British short form for pious.

I interpret the definition to be slightly different than what Senf indicates in his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. It seems to me that were the definition to be "establishing control", the solution would be "disciplining". Thus, as the solution is "discipline", I would say that the definition must be merely "control" with "for establishing" acting as a link phrase.

28a   Flipping thing that occurs at Lord's before play (4)

Lord's^[7], also known as Lord's Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the European Cricket Council (ECC) and, until August 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Lord's is widely referred to as the "Home of Cricket" and is home to the world's oldest sporting museum.

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Senf remarks that the solution is What precedes the start of play at Lords, or Old Trafford, or . . .. Old Trafford[7], known for sponsorship reasons as Emirates Old Trafford, is a cricket ground in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It opened in 1857 as the home of Manchester Cricket Club and has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. This venue is not to be confused with the nearby Old Trafford[7] football [soccer] stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club.

Scratching the Surface
Flipping[5] is an informal British term used for emphasis or to express mild annoyance ⇒ (i) are you out of your flipping mind?; (ii) it’s flipping cold today.

29a   Deem Uranus somehow /to be/ very large? (10)

The question mark tells us that it may be very large, or maybe very small, or maybe somewhere in between.

Down

1d   Small thanks given to this writer, /being/ dull (4)

Ta^[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.

"this writer" = ME (show explanation )

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (this) author, (this) writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue.

hide explanation

2d   From what we hear, honours /for/ monkeys (7)

Giovanni succeeded in his goal of having me chase monkeys in the jungle — where, judging by the comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I had plenty of company.

3d   Strange behaviour // that is noticeable in The Oval? (12)

Scratching the Surface

The Oval[7], currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845. It was the first ground in England to host international Test* cricket in September 1880. The final Test match of the English season is traditionally played there. * 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.

4d   A totally sober person longed // to be with partner? (8)

"totally sober person" = TT (show explanation )

Teetotal^[5] (abbreviation TT^[5]) means choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol ⇒ a teetotal lifestyle.

A teetotaller^[5] (US teetotaler; abbreviation TT^[5]) is a person who never drinks alcohol.

The term teetotal is an emphatic extension of total, apparently first used by Richard Turner, a worker from Preston [England], in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol, rather than mere abstinence from spirits, as advocated by some early temperance reformers.

hide explanation

5d   Church faces test // in relation to its singers? (6)

7d   Military // poet of ancient Rome (7)

Martial^[5] (c.40–c.104 AD) was a Roman epigrammatist, born in Spain; Latin name Marcus Valerius Martialis. His fifteen books of epigrams, in a variety of metres, reflect all facets of Roman life.

8d   Good game with the French must include stout // basic principle (6,4)

The game here is a rugby match and not a round of golf.

"game" = RU (show explanation )

Rugby union^[10] (abbreviation RU^[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).

 Rugby union^[7] is is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.

hide explanation

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

11d   Awfully smart phonies // — people we don’t like  (12)

As is the usual case (show explanation ), the National Post has printed this clue as it appeared in the print edition of The Daily Telegraph. The clue was modified on the Telegraph Puzzles website to read:

• Is smart phone designed /for/ antisocial types?

I believe that Kath has hit the nail on the head with her explanation of the change in the thread arising from Comment #23 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, "Surely 11a’s (sic) are not ‘people we don’t like’ so much as people who don’t like us, or anyone else come to that.".

The reason why errors that get corrected in the UK still show up months later in the puzzle in Canada can be understood if one looks at what I believe to be the life cycle of a puzzle:

1. The setter creates the puzzle and submits it to the puzzle editor.
2. The puzzle editor and setter refine the puzzle.
3. The puzzle is distributed in syndication. (Some papers print the puzzle on or close to the date it appears in the UK. Other papers, such as the National Post, print the puzzle weeks or months later.)
4. The puzzle editor may make changes to the puzzle (with or without consulting the setter) after it has been distributed in syndication. These (and subsequent) changes do not appear in the syndicated puzzle (which has already been distributed).
5. The puzzle is prepared for print publication. Errors may be introduced during the production process. These errors sometimes also carry forward to the online version of the puzzle.
6. The puzzle is prepared for online publication. Additional errors may be introduced during this production process but affect only the online version of the puzzle. Complicating matters even further, there are apparently multiple online platforms on which the puzzle appears — namely, the online edition of The Daily Telegraph as well as Apple and Android apps in addition to the Telegraph Puzzles website.
7. The online version of the puzzle is posted to the website.
8. Errors in the online version of the puzzle (regardless of at what stage they were introduced) are often corrected at some point during the day of publication. Of course, errors in the print edition cannot be corrected.

hide explanation

14d   Bit of bread /for/ those who can afford caviare? (5,5)

17d   Imitation /of/ historical rebel, leader of insurgents captured (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.

19d   What could be great as // riot controller (4,3)

21d   When row follows end of session /it's/ less pleasant (7)

22d   Great number, // say, being eaten by wild animal (6)

25d   Wait on, /needing/ time to finish (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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon