Monday, January 26, 2015 — DT 27571

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27571
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, August 18, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27571]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
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

The planets have once again aligned and The Daily Telegraph "Monday" puzzle actually appears in the National Post on a Monday. Given Miffypops' self-admitted condition, I wouldn't put too much stock in the ratings today. I suspect that he has once again neglected to set them and what we are seeing is the default ***/*** setting in the template.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Disturb canary perhaps, /in/ its nest here? (4,9)

It is not unusual for different observers to come to varying conclusions about how to classify clues set by Rufus. Miffypops views this as an "all-in-one" — although, to be precise, it would have to be a semi-all-in-one as the wordplay definitely only forms part of the clue.

I concluded that the clue is a regular clue with the definition ("its nest here?") in the form of a question which is equivalent to "where one might find a canary's nest".

10a   Available to customers, /or/ about to arrive (2,5)

11a   Some players will take a long time // dressing (7)

12a   Might it turn the tide for the overweight? (4)

I will generally agree with Miffypops here, although to be precise this is a semi-all-in-one clue and not an all-in-one clue.

13a   Form /of/ fungus (5)

14a   Heavy piece of wood, /though it could be/ light (4)

What did he say?
Miffypops said "... which is also Ray T’s toughie alias".
Explanation: Ray Terrell (known on Big Dave's blog as RayT), who sets alternate "Thursday" puzzles, uses the pseudonym Beam when setting The Toughie, another (more difficult) cryptic crossword that appears in The Daily Telegraph.

17a   Regret about arranging it en // suite (7)

A suite^[5] is a group of people in attendance on a monarch or other person of high rank ⇒ the Royal Saloon was built for the use of the Queen and her suite.

18a   Top gear // from St Neots (7)

Scratching the Surface
St Neots[5] is a town in Cambridgeshire, England, next to the Bedfordshire county border. It lies on the River Great Ouse in the Huntingdonshire District, 15 miles (24 km) west of Cambridge and 49 miles (79 km) north of central London.

19a   Bill, // an aristocrat we hear (7)

22a   About to cut a prison // stretch (7)

As it was for Miffypops, this was one of my last ones in. And judging by the comments on Big Dave's blog, this is likely the clue that caused problems for most solvers.

I actually arrived at the correct solution through the wordplay much earlier, but (without actually writing it down) dismissed the result as not possibly being a word. After revisiting the clue numerous times, it finally dawned on me that the combination of letters that I had come up with really was a word.

24a   Right-minded man // takes his from history (4)

25a   Reason // for which some people fight (5)

I will diverge from Miffypops lead and call this a double definition.

Initially entering PURSE here made the circus apparatus at 21d extremely difficult to discern.

26a   Prokofiev has no proof /it's/ a Ukrainian city (4)

Kiev^[5] is the capital of Ukraine, an industrial city and port on the River Dnieper; population 2,765,500 (est. 2009). Founded in the 8th century, it became capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1934. In 1991 it became capital of independent Ukraine.

Scratching the Surface
Sergei Prokofiev[5] (1891–1953) was a Russian composer. Notable works include seven symphonies, the opera The Love for Three Oranges (1919), the ballet music for Romeo and Juliet (1935-6), and Peter and the Wolf (1936), a young person’s guide to the orchestra in the form of a fairy tale.

29a   Offensive // rumour about retired doctor (7)

Surely, he didn't mean that?
Miffypops said "... one of our usual suspects for a doctor (medical orderly) ...".
Explanation: An orderly is not a doctor and I'm sure Miffypops knows better. However, he does admit to writing this review on the morning after the night before. MO[5] is the abbreviation for medical officer[5], a doctor in charge of the health services of a civilian or military authority or other organization.

30a   Having favourites, relatively speaking (7)

31a   The state of the fraternity // -- rows among monks (13)

Down

2d   Study // in group including party leader (7)

3d   Terrible fate /makes/ temper rise (4)

4d   Shocking /in/ respect to certain individuals (7)

5d   Repairs at last (7)

6d   Runs out, /but/ they may retain the Ashes (4)

Scratching the Surface

"Runs out" may be a play on the cricket term "run out". In cricket, run out[7] (abbreviation ro[2]) denotes the dismissal of a batsman by hitting a wicket with the ball while the batsman is out of his ground[10] (the area from the popping crease back past the stumps, in which a batsman may legally stand). The Ashes[10] is a cremated cricket stump in a pottery urn now preserved at Lord's [a cricket ground in London, England]. Victory or defeat in Test matches* between England and Australia is referred to as winning, losing, or retaining the Ashes. The concept of The Ashes originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval [a cricket ground in London, England], their first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to "regain those ashes". The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes. * A 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.

7d   A newspaper's success depends more on these than its writers (7)

8d   Danger! Tinkers all over the place /in/ these schools! (13)

9d   What the Beefeater renders? (6,7)

A beefeater^[5] is a Yeoman Warder or Yeoman of the Guard in the Tower of London. The name was originally a derogatory term for a well-fed servant.

Yeoman service^[5] means efficient or useful help in need ⇒ the minister has performed yeoman service for Mulroney [a rather intriguing usage example for Oxford to choose].

Digging Deeper

The Tower of London[5] (or merely The Tower) is a fortress by the Thames just east of the City of London. The oldest part, the White Tower, was begun in 1078. It was later used as a state prison, and is now open to the public as a repository of ancient armour and weapons, and of the Crown Jewels. A Yeoman Warder[5] is a warder [British term for prison guard] at the Tower of London. A Yeoman of the Guard[5] is a member of the British sovereign’s bodyguard, first established by Henry VII, now having only ceremonial duties and wearing Tudor dress as uniform. The term is commonly used erroneously to refer to a Yeoman Warder. Both of the above are also called a beefeater.

15d   Putin ordered // data (5)

Scratching the Surface
Vladimir Putin[5] is a Russian statesman, President 2000-8 and since 2012, Prime Minister 2008–2012.

16d   Card showing where one's home is? (5)

Alluding to the proverb "Home is where the heart is." [which gets two quite different interpretations at link cited — one American and one British]

20d   Naval ship // that requires quarantine (7)

When definitions start with the word "that", I find it helpful to mentally insert the word 'something' or 'someone' before it.

21d   Circus hanger-on? (7)

22d   Magazine /for/ footballers (7)

Arsenal Football Club^[7] is an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Holloway, London that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).

23d   Flies // east via resorts (7)

As an anagram indicator, "resort" is used in the somewhat whimsical sense of 'to sort again'.

27d   Left // harbour (4)

28d   Start work in French -- /at/ this university? (4)

Miffypops may have been labouring under the aftereffects of a bit of merrymaking the night before, but he was still sharp enough to pick up the second definition in this clue — which is more than I did.

In this clue, we have a bit of wordplay sandwiched between two definitions.

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.

In French, en^[8] is a preposition meaning 'in'.

In the UK, the Open University^[5] is a university that teaches mainly by broadcasting, correspondence, and summer schools, and is open to those without formal academic qualifications.

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, January 24, 2015 — Cats on the Court

Introduction

I found today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to be a bit more of a mental workout than I am used to from them.

For the benefit of those who have not visited recently, the boxes labelled "Scratching the Surface" contain information intended to help readers appreciate the surface reading of a clue but which does not assist in deciphering the clue.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Socrates turned // most vulgar (8)

COARSEST* — anagram (turned) of SOCRATES

Scratching the Surface
Socrates[5] (469–399 BC) was a Greek philosopher. As represented in the writings of his disciple Plato, he engaged in dialogue with others in an attempt to define ethical concepts by exposing and dispelling error (the Socratic method). Charged with introducing strange gods and corrupting the young, Socrates was sentenced to death and died by drinking hemlock.

5a   I almost jump // a metrical foot (6)

I|AMBUS_ — I (†) + AMBUS {AMBUS[H] (jump) with the final letter removed (almost)}

In describing the patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry, an iambus^[5] is a metrical foot consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable.

9a   Repetitious term /for/ “stretched on my back” (8)

TAUT|ON|YM< — TAUT (stretched) + ON (†) + reversal (back) of MY

In botany and zoology, a tautonym^[5] is a scientific name in which the same word is used for both genus and species, for example Vulpes vulpes (the red fox).

