Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - 26939

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26939
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26939]
Big Dave's Review Written By Big Dave
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

This seemed to be a puzzle of two parts. I was able to solve the right hand side side without too much difficulty. However, I was scarcely able to make a dent in the left hand side until I called in the electronic reinforcements. Consequently, it was more than a little disconcerting to see that this puzzle rated only two stars for difficulty from Big Dave. My performance would certainly seem to place it at the far upper end of three star territory. I must be losing my edge.

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.

1a   Something worn around house that’s good for density in carpeting (8,4)

Carpet^[5] is British slang meaning to reprimand severely ⇒ the Chancellor of the Exchequer carpeted the bank bosses. Thus a "carpeting" is a dressing down.

13a    Daughter on border gets nicked (5)

Nick^[3,4] is British slang meaning (1) to steal or (2) to arrest. Therefore, in the surface reading, the daughter has been arrested (or, possibly, kidnapped!). According to The Chambers Dictionary, one meaning of nick^[1] is to hit with precision. In cricket, edge^[2] means to strike with the edge of the bat (which presumably requires some considerable degree of precision as it would seem to be a far more difficult play to execute than hitting the ball with the flat face of the bat). In fact, the usage example ("he nicked the ball to first slip") that Big Dave employs in his review is a reference to cricket, first slip^[5] being a fielding position in cricket.

I would use the word nick with a somewhat different meaning (although I was unable to find it defined this way in any of my dictionaries). If I were to say of an attempt to hit a baseball, "I barely nicked it", I would mean that I nearly missed the ball completely, with the bat scarcely more than brushing the ball as it passed by it. Such an outcome does not result from precision, but from an utter lack of precision!

16a    Drink making engineers more alert? (9)

The Corps of Royal Engineers (RE)^[5] is the field engineering and construction corps of the British army.

21a    Parrot flies off pinching one from John Lennon, perhaps (7)

Liverpool John Lennon Airport^[7] is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England.

23a    There’s nothing fine in yobbo, causing concern (7)

Yobbo^[5] is a variant of the British slang term yob^[5] which means a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth [the latter being 'boy' spelled backwards].

2d    Demanded and got accurate wingers from England (7)

The wingers^[5] in the surface reading are certainly more likely to be football (soccer) players than hockey forwards.

3d    Laggard finally leaves blue train (9)

In the UK, slowcoach^[5] is a informal term for a person who acts or moves slowly ⇒ ‘Come on, slowcoach,’ urged George. In North America, such a person would be known as a slowpoke^[5].

6d    Part of capital investment ultimately put into restructure of Sweden (4,3)

The definition is "part of capital" referring to London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The West End^[7], located to the west of the historic Roman and Mediaeval City of London, was long favoured by the rich elite as a place of residence because it was usually upwind of the smoke drifting from the crowded City. The name "West End" is a flexible term with different meanings in different contexts. It may refer to the entertainment district around Leicester Square and Covent Garden; to the shopping district centred on Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Bond Street; or, less commonly, to the whole of that part of central London (itself an area with no generally agreed boundaries) which lies to the west of the City of London.

7d    Scab caused by blow wave (13)

Apparently blow wave is a hairdressing term, although one which does not seem to have made its way into any of my dictionaries (one of which helpfully suggested that I might have mistyped bow wave).

8d    Resolution to discourage people crossing motorway (13)

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway (controlled access highway) in England connecting London to Leeds.

15d    Marries outside Sumerian city, in religious garments (9)

Jay gets very specific today; Ur is often clued as merely "ancient city". Ur^[5] was an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, October 22, 2012 - DT 26938

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26938
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26938]
Big Dave's Review Written By Pommers
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Although I completed the puzzle without assistance from my electronic aids, I needed to exercise my brain a bit to do so. While I agree that it falls short of a three star effort, I would say that it sits at the upper end of a two star rating.

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.

1a   Very large vehicles gaining awards (6)

The sizes of clothing that North Americans would describe as plus-size^[7] (or often big and tall in the case of men's clothing) would be called outsize OS^[5] in Britain.

10a   ‘Beefy’ fare perhaps for riotous do in Oval (8)

Vindaloo^[7] is an Indian curry dish known globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often regarded as a fiery spicy dish, though it is not necessarily the hottest dish available. While I don't expect that it is commonly made with beef in India, it would seem that a beef version is generally available in other parts of the world.

