Wednesday, February 7, 2018 — DT 28567

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28567
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28567]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Digby
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 is a bit of a respite after yesterday's fairly stiff mental workout. Over at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Digby emerges from semi-retirement to handle the reviewing chores while the 2Kiwis vacation in India.

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   Shifty last retailer picked up // tableware item (4,6)

... "picked up" with one's ear.

6a   Pity, for the most part, /is/ pretence (4)

9a   Flier // confined by ambassador to land (7)

The ortolan^[5] (also called ortolan bunting) is a small Eurasian songbird that was formerly eaten as a delicacy, the male having an olive-green head and yellow throat^*.

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^* Digby illustrates his hint with a picture of what is almost certainly the female of the species.

10a   Adopt // mainly dull and nice changes (7)

I discovered that if one thinks long enough and hard enough, one can almost convince oneself that adopt^[2] and include^[2] are synonyms in the sense of accept or embrace ⇒ Only after spending months on the fringes of the group, was she finally adopted as a full-fledged member.

12a   Traditionalists // sign after performance by soldiers (13)

In astrology, Aries^[10] (also called the Ram) is the first sign of the zodiac, symbol ♈, having a cardinal fire classification, ruled by the planet Mars. The sun is in this sign between about March 21 and April 19.

"soldiers" = RE (show explanation )

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

hide explanation

14a   Observer // in privy meeting with broker, half cut (8)

Here, we need to consider the phrase "in privy" as an entity which equates to "on loo".

A privy^[3,4,11] is a toilet, especially an outdoor one.

Loo^[5] is an informal British term for a toilet [either the plumbing fixture or the room in which it is housed].

15a   Remain absorbed by tatty rug /that's/ not as attractive (6)

Tatty^[5,10] is an informal, mainly British term denoting worn out, shabby, tawdry, or unkempt ⇒ tatty upholstered furniture.

17a   Shape a student // in accordance with convention (6)

"student" = L (show explanation )

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

hide explanation

19a   Independent female protected by friendly // source of power (4,4)

21a   Head of government permits spirits, /showing/ such wit (7,6)

Humour^[5] is used in the sense of a mood or state of mind ⇒ (i) her good humour vanished; (ii) the clash hadn't improved his humour.

24a   Calls /and/ records a sale (5,2)

Behind the Video

Digby illustrates his review with a video showing a compilation of clips from several episodes of Open All Hours[7], a British sitcom which ran on the BBC sporadically between 1976 and 1985. The setting is a small grocer's shop in Balby, a suburb of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. The owner, Arkwright (Ronnie Barker), is a middle-aged miser with a stammer and a knack for selling. His nephew Granville (David Jason) is his put-upon errand boy, who blames his work schedule for his lacklustre social life. In the series, the shop's antiquated till has a drawer that tends to snap shut suddenly. Even though this terrifies Granville and Arkwright, Arkwright leaves it to avoid the cost of buying a replacement, and because he believes it discourages burglars.

25a   Wrong in law to accept soldiers // suffering (7)

26a   Crush // fly (4)

27a   Count Basie perhaps // vetoed broadcast, needing editor's opinion (10)

Leader^[10] (also called leading article) is a mainly British term for the leading editorial in a newspaper.

Down

1d   Weep, hugging Liberal -- // a slovenly type (4)

"Liberal" = L (show explanation )

The Liberal Party^[5] (abbreviation Lib.^[5] or L^[2])^* in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats. However, a small Liberal Party still exists although it has no representation in the UK Parliament, no Members of the European Parliament (MEP), no members of the Scottish Parliament, nor any members of the National Assembly for Wales.^[7]

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^* Although Lib.^[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the Liberal Party in Britain — likely to distinguish it from the the Labour Party^[5] (abbreviation Lab.^[5]) — Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L^[2] may also be used.

hide explanation

Behind the Video

In his review, Digby treats us to a clip from Harry Enfield and Chums[7] (originally named Harry Enfield's Television Programme), a British sketch show that was broadcast intermittently on the BBC from 1990 to 1998. The clip features Harry Enfield and Kathy Burke as Wayne and Waynetta Slob, a benefit-dependent, lower-class couple with a lack of personal hygiene who spend most of their time smoking a fag or eating pizzas and arguing constantly over everything.

2d   Former king with a line // on the side (7)

In addition to meaning dead, the term late^[3] can mean having recently occupied a position or place ⇒ the company's late president gave the address^*.

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^* Notwithstanding this usage being found in the dictionary, were I to see or hear this statement, I would certainly envision a message from beyond the grave!

"king" = R (show explanation )

In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms^*, Rex^[5] (abbreviation R^[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George — often shortened to GR) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

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^* A Commonwealth realm^[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.

hide explanation

"line" = L (show explanation )

In textual references, the abbreviation for line is l.^[5] ⇒ l. 648.

hide explanation

3d   Speakers supporting company dance set up /as/ partners in crime (13)

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Digby writes Think of Guy Fawkes and his mates for this answer. Guy Fawkes[5] (1570–1606) was an English conspirator. He was hanged for his part in the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605. The occasion is commemorated annually on Bonfire Night with fireworks, bonfires, and the burning of a guy*. * Guy[5] is a British term for a figure representing Guy Fawkes, burnt on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night, and often displayed by children begging for money for fireworks. In the UK, November 5th is known as Bonfire Night[5], on which bonfires and fireworks are lit in memory of the Gunpowder Plot*, traditionally including the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes. * The Gunpowder Plot[5,7] was a conspiracy by a small group of Catholic extremists to blow up James I and his Parliament during the State Opening of Parliament on November 5, 1605 by detonating 36 barrels of gunpowder hidden beneath the House of Lords. The explosives were discovered during a search of Parliament at about midnight on November 4th.

4d   Extend // stage to include end of apron afterwards (8)

Scratching the Surface
In a theatre, an apron[5] is a projecting strip of stage for playing scenes in front of the curtain.

5d   Friend from Spain /making/ a motorway turn (5)

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway [controlled access, multi-lane divided highway] in England connecting London to Leeds.

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Amigo^[8] is the masculine form of the Spanish word meaning 'friend'. 

7d   Entertainer who was bound to show unconfined relief (7)

Harry Houdini^[5] (1874–1926) was a Hungarian-born American magician and escape artist; born Erik Weisz. In the early 1900s he became famous for his ability to escape from all kinds of bonds and containers, from prison cells to aerially suspended straitjackets.

8d   Mass with moral sets off // destructive situations (10)

"mass" = M (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

In his review, Digby specifies that the M provided by "mass" is part of the anagram fodder. It does not necessarily have to be. Depending on how one groups the elements of the wordplay, it could simply be a stand alone M followed by an anagram (off) of MORAL SETS.

11d   Put on new clothes with fashionable source /and/ did a turn? (7,6)

13d   Set up /as/ prisoner and judged (10)

From a British perspective, figure^[5] used in this sense is a North American term meaning to think, consider, or expect to be the case ⇒ (i) I figured that I didn't have much of a chance; (ii) for years, teachers had figured him for a dullard.

16d   Located // audit set for revision (8)

18d   Softens, /finding/ the French trapped in leases (7)

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

20d   Draught beer's top /for/ this idiot (7)

22d   One cuts copies up /in/ colour (5)

23d   Prison // involved in raising of merit systems (4)

Stir^[5] is an informal term for prison [on both sides of the Atlantic] ⇒ I’ve spent twenty-eight years in stir.

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