Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Tuesday, June 30, 2020 — DT 29218

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29218
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Setter
X-Type
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29218]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Mr K
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
This puzzle appears on the first Diversions page in the Tuesday, June 30, 2020 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Very light fare today. I just hope that everyone solved the right puzzle. In addition to today's puzzle (found on the inside back page of the FP section in the edition distributed in Ottawa), the National Post has published tomorrow's Canada Day puzzle (on the back page of the FP section). However, as the July 1 puzzle is not explicitly labelled as such, it would be very easy to be unaware that it is actually tomorrow's puzzle.

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.

Markup Conventions
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a   Great // spelling (5)

A double definition, the second being a cryptic allusion to the practice of casting spells.

Magic[2,5] (adjective, also used as an exclamation) is a colloquial British* term denoting excellent, marvellous, great, wonderful, or exciting ⇒ Make it easy on yourself — enjoy the magic moments in life — they are too few and far between.

* I must say that after reading the usage example, this usage hardly seems foreign at all.

4a   Period for deliveries // which should get extra? (8)

A delivery[5] is an act of throwing, bowling, or kicking a ball, especially a cricket ball.

In cricket, an over[5] is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled [or delivered] by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

Scratching the Surface
In the definition, "extra" refers to the extra remuneration received by employees for working beyond their regular hours.

However, in the surface reading, there seems to be a play on cricket terminology, an extra[5] being a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited (in most cases) to the batting side rather than to a batsman. The types of extra[7] are no ball, wide, bye, leg-bye, and penalty runs.

10a   Diners upset about a // fish (7)

11a   Artist, once more back in front, // falls (7)

"artist " = RA

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. 

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12a   Look, trendy // item to do 2 with? (4)

"look " = LO

Lo[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event ⇒ and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

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The numeral "2" is a cross reference indicator to clue 2d (show more ).

To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.

The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.

* light-coloured cell in the grid

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13a   Problem // children (5)

Issue[5] is a legal term denoting children of one's own ⇒ the earl died without male issue.

14a   Call /and/ help returning student (4)

"student " = L [driver under instruction]

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.

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Automobile displaying an L-plate

17a  Thin material used for tabs? (9,5)

In Northern English dialect, tab[5] is an informal name for a cigarette.

19a   Time off: // go to get face bones reset (5,2,7)

22a   Savage // married a posh student (4)

"married " = M [genealogy]

In genealogies, m[5] is the abbreviation for married m twice; two d*.

* married twice; two daughters.

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"posh " = U [upper class]

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). 

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The student from 14a reprises his or her role.

23a   Mother, mostly pleasant, /is/ very busy (5)

24a   A footnote on English // recess (4)

An apse[5] is a large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof and typically at the church's eastern end.

27a   Composer /and/ men in small room beginning to improvise (7)

"men " = OR [other ranks]

In the British armed forces, the term other ranks[5] (abbreviation OR[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.

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Arcangelo Corelli[5] (1653–1713) was an Italian violinist and composer. His best-known works are his trio and solo sonatas for the violin and his concerti grossi (published posthumously in 1714), especially the ‘Christmas’ concerto.

28a   Every second on pitch // like a great show? (3-4)

29a   Traveller // reportedly much more pretty (8)

30a   Eat constantly -- /from/ scratch? (5)

Down

1d   Lose track of // rodents crossing mountains, going up? (8)

The Alps[5] are a mountain system in Europe extending in a curve from the coast of southeastern France through northwestern Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, southern Germany, and Austria into Slovenia.

2d   Grand noise surrounding one, right? Grand? /It's/ belting! (7)

G as an abbreviation for grand is a North American usage that the Brits would appear to have embraced (show more ).

While the abbreviation G for "grand" is deemed by British dictionaries to be an Americanism, it seems to be one that is well known to Brits — undoubtedly from American gangster films. It is frequently seen in British crossword puzzles and never seems to garner the abuse that usually greets the appearance of American terms.

Grand[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.

G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:
  • Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)[5].
  • Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars[2].
  • Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)[4,10].
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3d   Basket /of/ game (4)

Crib[10] is a name for a wicker basket.

5d   Money for new business: // speculation on London, maybe? (7,7)

6d   Went on horseback, we hear, /to make/ highway (4)

7d   Pretend // I will get publication in English (7)

8d   Modem/AI link-up incorporates // communication method (5)

Scratching the Surface
AI is the abbreviation for artificial intelligence[5], the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

9d   Exaggerate // 'Lioness eats Ian' when broadcast (14)

15d   Doctor, I have // to be at the wheel (5)

16d   Fellow's cottage finally /becoming/ minister's residence (5)

18d   Train: // concerning transport for those who are late? (8)

20d   Question about king supporting eastern // attendant (7)

"king " = R [Rex]

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).

