Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - DT 26632

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26632
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26632]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

As I began to work through this puzzle, I realized that I didn't have a clue (quite literally). Having earlier posted the missing clue, I am now back with my review.

Given that I completed the puzzle without calling on my electronic assistants, I would say that it is at the lower end of the three star range for difficulty. By the way, this is the first time that I recall ever having seen a puzzle be awarded five stars for enjoyment. That too, may be a bit generous on Gazza's part - perhaps resulting from having endured so many dreadful Tuesday puzzles in the past.

Today's Errata

The following clue is missing from the puzzle published in the National Post.

27d   Forage for food (4)

The wording of the following clue has been changed.

1d   Following aubergine starter, taste a madras dish containing hot nuts (2,3,2,1,6)

It appeared in the Daily Telegraph as:

• 1d   Following aubergine starter, taste a madras concoction containing hot nuts (2,3,2,1,6)

where the word "dish" was originally "concoction".

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.

7a   First name that might get 13 going? (8,6)

On early automobiles, a starting handle⁵ was a crank for starting the engine of a car.

12a/16a   Much nicer in Kensington? One can skate over that (3,4)

It seemed quite appropriate for this to be the first clue that I solved today. I'm not sure whether there is an ice rink in Kensington⁷, but there is a shop selling ice skates located next to Kensington Gardens⁷.

13a   Non-drinker in real fuddle with gin ending in a heap (10)

A gin⁵ (or gin trap) is what a leghold (or foothold) trap⁷ is known as in Britain.

18a   Go hard over second hill-ridge (7)

Hog's Back Falls, Ottawa

In geology, a hogback⁴ (or hog's back) is a narrow ridge that consists of steeply inclined rock strata. This term should certainly be familiar to residents of Ottawa.

20a   Art movement is representative of US bar teddy boy hairstyle (4)

This clue is a real melange of elements. Dada⁵ was an early 20th-century movement in art, literature, music, and film, repudiating and mocking artistic and social conventions and emphasizing the illogical and absurd. Dada was launched in Zurich in 1916 by Tristan Tzara and others, soon merging with a similar group in New York. It favoured montage, collage, and the ready-made. Leading figures were Jean Arp, André Breton, Max Ernst, Man Ray, and Marcel Duchamp. The US bar is represented by a district attorney (or DA for short). In Britain, the hairstyle known in North America as a ducktail⁵ is somewhat indelicately - to North American ears, at least - referred to as a duck's arse⁵ (or DA). In 1950s Britain, a Teddy boy⁵ was a young man of a subculture 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).

24a   Enthusiast oddly not a good man to make case (4)

Whether you choose to remove ST (a good man) or AST {A + ST (good man)}, the result is the same.

25a   The things that go on in the back of a car break girl’s heart (4,6)

We call them tail lights, and the Brits call them rear lights⁵ (or rear lamps).

1d   Following aubergine starter, taste a madras dish containing hot nuts (2,3,2,1,6)

In Britain, an eggplant is known as an aubergine⁵. I'm not sure why the word "concoction" (used in the puzzle in Britain) was changed to "dish" for the syndicated version (see Today's Errata section above). The original word certainly seems to be a better anagram indicator to me. Still, I suppose that a case can be made for dish⁵ as an anagram indicator. It might be meant in the sense of to "put food on to a plate before a meal" (implying that the various items of food are arranged on the plate) or to "dispense something in a casual or indiscriminate way". In British slang, dish also means to utterly destroy or defeat (thus, by destroying the original structure, we are left with a different structure).

3d   An idiot committing a crime (2,2)

After a bit of looking, I found that a tit is how a Brit might refer to 'a despicable or unpleasant person'⁴ or 'a contemptible person'¹. While the expression may not be as common on this side of the Atlantic, I suppose one might find it used here in a similar fashion. The phrase 'at it' means "engaged in some activity, typically a reprehensible one".

4d  Legendary fighter for the crown sees wedding stopped by cold and rain initially (7)

It seems that one must do a bit of lateral thinking to understand the wordplay in this clue. If one interprets "fighter for" as "supporter of", then the unicorn (together with the lion) supports the crown on the British coat of arms. I needed to read Gazza's hint before twigging to this interpretation. The clue could have worked as "Legendary supporter of the crown sees wedding stopped by cold and rain initially". The setter chooses to add an additional level of complexity to the clue that would seem to be beyond what is normally seen in these puzzles (perhaps a level of difficulty that would be more appropriate to what he Brits refer to as The Toughie - a more difficult cryptic crossword puzzle that also appears in the Daily Telegraph).

5d   Greek character’s cheek attracting audible anger in writer (6,4)

Brits (or some of them, at least) pronounce 'wrath' to sound like 'Roth'.

6d   Shapeless Arsenal without Walcott and Bendtner up front having substitute ultimately to blame (10)

Arsenal Football Club⁷ is a professional English Premier League football (soccer) club based in North London. Theo Walcott⁷ is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Nicklas Bendtner⁷ is a Danish international footballer who currently plays for Sunderland (another English Premier League club) on loan from Arsenal (the loan having been announced at the end of August subsequent to the appearance of this puzzle in the UK). Cesc Fàbregas⁷ (mentioned by Gazza) is a Spanish footballer who played for Arsenal from 2003 to 2011. On August 15, 2011 (the day before this puzzle appeared in Britain), he signed with Barcelona for "an initial fee of £29 million (€34 million [close to $50 million]) with a further £4 million (€5 million [about $7 million]) in variables". Thus, as it turns out, Arsenal is without Fàbregas and  Bendtner for the 2011-2012 season (rather than Walcott and Bendtner). Since the puzzle would have been set some time in advance of its appearance, the topicality of the clue is undoubtedly a serendipitous coincidence.

8d  Yearn to drink Courage from this? (4-4,6)

Courage⁷ is a brand of British beer. In British slang, neck⁵ means to swallow something, especially a drink (after necking some beers, we left the bar) and bottle⁵ is the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous (I lost my bottle completely and ran).

14d   Mainland bishop coming in to tea bringing company to Iona at last (5,5)

Right Reverend⁵ (abbreviation RR) is a title given to a bishop, especially in the Anglican Church. Iona⁵ is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull (itself an island off the western coast of Scotland). It is the site of a monastery founded by St Columba in about 563.

22d   Pretentious? Me? (3)

Miss Piggy's trademark question.

References: 
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

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, November 7, 2011 - DT 26631

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26631
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, August 15, 2011
Setter Rufus
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26631]
Big Dave's Review Written By Libellule
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes The National Post has skipped DT 26630 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, August 13, 2011

Introduction

After a strenuous workout on Friday, my electronic assistants nearly got to take the day off. However, I was finally forced to call them into action to help me find the British serenade at daybreak.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

9a   Trip that lasts some months in the US (4)

The Oxford Dictionaries website says that fall⁵ is the North American term for autumn.

The word fall⁷ actually came to North America from England. Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst and German Herbst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season. The term fall came to denote the season in 16th century England. During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America. In Canada, I would say that the terms fall and autumn are used interchangeably and with roughly equal frequency.

22a   Money that is needed for the club (7)

Brass⁵ is British slang for money and brassie⁵ is an old-fashioned name for a number two wood in golf.

28a   In France we may show common sense (4)

In Britain, nous⁵ means common sense; in France, nous⁸ means 'we'.

7d   A rousing outdoor performance (4,6)

In Britain, the singing of a large number of birds before dawn each day, particularly during the breeding season, is known as a dawn chorus⁵.

13d   Meeting of the hands due? Opt for a change, exhausted (7,3)

In Britain, the term clapped out⁵ is used to describe something (for instance, a vehicle or piece of machinery) that is worn out from age or heavy use and unable to work or operate.

14d   Not quite enough to make the GI drunk (5)

The solution has nothing to do with the common North American blood alcohol limit of 0.08%. In Britain the expression have one over the eight⁵ means have one drink too many (probably from the assumption that the average person can drink eight pints of beer without getting drunk).

15d   Heath Robinson’s heart beat (5)

William Heath Robinson⁷ (signed as W. Heath Robinson, 1872 – 1944) was an English cartoonist and illustrator, best known for drawings of eccentric machines. In the UK, the term "Heath Robinson" has entered the language as a description of any unnecessarily complex and implausible contraption, similar to "Rube Goldberg" in the U.S. It is perhaps more often used in relation to temporary fixes using ingenuity and whatever is to hand, often string and tape, or unlikely cannibalisations. Its popularity is undoubtedly linked to Second World War Britain's shortages and the need to "make do and mend".

19d   Criticising roofing materials (7)

In Britain, to slate⁵ is to criticize severely.

23d   Feeling of grief in this way starts never-ending quarrel (6)

The wordplay is a charade which "starts" with SO (in this way) and continues with R (never-ending; i.e., the ending letter of  'never') + ROW (quarrel). The definition is "feeling of grief" with the solution being SORROW.

References: 
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)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, November 5, 2011 - Let's Get Together

Introduction

In today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon, the setters present us with a number of assemblages for our enjoyment, including groups of ships, animals, flowers, soldiers, lines of verse, cyclists, musicians, and heroes.







Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   FLO|TILL|A - FLO ([nickname for] Florence) + TILL (before the time of) + A (†)

5a   GREASE - sounds like (by the sound) GREECE (country)

9a   CAN|A|L - CAN (preserve) + A (†) + L (lake)

10a   MEN|AG|ERIE - MEN (humans) + (at) AG ([chemical symbol for] silver) + ERIE (lake)

12a   BOU(QUE)T - BOUT (fight) containing (about) QUE (that French; i.e., French conjunction meaning 'that')

13a   SO(L)AR - SOAR (fly) containing (around) L (left)

15a   NO-SH|OW - NOSH (bite) + OW (that hurts; i.e., exclamation from someone experiencing pain, "That hurts!")

16a   REGIMENT* - anagram (blown up) of GET MINER

19a   QUA|TRAIN - QUA (as) + TRAIN ([railway] cars in a line)

21a   AP|E-MAN< - reversal (reflectively) of {NAME (call) + PA (dad)}

24a   {IN-TWO}* - anagram (sadly) of I WONT

26a   PE(LOT)ON - PEON (poor farmer) containing (keeps) LOT (parking place)

28a   _OR|CHEST|RA_ - hidden (in) fOR CHEST RAdiation

29a   EL_|AND - EL {couple of elk; i.e., the first two letters of EL(k)} + AND (plus)

30a   S(ASH)AY - SAY (for example) containing (around) ASH (tree)

31a   PAN|THE|ON - PAN (boo) + (at) THE (†) + ON (performing; e.g., on stage or on air)

Down

1d   F|ACE - F (failing; as a mark given on a test or assignment at school) + ACE (war pilot)

2d   OMNIBUS* - anagram (wrong) of BUM IS ON

Omnibus is a less common word for bus.

3d   ILL| HUM|OUR - ILL (my plan is to; i.e., I'll [contraction for 'I will']) + HUM (buzz) + OUR (†)

4d   _LAMOUR - (g)LAMOUR (fashion mag) with its first letter deleted (intially cropped)

Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it now has local editions in numerous countries around the world. Dorothy Lamour (1914 – 1996) was an American film actress, best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

6d   RAG|AS - RAG (tabloid) + AS (like)

In Indian music, a raga is any of several conventional patterns of melody and rhythm that form the basis for freely interpreted compositions. Each pattern is associated with different aspects of religious devotion.

7d   {AURA LEE}~ -sounds like (heard, perhaps) ORALLY (by way of mouth)

"Aura Lea" (also known as "Aura Lee") is an American Civil War song about a maiden.

8d   EXEC|RATING - EXEC (company VIP) + RATING (deserving)

11d   NET|HER - NET (bring home; 'take-home pay' as in 'net wages' or 'net earnings') + HER (that lady)

14d   IN|I|QUITO|US - IN (†) + I ([Roman numeral for] one) + QUITO (Ecuadorian city) + US (our group)

17d   IMPATIENT* - anagram (off) of TIP INMATE

18d   LIMP|ET - LIMP (droopy) + ET (alien)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film that tells the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth, and whom Elliott and his siblings help to return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.

20d   AT|TACKS - AT (by) + TACKS (veering paths [in sailing])

22d   MAN|DATE - MAN (grown-up boy) + DATE (to go out socially)

23d   A|L(PAC<)A - {reversal (back) of CAP (headwear)} contained in (aboard) A LA (in the style of)

25d   O|PER|A - O (love; a score of 0 in tennis, with the figure '0' looking like the letter 'O') + PER (according to) + A (†)

27d   O|DIN - O (round; as a noun, something that looks like the letter 'O') + DIN (racket)

In Norse mythology, Odin is the supreme god and creator, god of victory and the dead.

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, November 4, 2011 - DT 26629

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26629
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, August 12, 2011
Setter Giovanni
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26629]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

If I was on the right wavelength yesterday with RayT, I was tuned to the wrong band today for Giovanni. I had to call in the reinforcements early and use them extensively. As you can see from the chart above, I had solved merely ten clues when I resorted to the use of my Tool Chest. I used electronic aids from it to solve seven of the remaining clues, which gave me enough checking letters to get the remainder on my own.

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.

6a   Man’s hot spirit — sadly he dislikes his fellows (13)

I got off to a disastrous start by misspelling the solution (placing the H after the P) which stymied me on the intersecting down clues until I realized my error.

14a   Not the youngest-looking prisoner in bird (7)

In British slang, a lag⁵ is a person who has been frequently convicted and sent to prison. A greylag⁴ (or greylag goose) is a large grey Eurasian goose, Anser anser, which is the ancestor of many domestic breeds of goose. The US spelling is graylag.

27a   Maybe finger the idiotic extremists (7,6)

I failed to detect the reverse anagram here which left me clueless (or, at least, without an explanation of the wordplay in the clue). To elaborate a bit on Gazza's explanation, the definition is "idiotic extremists" with the solution being LUNATIC FRINGE. The wordplay is "maybe finger" which, as Gazza points out is a reverse anagram.

To see how this works, remember that, in a cryptic crossword puzzle, FINGER could be the solution to the anagram wordplay "lunatic fringe" - i.e., an anagram (lunatic) of FRINGE. Thus, "maybe finger" indicates that FINGER might be 'an anagram of FRINGE' (or, in other words, LUNATIC FRINGE). As Gazza says, a type of clue that is difficult to explain clearly.

3d   Church has said evensong initially — so no place for this? (7)

The word "has" serves as a charade indicator in the wordplay which is CH (church) + (has) ORAL (said) + E (evensong initially; i.e., first letter of 'evensong').

6d   Merrily daft? Not a drunk seen round your old Welsh town (7,6)

Merthyr Tydfil⁷ is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales.

15d   Small room with restricted view (3)

Loo⁵ is a British word for toilet. In Britain, the word toilet seems to be used more extensively to mean a room containing a toilet fixture as well as the fixture itself. In North America, this room (especially in a residence) would likely be called a bathroom and the word toilet (referring to a room) would be used mainly only in reference to public facilities (public toilet). Even in this case, such premises would be more likely referred to somewhat euphemistically as public washrooms or public restrooms. (We North Americans just can't seem to admit that certain bodily functions exist.) Ironically, in North America, a bathroom is a room containing a toilet which may or may not also contain a bathtub or shower. This is one instance where the British are far more logical than those of us on this side of the Atlantic. My research indicates that, in the UK, a bathroom is a room with a bathtub which may or may not also have a toilet. Pity the poor North American visiting the UK who asks to use the bathroom and is handed a towel and directed to a room without a toilet.

21d   Sitting quietly on grass with nothing getting in the way (6)

In the UK, to grass⁵ is to inform the police of someone’s criminal activities or plans.

References: 
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 Online (Oxford Dictionary of English)
⁶ - Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford American Dictionary)
⁷ - Wikipedia

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, November 3, 2011 - DT 26628

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26628
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, August 11, 2011
Setter RayT
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26628]
Big Dave's Review Written By Big Dave
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★ / ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I must have been tuned to the right wavelength this morning, as I was able to complete this puzzle without resorting to my Tool Chest. That is a bit surprising, given the heavy emphasis on cricket in the puzzle - then again, perhaps I am beginning to understand the game.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

9a    Bowled over or knocked for six? (9)

The surface reading is all cricket. An over⁵ is a division of play in cricket (a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which [his turn at bowling is over and] another bowler takes over from the other end). [I really couldn't resist throwing that extra phrase into the definition.] Knock (someone) for six⁵ is an informal British expression meaning to utterly surprise or overcome someone. It is an allusion to a forceful hit that scores six runs in cricket (a ball hit such that it carries beyond the boundary of the playing field in the air). Bowl (someone) over⁵ is an informal expression meaning to greatly impress someone by one’s good qualities, looks, or achievements - an expression which is neither restricted to Britain nor seemingly derived from cricket.

11a    Raid on settlement provoking raid (6)

This meaning for inroad⁵ (a hostile attack or raid) is not one with which I was previously acquainted - but the clue was fairly easily solved through the wordplay.

23a    Split from European Community accepted by wet (6)

In British slang, a wet⁵ may be either a person lacking forcefulness or strength of character (there are sorts who look like gangsters and sorts who look like wets) or, as is the most likely meaning in this clue, a Conservative with liberal tendencies (the wets favoured a change in economic policy). This was apparently a label favoured by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to describe members of her party who did not lean as far to right as she did.

28a    Brilliant Ant and Dec since broadcast around noon (12)

Anthony "Ant" McPartlin and Declan "Dec" Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec⁷, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

2d    Neat drink followed by half of beer (5)

As a verb, sup⁵ can have a dated or Northern English usage meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls (she supped up her soup delightedly or he was supping straight from the bottle). As a noun, it can mean a sip of liquid (he took another sup of wine) or (Northern English or Irish) an alcoholic drink (the latest sup from those blokes at the brewery).

The word brill⁵ (used by Big Dave in his review) is British slang (an abbreviation of 'brilliant') meaning excellent or marvellous (a brill new series or ‘She says I can spend half-term with you.’ ‘Hey, brill!’).

3d    Soldier in red gear, changing (9)

Historically, a grenadier⁵ is a soldier armed with grenades. In the UK, the Grenadiers (or Grenadier Guards) constitute the first regiment of the royal household infantry.

4d    The man’s said by some to give comfort (4)

The word "he's" as pronounced by a Cockney (dropping the 'h') would sound like 'ease'.

5d    Tree feller, one working for council (8)

In the UK, alderman⁵ is a chiefly historical term for a co-opted (appointed by members from within their ranks) member of an English county or borough council, next in status to the Mayor. In North America and Australia, it means an elected member of a city council - a word that has largely (at least in Canada) been displaced by the gender-neutral term councillor (Ottawa Citizen, Jan 16, 1986). In 1857, Ottawa City Council had both aldermen and councillors as members (all of whom would appear to have been men). I have no idea what differentiated an alderman from a councillor.

As far as I know, the sole connection between the clue and the illustration in Big Dave's review is that the name of the person in the picture is Terry Alderman⁷, an Australian cricket player who enjoyed huge success in matches against England in the 1980s and early 1990s.

14d    Open with a single innuendo (8)

Big Dave inserts a cricket reference into his review - "... a single (not many of those at Edgbaston today – mainly fours!) ...". Edgbaston⁷ is a cricket ground in Birmingham, England which, on August 11 (the date this puzzle appeared in the UK), was the site of day two of a test match between England and India⁷. In cricket, a single is a hit for one run, while a four is a ball hit on the ground to the boundary (edge of the playing surface) which counts as four runs. A six is a ball hit in the air beyond the boundary and scores six runs.

16d    Recognition of a battle on European cape (9)

Ness⁴ is an archaic term for a promontory or headland, that continues to exist as part of place names (Orford Ness).

References: 
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 Online (Oxford Dictionary of English)
⁶ - Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford American Dictionary)
⁷ - Wikipedia

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - DT 26627

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26627
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Setter Jay
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26627]
Big Dave's Review Written By Falcon
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

This morning, I quickly recognized this puzzle as one that I had reviewed for Big Dave's Crossword Blog when it was originally published in the Daily Telegraph. That is not always the case - sometimes I am well into a puzzle before that feeling of déjà vu comes over me. I did fear momentarily that I would have to look at my own hints to complete the puzzle. However, after a few more moments of intense cogitation, the final two answers came to me.

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.

12a   One wants to change something for a carpenter (5,3)

A tenon saw² is a small fine-toothed saw, used especially for cutting tenons. Judging by the dictionaries in which it is found, it may be primarily a British term. It is a type of back saw⁷, the name by which I know it.

22a   Part of planet motorists accept is going backwards (4)

The Automobile Association (AA)⁷ is a British counterpart to the American Automobile Association (AAA)⁷ and the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)⁷.

1d   Peers’ dress under street lights (7)

A peer⁵ is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were the earliest to be conferred; dukes were created from 1337, marquesses from the end of the 14th century, and viscounts from 1440. Such peerages are hereditary, although since 1958 there have also been non-hereditary life peerages. All peers were entitled to a seat in the House of Lords until 1999, when their number was restricted to 92 as an interim reform measure.

4d   Part of London where men do not change (8)

Edmonton⁷ is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) north-north-east of Charing Cross (Charing Cross is considered to be the centre of London). Edmonton was the home town of Sir James Winter Lake, director of the Hudson's Bay Company. The company's trading outpost named after Edmonton is now the capital of what is today the Canadian province of Alberta.

6d   Instrument from old estate, say, indicator not actually starting (7)

In the UK, an estate⁵ (also estate car⁵) is a car with a large carrying area behind the seats, accessed by a door at the rear. In North America, such a vehicle would be called a station wagon.

References: 
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 Online (Oxford Dictionary of English)
⁶ - Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford American Dictionary)
⁷ - Wikipedia

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - DT 26626

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26626
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26626]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
Big Dave's Rating
Difficulty - ★ / ★★	Enjoyment - ★★
Falcon's Performance ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I found the clues, for the most part, to be pretty easy. In fact, I would say that some of them were almost amateurish or mechanical. However, for the life of me I could not decipher 16d without help from my Tool Chest.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

1a   Imposing, most of place where the US Masters golf is played (6)

The Masters Tournament⁷, also known as The Masters (sometimes referred to as The U.S. Masters outside of the United States), is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA.

4a   One holding a sword, blackleg confronting poet (8)

Blackleg⁵ is a derogatory British term for a person who continues working when fellow workers are on strike.

24a   TV programme, extremely childish — so what’s new? (4,4)

The sort of TV programme that is called a talk show in North America would be known as a chat show in the UK.

26a   Parisian’s article in newspaper is classic (8)

The Times⁷ is a British daily national newspaper, which - together with its sister paper The Sunday Times - is published by a subsidiary of the News Corporation group, headed by Rupert Murdoch.

5d   Wren, perhaps, and others chirp away (11)

Sir Christopher Wren⁷ (1632 – 1723) is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history. His greatest achievement is generally considered to be St. Paul's Cathedral, completed in 1710.

8d   Set off from college in time (8)

Eton College⁵ is a boys' public school (private school under North American definitions) in southern England, on the River Thames opposite Windsor, founded in 1440 by Henry VI to prepare scholars for King’s College, Cambridge.

12d   Irish train soon loaded with emergency supplies of food (4,7)

Iron rations² (which would appear to be a British term) means small quantities of food with a high energy value, carried for emergencies by climbers, walkers, military personnel, etc.

18d   Soldier, in consequence, left umbrella (7)

In the UK, para is an informal short form for paratrooper.

References: 
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 Online (Oxford Dictionary of English)
⁶ - Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford American Dictionary)
⁷ - Wikipedia

Signing off for today - Falcon