Friday, July 24, 2020 — DT 29236

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29236
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29236]
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

Introduction

This puzzle garnered virtally universal praise on Big Dave's Crossword Blog and I have no hesitation in adding my voice to that chorus.

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	Hand over alcohol -- // it'll help when leaving the EU (8)

"alcohol " = PORT

Port^[5] (also port wine) is a strong, sweet dark red (occasionally brown or white) fortified^* wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine. The name is a shortened form of Oporto, a major port from which the wine is shipped.

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^* having had spirits added

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5a	Evil spirits // disturbed Slough (6)

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

10a	Euro result isn't fantastic -- embracing America /is/ a risky game to play (7,8)

11a	Regularly acts in that place (7)

The entire clue is both wordplay and definition, thus I have marked it with a double underline.

12a	Went to bed // really missing friend and bored (7)

13a	Is losing first hair? Editor/'s/ anxious (8)

15a	Be in power // shower, by the sound of it (5)

18a	More coarse // fish almost about to return (5)

The rudd^[5] is a European freshwater fish of the carp family with a silvery body and red fins.

20a	One who gives talks about parking next to European // driver (8)

 "parking " = P [symbol on street signs]

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

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

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^* 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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23a	Red // mark lethal? Not half! (7)

The Story Behind the Picture

The illustration for this (and the following) clue in Mr K's review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog shows Captain Scarlet, the title character of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons[7], often shortened to Captain Scarlet, a British science-fiction television series originally broadcast in 1967 and 1968. The series was filmed using a form of electronic marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation" combined with scale model special effects sequences. Set in 2068, the storyline concerns an interplanetary war between the inhabitants of Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. By the way, this programme is the source of the name "mysteron" used on Big Dave's Crossword Blog to identify mystery setters. It was the 2Kiwis who morphed this name into "Mr Ron". Chris Lancaster (now the puzzles editor for The Daily Telegraph) chose a variant of this, Mister Ron, to be his pseudonym on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. When he was appointed to his present position, people began referring to him as Mr Ed.

25a	England player perhaps cheers -- not out, // skipper! (7)

Cap^[5] is a British term for:

• a cap awarded as a sign of membership of a particular sports team, especially a national team [a team representing a country in international competition] ⇒ he has won three caps for Scotland
• a player to whom a cap is awarded ⇒ a former naval officer and rugby cap

Cheers^[5] is a British informal expression of gratitude or acknowledgement for something ⇒ Billy tossed him the key. ‘Cheers, pal.’.

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

In cricket, a player who is batting is said to be in^[5]. Conversely, a player who is fielding is said to be out^[5]. If you have not seen it before (or are need of a refresher), you may enjoy reading an explanation of cricket for a foreigner (which may well leave you unsure whether you are coming or going).

CRICKET: AS EXPLAINED TO A FOREIGNER...

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Simple!

Now, should you have not quite followed that explanation, here is my attempt to clarify the "ins" and "outs" of cricket:

You have two sides [teams], one out in the field and one in [batting]. Each man that's in the side [in Britain, one says "in a side" rather than "on a team"] that's in [batting] goes out [I believe this means that he forgoes the cucumber sandwiches in the clubhouse in order to go out to the playing area to bat], and when he's out [dismissed] he comes in [returns to the clubhouse for more cucumber sandwiches] and the next man goes in [bats] until he's out [dismissed]. When they are all out [all players (but one) on the batting side are dismissed], the side that's out [fielding] comes in [bats] and the side that's been in [batting] goes out [fields] and tries to get those coming in [to bat], out [dismissed]. Sometimes you get men still in [batting] and not out [Since batsmen must always bat in pairs, the team is dismissed once ten of the eleven players have been dismissed, leaving no partner for the lone remaining player. Although the team is "out" (dismissed), the eleventh played is said to be "not out".].

When a man goes out [from the clubhouse to the playing area] to go in [bat], the men who are out [fielding] try to get him out [dismissed], and when he is out [dismissed] he goes in [returns to the clubhouse] and the next man in [scheduled to bat] goes out [from the clubhouse to the playing area] and goes in [bats]. There are two men called umpires who stay out [on the playing area] all the time [(they never get to eat cucumber sandwiches)] and they decide when the men who are in [batting] are out [dismissed]. When both sides have been in [batted] and all the men have been out [dismissed], and both sides have been out [dismissed] twice after all the men have been in [batted], including those who are not out [the eleventh player who has batted but not been dismissed], that is the end of the game.

Note: In cricket, the division of play is called an 'innings', rather than an 'inning' as in baseball. The word "innings' (like the words 'fish' or 'sheep') can be either singular or plural. A cricket match consists of four innings^* (or sometimes two innings) with ten "outs" (dismissals) per innings. In cricket, each team's at bat is called an innings whereas, in baseball, each team's at bat constitutes a half inning. Thus, in baseball, the visiting team bats in the top of each inning and the home team bats in the bottom of each inning. In cricket, one side bats in the first and third innings and the other team bats in the second and fourth innings.

Simple! (although the remarks concerning the cucumber sandwiches may not be entirely accurate)

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26a	Cook in US: I've no clue about the French // type of cooking (8,7)

"the French " = LE [French definite article]

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

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27a	Still following the Spanish // team (6)

"the Spanish " = EL [Spanish definite article]

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

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Eleven^[5] (often appearing as a Roman numeral XI) is the number of players in^* a cricket^[7] side [team] or an Association football^[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒ at cricket I played in the first eleven.

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^* Note that, in Britain, the words "side" and "team" are synonymous and a player is said to be "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

28a	Most of a piece of cake eaten by poor // farm workers (8)

"A piece of cake"^[5] is used here in the informal sense of not at all difficult.

Pants^[5] is a British informal term meaning rubbish or nonsense ⇒ (i) It's not art - it's pants.; (ii) I thought I'd give it a go. Unfortunately, I'd not looked at the opinions of others..........boy, do I wish I had! It's pants. It really is a poor programme.

Down

1d	Shame about a Republican/'s/ correspondence (6)

"Republican " = R [member of US political party]

A Republican^[5] (abbreviation R^[5] or Rep.^[5])  is a member or supporter of the Republican Party^[5], one of the two main US political parties^*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.

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^* the other being the Democratic Party

Although, in the UK, republican^[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland, the abbreviation does not appear to apply to that usage.

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2d	Thought // son cut speed round the bend (9)

"son " = S [genealogy]

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

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^* married in 1991; one son and one daughter.

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As an anagram indicator, round the bend^[5] is used in the sense of mad or insane.

3d	Her pilot, up in the air, wanting love? This could help (7)

The entire clue provides the definition in which the wordplay is embedded. The portion of the clue with the double underline serves both as the wordplay as well as forming part of the definition.

A philtre^[5] (US philter) is a drink supposed to arouse love and desire for a particular person in the drinker; in other words, a love potion.

4d	Compass // needle moving right to the start (5)

6d	Composer with sign of hesitation -- // piece could be removed from here (7)

Gustave Holst^[5] (1874–1934) was an English composer, of Swedish and Russian descent. He made his reputation with the orchestral suite The Planets (1914–16). Other notable works: Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda (1908–12).

From a British perspective, piece^[5] is a North American informal term for a firearm.

7d	Golf club missing head, // say (5)

8d	Shooting // pain's beginning in gardening activity (8)

9d	Bird // food (8)

Bird^[10] is British slang for prison or a term in prison, especially in the phrase do (one's) bird. In this example of Cockney rhyming slang (show explanation ), bird is shortened from birdlime^*, rhyming slang for time (as in a prison sentence).

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^* Birdlime^[5] is a sticky substance spread on to twigs to trap small birds.

Rhyming slang^[5] is a type of slang that replaces words with rhyming words or phrases, typically with the rhyming element omitted. For example, butcher’s, short for butcher’s hook, means ‘look’ in cockney rhyming slang.

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Porridge is a British informal expression^* for either:

• jail^[1]
• time spent in prison^[5] ⇒ I’m sweating it out doing porridge

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^* The expression apparently derives from porridge once being the traditional breakfast in UK prisons.

The clue might also be considered to be a cryptic definition where "bird food" denotes 'prison grub' (porridge).

14d	Nip inside branch /for/ business chat (4,4)

Nip^[5] is a British informal expresssion meaning to go quickly ⇒ I'm just nipping down to the Post Office.

16d	Separation, // to a lion, is upsetting (9)

17d	Bearing // gifts for the listener (8)

19d	Dull // relative? That is very impolite, ultimately (7)

Rel.^[1,4,10,11] is shown by several dictionaries to be an abbreviation for relative; however, none give a particular context in which it might be used.

"very " = V [context uncertain]

The abbreviation v (or v.)^[1,2,5,10] stands for very.

Although this definition is found in most of my British dictionaries, it does not appear in any of my American dictionaries. Unfortunately no explanation is given as to the specific context in which one might encounter this usage. The only possibility that I can imagine is when combined with G as a grade of VG (very good) on school tests or assignments.

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21d	Makes a request /of/ one eating fruit? On the contrary (7)

Contrary By Convention
The phrase "on the contrary" tells the solver to reverse the logic or meaning of the statement immediately preceding it. Doing so restates the wordplay to read "fruit eating one".

22d	Starts // where thespians might be (6)

24d	Occupy // Vietnam? US endeavoured, to an extent (5)

25d	Hide // status? No time (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]   - 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