Friday, July 31, 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020 — DT 29241

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in
DT 29241
Publication Date in
Monday, December 23, 2019
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29241]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review
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

Although neither the queen consort nor the English novel were completely new to me, neither came readily to mind.

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   Switch positions // from time to time (2-3-3)

5a   Bright // cold bar (6)

10a   Carry out what is required, // as haulage firms do? (7,3,5)

Haulage company[5] [or haulage firm] is a British* term for a business concerned with the commercial transport of goods ⇒ haulage companies will have no option but to pass on the costs.}

* The equivalent term in North American might be trucking[5] company or transport company.

11a   Receive cut in advance // with enthusiasm (7)

12a   Get back // about demand for payment (7)

13a   Section of coastline there, also // heavenly (8)

15a   Animal /and/ large bird seen by river (5)

"large " = L [clothing size]

L[5] is the abbreviation for large (as a clothing size).

hide



The lemur[5] is an arboreal primate with a pointed snout and typically a long tail, found only in Madagascar.

18a   Hard leaving small community /for/ capital (5)

"hard " = H [grade of pencil lead]

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

hide

20a   Waste /getting/ fancy wigs to be seen during ball (8)

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes a pill as A spherical ball kicked about by children and childish adults.
While solving the puzzle, I had presumed that pill[10] was being used in the sense of a small ball of matted fibres that forms on the surface of a fabric through rubbing. However, after seeing Miffypops' comment, a bit of research revealed that (in some sports) pill[5] is an informal, dated, humorous term for a ball.

23a   Sword // nicked by young woman (7)

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, nick[5] is an informal British term meaning to steal ⇒ he'd had his car nicked by joyriders.

25a   The French stable worker /makes/ space (7)

"the French " = LE [French definite article]

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

hide

26a   Queen consort, during Belfast tour, reread // novel (9,6)

Catherine Parr[7] (1512–1548) was queen consort of England and Ireland (1543–47) as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII.



Flaubert's Parrot[7] is an award-winning novel by English writer Julian Barnes published in 1984. The novel recites amateur Gustave Flaubert* expert Geoffrey Braithwaite's musings on his subject's life, and his own, as he looks for a stuffed parrot that inspired the great author.

* Gustave Flaubert[5] (1821–1880) was a French novelist and short-story writer. A dominant figure in the French realist school, he achieved fame with his first published novel, Madame Bovary (1857). Its portrayal of the adulteries and suicide of a provincial doctor's wife caused Flaubert to be tried for immorality (and acquitted).

27a   Light // in attic, and leaky! (6)

28a   Canine found next to railway /could be/ mine (8)

Down

1d   Lots /of/ food? Not for starters (6)

Scratching the Surface
Starter[5] is another name* for an appetizer or the first course of a meal.

* although British dictionaries consider this term to be British[5] (or chiefly or mainly British[4,10,14]), this usage of the word would seem to have become well established in North America and is found in American dictionaries[3,12]

2d   A breather after climbing a high rocky hill /to find/ reptile (9)

"high rocky hill " = TOR

A tor[7] is a large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest. In the South West of England, the term is commonly also used for the hills themselves – particularly the high points of Dartmoor in Devon and Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

hide

3d   Several English, // assorted (7)

4d   Conflict involving old // offensive (5)

"old " = O [linguistics]

In linguistics, O[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i) OFr [Old French]; (ii) OE [Old English].

However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.

hide

6d   Serving US soldier in one's pub /is/ only to be expected (7)

"serving US soldier " = GI

A GI[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war.

Origin: Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

hide

Local[5] is a British informal term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒ had a pint in the local.

7d   One's played // Shakespearean heroine (5)

A viola[5] is an instrument of the violin family, larger than the violin and tuned a fifth lower.



Viola[5] is the protagonist of the play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare.

8d   Herb // garden enthralling the old lady (8)

Rosery[5] is a historical term for a rose garden.

9d   Fielder // curt with member (5,3)

In cricket, short leg[10] is the name of a fielding position on the leg side near the batsman's wicket or a fielder at this position.

* The leg[5] (also called leg side) is another name for the on[5] (also known as on side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg.

14d   International show certain /to get/ publicity (8)

16d   Men upset about the Spanish book on our // former PM (9)

"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]

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

hide explanation

"book " = B

The abbreviation for book is b[1] (or b.[1]) or B[12].*

* Although neither of the two dictionaries in which a listing for this abbreviation is found provide information on the context in which it is used, I would guess that it might be in publishing, in particular in bibliographies or footnotes and endnotes in academic works when referencing one or more books in a series of books ⇒ see b. 3, p. 233.

hide

17d   Definite // remedy (8)

Specific[5] is a dated term for a medicine or remedy effective in treating a particular disease or part of the body ⇒ he grasped at the idea as though she had offered him a specific for cancer.

19d   Pasta meal /in/ health centre, good dish wife ruled out (4,3)

"good " = G [academic result]

The abbreviation G[a] for good comes from its use in education as a grade awarded on school assignments or tests.

[a] Collins English to Spanish Dictionary

hide

"wife " = W [genealogy]

The abbreviation for 'wife' is w[1,2,12] or w.[3,4,10,11] [although no context is provided, it likely comes from the field of genealogy].

hide

Spag bol[5] is an informal British term for spaghetti bolognese[5] (also British spaghetti bolognaise), spaghetti served with a sauce of minced beef, tomato, onion, and herbs.

21d   What a gundog might do fetching // bird? (7)

The wagtail[5] is a slender Eurasian and African songbird with a long tail that is frequently wagged up and down, typically living by water.

22d   Ridiculous myths involving one // place where metal is worked (6)

24d   School // exercise (5)

25d   Rope // also tight round head of stallion (5)

As an anagram indicator, tight[5] is used in the informal sense of drunk ⇒ he got tight on brandy.



Key to Reference Sources: 

  [1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
  [2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
  [3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
  [4]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (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

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Thursday, July 30, 2020 — DT 29240

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in
DT 29240
Publication Date in
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Setter
Unknown
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29240 – Hints]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29240 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review
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

Google has marked the restart of the basehall season by throwing me a curve ball. Without warning — and midway through composing this review — they deployed a new editor on Blogger (the platform on which this blog runs). Suddenly, I had to adapt to a new way of doing many of the operations required in the creation of a post. It thus took much longer than normal to compose today's post. And you may notice some changes caused by the new editor. I've repaired the major damage but I haven't been able to deal with all the issues.

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   Tinker // a little, using starter only after car's repaired (6)

Tinker[5] is an informal British term for a mischievous child.

4a  They take you out on your birthday (8)

This was my last clue in. After the penny finally dropped, I thought it was brilliant. However, I see by her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog that crypticsue did not have a high opinion of it.

10a   A constituent /that's/ divorced? (5)

11a   After reforming, turn out educated /or/ self-taught? (9)

Ed.[1,2] is the abbreviation for educated or education. I am familiar with the abbreviation for the later word. The context in which the abbreviation for the former word is used is not provided by the sources; however, I would guess that it might appear in biographical notes to designate the educational institution(s) at which the person being profiled received their education.

12a   Bizarre, // retiring somewhere in California -- blunder by you and me? (7)

13a   Meadow pipit's home // with the most slender dimensions (7)

The pipit[5] is a mainly ground-dwelling Old World songbird of open country, typically having brown streaky plumage. There are many species including the meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis).

14a   They study // some fish, little ones (14)

17a   Club in Milan shifted painter to // rendering (14)

Football Club Internazionale Milano S.p.A., commonly referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan[7] outside of Italy, is a professional Italian football [soccer] club based in Milan, Lombardy, Italy that plays in Serie A, the top division of the Italian football league system.

Note: In her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, crypticsue has omitted some of the fodder from her explanation which should read:
  • INTER (Milan football club) followed by an anagram (shifted) of PAINTER TO
21a   One guarantees /being/ cool and confident, right? (7)

23a   Partly explode prototype spinning // missile (7)

24a   As spy at GCHQ eats, twit occasionally drops // food (9)

Scratching the Surface
Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ[7], is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance to the government and armed forces of the United Kingdom. There are two main components of the GCHQ, the Composite Signals Organisation (CSO), which is responsible for gathering information, and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is responsible for securing the UK's own communications. During the Second World War (under its original name, Government Code and Cypher School or GC&CS) it was located at Bletchley Park, where it was responsible for breaking the German Enigma codes.

25a   Collars -- // you probably have 20 of them (5)

26a   Paper from Paris wraps a // sparkling drink (8)

Le Monde[7] (English: The World) is a French daily evening newspaper continuously published in Paris since its first edition in December 1944. It is one of two French newspapers of record — the other being Le Figaro.

27a   Commercial about poet's inspiration // was funny (6)

Down

1d   Think twice about // Bible class with son falling behind idiots (8)

In the UK, religious education[10] (abbreviation RE[5]) is a subject taught in schools which educates about the different religions of the world.

"son " = S [genealogy]

In genealogies, s[5] is the abbreviation for son(s) m 1991; one s one d*.

* married in 1991; one son and one daughter.

hide

2d   University dons huntin' // marine creature (3,6)

3d   School of architecture // academy runs up to about the last month (3,4)

My parsing of the clue:
  • reversal of (runs up in a down clue) RA (academy; Royal Academy) + {TO (from the clue) containing (about) DEC (the last month; December)}
differs slightly from the explanation provided by crypticsue in her review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog:
  • A (academy) R (runs) TO (from the clue) ‘about’ DEC (December, the last month)
I note that her explanation does not account for the word "up" in the clue.

"academy " = RA

The RA is an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

hide



Art deco[5] was the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by precise and boldly delineated geometric shapes and strong colours and used most notably in household objects and in architecture.

5d   Eggheads /showing/ foolish elitist leaning (14)

6d   Slough/'s/ moderate Tory followed by fifty plus (7)

Wet[5] is an informal British term meaning:
  • (adjective) showing a lack of forcefulness or strength of character; in other words, feeble ⇒ they thought the cadets were a bit wet
  • (noun) a person lacking forcefulness or strength of character ⇒ there are sorts who look like gangsters and sorts who look like wets
In British political circles, the name wet[5] is applied to a Conservative with liberal tendencies ⇒ the wets favoured a change in economic policy. It is a term that was frequently used by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for those to the left of her in the British Conservative Party [which must have been just about everyone].



In the UK, slough[5,10] is another name for a swamp or bog.

Scratching the Surface
Slough[7] (rhymes with plough) is a large town in Berkshire, England, 20 miles (32 km) west of central London.

Slough[7] is also the name of a UK parliamentary constituency. The Conservatives gained the new Slough seat in 1983, and held it until 1997, when Labour gained the constituency.

7d   Dash /or/ run to be involved in the day victory came twice (5)

"run " = R [cricket notation]

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R[5] denotes run(s).

In cricket, a run[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.

hide

VE day[5] is the day (8 May) marking the Allied victory in Europe in 1945.

8d   Decorous // meeting in Kent? (6)

Kent[7] is a county in southeast (SE) England. Thus a meeting with a person of romantic interest in Kent might be called a "SE date".

9d   Official ghost writer's boss /should be/ charitable (6-8)

I believe public[2] is being used in the sense of provided by or run by central or local government.

15d   Outbreaks /of/ movie star Moore appearing in films like Exodus (9)

Demi Moore[7] is an American actress and film producer.

Exodus[7] is a 1960 American epic film on the founding of the modern State of Israel. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the film is based on the 1958 novel Exodus by Leon Uris.

16d   Approved // finale with men O'Connor maybe brought over (8)

"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.

hide

Des O'Connor[7] is an English comedian, singer and television presenter [host].

18d   Made of clay, // shell-like article held up by knight (7)

Believe it or not, shell-like[5] (noun) is an informal British term for a person's ear ⇒ This is because he has just had a word in the Pope's shell-like.

"knight " = N [chess notation]

A knight[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a horse’s head, that moves by jumping to the opposite corner of a rectangle two squares by three. Each player starts the game with two knights.

N[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].

