Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - DT 26697

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26697
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 31, 2011
Setter Rufus
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26697]
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 26696 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, October 29, 2011

Introduction

This puzzle gave me a few more problems than usual - certainly more than I would have expected based on Libellule's assessment of it.

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   Substitute for Peter McLean (11)

With regard to Peter McLean, Libellule asks "Who's he?" Although, in all likelihood, it is purely a made-up name, it could be either of two Aussies, one a member of the McLean rugby clan^[7] and the other an Australian rules footballer^[7].

18a   It plays without music (8)

Errors at 14d and 18d hampered me on this clue. The latter error was discovered early on, but the former was only found after I had called my electronic assistants into action.

19a   He gives notice, having to work when others are playing (6)

I stumbled all around the right area but couldn't quite get on the right path here, thinking of occupations such as referee, umpire, conductor, etc.

26a   Enter into an American business contract with ancient city (5)

Incorporation^[7] is the process of forming a new corporation (a corporation being a legal entity that is effectively recognised as a person under the law). The practices concerning the naming of corporations vary around the world. In the United States, most (but not all) corporations are identified by the term "incorporated" (often shortened to Inc.) added after the business name, such as "Texas Instruments, Incorporated", or by putting the word "corporation" (often shortened to Corp.) in the name of the company, as in "Netscape Communications Corporation". In the United Kingdom, with the exception of an unlimited company or corporation which requires no designation as part of its legal company name, the titles Ltd. (limited company) or plc (public limited company) are used for corporations. Incorporated Canadian companies can generally use either Limited (Ltd.), Incorporated (Inc.) or Corporation (Corp.) in their name, however this may vary province to province. A veritable alphabet soup of abbreviations is used in other jurisdictions around the world.

Thus the setter uses the phrase "American business contract" to mean a shortened form (contraction) of the name of an American business, which would be 'Inc.'.

1d   Disturbance in court, perhaps (7)

Although the anagram was blatantly obvious and there seemed to be only one way to arrange the letters, the solution is hardly a word with which I am familiar. It may well be a word that is used more commonly in Britain than it is on this side of the Atlantic. The Oxford Dictionary of English defines ruction^[5] as an informal term for a disturbance or quarrel (she acted as if there’d been no earlier ruction) and in the plural (ructions) as a British expression meaning angry reactions, protests, or complaints (if Mrs Salt catches her there’ll be ructions).

4d   Tender put up for capital statue (4)

The statue of Eros^[7] atop the Shaftesbury Monument Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus is a well-known landmark in London, England. While the statue is generally believed to depict Eros, it was actually intended by the sculptor to be an image of his twin brother, Anteros.

6d   U.S. sweetheart gets whistles (5)

The setter uses the phrase "U.S. sweetheart" to indicate to his target British audience that the solution is an expression used in the U.S. but not in Britain.

8d   Abandoned ship (8)

I'm sure that the setter created this clue with the hope that we would see "abandoned" as a verb so that the clue would appear to refer to the evacuation of a sinking ship (how timely). However, I saw "abandoned" immediately as an adjective and thus the clue did not appear cryptic at all (until I thought about it a bit).

14   Girl showing caution (8)

The only girl's name that immediately came to mind was PATIENCE which seemed to be stretching the definition ("caution") to - or beyond - the limit. I discovered the error after finding myself totally stymied on 18a.

16d   Dishonest dealer (4-5)

This is another cryptic definition - in the same vein as 8d - in which the misdirection relies on us thinking of "dealer" as referring to a businessman rather than a card player.

18d   She’s quite happy to show her bloomers! (7)

My first entry here was GARDNER (which is not even spelled correctly - or perhaps I was thinking of Ava!). However, I managed a quick recovery from that stupid error (what the Brits would call a 'bloomer'^[5]). In Britain, a bloomer^[5] may also be a large loaf [of bread] with diagonal slashes on a rounded top. Of course, here bloomers^[5] refers - depending on how you read the clue - to either women's old-fashioned underwear^[5] or to flowering plants^[5].

20d   Many in good time plainly seen (7)

Obviously, I did not see this 'clearly' at all. Having recognized that there seemed to be only two words that could possibly fit (CLEARLY and CHEERLY), I was totally focused on the second L being the large Roman numeral indicated in the clue ("many"). This left me being able to make no sense of the wordplay. As I was to learn from Libellule, I should have set my sights higher - CL (150) rather than L (50).

25   Part of the church in a pseudo-Gothic style (4)

While I believe that it is rare to find the solution at the beginning or end of the fodder in a hidden word clue, I am unaware of there being any rule to forbid it. Being somewhat more pedantic than Libellule, I would say that the solution to the clue is actually found in the phrase "a pseudo-Gothic style".

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 16, 2012 - DT 26695

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26695
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, October 28, 2011
Setter Giovanni
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26695]
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
Notes The National Post has skipped DT 26694 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, October 27, 2011

Introduction

For some reason, the National Post has skipped a Ray T puzzle that was highly rated by Big Dave. However, this offering from Giovanni also received high marks from Gazza. Aside from a minor stumble in the northwest quadrant, the puzzle did not give me too much trouble.

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   Head of State got rid of expert (7)

I got myself into a temporary pickle on this clue by having entered an incorrect solution at 2d.

7a   An attempt to bring shame (5)

Apparently British (although it does not sound foreign to my ear), bash^[5][9] is a noun meaning an attempt • have a bash at this quiz.

9a   Whiskery beast was outside front of local before game (6)

Rugby union (RU)^[5] is a form of rugby played in teams of fifteen, in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen. The latter game was originated by a group of northern English clubs which separated from rugby union in 1895. Besides having somewhat different rules, the game differed from rugby union in always allowing professionalism.

10a   Around spring grass is growing (8)

In the UK, grass^[5] is used informally as a noun to mean a police informer and as a verb meaning to inform the police of someone’s criminal activities or plans (someone had grassed on the thieves). This expression may derive from rhyming slang (grasshopper = copper).

11a   Summer ending in debauchery after tea and wine (10)

In Britain, tea may informally be called char^[5] (or cha or chai).

19a   Person lived with is monotonous and dull, with little energy (8)

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, mat^[5] is the US spelling of matt (or matte)^[5], an adjective used to describe a surface or colour which is dull and flat or without a shine • prints are available on matt or glossy paper • a matt black. I am familiar with this word being spelled matte.

2d   ‘Countdown’ may be followed by this criticism that’s turned sour (5-3)

I entered BOOST-OFF and couldn't seem to get past it. BOOS did match "this criticism" and OFF is, of course, "turned sour". However, there is no accounting for the T. I did eventually realize my error when 5a finally fell into place.

Countdown^[7] (mentioned by Gazza in his hint) is a British game show involving word and number puzzles which is broadcast on Channel 4. With over 5,000 episodes having been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world, along with the original French version, Des chiffres et des lettres, which has been running on French television continuously since 1965.

3d   Courageously showing leg, see (6)

A see^[5] is the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop. The Diocese of Ely^[5] is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in the city of Ely.

5d   Cut evident when son’s been give whip (5)

As Gazza also noted, 'give' should presumably be 'given'.

6d   Detachment from event of 24 February 1981 (13)

I didn't recognize the date, but the definition and checking letters were enough to give me the solution. I guessed that we might be  looking a some instance of military disengagement. However, 24 February, 1981 is the date on which the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer was announced to the world.

12d   Star rector played instruments in theatre (10)

The "theatre" here is one in which surgery would be performed in a hospital.

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 14, 2012 - A Fishy Puzzle

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox and Rathvon should appeal to the anglers in the crowd - although one creature is not a fish and at least one other is not a game fish.










Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   HER|RING - RING (doughnut) following (comes after) HER (the lady)

Note: In the cryptic reading, the 's is a contraction for is and serves as a link word between the wordplay and the definition. The definition ("kippers, perhaps") indicates that the solution is an example of the definition.

5a   HAL|I|BUT - HAL (Prince Henry) + (and) I (†) + BUT (save; as in "all, save two, were destroyed in the fire")

Prince Henry (nicknamed Hal) - a character in William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, Part 1^[7] and Henry IV, Part 2^[7] - is later to become King Henry V of England.

9a   AN|TIC - AN (one) + TIC (involuntary motion)

10a   ASP|HALTED - ASP (snake) + HALTED (came to a stop)

11a   {STRIPED BASS}* - anagram (strange) of SPIDERS BATS

12a   SUN~ - sounds like (on the radio) SON (boy)

13a   THIS|BE - BE (live) following (east of; to the right of, in an across clue) THIS (†)

Pyramus and Thisbe^[7], a story of ill-fated lovers from Roman mythology, served as the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

15a   LOBSTERS* - anagram (rum) of BOLSTERS

Rum^[5] is a dated British term meaning odd or peculiar.

18a   PICKER|EL - PICKER (one choosing) + EL (the Spanish; i.e., Spanish word for "the")

19a   _EX|HALE_ - hidden in (suppressed by) AlEX HALEy

22a   OR|B_ - OR (†) + B (head of bull; i.e., first letter of Bull)

23a   YELL|OW| PERCH - YELL (shout) + (and) OW (cry [in pain]) + (then) PERCH (settle)

25a   POTENTIAL* - anagram of (arrangement of) LIPTON TEA

26a   EVIAN< - reversal (turned) of NAIVE (green)

Perrier^[7] and Evian^[7] are French brands of bottled mineral water.

27a   SARDINE* - anagram (cooked) of A DINERS

28a   W(ALLEY)E - WE (the two of us) containing (on both sides of) ALLEY (passageway)

Down

1d   HE|ADS|ET - HE (the man) + ADS (spots; advertisements) + ET (alien; from the 1982 American science fiction film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial^[7])

2d   ROTOR - I thought that this might be a double definition; "something that's turned" & "something that turns"

The first definition here would refer to the process of machining the surface of a brake rotor (to remove unevenness caused by use) which is known as 'turning'.

However, MG (see comments) has suggested another interpretation, in which the definition would be "something that turns" with the wordplay being:

• ROT (something that's turned; i.e., rotting or rotten matter^[9]) + OR (†)

3d   IN|CA(PA)BLE - PA (pop) contained in (entering) {IN (into) + CABLE (TV service)}

4d   G|LANDS - G (good; a mark on a school assignment or test) + LANDS (areas)

5d   HEP|TAG|ON - HEP (Beatnik's cool; expression meaning "cool" that might be used by a Beatnik) + TAG (label) + ON (†)

6d   L(O)ADS - LADS (youngsters) containing (carrying) O (love; a score of zero in tennis)

7d   BATH(SHE)BA - SHE (†) contained in (is found in; the 's being a contraction of is) {BATH (tub) + (with) BA (bachelor [Bachelor of Arts])}

8d   TI|DINGS - TI ([musical] note) + (on) DINGS (minor damages)

14d   IN|CUBA|TOR - IN (†) + CUBA (Caribbean island) + TOR (hill)

16d   {SEX APPEAL}* - anagram (sadly) of APPLE AXES

"It"^[9] is a slang term for sex appeal. The expression, although having appeared in the writing of Rudyard Kipling as early as 1904, appears to have come into widespread use as a result of the 1927 film It^[7] starring Clara Bow (who became known as the 'It girl'^[7]).

 17d   _ME|ALTIME_ - hidden in (displaying) soME ALTIMEters

18d   PROM(PT)S - PT (point) contained in (amid) PROMS (dances)

20d   ENHANCE* - anagram (unusual) of HENCE AN

21d   G(O S)LOW - GLOW (beam) containing (taking in) OS (rings; Os)

23d   _YANNI_ - hidden in (lodged in) HYANNIsport

Yanni^[7], born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States. His music is frequently described as "new age"^[7], though he prefers the term "contemporary instrumental".

24d   RAISE~ - sounds like (for audit) RAZE (tear down)

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

Friday, January 13, 2012 - DT 26693

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26693
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Setter Jay
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26693]
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

Posted: Saturday, January 14, 2012

Introduction

Fortuitously, as this was a puzzle that I had reviewed for Big Dave's Crossword Blog when it originally appeared in the UK, it did not take too long to solve it on the second go-round.  However, on Friday we were experiencing a fairly major blizzard in Ottawa (following a couple of days of freezing rain) and I spent most of the day clearing snow from my driveway. As a result, I did not find time to write the blog until today.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

1a   Flag message understood by party (5,5)

Jolly^[5] is an informal British term for a party or celebration • these events were jollies • some regard it as a bit of a jolly.

15a   Copper, bent, is thirsty (7)

In the surface reading, "copper" is almost certainly slang for a police officer and "bent^[5]" is an informal British expression meaning dishonest or corrupt • a bent cop. Perhaps we are to interpret "thirsty" in a figurative sense as greedy (thirsty for money, willing to take a bribe). However, the cryptic reading is quite different.

24a   Praises almost grown-up friends sacking leader (8)

Mate^[5] is an informal British term for a friend or companion • my best mate Steve.

28a   Hotels accommodate ducks with a tremendous fuss (3-2)

In cricket, a duck^[5] is a batsman’s score of nought • he was out for a duck. In cryptic crossword puzzles, duck often indicates O as the letter "O" looks like the number "0". Hotel^[5] is a code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.

30a   Start do late — cunning or pretentiously creative? (4-6)

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, arty-crafty^[5] (interested or involved in making decorative artistic objects, especially ones perceived as quaint or homespun) is chiefly a North American expression. The British dictionaries all seem to believe that arty-crafty is the principal variant with artsy-craftsy being a secondary variant. From my experience, I would say that it is the reverse - in fact, I do not recall ever having never heard the arty-crafty variant - and American dictionaries would seem to support my observation.

2d   Peeress offers to protect last of tiger beetles (9)

Ladybird^[5] is the British name for a ladybug. Although ladybug is the name used for these insects (which are beetles and not true bugs) throughout much of North American, the name ladybird is used in some parts of Canada and the US (as well as in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Malta), according to Wikipedia^[7] . Presumably, Texas must be one of the spots using the term ladybird, thus accounting for how Lady Bird Johnson^[7] got her name. The tiger beetles are a large group of beetles known for their aggressive predatory habits and running speed. The fastest species of tiger beetle can run at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph), which, relative to its body length, is the equivalent of a human running at 480 miles per hour (770 km/h).

16d   Uncompromising bad luck? Not quite (8)

'Hard lines^[5]' (a variant of 'hard luck') is an informal British way of to expressing sympathy or commiserations. The characterization of this as "a British nautical expression (4,5) meaning bad luck" was based on a passage from Watching My Language: Adventures in the Word Trade by William Safire in which the author says (essentially as an aside), "Hard lines was a British nautical expression meaning 'bad luck' ...". As I recall, this statement generated a fair bit of discussion on Big Dave's blog.

21d   Soft and soggy sort of cephalopod guy eviscerated (7)

Squidgy^[5] is an informal, chiefly British term used to describe something that is soft, spongy, and moist • a squidgy cream cake.

25d   A house in the outskirts of Bognor to loathe (5)

I presume that the reference is to Bognor Regis^[7], a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England.

26d   Eccentric city supporting South Africa (4)

The International Vehicle Registration code for South Africa is ZA^[5], based on the Dutch spelling of the country's name, Zuid Afrika.

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, January 12, 2012 - DT 26692

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26692
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26692]
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 needed a hand with one or two clues today - and, in hindsight, they do not even appear to rank among the more difficult clues 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.

7a   Bank policy results in second job (8)

This was my last one in, although I can see no apparent reason why that should be the case. It is certainly not a difficult clue. Strangely, the list of words matching the checking letters which was generated by my WordFinder program did not include the solution. However, when I took another look at the grid, the solution suddenly seem to jump right off the page.

15a   Keep terriers in check (6)

I had a question mark beside this clue regarding the association between "terriers" and TA. In the UK, Terrier^[5] is an informal name for a member of the Territorial Army (TA)^[5], a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency.

17a   Quickly secure photograph at college (4,2)

In Britain, up^[5] may mean at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge • they were up at Cambridge about the same time.

20a  Baffle scoundrel with dog (8)

A hound^[5] is an informal, dated term for a despicable or contemptible man.

24a   Drive second towards flag (4)

I must admit that I overlooked the motoring theme in this clue. I had thought that there might somehow be a cricket connection, although "drive" would seem to refer to a ball that has been hit by a batsman and "spin" to one delivered by a bowler.

25a   Outlaw group’s Italian (6)

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].

1d   Senior nurse nursing home finds menacing (8)

In a British hospital, a sister^[5] (often Sister) is a senior female nurse, typically in charge of a ward. Gazza gives us a picture of a Sister guaranteed to raise one's heart rate.

This is a variation on a clue that I first encountered in DT 26016 (published in The Daily Telegraph on August 25, 2009 and which appeared in the National Post on December 15, 2009). Here is what I wrote then:

9d Nursing home's senior nurse left (8)

A couple of Briticisms in this clue did me in. In Britain, a senior female nurse is a Sister. While I knew that "home" is IN (as "at home"), I didn't recognize "nursing" as a container indicator. Furthermore, I was working on the mistaken notion that "left" was an instruction to delete some letters. All the British dictionaries provide a definition for nurse along the lines of "to hold carefully or protectively", a sense of the word that I did not find in American dictionaries. My best effort attempt at a solution was MINISTER, on the basis that nurses minister to the needs of their patients (although in North America, one might be more apt to use this word in relation to a member of the clergy than to a nurse). Of course, I learned from Gazza's review that the right solution ironically is SINISTER.

 As you can see, apparently I am learning.

3d   Page one, suggestive of plagiarism (6)

Again, not a difficult clue - but one that I could not seem to find without a gentle push from my electronic assistants.

2d   Skinny person’s tiny daughter (4)

Definitions of weed (in the sense seen here) vary somewhat from one dictionary to another, with Chambers 21st Century Dictionary listing it as "Derogatory a skinny, feeble or ineffectual man"^[2], Collins English Dictionary having it as "Informal a thin or unprepossessing person"^[4], and the Oxford Dictionary of English stating "British informal a contemptibly feeble person"^[5]. As for American dictionaries, the Random House Unabridged Dictionary gives it as "a thin, ungainly person or animal"^[9] and the American Heritage Dictionary does not include this sense of the word^[3].

6d   Iron Lady’s felt hat? (6)

Fe^[5] is the symbol for the chemical element iron. Dora Bryan^[7] (who appears in Gazza's hint) is an English actress appearing on stage, film and television. The nickname "Iron Lady" was given to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher^[7] on the basis of her strict conservative policies, hard line against trade unions and tough rhetoric in opposition to the Soviet Union.

13d   Hear angry talk, then cues for actors (10)

Catchword (in the sense used here) appears in only two of my commonly consulted dictionaries. The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition lists it as "an actor's cue" and the Collins English Dictionary has it as "Theatre an actor's cue to speak or enter"^[4] .

21d   Nothing different — always moving in a single direction (3-3)

Failing to notice the charade that is pointed out by Gazza, I split the clue at the dash - thinking that the two parts were merely meant to be different definitions of the solution. After all, if one is allowed to do "nothing different", then one must do things "one way".

22d   Disturbing experience in river in old Kentish town (6)

Deal^[7] is a town in Kent England, on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover.

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 11, 2012 - Dt 26691

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26691
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 24, 2011
Setter Rufus
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26691]
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 26690 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, October 22, 2011

Introduction

I thought this puzzle was a pretty typical Rufus creation. Although it took a while to find a starting point, and progress bogged down noticeably about half way through it, I eventually reached the point of having two clues left to solve. At that point, I needed a bit of assistance from my electronic aids. It took a while to track down the English university appearing at 13d. As for 11a, it is a classic Rufus cryptic definition containing a clever element of misdirection. It definitely made me smile when the penny finally dropped.

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   Demonstrates hostility to private accommodation (8)

In Britain, barrack^[5] means to jeer loudly at (someone performing or speaking in public) in order to express disapproval or to distract them • opponents barracked him when he addressed the opening parliamentary session.

6   God willing, it’s all right to admit artist and composer (6)

DV^[2][4][5] or D.V.^[3][9] is the abbreviation for Deo volente (Latin for God willing) in British and American dictionaries respectively. RA^[5] is the abbreviation for Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of the Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. Antonín Dvořák^[7] (1841 – 1904) was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia.

11   Restoration of features in theatre (8)

A cryptic definition of an elective medical procedure that takes place in an operating theatre.

23   Symbol of Christ in unusual guise and form (5,3)

The definition is "symbol of Christ" with the solution being AGNUS DEI, where Agnus Dei^[5] is a figure of a lamb bearing a cross or flag, as an emblem of Christ. I would say that the wordplay is "unusual guise and form" with "in" serving as a linkword between the definition and wordplay. My guess is that we are expected to interpret the wordplay as being equivalent to "unusual form of GUISE AND". Otherwise, the word "form" would appear to be superfluous.

24   Outstanding, but lost (6)

Libellule, in his hint, refers to an anecdote from the life of British poet John Donne. While working as private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, he destroyed his chances of career advancement when he secretly married Anne More, daughter of Sir George More. Anne's enraged father had Donne thrown into Fleet Prison for several weeks, and Egerton dismissed him from his post. Donne's marriage was a happy one, despite constant financial worries. With typical wry wit, Donne described his life with Anne as "John Donne, Anne Donne, Undone" [read more].

13   Carpets university residences, say? (9)

In Britain, carpet^[5] is an informal term meaning to reprimand severely • the Chancellor of the Exchequer carpeted the bank bosses. Keelhaul^[5] literally means to punish (someone) by dragging them through the water under the keel of a ship, either across the width or from bow to stern. However, it can also be used in a figurative sense meaning to punish or reprimand (someone) severely. [Note that, despite appearances, Libellule's parenthetical explanation refers to the solution to the clue (KEELHAULS) and not to the word "carpets" found at the beginning of the sentence.] Keele University^[7], located near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England is the largest single-site campus university in the UK. A campus university^[7] is a British term for a university situated on one site, with student accommodation, teaching and research facilities, and leisure activities all together. Campus universities are contrasted to collegiate universities^[7], based on a number of colleges (such as Oxford, Durham, London or Cambridge Universities) or a university consisting of a number of sites, or even individual buildings, spread throughout a town (such as Edinburgh University).

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 10, 2012 - DT 26689

Puzzle at a Glance

Daily Telegraph Puzzle Number DT 26689
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, October 21, 2011
Setter Giovanni
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 26689]
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

Giovanni serves up a rather gentle offering today, allowing my electronic assistants to take the day off.

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   Football team depressed about very best wingers being missing (6)

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club^[7] (commonly referred to as Wolves) is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football.

12a   Expand time for event to accommodate the Italian (6)

In Italian, il^[8] means "the".

15a   Scientist’s going around western communities established quite recently (3,5)

Sir Isaac Newton^[7] (1642 – 1727) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived." In Britain, a new town^[4] is a town that has been planned as a complete unit and built with government sponsorship, especially to accommodate overspill population.

19a   Christian Scientist in a whirl (4)

Mary Baker Eddy^[7] (1821 – 1910) was the founder of Christian Science (1879), a Protestant American system of religious thought and practice adopted by the Church of Christ, Scientist, and others. Apparently Mary Baker Cake Mixes (mentioned by Gazza) were not unique to the UK, as indicated by this Texas newspaper advertisement from 1960.

27a   Dismissal of some French companion when Irishman’s brought in (8)

Des^[8] is the French word for "some". As usual, companion indicates Companion of Honour (abbreviation CH), a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour^[7], an order of the Commonwealth realms^[7] founded by King George V in June 1917 as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion. Despatch^[4] is a less common spelling of dispatch.

2d   Like event at rink that’s postponed (2,3)

Gazza's mention of Torvill and Dean^[7] is a reference to Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, British ice dancers and former British-, European-, Olympic- and World champions. At the 1984 Winter Olympics the pair became the highest scoring figure skaters of all time (for a single programme) receiving twelve perfect 6.0s and six 5.9's which included artistic impression scores of 6.0 from every judge.

3d   Forcefulness of macho types in very English part of the Establishment (9)

The Church of England (CE)^[5] is the English branch of the Western Christian Church, which combines Catholic and Protestant traditions, rejects the Pope’s authority, and has the monarch as its titular head. The English Church was part of the Catholic Church until the Reformation of the 16th century; after Henry VIII failed to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon he repudiated papal supremacy, bringing the Church under the control of the Crown.

4d   Beetle brings endless alarm to sailor (6)

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

6d   Dismissed from uni with less of an odour, we hear? (4,4)

Uni^[5] is an informal term for university • he planned to go to uni [in my experience, not an expression that one would expect to hear in North America].

7d   Part of body has nasty smell, not totally healthy (5)

Pong^[5] (used by Gazza in his hint) is British slang for a strong, unpleasant smell.

14d   Unoriginal girl said to be after money (5-4)

In Britain, ready^[4] can be used informally as a noun meaning ready money (cash). I have observed that the Brits often turn adjectives into nouns by dropping the noun from a phrase consisting of a noun modified by an adjective. Thus, in this case, ready money becomes merely ready. Another example is Indian restaurant becoming simply Indian.

16d   Defeat in game at the end of bowler’s short spell? (9)

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. Gazza's observation that overmatch is a "mainly American" expression is supported by both Chambers^[2] and Collins^[4] (which characterize the term as chiefly US) as well as Oxford^[5] (which says that it is chiefly North American).

20d   Approval shown by number clutching King James Bible (6)

Chiefly a British term, the Authorized Version (abbreviation AV)^[5] is an English translation of the Bible (also called King James Bible) made in 1611 at the order of James I and still widely used, though never formally ‘authorized’. 

22d   A theologian in an elevated position to be convincing (3,2)

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

24d   Brushes not initially provided for apartments (5)

The word apartment^[5] has a somewhat different meaning in the UK than it does in North America. What we think of as an apartment, the Brits would call a flat. In Britain, only a certain specific type of flat would be called an apartment - typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays (thus, seemingly, an upscale flat). In the plural, the term apartments refers to a set of private rooms in a very large house.

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