'Beefy' is the nickname of Ian Botham, a former England Test (defined below) cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder^[5] (a cricketer who can both bat and bowl well) with 14 centuries (a century^[5] being a batsman’s score of a hundred runs) and 383 wickets (a wicket^[5] being the dismissal of a batsman by a bowler) in Test cricket. While a controversial player both on and off the field at times (see below), Botham also held a number of Test cricket records, and still holds the record for the highest number of wickets taken by an England bowler. He is generally regarded as being England's greatest ever all-rounder, particularly in Test cricket.

A Test (short for Test match)^[5] is an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries ⇒ the Test match between Pakistan and the West Indies.

The Oval^[7], referred to as the Kia Oval due to a commercial sponsorship deal, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club, and also traditionally hosts the final Test match of each English summer season in late August or early September.

It seems that events could get rather riotous where 'Beefy' was involved^[7].

Botham often courted controversy and was suspended briefly in 1986 for smoking cannabis and was allegedly accused of racism and ball tampering by renowned Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan. This would become the subject of a court case later on, one that Imran Khan would go on to win. Botham was liable for all expenses in the court case in the ruling, even those incurred by Imran Khan. He also fell out publicly with other players, including fellow England opener Geoff Boycott, Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, and Australian batsman Ian Chappell, with whom he had an altercation in an Adelaide Oval car park during the 2010–11 Ashes series. His private life has also made occasional dramatic appearances in Britain's tabloid newspapers, with at least one extramarital affair prompting a public apology to his wife Kathy. Botham was also sacked from the Queensland team after being arrested for assault of a fellow airline passenger.

11a   Stratagem revealed by doctor during walk (6)

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

While I had been a big fan of the television series The Avengers, I seem to have totally missed out on its sequel The New Avengers. Pommers illustration of English actress Joanna Lumley in the role of Purdey from the latter series prompted a bit of research.

The New Avengers^[7] is a British secret agent fantasy adventure television series produced during 1976 and 1977 as a sequel to the 1960s series, The Avengers. A joint UK-France-Canada production, the series picks up the adventures of John Steed (again played by Patrick Macnee) as he and his team of "Avengers" fight evil plots and world domination. Whereas in the original series Steed had almost always been partnered with a woman, in the new series he had two partners: Mike Gambit (Gareth Hunt), a top agent, crack marksman and trained martial artist, and Purdey (Joanna Lumley), a former trainee with The Royal Ballet (to which she ascribed the high-kicking skills she frequently used in the series) who was an amalgam of many of the best talents from Steed's female partners in The Avengers.

14a   Leave last from chateau encircled by French lake (8)

Lough^[10] is an Irish word for lake. Its pronunciation is identical to that of the Scot word loch^[10] (which also means lake).

21a   Precisely what’s required in old golf club, with foremost from Turnberry being entertained (4- 2)

The spoon^[7] is an obsolete wooden golf club, one with a higher loft than a present-day 2-wood. Turnberry^[7] is a golf resort in South Ayrshire, Scotland located  on the rugged coast of the outer Firth of Clyde.

23a   Knowing 8, such a crossword can’t be solved? (8)

The number "8" in the clue is a cross reference to clue 8d. To reveal the complete clue, one must insert the solution to clue 8d in place of the cross reference indicator.

25a   Ali had what Oliver wanted? (6,7)

Oliver Twist^[7] is the title character and the protagonist of the 1838 novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Muhammad Ali^[7] (born Cassius Clay, Jr.) is an American former professional boxer.

27a   Until now gallery has accepted what’s bizarre, without limit (2,4)

The Tate Gallery^[5] (or simply the Tate) is a national museum of art at Millbank, London, founded in 1897 by the sugar manufacturer Sir Henry Tate (1819–99) to house his collection of modern British paintings, as a nucleus for a permanent national collection of modern art. It was renamed Tate Britain in 2000, when the new Tate Modern gallery opened.

8d   Love recording with husband inside (7)

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 number (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of love equating to this letter.

15d   Fish reportedly studied on Hebridean island by English leader of team (3,6)

The red mullets^[7] or surmullets are two species of goatfish, Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus, found in the Mediterranean Sea, east North Atlantic Ocean, and the Black Sea. Mull^[5] is a large island of the Inner Hebrides. It is separated from the coast of Scotland near Oban by the Sound of Mull.

18d   Everybody catching salmon in the drink? (7)

Judging by Pommers comment, coho are as unfamiliar to the Brits as red mullets are to me.

