Wednesday, February 21, 2018 — DT 28577

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28577
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, November 6, 2017
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28577]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
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

This puzzle may have been a 2-star solve but it was a 5-star effort to review.

In my review, you may notice several instances where I have marked a clue differently from the way that Miffypops has marked it in his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog. In cases where such variations are significant, I have likely commented on them in the review. On the other hand, where the differences are relatively minor, I may not have bothered to explain them.

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   Get new staff — /or/ get new owners (6,5)

In his review, Miffypops marks this as a double definition. My initial thought was to do likewise, although I would have shown it as follows with the dotted underline indicating that the first part is a cryptic definition (being a literal interpretation of the solution rather than a definition found in a dictionary):

• Get new staff — /or/ get new owners (6,5)

However, on further reflection, I realize that the first part of the clue can actually be resolved to a charade as CHANGE (get new) + HANDS (staff). Therefore, I have opted to label it as such rather than a double definition.

I think a clue like this could be viewed either way. My approach is to consider such a clue (or part of a clue) to be a cryptic definition only where it is impossible to resolve the wordplay into a standard clue type such as a charade.

9a   Frank /is/ ready to do business (4)

A double definition about which there is no doubt.

10a   Commercial mail /for/ a remote business centre (7,4)

Post^[5] is a chiefly British^* term for mail^[5], including in the sense of letters and parcels sent or received.

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^* In an ironic twist, the post in Britain is delivered by the Royal Mail while, in Canada, the mail is delivered by Canada Post.

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Similar to the situation in 1a, I considered declaring this to be a double definition :

• Commercial mail /for/ a remote business centre (7,4)

However, once again, while the first part of the clue could be seen to be a literal interpretation of the solution, it can also be resolved to a simple charade as TRADING (commercial) + POST (mail).

11a   Drag // minor back (4)

14a   Messenger /has/ job getting in beer (7)

Behind the Painting
The painting used by Miffypops to illustrate his review of this clue is Jesus Washing the Apostles’ Feet (Jesus Washing the Feet of the Apostles), by American religious artist Del Parson[7]. The Biblical account on which this painting is based can be found in John 13:1-17.

16a   In an old-fashioned way, please (7)

The portion of the clue with the dashed underline is cryptic elaboration that indicates that the solution is an archaic term.

17a   To be readily available, // part of index is typeset (5)

In his review, Miffypops marks the definition as merely "to be". However, the words "readily available" must be part of the definition or else they would be orphaned.

18a   Singer // very keen to retire (4)

What did he say?
In his review, Miffypops tells us that we need A singer such as Maria Callas Maria Callas[5] (1923–1977) was an American-born operatic soprano, of Greek parentage; born Maria Cecilia Anna Kalageropoulos. She was a coloratura soprano whose bel canto style of singing was especially suited to 19th-century Italian opera.

To respond to Miffypops' musings on the appropriateness of the word retire^[5] as a reversal indicator, it is being used in the sense (said of a military force) to retreat [go back] from an enemy or an attacking position ⇒ lack of numbers compelled the British force to retire.

19a   Bargain // crop (4)

Snip^[5,10] is a mainly British term for a surprisingly cheap item; in other words, a bargain ⇒ the wine is a snip at £3.65.

20a   Toys // sold out around end of April (5)

22a   Awful // deep (7)

23a   Somebody's rubber (7)

24a   She'll be a fool if she comes back (4)

Nit^[5] (short for nitwit)^[10] is an informal British term for a foolish person ⇒ you stupid nit!.

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I have marked this clue as a cryptic definition as nothing else seems to fit.

The clue tells us that the solution (a female given name clued by "she") if reversed (indicated by "comes back") would give A NIT (clued by "a fool").

Should you be interested, I invite you toclick here for a more extensive discussion of the clue.

1. This clue is not what I will call — for want of a better term — a "normal clue".

In a normal clue, one finds the indicator and fodder in the clue (together they constitute the wordplay) and the outcome of executing the wordplay in the solution. That is:

• an indicator (found in the clue) acting on fodder (found in the clue) producing an outcome (found in the solution)

For example, a variant of this clue might read:

• She/'s/ a fool coming back (4)

in which the reversal indicator (found in the clue) is "coming back", the fodder (found in the clue) is A NIT (a fool), and the outcome (the solution) is TINA which matches the definition "she" (interpreted to denote a female given name).

2. This clue is not what is commonly referred to as a reverse wordplay clue.

A reverse wordplay clue — which in this case would be the awkwardly-named "reverse reversal" — has the following structure:

• an indicator (found in the solution) acting on fodder (also found in the solution) producing an outcome (found in the clue)

Here is an example that I made up to illustrate the point (so please be a little forgiving if it is not up to professional calibre):

• Pots // found on a baseball diamond (8)

The solution is BACKSTOP, a structure located behind the plate on a baseball diamond. If one treats the solution as wordplay, we see it consists of a reversal indicator (BACK) and fodder (STOP) with the outcome of the reversal operation being the word "Pots" (found in the clue).

3. If not a "normal clue" and not a reverse wordplay clue, then what is it?

I am not really sure what to call this clue whose structure can be described as:

• an indicator (found in the clue) acting on fodder (found in the solution) producing an outcome (found in the clue)

Therefore, I have simply labelled it a cryptic definition.

hide explanation

28a   Enormously powerful ocean destroyer (6,5)

I think the phrase "enormously powerful" may be alluding to an informal meaning of killer^[5] in the sense of a formidably impressive person or thing ⇒ it's the zoom lens that makes this camera an absolute killer.

