Saturday, March 26, 2016 — Sights and Sounds of Spring

Introduction

Happy Easter, everyone.

In juxtaposition to the tragedy that unfolded in Europe this week, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon reminds us that new growth will shortly be forthcoming and the spring peepers will soon be heralding the arrival of the new season.

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   Rug // possessed by Oscar Peterson (6)

_CAR|PET_ — hidden in (possessed by) OsCAR PETerson

Oscar Peterson^[5] (1925–2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer who became internationally famous in the 1960s, when he often appeared with Ella Fitzgerald.

4a   Youngsters in a pond // wrecked pot deals (8)

TADPOLES* — anagram (wrecked) of POT DEALS

9a   South Caribbean island // diver’s gear (5)

S|CUBA — S (south; abbrev.) + CUBA (Caribbean island)

10a   Complain, and join // construction worker (9)

CARP|ENTER — CARP (complain) + ENTER (join; for instance, enter the priesthood)

11a   500 in 1000 doing nothing // fair (8)

M|I(D)DLING or M|ID(D)LING — D ([Roman numeral for] 500) contained in (in) {M ([Roman numeral for] 1000) + IDLING (doing nothing)}

12a   Climb // a trail (6)

A|SCENT — A (†) + SCENT (trail)

14a   Last of reindeer are // scarce (4)

R|ARE — R (last [letter] of reindeeR) + ARE (†)

15a   Guard // dispatched in overhead train (8)

SENT|IN|EL — SENT (dispatched) + IN (†) + EL (overhead train)

The El^[5] is a US term for:

1. an elevated railroad^* (especially that in Chicago); or
2. a train running on an elevated railroad^* ⇒ the El rumbled by.

^* Although this definition comes from a British dictionary, I deemed it apropos to replace the British railway with the US railroad.

The British say "railway"; the Americans say "railroad"; we Canadians say what we damn well please.

19a   Fatherly // friend catching a seabird (8)

P(A|TERN)AL — PAL (friend) containing (catching) {A (†) + TERN (seabird)}

20a   Bagel guys’ // sign (4)

O|MEN — O ([letter than looks like a] bagel) + MEN (guys)

23a   Dream // taking the form of power madness (6)

AS|P|IRE — AS (taking the form of) + P (power; symbol used in physics) + IRE (madness; anger)

25a   Like catchy tunes // Belgians transposed (8)

SINGABLE* — anagram (transposed) of BELGIANS

Not much joy in Belgium this week. Stay strong — our hearts are with you.

27a   Growing // out in April or May (9)

SPR(OUT)ING — OUT (†) contained in (in) SPRING (April or May)

28a   Chic apartment // out of place (5)

IN|APT — IN (chic) + APT (apartment; abbrev.)

29a   Revised test’s aim // put the wrong way (8)

MISSTATE* — anagram (revised) of TESTS AIM

30a   More slender // one having an inclination (6)

LEANER — double definition

Down

1d   Get money for ordinary // sweater material (8)

CASH|MERE — CASH (get money for; for instance, cash a cheque) + MERE (ordinary)

2d   Ordered “drop it,” run // one way and then the other (5,4)

{ROUND TRIP}* — anagram (ordered) of DROP IT RUN

3d   Electronic exchange // Emily does poorly (1-5)

E_M|AILS — EM ([diminutive for] Emily) + AILS (does poorly)

5d   Couples missing the first // broadcasts (4)

_AIRS — [P]AIRS (couples) with the initial letter removed (missing the first)

6d   Nice // meal finally eaten by lowly worker (8)

P(L)EASANT — L (meal finally; final letter of meaL) contained in (eaten by) PEASANT (lowly worker)

7d   Taking time, delayed // coffee order (5)

LA(T)TE or LAT(T)E — LATE (delayed) containing (taking) T (time; abbrev.)

8d   Priest prepared // brownie (6)

SPRITE* — anagram (prepared) of PRIEST

A brownie^[5] is a benevolent elf that supposedly haunts houses and does housework secretly.

10d   Australian city // may be one including railroad (8)

CAN|BE(RR)A — CAN (may) + {BE (†) + A (one)} containing (including) RR (railroad; US term for railway)

Canberra^[5] is the capital of Australia and seat of the federal government, in Australian Capital Territory, an enclave of New South Wales; population 345,257 (2008).

13d   Errant // fish caught in sneaky trap (8)

ST(RAY)ING — RAY (fish) contained in (caught in) STING (sneaky trap)

16d   Lunkhead // wrecked marine lab (9)

LAMEBRAIN* — anagram (wrecked) of MARINE LAB

17d   Mistakenly trust ad’s // romanticism (8)

STARDUST* — anagram (mistakenly) of TRUST ADS

18d   Some chances to recall // member of the family tree (8)

_ANCES|TO|R_ — hidden in (some) chANCES TO Recall

21d   Managed a bit of endless // money demanded by criminals (6)

RAN|SOM_ — RAN (managed) + SOM[E] (a bit of) with the final letter removed (endless)

22d   Light // part of meeting in back (6)

{_IGNITE_}< — reversed (back) and hidden in (part of) meETING In

24d   European capital // is behind standard for golfers (5)

PAR|IS — IS (†) following (behind) PAR (standard for golfers)

It was not long ago that we were mourning another atrocity in Europe.

26d   Measure // piece of jewelry with teaspoon (4)

PIN|T — PIN (piece of jewelry) + (with) T (teaspoon; abbrev.)

The abbreviation for teaspoon is lower case t^[3] while the abbreviation for tablespoon is upper case T^[3] (or T.).

Epilogue

The title of today's review is inspired by 4a, 25a, 27a and 24d.

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, March 25, 2016 — DT 27946 (Bonus Puzzle)

Prologue

It being Good Friday, the National Post has not published an edition today. However, as an Easter present to those of you who may need something to occupy your time between nibbling the ears off the kiddies' chocolate bunnies, here is DT 27946 — the puzzle that would have appeared yesterday had the National Post maintained its recent publication pattern.

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27946
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, October 30, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27946]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - 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
The National Post skipped this puzzle on Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Introduction

Giovanni is in a most gentle mood today. You will rarely see one this easy from him.

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   Life scientist /has/ come with his bit prepared (10)

6a   Fellow/'s/ skin problem (4)

10a   Male, deceased, recalled /as/ good conductor (5)

11a   Smuggler /could be/ odd fish (3-6)

Rum^[5] is a dated informal British term meaning odd or peculiar ⇒ it’s a rum business, certainly.

The runner^[5] is any of several species of fast-swimming fish of the jack family, occurring in tropical seas.

12a   Manage /to show/ love with poetry and love's ending (7)

"love" = O (show explanation )

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.

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

hide explanation

13a   Conceal // son alongside mum (7)

14a   Rebel, no leader // concerned with gradual change (12)

18a   Imprisoned // in vehicle long time, unruly adolescent catches cold (12)

Ted^[2] is short for Teddy boy^[5], a slang term originally applied to a young man belonging to a subculture in 1950s Britain characterized by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff^* and a liking for rock-and-roll music.The name comes from from Teddy, pet form of the given name Edward (with reference to Edward VII's reign). Judging by the entry in the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, it would appear that the term Teddy boy^[2] is now applied to any unruly or rowdy adolescent male.

^* Quiff^[3,4] is a chiefly British term for a prominent tuft of hair, especially one brushed up above the forehead.

21a   Epistle-writer's // superior communication seen by the old man (7)

"superior" = U (show explanation )

In Britain, U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners.

The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable). 

hide explanation

St Paul^[5] (died circa 64) was a missionary of Jewish descent; known as Paul the Apostle, or Saul of Tarsus, or the Apostle of the Gentiles. He first opposed the followers of Jesus, assisting at the martyrdom of St Stephen. On a mission to Damascus he was converted to Christianity after a vision and became one of the first major Christian missionaries and theologians. His epistles form part of the New Testament.

23a   The state /of/ Jones // at home with woman (7)

I think we might possibly consider this to be a double definition plus wordplay although Deep Threat shows it as a single definition plus word play with the definition being "the state of Jones" — a cryptic definition of the movie character, Indiana Jones.

Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.,^[7] often shortened to "Indy", is the title character of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008 as well as the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996. The character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and other media as well as in attractions at a number of Disney theme parks.

24a   Plain // green site being redeveloped (9)

The Serengeti^[5] is a vast plain in Tanzania, to the west of the Great Rift Valley. In 1951 the Serengeti National Park was created to protect the area’s large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, and Thomson’s gazelle.

25a   Use a brush, // article dipped into an amount of liquid (5)

26a   Woman /in/ station hugging daughter (4)

27a   Supporters // chant and son is going wild (10)

Down

1d   Cute deer one's lost track of circles /in/ the grass (6)

Bambi^[7] is a 1942 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten.

The main characters are Bambi, a white-tailed deer, his parents (the Great Prince of the forest and his unnamed mother), his friends Thumper (a pink-nosed rabbit), and Flower (a skunk), and his childhood friend and future mate, Faline. For the movie, Disney took the liberty of changing Bambi's species into a white-tailed deer from his original species of roe deer, since roe deer are not native to North America, and the white-tailed deer is more widespread in the United States.

2d   Unfashionable group /making/ a start (6)

3d   Old coins showing William and Mary? (4-10)

William and Mary^[7] were the co-regents over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, namely the Dutch Prince of Orange King William III (& II) and his spouse (and first cousin) Queen Mary II. Their joint reign began in February 1689 after they were offered the throne by the Convention Parliament irregularly summoned by William after his successful invasion of England in November 1688, the so-called Glorious Revolution. They replaced James II (& VII), Mary's father, who fled the country. Parliament offered William and Mary a co-regency, at the couple's behest. After Mary died in 1694, William ruled alone until his death in 1702. William and Mary were childless and were ultimately succeeded by Mary's younger sister, Anne.

The half sovereign^[7] is an English and British gold coin with a face value half that of a sovereign: equivalent to half a pound sterling, ten shillings, or 120 old pence. Since the end of the gold standard, it has been issued only in limited quantities as a commemorative coin with a sale price and resale value far in excess of its face value.

4d   Spoil view outside poor // French city (9)

Marseilles^[5] (French name Marseille) is a city and port on the Mediterranean coast of southern France, the capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; population 860,363 (2007).

5d   Houses /responsible for/ some noxious emissions (5)

According to both Collins English Dictionary and Oxford Dictionaries, semi^[5,10] is an informal British term for a semi-detached house ⇒ a three-bedroomed semi. However, one frequently sees this usage in Canada, although we would surely say ⇒ a three-bedroom semi.

7d   Sidekick of tennis player outside church (8)

Tim Henman^[7] is an English retired professional tennis player. He was the first male player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship. He was ranked UK number 1 in 1996 and again from 1999 to 2005, from which point he was succeeded by Andy Murray.. He reached a career high ranking of World No. 4 during three different periods between July 2002 and October 2004.

8d   Describes // harbour with fish (8)

9d   In need of being buoyed up, // unable to cope (3,2,4,5)

15d   Historical practice // makes silly idiot rant (9)

16d   Arrangement that could make loss paid off (8)

Disposal^[5] denotes the sale of shares, property, or other assets ⇒ (i) the disposal of his shares in the company; (ii) disposals of fixed and non-current assets.

17d   Got // free, almost looking embarrassed (8)

19d   Firm includes a wicked thing, // opportunity for gambling (6)

20d   One insect /or/ another is sat upon by maiden (6)

"maiden"  = M (show explanation )

In cricket, a maiden^[5], also known as a maiden over and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation M^[5], is an over in which no runs are scored.

