Tuesday, September 14, 2010 (DT 26266)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, June 14, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26265 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 12, 2010

Introduction

I made steady progress through today's puzzle. That is, until I reached the last clue to remain unsolved (6d), at which point I stalled. After floundering around for quite some time, I finally realized that the clue is a double definition where both of the definitions are, in all likelihood, British slang.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Clues:

bottle - noun 2 British informal the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous: I lost my bottle completely and ran

neck - noun 6 colloquial impudence; boldness

have the neck to do something - informal have the impudence or nerve to do something

Used in Solutions:

porter - noun 2 dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature [originally made as a drink for porters]

tick someone off - phrasal verb 1 British informal reprimand or rebuke someone:

• he was ticked off by Angela
• (as noun ticking off) he got a ticking off from the magistrate

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26266].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

10a Kingdom not fancied by many (9)

Several substitutions appear in today's puzzle that, while you will never find them in a dictionary, have become conventions in cryptic crosswords. One of them is the use of the word "many" to mean a large Roman numeral such as L (fifty), C (one hundred), D (five hundred) or M (one thousand). The specific Roman numeral is rarely, if ever, precisely identified. One must just pick the one that fits.

Here the definition is "kingdom" and the wordplay is REAL (not fancied) + M (many) giving the solution REALM.

The first time that I encountered such a clue, I supposed that the M must be an abbreviation for the word "many". I was quickly set straight by an experienced solver from across the pond.

1d Record attendance of pupils for lecture (4,3)

The solution to this clue will be a puzzle to North Americans until they discover that, in Britain, the expression tick off means to "reprimand or rebuke", in other words, to lecture. On this side of the Atlantic, tick off means "make someone annoyed or angry". Granted one might well be ticked off (in the North American sense) by being ticked off (in the British sense).

This clue is a double definition with the two definitions being "lecture" and "record attendance of pupils", each of which means TICK OFF (at least, they do to the Brits).

4d A point we follow up, once more (4)

Here we have another crossword convention, one that is a bit more obvious than the one discussed at 10a. The word "point" very frequently indicates an abbreviation for one of the four cardinal points of the compass, namely N, S, E or W. Again the specific one is usually not specified.

Here the definition is "once more" and the wordplay is A + N (point) + (follow) a reversal (up) of WE producing the solution ANEW.

6d Bottle neck (5)

This was the last clue to be solved today. It is a double definition where the two definitions are each slang expressions meaning NERVE. The first of these is definitely British and the second is also almost certainly British (judging by the fact that this meaning seems to be found only in the British dictionaries).

18d Refuse to vote, putting Jack on the spot (7)

There are several words and abbreviations that can stand for "sailor" in cryptic crosswords. Here, we encounter one in the clue itself and another in the solution. The one used in the clue is Jack [American Heritage Dictionary, noun 2c and Collins English Dictionary, noun 2] (possibly a shortened version of Jack tar) and the one used in the solution is AB (an abbreviation for able seaman, a rank of sailor in the Royal Navy above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman). Of course, another abbreviation that may be used is OS for ordinary seaman. Other words that can mean sailor include the word tar on its own and jolly (British slang for a Royal Marine [Collins English Dictionary, noun 3]).

In this clue, the definition is "refuse to vote" and the wordplay is AB (Jack) + (on, in a down clue) STAIN (the spot) resulting in the solution ABSTAIN.