10a   Individual aboard little // toy train line (6)

LI(ONE)L — ONE (individual) contained in LIL (little; li'l as in Li'l Abner^[5])

A "toy train line" refers to a line (brand name) of toy trains. Lionel Corporation^[7] is an American toy manufacturer and retailer that has done business since 1900. Founded as an electrical novelties company, Lionel specialized in various products throughout its existence, but toy trains and model railroads were its main claim to fame.

11a   Spy // a lady’s companion (5)

A|GENT — A (†) + GENT (lady's companion)

12a   One grand put into Hair /and/ Cats (9)

T(IG)RESSES — {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + G (grand; a thousand)} contained in TRESSES (hair)

Scratching the Surface
Hair[7] (in full Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical) is a 1967 rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. CATS[7] is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. It premiered in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982.

14a   Olympic event // (javelin?) picked up by tot in the morning (7,4)

BA(LANCE) BE|AM — LANCE (javelin?) contained in (picked up by) BABE (tot) + AM (in the morning

The question mark indicates either that a javelin is an example of a lance or, perhaps more likely, that a javelin is similar to — but not exactly — a lance.

18a   Bum locked in one // theatre (11)

NICKELODEON* — anagram (bum) of LOCKED IN ONE

Nickelodeon^[5] is a historical North American term for a cinema with an admission fee of one nickel [undoubtedly a very historical term!]. The employment of the word "theatre"^[5] as a synonym for cinema is chiefly a North American and West Indian usage.

21a   Playing “Horse,” stop // basketball players (9)

HOOPSTERS* — anagram (playing) of HORSE STOP

I presume there is no significance to the unusual positioning of the comma.

Scratching the Surface
Horse[7] (or H-O-R-S-E) is a variation of the game of basketball that can be played by two or more players.

23a   Catch // error in volume (5)

S(E)IZE — E (error) contained in (in) SIZE (volume)

This was my last one in. Even with all the checking letters, I had difficulty finding the solution. Matters were not helped with there being two possible constructions. E being the last letter, the wordplay could also have been XXXX (catch) + E (error) giving a five-letter word meaning volume. After writing the remainder of the review, I revisited the clue and the solution came to me.

In baseball, an error^[3] (abbreviation E^[3]) is charged to a fielder in the case of a defensive fielding or throwing misplay by that player when a play normally should have resulted in an out or prevented an advance by a base runner.

24a   Altercations // seen at the end amid wrecks (3-3)

RU(N)-INS — N {seen at the end; final letter (at the end) of seeN} contained in (amid) RUINS (wrecks)

25a   Mexican musician/’s/ “Chicago” following song from West-Side Story (8)

MARIA|CHI — CHI (Chicago) following (†) MARIA (song from West-Side Story)

"Chi-Town" or "Chitown" is a nickname for Chicago^[7] often used in CB slang as noted in the C.W. McCall song "Convoy". The abbreviation CHI is commonly used to represent Chicago sports teams in statistical tables, etc. found on sports pages and on scoreboards at sports venues. It is also found in nicknames for Chicago sports teams. For instance, the Chicago White Sox^[7] are known as the ChiSox (to distinguish them from the Boston Red Sox^[7]).

"Maria"^[7] is a song from the Broadway musical West Side Story, sung by the lead character Tony. The music was written by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song was published in 1956.

26a   Forsake // last course in speech (6)

DESERT~ — sounds like (in speech) DESSERT (last course [of a meal])

27a   Introduces // the woman among us wrong (6,2)

US(HER)S IN — HER (the woman) contained in (among) {US (†) + SIN (wrong)}

Down

1d   Hipster harvested grass /in/ China, once (6)

CAT|HAY — CAT (hipster) + HAY (harvested grass)

Cathay^[5] is the name by which China was known to medieval Europe.

2d   Entertained // a doctor, taking exercise (6)

A|M(USE)D — A (†) + MD (doctor) containing (taking) USE (exercise)

3d   Get out furniture /that/ can be filmed (9)

SHOO|TABLE — SHOO (get out) + TABLE (furniture)

4d   Action movie star // cut solo for an easy-listening audience? (3,8)

{SLY ST|ALLONE}~ — sounds like (for an easy-listening audience) {SLICED + ALONE}

I thought the homophone was a bit of a stretch, but the setters have acknowledged that it may be a bit tenuous by specifying an "easy-listening" [as opposed to a critical] audience.