In cricket, 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. On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation O^[5] denotes over(s).

hide explanation

22d   Choose // to miss bits at either end of the lecture (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, March 24, 2016 — DT 27949

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27949
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27949]
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
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 27946 through DT 27948 which were published in The Daily Telegraph from Friday, October 30, 2015 to Monday, November 2, 2015.

Introduction

After an extended period — by National Post standards — of adhering to a predicable schedule, the editors have taken a hop, ship and a jump before the long weekend and relegated a trio of puzzles to the cutting room floor.

This puzzle — which appeared on a Tuesday in the UK — is certainly not overly challenging (as is typically of "Tuesday" puzzles).

The National Post will not publish tomorrow, Easter Friday, nor on Easter Monday. However, I will be at my post so drop by for a brace of bonus puzzles should you find yourself with time on your hands.

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   Some French couple /in/ a hopeless state (7)

In French, des^[8] is a determiner^[5] meaning 'some'.

5a   Spice Girl embraced by part of UK and a // foreign country (7)

English pop singer-songwriter Geri Halliwell^[7] came to international prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the successful girl group the Spice Girls.

"part of UK" = NI (show explanation )

Northern Ireland^[5] (abbreviation NI^[5]) is a province of the United Kingdom occupying the northeast part of Ireland; population 1,775,000 (est. 2008); capital, Belfast.

According to Oxford Dictionaries, Northern Ireland^[5] is the only major division of the United Kingdom to hold the status of province, with England^[5] and Scotland^[5] being considered countries, and Wales^[5] a principality.

hide explanation

9a   Sign exasperated expression will return /in/ tight outfit (7)

In astrology, Leo^[10] (also called the Lion) is the fifth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♌, having a fixed fire classification and ruled by the sun. The sun is in this sign between about July 23 and Aug 22.

10a   Second occupant of tent /in/ brisk run (7)

11a   Very famous // general abroad seen round degree ceremony finally (9)

It took me a long time to realize that "general abroad" is not a reference to Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

"degree" = D (show explanation )

The abbreviation for degree is d^[2] [although not stated in the source, I suspect that it may come from the field of navigation where it would be used in specifying latitude and longitude].

hide explanation

12a   Stoop /in/ Norse figure that's pronounced (5)

13a   Intuitive feeling // in search unchanged (5)

15a   Make speech about loud // bore (9)

A new word to me, perorate^[5] is a formal term meaning to speak at length ⇒ he perorated against his colleague.

"loud" = F (show explanation )

Forte^[5] (abbreviation f^[5]) is a musical direction meaning (as an adjective) loud or (as an adverb) loudly.

hide explanation

17a   Note to cut a hem not mended -- // like some old gear? (4-5)

In music, te^[5] (or, in North America, ti) is:

1. the seventh note of a major scale in the tonic sol-fa system of solmization; or
2. the note B is the fixed-doh system of solmization.

19a   Two foreign articles put together /for/ seasoned church figure (5)

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8] while, in German, der^[8] is one of the several forms that the definite article may assume..

An elder^[5] is an official in the early Christian Church, or of various Protestant Churches and sects ⇒ he left the Church of which he had been an elder.

22a   Bird, // chicken, not caught (5)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out^[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.^[2,10] or c^[5] denotes caught (by).

hide explanation

23a   Time for fewer packages? (3,6)

25a   Fruit /and/ a lot of staple food put in container (7)

26a   On retiring, skinny front of garment /reveals/ zip (7)

Scratching the Surface
Zip[5] (also zip fastener) is the British term for what is known in North America as a zipper[5].

27a   Outspoken writer of records, // dealer in breakdowns? (7)

I failed to recognize the blatantly obvious homophone indicator and needed Gazza's explanation to understand my answer.

An annalist^[5] is a person who writes annals; an analyst^[5] (or psychoanalyst^[5]) is a person who deals with mental disorders.

28a   Expand // a green meandering around lake (7)

Down

1d   Biblical woman // acclaimed uprising with fifty involved (7)

In the Bible, Delilah^[5] was a woman who betrayed Samson to the Philistines (Judges 16) by revealing to them that the secret of his strength lay in his long hair.

2d   Warlord with grip on front of trigger /in/ 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.

3d   A trap, covering ace // once more (5)

A gin^[2] (also gin trap) is a wire noose laid as a snare or trap for catching game.

"ace" = A (show explanation )

A^[5] is an abbreviation for ace (in card games).

hide explanation

4d   Northern racecourse favourite /getting/ star treatment (3,6)

Redcar Racecourse^[7] is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.

5d   Inquisitive // lad brought up easily discontented (5)

The setter uses "discontented" to indicate that the inner letters of "EasilY" are to be removed. This cryptic device is based on the whimsical logic that if disembowel means to remove one's insides, then it only stands to reason that discontent must also mean to remove one's contents.

6d   A do singer ruined /being/ bombastic (9)

7d   Copy // businessman in charge in US city (7)

"in charge" = IC (show explanation )

The abbreviation i/c^[5] can be short for either

1. (especially in military contexts) in charge of ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations; or
2. in command ⇒ 2 i/c = second in command.

hide explanation

8d   Put in order // a shooting venue, we hear (7)

14d   Loud clamour // exploding near duchy (3,3,3)

16d   Call criminal /for/ reserve funds? (4-5)

Ring-fence^[5] is a verb meaning to enclose (a piece of land) with a ring fence^[5] — a fence completely enclosing a farm or piece of land. Ring-fence^[5] is also a British term meaning to guarantee that (funds allocated for a particular purpose) will not be spent on anything else ⇒ the government failed to ring-fence the money provided to schools.

17d   Sweet wine /from/ area consumed by gentleman sadly laid up (7)

Marsala^[5] is a dark, sweet fortified dessert wine that resembles sherry, produced in Sicily. It is named after Marsala, a town in Sicily where it was originally made.

18d   Retired vicar enters function by a // dining establishment (7)

A vicar^[5] is a member of the clergy.

Delving Deeper

The meaning of the term vicar varies among religious denominations. The term may mean: in the the Church of England, an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman; in other Anglican Churches, a member of the clergy deputizing for another; in the Roman Catholic Church, a representative or deputy of a bishop; in the US Episcopal Church, a clergyman in charge of a chapel; a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service.

Reverend^[5] (abbreviation Rev.^[5]) is:

1. an informal term for a member of the clergy ⇒ a retired reverend; or
2. a a title or form of address to members of the clergy ⇒ the Reverend Pat Tilly.

Scratching the Surface
As a title Reverend is used for members of the clergy; the traditionally correct form of address is the Reverend James Smith or the Reverend J. Smith, rather than Reverend Smith or simply Reverend. Other words are prefixed in titles of more senior clergy: bishops are Right Reverend, archbishops are Most Reverend, and deans are Very Reverend.

In mathematics, tan^[5] is the abbreviation for tangent^[5], the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the sides (other than the hypotenuse) opposite and adjacent to an angle in a right-angled triangle.

A taverna^[5] is a small Greek restaurant or cafe.

20d   Party rises unexpectedly, /in/ brief (7)

In British law, a brief^[5,10] is a document containing all the facts and points of law of a case by which a solicitor instructs a barrister to represent a client.

21d   Deny // Frenchman visitor, no saint (7)

It would seem that most Frenchmen in Crossworldland are named René.

Renegue^[4] is a variant [seemingly British] spelling of renege.

23d   One calls this eight troupers principally (5)

I don't follow Gazza's comment that this is a semi-all-in-one where the whole clue is the definition. Since the entire clue provides the wordplay, if the whole clue were also the definition then this would be an all-in-one clue — not a semi-all-in-one clue.

On the other hand, if the definition were to be less than the whole clue, then the clue would be a semi-all-in-one.

However, I will opt for this being an all-in-one with the whole clue as the definition. Certainly the most commonly used (principal) name for a troupe of eight would seem to be an "octet" — although I suppose one could come up with other names to apply to such a group.

24d   Praise next old-fashioned sandwiches (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

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 — DT 27945

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27945
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, October 29, 2015
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27945]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Kath
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

This is certainly not the most difficult of RayT puzzles. However, I chose to throw in the towel and call out the electronic assistants earlier than I would have preferred in order to get on with the review.

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   Person, say, with a // drinks outlet (6)

Bod^[3,4,11] is chiefly British slang for a person ⇒ he's a queer bod. In North America (and also in the UK), bod^[3,4,11] is slang for the physical human body or build ⇒ likes brainy men who maintain a good bod (Catherine Breslin).

A bodega^[5] is a cellar or shop selling wine and food, especially in a Spanish-speaking country or area.

4a   Penniless, // goes back to pick up penny (8)

"penny"  = P (show explanation )

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny^[5] (plural pennies [for separate coins] or pence [for a sum of money]) is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound. The abbreviation for penny or pence is p^[5].

hide explanation

9a   Expression includes good acceptable // language (6)

"good" = G (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

"acceptable" = U (show explanation )

In Britain, U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners.

The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable). 

hide explanation

Expression^[2] is the indication of feeling, e.g. in a manner of speaking or a way of playing music.

Tone^[2] is a quality or character of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood.

10a   Beat's incorporating vintage // blues (8)

11a   Scaremonger // putting body part in a roll (8)

13a   One keeps tabs on him! (6)

Tab^[5] is an informal Northern English term for a cigarette.

I did get the correct solution but my initial supposition that 'tab' might be a British term for a nicotine patch proved to be incorrect.

15a   Record corruption surrounds blokes /in/ show business (13)

Bloke^[5] is an informal British term for a man ⇒ he’s a nice bloke.

18a   Rude // bits on unaired broadcast (13)

22a   Bring out // gun without any resistance (6)

"resistance" = R (show explanation )

In physics, the symbol R^[5] is used to represent electrical resistance.

hide explanation

24a   Drunk on lager, imbibing one /in/ local (8)

Scratching the Surface
Local[5] is an informal British term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒ a pint in the local.

26a   Current time by more offensive // burglar (8)

27a   Stealthily follows // small rabbits (6)

As a noun, rabbit^[5] is an informal British term for a conversation ⇒ we had quite a heated rabbit about it. As a verb, rabbit^[5] is an informal British term meaning to talk at length, especially about trivial matters ⇒ stop rabbiting on, will you, and go to bed!.

The term comes from the Cockney rhyming slang "rabbit and pork" meaning "talk" [yes, 'pork' rhymes with 'talk' when pronounced in some English accents]. In Cockney rhyming slang, the slang word is obtained by replacing a word (in this case, "talk") by a phrase with which it rhymes ("rabbit and pork") and then dropping the rhyming word from the phrase. Through this process, "talk" becomes "rabbit".

28a   Hit /by/ scam in endless mail (8)

29a   Gently beam before Queen // request (6)

"gently" = P (show explanation )

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly — or gently.

hide explanation

"Queen" = ER (show explanation )

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface

The clue is a bit of an inside joke as Beam is the pseudonym used by the setter of today's puzzle, Ray Terrell, for his Toughie puzzles. On Big Dave's Crossword Blog we know him as RayT. The Daily Telegraph carries a number of cryptic crossword puzzles, principally among them being the Cryptic Crossword and the Toughie Crossword. The former is the puzzle which appears in syndication in the National Post. It is published in The Daily Telegraph from Monday to Saturday — customarily on the back page of the paper (and thus is commonly referred to on Big Dave's blog as the 'back-pager'). The latter puzzle is published from Tuesday to Friday and is found somewhere in the middle of the paper. A separate series of Cryptic Crossword puzzles appears in The Sunday Telegraph. I would also guess that "Queen" in the surface reading is — in all likelihood — a reference to the British rock band. Queen[5] [reportedly RayT's favourite band] is a British rock group that in its heyday featured camp vocalist Freddie Mercury (1946–1991). Queen are known for their extravagant, almost operatic brand of rock, as exemplified by the hugely successful ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975).

Down

1d   Stay with board with food /in/ desert (6)

Be^[5] means to stay in the same place or condition ⇒ he’s a tough customer—let him be.

2d   Trailing manure a wise man turns up // overalls (9)

I have discovered that while Brits and North Americans share many of the same names for articles of clothing, the meaning of those terms is often quite different on either side of the pond.

 In North America, overalls^[3,11] are loose-fitting trousers, usually of strong fabric, with a bib front and shoulder straps, often worn over regular clothing as protection from dirt. The British definition of overalls^[4] is broader, including not only garments with a bib and shoulder straps but also those having a jacket top. These latter garments are also known as boiler suits in the UK and would likely be called coveralls^[3] in North America.

Whereas, the term dungarees^[3,4,11] is used in North America to refer to either trousers or North American style overalls, in the UK it is used solely to mean the latter, i.e., a suit of workman's overalls made of dungaree [denim] consisting of trousers with a bib attached.

Note that I have avoided using the North American term "pants" in favour of the more universal term "trousers". In Britain, the term "pants" refers to underwear. Thus when I take my pants off in the UK, I am far more exposed than when I do so in North America!

3d   Diner /with/ rigour, methodically eating? (7)

5d   Gadget // raised toilet seat's edge (4)

Loo^[5] is an informal British term for a toilet.

6d   Corporation /making/ salt head north (7)

Salt^[3] is an informal term for a sailor, especially when old or experienced.

"salt" = AB (show explanation )

In the Royal Navy, according to Oxford Dictionaries, able seaman^[5] (abbreviation AB^[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman^[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.

hide explanation

Corporation^[3,4,5,11] is a dated humorous term for a large paunch or pot belly.

7d   Play guitar /or/ piano getting fortune (5)

"piano" = P (show explanation )

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either (as an adjective) soft or quiet or (as an adverb) softly or quietly.

hide explanation 

8d   Unattached // girl with naughty secret (8)

Di, a diminutive for Diana, is — without doubt — the most popular girl's name in Crosswordland.

12d   Socrates' art really involves // philosopher (6)

Jean-Paul Sartre^[5] (1905–1980) was a French philosopher, novelist, playwright, and critic. A leading existentialist, he dealt in his work with the nature of human life and the structures of consciousness. He refused the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. Notable works: Nausée (novel, 1938), Being and Nothingness (treatise, 1943), and Huis clos (play, 1944).

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.

14d   Glib /providing/ account in case (6)

16d   Nearly let off // for all time (9)

17d   These bowled over in game? (8)

As was the case for Kath, the first word to come to my mind was skittles.

Ninepins^[5] can mean either:

1. the traditional form of the game of skittles, using nine pins and played in an alley; or
2. skittles used in the game of ninepins.

Skittles^[5] can mean either:

1. a game played with wooden pins, typically nine in number, set up at the end of an alley to be bowled down with a wooden ball or disc; or
2. the pins used in the game of skittles.

19d   Be in vast outdoors using alfresco camp initially (7)

A bivouac^[2,5] is a temporary camp without tents or cover, used especially by soldiers or mountaineers. However, this is contradicted by the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary which defines bivouac^[5] as a military encampment made with tents.

20d   Pilot // ace through until end of war (7)

A^[5] is an abbreviation for ace (in card games).

21d   More evenly matched, // caught runner-up (6)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

In cricket, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out^[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.^[2,10] or c^[5] denotes caught (by).

hide explanation

23d   Sort of fur /that's/ sexier topless (5)

25d   Present /for/ the woman's sweetheart (4)

"sweetheart" = E (show explanation )

Here we encounter a common cryptic crossword device, in which the word "sweetheart" is used to clue E, the middle letter (heart) of swEet.

hide explanation

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