* 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.

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An equerry[5] is* an officer of the British royal household who attends or assists members of the royal family.

* Historically, an equerry[5] was an officer of the household of a prince or noble who had charge over the stables.

21d   Liquid // derived from hash plant, neither large nor small (7)

22d   Bird // initially making a sound like a crow (5)

25d   Jumper /seen in/ sort of market? (4)

26d   Advertise // electrical accessory (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 Advanced 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)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, June 29, 2020

Monday, June 29, 2020 — DT 29217 (Published Saturday, June 27, 2020)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29217
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, November 25, 2019
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29217]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Miffypops
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience
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███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
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
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, June 27, 2020 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Every five weeks — barring shenanigans by the editors at the National Post — the planets align and the puzzles are published in the National Post on the same day of the week on which they appeared in the UK.

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.

Markup Conventions
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a   Rally: // scholars will go before second date (4,7)

7a   Strange claim about American /in/ 'Miss Saigon', say (7)

Miss Saigon is a 1989* musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil — the pair's second major success, following Les Misérables in 1985. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The setting of the plot is relocated to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly's story of marriage between an American lieutenant and a geisha is replaced by a romance between a United States Marine and a seventeen-year-old South Vietnamese bargirl.

* London West End; Broadway 1991

8a   Distorted // point of view held by doctor (7)

10a   Rant /from/ dreadful-sounding family group (8)

The word "DIRE" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation ) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), sounds like "DIA".

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

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Who is he talking about?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops suggests we think Mark Knopfler.
Mark Knopfler[7] is a British musiciam who was the lead guitarist, lead singer, and songwriter for the rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded with his younger brother, David Knopfler, in 1977. The group disbanded is 1995.

11a   Always filling tin /in/ river (6)

The symbol for the chemical element tin is Sn[5] (from late Latin stannum).



The Severn[5] is a river of southwestern Britain. Rising in central Wales, it flows north-east then south in a broad curve for some 290 km (180 miles) to its mouth on the Bristol Channel, flowing through the English counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire on its way to the sea.

13a   Trademark: // duck behind chunk of wood (4)

"duck " = O [cricket term]

In cricket, a duck[5] (short for duck's egg) is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒ he was out for a duck. This is similar to the North American expression goose egg[5] meaning a zero score in a game.

In British puzzles, "duck" is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.

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14a   Crowd // at ball, number having gatecrashed (10)

16a   Group of dancers // refrain, joining queue (6,4)

"queue " = LINE [chiefly British]

Queue[5] is a chiefly British term meaning a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed. As Collins English Dictionary states, the usual US and Canadian term is line[10] (in this sense of the word).

The American Heritage Dictionary has the following to say about the history of the word queue[3]:
When the British stand in queues (as they have been doing at least since 1837, when this meaning of the word is first recorded in English), they may not realize they form a tail. The French word queue from which the English word is borrowed is a descendant of Latin co-da, meaning "tail." French queue appeared in 1748 in English, referring to a plait of hair hanging down the back of the neck. By 1802 wearing a queue was a regulation in the British army, but by the mid-19th century queues had disappeared along with cocked hats. Latin co-da is also the source of Italian coda, which was adopted into English as a musical term (like so many other English musical terms that come from Italian). A coda is thus literally the "tail end" of a movement or composition.

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18a   Small head of dandelion, // unwanted plant (4)

21a   One who fishes /in/ corner by river (6)

22a   Splash // first drop of sauce on dish (8)

24a   I land us in trouble /getting/ something for the garden perhaps (7)

25a   Defeat, // not in sport (7)

26a   Bargains to be had here /in/ a bar close to ground (3,4,4)

As an anagram indicator, ground is used as the past tense or past participle of the verb grind[5]. An anagram indicator is typically a word that denotes movement or transformation. Grind denotes transformation, for example, in the sense of grain being ground into flour.



Car boot sale[5] (or boot sale[5]) is a British term for an outdoor sale at which people sell unwanted possessions, typically from the boots* of their cars.

* Boot[5] is the British term for the trunk[5] of a car.

Down

1d   Fly problem upset // horse (7)

2d   Notice about vicious dog /in/ stable (6)

3d   Courage under tap? // This doesn't contain that sort of drink! (4,6)

Bottle[5] is an informal British term denoting the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous ⇒ I lost my bottle completely and ran.

Tap[5] is used in an informal sense meaning to obtain money or information from (someone) ⇒ As for Paul himself, he is the oddball in his family whom they cannot quite work out, but tap for money as if he was a bank.