Sylvester "Sly" Stallone^[7] is an American actor best known for his portrayal of the characters boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo.

6d   Four getting into beer // in play (5)

AL(IV)E — IV ([Roman numeral for] four) contained in (getting into) ALE (beer)

In sports, alive^[3] means in play or live ⇒ a foul called when the ball is alive.

7d   Railing // is gripped by kid (8)

BAN(IS)TER — IS (†) contained in (gripped by) BANTER (kid)

8d   Identical // kind of seed put around left field (8)

SE(LF)SAME — SESAME (kind of seed) containing (put around) LF (left field)

In baseball, left field^[5] (abbreviation LF^[3]) is the part of the outfield to the left of the batter when facing the pitcher ⇒ a high fly to left field.

13d   Cookies // distributed in press gang (11)

GINGERSNAPS* — anagram (distributed) of IN PRESS GANGS

Note to British readers: You would know cookies as biscuits.

15d   Internees misspelled // a woman’s name (9)

ERNESTINE* — anagram (misspelled) of INTERNEES

16d   Firmly in place, // and accepting job (8)

AN(CHORE)D — AND (†) containing (accepting) CHORE (job)

17d   Stories /of/ current noblemen (8)

AC|COUNTS — AC ([alternating] current) + COUNTS (noblemen)

19d   Endlessly talk about // flying saucer? (6)

DISCUS_ — DISCUS[S] (talk about) with the final letter removed (endlessly)

20d   Ignore rocky // area (6)

REGION* — anagram (rocky) of IGNORE

22d   Novel arson // detector (5)

SONAR* — anagram (novel) of ARSON

Epilogue

The title of today's blog is inspired by 12a and 21a — and, for good measure, lets throw in 1d.

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, January 22, 2015 — DT 27570

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27570
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, August 16, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27570 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27570 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ / ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

As reported by crypticsue in her review, she and "quite a lot of other people thought this was a trickier than usual Saturday puzzle". Of course, the Saturday prize puzzles are among the easiest of the week. Personally, I found it significantly less difficult than yesterday's offering from Giovanni.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Antagonism /in/ work place (10)

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.

6a   Unusual getting second // chances (4)

10a   Socially dominant /in/ sacred river area (5)

In zoology and sociology, alpha^[5] is used as a modifier denoting the dominant animal or human in a particular group ⇒ the pack is a tightly knit, highly organized group, led by an alpha wolf. The term alpha^[5] is also used in informal speech as a modifier denoting a person who has a dominant role or position within a particular sphere ⇒ take turns cooking for each other if one of you is too much of an alpha chef.

The Alph is a fictional river mentioned in the poem Kubla Khan^[7] by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem begins:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree :

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea.

11a   Not entirely risky acquiring horse /for/ old coach (9)

I was not familiar with the solution, but fortunately managed to work it out from the wordplay.

Charabanc^[5] is a British term for an early form of bus, used typically for pleasure trips. The name comes from French char-à-bancs 'carriage with benches' (the original horse-drawn charabancs having rows of bench seats).

12a   Drama of fine end-of-series // deciders (4-4)

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

13a   Briefly visit // old man at home (3,2)

15a   Entrant, // a competitor on river (7)

17a   Sound // check (7)

18a   Greeting composer, one /leaving/ barbecue (7)

"Leaving" is not an indication that a letter is to be deleted but, rather, a link word used in the sense of 'resulting in' (i.e., 'leaving [the result]').

Johann Sebastian Bach^[5] (1685–1750) was a German composer. An exceptional and prolific baroque composer, he produced a massive body of work — not to mention twenty children.

21a   Court finally presented with motive /for/ crime (7)

23a   Piece of spinach on // a tortilla chip (5)

24a   Loyal follower, // guy from a Belgian river port? (8)

Historically, a liegeman^[5] was a a vassal who owed feudal service or allegiance to a nobleman — a vassal being a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance. [In other words, loyalty came at a price.]

Liège^[7] is a major city situated in the valley of the Meuse River, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands and with Germany. It is the capital of Liège province and part of the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium.  The Port of Liège, located on the River Meuse, is the 3rd largest river port in Europe.

27a   Beginning to like catching Latin // lecture (7-2)

28a   High explosive is used by leader of team /in/ spectacular theft (5)

HE^[5] is the abbreviation for high explosive.

29a   Almost // half of bedtime drink (4)

30a   Clue for Poirot, say, // could bring dishonour to family (10)

The wordplay is a charade of BLOOD (family) + (could bring ... to) STAIN (discover). Since we are bringing STAIN to BLOOD, the latter must have been written first.

Down

1d   /What's/ touching about mother // country? (4)

In a clue phrased as a question, the word "what's" can be considered to be equivalent to a link word, serving the same function as the word "that's" in a clue phrased as a statement. This can be seen more clearly if we phrase the clue as a statement rather than  a question, in which case it might read:

• Country /that's/ touching about mother (4)

Of course, the surface reading of the rephrased clue is by no means as satisfying as the original — which explains why the setter chose to phrase the clue as a question.

2d   Widely admired // university in London area (7)

Poplar^[7] is a historic, mainly residential area of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Charing Cross [considered to mark the geographic centre of London].

3d   A duke in cast, // underhand (5)

A duke^[5] (abbreviation D.^[10]) is a male holding the highest hereditary title in the British and certain other peerages. 

Shy^[5] is a dated term meaning, as a noun, an act of flinging or throwing something at a target and, as a verb, to fling or throw (something) at a target ⇒ he tore the spectacles off and shied them at her.

4d   Diplomatic /in/ court dividing fault roughly (7)

Ct^[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and possibly in other contexts as well.

5d   Famous Greek // is below on a ship (7)

In Crosswordland, you'll rarely go wrong by assuming that a ship is a steamship (abbreviation SS^[5]).

Aristotle Onassis^[5] (1906–1975) was a Greek shipping magnate and international businessman; full name Aristotle Socrates Onassis. He owned a substantial shipping empire and founded the Greek national airline, Olympic Airways (1957). In 1968, he married Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of US president John F. Kennedy who had been assassinated in 1963.

7d   Empty, // obsolete bain-marie? (7)

A bain-marie^[5] is a pan of hot water in which a cooking container is placed for slow cooking ⇒ cook in a bain-marie until the custard thickens slightly.

8d   Used // additional bit of help (6-4)

9d   Fighter /having/ to turn from correct course over channel (8)

14d   Used to be nothing, cracked up /to be/ a US president (10)

16d   First one to get on a // four-wheeled carriage (8)

Historically, a victoria^[5] (named after Queen Victoria) was a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a collapsible hood, seats for two passengers, and an elevated driver’s seat in front ⇒ Atlanta 's finest could promenade in phaetons, victorias and tallyhos pulled by gleaming horses.

19d   Finance account /in/ arrears (7)

20d   Bad carrying on with a // criminal (7)

In cricket, the on^[5] (also known as on side) is another name for the leg^[5] (also called leg side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg. The other half of the field is known as the off^[5] (also called off side).

21d   Venetian painter // to fasten sports shirt (7)

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo^[5] (1696–1770) was an Italian painter. He painted numerous rococo frescoes and altarpieces including the Antony and Cleopatra frescoes in the Palazzo Labia, Venice (circa 1750), and the decoration of the residence of the Prince-Bishop at Würzburg (1751-3).

22d   It's a man running, /showing/ staying power (7)

25d   Guiding beliefs // set out involving husband and love (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.

26d   College // bill rising (4)

Eton College^[7], often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent [private] school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor". It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, and is one of the original nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. [Note: In Britain, "public schools" are a special class of private school; what North Americans would call public schools seem to be referred to in Britain by terms such as state-run or state-funded schools].

My initial thought was that bill might be a reference to a banknote, but on reflection concluded that this is unlikely to be correct.

Bill^[5] is a North American term for a banknote ⇒ a ten-dollar bill while note^[5] is a British term for a banknote ⇒ a ten-pound note.