29a   Lacking opener, drain // pitcher (4)

30a   Confirm // new bits are news (4,7)

Down

2d   It's heavenly to play, but there are strings attached (4)

3d   Out of gear? (4)

4d   Honour // a merger of Ben and Noel (7)

In his review, Miffypops questions the word "merger" as an anagram indicator I can see the word merger meaning to join but am uncomfortable with it meaning to mix. I can assure him that anyone — such as myself — who has been through the merger of two (or more) organizations will attest that things get well mixed up. In my case, it was the merger of all or parts of four former government departments into a single new department.

Stretching the Surface?

In this clue, "Ben and Noel" may merely be convenient names that satisfy the purposes of the setter. However, I did find one — albeit unlikely — possibility for this duo. Felicity[7] is an American drama television series that ran on The WB for four seasons from September 1998 to May 2002. The series follows Felicity Porter through her four years as a student at the fictional "University of New York". On a whim, Felicity (from Palo Alto, California) drops her plans to attend nearby Stanford University to follow a high school crush, Ben Covington, across the country to New York. When she moves into her dorm at UNY, she meets the resident advisor, Noel Crane, with whom a romance eventually develops. The relationships among Felicity, Ben, and Noel form the basic dramatic conflicts in the show throughout the series.

5d   A parliamentarian's /creating/ measures in power (4)

"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

Amp^[10] is short for ampere^[10], the basic SI [Système International (d'Unités)] unit of electric current.

Pedant Alert

From a technical perspective, amps are not a measure of power — but then Rufus didn't suggest they are. He says they are a "measure in power". This I merely took to mean that amps are a unit of measurement used in the field of power generation, distribution and use rather than a unit used to measure power as a narrowly defined term in physics. However, some of those commenting at Big Dave's Crossword Blog took this down a different path (see the lengthy thread arising from Comment #5). Anyway, I strongly suspect that the choice of preposition had more to do with achieving the best surface reading than it did with maintaining scientific accuracy.

6d   Fool perhaps // having braided hair put up (7)

I always thought that a tress^[5,10] was a lock of hair (i.e., hair that coils or hangs loosely), especially a long lock of a woman's hair ⇒ her golden tresses tumbled about her face. However, I discover that the word can also denote a plait or braid of hair.

By the way, to solve the clue you don't reverse a word meaning "braided hair" (as instructed by Miffypops). Rather, you reverse a word meaning "having braided hair".

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Fool^[5] is a chiefly British name for a cold dessert made of pureed fruit mixed or served with cream or custard ⇒ raspberry fool with cream.

7d   Understood /to be/ arrested (11)

8d   Wild world opens around a // cat used to wintry weather (4,7)

The snow leopard^[5] (also called ounce) is a rare large cat which has pale grey fur patterned with dark blotches and rings, living in the Altai mountains, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas.

12d   Keeps on the beach, they may be soon liquidated (11)

A keep^[5] is the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.

13d   Vehicles drawn up in accordance with the law (11)

In his review, Miffypops marks this clue as a double definition:

• Vehicles // drawn up in accordance with the law (11)

However, I believe he has fallen into the trap set by the compiler of the puzzle [there may be a good reason that setter is another term for compiler]. As the solution to the clue is a noun, we have a problem with the second of the definitions in Miffypops' explanation which would be an adjective rather than a noun.

The surface reading of the clue is intended to evoke an image of motor vehicles arranged in some legally sanctioned manner (perhaps taxis drawn up at a taxi stand [or taxi rank to our British friends]).

However, if we take vehicle^[10] to mean a medium for the expression, communication, or achievement of ideas, information, power, etc. then a "vehicle drawn up in accordance with the law" could be some kind of legal document.

A conveyance^[5] is a legal document effecting the transfer of property in the case of an unregistered title ⇒ the wife's solicitors will submit a draft conveyance or transfer to the husband's solicitors.

Thus, I believe this to be a cryptic definition of two or more such legal documents. I must admit that this was not the first explanation to come to mind and it only occurred to me as I was writing the review (and, in the process, encountering difficulties explaining other ideas).

15d   One-time rising group // crack up? (5)

Crack up^[10] is being used in an informal sense meaning to present or report, especially in glowing terms ⇒ it's not all it's cracked up to be.

16d   Song /from/ little Sarah, piercing in the afternoon (5)

Sal^[7] is a diminutive for Sally^[7] — which, in turn, is a diminutive for Sarah.

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A psalm^[5] is a sacred song or hymn, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of Psalms and used in Christian and Jewish worship.

20d   Light // diet may upset (7)

21d   Class of fighters, in the East (7)

A samurai^[5] was a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan.

25d   Obscure // blemish (4)

The official solution is BLUR although there are several comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog to the effect that SLUR would be equally valid (in particular, see the thread starting at Comment #10). It is hard to argue with that reasoning as one of the definitions given for slur^[5] in The Chambers Dictionary is blur.

26d   Whisky drinkers may say that // it's just a question of time (4)

27d   A sign of more to follow (4)

I see this as a cryptic definition rather than a double definition (as Miffypops marks it).

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