Tuesday, September 24, 2013 — DT 27210

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27210
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, June 21, 2013
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27210]
Big Dave's Review Written By Libellule
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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

As is usually the case with Giovanni's puzzles, it took a while to get started. However, once a foothold was established, I was able to progress quite expeditiously.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Dairy product from goat? (6)

4a   Conservative moves to a higher plane in desperate situations (6)

8a   Caesar possibly twitching, as he was with Cleopatra (8)

Roman dictator Julius Caesar^[7] became involved with an Egyptian civil war between the child pharaoh, Ptolemy XII, and his sister, wife, and co-regent queen, Cleopatra. Siding with Cleopatra. he defeated the pharaoh's forces at the Battle of the Nile in 47 BC and installed Cleopatra as ruler. Caesar and Cleopatra celebrated their victory with a triumphal procession on the Nile in the spring of 47 BC. The royal barge was accompanied by 400 additional ships, and Caesar was introduced to the luxurious lifestyle of the Egyptian pharaohs.

Caesar and Cleopatra never married, as Roman law recognized marriages only between two Roman citizens. Caesar continued his relationship with Cleopatra throughout his last marriage, which lasted fourteen years – in Roman eyes, this did not constitute adultery – and may have fathered a son called Caesarion. Cleopatra visited Rome on more than one occasion, residing in Caesar's villa just outside Rome across the Tiber.

10a   Stuff that [is] slushy and fruity from British star down under? (6)

Like Libellule, I suspect that there is a typo in the clue — which I have take the liberty of correcting.

Pom^[5] is Australian and New Zealand slang, often derogatory, for a British person.

11a   Protective covering is missing from a finch (4)

12a   Subsequently dealt with awful threat -- free! (10)

13a   Medical specialist ungenerous or nasty (12)

16a   Old pop group  that will often get drunk late at night! (3,9)

Hot Chocolate^[7] is a British pop band popular during the 1970s and 1980s.

20a   Deadliest man initially trained in this part of the world? (6,4)

21a   Fairy  one's sometimes seen sliding over ice (4)

Puck^[5] is another name for Robin Goodfellow^[5], a mischievous sprite or goblin believed, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, to haunt the English countryside. Puck^[7] is likely most familiar to many as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

22a   Extra announcement that would have disappointed the ugly sisters (2-4)

"Extra announcement" refers to an umpire declaring 'no-ball'. In cricket, a no-ball^[5] is an unlawfully delivered ball, counting one as an extra to the batting side if not otherwise scored from ⇒ we also bowled far too many no-balls and wides.

An extra^[5] is a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman. A wide^[5] (also called wide ball) is a ball that is judged to be too wide of the stumps for the batsman to play, for which an extra is awarded to the batting side.

23a   Various characters in rep, loyal in performance (4-4)

24a   Article is written by head of monastery: 'A form of belief' (6)

I notice that this is one of those rare occasions where quotation marks have survived the trip across the Atlantic.

25a   Food served in part of hospital stank, not half! (6)

I sometimes wonder if the only functioning area of the Crosswordland Hospital is the ear, nose and throat (ENT^[2]) department. 

Down

1d   Tiny stream and little river featured in short publication (8)

2d   The two at opposite ends that will never meet  famous author? (5)

The Ballad of East and West^[7] is a poem by English writer Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936) which was first published in 1889. When quoted out of context — as it often is — the first line takes on a much different meaning than Kipling intended:

Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

Mark Twain^[5] (1835 – 1910) was an American novelist and humorist; pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. His best-known novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), give a vivid evocation of Mississippi frontier life.

3d   Groups of buildings in eastern countries? (7)

In the UK, an estate^[4] is a large area of property development, especially of new houses or (trading estate) of factories.

5d   Full service in gym following Religious Education (7)

In racket sports, a let^[5] is a circumstance under which a service is nullified and has to be taken again, especially (in tennis) when the ball clips the top of the net and falls within bounds ⇒ he was obstructed and asked for a let.

PE^[5] is the abbreviation for physical education (or Phys Ed, as it would likely be called by most school kids).

According to Wikipedia, "In secular usage, religious education^[7] (abbreviation RE^[5]) is the teaching of a particular religion (although in England the term religious instruction would refer to the teaching of a particular religion, with religious education referring to teaching about religions in general [as a school subject]) and its varied aspects — its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles." 

6d   Sort of match that could make fan smile -- gripping one (9)

7d   Small bag with a cold explosive hidden in street (6)

9d   Reduce atmospheric pollution  to try and reduce tension (5,3,3)

14d   It's awfully dry with heater? Get some moisture back in (9)

15d   Farm animals given help, we hear, in form of defence against invaders (8)

17d   More than one young choirboy quivers, wanting to avoid Mass (7)

A treble^[5] is a boy (or girl) with a high-pitched singing voice ⇒ we had sung together as trebles in the choir.

18d   Language of tribe including a word for 'thanks' (7)

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

Catalan^[5] is a Romance language closely related to Castilian Spanish and Provençal, widely spoken in Catalonia (where it has official status alongside Castilian Spanish) and in Andorra, the Balearic Islands, and parts of southern France. It has about 6 million speakers in all.

19d   Animal not in sty? Put it away (3,3)

21d   Musician's publication that is read out in Australia? (5)

The Australian pronunciation of "paper" would sound like the British pronunciation of "piper". Of course, neither would sound much like the North American pronunciation of either word.

Both the Brits and Aussies would employ a 'soft' R rather than the 'hard' R that North Americans use. Thus, the Australian pronunciation of "paper" would sound something like PIE-PAH as would the British pronunciation of "piper".

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, September 23, 2013 — DT 27209

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27209
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, June 20, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27209]
Big Dave's Review Written By   Falcon
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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

It gradually dawned on me that I had seen this puzzle before. Nevertheless, it was not a write-in. The time required to complete it today equaled the time I spend on many puzzles I have not seen before. I note from my review on Big Dave's Blog that I found it difficult the first time around. At least today I completed it without electronic help — unlike the first time, where lots of electronic assistance was used.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

5a   Firm set of lips getting gloss? (3-3)

As I indicated in a comment on Big Dave's site, I "couldn’t quite connect the dots between gloss (over) meaning a superficial treatment of an issue and cop-out being the avoidance of a responsibility." I thought there may be some British usage with which I was unfamiliar. But, apparently not. Even several of the Brits were as equally baffled as myself. One writer explains it thus, "if you gloss over something it means you leave out a lot of the details, hence it is a cop out."

8a   Completely put under water, it has no chance of success (4,4)

9a   Out-of-order urinals surrounded by water (7)

10a   Heading off trouble is not the same (5)

11a   Second senior citizen with time after work creating regular drama (4,5)

In Britain, OAP^[5] is an abbreviation for old-age pensioner.

13a   Avoid hammering despite letting in soft header (8)

14a   Keep in mind wet weather holding Lawrence back (6)

T. E. Lawrence^[5] (1888 – 1935) was a British soldier and writer; full name Thomas Edward Lawrence; known as Lawrence of Arabia. From 1916 onwards he helped to organize the Arab revolt against the Turks in the Middle East, contributing to General Allenby’s eventual victory in Palestine in 1918. Lawrence described this period in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926).

17a   Organ repairs now and then (3)

19a   Longing for money (3)

The yen^[5] (abbreviation Y^[5]) is the basic monetary unit of Japan.

20a   What he said was right about a million being wrongly convicted (6)

"Right Said Fred" is a comic song recorded in 1962 by English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian Bernard Cribbins^[5]. The song concerns the struggle by three workmen to move a heavy grand piano.

23a   Umpiring decision’s correct in total (8)

26a   She offers advice a guy cannot somehow without crying at first (5,4)

I thought that the surface reading was awkward in June, and it certainly hasn't improved with age.

In the UK, an agony aunt^[5] (or agony uncle) is a person who answers letters in an agony column^[5] — a column in a newspaper or magazine offering advice on personal problems to readers who write in.

28a   'Herald' making someone upset? (5)

Perhaps a reference to the Daily Herald^[7], a British daily newspaper that was published in London from 1912 to 1964 (although it was weekly during the First World War). It ceased publication when it was relaunched as The Sun.