As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines: 
  • K[2] as an abbreviation used in chess for knight. 
  • K[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a king. 
  • N[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a knight.
The dictionary fails to specify how one differentiates an abbreviation from a symbol.

On the other hand, both The Chambers Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary list K or K.[1,11] as an abbreviation for knight without specifying the specific context in which this abbreviation is used. However, the context may well be in an honours list rather than in a game of chess. In the UK, for instance, KBE[5] stands for Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

hide

19d   Acorn with slight mutation arising, my // word, that's initially important (7)

20d   Listen, playing // it adds the sparkle to Christmas (6)

22d   Nebulous body, // fighting between two sizes (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]   - TheFreeDictionarycom (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

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Wednesday, July 29, 2020 — DT 29239

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29239
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, December 20, 2019
Setter
Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29239]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By
Deep Threat
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

Well, I missed the pangram again! What else is new.

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   Christmas // spruce hiding one little girl (six) (8)

Nativity[5] is the Christian festival of Christ's birth; in other words, Christmas.

5a   Animals /in/ police cars (6)

Panda car[5] is an informal British term for a small police patrol car (originally black and white or blue and white).

While I can find no reference to confirm that these vehicles are referred to as simply "pandas" rather than "panda cars", I suppose they may be. If not, one can always interpret the clue as a cryptic definition rather than a double definition.

9a   No more beer /provided by/ business person (8)

Porter[5] is a dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature (originally made as a drink for porters).

10a   Fruit // one of five children brought to church (6)

Here and There
Quin[10] is the British equivalent to the North American term quint, short for quintuplet (in the sense of one of five offspring born at one birth).

"church " = CE [Church of England]

The Church of England[10] (abbreviation CE[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

hide

12a   Dreadful woe -- I'll // hide away (3,3)

13a   Maybe watch // moth consuming material? (8)

Split the solution (3,5) and you have a phrase which could describe a moth consuming a particular type of material or fabric.

Rep[5] (also repp) is a fabric with a ribbed surface, used in curtains and upholstery.



A repeater[5] is a watch or clock which repeats its last strike when required.

15a   Man remembered on Boxing Day /taking/ walk with female (7)

St Stephen[5] (died c.35) was a Christian martyr. One of the original seven deacons in Jerusalem appointed by the Apostles, he was charged with blasphemy and stoned, thus becoming the first Christian martyr. Feast day (in the Western Church) 26 December; (in the Eastern Church) 27 December.

16a   Almost 12? // Sleep (4)

20a   Girl // to wed, having given heart away (4)

Mary[5] is the mother of Jesus (this puzzle was published five days before Christmas in the UK).

21a   Decorator with fluid /in/ recreation facility (3,4)

25a   Getting better // sports ground finished before end of January (8)

Here and There
Rec[5] is an informal British term for recreation ground whereas in North America it is a short form for the word recreationthe rec centre. Thus while Brits conduct their sporting activities at the rec, North Americans might pursue theirs at the rec centre.

26a   Gangster, old-fashioned fellow /in/ hidden part of room? (6)

"gangster " = AL [Al Capone]

Al Capone[5] (1899–1947), nicknamed Scarface, was an American gangster of Italian descent. He dominated organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s and was indirectly responsible for many murders, including the St Valentine’s Day Massacre* .

* The St Valentine's Day Massacre[5] was the shooting on 14th February 1929 of seven members of the rival ‘Bugsy’ Moran's gang by some of Al Capone's men disguised as policemen.

Capone[7] was born in Brooklyn (New York) and began his life of crime in New York City before moving to Chicago. Capone inadvertently insulted a woman while working the door at a Brooklyn night club and was slashed by her brother Frank Gallucio. The wounds led to the nickname that Capone loathed: "Scarface". Capone's boss, racketeer Frankie Yale, insisted that Capone apologize to Gallucio, and later Capone hired him as a bodyguard. When photographed, Capone hid the scarred left side of his face, saying that the injuries were war wounds. Capone was called "Snorky", a term for a sharp dresser, by his closest friends.

hide

Cove[5] is a dated informal British term for a man he is a perfectly amiable cove.

Origin: Mid 16th century: perhaps from Romany kova ‘thing or person’.

28a   Encourages // good health! (6)

29a   Server // tries to move round -- was seen going outside (8)

30a   Cupid's companion, // one in a hurry (6)

31a   Explored // something growing maybe, having crossed bridge (8)

Down

1d   Requirement with second half of tale -- // one mustn't lose the thread (6)

2d   Person dumping waste // who may help 29 (6)

As a noun, tip[10] is a British term for a dump for refuse,  etc. and, as a verb, it means to dump (rubbish, etc.). A tipper[5] is a person who dumps waste, especially illegally.



The numeral "29" is a cross reference indicator to clue 29a (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

hide

3d   Extremely short opening /for/ drink (8)

4d   Part of forest re-examined -- // something growing therein? (4)

While the definition here does not stand entirely on its own (the adverb "therein" references the word "forest" from the wordplay), the connection between the two parts of the clue is not strong enough for me to consider this to be an all-in-one clue.

6d   /What's/ entertained // us -- dame cavorting (6)

The word "what's", despite being placed at the beginning of the clue, performs a role similar to that of a link word. Expressed in a simple declarative structure, the clue might read:
  • Entertained /that is/ us -- dame cavorting (6)
Of course, the surface reading makes no sense (which is why the setter chose not to employ this structure).

7d   Party people /in/ charitable activity (8)

"party " = DO

Do[5,12] is an informal British[5] or chiefly British[12] term* for a party or other social event the soccer club Christmas do.

* although Webster’s New World College Dictionary[12] supports the contention by Oxford Dictionaries Online[5] that this usage is British, two other US dictionaries do not characterize do[3,11] used in this sense as a British term

hide

8d   Sirs here supply // preprandial tipples? (8)

As an anagram indicator, supply[5] is a variant spelling of supplely[5], an adverb meaning 'in a supple manner'.

11d   Cleric has played lyre /in/ merry-making (7)

14d   Peter's quaking outside front of castle -- /there's/ something spooky (7)

17d   English doctor hurried /to be/ given a welcome (8)

"doctor " = MB

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree. 

Historically, Bachelor of Medicine was also the primary medical degree conferred by institutions in the United States and Canada. Throughout the 19th century, North American medical schools switched to the tradition of the ancient universities of Scotland and began conferring Doctor of Medicine rather than Bachelor of Medicine.

hide

18d   Biscuits? // They're exceptionally good (8)

Here and There
The British use the term biscuit[3,4,11] to refer to a range of foods that include those that would be called either cookies or crackers in North America.

A North American biscuit[5] is similar to what is known in Britain as a scone.



In the second definition, one must include "they're" in the definition as the solution works only as a plural noun.
Cracker[5] is an informal British term for:
  • a fine example of something  don't miss this cracker of a CD.
  • an attractive person, especially a woman  you look a cracker.
I initial supposed that the solution was an adjective, However, as an adjective, crackers[5] is an informal British term meaning insane or extremely angry.

19d   Home dull, nothing right? // I may help blow up balloons (8)

22d   A bit of carol /making one/ hostile (6)

23d   Man // to joke, having held record (6)

"record " = EP [extended play]

EP[10] (abbreviation for extended-play) is one of the formats in which music is sold, usually comprising four or five tracks. An EP contains more cuts than a single[5] but fewer than an LP or long-playing[5] record.

hide



Having encountered Mary at 20a, it is not surprising to find her husband nearby.

24d   Being terribly sedate, /gets/ leg pulled (6)

27d   Wise man maybe /in/ picture I brought out (4)

Mage[5] is an archaic or literary term for a magician or learned person.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat describes the solution as the singular form of the alternative name given to the Three Wise Men.
I immediately supposed that Deep Threat was referring to the term 'Magi' which is how the Three Wise Men are usually referred to (and for which the singular is magus[5]).

However, mage[5] is an anglicized form of Latin magus and therefore presumably its plural is mages.Thus, if one were to think of the Three Wise Men as the Three Mages, the singular form would indeed by 'mage'. Nevertheless, I must say that I can't recall ever having seen the Three Wise Men referred to in this fashion.
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