Monday, June 23, 2014 — DT 27412

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27412
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, February 13, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27412]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By archy and mehitabel
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I worked steadily through this puzzle although the production error at 17a/19a [what our British colleagues would undoubtedly refer to as a "cockup"] did significantly impede progress.

Errors in Today's Puzzle

In today's puzzle, two clues are run together with a portion of the text for one of the clues missing. The clues should be:

• 17a   Raise part of a suit (4)
• 19a   Invention by Swiss hero that’s gossip (8)

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Model cut short crooner once in TV programme (6)

Perry Como^[7] (1912–2001) was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he sold millions of records and pioneered a weekly musical variety television show, which set the standards for the genre and proved to be one of the most successful in television history. His combined success on television and popular recordings was not matched by any other artist of the time.

5a   Colts might have a role in such an exchange? (8)

Colt^[5] is a trademark for a type of revolver — from the name of the US inventor and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt (1814–1862).

9a   Work time on island left down to choice (8)

In music, Op.^[5] (also op.) 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.

Iona^[5] is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull. It is the site of a monastery founded by St Columba in about 563.

10a   Arty venue covered by critic in e-mail (6)

11a   Friend touring German river kept within bounds (8)

This "German river" is found almost entirely within Poland and merely borders Germany for part of its length..

The Oder^[5] is a river of central Europe which rises in the mountains in the east of the Czech Republic and flows northwards through western Poland to meet the River Neisse, then continues northwards forming the northern part of the border between Poland and Germany before flowing into the Baltic Sea.

In Britain, mate^[5] is an informal term (1) for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve or (2) used as a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒ ‘See you then, mate.’.

12a   Pupil in short summer period starts to impress other residents (6)

13a   Devoted woman to get tired trailing island swamp (8)

Date^[10] is used in the sense of to make or become old-fashioned [get tired] ⇒  some good films hardly date at all.

15a   American Revolutionary song? An operatic one (4)

In music, an aria^[5] is a long accompanied song for a solo voice, typically one in an opera or oratorio.

17a   Raise part of a suit (4)

19a   Invention by Swiss hero that’s gossip (8)

William Tell^[5] was a legendary hero of the liberation of Switzerland from Austrian oppression. He was required to hit with an arrow an apple placed on the head of his son, which he did successfully. The events are placed in the 14th century, but there is no evidence for a historical person of this name, and similar legends are of widespread occurrence.

20a   Roland, maybe, attracted to a single short cut (3,3)

Roland Rat^[7] is a puppet character that has appeared widely on British television.

As archy and mehitabel state in their review, the setter likely envisioned the second part of the charade to be "a single in cricket" — although it could just as well be a single in baseball.

Rat run^[5] is an informal British term for a minor, typically residential street used by drivers during peak periods to avoid congestion on main roads ⇒ our road was used as a rat run between two main roads.

21a   Cheap container holding bit of tasty food (3-5)

22a   Popular nationalist with energy that’s not learned (6)

Nat^[10] is an informal name for a member or supporter of the Scottish National Party^[5](abbreviation SNP), a political party formed in 1934, which seeks autonomous government for Scotland. It won its first parliamentary seat in 1945, and has since maintained a small group of MPs.

23a   Official musician’s name might be displayed so? (2,6)

24a   Greek character facing element on river largely in rebellion (8)

Mu^[5] is the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet (Μ, μ).

As an example, archy and mehitabel make reference to the symbol for the chemical element tin, which is Sn^[5].

The River Ouse^[5] is a river of northeastern England, formed at the confluence of the Ure and Swale in North Yorkshire and flowing 92 km (57 miles) south-eastwards through York to the Humber estuary. There are also several other rivers in England having that name (or minor variations thereof).

In archy and mehitabel's review, the comment "I don't think there's one in China" is a dig at gnomethang who, in a review, once placed the River Po in China (Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26437]). Although this slip occurred in December 2010, it still gets regular mention on Big Dave's site.

25a   A service on border in Dutch city (6)

The Royal Navy^[5] (abbreviation RN) is the British navy. It was the most powerful navy in the world from the 17th century until the Second World War.

Arnhem^[5] is a town in the eastern Netherlands, situated on the River Rhine, capital of the province of Gelderland; population 143,582 (2008). During the Second World War, in September 1944, Allied airborne troops made a landing nearby but were overwhelmed by German forces.

A Bridge Too Far^[7] (referred to by archy and mehitabel in their review) is a 1977 epic war film based on the 1974 book of the same name by Irish author Cornelius Ryan (1920–1974). The film tells the story of the failure of Operation Market Garden during World War II, the Allied attempt to break through German lines and seize several bridges in the occupied Netherlands, including one at Arnhem, with the main objective of outflanking German defences.The name for the film comes from an unconfirmed comment attributed to British Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, deputy commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, who told Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the operation's architect, before the operation: "I think we may be going a bridge too far."

Down

2d   Inappropriate rugby player wearing timeless watch (8)

In rugby, a prop^[5] (also called prop forward) is a forward at either end of the front row of a scrum.

3d   Standards of observance with religious instruction in California (8)

The abbreviation for religious instruction is RI^[10]. According to 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."

The US Postal Service abbreviation for the state of California^[7] is CA.

4d   Twice I run team, after corruption on a small scale (9)

I interpret the definition to be "on a small scale". For instance, miniature golf is golf on a small scale.

5d   Leave food shop, tucking in free includes eating old variety of apple (6,9)

It seemingly took forever to parse this clue, as there is more than ample opportunity for misdirection. The wordplay is GO (leave) + {DELI (food shop) contained in (tucking in) an anagram (free) of INCLUDES containing (eating) O (old)}.

On first sight, thinking in terms of putting a child to bed, the use of "tucking in" as a containment indicator in this clue didn't quite work for me. However, upon reflection, I conclude that tuck^[10] is used in the sense of to push or fold into a small confined space or concealed place or between two surfaces ⇒ to tuck a letter into an envelope. Thus, I interpret the first portion of the wordplay as if it were written "food shop, tucking [itself] in free includes".

6d   Fellow having trouble on Yorkshire river is a loser (7)

F^[2] is the abbreviation for Fellow (of a society, etc). For instance, it is found in professional designations such as FRAIC (Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada).

The River Ure^[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse [see 24a].

7d   Good university with time suppressing trouble that’s irregular (8)

The abbreviation G^[10] for good may relate to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

8d   Place for drivers to stop, we hear, getting rest? (3,5)

In Britain, a tea break^[5] is a short rest period during the working day, in which people typically drink a cup of tea or coffee ⇒ the men were on a tea break. On the other hand, according to the same source, a coffee break^[5] is a short break during the working day, during which people typically drink a cup of coffee or tea.

14d   Tart a tiro cooked in eating venue (9)

Tiro is an alternative spelling of tyro^[5], that is, a beginner or novice.

A trattoria^[2] is a restaurant, especially an informal one that serves Italian food.

15d   A liberal section of party is beginning to misjudge scaremongering (8)

The Liberal Party^[5] in Britain emerged in the 1860s from the old Whig Party and until the First World War was one of the two major parties in Britain. In 1988 the party regrouped with elements of the Social Democratic Party to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, now known as the Liberal Democrats; a small Liberal Party still exists. Although Lib.^[5] may be the more common abbreviation for the party, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary indicates that L^[2] may also be used.

16d   Favoured session of work to restrain cold natural impulse (8)

17d   Mouse seen by short stick and container for oil (8)

Tom and Jerry^[7] is a series of theatrical animated cartoon films created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, centering on a never-ending rivalry between a cat (Tom) and a mouse (Jerry) whose chases and battles often involved comic violence (despite this they sometimes become allies to defeat a 'greater enemy' such as Spike the dog).

18d   What might be pulled in shape for plane (8)

The Concorde^[5] was a supersonic airliner able to cruise at twice the speed of sound. Produced through Anglo-French cooperation, it made its maiden flight in 1969 and was taken out of service in 2003.

19d   Relative putting on weight in Somerset town (7)

Taunton^[5] is the county town of Somerset, in southwestern England; population 61,000 (est. 2009).

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, June 21, 2014 — Bald Archer

Introduction

For the most part, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon caused me little difficulty. However, I did spend a very long period of time pondering 19d before the penny finally dropped.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - yet to be solved

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Upsetting, losing one's hair? (11)

DISTRESSING — double definition, the latter whimsical

The setter uses "losing one's hair" to clue DISTRESSING based on the whimsical logic that if disrobe means to remove one's robes (clothing), then it only stands to reason that distress must mean to remove one's hair (tresses).

9a   Item on a roll careening at sea (7)

LISTING — double definition

10a   Virginia visitor seeming least certain (7)

VA|GUEST — VA ([US Postal Service abbreviation for the state of] Virginia) + GUEST (visitor)

11a   Little rascal wandering around on the way up (9)

IMP|ROVING — IMP (little rascal) + ROVING (wandering around)

12a   Make off with small duck (5)

S|TEAL — S (small) + TEAL (duck)

13a   Supervise poetry in Old English (7)

O(VERSE)E — VERSE (poetry) contained in (in) {OE^[5] (Old English)}

Old English^[5] (abbreviation OE^[5]) was the language of the Anglo-Saxons (up to about 1150). Also called Anglo-Saxon, it was an inflected language with a Germanic vocabulary, very different from modern English.

15a   Tighten up argument held by senator (7)

S(TIFF)EN — TIFF (argument) contained in (held by) SEN (senator)

17a   Tower section housing ape (7)

PAR(APE)T — PART (section) containing (housing) APE (†)

The problem with this clue is that a PARAPET is not a tower.

A parapet^[10] is (1) a a low wall or railing along the edge of a balcony, roof, etc or (2) (also called breastwork) a rampart, mound of sandbags, bank, etc, in front of a trench, giving protection from fire from the front.

19a   African country's exotic regalia (7)

ALGERIA* — anagram (exotic) of REGALIA

In parsing the clue, the 's is interpreted as a contraction for is and serves as a link (expressing equality) between the definition and wordplay.

21a   Earthy tone running through Cumberland (5)

_UMBER_ — hidden in (running through) CUMBERland

Cumberland^[5] is a former county of northwestern England. In 1974 it was united with Westmorland and part of Lancashire to form Cumbria.

23a   Fog's shrouding Russian range for certain artists (9)

M(URAL)IST|S — {MIST (fog) + S ('s)} containing (shrouding) URAL (Russian [mountain] range)

The Ural Mountains^[5] (also called the Urals) is a mountain range in Russia, extending 1,600 km (1,000 miles) from the Arctic Ocean to the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, and rising to 1,894 m (6,214 ft) at Mount Narodnaya. It forms part of the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.

25a   Dad, take a gander - a lousy boxer (7)

PA|LOOK|A — PA (dad) + LOOK (take a gander) + A (†)

Palooka^[5] is (1) an informal North American term for a stupid, uncouth person; in other words, a lout ⇒ these bearded, stumbling palookas in their peasants' breeches or (2) a dated US name for an inferior or average prizefighter ⇒ he was just another palooka trying to muscle in on the fight racket.

26a   Chronicle was printed the wrong way by judge (7)

NAR<|RATE — reversal (the wrong way) of RAN (was printed) + (by) RATE (judge)

27a   Bowman is planning to recite around one in the morning (7,4)

WILL(IAM) TELL — {WILL (is planning) + TELL (to recite)} containing (around) {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + AM (in the morning; abbreviation for ante meridiem}

William Tell^[5] was a legendary hero of the liberation of Switzerland from Austrian oppression. He was required to hit with an arrow an apple placed on the head of his son, which he did successfully. The events are placed in the 14th century, but there is no evidence for a historical person of this name, and similar legends are of widespread occurrence.

Down

1d   Pass spade pair off (9)

DISAPPEAR* — anagram (off) of SPADE PAIR

2d   Irish county log is tossed (5)

SLIGO* — anagram (tossed) of LOG IS

Although the caber toss is traditionally associated with Scotland, I note that it is among the events to be held at the upcoming Dublin Irish Festival.

3d   Be angry about Tim's piano style (7)

RAG(TIM)E — RAGE (be angry) containing (about) TIM (†)

As was the case in 19a, the 's is interpreted as a contraction for is and serves as a link (expressing equality) between the wordplay and definition.

4d   Harshly criticizes silver found in rescues (7)

SAV(AG)ES — AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver) contained in (found in) SAVES (rescues)

5d   Eating scrambled eggs in tin (9)

INGESTING* — anagram (scrambled) of EGGS IN TIN

6d   Fliers in formation held back by Pete Seeger (5)

{_GEES|E_}< — reversed (back) and hidden in (held ... by) PetE SEEGer

Pete Seeger^[5] (1919-2014) was an American folk musician and songwriter. Seeger was a prominent figure in the American folk revival. Notable songs: ‘If I Had a Hammer’ (circa 1949) and ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ (1956).

7d   White-skinned one in love gaining pound (6)

A(LB)IN|O — {A (one) + IN (†) + O (love; a nil score in tennis)} containing (gaining) LB ([abbreviation for] pound)

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.

8d   Soviet dictator left in disgrace (6)

STA(L)IN — L (left) contained in (in) STAIN (disgrace)

Joseph Stalin^[5] (1879–1953) was a Soviet statesman, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR 1922–53. His adoptive name Stalin means ‘man of steel’. Having isolated his political rival Trotsky, by 1927 Stalin was the uncontested leader of the Communist Party. In 1928 he launched a succession of five-year plans for rapid industrialization and the enforced collectivization of agriculture; as a result of this process some 10 million peasants are thought to have died. His large-scale purges of the intelligentsia in the 1930s were equally ruthless. After the victory over Hitler in 1945 he maintained a firm grip on neighbouring Communist states.

14d   Great nocturnal hunter's sporting event (5,4)

SUPER B|OWL — SUPERB (great) + OWL (nocturnal hunter)

The Super Bowl^[5] is the National Football League championship game played annually between the champions of the National and the American Football Conferences.

Once again, the 's is interpreted as a contraction for is and serves as a link (expressing equality) between the the wordplay and definition.

16d   Woods and everybody hinder in advance (9)

FOREST|ALL — FOREST (woods) + (and) ALL (everybody)

17d   Bit of sugar, in afterthought, is fattening (6)

P(LUMP)S — LUMP (bit of sugar) contained in (in) PS (afterthought; abbreviation for postscript)

In this case, the word "is" does not serve as a link word but, rather, is part of the definition.

18d   Drums of paint I'm stirring (7)

TIMPANI* — anagram (stirring) of PAINT IM

Timpani^[5] (also spelled tympani) are kettledrums, especially when played by one musician in an orchestra.

In this clue, the word "of" is a link (indicating constituent parts) between the definition and wordplay. The preposition of^[5] may be used to indicate the material or substance constituting something ⇒ (i) the house was built of bricks; or (ii) walls of stone.

19d   Kind of message a comrade made at first (7)

A(CRONY)M — A (†) + CRONY (comrade) + M (made at first; initial letter of the word "Made")

This would seem to be a very loose definition. An acronym^[5] is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. ASCII, NASA). An initialism^[5], on the other hand, is an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately (e.g. BBC).

