Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Wednesday, September 30, 2020 — DT 29284


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29284
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29284]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis
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

Jay seems to have upped the difficulty level a notch in today'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   On a trip with press, it transformed // cult leaders (4,7)

9a   Walrus, perhaps // has to hurt crossing over (9)

"over " = O [cricket term]

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation O[5] denotes over(s), an over[5] being a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

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Walrus[1] is an informal name for a walrus moustache[5], a long, thick, drooping moustache.

Do You Remember ... ?
This clue may stir memories for Ottawa hockey fans.


During the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoff quarterfinal series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators, Montreal player Brandon Prust referred to then Ottawa coach Paul MacLean as a "bug-eyed, fat walrus". The outcome? The "walrus" coached his team to a decisive victory — defeating the heavily favoured Canadiens in the best of seven series four games to one.

10a   Type /of/ sultanate on the east of Qatar (5)

Oman[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.

Scratching the Surface
Qatar[5] is a sheikhdom occupying a peninsula on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. The country was a British protectorate from 1916 until 1971, when it became a sovereign independent state. Oil is the chief source of revenue.

In the real world, Oman is southeast of Qatar and the two countries do not share a border.

Roman[5] is type of of a plain upright kind used in ordinary print, especially as distinguished from italic and Gothic.

11a   Vote in // case of reasonable performance (6)

A turn[5] is a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession ⇒ (i) Lewis gave her best ever comic turn; (ii) he was asked to do a turn at a children’s party.

12a   Watering hole /of/ a bloodsucker seen outside Delhi regularly (8)

Alehouse[5] is a dated term for an inn[5]* or public house[5]**.

* in the sense of a pub, typically one in the country, in some cases providing accommodation
** formal British term for pub

Scratching the Surface
Delhi[5] (also known as Old Delhi) is a walled city on the River Jumna in north central India, which was made the capital of the Mogul empire in 1638 by Shah Jahan (1592–1666).

Delhi is not to be confused with New Delhi[5], the capital of India, a city in north central India built 1912–29 to replace Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the capital of British India. With Delhi, it is part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

13a   Most important to net river and lake // fish (6)

The marlin[2] (also called spearfish) is a large fish found in warm and tropical seas which has a long spear-like upper jaw.

15a   America // developing muscle and losing Democrat (5,3)

"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]

A Democrat[5] (abbreviation D[5] or Dem[5] or Dem.[5]) is a member or supporter of the Democratic Party[5], one of the two main US political parties (the other being the Republican Party), which follows a broadly liberal programme, tending to support social reform and minority rights.

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Uncle Sam[5] is a personification of the federal government or citizens of the US. It is said (from the time of the first recorded instances) to have arisen as an expansion of the letters US.

18a   1950s youth /from/ current book featuring in play (5,3)

"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.

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Teddy boy[5] is a slang term originally applied to a young man belonging to a subculture in 1950s Britain characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff* and a liking for rock-and-roll music. The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the term Teddy boy[2] is now applied to any unruly or rowdy adolescent male.

* Quiff[3,4] is a chiefly British term for a prominent tuft of hair, especially one brushed up above the forehead.

19a   Eliminates // English jokes in speech (6)

21a   Uranium in reactor upset // union official (8)

"uranium " = U [chemical symbol]

The symbol for the chemical element uranium is U[5].

hide



Eurocrat[5] is an informal — and chiefly derogatory — term for a bureaucrat in the administration of the European Union.

23a   Work in regressive places /for/ bung (4,2)

"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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26a   Upset, a steward will admit // discrimination (5)

27a   Unexpected contender /may be/ mysterious, and worrying her so (4,5)

28a   Firearm found after lesson /is/ an antique (6,5)

A period piece[10] is an object, a piece of music, a play, etc, valued for its quality of evoking a particular historical period: often one regarded as of little except historical interest.

Down

1d   Boring // hospital doctor beset by signs of indecision (7)

"hospital " = H [symbol used on street signs]


H is a symbol for 'hospital' used on street signs.

hide

2d   Noise /made by/ little one after end of feeding (5)

3d   In a pretty poor // sort of suit for father? (9)

4d   Measure // edge (4)

5d   Squeal about fine // increasing (8)

Sing[10] is a mainly US slang term meaning to confess or act as an informer.

6d   This girl // owns up about artist (5)

"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.

hide

7d   Menu as set must include starter of bass /or/ ray (7)

8d   Urges // simple reforms covering university -- and succeeded (8)

"succeeded " = S [genealogy term]

The abbreviation s[5] stands for succeeded, in the sense of to have taken over a throne, office, or other position from ⇒ he succeeded Hawke as Prime Minister. It might be seen, for instance, it charts of royal lineages.

hide

14d   Aid workers, // looking embarrassed and annoyed (3,5)

16d   Sets fire to joint /as/ warning for sailors (9)

A lightship[5]  is a moored or anchored boat with a beacon light to warn or guide ships at sea ⇒ The boat was a lightship, essentially a lighthouse on a ship, a ship with a lighthouse stuck in the middle of it.

17d   Less enthusiastic about a new // riddle (8)

"new " = N [abbreviation used on maps]

N[5] is an abbreviation (chiefly in place names) for New ⇒ N Zealand.

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A riddle[5] is a large coarse sieve, especially one used for separating ashes from cinders or sand from gravel.

18d   Latent heat remaining should conceal // drama (7)

20d   Best // resume novel, picking up quietly (7)

"quietly " = P [music notation]

Piano[3,5] (abbreviation p[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide

22d   The chap wearing flat hat /is/ vulgar (5)

"The chap " = HE

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'.

hide

24d   Sample initially put into sterile // bag (5)

25d   Spirit /of/ writer transformed internally (4)

Biro[5] is a British trademark for a brand of ballpoint pen. However, the name is used generically for a ballpoint pen (in the same way that kleenex has become a generic term for facial tissue).

Origin: named after László József Bíró (1899–1985), the Hungarian inventor of the ballpoint pen



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]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
  [6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (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

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 — DT 29283


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29283
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Setter
Unknown
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29283]
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

A gentle "Tuesday" puzzle — which also happens to appear in Canada on a Tuesday, an event that comes to pass only once every five weeks.

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   Instructed // old king and old socialist (7)

Tutankhamen[5] (also Tutankhamun) (died c.1352 BC) (colloquially known as King Tut[7]) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, reigned c.1361–c.1352 BC. His tomb, containing a wealth of rich and varied contents, was discovered virtually intact by the English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

"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.

Another possibility arises from the British abbreviation OAP[5] standing for old-age pensioner.

hide

5a   Left // Dave struggling to contain lion? (7)

9a   Unlovely boy good /for/ church music (9)

"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



Plainsong[5] (also known as plainchant[5]) is unaccompanied church music sung in unison in medieval modes and in free rhythm corresponding to the accentuation of the words, which are taken from the liturgy.

10a   Dignified // knocking beer back (5)

11a   Arab // seen in Romania (5)

An Omani[5] is a native or inhabitant of Oman[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.

12a   Male is taken in by worthless // fortune-telling (9)

13a   Military command: // go after crippled U-boat (5-4)

16a   Admonish // Charlie, flogged outside (5)

"Charlie " = C [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]

In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Charlie[5] is a code word representing the letter C.

* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet

hide

17a   Ascetic's last to leave // German city (5)

An Essene[5] is a member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect of the period from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD in Palestine, who lived in highly organized groups and held property in common. The Essenes are widely regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.



Essen[5] is an industrial city in the Ruhr valley, in northwestern Germany.

18a   Cry, /having/ cut gathering fruit (4,1,4)

20a   Case /for/ governmental responsibility (9)

23a   Nasty bug /from/ priest keeping company (1,4)

"priest " = ELI

In the Bible, Eli[5] is a priest who acted as a teacher to the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1-3).

hide

25a   Criticise severely // when stopping nonsense (5)

26a   Canine, say, barking // regardless (2,3,4)

As an anagram indicator, barking[5] is used in an informal British sense meaning completely mad or demented ⇒ (i) we are all a bit barking; (ii) [as submodifier] has she gone completely barking mad?.

27a   Opponent takes over church /in/ ancient city (7)

"over " = O [cricket term]

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation O[5] denotes over(s), an over[5] being a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

hide

28a   Stylish // English worker holding on (7)

"worker " = ANT

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.

hide

"on " = LEG [cricket term]

In cricket, the on[5] (also known as on side) is another name for the leg[5] (also called leg 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.

The other half of the field is known as the off[5] (also called off side).

hide

Down

1d   Top CIA agent initially mixed // pudding (7)

2d   Headdress // so long one wears (5)

The exclamation ta-ra[5] is an informal Northern English expression meaning goodbye.

3d   Heroic animal // runs home to young Belgian adventurer (3,3,3)

"runs " = 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

Tintin[7] is the titular protagonist of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé, pen name of Georges Remi (1907–1983). A reporter and adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy, he appears as a young man, around 14 to 19 years old with a round face and quiff hairstyle.