The definition cryptically implies that the answer doesn't contain the sort of drink dispensed from a tap (in a pub).

4d   European married revolutionary American /in/ novel (4)

"European " = E [as in E-number]

E[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number*).

* An E number[1,4,10,14] (or E-number[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.

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"married " = M [genealogy]

In genealogies, m[5] is the abbreviation for married m twice; two d*.

* married twice; two daughters.

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Emma[7] is a novel by English writer Jane Austen (1775–1817) that was first published in 1815.

5d   Insinuation /made by/ union upset about result (8)

6d   The Spanish convict brought over on // vessel (7)

"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el[8].

hide explanation

Lag[5] is an informal British term for a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison ⇒ both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.



A galleon[5] was a sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th to the 18th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were typically square-rigged and had three or more decks and masts a Spanish treasure galleon wrecked off the Florida Keys.

7d   Note young woman/'s/ section of society (6,5)

In music, middle C[5] is the C near the middle of the piano keyboard, written on the first leger line below the treble stave or the first leger line above the bass stave.

* Leger line is another name for ledger line[5], a short line added for notes above or below the range of a stave.

9d   Put on important match between local teams -- // event at fete, maybe (6,5)

Derby[2] (also local derby) is a British term for a race or a sports event or contest, especially a contest between teams from the same area.



Fete[5] (also fête) is a British term for a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments ⇒ a church fete.

A donkey derby[5] is a race between competitors riding donkeys.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops explains the second word in the answer as a match between two local sides.
To Brits, "side" is another word for team (show more ).

Side[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒ there was a mixture of old and young players in* their side.

* Note that, in Britain, a player is said to be "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

In North America, the term side[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you.

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What is being discussed?
At Comment #6 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Chris Rich write(s) Nice to see 9D – we had the ambulatory version on the beach here at Southend-on-Sea right up until 2010, when health and safety stepped in and robbed children of this simple pleasure.
Donkey rides[7] are a traditional feature of seaside resorts in the United Kingdom. Children are allowed to ride donkeys on a sandy beach for a fee in summer months while on holiday [vacation], normally led in groups at walking pace.

The tradition started in Victorian times, but is now much less popular. It is probable that the donkeys offered to ride on were originally working draught animals in the cockle industries around the coast.

12d   One's abrupt shredding // a vegetable for the chow mein? (4,6)

15d   Brazilian city surrounded by marvellous // lake (8)

Rio de Janeiro[5] [commonly known as Rio] is a city in eastern Brazil, on the Atlantic coast. The chief port of Brazil, it was the country’s capital from 1763 until 1960, when it was replaced by Brasilia.

17d   Developing naturally // in cargo at sea (7)

19d   Girl -- // is she French? (7)

In French, est[8] is the third person singular of the present indicative of the verb être (to be). In other words, it means 'is'.

 Elle[8] is a French pronoun meaning either she (when used as a subject) or her (as an object).

20d   Watchword /of/ guy having painting put up (6)

23d   A length therefore /might be/ further (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 Advanced 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)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Saturday, June 27, 2020 — Village Politics

Introduction

After a quick start to today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon, I found progress slowed markedly and any advancement required a fair degree of mental effort.

While I am no stranger to the tiny New Brunswick hamlet, having passed by it numerous times on annual treks to the Maritimes over the course of many years, I expect it will be a mystery to many.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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
- yet to be solved

Symbols and Markup Conventions
  •  "*" - anagram
  • "~" - sounds like
  • "<" - indicates the preceding letters are reversed
  • "( )" - encloses contained letters
  • "_" - replaces letters that have been deleted
  •  "†" - indicates that the word is present in the clue
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a   Fresh act of relinquishing // New Brunswick village (5-7)

PERTH-ANDOVER — PERT (fresh) + HANDOVER (act of relinquishing)

Perth-Andover[7] (2016 population: 1,590) is a village in Victoria County, New Brunswick.