29a   More macabre claiming North's a laugh (7)

30a   Idiot in Japanese car losing rear end turned killer (8)

31a   Resounding approval for rise (6)

Down

1d   Hateful and tiresome wanting two starters and getting nothing (6)

2d   Each dot could be seen in old TV technology (7)

3d   One's written to tackle drugs (9)

E^[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i) people have died after taking E; (ii) being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.

4d   Search cut short over Home Counties for northerner (6)

The Home Counties^[5] are the counties in the SE of England surrounding London, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire. 

In the UK, Scouse^[5] is an informal term for (1) the dialect or accent of people from Liverpool ⇒ the man turned on him in Scouse or (2) short for Scouser^[5], a person from Liverpool.

5d   Work together with Spanish summit (8)

Con^[8] is a Spanish preposition meaning with.

6d   Somewhat overweight for 12 (5)

To complete this clue, replace the number "12" (a cross-reference indicator) with the solution to clue 12d.

7d   Stubbs: fine artist associated with fish and game (8)

Una Stubbs^[7] is an English actress and former dancer who has appeared on British television and in the theatre, and less frequently in films. Among the roles for which she is particularly well-known is that of  Aunt Sally in the British children's television series Worzel Gummidge.

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA^[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

12d   Choose Pop-Tarts with no bits on (3)

15d   Banker retiring in exotic Neath making an impressive leap (9)

In Britain, a supposedly certain bet is known as a banker^[5] ⇒ the horse should be a banker for him in the Members' race — or a cert^[5].

Neath^[5] is an industrial town in South Wales on the River Neath; population 46,800 (est. 2009).

In ballet, an entrechat^[5] is a vertical jump during which the dancer repeatedly crosses the feet and beats them together.

16d   'Pirates of Penzance'? Endless cheese by Gilbert and Sullivan (8)

The Pirates of Penzance^[7] is a comic opera in two acts, with music by English composer Arthur Sullivan (1842 – 1900) and libretto by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836 – 1911). The opera premiered in New York City in December 1879 and in London in April 1880.

18d   A good conclusion with German agreement on EU money getting close (8)

The German word for yes is ja^[8]. A cent^[5] is one hundredth of a euro.

21d   Drama's over, sweetie (3)

Noh^[5] (also No) is traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from Shinto rites.

22d   Not keen on having stove in south-east wings (7)

Aga^[5] is a British trademark for a type of heavy heat-retaining stove or range used for cooking and heating.

24d   Custom doesn't regularly last (6)

25d   Bully's empty attempt to harangue (6)

27d   Specialist tucked into macaroni cheese (5)

Macaroni cheese^[5] is the British term for a savoury dish of macaroni in a cheese sauce — a meal that I would refer to as macaroni and cheese.

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, September 21, 2013 — Getting in Shape(s)

Introduction

Your might consider today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to be a bit of a geometry lesson.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   {LOVE TRIANGLE}* — anagram (wild) of GORILLA EVENT

9a   AR|C LAMP — AR ([symbol for the chemical element] argon) + CLAMP (holder)

10a   DI(URN)AL — DIAL (face) contained in (outside) URN (coffee dispenser)

11a   _H|AL_ — hidden in (near the middle) of epitapH ALigned

Prince Hal is a name by which Henry, the Prince of Wales (the future King Henry V) is known in William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1^[7] and Henry IV, Part 2^[7].

12a   {SQUARE DANCE}* — anagram (reeling) of QUADS CAREEN

This is an & lit. (all-in-one) clue — one in which the entire clue serves as the definition (read one way) as well as the wordplay (when read another way).

13a   P(S)ALM — S (sparrow originally; initial letter of Sparrow) contained in (seen in) PALM (tree)

14a   EM(BAR)KING — BAR (block) contained in (between) {EM (Emily) + (and) KING (ruler)}

17a   ANECDOTES* — anagram (badly) of ENACTED SO

19a   T(IT)AN — TAN (sun; as a verb) containing (engulfs) IT (the thing)

In Greek mythology, the Titans^[5] are the older gods who preceded the Olympians and were the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth). Led by Cronus, they overthrew Uranus; Cronus' son, Zeus, then rebelled against his father and eventually defeated the Titans. The term titan today means a person or thing of very great strength, intellect, or importance ⇒ a titan of American industry.

20a   {DRESS CIRCLE}* — anagram (playing) of C C RIDER LESS

The dress circle^[3,4,11] is a curving division of seats in a theatre or opera house, usually the first tier (gallery) above the orchestra (ground floor).

"C.C. Rider"^[7] is a popular American blues song. It was first recorded by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey in 1924, and since then has been recorded by many other artists. A rendition by Eric Burden and the Animals reached #1 in Canada in 1966.

23a   IS|M — IS (†) + M (mad at the outset; initial letter of Mad)

25a   TR(IV)IAL — TRIAL (court case) containing (around) IV ([Roman numeral for] four)

26a   INITIAL* — anagram (off) of I NAIL IT

27a   {DIAMOND MINES}* — anagram (changed) of SO IM IN DEMAND

Down

1d   LE|ASH — LE (Quebec article; French definite article, French being the Official Language of the Canadian province of Quebec) + (on) ASH (tree)

2d   VAC(ILL)ATE — ILL (I'll) contained in (interrupting) VACATE (leave)

For cryptic effect, the setters have deviated from the normal word order of subject, verb, object.

3d   TRANSOM* — anagram (redesigned) of ON TRAMS

4d   IMP(R)UDENT — IMPUDENT (sassy; for British readers, saucy) containing (about) R (teacher's rear; final letter of teacheR)

5d   NADIR* — anagram (new) of DRAIN

6d   LA|UNDER — LA (Los Angeles) + UNDER (beneath the waves)

7d   ANON — double definition; "soon" & "of unknown authorship"

8d   ALLERGEN* — anagram (strangely) of ALL GREEN

13d   PL|AUDITS — PL (place) + (with) AUDITS (inspections)

15d   BISECTION* — anagram (roughly) of ONE CSI BIT

CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)^[7] is a media franchise of American television programs created by Anthony E. Zuiker and originally broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and crimes committed.

16d   IN|TUITION — IN (popular) + TUITION (school fee)

18d   DASHIKI* — anagram (bum) of HID A SKI

19d   THE (FIR)M — THEM (those guys) containing (hugging) FIR (tree)

The Firm^[7] is a 1991 legal thriller and the second novel by American writer John Grisham. It was his first widely recognized book, and in 1993 after it sold 1.5 million copies, was made into a film starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill came into recognition afterwards due to this novel's success.

21d   EVIL< — reversal of (in return) LIVE (be)

22d   I|SLAM — I (†) + SLAM (harshly criticize)

24d   M|ALES — M ([Roman numeral for] one thousand) + ALES (brews)

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, September 20, 2013 — DT 27208

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27208
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27208]
Big Dave's Review Written By scchua
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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Today I had a double dose of blogging chores to attend to. Not only did I have today's puzzle to do, but yesterday's puzzle remained to be done. Perhaps all that effort affected my solving ability — or maybe just my patience.

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.

Across

1a   Spare  shift? (5)

I think my brain may have shut down from overload. Even after having narrowed down the choices to 15 words matching the checking letters, I could not pick out the correct one.

Spare^[3] appears in the sense of to use with restraint ⇒ Don't spare the mustard.

4a   Female serves, say, as sop to one's dignity (4-5)

9a   What's produced by baker showing skill with computer program (5,4)

10a   Annoyed I was in front after run (5)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation R^[5] indicates run(s).

11a   Wilful manner prior to backing lottery (7)

Wilful^[11] (which is spelled willful^[5] in the US) is used in the sense of unreasonably stubborn or headstrong, or perversely obstinate and not in the sense of deliberate, voluntary, or intentional. Willful implies opposition to those whose wishes, suggestions, or commands ought to be respected or obeyed ⇒ a willful son who ignored his parents' advice. Its synonym, wayward, suggests stubborn disobedience that gets one into trouble ⇒ a reform school for wayward youths.

12a   It's not so easy to embrace love for a miser (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 numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

13a   Passes on  races between teams (6)

15a   Ignore sweeper out of form (5,3)

Form^[5] is physical or mental condition, especially good condition, with reference to ability to perform ⇒ off form.

18a   After start of season frequently see weakness (4,4)

20a   Look old, clutching book in summerhouse (6)

23a   Stigma inhibiting American support (7)

24a   Sort of car that's difficult to beat? (7)

26a   Welcome a look and chat inside (5)

Lo^[5] is an archaic exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event ⇒ and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.

27a   Island lost by struggling Minor Asian republic (3,6)

San Marino^[5] is a republic forming a small enclave in Italy, near Rimini; population 30,200 (est. 2009); official language, Italian; capital, the town of San Marino. It is perhaps Europe’s oldest state, claiming to have been independent almost continuously since its foundation in the 4th century.

28a   Openers needing pitches offering necessary elements of support (9)

29a   In almost secure environment, he makes a bundle (5)

Down

1d   Begins to go around breaking law, becoming faithful friends (9)

2d   Suggest merely dropping last of reserves (5)

3d   Majority of them criticise year to get treatment (7)

4d   Fellow artist regularly guides impostors (6)

F^[2] is the abbreviation for Fellow (of a society, etc).

 A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA^[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

5d   Spooner's close romance is curtailed (3,5)

6d   Second best son cries (7)

7d   Loved to be involved with city sports venue (9)

8d   Jockey  added clause to contract (5)

14d   Biographical account of untruths enveloping female politician (4,5)

In the UK (as in Canada), Tory^[5] refers to a member or supporter of the Conservative Party. Historically, a Tory was a member of the English political party opposing the exclusion of James II from the succession. It remained the name for members of the English, later British, parliamentary party supporting the established religious and political order until the emergence of the Conservative Party in the 1830s.

16d   Take in coppers -- cover is solid (9)

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny^[5] is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound (and is abbreviated p). In the system formerly used, a penny was equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound (and was abbreviated d, for denarius). The abbreviations apply equally to the plural, pence, as to the singular, penny.

17d   Suspicious behaviour from departing prodigal? (6-2)

The Prodigal Son^[5] is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears only in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:11-32).

19d   It may fill most of road in constituency (7)

21d   In a case of repossessions, bring up money that's overdue (7)

22d   Car crashes in close, bearing north then south (6)

Shunt^[5] is British slang for a motor [vehicle] accident, especially a collision of vehicles travelling one close behind the other ⇒ a lorry [truck] shed its load, causing an eight-vehicle shunt.

23d   Time in bed? A lot! (5)

25d   Meaningless ceremony after the end of Pentecost (5)

Pentecost^[5] is (1) the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter or (2) the day on which the festival of Pentecost is held (in the UK, also called Whit Sunday). Pentecost is also another name for the Jewish festival of Shavuoth.

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, September 19, 2013 — DT 27207

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27207
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27207]
Big Dave's 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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Judging by my performance, I would suspect that Deep Threat may have been overly generous when handing out the stars for difficulty.

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.

Across

5a   Inactive rook, chess piece put in spot (7)

R^[5] is an abbreviation for rook (used in recording moves in chess).

7a   Plug Rhine wine, mostly for this special purpose (2,3)

Hock^[5] is a British name for a dry white wine from the German Rhineland.

9a   Fisherman's position by river (6)

10a   Scapegoat in genuine denial (8)

I question whether scapegoat and butt are synonymous. A scapegoat^[2] is someone made to take the blame or punishment for the errors and mistakes of others. A butt^[2] is a person who is often a target of jokes, ridicule or criticism, etc. However, no one appears to have raised any concern with respect to this on Big Dave's blog.

11a   Enlisted man to see detective (7,3)

13a   Hide in shower (4)

14a   Season's first evil winds -- onset of ripsnorter lashes trees (6,7)

As an anagram indicator, wind^[5] is used as a verb in the sense of to twist or coil (or related meaning).