Bill^[10] is (1) another term for a bill of exchange or (2) an obsolete name for a promissory note. A bill of exchange^[10] is a document (now chiefly used in foreign transactions), usually negotiable, containing an instruction to a third party to pay a stated sum of money at a designated future date or on demand. Promissory note^[10] (also called note or note of hand) is a mainly US term for a document, usually negotiable, containing a signed promise to pay a stated sum of money to a specified person at a designated date or on demand.

The definition at Oxford Dictionaries Online appears to blur — or, more accurately, remove — the boundaries between these two terms. It defines bill of exchange^[5] as being (1) a written order to a person requiring them to make a specified payment to the signatory or to a named payee; [or] (2) a promissory note.

No doubt, I should have gone straight to The Chambers Dictionary which tells us that note^[1] is an obsolete term for a bill or account.

Of course, failing all other explanations, we can fall back on bill^[10] being an archaic term meaning any document and note^[10] being a short written statement giving any kind of information.

This takes me back to my remark the other day about a man with two clocks never being sure what time it is. Or, as someone once said, the nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.

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, January 22, 2015 — DT 27569

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27569
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, August 15, 2014
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27569]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave
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

The review of today's puzzle at Big Dave's Crossword Blog was written by Big Dave himself. I must say that he seems to be a bit of an 8a today. He certainly doesn't have anything charitable to say about either the puzzle or the setter.

I almost always enjoy Giovanni's puzzles which are among the more challenging that we face. Unlike Big Dave, I found today's puzzle to be especially challenging. It provided a real mental workout and I needed to call on my electronic aids in order to finish it.

You may recall a couple of days ago when we had an especially easy puzzle I told you that we would shortly pay for that respite. Well, today is payback time.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.

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. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Relate, // one way or the other (5)

4a   Manages // hard American groups (8)

H^[5] is an abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

8a   Former Labour politician, // fellow not best pleased (8)

Richard Crossman^[7] (1907–1974) was a British Labour Party politician and author who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists. Late in his life, Crossman was editor of the New Statesman [a British political and cultural magazine published weekly in London], but is best known today for his posthumously published three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister.

What did he say?

In his review, Big Dave mentions Yes Minister[7], a hugely popular satirical British sitcom that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980 and 1984. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. Set principally in the private office of a British Cabinet minister in the (fictional) Department of Administrative Affairs, Yes Minister follows the ministerial career of The Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP. His various struggles to formulate and enact legislation or effect departmental changes are opposed by the British Civil Service. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, continued with the same cast and followed the events of the premiership of Jim Hacker after his unexpected elevation to Number 10* upon the resignation of the previous PM. The series was based, in part, on the published diaries of Richard Crossman. * No. 10 Downing Street, the address of the office and residence of the British Prime Minister

9a   Going off after short time, // running (8)

Go off^[3] is a chiefly British expression meaning to become spoiled or rancid ⇒ The orange juice has gone off.

11a   Vehicle /of/ writer unserviceable, dumped by motorway (7)

I initially took the definition to be "vehicle of writer" and entered OMNIBUS. Of course, not only could I not explain the wordplay, this played havoc with my efforts on 1d.

The abbreviation for unserviceable is U/S^[10].

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway [controlled access, multi-lane divided highway] in England connecting London to Leeds.

13a   Dear Parisian among idiots // who may look skyward? (9)

The French word for dear is cher^[8].

Twitcher^[5] is an informal British term for a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds.

The solution to this clue surely would have come much sooner had I been familiar with the latter term.

15a   Country // dinner earl organised to back ex-PM (8,7)

Lord Frederick North^[5] (1732–1792) was a British Tory statesman, Prime Minister 1770–82. He sought to avoid the War of American Independence, but was regarded as responsible for the loss of the American colonies.

What did he say?

Is Northern Ireland actually a country?  According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, Northern Ireland[5] holds the status of a province — the only major division of the United Kingdom to do so, with England[5] and Scotland[5] being considered countries and Wales[5] a principality. After writing the above, I see that pommers made the same point in a comment on Big Dave's blog. This may also possibly be the point that Big Dave is alluding to in his comment that "this country would score 100 points on the TV show Pointless!". Pointless[7] is a quiz show that has aired on the BBC since 2009. The object of the game is for contestants not only to provide correct answers, but also provide the most obscure possible correct answers. A high score (to a maximum of 100 points) is awarded for well-known answers and a low score for obscure answers. The team with the lowest score is the winner. The maximum score of 100 points is also awarded for an incorrect answer. Therefore Big Dave's comment might mean either that the "country" in the solution is so well-known that it would score 100 points or that it is not a country at all and would therefore score 100 points for being an incorrect answer.

18a   Inspiring // part of hospital accommodation lacking nothing (9)

From my experience, I would almost say that the Crosswordland Hospital consists solely of the ear, nose and throat (ENT^[2]) department.

21a   Worker // noticing things old boy missed (7)

Well, this old boy is still suffering from the bruises caused by the self-inflicted kicking given for missing this one. No, it was not "old boy" which I didn't know; I couldn't think of the worker.

In Britain, an old boy^[5] (abbreviation OB^[2])  is (1) a former male student of a school or college ⇒an old boy of Banbury County School or (2) a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards. It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

22a   Initial change made to wedding // vehicle (8)

24a   Metal pieces, // now rare, I repaired (8)

25a   Inventor /of/ peg attached to plate (8)

26a   Moves very gradually /or/ stops, avoiding maximum speed! (5)

In physics, the symbol c^[5] is used to represent the speed of light in a vacuum ⇒ E = mc².

Down

1d   Order soldiers in advance exercise // to make fresh start (10)

This was one of my last one's in as I had an incorrect entry at 11a for the longest time.

The Order of Merit^[7] (abbreviation OM^[5]) is a dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, and is limited to 24 living recipients at one time from these countries plus a limited number of honorary members. The current membership includes one Canadian (former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien).

Recce^[5] is an informal British term for reconnaissance.

2d   Fish /is/ starter -- starter for lunch brought in (8)

Scratching the Surface
Starter[5] is a chiefly British term [according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, but certainly a term that is far from being foreign to Canada] meaning the first course of a meal.

3d   Lady president, one of two /in/ something flowery (8)

George Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 41st President of the US 1989–93; full name George Herbert Walker Bush.
  George W. Bush^[5] is an American Republican statesman, 43rd President of the US 2001–2009; full name George Walker Bush. He is the son of George Bush.

4d   Hound // knight kept in shed (4)

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'].

5d   Scandinavian // dish that's spicy and cold (6)

In Pakistani cooking, balti^[5] is a spicy dish cooked in a small two-handled pan known as a karahi.

6d   Absence of wickedness /in/ one seeking to be religious (6)

7d   'Scum' -- // ultimately obnoxious word for criminal (4)

In British slang, a lag^[5] is a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison ⇒ both old lags were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.

10d   Making a protest, start to slash // barriers (8)

12d   Bird /with/ shining body descending on fish (8)

The ling^[5] is any of a number of long-bodied edible marine fishes including various species of large East Atlantic fish related to the cod, in particular Molva molva, which is of commercial importance.

14d   Femme fatale // used absurdly long hair to ensnare Conservative (10)

The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.^[10] or Con.^[10].

16d   First appearance on stage /brings/ delight (8)

If the second definition were "brings delight" (as Big Dave indicates in his review), the solution would have to be ENTRANCES. Thus, with the solution being ENTRANCE the second definition must merely be "delight".

17d   Weapons of a specialised unit -- a US soldier's carrying one (8)

The SS^[5] (abbreviation of German Schutzstaffel 'defence squadron') was the Nazi special police force. Founded in 1925 by Hitler as a personal bodyguard, the SS provided security forces (including the Gestapo) and administered the concentration camps.

A GI^[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war. Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

Assagai is an alternative spelling of assegai^[5], a slender, iron-tipped, hardwood spear used chiefly by southern African peoples.

19d   Plant /needing/ good financial management? (6)

The thrift^[5] is a European plant (Armeria maritima) which forms low-growing tufts of slender leaves with rounded pink flower heads, growing chiefly on sea cliffs and mountains. Also called sea pink.

20d   A Parisian is getting on, /achieving/ complete agreement (6)

In French, the masculine singular form of the indefinite article is un^[8].

22d   Church work /must be/ cut (4)

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.

23d   Old country // lake rising (4)

Eire^[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland, the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.

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