20d   British novelist with a Yankee lacrosse team (6)

A|US|TEN — A (†) + US (Yankee) + TEN (lacrosse team)

Lacrosse^[5] is a team game, originally played by North American Indians, in which the ball is thrown, carried, and caught with a long-handled stick having a curved L-shaped or triangular frame at one end with a piece of shallow netting in the angle. In men's field lacrosse, there are ten players on each team (box lacrosse teams are comprised of six players, while women's field lacrosse teams have 12 players).

The number of players on a sports team is commonly used as a metonym for the team. Thus a baseball team might be referred to as a nine, a rowing crew as an eight, and a lacrosse team as a ten.

Jane Austen^[5] (1775–1817) was an English novelist. Her major novels are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818). They are notable for skilful characterization, dry wit, and penetrating social observation.

In this clue, the word "with" serves as a link (expressing causality) between the definition and wordplay. The preposition with^[5] may be used to indicate the cause of condition ⇒ he was trembling with fear. Used in this sense, the word "with" essentially means "resulting from".

22d   Under train overhead, in front of the boat (5)

B(EL)OW — EL (train overhead) contained in (in) BOW (front of the boat)

El^[5] is a US term for an elevated railway, especially that in Chicago.

24d   Big lager spilled (5)

LARGE* — anagram (spilled) of LAGER

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, June 20, 2014 — DT 27411

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27411
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27411]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Tilsit
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I finally finished this puzzle on the third sitting, after twice setting it aside having seemingly reached an impasse. I must say that Jay has employed some very imaginative indicators today.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Discovering mailbag has them horrified (6)

The setter uses "discovering" to indicate that the outer letters of "mailbAG HAS Them" are to be stripped away. This cryptic device is based on the whimsical logic that if disrobe means to remove one's robe (or other clothing), then it only stands to reason that discover must mean to remove one's cover.

4a   Soldiers may rely on one before going for a dip (3,5)

Soldier^[5] is an informal British term for a strip of bread or toast, used for dipping into a soft-boiled egg.

10a   Instrument from hospital wing operating primarily intensive care areas (9)

11a   A carbon free bitter (5)

The symbol for the chemical element carbon is C^[5].

In the surface reading, we are likely expected to interpret bitter^[5] as a British name for beer that is strongly flavoured with hops and has a bitter taste ⇒ (i) a pint of bitter; (ii) the company brews a range of bitters.

12a   Son inclined to be awkward in delivery (7)

13a   Abandon hope, swapping broadcast for crude strip (7)

14a   Noted Italian jury’s decision to clear final couple (5)

"Noted Italian" is a whimsical reference to an Italian composer (someone who employed notes in his work).

Giuseppe Verdi^[5] (1813–1901) was an Italian composer. His many operas, such as La Traviata (1853), Aida (1871), and Otello (1887), emphasize the dramatic element, treating personal stories on a heroic scale and often against backgrounds that reflect his political interests. Verdi is also famous for his Requiem (1874).

15a   Success covering globe to become less convincing (4,4)

18a   Climber writes off first-class returns (8)

A1^[4][5] or A-one^[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

Wisteria^[5] is any of several species of climbing shrub of the pea family, with hanging clusters of fragrant flowers, typically pale bluish-lilac in colour. Native to eastern Asia and North America, ornamental varieties are widely grown on walls and pergolas.

20a   Island’s fortune reversed by a lucky leader (5)

23a   A female just before the start of secret liaisons (7)

25a   Bird shot with catapult (7)

26a   Set a date to enter port (5)

Rio de Janeiro^[5] (commonly known as Rio) is a city in eastern Brazil, on the Atlantic coast; population 6,093,472 (2007). The chief port of Brazil, it was the country’s capital from 1763 until 1960, when it was replaced by Brasilia.

27a   Personal problem or line adopted by PM once on the inside of mills (3,6)

Sir Edward Heath^[5] (1916–2005) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1970-4. He negotiated Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community and faced problems caused by a marked increase in oil prices. Attempts to restrain wage rises led to widespread strikes and he lost a general election after a second national coal strike.

28a   ID needed to subscribe after visit? (4,4)

Subscribe^[5] is used in the formal sense of (1) to sign (a will, contract, or other document) ⇒ he subscribed the will as a witness; or (2) to sign (one’s name) on a will, contract, or other document ⇒ he was ordered to subscribe his name; or in the archaic sense of (3) (subscribe oneself) to sign oneself as ⇒ he ventured still to subscribe himself her most obedient servant.

29a   A dashed decanted drink makes sense (4,2)

Decant^[5] means to gradually pour (wine, port, or another liquid) from one container into another, typically in order to separate out sediment ⇒ he decanted the rich red liquid into some glasses. Thus if one were to decant "dashed", one would pour out the contents (the letters "ashe") leaving only the container (DD).

As a verb, sup^[5] is a dated or Northern English term meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls ⇒ (i) she supped up her soup delightedly; (ii) he was supping straight from the bottle. As a noun, it means (1) a sip of liquid ⇒ he took another sup of wine or (2) in Northern England or Ireland, an alcoholic drink ⇒ the latest sup from those blokes at the brewery.

Down

1d   She collapsed in a sharp fall, tending to Bond (8)

The word "bond" is deceptively capitalized, leading one to think of a certain secret agent.

James Bond^[5] (known also by his code name 007) is a fictional British secret agent in the spy novels of English author Ian Fleming (1908–1964).

2d   Tougher runner gets date for second of runs (7)

This clue took longer to solve than it should have as I initially misinterpreted "second of runs" to mean U (the second letter in the word "rUns").

A harrier^[5] is a hound of a breed used for hunting hares. The word "Harriers" is often used in the names of teams of cross-country runners⇒ Durham City Harriers.

3d   Candidates chosen for spirit and inclination (9)

In Britain, a short^[5] is a drink of spirits served in a small measure or, as Collins English Dictionary puts it, a drink of spirits as opposed to a long drink such as beer^[10].

5d   People who protect by deploying large guns around huntress (8,6)

In Roman mythology, Diana^[10] was the virginal goddess of the hunt and the moon — and is often identified in clues as a huntress.

6d   Catches people sleeping rough missing mass (5)

'Sleep rough'^[5] is a British expression meaning to sleep in uncomfortable conditions, typically out of doors ⇒ "he spent the night sleeping rough on the streets".

7d   First broadcaster to ruin Tory independent (7)

David Cameron^[5] [mentioned by Tilsit in his review]  is a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister since 2010 (in coalition with the Liberal Democrats).

I^[1] is the abbreviation for independent, perhaps in the context of a politician with no party affiliation.

Guglielmo Marconi^[5] (1874–1937) was an Italian electrical engineer, the founder of radio. In 1912 Marconi produced a continuously oscillating wave, essential for the transmission of sound. He went on to develop short-wave transmission over long distances. Nobel Prize for Physics (1909).

8d   Puzzle of theologian enveloped in anger (6)

Doctor of Divinity^[7] (D.D. or DD, Divinitatis Doctor in Latin) is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects. In the United Kingdom, Doctor of Divinity has traditionally been the highest doctorate granted by universities, usually conferred upon a religious scholar of standing and distinction. In the United States, the Doctor of Divinity is usually awarded as an honorary degree.

9d   Opening sauce giving special appeal (6-8)

16d   Do better than new scan in vogue (9)

17d   Gets tired, with joint leader at sea (8)

19d   Popular and fashionable field for a pagan (7)

As an anagram indicator, "fashionable" whimsically indicates that FIELD is something that not only can be — but must be — fashioned.

21d   Songbirds flying loose around Rhode Island (7)

The US Postal Service abbreviation for the state of Rhode Island^[7] is RI.

22d   Material that’s fine on a mostly decent chap (6)

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford surprisingly characterises as British].