9a   City // headwear when the head is shaved (5)

_URBAN — [T]URBAN (headwear) with the initial letter removed (when the head is shaved)

10a   Flub in search for gold // cookware (6,3)

MUFF|IN| PAN — MUFF (flub) + IN (†) +PAN (search for gold)

11a   Mixologist // works in a gallery amid drinking spree (9)

B(ART)ENDER — ART (works in a gallery) contained in (amid) BENDER (drinking spree)

12a   U2 vocalist holding good // little drum (5)

BON(G)O — BONO (U2 vocalist; stage name of lead vocalist Paul David Hewson of the Irish rock band U2) containing (holding) G(ood)

13a   Greek character // in Model T advertisement (5)

_DEL|T|A_ — hidden in (in) MoDEL T Advertisement

15a   Baboons // also run among plants (9)

M(AND|R)ILLS — {AND (also) + R (run; baseball term)} contained in (among) MILLS (plants; factories)

16a   Tiredness troubled // doctors with long hours (9)

RESIDENTS* — anagram of (troubled) TIREDNESS

17a   U.S. president // that’s funny, certainly (5)

HA|YES — HA (that's funny) + YES (certainly)

Rutherford B. Hayes[7] (1822–1893) was the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881. This Republican president, a lawyer and staunch abolitionist, had defended refugee slaves in court proceedings during the antebellum years.

19a   Grinder // operator left in ruin (5)

M(O|L)AR — {O ([telephone] operator) + L(eft)} contained in (in) MAR (ruin)

20a   Woman who predicted // different NASCAR ads (9)

CASSANDRA* — anagram of (different) NASCAR ADS

In Greek mythology, Cassandra[5] was a daughter of the Trojan king Priam. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she cheated him, he turned this into a curse by causing her prophecies, though true, to be disbelieved.

23a   Changing shift, Lisa // slides back and forth (9)

FISHTAILS* — anagram of (changing) SHIFT LISA

24a   Prohibition // bill with zero love (5)

TAB|O|O — TAB (bill) + O ([letter that looks like a] zero) + O ([letter that looks like a] zero; love being a nil score [zero] in tennis)

25a   Crackpot generals go in, // using political war cries (12)

SLOGANEERING* — anagram of (crackpot) GENERALS GO IN

Down

1d   Got to the bottom of // purplish sack (7)

PLUM|BED — PLUM (purplish) + BED (sack)

2d   Caboose carrying second-rate // construction rod (5)

RE(B)AR — REAR (caboose; slang for the buttocks) containing (carrying) B (second-rate)

3d   Forest wanderers // reset Neanderthal’s leg (6,3,6)

{HANSEL AND GRETEL}* — anagram of (reset) NEANDERTHALS LEG

"Hansel and Gretel"[7] is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in Grimm's Fairy Tales.

4d   Itinerant // Bourne player making a return (5)

NOMAD< — reversal of (making a return) DAMON (Bourne player; Matt Damon)

American actor Matt Damon[7] played the titular spy Jason Bourne in four of the five films in the Bourne series (2002–16).

5d   Gifts // of iron gear for gymnasts (9)

OF|FE|RINGS — OF (†) + FE ([chemical symbol for] iron) + RINGS (gear for gymnasts)

6d   Scottish attraction // leading Schubert astray (9,6)

{EDINBURGH CASTLE}* — anagram of (astray) LEADING SCHUBERT

Edinburgh Castle[7] is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock.

7d   Rotate supporter // along the backbone (8)

SPIN|ALLY — SPIN (rotate) + ALLY (supporter)

8d   Spies // flatware items from behind (6)

SNOOPS< — reversal of (from behind) SPOONS (flatware items)

14d   Lazy // as an unprepared shopper? (8)

LISTLESS — double definition; the second cryptic

15d   Handcuffing // guy with a stick (9)

MAN|A|CLING — MAN (guy) + (with) A (†) + CLING (stick)

16d   Part of Instagram, if you // branch out (6)

_RAM|IF|Y_ — hidden in (part of) InstagRAM IF You

18d   Add spice to grand // sailor’s chantey (3,4)

SEA SON|G — SEASON (add spice to) + G(rand)

21d   “Lazy” girl // star going around South America (5)

SU(SA)N — SUN (star) containing (going around) {S(outh) + A(merica)}

A lazy Susan[7] is a turntable (rotating tray) placed on a table or countertop to aid in distributing food.

Lazy Susan[7] is a 2020 American comedy film starring Sean Hayes in a cross-gender portrayal of the title character.

22d   Give a nickname to A-one // emirate (5)

DUB|A|I — DUB (give a nickname to) + A (†) + I ([Roman numeral for] one)

Epilogue

The title of today's post is inspired by 1a and 25a.
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 Advanced 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)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, June 26, 2020

Friday, June 26, 2020 — DT 29216

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29216
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29216 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29216 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Big Dave (Hints)
crypticsue (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

I filled the grid but could not parse 24d as I had never heard of the cowardly European frog.

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.

Markup Conventions
  • "//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present
  • "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present
  • "solid underline" - precise definition
  • "dotted underline" - cryptic definition
  • "dashed underline" - wordplay
  • "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a  Standard raised across the Channel? (9)

As this is a British puzzle, the "Channel" is the English Channel.