20d   Understanding of current things in variety (7)

In physics, I^[10] is the symbol for electric current.

24d   Boy stopped by Irish landowner (5)

In Scotland, a laird^[5] is a person who owns a large estate.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, October 20, 2012 - A Clue for All Seasons

Introduction

One might say that today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon has been well seasoned.

With the Major League Baseball championship series well under way and the World Series just around the corner, we also get a couple of mentions of baseball. Since both instances refer to the American League, should we infer that our setters lean in that direction?

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a   WIN(E TAS<)TER — reversal (back) of SATE (stuff) contained in (in) WINTER (season)

6a   ARGO_ — ARGO[N] (gas) with the final letter deleted (short)

In Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was named after its builder, Argus.

9a   D|ANGLED — D (dee) + ANGLED (had a scheme)

10a   ROTUNDA* — anagram (dancing) of DO A TURN

12a   BU(G)S — BUS (vehicle) carrying G (good)

Bugs Bunny^[7] is an American animated character (toon^[3,4]) created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray hare or rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality, a pronounced New York accent, and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most notably the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of theatrical shorts during the Golden Age of American animation. Bugs has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and is the ninth most portrayed film personality in the world.

13a   SPR(INK|L)ING — {INK (writing fluid) + L (left)} contained in (in) SPRING (season)

15a   GUNSHIP* — anagram (out) of PUSHING

16a   {G(ENER)AL}< — reversal (back) of {LAG (delay) containing (holding) RENE (Descartes; French philosopher, mathematician, and writer René Descartes)}

René Descartes^[7] (1596 – 1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day. In particular, his Meditations on First Philosophy continues to be a standard text at most university philosophy departments. Descartes' influence in mathematics is equally apparent; the Cartesian coordinate system — allowing reference to a point in space as a set of numbers, and allowing algebraic equations to be expressed as geometric shapes in a two-dimensional coordinate system (and conversely, shapes to be described as equations) — was named after him. He is credited as the father of analytical geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry, crucial to the discovery of infinitesimal calculus and analysis. Descartes was also one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution and has been described as an example of genius.

18a   SPAR|ROW — ROW (fight) following (after) SPAR (fight)

21a   SHINDIG* — anagram (bananas) of DISHING

23a   SUMM(ARIZ)ER — ARIZ ([abbreviation for] Arizona) contained in (in) SUMMER (season)

24a   CO(A)T — A ([indefinite] article) contained in (in) COT (bed)

26a   SUN (DEC)K — SUNK (lowered) containing (around) DEC ([abbreviation for] December)

27a   TO (SPA)RE — TORE (ran) containing (around) SPA (health resort)

28a   LOCK — double definition; "secure; as a verb" & "strand of hair"

29a   F(REE-F|OR)-ALL — {REEF (ocean hazard) + OR (alternatively)} contained in (in) FALL (season)

Down

1d   WADE BOGGS — sounds like (for audit) {WEIGHED (measured) + BOGS (wetlands)}

Wade Boggs^[7] is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees, with whom he won his only World Series, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, with whom he recorded his 3,000th hit. His hitting in the 1980s and 1990s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles. Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

2d   NO(NAG)ON — NAG (jade^[4]; old overworked horse) contained in twelve (noon)

3d   TOLL — double definition; "ring; as a verb" & "tax"

4d   SODA POP — SOD (green layer) + A POP (for each)

5d   E(A)RRING — ERRING (wandering) containing (around) A (†)

7d   RANGIER* — anagram (nuts) of I GARNER

8d   O|RANG — O (love; as a score in tennis) + RANG (gave a call)

11d   T(A|KING) IN — {A (†) + KING (monarch)} contained in (clad in) TIN (metal)

14d   SHOR(TAG)E — TAG (game) contained in (in) SHORE (coastal area)

17d   {LIGHT MEAL}* — anagram (set in order) of ELLA MIGHT

19d   AL|MAN|A|C — AL (American League) + MAN (guy) + A (†) + C (catcher; baseball position)

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League^[7] (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball^[7] in the United States and Canada — the other being the National League^[7].

20d   WHISKER* — anagram (working) of WE SHIRK

21d   S(HEAT)HE — HEAT (warm; as a verb) contained in (tucked in) SHE (the lady)

In the cryptic reading, the apostrophe-s on the end of "lady's" serves as a link word (being interpreted as a contraction of is).