16a   King in charge, not bound by rules (4)

Rex^[4] (Latin for king, abbreviated as R^[5]) is part of the official title of a king, now used chiefly in documents, legal proceedings, and inscriptions on coins. It may be used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, or GR, for King George^[5]) or in the titles of lawsuits, e.g. Rex v. Jones: the Crown versus Jones^[5] (which would often be written simply as R. vs Jones).

17a   Gillespie's turn? (5,5)

My explanation varies ever so slightly from that of Deep Threat. I would say that this is an all-in-one clue in which the entire clue is a cryptic definition. As Deep Threat points out, turn^[5] can mean a brief feeling or experience of illness ⇒ he has these funny turns. By preceding this with "Gillespie", the setter points us in the direction of a dizzy spell as opposed to, for example, a bout of nausea.

The clue can also be seen to be a charade, with the wordplay being DIZZY (Gillespie) + SPELL (turn; in a sense of an opportunity or obligation to do something).

Dizzy Gillespie^[7] (1917 – 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and occasional singer.

19a   Drink in nightspots a party knocked back (4,4)

Club soda^[5] is a North American term for what the Brits would call soda water (or simply soda^[5]). This no doubt explains Deep Threat's unfamiliarity with the term.

20a   Insect found in place close to rainforest (6)

22a   Work out volume in one (5)

23a   Opposition leader in Duma is told to go (7)

Duma^[10], short for State Duma, is the lower chamber of the Russian parliament.

Down

1d   Said of country life all but past (4)

2d   Famous Belgian showing determination in match (8)

René Magritte^[5] (1898 – 1967) was a Belgian surrealist painter. His paintings display startling or amusing juxtapositions of the ordinary, the strange, and the erotic, depicted in a realist manner.

3d   Doctor caught in high wind might mean to take a chance (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.

4d   To keep mum quiet, work or cease trading? (4,2,4)

In music, Op. (also op.)^[5] is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

5d   Benefactor's name in entrance (5)

6d   Country doctor taken up, about to ring a bird of prey (6,7)

8d   Almost heaven, after tea, this French wine (7)

Chablis^[5] is a dry white burgundy wine from Chablis in eastern France.

12d   Shower before party game (10)

14d   Not quite certain matter involves large balance (7)

15d   Cavalier sort stupidly accepting one bet retrospectively (8)

Cavalier^[5] refers to a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.

17d   Cattle dealer bringing third of herd into port (6)

A drover^[10] is a person whose occupation is the driving of sheep or cattle, especially to and from market. I see no reason why such a person would necessarily have to be a dealer, but I suppose nothing precludes him from taking part in the sale of the animals once they have reached market.

18d   Hungarian pianist making record that must be heard (5)

Franz Liszt^[7] (1811 – 1886) was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher.

21d   Revolutionary female cook (4)

Che Guevara^[7] (1928 – 1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.

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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 — DT 27206

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27206
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, June 17, 2013
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27206]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
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 █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

Today, I stumbled on the final hurdle and needed to take a peek at Gazza's review in order to finish.

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.

Across

1a   Loses wicket but doesn't declare (5,2)

In cricket, to lose a wicket^[5] (said of the batting side) is to have a batsman dismissed. Play on^[5] is also a cricket term and means to hit the ball into one's own wicket [one of several grounds by which a batsman may be dismissed].

In cricket, a team continues to bat until ten of the eleven players on the team have been dismissed, unless the captain of a batting team declares the innings closed prematurely (the rationale for doing so is explained below). In the event that the captain declares the innings closed, his team takes the field and the opposing team bats. If the captain does not declare, the teams would "play on" (in the general sense of 'continue to play' the innings that is already in progress).

The primary objective of each team in cricket^[7] is to score more runs than the opposing team. However, in Test cricket (a match between national teams), it is not only necessary to score the most runs but also to dismiss the opposition twice in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn. Therefore, the captain of a batting team which has built up a large lead may declare the innings closed prematurely in order to allow the opposition to bat (and thus gain an opportunity to dismiss them). As a captain, the key to victory is picking the right time to declare. Should he declare too early, the other team may score more runs than his team has amassed and thereby win. On the other hand, if he were to declare too late, the match may end before his team can dismiss the other team (resulting in a draw, even though his team may have a substantial lead in runs).

5a   Whig can get involved in informal chat (7)

Chinwag^[5] is an informal British term for a chat ⇒ it was time they got together for a good old chinwag.

Historically, in Britain, a Whig^[10] was a member of the English political party or grouping that opposed the succession to the throne of James, Duke of York, in 1679–80 on the grounds that he was a Catholic. The Whigs provided the core of the Liberal Party. Today, the term refers to a conservative member of the Liberal Party in Great Britain.

9a   Deck or dock (5)

10a   Observer  Magazine (9)

This very clue was used by Jay in DT 26951 [The Daily Telegraph (2012-08-22) and the National Post (2012-11-06)].

This double definition type clue plays on the names of two British publications — ones with widely divergent views. The Observer^[7], the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, is a sister paper to the daily The Guardian^[7] and takes a similar liberal or social democratic line on most issues while The Spectator^[7] is a conservative-leaning weekly British magazine owned by the same people who publish The Daily Telegraph^[7].

In Jay's version of the clue, the word "magazine" was not capitalized. However, he was able to capitalize the word "observer" by placing it at the beginning of the clue, thus making it appear to be the name of a publication (rather than just an ordinary noun). As a result, the surface reading would tend to direct the solver's attention to the left-leaning Sunday newspaper, whereas the solution is actually the right-leaning current affairs magazine from a rival publisher.

In today's clue from Rufus, the word "Magazine" is capitalized which adds a further dimension to the clue. A magazine by the name of Observer Magazine is included each week with The Observer.

11a   They hold the news cuttings together? (5,5)

In Britain, an article or other piece cut from a newspaper or periodical is called a cutting^[5] ⇒ an archive of newspaper cuttings. In North America, it would be called a clipping.

12a   Religious instruction's wearing to a small group (4)

The abbreviation for religious instruction is RI^[10]. According to an article in Wikipedia, "In secular usage, religious education^[7] is the teaching of a particular religion (although in England the term religious instruction would refer to the teaching of a particular religion, with religious education referring to teaching about religions in general) and its varied aspects — its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles."

14a   A case for arms limitation? (12)

18a   Stewed pears now sold in ounces (4,8)

21a   Yes! About to grab parking spot (4)

22a   The arms of formidable females (6-4)

25a   Skinny artist who has designs on his clients (9)

26a   Think of love and languish (5)

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

27a   Swell acting one's seen in the theatre (7)

... the operating theatre, that is.

28a   Military dance (7)

Gazza identifies this clue as a double definition. However, I would think that it is a cryptic definition since the word lancer — despite having military overtones — is hardly a synonym for "military".

Lancers^[5] is a quadrille [a type of square dance] for eight or sixteen pairs.

Down

1d   It helps an actor to have fun in small part (6)

2d   A Pole's strangely showing a certain inclination (6)

3d   Please try a new version, one at a time (10)

4d   Alan's wrong to be nosy (5)

5d   Shakespearean role may make actor leap about (9)

Antony and Cleopatra^[5] is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, first printed in 1623, which follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic.

6d   This nation's rise and fall, in speech (4)

Here I must diverge slightly from Gazza's review. While his explanation is basically sound, I would not describe "rise and fall, in speech" as being the definition.

The clue indicates that a charade of the solution (represented by the pronoun "this") plus NATION is ('s) INTONATION (rise and fall in speech).

7d   Risk a wet capsizing to do sport (5-3)

8d   Assassinate or target revolutionary (8)

13d   A family habit? (4-2-4)

15d   Love a girl, sadly not one to be embraced (9)

16d   Material not to be made light of? (8)

17d   Company lacking any true organising may benefit from one (8)

19d   Remove from duty (6)

20d   Capital for a ship holding company (6)

In Crosswordland, a ship is rarely anything other than a steamship (abbreviation SS^[5]).

23d   Unqualified  to sum up (5)

24d   Roof party -- I object below (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]   - 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)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon