Monday, November 30, 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020 — DT 29329 (Published Saturday, November 28, 2020)


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29329
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Setter
Unknown
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29329]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
Tilsit
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, November 28, 2020 edition of the National Post.

As of March 28, 2020, The Daily Telegraph suspended the contests associated with its Saturday (and Sunday) puzzles due to logistical issues created by the COVID-19 situation. As a result, effective with this puzzle and continuing until such time as the contests are reinstated, you will find only a single post on Big Dave's Crossword Blog related to the Saturday puzzle. During this period, the post for the Saturday puzzle will be a full review in the same format as the posts for weekday puzzles.

Introduction

Just like in an Indiana Jones movie, the setter has laid some traps for the unwary.

See the note above regarding a change in format for posts on Big Dave's Crossword Blog dealing with puzzles published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturdays.

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 Doctor No's at place to trade in // 007's vehicle? (5,6)

James Bond[5] (known also by his code name 007) is a fictional British secret agent in the spy novels of English author Ian Fleming (1908 – 1964). Bond[7] is an intelligence officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6.

Bond's most famous car[7] is the silver grey Aston Martin DB5, first seen in Goldfinger; it later featured in Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall and Spectre.

Delving Deeper
In the early Bond stories Fleming gave Bond a battleship-grey Bentley ​4 1⁄2 Litre with an Amherst Villiers supercharger. After Bond's car was written off by Hugo Drax in Moonraker, Fleming gave Bond a Mark II Continental Bentley, which he used in the remaining books of the series. During Goldfinger, Bond was issued with an Aston Martin DB Mark III with a homing device, which he used to track Goldfinger across France. Bond returned to his Bentley for the subsequent novels.

The Bond of the films has driven a number of cars, including the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, during the 1980s, the V12 Vanquish and DBS during the 2000s, as well as the Lotus Esprit; the BMW Z3, BMW 750iL and the BMW Z8. He has, however, also needed to drive a number of other vehicles, ranging from a Citroën 2CV to a Routemaster Bus, amongst others.

Scratching the Surface
Dr. No[7] is the sixth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, first published in the UK in 1958. It was the first James Bond feature film of the Eon Productions series, released in 1962 and starring Sean Connery.

10a The ultimate // feature of some games (5)

Omega[5] is used in the sense of the last in a series ⇒ That's the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, and there's no exceptions.

Origin: Omega[5] is the last letter of the Greek alphabet (Ω, ω).

11a It's more alarming admitting if // one means to break up (9)

A scarifier[5] is a tool with spikes or prongs used for breaking up matted vegetation in the surface of a lawn.

12a Every Russian in sporty car // to gad about (9)

Ivan[7] is a Slavic male given name, a variant of the Greek name Iōánnēs (English: John) from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן Yôḥānnān meaning 'God is gracious'. It is worldwide associated with Russia and it's culture and is very popular in that country. It also enjoys a near monopoly among Russian denizens of Crosswordland.

GT[2] (abbreviation for Italian Gran Turismo, which translates as "grand touring" in English) is a name given to certain fast but comfortable sports cars.

13a Little chap // beginning to thrive before long (5)

Titch[5] (also tich) is an informal British term for a small person ⇒ the titch of the class.

14a Colourless // football team switching pair at the back (6)

Albion[7] is the name of many football [soccer] teams in the UK (Wikipedia lists an even dozen). Two of these clubs compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system:
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Deep Threat omits mention of the Brighton & Hove team (perhaps because they are commonly known as Brighton rather than Albion) in favour of Burton Albion Football Club[7], a third-tier club from the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England (a county that borders Cheshire where he lives). In any case, I expect the first team to come to mind in most people's minds would be West Brom.

16a A kiss cut short to show affection /for/ one that may be related (8)

18a What's brought /from/ food shop before jolly (8)

Jolly[5] (adverb) is an informal British term meaning very or extremely ⇒ he is jolly busy.

20a Hospital cutting top-class medication /that's/ on the rise (6)

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


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

hide

"top-class " = 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).

hide

23a Bridge players perhaps // unpleasant creatures when losing the lead (5)

"bridge player " = EAST (plural EASTS)

In the card game bridge, North[5] (N) and South[5] (S) comprise one partnership and play against East[5] (E) and West[5] (W) who form the other partnership.

hide

24a & 26a
Vehicle for 007 // damaged slightly evading hit (3,6,9)

The Living Daylights[7] is a 1987 spy film and the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, the first of two to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story "The Living Daylights", the plot of which also forms the basis of the first act of the film.

26a See 24a

27a For Frenchman, extremely small // lock (5)

In French, très[8] is an adverb meaning 'very'.

"small " = S [clothing size]

S[5] is the abbreviation for small (as a clothing size).

hide

28a Characters showing relief /from/ disturbed rest slept round about (11)

Relief[5] is a method of moulding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface, to a greater (high relief) or lesser (low relief) extent.

Letterpress[10] is a method of printing in which ink is transferred from raised surfaces to paper by pressure; also known as relief printing.

As ChrisH points out in Comment #37 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, letterpress is called relief printing not because "the letters are raised from the paper" (as Deep Threat states in his review) but because the surface of the type is raised.

Down

2d Use artillery /for/ cover (5)

3d Group of stars gathering at // address (7)

In astronomy, Orion[5] (also Orionis)  is a conspicuous constellation (the Hunter), said to represent a hunter holding a club and shield. It lies on the celestial equator and contains many bright stars, including Rigel, Betelgeuse, and a line of three that form Orion's Belt.

4d Fail to find // motorway covering Scottish island (6)

Motorway[2,5] (abbreviation M[5]) is a British, Australian, and New Zealand term for a dual-carriageway road [divided highway] designed for fast-moving traffic, especially one with three lanes per carriageway [direction of travel] and limited access and exit points [controlled access].

Islay[5] is a large island which is the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides, south of Jura.

5d Organist somehow // dressing down (8)

6d Stupid // African despot for the listener (7)

Idi Amin Dada[7] (c. 1925–2003) was the third President of Uganda, ruling from 1971 to 1979. As commander of the Ugandan Army, he led a military coup in January 1971 that deposed Milton Obote. (show more )

In 1977, when Britain broke diplomatic relations with Uganda, Amin declared he had defeated the British and added "CBE", for "Conqueror of the British Empire", to his title.

Amin's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000.

hide

7d Lout with money // just about fit for purpose (5-3-5)

Rough[5] (noun) is used in a British sense meaning a disreputable and violent person ⇒ the rear of the column was attacked by roughs.

Ready[5,10] or the ready[10] (also called readies or the readies) is an informal British term for ready money[5,10] (also called ready cash), funds for immediate use or, in other words, available money or cash Because I haven't got the readies to hand, I could offer a pittance now and promise to pay the rest at a date more to my convenience.



The phrase fit for purpose[2] means (of an institution, facility, etc.) well equipped or well suited for its designated role or purpose.

Rough and ready[2] denotes quickly prepared and not polished or perfect, but usually good enough for the purpose.

8d Visit our amazingly // talented musicians (8)

9d Indiana Jones perhaps // loathes a corgi barking (13)

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?.



Indiana Jones[7] is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

15d Sweet // shot? (5-3)

A bull's-eye[2] is a large 'hard' round peppermint sweet [candy].

17d Note // time absorbed in handicraft (8)

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.

19d Trace // viewer regularly introducing Top Gear driver (7)

I must make a small correction to Deep Threat's parsing of  the wordplay on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. It should read "the alternate letters of the word VIEWER, plus containing the name of a character from the TV series Top Gear.".

Top Gear[7] is a British motoring magazine programme which airs on the BBC. The Stig[7] is a character featured on the show whose identity is kept anonymous. The character wears a racing suit and full-face helmet with black visor to conceal their identity. The show is currently on its third Stig, the identity of the first two having been exposed — the first in a newspaper article and the second in court proceedings.

21d Love potion /makes/ Duke of Edinburgh tango with the queen (7)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh[7] is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. He may be known as Phil to close associates as well as to the headline writers of British tabloids.

"tango " = T [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]

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

* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet

hide

"the queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

* A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.

hide

22d Removing vice from China perhaps /is/ a hard problem (6)

25d Plans // advanced in certain days in Rome (5)

I would say that "certain days in Rome" refers not to "the middle days of a Roman month" (as Deep Threat expresses it in his review) but to "the middle days of (several) Roman months". Whereas the ides of March is a single day (the15th of March), the ides of January, February and March would be three days (the 13th of January, the 13th of February, and the 15th of March).

" advanced " = A [advanced level academic qualification]

In the UK (with the exception of Scotland), A level[5] (advanced level[5]) is a qualification in a specific subject typically taken by school students aged 16-18, at a level above GCSE[5] (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

hide explanation

In the ancient Roman calendar, ides[5] was a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.



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

Saturday, November 28, 2020

Saturday, November 28, 2020 — Monochrome

Introduction

I found the parsing in today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to be tricky in places. In several clues, I was able to easily spot the solution from the definition and/or checking letters but then struggled to parse the clue.

Happy Thanksgiving (albeit a bit belated) to readers south of the border.

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 Miss score, absorbed by chance // underground traffic (5,6)

B(LACK| MARK)ET — {LACK (miss) + MARK (score; scratch)} contained in (absorbed by) BET (chance)

9a Gifts // a Liberal put in shelters (7)

T(A|L)ENTS — {A (†) + L(iberal)} contained in (put in) TENTS (shelters)

10a Threat to trespassers // repeated phrase by chief of police (7)

MANTRA|P — MANTRA (repeated phrase) + (by) P (chief [initial letter] of Police)

11a In brouhaha, vociferous // confusion (5)

_HA/VOC_ — hidden in (in) brouhaHA VOCiferous

12a Appearing in March, stylish // royal (9)

M(ON)AR|CHIC — ON (appearing) contained in (in) MAR (March; abbrev.) + CHIC (stylish)

13a Curve // a pitch, with a hit coming back (8)

{PAR|A|BOL|A}< — reversal of (coming back) {A (†) + LOB (pitch) + (with) A (†) + RAP (hit)}

14a Matrimonial // headgear for a nag, so to speak (6)

BRIDAL~ — sounds like (so to speak) BRIDLE (heargear for a nag)

17a Experimental subject // in Quebec: the rotten child (3,3)

LA|B RAT — LA (in Quebec: the; feminine form of the French definite article) + BRAT (rotten child)

19a Made gloomy // commercial interrupting broadcast (8)

SH(AD)OWED — AD (commercial) contained in (interrupting) SHOWED (broadcast)

22a Wines put inside leave a blemish on // snazzy vehicle (6,3)

S(PORTS) CAR — PORTS (wines) contained in (inside) SCAR (leave a blemish on)

24a Conservative requests barrels (5)

C|ASKS — C(onservative) + ASKS (requests)

26a 1920s style associated with booze // etiquette (7)

DECO|RUM — DECO (1920s style; shortened variant name for Art Deco[7]) + (associated with) RUM (booze)

27a Article in a painting, // essentially (2,5)

A(T HE)ART — THE ([definite] article) contained in (in) {A (†) + ART (painting)}

28a Recall how it affected // one sort of crime (5-6)

{WHITE COLLAR}* — anagram of (affected) RECALL HOW IT

Down

1d Set // time taken by German composer (5)

BA(T)CH — T(ime) contained in (taken by) BACH (German composer; Johann Sebastian Bach[7])

2d Ubiquitous // American League fan (3-4)

AL|L OVER — AL (American League[7]; one of two leagues comprising Major League Baseball) + LOVER (fan)

3d Big rack on awfully // dangerous creature (4,5)

{KING COBRA}* — anagram of (awfully) BIG RACK ON

4d Fit about clutter brought back // marshal (8)

A(SSEM<)BLE — ABLE (fit) containing (about) reversal of (brought back) MESS (clutter)

5d I’m involved in knockout, with no // robe (6)

K(IM)O|NO — IM (I'm) contained in (involved in) KO (knock out) + (with) NO (†)

6d Register // number of fingers on the other hand (5)

TEN|OR — TEN (number of fingers) + OR (on the other hand)

7d Tolkien villain concealed // flower (6)

ORC|HIDORC[7] (Tolkien villain) + HID (concealed)

8d Riding in snowmobile, kiss // Dotty? (8)

S(PECK)LED — PECK (kiss) contained in (riding in) SLED (snowmobile)

13d Fence // royal assistant for audition (8)

PALISADE~ — sounds like (for audition) PALACE AIDE (royal assistant)

15d Red leaves // small volume with greeting in wireless device (9)

RADI(CC|HI)O — {CC (small volume; cubic centimetre) + (with) HI (greeting)} contained in (in) RADIO (wireless device)

16d Maintaining touch, support // deficit (8)

SHOR(TAG)E — SHORE (support; as in to shore up a collapsing embankment) containing (maintaining; holding, as an opinion) TAG (touch)

18d Bring up // ornamental pin in speech (6)

BROACH~ — sounds like (in speech) BROOCH (ornamental pin)

20d Holiday quaff // was prior to voyage (7)

WAS|SAIL — WAS (†) preceding (prior to) SAIL (voyage)

21d Rascal with one // seafood dish (6)

SCAMP|I — SCAMP (rascal) + (with) I ([Roman numeral] one)

23d Intentionally lose // most of the argument (5)

TH_|ROW — TH (most of THe) + ROW (argument)

25d Celebrity holding island // instrument (5)

S(I)TAR[7] — STAR (celebrity) containing (holding) I(sland)

Epilogue

There is not much doubt about the theme today; in fact, I would say it is pretty black and white.



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

Friday, November 27, 2020

Friday, November 27, 2020 — DT 29328


Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29328
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Friday, April 3, 2020
Setter
proXimal (Steve Bartlett)
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29328]
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

Once again, I failed to notice that the puzzle is an X-less near-pangram — the hallmark of proXimal (who reasons that the X in his pseudonym completes the pangram).

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 Small tip: books // tell us lots (5,7)

"small " = S [clothing size]

S[5] is the abbreviation for small (as a clothing size).

hide

9a Broadcast on fine // trade show (4)

"fine " = F [grade of pencil lead]

F[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead.

Note: Surprisingly, Oxford Dictionaries Online characterizes this usage as British

hide

10a Spice Girl content in journey // somewhere in Australia (9)

The Spice Girls[7] are an English pop girl group formed in 1994. The group comprises Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie Chisholm, Mel C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice") and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). With their "girl power" mantra, the Spice Girls were pop culture icons of the 1990s.



Melbourne[5] is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria, located in the south-eastern part of the country, on the Bass Strait opposite Tasmania. It became state capital in 1851 and was capital of Australia from 1901 until 1927. It is a major port and the second largest city in Australia.

12a Indifference /in/ course in outskirts of Aylesbury (6)

Scratching the Surface
Aylesbury[5] is a town in south central England, the county town of Buckinghamshire.

13a Plump guide sadly // exhausted (8)

15a Again find // sample of Everywhere: disco version (10)

Scratching the Surface
"Everywhere"[7] is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac from their fourteenth studio album Tango in the Night (1987).

16a Gamble on a // character from Greece (4)

Beta[5] is the second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β).

18a Reptiles // like empty places (4)

Asp is a name given to at least four different species of snakes (show more ):

  • the European asp[7], a small southern European viper (Vipera aspis) with an upturned snout.
  • the Egyptian cobra[7] (Naja haje), one of the largest cobra species native to Africa, second to the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca).
  • the Saharan horned viper[7] (Cerastes cerastes), a venomous viper species native to the deserts of Northern Africa and parts of the Middle East.
  • the Saharan sand viper[7] (Cerastes vipera), also known as the Egyptian asp or Cleopatra's asp, a venomous viper species endemic to the deserts of North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

hide

20a Hell uncovered during show /that's/ unseemly (10)

23a Delighted to welcome European, very // lofty (8)

"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.

hide

"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.

hide

24a Regularly action team attached to a // leisure venue (6)

Cinema[5] is the British name for a movie theatre.

26a Scout // I note runs, following sport on playing field (9)

"note " = TE [in tonic sol-fa, the seventh note of a major scale]

From a perusal of entries in American and British dictionaries, I gather that the only recognized spelling of this musical note in the US would be ti[3,11,12] while British dictionaries are split into two camps. On one side, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary and Collins English Dictionary give the principal spelling as te[2,4,10] with ti[2,4,10] being an alternative spelling. The Chambers Dictionary and Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) take the contrary position, giving the spelling as ti[1,5] with te[1,5] shown as an alternative spelling.

Note that the sister publications, The Chambers Dictionary and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, are diametrically opposed on the issue and Oxford Dictionaries has done a complete about face as I have notes in my files from a previous review showing that "Oxford Dictionaries decrees that te is the British spelling with ti being the North American spelling".

hide

"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

"sport " = RU [rugby union]

Rugby union[10] (abbreviation RU[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).

Rugby union[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.

hide

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 recreational activities at the rec, North Americans pursue theirs at the rec centre.



Scout[5] is short for talent scout ⇒ Mornington were so successful that league clubs sent scouts to watch a number of the players.

27a Burn // boat after king's left (4)

A ketch[5] is a two-masted, fore-and-aft rigged sailing boat with a mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder and smaller than its foremast.

"king " = K [playing card or chess notation]

K[5] is an abbreviation for king that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

hide

28a Send one terms about // driving offence records (12)

In the UK, a note on a driving licence recording the penalty points incurred for a driving offence is known as an endorsement[5].

Down

2d Buy // tea, going into wallet (8)

Cha (also chai) is a variant spelling of char[5], an informal British name for tea [in the sense of a drink].

3d A queen, gracious // host (4)

"Queen " = R [regina]

Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.

Q[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

Qu.[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.

In the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms*, Regina[5] (abbreviation R[5]) [Latin for queen] denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth — often shortened to ER) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina 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.

Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution[7].


hide

4d One making choice to keep broken metal // item of circuitry (10)

Voltameter
[10] is another name for coulometer[10], an electrolytic cell for measuring the magnitude of an electric charge by determining the total amount of decomposition resulting from the passage of the charge through the cell.

5d Chance to share // small room with relative (4-2)

Loo[5] is an informal British term for a toilet [either as a room or a plumbing fixture].



Look-in[5] is an informal British expression denoting a chance to take part or succeed in something ⇒ (i) Poor old Eighties fashions hardly get a look-in; (ii) They didn't let Dublin's forwards get a look-in in the last 15 minutes.

6d Damage most of monarch/'s/ tent (7)

7dRoadside observers // a Merc passed travelling around Spain (5,7)

"Spain " = E [IVR code]

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E*[5] (from Spanish España).

Spanish Licence Plate Format
(The IVR code is on the left below the EU flag emblem)

hide

Scratching the Surface
In the UK, Merc[5] is an informal name for a Mercedes car* .

* I would say that North Americans would apply the name Merc to a different automobile, the Mercury — even though this brand has been defunct since 2010 (show more ).

Mercury[7] is a defunct division of the American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Marketed as an entry-level premium brand for nearly its entire existence, Mercury was created in 1938 by Edsel Ford. Forming half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division, the brand was intended to bridge the price gap between the Ford and Lincoln vehicle lines. In a similar context, Buick and Oldsmobile played the same role within General Motors while the Chrysler Division did so within Chrysler Corporation (following the end of DeSoto and the creation of Imperial).

hide

8d A Zulu in severe // danger (6)

"Zulu " = Z [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]

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

* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet

hide

11d Bearing cost about fiver in the end, // without delivery charge (8-4)

Carriage-free*[1] is a [likely British**] term meaning without charge for transport.

* The Chambers Dictionary is the only source in which I found this term.
** Since the word carriage[5] is a British term for the conveying of goods or passengers from one place to another, a compound formed with it is almost certainly British as well.

Scratching the Surface
Fiver[5] is an informal British name for a five-pound note.

14d Have cold in shelter on // High Street, or thereabouts (4,6)

In the UK, high street[5] is the term used for the main street of a town, especially as the traditional site for most shops, banks, and other businesses ⇒ the approaching festive season boosted the high street. In the same way that many North American towns have a Main Street, many British towns have a High Street.

Town centre[5] denotes the central part or main business and commercial area of a town ⇒ parking charges in the town centre are putting people off shopping.

17d Studious // learner involved in editing novel (8)

"learner " = 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

hide

19d Ran through // coastal structure erected last month (7)

21d Business /acquiring/ clubs in New York after some time (6)

"clubs " = C [card suit]

Clubs[2]) (abbreviation C[1]) is one of the four suits of playing-cards.

hide

22d Big cat/'s/ junior imbibing water in Spain (6)

The Spanish word for 'water' is agua[8].

25d Real // regret after end of engagement (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]   - 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