22d   D(I|O)RAMA — DRAMA (play) contains (includes) {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + O ([letter shaped like a] ring)}

23d   S(IS)AL — IS (†) contained in SAL ([nickname for] Salvatore)

25d   _OS|LO_ — hidden in (in) OntariOS LOngitude

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, October 22, 2012 - DT 26937

Note: Posted Monday, October 22, 2012 but backdated to maintain the puzzle sequence.

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26937
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, August 6, 2012
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26937]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes The National Post has skipped DT 26936 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, August 4, 2012.

Introduction

For me, this puzzle seemed to be far more difficult than Gazza's two stars would indicate. I definitely needed far more support from my electronic assistants than is customary — especially considering that this is a Rufus puzzle. At least I was on the same page as Gazza with regard to the rather weak double definitions at 3d and 6d. I, too, had flagged these clues for this very reason as I worked through 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.

13a   Volunteer and party member leading strike — one receives contributions (9,3)

I quickly read this clue and immediately jumped to the conclusion that the solution must begin with TA (for Territorial Army). I eventually realized that that was an incorrect supposition. In hindsight, it strikes me that it is "volunteers" (in the plural) that is used to clue TA rather than "volunteer" (in the singular).

An offertory box^[10] is the box or container where worshippers' put their offerings (usually money).

16a   Demobbed and not working (3,2,7)

Demob^[5] is British slang meaning to demobilize (troops) ⇒ there were four million men being demobbed .

19a   Something like a rush on silver is accepted (6)

The symbol for the chemical element silver is Ag^[5].

24a   It ensures a good reception for some speakers (6)

I was surprised to see Oxford Dictionaries Online characterize aerial^[5] as a British term since it is commonly used in Canada and I also found it listed in The American Heritage Dictionary^[3].

25a  Also a VIP (2,4)

Swell^[5] is dated slang for a fashionable or stylish person of wealth or high social position • a crowd of city swells.

26a  Study, entering further exam, as a hospital doctor (8)

Resit^[5] is a British term which, as a verb, means to take (an examination) again after failing it  ⇒ she is resitting her maths GCSE [General Certificate of Secondary Education] and, as a noun, denotes an examination that is resat ⇒ the system allows the office to timetable all resits in a single block.

4d  Launches reports about cricket side (5-4)

Here "side" refers not to a team but to a side of the cricket field itself. In cricket, the off^[5]  (also off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other side of the field is known either as the leg^[5] (also leg side) or on (also on side).

In his review, Gazza uses the term wicket instead of pitch. As I wrote in yesterday's review of The Sunday London Times Crossword in the Ottawa Citizen:

It sometimes seems that everything in cricket is called a wicket. A wicket^[10] may be (1) either of two constructions, placed 22 yards apart, consisting of three pointed stumps stuck parallel in the ground with two wooden bails resting on top, at which the batsman stands; (2) the strip of ground between these [constructions] (i.e., the pitch); (3) a batsman's turn at batting or the period during which two batsmen bat ⇒ a third-wicket partnership; or (4) the act or instance of a batsman being got out ⇒ the bowler took six wickets.

5d   Penguin noted by Beethoven? (7)

The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, popularly known as the Emperor Concerto^[7], was the last piano concerto written by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was first performed in 1811.

13d   Reserved, but singularly partisan (2,3,4)

I initially put TO ONE SIDE based on my mistaken idea that 13a must begin with TA.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, October 18, 2012 - DT 26935

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26935
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, August 3, 2012
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26935]
Big Dave's Review Written By Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Often the clues that trip one up are not (at least in hindsight) the most difficult clues in the puzzle. However, for some reason they create some sort of mental block that one just can not get past. That was the case today, where I needed to call upon my electronic aids for 9a and 14a. Once they were solved, 2d became a piece of cake. My error came on 12a, where my solution matched the checking letters and definition but not the wordplay.

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.

9a   Apes a composer of anthems and madrigals (7)

Orlando Gibbons^[7] (1583 – 1625) was an English composer, virginalist and organist of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods. One of the most versatile English composers of his time, Gibbons wrote a quantity of keyboard works, around thirty fantasias for viols, a number of madrigals, and many popular verse anthems.

10a   Gangster and sweetheart getting everywhere (3,4)

American mobster Al Capone^[7] (1899 – 1947) would certainly seem to to have taken control of organized crime in Crosswordland. Yesterday, "sweetheart" was use to clue the letter E — but that is not the case today.

11a   Inedible 25 and bread sent back (3)

The number "25" in the clue indicates a cross-reference to clue 25. You must substitute the solution to 25d (there being no 25a) in place of the cross-reference indicator to reveal the full clue. Tin^[5] is dated British slang for money ⇒ Kim’s only in it for the tin.

12a   Raymond slithers, says Spooner? Anyone would, making these trips! (6,5)

A spoonerism^[7] is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched. It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844 – 1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency.

Perhaps a falconism could be defined as the inability to see past an initial wrong answer even when the correct one is staring one in the face. The first thing to pop into my mind was SLEDGE RIDES and I spent a not inconsiderable amount of time trying to understand how the wording of the clue might lead to REG SLIDES.

17a   Maiden with opportunity to fling old shoe (8)

In cricket, a maiden^[5], also known as a maiden over, (abbreviation M)^[5] is an over in which no runs are scored. An over^[5] is 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.

19a   Short account in which African dictator appears to be bitter (6)

Idi Amin Dada^[7] was the military dictator and third President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.

26a   Belief Greek character’s got in head (7)

Onion^[1] is a slang term for the head (although I could only find this meaning in The Chambers Dictionary).

6d   Solemn person to cry in the East End (3)

East London is the northeastern part of London, United Kingdom. Although without an official definition, it is generally considered to include all of Greater London east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is a subset of East London, corresponding to areas close to the the medieval walled City of London.

A cockney^[5] is a native of East London [specifically the East End], traditionally one born within hearing of Bow Bells (the bells of St Mary-le-Bow^[7] church). Cockney is also the name of the dialect or accent typical of cockneys, which is characterised by dropping the H from the beginning of words and the use of rhyming slang^[5].

An owl^[4] is a person who looks or behaves like an owl, especially in having a solemn manner.

8d   This water swirling accounts for lost branch line (7,7)

The Bristol Channel^[7] is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean. It takes its name from the English city of Bristol, and is over 30 miles (50 km) across at its widest point.

16d   Let biro flow — time to get stuck into that text (8)

In Britain, a biro^[5] is a kind of ballpoint pen. Although the name is a British trademark, it would seem to be used generically (in the same way that kleenex has become a generic term for facial tissue). It is named after László József Bíró (1899 – 1985), Hungarian inventor of the ballpoint pen.

18d   Talk over water in the Loire valley? One may well have wine! (7)

"Water in the Loire valley" indicates the French word for water (eau^[8]), the Loire Valley being a major wine producing region of France.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - DT 26934

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26934
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, August 2, 2012
Setter Ray T (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26934]
Big Dave's Review Written By Pommers
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Today brings a relatively gentle challenge from Ray T, but one with plenty of innuendo — and two references to Queen. I must say that Pommers has shown great restraint in his choice of illustrations — much more self-control than I was able to exercise when I blogged my first Ray T puzzle (which you should see in about five to six weeks from now).

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.

10a   Big cuddle by sweetheart (4)

Here we see a fairly common cryptic crossword device in which a compound word in the surface reading must be split into separate words in the cryptic reading. Thus "sweetheart" clues the letter E, the middle letter (heart) of swEet. Another common instance of this device is the use of "redhead" to clue the letter R which is the initial letter (head) of Red.

15a   ‘Crazy Gang’ nearly great (6)

The Crazy Gang^[7] is a nickname used by the English media to describe the now defunct Wimbledon Football Club [an English soccer club] during the 1980s and 90s. The name, originally that of a well known group of British comedy entertainers popular in the late 1930s, was used because of the often eccentric and boisterously macho-behaviour of Wimbledon's players, who were in the habit of playing frequent and outrageous practical jokes on each other and on the club's manager Dave Bassett. Their general approach to the game was derided as amateurish and their playing style was often accused of being basic and unsophisticated in comparison to the stylish brand of football played by most leading clubs at the time. Regardless of the criticism they were subject to, the team was very successful in the English league for more than a decade.

25a   One may gush over bloke, say (6)

This is a homophone clue that does not transport well across the Atlantic. The definition is "one may gush over", which happens to describe a GEYSER, which (to a Brit) sounds like (it's reported) GEEZER (bloke). You can judge the similarity in pronunciation of these words (and contrast them with the North American pronunciations) by listening to the pronunciation examples found here: geyser, geezer.

Pommers comments "Bit of a chestnut I think!". I would say so:

• DT 25945 (Setter Unknown):  12a   Spring bloke, it's reported (6)
• DT 26506 (Setter Unknown):  24a   Sounds like old man is a spouter (6)
• DT 26381 (Shamus):  29a   Old man's mention of hot spring (6)

4d   Jumper and anorak go in a jumble (8)

An anorak^[5] is a waterproof jacket, typically with a hood, of a kind originally used in polar regions. The words anorak and parka have possibly been used interchangeably, but they are somewhat different garments. Strictly speaking, an anorak is a waterproof, hooded, pull-over jacket without a front opening, and sometimes drawstrings at the waist and cuffs, and a parka is a knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat; typically stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber, and with a fur-lined hood.^[7]

In Britain, a jumper^[5] is a knitted garment typically with long sleeves, worn over the upper body (in North American terms, a sweater). What we would call a jumper, the Brits would call a pinafore^[5] (a collarless sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or [British] jumper [i.e., North American sweater]). Thus if a British lass wore a pinafore over her jumper and a North American gal wore a jumper over her sweater, they would be dressed identically.

13d   Second in charts perhaps for Queen supporter (10)

In the UK, mo^[5] is an informal term for a short period of time (hang on a mo!) [abbreviation of moment].

19d   Man is one, or no man is one? (6)

The Isle of Man (abbreviation IOM)^[5] is an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system. The island 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.

In 1624, English writer John Donne^[7] wrote:

No Man is an Island

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

MEDITATION XVII
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions 

21d   French to eat from trough (6)

Manger^[10] is the infinitive of the French verb meaning to eat.

22d   Genesis, unfashionable band (6)

Queen^[7] is definitely Ray T's favourite band which is likely why it appears in two clues and Genesis in only one. Genesis^[7] is an English rock band that formed in 1967 and continues to perform today (albeit with a lengthy hiatus at the turn of the millennium).

24d   Caught and everybody supporting appeal (4)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c^[5] indicates caught (by) ⇒ ME Waugh c Lara b Walsh 19.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 - DT 26933

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26933
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26933]
Big Dave's Review Written By Falcon
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★ / ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I reviewed today's puzzle for Big Dave's Crossword Blog when it was first published in the UK in early August. I introduced it then by saying "Today’s puzzle has a good mixture of clue types with varying levels of difficulty – a few easy ones to get you started and a few challenging ones to make you think." And there is no reason to change my opinion now.

I am always surprised by how little I remember of a puzzle when I see it again after three months. They are often quite challenging the second time around. Today, I feared for a while that I might actually need to resort to peeking at my own review to understand the wordplay in a couple of clues. Fortunately, it did not come to that.

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.

11a   Tax from character initially doing under ten years (5,4)

In the solution, stamp^[5] is used in the sense of a characteristic or distinctive impression or quality ⇒ (i) the whole project has the stamp of authority (ii) even the least expensive movie bore the stamp of the studio’s plush style.

14a Gruff-sounding enthusiast hugging box tree (5,8)

In Britain, the hard, shiny dark brown nut of a horse chestnut tree.is called a conker^[5] [a term which appears in my review on Big Dave's site].

1d   Nonsense about public transport being in a healthy state (6)

The illustration that I used for this clue on Big Dave's blog is a bit of a visual pun ("Roe bust"). It is a picture of Erica Roe^[7], also known as the Twickenham Streaker, whose topless run across the pitch of Twickenham Stadium during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982 has been described by the BBC as "perhaps the most famous of all streaks".

3d   Tool required if rep’s car breaks down (7)

This clue is rather more timely today than it was it early August. I've actually had occasion to use the said tool recently.

5d   Accept responsibility and bear prison (5,3,3)

In Britain, gaol^[3,4] [a term which appears in my review on Big Dave's site] is a variant spelling of jail.

7d   Packs up for some serious students (5)

In Britain, swot^[5] is a derogatory term for a person who studies very hard. The word is also used as a verb meaning to study hard ⇒kids swotting for GCSEs [General Certificates of Secondary Education^[7]].

15d   Nut messed around as the occasion demands (5,4)

Needs^[5] is an archaic term meaning of necessity. It is used in the phrase needs must meaning it is or was necessary or unavoidable ⇒  if needs must, they will eat any food.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon