Monday, January 9, 2011 - DT 26688

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26688
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, October 20, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26688]
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 needed help from my electronic friends on a couple of clues today - on 16d because I had never heard of the British comedienne appearing there and on 13a, apparently, from being just too thick to get it. Although I got the correct solutions to 28a and 24d, I needed to do some research into 50-year old movies and British exhibition halls to fully understand the wordplay.

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.

5a   What a lazy setter may resort to (6)

My opinion of this clue improved once I discovered that, in Britain, a doghouse^[5] is called a kennel^[5] (thus the illustration chosen by Big Dave). In North America, a dog might be housed in a kennel but this would be a far more elaborate structure than a simple doghouse.

8a   A half of Pernod and vermouth provided drink (8)

In the UK, "it^[5]" is an informal, dated term for Italian vermouth • he poured a gin and it [a cocktail containing gin and Italian vermouth].

11a   Found a woozy bliss following electric shock treatment (9)

Electric shock treatment (EST^[2]) would seem to be another name for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)^[7].

17a & 19a   Peruse missing article by premier in tabloid (3,3)

In Britain, a tabloid newspaper is known as a red top^[5] (from the red background on which the titles of certain British newspapers are printed).

28a    George Raft’s Colombo a match for petty quarrels (5)

In the 1959 American comedy Some Like It Hot^[7], George Raft plays Chicago gangster "Spats" Colombo.

3d   Small white wine cocktail in San Tropez starts a fashion (9)

Kir^[5] is a drink made from dry white wine and cassis.

4d   Misinformation about red fruit (6)

Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara^[7] was an iconic "red" of the 1960s.

5d   Abandon anorak and go for jumper (8)

Why is "abandon^[4]" an anagram indicator? I would have to guess that this role may be based on its meaning to surrender (oneself) to emotion without restraint. Thus, if the letters forming {ANORAK + GO} are unrestrained, they might rearrange themselves into KANGAROO.

16d   Wag is somewhat akin to comedian? (8)

Josephine "Jo" Brand^[7] is a British comedienne (whom I managed to discover online). Had I not stopped my search at that point, I would have eventually also found British comedian Russell Brand^[7]. Judging by Big Dave's remarks, it would seem that I didn't miss much by overlooking the latter.

21d   Something very difficult in 12? (3)

In Britain, one may describe something which is unpleasant or difficult as being a pig of a (something)^[5], for instance "it's a pig of a job".

24d   Sailor depressed by Birmingham’s centre gets delicious drink (6)

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), located in Birmingham, England, is the largest exhibition centre in the UK as well as being the busiest and seventh-largest exhibition centre in Europe.

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Saturday, January 7, 2012 - Birds of Prey

Introduction

I feel right at home in this flock of raptors that have flown in along with today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon.













Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   GO (BUS)T - GOT (understood) containing (about) BUS (large vehicle)

4a   S(TAP)LING - SLING (supportive band) containing (around) TAP (faucet)

9a   OR|LEANS - OR (on the other hand) + LEANS (slopes)

Orléans is a city in north-central France, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southwest of Paris. In 1429, the city was liberated from the Plantagenets by Joan of Arc earning her the title "la pucelle d'Orléans" (the maid of Orléans).

11a   AR(MEN)IA - MEN (players) contained in (breaking into) ARIA (song)

Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. A former republic of the Soviet Union, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

American Kestrel

12a   {AMERICAN KESTREL}* - anagram (mistakenly) of NICK RARE MALTESE

13a   G(ALL|I)UM - {ALL (everything) + I (†)} contained in (found in) GUM (muck)

15a   P(AG)AN - PAN (nature deity [in Greek mythology]) containing (given) AG ([chemical symbol for] silver)

18a   P|LEAD - P (bit [i.e., first letter] of Pencil) + LEAD (graphite)

20a   HANOVER - HOVER (linger) containing (around) AN (one)

Queen Victoria was a member of the House of Hanover.

Northern Goshawk

23a   {NORTHERN GOSHAWK}* - anagram (flying) of THRONG SAW HONKER

26a   TAG|A|MET - TAG (label) + A (one) + MET (encountered)

Tagamet™ is a trade name used by GlaxoSmithKline for cimetidine, a histamine H₂-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach. It is largely used in the treatment of heartburn and peptic ulcers.

27a   RUB|ICON - RUB (polish) + ICON (symbol)

The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, about 80 kilometres long, running from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea through the southern Emilia-Romagna region, between the towns of Rimini and Cesena. The idiom "Crossing the Rubicon" means to pass a point of no return, and refers to Julius Caesar's army's crossing of the river in 49 BC, which was considered an act of insurrection.

28a   R(ALLY)ING - ALLY (friend) contained in (in) RING (band)

29a   TEENS|Y - TEENS (span between twelve and twenty) + Y (years)

Note: In the cryptic reading, the 's is a contraction for is and serves as a link word between the definition (minute [tiny]) and the wordplay (span between twelve and twenty years).

Down

1d   G(LOB)AL - LOB (toss) contained in (in) GAL (gallon)

Bald Eagle

2d   B(ALD*) EAGLE - BEAGLE (dog) containing (circling) an anagram (confused) of LAD

3d   SP(AN)IEL - SPIEL (long story) containing (about) AN (one)

Note: Once again, in the cryptic reading, the 's is a contraction for is and serves as a link word between the wordplay (long story about one) and the definition (dog).

5d   T|HANK - HANK ([common nickname for] Henry) with T (time) preceding it (at the front)

6d   P(UMPS) UP - PUP (youngster) containing (about) UMPS (baseball figures)

7d   _INNER - [D]INNER (meal) with the first letter deleted (after the opening)

8d   {GOAL LINE}* - anagram (bats) of LIE ALONG

10d   S|LAVISH - S (second) + LAVISH (shower)

Note: Yet again, in the cryptic reading, the 's is a contraction for is and serves as a link word between the definition (menial) and the wordplay (second shower).

14d   MAN(A)GER - MANGER (rustic eating place) containing (accommodating) A (†)

Gyrfalcon

16d   GYRFALCON* - anagram (oddly) of CORNY FLAG

17d   SPI(N)STER* - N ([chess notation for] knight) contained in (surrounded by) an anagram (playing) of PRIESTS

19d   DA(HOME)Y - DAY (period of time) containing (keeping) HOME (house)

Prior to 1975, the west African country now known as the Republic of Benin was called Dahomey.

21d   VI(SIB)LE - SIB (family member) contained in (occupying) VILE (base)

22d   SK(INN)Y - INN (lodge) contained in (in) SKY (ethereal region)

24d   REGAL< - reversal (brought back) of LAGER (brew)

25d   RA(T O)N - RAN (hurried) containing (outside) TO (†)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Friday, January 6, 2012 - DT 26687

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26687
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Setter Jay
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26687]
Big Dave's Review Written By Pommers
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

Pommers, in his comments on this puzzle, says that he "thought it a bit trickier than [Jay's] recent offerings". For me, that didn't seem to be the case - but that may have been due to a relatively small number of Briticisms (especially, unknown Briticisms) in 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.

1a   Bags left in bags (6)

In Britain, bags^[5] is a dated name for loose-fitting trousers • a pair of flannel bags. The "dated" nature of the term appears to be reinforced by Brian's comment at Big Dave's site "I’m far too young to know what these are .".

11a   Head of crime family needs essential drug-runner (6)

I wasn't familiar with the name of this particular animal being used as a slang term for a drug-runner - nor, does it seem, were any of my three favourite online British dictionaries. However, The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition has the following entry:

donkey /dong' ki/ n (pl don'keys) an ass; a stupid person; a person used by drug dealers to carry drugs being smuggled through customs  (sl). [Still regarded as slang in 1823; perh a double dimin of dun, from its colour; or from Duncan]

I really have little or no idea what the parenthetical portion of the definition means.

12a   Bitter setback in South Africa’s levels of society (6)

In cryptic crosswords, you will often see South Africa abbreviated ZA^[5] (its International Vehicle Registration symbol) which comes from the Dutch spelling of its name, Zuid Afrika. However, Jay finds English to be more appropriate today.

14a   Carrier carrying item of underwear — it’s a farce! (8)

In Britain, an undershirt is is known as a vest^[4] (and what North Americans think of as a vest would be called a waistcoat).

17d   Dish that’s unusual and something of a bore (7)

Rarebit^[5] (also called Welsh rabbit) is a dish of melted and seasoned cheese on toast, sometimes with other ingredients.

Regarding the afterthought appended to Pommers' hint "I’ll not mention the ‘virgins in Cardiff’ bit!", there seems to be a British riddle that goes "Q: What is a Welsh rarebit? A: A Cardiff virgin." I would guess that this is a play on British slang in which a bit^[5] is a girl or young woman. Thus the riddle implies that it would be rare to find a virgin in Cardiff!

24d   A second letter is read out in church (5)

While I had interpreted the wordplay in the same way that Gazza (and others) did, I much prefer Pommers' explanation. He should have stuck to his guns rather than deferring to the others. The former interpretation would give A-BEE, whereas the latter (Pommers' interpretation) would produce AB-BEE, which sounds like a better match for ABBEY to my ear.

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Thursday, Janurary 5, 2012 - DT 26686

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26686
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26686]
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

My performance would tend to support Gazza's rating of two stars for difficulty. However, a goodly number of those leaving comments at Big Dave's site expressed the opinion that the puzzle was much harder than this. By the way, should you happen to read through the comments, you will find (at comment #18) Derek saying "Chicken & chips tonight on my Jim Jones as my son is down in the Midi and my daughter &co. are in Spain." I interpret "on my Jim Jones" to be Cockney rhyming slang for "on my own" or "being alone", although any references that I found on-line used "Jack Jones" rather than "Jim Jones".

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.

10a   Prize in harbour recalled happily after vacation (6)

I thought that the setter might have 'invented' a new meaning (a ploy one often encounters in cryptic crosswords) for vacation^[5], but it seems that this word really can mean the action of leaving something one previously occupied • his marriage was the reason for the vacation of his fellowship. [I suppose, if a priest were to marry, one might say it was the reason for the vacation of his vocation.] The American Heritage Dictionary characterises this usage as archaic^[3].

11a   Companion with primate by Latin place of worship (6)

A Companion of Honour (abbreviation CH)^[5], is a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour^[7], an order of the Commonwealth realms^[7] (the United Kingdom together with the other members of the Commonwealth of Nations which have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state). It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion. Even the Oxford Dictionary of English appears to overlook the fact that this is an award of the Commonwealth realms and not of the United Kingdom.

13a   Noisy bird restrained by family before start of drinks? There’s wishful thinking (5,6,4)

Cloud cuckoo land^[5] is a state of absurdly over-optimistic fantasy • anyone who believes that the Bill will be effective is living in cloud cuckoo land. The term comes from the translation of Greek Nephelokokkugia, the name of the city built by the birds in Aristophanes' comedy Birds, from nephelē 'cloud' + kokkux 'cuckoo'. While this term is to be found in all my usual British dictionaries, I did not find it in either of the two American dictionaries that I consulted (American Heritage Dictionary and Random House Unabridged Dictionary). Note that the numeration (5,6,4) appearing in the National Post matches that used by the Oxford Dictionary of English. Judging by the entry at Big Dave's Blog, the numeration in the UK was (5-6-4) which corresponds to the spelling in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition and the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary^[5] as well as Collins English Dictionary^[4].

15a   Authority in school prepared listening device (7)

I was misled (by the "in") into thinking that this must be a containment type clue. Once I get an idea into my head, it is sometimes virtually impossible to get it out. As this transpired before visiting Big Dave's site, I can't even excuse my failure to solve this relatively easy clue by claiming to have been distracted by Gazza's illustration! (What a lovely headset!)

20a   A ballet or rally arranged to include hot musical venue (5,6,4)

The Royal Albert Hall^[7] is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England.

23a   Describe clearly at home petty officer consumed by drink (8)

According to several dictionaries, pint^[5] is an informal British expression meaning a pint of beer • we’ll probably go for a pint on the way home. Although it may be British in origin, it is also a much-used term in Canada.

25a   Cloth not new put round English breakfast dish (6)

While I have eaten this breakfast dish, I normally eat other types of cereal which may explain why the solution to the clue did not readily come to mind.

26a   Light opening to exhibition held by artist (6)

Francis Bacon^[7] (1909 – 1992) was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery.

1d   Service shown by prince having deadly consequences (6)

Prince Hal is the name by which the future King Henry V of England goes by in William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1^[7] and Henry IV, Part 2^[7]. In all likelihood, "prince" is not a reference to American theatre director Hal Prince.

6d   Stiff group of students supported by a lecturer (6)

In the UK, a form^[5] is a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number • the fifth form [the North American counterpart would be grade • the fifth grade]. By the way, I did confirm that L, as an abbreviation for lecturer, is found in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition.

14d   Short rest in card game (3)

Nap^[5] is a card game resembling whist in which players declare the number of tricks they expect to take, up to five.

18d   Like a blue part of floor (not half) in refurbished chalet (8)

In Britain, a blue^[5] is a person who has represented Cambridge University (a Cambridge blue) or Oxford University (an Oxford blue) at a particular sport in a match between the two universities • a flyweight boxing blue.

19d   One on board facing sign of shame? Avoid expressing an opinion (7)

As you may recall from yesterday's puzzle, in the Royal Navy, able seaman (abbreviation AB)^[5]. is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. Thus the first part of the wordplay is not (as was my first thought) 'A (one) + (on) B (board)' but 'AB (one on board; i.e., able seaman)'.

21d   Record account in group that’s aiming to recover animal (6)

The Automobile Association^[7] (The AA) is a British motoring association founded in 1905. Its counterparts in North America would be the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the American Automobile Association (AAA). One of the services that it provides to motorists is the recovery (towing) of vehicles in the event of a breakdown.

22d   Idle lines penned during game in retreat (6)

Lollop^[4] is a British term with the seemingly somewhat contradictory meanings of (1) to walk or run with a clumsy or relaxed bouncing movement or (2) a less common word for lounge (as a verb).

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 - DT 26685

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26685
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 17, 2011
Setter Rufus
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26685]
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 26684 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, October 15, 2011

Introduction

I had difficulty with the northeast corner today, and needed substantial assistance from my electronic helpers in that area of 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.

10a   Salesman’s untruthful answers (7)

In the surface reading, the 's is used to form the possessive form of salesman. However, in the cryptic reading, it is interpreted as is with the wordplay being REP (salesman) + LIES (is untruthful).

13a   Salary increased to get out of debt (3,2)

Note that, in his review, Libellule speaks of a "a rise in your salary". In Britain, an increase in pay is known as a rise^[5], whereas, in North America, it is called a raise^[5].

17a   Pardon sailor’s love affair (7)

In the Royal Navy, able seaman (abbreviation AB)^[5]. is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman.

26a   Toiletry any local chemist may supply initially (4)

In the UK, a pharmacist - or, for that matter, a pharmacy - is known as a chemist^[5].

31a   Master pleaded for change of ship (6,7)

A paddle steamer^[5] is a boat powered by steam and propelled by paddle wheels. In North America, such a vessel would most likely be called a paddle-wheeler.

2d   Clamp down on work force (7)

Initially, I had entered REPRESS here. Not only could I not justify the wordplay - it made 1a very difficult to solve.

6d   Man in jug? (4)

British Toby Jug

American Whiskey Jug

Characterised by the Oxford Dictionary of English as being chiefly a British term, a Toby jug^[5] is a beer jug or mug in the form of a stout old man wearing a three-cornered hat. Note that a jug^[5] in Britain would be a small pitcher^[5] rather than a US style jug with a narrow mouth and stopper or cap (like those traditionally used to hold whiskey). In Canada, we use the word jug to describe containers of either type.

16d   They are used for cheating and lying (5)

The Oxford Dictionary of English characterises the word crib^[5], meaning a child’s bed, as being chiefly a North American term - the usual British name being cot^[5].

27d   Common complaint of many of advanced years (4)

Here we encounter a cryptic crossword convention where the word "many" is used to indicated a large (but not specified) Roman numeral. It can be any of L (fifty), C (one hundred), D (five hundred) or M (one thousand). Other expressions, such as the phrase "a large number", may also be used in this way.

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 - DT 26683

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26683
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, October 14, 2011
Setter Giovanni
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26683]
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

Judging by my performance, I would have to say that today's puzzle is on the gentle side of three stars.

In case anyone is interested, I have finally gotten around to posting blogs on the puzzles for Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26. It would seem that a little event called Christmas rather interfered with my schedule!

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   Number classically participating in excursion (6)

I did get the correct solution - but without understanding why. The only possible explanation that I could come up with is that, in the Iliad, Homer writes of Nestor leading a flotilla of ninety ships to the siege of Troy. However, the answer is hiding right before our eyes, with the Roman numeral for ninety forming part of the word eXCursion.

10a   PM has no hesitation going round pub — it adds a bit of spice (8)

The PM of interest is David Cameron^[7], the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the British Conservative Party.

11a   Like many a church notice across, say, Ireland? (6)

For my first attempt, I took the right approach but ended up at the wrong destination. I put SPIED (noticed, failing to notice the improper tense) around R (republic, of which Ireland is an example) to get SPIRED (like many a church). Luckily, an obvious down clue quickly set me straight.

18a   Soldiers getting punished to become improved (7)

The Royal Engineers (RE)^[5] is the name of the field engineering and construction corps of the British army.

20a   Jane providing song for us to hear (4)

Jane Eyre^[7] is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë which was published in 1847.

25a   Shrub is hidden behind seaside building (6)

Like Gazza, I had never heard of the shrub referred to in this clue. Pieris^[5] is an evergreen shrub of the heather family, typically having pink or red young leaves and loose clusters of waxy white bell-shaped flowers. It is native to North America and Asia (genus Pieris, family Ericaceae). I must say that I am hard-pressed to see how a pier can be described as a building^[5] (a structure with a roof and walls) - a structure, yes, but a building?

26a   Somehow detain this writer coming in — there’s a medical disorder (8)

As a cryptic crossword convention, the creator of the puzzle will often use terms such as setter, compiler, author, or (in this case) "this writer" to refer to himself or herself. To solve the clue, one must substitute a first person pronoun for the term (I or me). As "somehow detain" clearly indicates an anagram (somehow) of DETAIN, it is quite evident (based on the numeration) that "this writer" must be ME which is contained in (coming in) the anagram.

1d   Job given to character to provide a means of communication (8)

Some people may have difficulty reading the caption on the postcard which Gazza uses to illustrate his hint. The card shows a large woman presenting a baby to a new mother as she lies in bed. The large woman comments "It's so different from yours. Did his father have nice curly hair like this?", to which the new mother replies "I don't know Ma'am, he had his hat on!"

2d  Heather, initially very good, is not very well (6)

Ling^[5] is another name for the common heather of Eurasia.

5d   Sit outside in fine weather — ashen but changing? (8)

Scrote^[5] (used by Gazza in the comment appended to his hint) is an informal British expression meaning a contemptible person (and, yes, as I expected, it does come from scrotum).

By the way, just think what a North American compiler might be able to do with the phrase "ashen butt"! [The term butt^[5] (meaning buttocks) being chiefly a North American expression].

13d   Come to end of line in attempt to expose infidelity (9)

The wordplay is "come to end of line in attempt" and the definition is "infidelity". The phrase "to expose" serves as a link between the wordplay and the definition. The overall sense of the clue is that if one follows the instructions in the wordplay, a synonym of the definition will be exposed or unveiled. The parsing of the wordplay is {REACH (come) + (to) E (end of linE)} contained in (in) TRY (attempt). It is not uncommon to see the word "to" used as a charade indicator, where it is used in the sense of 'pressed against' as in expressions such as "shoulder to the wheel", "nose to the grindstone", "nose to the window", or "cheek to cheek". Compare the use of the link phrase "to expose" in this clue to the use of the word "to" in 21d.

15d   Group of soldier laid up — rest could be this (8)

Like Gazza, I thought that the clue should have started "Group of soldiers ...". The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee")^[7] is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from battle tanks and helicopters to dental tools and cooking equipment/utensils. These soldiers are not be confused with those in 18a. The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces. In Ottawa, we have a prime example of the work of this corps. It was Lt. Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers who supervised the construction of the Rideau Canal in the early 1800s.

16d   Who rears unexpectedly? I’d better not, in battle (8)

I think one is expected to read this clue as if it were spoken by the horse.

17d   One topless garment associated with popular music somewhere in America (8)

Ska^[5] is a style of fast popular music having a strong offbeat and originating in Jamaica in the 1960s, a forerunner of reggae. It is popular both in Jamaica and in crossword puzzles.

21d  Primitive life form to be gobbled up by a bird once (6)

Here the definition is "primitive life form" and the wordplay is "be gobbled up by a bird once". I would say that the word "to" serves the function of a link word between the definition and the wordplay. However, in this role, it does not seem to perform nearly as well as the phrase "to expose" in 13d.

22d   Little son, someone really small, a bit of a pain (6)

Titch^[5] is an informal British term for a small person • the titch of the class.

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon

Monday, January 2, 2012 - DT 26682

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26682
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, October 13, 2011
Setter Ray T
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26682]
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
Notes This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the National Post edition of Friday, December 30, 2011

Introduction

With today's puzzle, there is no mistaking the setter - who is clearly at his mischievous best. Clues such as 1d and 26a are classic Ray T fare, and 18d with its reference to Queen only serves to confirm it. I completed the lower half unaided, but struggled with the upper half. Fearful that I was suffering a bout of mental torpidity, I had to pull out my Tool Chest with ten clues remaining to be solved - all of them in the upper portion of the puzzle. Primarily, I used tools which generate lists of words matching the checking letters. In most cases, they provided a set of no more than ten to twenty possibilities from which the correct solution often seemed to leap right off the screen. I felt somewhat less inadequate when I saw that Big Dave had awarded this puzzle four stars for difficulty.

My Mistake

In my initial posting, I failed to notice that this is the puzzle for Monday, January 2, 2012 and not the one for Friday, December 30, 2011 - both of which appear in the Friday, December 30, 2011 edition of the National Post.

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   Very open admitting start of affair’s steamy (8)

I tried very hard to force fit words like spacious and salacious in here.

11a   Favoured soft leg drive shot, taking single (10)

This is one of the few clues in the top half that I was able to solve before dipping into my Tool Chest. As we saw only yesterday, the musical notation p (piano)^[5] means soft or softly.

14a   He may chase English goer (8)

It is a revelation to me, but chase^[5] can be a verb meaning to engrave (metal, or a design on metal). It is usually seen in the form of an adjective chased • a miniature container with a delicately chased floral design.

15a   Offensive smell from head of sea carp (6)

A tench^[5] is a European freshwater fish of the carp family, popular with anglers (Tinca tinca, family Cyprinidae).

26a   She barely participates in game (8)

Erica Roe^[7], who so amply illustrates this clue in Big Dave's review, is also known as the Twickenham Streaker. She is remembered for a topless run across the pitch of Twickenham Stadium during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982. It has been described by the BBC as "perhaps the most famous of all streaks". Roe, who later claimed to have been inspired by alcohol, ran onto the field during half time, exposing her 40-inch bosom. Roe and the friend who joined her streak were corralled by police officers on the field, one of whom covered Roe's chest with his helmet while leading her off the field.

2d   Exercise with cheat on steroids? (4)

In Britain, do^[5] is an informal term for swindle • a thousand pounds for one set of photos—Jacqui had been done. The sense of the wordplay is "PE (exercise) with DO (cheat) on [it]". Since this is a down clue, putting DO on top of PE implies that DO precedes PE.

4d   Skive and endlessly lounge in crib (8)

Skive^[5] is an informal British expression meaning to avoid work or a duty by staying away or leaving early or, in other words, to shirk • I skived off school.

8d   Harry Lime in shady case, grinning (6)

Harry Lime is a character (played by Orson Welles) in The Third Man, a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed with a screenplay written by novelist Graham Greene.

24d   Transport from Paddington, perhaps (4)

Paddington Bear^[7] , a polite immigrant bear from Deepest, Darkest Peru, with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat and love of marmalade sandwiches, has become a classic character from English children's literature. In the first story, Paddington is found at Paddington railway station in London by the Brown family, sitting on his suitcase (bearing the label "WANTED ON VOYAGE") with a note attached to his coat which reads, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." Author Michael Bond has said that his memories of newsreels showing trainloads of child evacuees leaving London during the war, with labels around their necks and their possessions in small suitcases, prompted him to do the same for Paddington.

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)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for today - Falcon