Brick^[5] is a informal, dated British term for a generous, helpful, and reliable person ⇒ ‘You are really a brick, Vi,’ Gloria said.

24d   Politicians ultimately supporting press clubs (5)

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, June 19, 2014 — DT 27410

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27410
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, February 11, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27410]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Gazza rated this puzzle "a bit trickier that what we normally get on Tuesdays [the day on which it appeared in the UK]". Nevertheless, it shouldn't overly tax most experienced solvers.

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.

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Conceited, like Humpty Dumpty? (9)

I initially wrote in EGGHEADED which totally stymied my efforts on 1d. Fortunately, I eventually saw the error of my ways.

6a   Monarch and family joined by Germany’s leader (4)

10a   Tragic heroine taking in a US resort (5)

Mimi is the tragic heroine of the opera La bohème^[7] by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924). Mimi is also the name of the heroine of the 1996 Broadway musical Rent^[7] which is based on La bohème.

11a   Justify being very mean (9)

12a   Meet knight in Eastern bar (9)

N^[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].

14a   Order English concise dictionary (or part thereof) (5)

As Gazza points out in his review, the setter provides two sets of wordplay which are separated by the word "or". The first is E (English) + DICT (concise dictionary; an abbreviation for "dictionary"). The second indicates that the solution is hidden in the phrase (part thereof) "English concisE DICTionary". While some purists would likely argue that the word "English" is superfluous to the latter bit of wordplay, I think we can accept "English concise dictionary" as constituting a meaningful phrase — although "concise English dictionary" rings truer to my ear (but certainly would not work in the context of the clue).

15a   We, with others left imprisoned, struggle (7)

16a   Trendy girl, one of the Joneses? (7)

Diana continues to be one of — if not actually the — most popular female names in Crosswordland.

Indiana Jones^[7] is a fictional character created by American filmmaker George Lucas in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. Alongside the more widely known films and television programs, the character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and other media — not to mention attractions at several Disney theme parks.

18a   Spear I’d thrown into river (7)

The Trent^[5] is the chief river of central England, which rises in Staffordshire and flows 275 km (170 miles) generally north-eastwards, uniting with the River Ouse 25 km (15 miles) west of Hull to form the Humber estuary.

A trident^[5] is a three-pronged spear, especially as an attribute of Poseidon [the Greek god of the sea] (Neptune [the Roman god of the sea]) or Britannia [the personification of Britain, usually depicted as a helmeted woman with shield and trident].

20a   Tree maintenance (7)

The service tree^[5] is a Eurasian tree of the rose family, closely related to the rowan. Species include
the southern European true service tree (Sorbus domestica), with compound leaves and green-brown fruits that are edible when overripe, and the wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis), with lobed leaves and brown berries.

21a   Looter overlooking a cavalryman (5)

23a   100 led conga off, and another set of steps up North? (4,5)

A clog dance^[5] is a dance performed in clogs with rhythmic beating of the feet, especially as a traditional dance in Ireland, Scotland, and the North of England.

25a   Product of fine season (9)

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford characterises as British].

26a   Lively stout at last available in small bottle (5)

Stout^[5] is a kind of strong, dark beer brewed with roasted malt or barley.

28a   Monster consequently returned (4)

29a   Vest being worn by the only child in family (9)

In Britain, a vest^[5] is an undergarment worn on the upper part of the body, typically having no sleeves. The garment that North Americans call a vest is known in the UK as a waistcoat.

Singlet^[5] is a chiefly British name for a sleeveless garment worn under or instead of a shirt.

Singleton^[5] (often used as a modifier) is a child or animal born singly, rather than one of a multiple birth ⇒ singleton boys.

Down

1d   Dessert, pineapple, last from tree (5)

Pineapple^[5] is an informal name for a hand grenade. According to The Chambers Dictionary, pineapple^[1] is also an informal name for a bomb. This latter meaning is unique to Chambers among the several dictionaries that I consulted.

2d   Travel over a state in India (3)

Goa^[5] is a state on the west coast of India; capital, Panaji. Formerly a Portuguese territory, it was seized by India in 1961. It formed a Union Territory with Daman and Diu until 1987, when it was made a state.

3d   Form quite unpredictable — better ignoring first and last (9)

4d   Fan of French election beginning to expound (7)

In French, de^[8]is a preposition meaning of'.

5d   Study a king on two Roman coins (7)

I would say that one could equally well determine the definition to be "Roman coins" with the word "two" in the wordplay clueing the Roman numeral for two.

Rex^[5] (abbreviation R^[5]) [Latin for king] denotes the reigning king, used following a name (e.g. Georgius Rex, King George) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Rex v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

As alluded to by Gazza in his review, in the British currency system used prior to Decimal Day^[5] (February 15, 1971 [the date on which Britain converted to a decimal currency system]), a penny was equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound (and was abbreviated d, for denarius).

7d   Fancy one tribe embracing sorcerers (11)

A magus^[5] (plural magi) is a sorcerer.

8d   Dog in tea garden, barking (5,4)

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

9d   Clobber eagle, primarily a bird of prey (4)

Clobber^[5] is British slang for clothing, personal belongings, or equipment ⇒ I found all his clobber in the locker.

Kit is an informal British term for clothes, especially in the expression get one's kit off^[5], meaning to take off all one's clothes.

13d   Clubs limit delay in game (6,2,3)

C^[1] is the abbreviation for clubs, a suit in a deck of cards.

Chemin de fer^[5] (French, literally 'railway') is a card game which is a variety of baccarat.

15d   ‘Battle’ almost describes potty game (5,4)

This turns out to be rather timely clue as yesterday was the 199th anniversary of the battle to which it refers.

Quotation marks are often used in DT puzzles to indicate the name of a play, opera, film, or song. However, I could find no particularly noteworthy work entitled 'Battle'^[7]. Moreover, given that quotation marks used in such situations rarely appear in the puzzles as published in the National Post, I have long suspected that they are added by the editors at The Daily Telegraph after the puzzle has been sent to syndication. Therefore, I would conclude that the quotation marks in this clue are merely meant to provide emphasis to the word "battle".

The Battle of Waterloo^[5] was a battle fought on 18 June 1815 near the village of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium), in which Napoleon’s army was defeated by the British (under the Duke of Wellington) and Prussians. The allied pursuit caused Napoleon’s army to disintegrate entirely, ending his bid to return to power.

In Britain, po^[5] is an informal name for a chamber pot.

The use of the word "describe" as a containment indicator is a common cryptic crossword convention. This device relies on describe^[3] being used in the sense of to trace the form or outline of ⇒ describe a circle with a compass. Thus, in today's clue, we have WATERLO ('battle' almost; Battle of Waterloo) containing (describing) PO (potty) with the rationale for the wordplay being that the container (WATERLO) forms an outline around the contained entity (PO) in a similar manner to the circumference of a circle forming an outline around the circular area contained within it.  

17d   Two daughters are inside with wicked reckless type (4-5)

19d   Diplomacy is to embrace Conservative strategy (7)

I expect that those with a military background may argue that strategy and tactics are rather different things.

20d   Oriental commander holding butt of assault weapon (7)

A shogun^[5] was a hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan. Because of the military power concentrated in his hands and the consequent weakness of the nominal head of state (the mikado or emperor), the shogun was generally the real ruler of the country until feudalism was abolished in 1867.

22d   Ready to complain once head of government’s left (4)

24d   Welsh name, see, keeping maiden name (5)

A see^[10] is the diocese of a bishop, or the place within it where his cathedral or procathedral is situated.

The Diocese of Ely^[5] is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in the city of Ely.

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.

Emlyn is a Welsh name which probably comes from the name of the ancient region of Emlyn^[7] in Wales, its name meaning "around the valley". 

27d   Young child visiting grotto, toddler (3)

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