20d Female entertainer (7)

My first reaction is "What is cryptic about this clue?". After thinking about it, I have concluded that, in the surface reading, the setter intended the solver to think of entertainer in the sense of "a person, such as a singer, dancer, or comedian, whose job is to entertain others", while in the cryptic reading, he uses entertain in the sense of "receive (someone) as a guest and provide them with food and drink". Thus a "female entertainer" is a "female who entertains". However, no matter how hard I try to find some redeeming quality in this clue, it just does not resonate with me.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, September 13, 2010 (DT 26264)

This puzzle, by Giovanni, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Friday, June 11, 2010

Introduction

Like many of the Brits, it took me a while to discover an entry point. However, once one was found, I was able to progress steadily through the puzzle.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

carpe diem - exclamation used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future; Origin: Latin, 'seize the day!', a quotation from Horace (Odes i.xi)

chat show - [Collins English Dictionary] noun British a television or radio show in which guests, especially celebrities, are interviewed informally [US name talk show]

OS - abbreviation Ordinary Seaman

River Dart - a river in Devon, England

sandgrouse - noun a species of bird related to pigeons, living in sandy areas of the Old World, with long pointed wings and feathered legs

screw - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun 8. Chiefly British Slang a. Salary; wages

wicket - 2 (also wicket door or wicket gate) a small door or gate, especially one beside or in a larger one

Today's Links
Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26264].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

9a Bird soared and guns fired (4,6)

While the setter seems to think that the solution is two words, Oxford, Chambers and Collins disagree. However, the American Heritage Dictionary supports his view, so this may be an Americanized version of the spelling.

3d Like a scarlet woman, maybe, but not blonde (3-6)

A scarlet woman is "a sexually promiscuous woman, especially a prostitute". While that meaning may factor into the surface reading, it does not seem to play a part in the cryptic reading. Gazza suggests that red-headed can mean "angrily excited or flushed (scarlet) with anger" although I failed to find such a definition in my reference sources.

16d Criticise pitch with which you get one wicket? (9)

A cricket pitch is supposed to have two wickets, so one could legitimately criticise one where there was only one. However, the cryptic reading has nothing to do with cricket, as Gazza explains in his review.

I knew from its appearance in previous puzzles that a wicket can be a gate. However, in searching for a link to include in Today's Glossary, I was surprised to see that the meaning of wicket with which I am most familiar ("an opening in a door or wall, often fitted with glass or a grille and used for selling tickets or a similar purpose") is a North American usage.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, September 11, 2010 - Undiagnosed Theme

Introduction

I haven't been able to discern the theme of today's offering from Cox and Rathvon. I had a suspicion that the names Pat (1a) and Tony (29a) might factor into it, but could not seem to make that lead to anything conclusive. The last time this happened, a sharp-eyed reader was able to find a theme that had escaped me. Perhaps that will be the case again today.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Clues:

King Arthur - legendary Briton king whose most famous castle and court was known as Camelot

Used in Solutions:

Saint Alban - the first British Christian martyr

Mark Antony - Roman politician and general, a character in two of William Shakespeare's plays, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra

Camelot - the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur

Cheyenne - a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family

Ossie Davis (1917-2005) - an African-American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer and social activist

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) - an American jazz and song vocalist

Mel Gibson - an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter

Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette - a French aristocrat and military officer who was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution

Anne Murray - a Canadian singer

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) - an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic

Saturnalia - noun [treated as singular or plural]

• the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December, a period of general merrymaking and the predecessor of Christmas
• an occasion of wild revelry or indulgence: a saturnalia of shopping

Tony Award - this award, formally the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, recognizes achievement in live American theatre

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a Stroke Ms. Fitzgerald's kneecaps (8)

The definition is "kneecaps" and the wordplay is PAT (stroke) + ELLAS (Ms. [Ella] Fitzgerald's) producing the solution PATELLAS. Dictionaries are divided on the spelling of the plural form of the word patella, with some (American Heritage, Cambridge, Collins, and Oxford) sticking solely to the classical spelling patellae, others (Chambers, Encarta, Merriam-Webster, Random House) accepting both patellae and patellas, and one (Macmillan Dictionary) listing only patellas. Thus it would appear that the British dictionaries (with the exception of Chambers) hold to the "classical spelling only" school of thought, while the American dictionaries (with the exception of American Heritage) appear to accept also the Americanized (?) spelling. Macmillan is unique in not including the classical spelling at all.

By the way, Macmillan was founded as a British publisher. It established an American presence which was later sold off and became a separate entity. The two companies were subsequently both bought up by the German media giant, Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.

27a Relax with Dad, eating one's candies (9)

The definition is "candies" and the wordplay is {LOLL (relax) + POPS (Dad)} containing I (one). While some solvers might have been tempted to suppose that Dad = POP and that the final S comes from the word "one's", this interpretation is not supported by the wordplay. In the surface reading, the 's indicates a possessive (one's candies). However, in the cryptic reading, the 's is a contraction for the word "is" and serves as a link word between the wordplay and the definition (with the structure of the clue being "the wordplay is the definition"). Thus, for the purpose of cryptic analysis, the clue can be expanded to read "Relax with Dad, eating one /is\ candies".

Note: For reader's unfamiliar with the notation above, the symbol "/\" (called a fulcrum) is inserted in a cryptic crossword clue for illustrative purposes to indicate the division between the wordplay and the definition. In this case, we have an explicit fulcrum (a clue in which there are link word(s) joining the wordplay to the definition). In such cases, the link word(s) are written within the fulcrum symbol, as shown above. In other cases, such as clue 30a in today's puzzle the fulcrum is implicit (i.e., there are no link word(s) in the clue) and the clue would be written as "Press /\ feathers on a grizzly?".

21d Choose a low voiced woodwind (7)

The definition is "woodwind" and the wordplay tells us that we are looking for a word that sounds like (voiced) something that would be equivalent to "choose a low". The solution is PICCOLO which sounds like PICK (choose) A LOW. There is a nice bit of misdirection in the wordplay, as a piccolo is actually a rather high voiced instrument.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition
	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a PAT|ELLAS - PAT (stroke) + ELLAS (Ms. [Ella] Fitzgerald's)

5a WRECKS~ - sounds like (in speech) REX (Latin [word meaning] king)

10a SERIF< - reversal (back) of FIRES (shoots)

11a BROWNOUTS* - anagram (terribly) of WONT ROB US

12a CHEYENNE~ - sounds like (listened to) SHY ANNE (bashful Ms. [Anne] Murray)

13a SOLVE* - anagram (dotty) of LOVES

15a A|S|SET - A + S (society) + SET (group)

16a DIAGNOSED* - anagram (travelling) of AS IN DODGE

18a UNCLE|A|RED - UNCLE (family member) + A + RED (radical)

20a _UP|PER_ - hidden in (portion of) soUP PERhaps

22a NO|MAD - NO (nary a) + MAD (wild)

24a TOO T|HICK - HICK (hayseed) following (after) TOOT (bender)

27a LOLL|I|POPS - {LOLL (relax) + POPS (Dad)} containing I (one)

28a IRON|Y - IRON (metal) + Y (fork; the letter "Y" looks like a fork as in a tree branch, for example)

29a AN|TONY - AN + TONY (actor's award)

30a BEAR DOWN - DOWN (feathers) following (on) BEAR (a grizzly) [Note: the clue is most effective when the cryptic definition in the wordplay is read as a complete phrase with "feathers on a grizzly?" equating to "bear down"]

Down

1d POSE - sounds like (the sound of) [Edgar Allan] POE'S

2d _T|ORCHES_ - hidden (in) in thaT ORCHEStra

3d LA(FA)YETTE - FA (note; i.e., musical note, as in do, re, mi, ...) contained in (in) LAYETTE (baby's outfit)

4d A|LB|AN - A (one) LB (pound) AN (article)

6d RUN(G)S - RUNS (jogs) containing (around) G (grand; mobster slang for one thousand)

7d COUPLES* - anagram (dancing) of CLOSEUP

8d SU<|SPENDERS - reversal (returning) of US + SPENDERS (buyers)

9d BONEYARD* - anagram (lunatic) of ANY ROBED

14d SATURNALIA* - anagram (wild) of AUSTRALIAN

16d DU|RATION - DU (of the French; i.e., French word meaning "of the") + RATION (share)

17d NAUGHTIER* - anagram (shot) of THE AIR GUN

19d C(A|MEL)OT - {A + MEL (Gibson)} contained in (in) COT (bed)

21d PICCOLO~ - sounds like (voiced) PICK A LOW (choose a low)

23d DEIGN - sounds like (heard) DANE (European)

25d _OSSIE_ - Ossie [Davis] is hidden in (appears in) dOSSIErs

26d HYMN~ - sounds like (vocalized) HIM (that guy)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, September 10, 2010 (DT 26263)

This puzzle, by an unknown setter, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, June 10, 2010

Introduction

Although Tilsit awards this puzzle only two stars for difficulty, some of the Brits protest that it deserves more. Certainly, with its difficult Briticisms, it rates at least three stars on this side of the Atlantic.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

geyser - noun 2 British a gas-fired water heater through which water flows as it is rapidly heated

Goss crested china - collectibles typically in the form of small white glazed porcelain models, made from 1858 to 1939, carrying the coat of arms of the place where they were sold as a souvenir

inner - noun (in archery and shooting) a division of the target next to the bullseye

let¹ - verb 3 [with object] chiefly British allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments: she let the flat to a tenant; they've let out their house

let¹ - noun British

• a period during which a room or property is rented: I‘ve taken a month’s let on the flat
• a property available for rent: an unfurnished let

tarmacadam - noun another term for tarmac

tarmac - noun [mass noun] (trademark in the UK)

• material used for surfacing roads or other outdoor areas, consisting of broken stone mixed with tar
• (the tarmac) a runway or other area surfaced with tarmac or a similar material

U³ - adjective British informal (of language or social behaviour) characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes: U manners

Today's Links

Tilsit's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26263].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a Club overhauls counselling and welfare, for example (6,8)

The definition is "counselling and welfare, for example" calling for the solution SOCIAL SERVICES. The wordplay presumably is SOCIAL (club) + SERVICES (overhauls). I wondered if a word was omitted in the clue as I was only able to find social defined as a function organized by a club and not a club per se. However, I infer from Tilsit's review that we are supposed to infer "club" to mean "type of club" thereby inserting an adjective where a noun seems to be called for. (I see that I am inferring an inference - a sure sign of uncertainty).

18a 'L' is for 'hirer' (6)

This is a double definition where the two definitions are "L" and "hirer" and the solution is LETTER. While the use of the term let in the sense of to rent does exist in North America (or, at least, did at one time), I would say that its use has diminished dramatically. Today, one might (rarely) see a sign advertising "Room to let" but, in conversation, one would almost certainly say that they rented an apartment rather than let an apartment.

22a Contacted the fruit centre (4)

The definition is "contacted" and the wordplay calls for the middle letters (centre) of the word ORANGE (fruit) for which the solution is RANG. As I have mentioned in a recent blog, clues of this type often specify the middle letter of a word with an odd number of letters or the middle two letters of a word with an even number of letters. Occasionally, in such clues, we will need to use larger portions of the fodder (the material on which the clue indicator operates). Today, however, so much of the fodder is required to be retained that we merely need to peel this fruit.

21a Sailor with two other men seen on the road (10)

The definition is "road" and the wordplay is TAR (sailor) + (with) {MAC + ADAM (two other men)} giving us TARMACADAM (a longer version of the word tarmac). The term tarmac is commonly used in North America to refer to an airport runway, but I don't recall ever having heard it used in relation to a road. Even when talking about a runway, I am sure one would - in all probability - refer to a tarmac as a paved surface, not a tarmacked surface.

24a Repeatedly imitating a mountain nymph, in German (7)

The definition is "repeatedly imitating" and the wordplay is ECHO (a mountain nymph [in Greek mythology]) + IN + G (German). Tilsit teases us with the statement "If you look in Chambers how G comes to mean German – it is rather a nasty connotation". Unfortunately, Chambers does not share this information in their free, online (abridged) version.

25a I hoot as a result of a sneeze (7)

The clue is an anagram of I HOOT AS resulting in the solution ATISHOO. It seems the British may even sneeze differently than North Americans. Here one would likely see the sound of a sneeze spelled variously as achoo, ahchoo or atchoo.

3d Make good a wager (4)

Apparently the expression "make good" must mean help in Britain - but I could find no reference to support this theory. Thus the definition would be "make good" with the wordplay being A + BET (wager) producing, as a solution, ABET.

8d Crafty person's noisy domestic heater (6)

Despite getting the right solution (from the checking letters and definition), I had a question mark against this clue as I did not understand the wordplay. While Tilsit did not completely resolve my issues with the wordplay, he did provide sufficient information to trigger a recollection that the word "geyser" is pronounced differently in Britain and North America (you can hear the two pronunciations for yourself here). In Britain, it is pronounced GEE·ZEH, while in North America, it is pronounced GUY·ZER. The clue also relies on the pronunciation of another word, geezer, which is also pronounced differently in Britain and North America. In Britain, it is GEE·ZEH, while in North America, it is GEE·ZER. Thus, in Britain, geyser is pronounced exactly like geezer, while, in North America, these words are not only pronounced differently than they are in Britain, they are pronounced differently from each other.

The definition is "domestic heater" for which the solution is GEYSER (which, in Britain, is "a gas-fired water heater through which water flows as it is rapidly heated"). The wordplay tells us that the solution sounds like (noisy) GEEZER (crafty person). Even the latter part is not entirely straightforward. Chambers defines geezer as a colloquial expression for "a man, especially an old man, often one who is odd in some way" and crafty as "clever, shrewd, cunning or sly".

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, September 9, 2010 (DT 26262)

This puzzle, by Jay, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Introduction

Today's puzzle was a bit of a challenge, although almost entirely devoid of Briticisms (aside from yet another appearance by the seemingly ubiquitous Royal Engineers). It took a while to discover a starting point; but, once one was found, steady progress was made through about half of the clues, at which point I hit a brick wall. However, with the aid of my trusty Tool Chest, I was able to complete the puzzle.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

barouche - noun historical a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a collapsible hood over the rear half, a seat in front for the driver, and seats facing each other for the passengers

RE - abbreviation (in the UK) Royal Engineers, the field engineering and construction corps of the British army

Today's Links

Big Dave's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26262].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

5d Principal mostly applied to right winger that's grounded (4)

The definition is "winger that's grounded" which specifies that we are looking for a bird that cannot fly, in this case a RHEA. The wordplay is HEA {HEAD (principal) with the final letter deleted or, in other words, retaining all but the last letter (mostly)} following (applied to) R (right). As "applied to" means "on", I could not help but observe that if the setter had used "on" in this clue (ignoring the less elegant surface reading that would result), there would no doubt have been a hue and cry from some quarters that such a construction cannot be used in a down clue.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 (DT 26261)

This puzzle, by Ray T, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Introduction

Despite being out of reach of my Tool Chest, I was able to solve all but one clue. As for many of the Brits, that last remaining clue was 14d. When I arrived home, I searched for words matching the checking letters - and found only two possibilities. At that point, the rather uncommon meaning of the word "plane" finally hit me.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

layabout - noun British derogatory a person who habitually does little or no work

rabbit - verb 2 British informal talk at length, especially about trivial matters: stop rabbiting on, will you, and go to bed!

River Severn - the longest river in Great Britain

yob - noun British informal a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth

Today's Links

Gazza's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26261].

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 (DT 26260)

This puzzle, by Rufus, was originally published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, June 7, 2010

The National Post has skipped DT 26259 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, June 5, 2010

Introduction

Since my Tool Chest saw virtually no action today, I figured that this puzzle would probably rate only two stars for difficulty - and that is exactly what Libellule has awarded it. Perhaps I should have made more extensive use of my tools - as I discovered upon reading Libellule's review that I had incorrect solutions for a couple of clues.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Used in Solutions:

Eastenders - a long-running British television soap opera

evens - plural noun British another term for even money the colt was 4-6 favourite after opening at evens

guy¹ - verb [with object] make fun of; ridicule: she never stopped guying him about his weight

Hogmanay - noun (in Scotland) New Year's Eve, and the celebrations that take place at this time

opera² - plural form of opus ( an artistic work, especially one on a large scale)

read - verb 5 chiefly British study (an academic subject) at a university: I'm reading English at Cambridge; [no object] he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics

stud² - noun 1 a collection of horses or other domesticated animals belonging to one person

up - adverb 4 British at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge: they were up at Cambridge about the same time

wardress - noun chiefly British a female prison guard

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26260].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

11a Gains knowledge from books in studies at university (5,2)

We get a double dose of Briticisms in this clue - both of which relate to university. The definition is "gains knowledge from books" for which the solution is READS UP. The wordplay is READS (studies) + UP (at university). For more on both these British expressions, see Today's Glossary.

18a Flattery works with Eastenders, say (4,5)

The definition is "Eastenders, say" which indicates that "Eastenders" is but one example (say) of the solution, which happens to be SOAP OPERA (Eastenders being a long-running British television soap opera). The wordplay is SOAP (flattery) + OPERA (works; opera being the plural form of opus).

21a Sort of oil possibly seen in holiday centre (7)

Here "holiday centre" indicates that we need to extract the central portion of the word "centre". Such a clue often involves selecting only the single central letter from a word with an odd number of letters or the two central letters from a word having an even number of letters. However, there is no law limiting the size of portion we can take and today we must grab a larger piece.

25a Many spoke but mumbled (8)

The word "many" is often used by setters to indicate a large Roman numeral, such as L (fifty), C (one hundred), D (five hundred) or M (one thousand). Which one is intended is (in my experience) never specified. It is therefore up to the solver to figure out which one is needed based on what fits the needs of the clue. The phrase, "a large number" is also employed by compilers in a similar manner.

26a Sound director made fun of (5)

The best attempt I could muster here was TOYED, having inserted an incorrect entry at 16d. The word guy meaning "to make fun of" seems not to be a Briticism (it appears in the American Heritage Dictionary), but it is certainly a term with which I am unfamiliar (although I do recall having encountered it in at least one previous puzzle). Then again, the meaning does seem to have a British provenance, as Libellule (in responding to a comment) provides a source attributing its origin to a reference to Guy Fawkes (who attempted to blow up the British Houses of Parliament in 1605).

1d Key workers in army outfits (10)

The "key workers" are WARDRESSES, wardress being a British term for a female prison guard (someone who would probably be known in North America simply as a female prison guard). Here "key" is a play on the fact that prison guards carry keys. If the solution is split (3,7) we have WAR DRESSES which the setter playfully labels "army outfits".

6d Nothing more than a 50-50 chance, nevertheless (4,2)

The definition is "nevertheless" and the solution is EVEN SO. The wordplay is O (nothing) following (more than) EVENS (a 50-50 chance; i.e., even money at the race track).

14d In distress, daughter is told what to do (10)

Libellule appears to omit one element of the charade in his hint. But, as we discover in the banter in the comments section of Big Dave's site, the omission was intentional. As he explains, the review is intended to provide additional hints to point one in the direction of the solution - not to necessarily provide a complete solution. However, for anyone who may require it, the full wordplay is D (daughter) + IS + ORDERED (told what to do).

16d Might a pen have written it? (4-4)

I failed to find the correct solution to this clue - which has to be the most entertaining clue in the whole puzzle. I settled on SIGN-POST (and, it seems, I am not alone in having made that mistake). I arrived at that answer based on a pen being something one signs with and post being another name for mail. This error also messed me up on 26a.

Signing off for today - Falcon