Rin Tin Tin[7] (1918–1932) was a male German Shepherd who was an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, Lee Duncan, who trained Rin Tin Tin and obtained silent film work for the dog. Rin Tin Tin was an immediate box-office success and went on to appear in 27 Hollywood films, gaining worldwide fame. Since his death, succeeding generations of his descendants have borne the name (the current being Rin Tin Tin XII).

4d   Doctor round surgery // to wilt (5)

Op[5] is an informal short form for a surgical operation ⇒ a minor op.

5d   One unofficially upholding law // leaving it in ruins (9)

6d   Crumbs US soldier /gives/ dog (5)

Crumbs[5] (a euphemism for Christ) is an informal British term used used to express dismay or surprise  ‘Crumbs,’ said Emily, ‘how embarrassing.’.

Cor[5] is an informal British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm ⇒ Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!.

"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



The corgi[5] (also Welsh corgi) is a dog of a short-legged breed with a foxlike head.

7d   Firm line /taken in/ balancing act (9)

Tightrope[1] is being used figuratively in the sense of a middle course between dangerous or undesirable alterntives.

8d   Poem sung in act // held up (7)

A lay[5] is a short lyric or narrative poem meant to be sung ⇒ a minstrel recited a series of lays.

14d   Domestic support for alumnus // on the look-out (9)

"old boy " = OB

In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2])  is:
  • a former male student of a school or college ⇒ an old boy of Banbury County School
  • a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒ the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards
It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

hide

15d   Sun terribly mischievous /or/ concerned for others? (9)

Scratching the Surface
The Sun[7] is a daily tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland by a division of News UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian-born American publisher and media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

16d   Extra weight // that's in the boot? (5,4)

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

Tyre[5]  is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile part).

17d   Ransacked in Roma: pie // shops (7)

Scratching the Surface
Roma[5] is the Italian name for Rome.

19d   Intend to appear in torn // dress (7)

21d   Great lump // taken from turf at source (5)

22d   Some get a rollicking over // talk (5)

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, rollicking[5] is used in an informal British sense denoting a severe reprimand ⇒ I got the rollicking of my life; I just wanted to bury my head and die!.

24d   City /in/ South Africa in fine area (5)

"South Africa " = SA

SA[5] is the abbreviation for South Africa.

hide



Osaka[5] is a port and commercial city in central Japan, on the island of Honshu, capital of Kinki region.



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]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
  [6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (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, September 28, 2020

Monday, September 28, 2020 — DT 29282 (Published Saturday, September 26, 2020)

 
Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29282
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Monday, February 10, 2020
Setter
Campbell (Allan Scott)
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29282]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Miffypops
BD rating
Difficulty - ★ / ★★Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████
└────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
Legend:
- solved without assistance
- incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
- solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
- solved but without fully parsing the clue
- unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
- yet to be solved
Notes

This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, September 26, 2020 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Today's review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog is written by Miffypops under the pseudonym Elsie Longstaff who is a character from the The Good Companions, a 1929 novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. The book has had numerous stage, film, radio and television adaptations.

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   Which frames work /for/ picture? (3,3)

Top Hat[7] is a 1935 screwball musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and featuring songs written by Irving Berlin. The songs "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" and "Cheek to Cheek" have become American classics. Top Hat — Astaire's second most successful picture after Easter Parade — was the most successful picture of Astaire and Rogers' partnership and remains, to this day, the partnership's best-known work.

4a   Modern // refurbishment of auto dept (2-2-4)

10a   Vindictive // correspondent scrapping second page (5)

"page " = P [publishing]

In textual references, the abbreviation for page is p[5] see p 784.

hide

11a   Be ready to attack // untrue statement during delay (3,2,4)

I would modify Miffypops hint on Big Dave's Crossword Blog to read "A falsehood is followed by a preposition denoting during and a word that signifies a delay".

12a   Lively tot in pen /in/ rural dwelling (7)

Cottage[10] is used in the general sense of a small, simple house, especially in a rural area, rather than in the more specific North American sense of a vacation home.

13a   Godparent /may bring/ fancy spoons, right? (7)

Sponsor[5] is used in the sense of a godparent at a child's baptism.

14a   Former PM with detailed scheme involving one // military training area (9,5)

The Marquess of Salisbury[7] (1830–1903) was a British statesman. He served as prime minister three times (1885-1886, 1886-1892, 1895-1902) for a total of over thirteen years.



Salisbury Plain[7] is a chalk plateau in southern England. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known landmarks. Large areas are also given over to military training.

17a   Play // with great guy on island (3,3,8)

The Isle of Man[5] (abbreviation IOM[5]) is an island in the Irish Sea (show more ).

The island is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system. It was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.

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Man and Superman[7] is a drama written by Irish Playwright George Bernard Shaw in 1903 and first performed in 1905.

21a   Power /of/ politician installed in fancy suite (7)

"politician " = MP

In Britain (as in Canada), a politician elected to the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament[10] (abbreviation MP[5]) or, informally, as a member[5].

hide

23a   Hold water /for/ comedian (5-2)

I have not marked this as a double definition because the numeration of the first part does not match that given in the clue.

The phrase hold water[5] (often used with negative) denotes (of a statement, theory, or line of reasoning) appear to be valid, sound, or reasonable ⇒ this argument just does not hold water.

24a   Fungus // frog-like creatures also left (9)

25a   Runt finally spots // litter (5)

26a   Musician /given/ awful roasting (8)

27a   Bill, having little money, /shows/ stress (6)

The cent[5] is a monetary unit in various countries*, equal to one hundredth of a dollar, euro, or other decimal currency unit. However, in Britain — despite having adopted a decimal currency system — one hundredth of a pound is known as a penny rather than a cent.

* Collins English Dictionary lists some 85 jurisdictions having the cent[10] as a monetary unit worth one hundredth of their respective standard units (show list ).

American Samoa, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brunei, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, the United States, the Vatican City, the Virgin Islands, and Zimbabwe.

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Down

1d   Class actors // always given similar roles? (8)

2d   The old man accepting an order, and a // cigar! (9)

A panatella[5] (also panatela) is a long thin cigar.

3d   Listening intently, // a student attached to King's (3,4)

"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.

Automobile displaying an L-plate

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King Lear[7]* is a tragedy written in 1605 or 1606 by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616).

* Lear[5], a legendary early king of Britain, is mentioned by the 12th century Welsh chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1139; first printed in 1508), an account of the kings of Britain.

5d   Worrying profusely about rent? // I don't care! (6,8)

6d   Action that backfired? // Individual shot a line (3,4)

"line " = L [publishing notation]

In textual references, the abbreviation for line [of written matter] is l.[5] l. 648.

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Own goal[10] is an informal term for any action that results in disadvantage to the person who took it or to a party, group, etc with which that person is associated.

Origin: In soccer, an own goal[10] is a goal scored by a player accidentally playing the ball into his or her own team's net.

7d   Accumulate // a large amount (5)

8d   Complete // collection of religious books discovered in Ireland (6)

"collection of  religious books " = NT [New Testament]

In Crosswordland, the term "books" — or related phrases such as today's "collection of religious books" is commonly used to clue either the Old Testament (OT) or the New Testament (NT).

Today, as is often the case, the clue provides no indication whether the reference is to the former or the latter.

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Éire[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland and was the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.

9d   Sad material, female's arresting love // song (4,5,5)

"love " = O [nil score in tennis]

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

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"Blue Suede Shoes"[7] is a rock-and-roll standard written and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Carl Perkins in 1955.

15d   I'm to intercede // without delay (9)

16d   Photograph // crack after crack (8)

18d   Skilled worker // from Stuttgart is a nurseryman (7)

Scratching the Surface
Stuttgart[5] is an industrial city in western Germany, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, on the Neckar River.

19d   Flexible // European to carry on in charge (7)

"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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"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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20d   Restaurant /in/ street covered by writer (6)

Biro[5] is a British trademark for a ballpoint pen. In Britain, the name is used generically for a ballpoint pen (in the same way that kleenex has become a generic term for facial tissue).

Origin: named after László József Bíró (1899–1985), the Hungarian inventor of the ballpoint pen



Bistro[5] — a word which comes from French — denotes a small bar or informal restaurant.

22d   Phoned following parking // accident (5)

 "parking " = P [symbol on street signs]

Here and There
Ring[5] is an informal — more or less British (show more ) — term for:
  • (noun) a telephone call I'd better give her a ring tomorrow
  • (verb) to call by telephone I rang her this morningHarriet rang Dorothy up next day; (iii) she rang to tell him the good news

In North America, the word would seem to be more accepted as a noun (I'll give you a ring) than as a verb (I'll ring you). According to various dictionaries, the word ring used in this sense is:
  • (noun) British[2,5], chiefly British[4], mainly British[10,14], or not specified as being British[1,3,11,12]
  • (verb) British[5], chiefly British[2,3,4,12], mainly British[10,14], or not specified as being British[1,11]

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Prang[5] is an informal British term meaning:
  • (verb) to crash (a motor vehicle or aircraft) Ernie pranged his sports car last month
  • (noun) a crash involving a motor vehicle or aircraft he had numerous prangs and near misses in his motoring life



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]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
  [6]   - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (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