A tricolour[5] is a flag with three bands or blocks of different colours, especially the French national flag with equal upright bands of blue, white, and red.

9a   Go off /and/ walk in river (7)

The River Exe[7] rises on Exmoor in Somerset, 8.4 kilometres (5 mi) from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south*, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south (English Channel) coast of Devon.

* and, thus, away from the Bristol Channel coast

10a   One flying // from Barcelona via Torremolinos (7)

Scratching the Surface
Barcelona[5] is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain, capital of Catalonia.

Torremolinos[7] is a municipality in Andalusia, southern Spain, west of Málaga. A poor fishing village before the growth in tourism began in the late 1950s, Torremolinos was the first of the Costa del Sol resorts to be developed and is still the most popular in the region.

11a  Rising of industrious workers (3-4)

"workers " = ants

The terms "worker" and "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.

A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.

In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.

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12a   The best instrument // filled pastry (5,4)

A cream horn[5] is a pastry shaped like a horn and filled with cream and jam.

14a   Something put on // caught out of harmful habit (8)

"caught " = C [cricket notation]

In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c[5] or c.[2,10] denotes caught (by).

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15a   Wives talked about // 'Like a Virgin' (6)

Vestal[5] is a literary term meaning chaste or pure.

Scratching the Surface
Like a Virgin[7] is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released in 1984.

17a   Revival of interest /in/ second delivery? (7)

A double definition, the second being whimsical.

20a   Fasten // case? Not quite (6)

23a  Get off one's high horse? (8)

The horse is high because it is a 'mount'.

25a  [Mainly it separates Greece from Turkey (6,3)

The main[5] is an archaic or literary term for the open ocean.

26a   Needlework /of/ note, first time out (7)

Crotchet[5] is a British name for a quarter note, a note having the time value of a quarter of a semibreve* or half a minim**, represented by a large solid dot with a plain stem.

* Semibreve[5] is a British name for a whole note.
** Minim[5] is a British name for a half note.

As a link word, of[10] is a preposition denoting constituted by, containing, or characterized by ⇒ (i) a family of idiots; (ii) a rod of iron; (iii) a man of some depth.

27a   Cook // travelling first by railway (4-3)

28a   No agent ordered // as much as can be carried (7)

29a   About 100 before end of day stick /to/ processing waste (9)

As a link word, to[10] is a preposition used to indicate equality ⇒ 16 ounces to the pound.

Down

2d   Back // the other side (7)

In the first definition back is a verb* and reverse[5] is used in what I would deem to be a chiefly British sense meaning to move backwards ⇒ the lorry [truck] reversed into the back of a bus.

* it can't be a noun as it would then be used in the sense as the second definition

3d   Pretender ignores one // calling aloud (7)

Clamant[2] means calling out aloud or earnestly.

4d   See work difficulty /as/ means of escape (8)

"see " = LO

Lo[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event ⇒ and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

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"work " = OP [opus]

In music, an opus[5] (Latin 'work', plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.

The abbreviation Op.[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..

Opus[5] can also be used in other contexts to denote an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico.

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5d   Send back to prison // the chap overdrawn, apparently (6)

"chap " = MAN

Chap[3,4,11] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar[a,b].

[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
[b] The current meaning of chap[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.

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An informal term for overdrawn being in the red[10].

6d   Notice illumination /giving/ full public attention (9)

7d   Sagacious, // well-mannered for the most part and in charge (7)

"in charge " = IC

The abbreviation i/c[2,5] can be short for either:
  • (especially in military contexts) in charge (of) ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations
  • in command (of) ⇒ 2 i/c = second in command.
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8d   Top up // helpers in cast (9)

As an anagram indicator, cast[5] is used in the sense of to shape (metal or other material) by pouring it into a mould while molten ⇒ when hammered or cast, bronze could be made into tools.

13d   Shine /as a result of/ help turning up in class (7)

15d   Five show // support (9)

16d  Point of attack // a rower had changed (9)

18d   Picture // pretty as could be (8)

19d   Shock -- // divas to underwhelm in part (7)

21d  Growing attachment? (7)

22d   Band // opposing Ronald in support of revolutionary (7)

"revolutionary " = CHE [Guevara]

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.

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24d   Talk /as/ sailor leaves one who croaks (6)

"sailor " = JACK

The entry for jack in The Chambers Dictionary would fill a page if it were not spread over parts of two pages. Among the definitions, one finds jack[1] defined as (often with capital) a sailor.

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The natterjack[5] (also natterjack toad) is a small European toad which has a bright yellow stripe down its back and runs in short bursts.
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 Advanced 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)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon