Friday, July 5, 2013 — DT 27151

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27151
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, April 13, 2013
Setter Cephas (Peter Chamberlain)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27151 - hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27151 - review]
Big Dave's Review Written By Big Dave - hints crypticsue - review
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog
Notes As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

Having struggled all week to catch up on my blogging, it is a great relief to finally be up-to-date.

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.

Across

1a   Crossing duty makes you strike? (4)

3a   Local supporter right to the end (3)

A local^[7] is a pub convenient to a person’s home.

5a   Dark image swine had inserted (6)

8a   Motors reassembled in northern port (6)

Tromsø^[10] is a port in N Norway, on a small island between Kvaløy and the mainland. It is a fishing and sealing centre.

9a   Better than normal, but not on course! (5,3)

10a   Shallow type in corner with old record (4-4)

An extended play^[7] (or "EP" in common speech) is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length compact discs and music downloads as well. ... In the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).

11a   Follow up returns -- sure to get fluctuations (6)

12a   Get more outrageous puzzle (8)

13a   Disapprove once or twice or four times about couple of universities (3-3)

Tut^[5] is short for tut-tut^[5], an exclamation used to express disapproval or annoyance ⇒ tut-tut, Robin, you disappoint me. Thus the solution to the clue could be either a single instance of "tut-tut" (disapprove once) or two instances of "tut" (disapprove twice). At least, that is my best interpretation.

15a   Teased for being shabbily dressed (6)

18a   Ripe and ready to be spiced up? (2,6)

The Chambers Dictionary says that season^[1] is an obsolete term for seasoning — thus lending support to crypticsue's assertion that IN SEASON "could mean that something was  marinating in a mixture of spices or herbs".

20a   Spasmodic attack almost complete (6)

21a   Miserly girl's close call (4,4)

23a   Animal, carnivore about to be caught by river in Yorkshire (8)

The River Ure^[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse.

24a   It's not taken by one going straight (6)

25a   I left with duet performing outside, lacking concentration (6)

26a   Jumper perhaps in receptacle taken back (3)

In Britain, a jumper^[5] is a knitted garment typically with long sleeves, worn over the upper body (in North American terms, a sweater). What we would call a jumper, the Brits would call a pinafore^[5] (a collarless sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or [British] jumper [i.e., North American sweater]). Thus if a British lass wore a pinafore over her jumper and a North American gal wore a jumper over her sweater, they would be dressed identically.

27a   Bed contains a blanket or fleece (4)

My initial presumption was that blanket may be used in the sense of  a blanket (or coat) of snow and fleece in the sense of a sheep's coat. However, after reading some comments on Big Dave's site, I now discover that fleece^[4] — in addition to being a fabric — may also be a jacket or top made from such a fabric (at least in Britain).

Down

1d   Roman emperor's set of clothes turned up -- toga initially needs taking in (5)

Titus^[5] (AD 39 - AD 81), Roman emperor AD 79 - AD 81, son of Vespasian; full name Titus Vespasianus Augustus; born Titus Flavius Vespasianus. In AD 70 he ended a revolt in Judaea with the conquest of Jerusalem.

2d   Bemoaning faulty alignment (9)

3d   Writers' block? (7)

4d   Gather by harbour with men into reorganising, dividing again (15)

5d   Snap over fixed athletics event (4,3)

6d   I sped to exotic place (7)

7d   Old deteriorating watermelon left out (4-5)

12d   Brazen as one who's had a close shave? (9)

14d   Emotionally shocking art reviewed with hesitation -- a reflex reaction (9)

16d   Wake up to the facts in unfortunate telegram, unfinished (3,4)

17d   Escorted northwards over river to expel parasites (7)

Although there are other rivers in England with the same or similar name, I will venture that the River Ouse^[5] refers to a river of NE England, formed at the confluence of the Ure and Swale in North Yorkshire and flowing 92 km (57 miles) south-eastwards through York to the Humber estuary. While I had always assumed that Ouse would rhyme with mouse — I was to discover on my recent visit to Yorkshire that it actually rhymes with snooze.

19d   Finish the sitting (5,2)

22d   Odds on one selling out fish (5)

While I can't be certain, I suspect that starting price (abbreviation SP)^[10] may be a British term (as I have only been able to find it in British dictionaries). In horse racing, it means the latest odds offered by bookmakers at the start of a race.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, July 4, 2013 — DT 27150

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27150
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, April 12, 2013
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27150]
Big Dave's Review Written By Gazza
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

A hitherto unknown vegetable and a spelling nuance between the names of two British colleges were the obstacles that prevented me from completing this puzzle unaided.

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.

Across

1a   Smiles, having old pennies hidden inside jars (6)

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny^[5] is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound (and is abbreviated p). In the system formerly used, a penny was equal to one twelfth of a shilling or 240th of a pound (and was abbreviated d, for denarius).

4a   Disease in record supplied by one new medic (8)

An extended play^[7] (or "EP" in common speech) is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length compact discs and music downloads as well. ... In the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).

9a   Extremely keen to have e.g. paintings displayed around studio? (6)

Personally, I question whether a studio and a den are synonymous. Collins English Dictionary does not list studio as a synonym for den^[10], nor den as a synonym for studio^[10]. On the other hand, studio and den are each listed as a synonym for study^[10]. However, just because two words may each happen to be synonyms of a third word, does not necessarily make them synonyms of each other.

10a   Take no notice of  sales ploy? (8)

11a   Fellow needing to produce vegetable (9)

This is a vegetable that I had never heard of and I also had difficulty wrapping my head around the wordplay once I had identified the vegetable.

A mangetout^[10] is a British name for a pea of a variety with an edible pod, eaten when the pod is young and flat. In French, the phrase mange tout literally means 'eat all'.

After thinking about it, I can see that get out means to produce in the sense of, for instance, to get out an edition of a newspaper.

13a   Looking ill in rash endeavour (5)

14a   Trojan 'gems' are disciplined -- one bawls at the soldiers! (8-5)

17a   You want to see flower -- so go on rambles possibly (6,7)

The phrase "you want to see" is equivalent to saying "the solution to the clue is a synonym for".

21a   Obsession in Philippines capital putting learner off (5)

Manila^[5] is the capital and chief port of the Philippines, on the island of Luzon.

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

23a   Word from 14 offered with care (9)

To complete the present clue, insert the solution to clue 14a in place of the number "14" (which is a cross reference indicator).

24a   Community has hospital -- dump seen on the outside (8)

In Britain, a tip^[5] is (1) a place where rubbish is left ⇒ (i) a rubbish tip; (ii) we’ll have to take it to the tip or (2) an informal term for a dirty or untidy place ⇒ your room’s an absolute tip!. While preparing to pay for my meal at a restaurant during my recent trip to England, I happened to inquire of our tour guide about tipping customs in Britain. She cheekily replied — all the while keeping a straight face — with a discourse on recycling and waste management practices in the UK. A vestige of the term survives in North America, where a tipping fee may be imposed by a dump.

25a   End component of Cambridge college lacking in its Oxford counterpart (6)

Magdalene College^[7] is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. Magdalen College^[7] is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.

26a   Transmission from broadcaster -- in panic all's ignored (4,4)

27a   In first two bits of translation language is more succinct (6)

Erse^[5] is a dated term for the Scottish or Irish Gaelic language ⇒ (i) we found her chatting happily to an Irish monk in Erse; (ii) [as modifier] Erse songs and tales.

Down

1d   It's good joining group of stars with my entertainment award (6)

The Ram^[5] is the zodiacal sign or constellation Aries.

2d   Individuals entering one Asian country from another (9)

3d   Man's beginning to entertain old city as a stage performer (7)

Ur^[5] is an ancient Sumerian city that formerly existed on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium BC, and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium BC.

5d   Indicating  an error with the way the psalm is being sung? (8,3)

Pointing^[10] is (1) the insertion of marks to indicate the chanting of a psalm or the vowels in a Hebrew text or (2) the sequence of marks so inserted.

6d   Lecture lad with mice being mistreated (7)

7d   Opening about four weeks -- there's been a change of heart (5)

8d   Trace any random curve (8)

A catenary^[5] is curve formed by a wire, rope, or chain hanging freely from two points that are not in the same vertical line.

12d   Authoritarian maiden perhaps leading course (11)

In cricket, a maiden^[5], also known as a maiden over, (abbreviation M)^[5] is an over in which no runs are scored. 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.

15d   Islanders preserve excellent metal containers (9)

A1^[4][5] or A-one^[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

16d   Opinionated beast -- dull and in charge (8)

According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, 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 ⇒ (i) prints are available on matt or glossy paper; (ii) a matt black. I am familiar with the spelling matte.

18d   What may be handed over by barmaids (good girls) (7)

19d   Dawn is nurse misbehaving (7)

20d   One with terrible anger prepared to move? (2,4)

22d   English lecturer's first to go after recently instituted post (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 — DT 27149

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27149
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, April 11, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27149]
Big Dave's Review Written By Big Dave
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

In reading through the review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I discovered that my solution contained a couple of mistakes.

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.

Across

1a   Cellar barrels' opening gets troops in a fix (8)

The wordplay is B (barrel's opening; first letter [opening] of Barrel) + (gets) MEN (troops) contained in (in) {A (from the clue) + SET (fix)}.

5a & 10a   Showbiz columnist's worst gripes erupting about paparazzi ultimately (6)

I found the solution to this clue only in The Chambers Dictionary, which defines gossip-writer^[1] (which it spells with a hyphen) as a journalist who writes articles about the lives and loves of well-known people. By inference, it is another term for a gossip columnist^[1] (spelled without a hyphen).

9a   Fitfully regarding a new shed (2,3,3)

10a   See 5a (6)

12a   Decorate half of them rather like Big Ben? (9)

Big Ben^[10] can refer to either (1) the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, London; (2) the clock in this tower; or (3) the tower.

13a   Stuff  Frenchman! (5)

Stuff^[5] is a dated British term for woollen fabric, especially as distinct from silk, cotton, and linen ⇒ [as modifier] her dark stuff gown.

14a   Fellow in dock reportedly (4)

Fellow^[5] is used in the sense of a person in the same position, involved in the same activity, or otherwise associated with another ⇒ he was learning with a rapidity unique among his fellows. A peer^[5] is a person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person ⇒ he has incurred much criticism from his academic peers.

16a   'Narcotics'? It's a Poe novel (7)

While this novel may be found in Crosswordland, it seemingly does not exist in the real world. Edgar Allan Poe^[5] (1809 – 1849) was an American short-story writer, poet, and critic. His fiction and poetry are Gothic in style and characterized by their exploration of the macabre and the grotesque. Notable works: ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ (short story, 1840); ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ (detective story, 1841); ‘The Raven’ (poem, 1845).

As is virtually always the case, the quotation marks did not appear in the National Post.

19a   'Howards End' is not broadly speaking extremely literary or very good (7)

And yet another set of missing quotation marks.

Howards End^[7] is a novel by English author E. M. Forster (1879 – 1970), first published in 1910, which tells a story of social and familial relations in turn-of-the-century England. The setter would seem to be out of step with most critics in his assessment of the novel. Wikipedia says "Howards End is considered by some to be Forster's masterpiece. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Howards End 38th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century."

21a   Pasta sauce and portion of extra guacamole (4)

In Italian cookery, ragu^[1] is a meat and tomato sauce. Ragú^[7] is also a brand of Italian-style sauces and condiments owned by the Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer goods company Unilever except in the United Kingdom, where Unilever sold the rights to the Ragú brand to Symington's, a private label food manufacturer in Leeds in 2011.

24a   Relish report of 10 (5)

Raita^[5] is an Indian side dish of yogurt containing chopped cucumber or other vegetables, and spices.

The number "10" in the clue is a cross reference to clue 10a. To complete the present clue, insert the solution to the cross-referenced clue in place of the cross-reference indicator.

Remember that the Brits would pronounce the word "writer" to sound somewhat like RIGHT-AH.

25a   Banter from spectator either side of half-time (9)

27a   Unpopular time for power cut (6)

28a   Look mean and impenetrable (8)

29a   Walk out of direst mess (6)

30a   Stranglers perform hits with this instrument (8)

Down

1d   Escape in the Old Railway Inn (6)

British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail^[7], was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages between 1994 and 1997.

Boozer^[5] is a British name for a pub or bar.

I presume that the "xxx" in Big Dave's hint may merely be a placeholder that he neglected to replace.

2d   Quiet upset baby that's dirty (6)

3d   Daughter breaks dinner gong (5)

Gong^[5] is an informal British term for a medal or award.

4d   More stylish Northern Ireland newspaper? That's right (7)

Northern Ireland^[5] (abbreviation NI^[5]) is a province of the United Kingdom occupying the NE part of Ireland; population 1,775,000 (est. 2008); capital, Belfast. Judging by entries in Oxford Dictionaries Online, Northern Ireland is the only major division of the United Kingdom to hold the status of province, with England and Scotland being considered countries, and Wales a principality.

The Financial Times (FT)^[7] is a British international business newspaper [that is printed on conspicuous salmon pink newsprint].

6d   Rowdy using horn approaching at speed (9)

7d   Settled university fee -- it's steep (8)

8d   Bloody-minded, intrinsically entertaining reverend retired (8)

11d   Oxford perhaps in need of articulation? Get away! (4)

15d   Disaffected journalist giving unusual coverage (9)

17d   Greedy American banks in uproar over promissory notes (8)

18d   Nurse's round in dark (8)

I had written in MINISTER (which can be a synonym for "nurse") despite not being able to justify the wordplay.

In Britain, a senior female nurse, typically in charge of a ward, would be called a sister^[5] (often Sister).

20d   Wail of unknown instrument (4)

I considered and rejected YAWL as an answer, but it turns out to be the correct solution. In British dialect, yawl^[10] means to to howl, weep, or scream harshly; in other words, to yowl.

Unfortunately, I had opted to go with YOWL, largely on the basis that The Chambers Dictionary defines owl (among other meanings) as a dullard which is a dull and stupid person or a dunce [so much for the owl's reputation for being wise!].  I reasoned that "instrument" could be referring to someone who is easily used or taken advantage of — a description which might also fit a dunce. It turns out that I was the dunce.

21d   Greek plonk in container without cap tipped over (7)

Retsina^[5] is a Greek white or rosé wine flavoured with resin.

22d   Women's crew making impact (6)

23d   Set out twice resolving to fly (6)

26d   Italian football club trainee has name taken (5)

Football Club Internazionale Milano S.p.A., commonly referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan^[7] outside of Italy, is a professional Italian football [soccer] club based in Milan, Lombardy.

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 — DT 27148

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27148
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27148]
Big Dave's Review Written By scchua
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog

Introduction

I was able to complete this puzzle without the use of electronic aids over the course of a couple of solving sessions.

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.

Across

1a   Unlucky recruiting right people being uncompromising (10)

Hard lines^[10] (also hard cheese) is an informal British expression meaning bad luck.

6a   Cliff's award for picture dismissing love (4)

A scar^[5] is a steep high cliff or rock outcrop, especially of limestone ⇒ high limestone scars bordered the road.

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter. 

9a   Crime issue on unprotected barn (5)

10a   Top of division after bad-tempered victory is a bit of a blow! (9)

12a   Bother at home with the ladies? (13)

In Britain, the Ladies^[5] is another name for a women’s public toilet. Convenience^[3,4,11] is a chiefly British euphemism for a lavatory, especially a public one.

14a   Give a bit, being generous (8)

15a   A hundred per student flat, without a key? (6)

Ton^[5] is British slang for a hundred, in particular a speed of 100 mph, a score of 100 or more, or a sum of £100 ⇒ he scored 102 not out, his third ton of the tour.

The example relates to cricket where batsmen bat in pairs, one at either end of the pitch. The batting side (team) is out when ten of the eleven players have been dismissed as there are no longer enough players to form a pair. The remaining batsman is said to be "not out", although the batting side itself is out.

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various countries (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

In the surface reading, the word flat^[10] refers to what would be called an apartment on this side of the Atlantic. Brits reserve the word apartment^[5] for a certain specific type of flat — typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays [seemingly either an upscale flat or one used for temporary occupancy].

17a   Material that covers prime minister dismissing our Queen (6)

Margaret Thatcher^[7] (1925 – 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. Ironically, she died on April 8, 2013 — two days before the appearance of this puzzle in the UK.

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

19a   Unmentionable people like this with nameless sons (2-3-3)

21a   Occasional story covering British elements in this (8,5)

24a   Make a small hole in fish, causing sensation (9)

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

25a   A second state test (5)

26a   Grass forming part of meat-free diet (4)

27a   Hippy girl's entertainment? (5,5)

Down

1d   Fool's house with a cross (4)

2d   Language expressed by American head of state in Iran, possibly (7)

3d   Grandfather, for example, getting notice after extended lawsuit (8,5)

Longcase clock^[5] is an alternative [and possibly British] term for a grandfather clock.

4d   Identity given to famous person in prison? (8)

Nick^[5] is British slang for (1) a prison ⇒ he’ll end up in the nick for the rest of his life or (2) a police station ⇒ he was being fingerprinted in the nick.

5d   Some consider honesty a flower (5)

The setter uses "flower" in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of 'somthing that flows' — in other words, a river.

The Rhône^[5] is a river in SW Europe which rises in the Swiss Alps and flows 812 km (505 miles), through Lake Geneva into France, then to Lyons, Avignon, and the Mediterranean west of Marseilles, where it forms a wide delta that includes the Camargue.

7d   Travel around Norway wearing feature hairstyle (7)

A chignon^[5] is a knot or coil of hair arranged on the back of a woman’s head ⇒ her hair was drawn back from her face into a chignon.

8d   USSR-led Red revolutionary lacking direction (10)

11d   One runs round the room avoiding pig, heading for door (8,5)

The British term for a wooden board running along the base of an interior wall is skirting or skirting board^[5]. In North America, it would be called a baseboard^[5].

13d   Government report is pure nonsense on euro, oddly! (5,5)

In the UK, a government report giving information or proposals on an issue is known as a White Paper^[5].

16d   Country friend importing gold tower (8)

Or^[5] is gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture. In heraldry, a tincture^[5] is any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms.

Similar to 5d, the setter uses "tower" in the whimsical cryptic crossword sense of 'somthing that tows'.

18d   Runs after first-class team boarding plane from here? (7)

Airside^[10] is the part of an airport nearest the aircraft, the boundary of which is the security check, customs, passport control, etc.

20d   Intervenes, seeing pace wrong (5,2)

22d   Victim ideally revealing compound (5)

An imide^[11] is a compound derived from ammonia by replacement of two hydrogen atoms by acidic groups.

23d   Instrument played by storyteller on the radio (4)

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, July 1, 2013 — DT 27147

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27147
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27147]
Big Dave's Review Written By Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - 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 Saturday, June 29, 2013 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

After a month-long break from solving and blogging, I'm starting to get back into the old routine — but finding myself lagging a bit behind.

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.

Across

1a   Type of egg  dish (6)

Scotch egg^[5] is a British dish consisting of a hard-boiled egg enclosed in sausage meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried.

In British English, dish^[10] is an informal term meaning to ruin or spoil ⇒ he dished his chances of getting the job.

In the cryptic reading, scotch^[10] is used in the sense of to put an end to or crush ⇒ bad weather scotched our plans.

4a   Hypocritical couple dealt with (3-5)

The wordplay is TWO (couple) + FACED (dealt with).

10a   Pole received by more mature artist (3,6)

11a   Haggard, relative after touch of gout (5)

12a   Players must hold an ace in this game (7)

13a   Base of British Legion abroad (7)

Here part of the anagram fodder is an abbreviation for a word found in the clue. This situation also arose in a recent Sunday Times puzzle carried in the Ottawa Citizen.

14a   Volley from Sarah, playing against Oscar (5)

Sally (and hence Sal) is a nickname for Sarah^[7]. Oscar^[5] is a code word representing the letter O, used in radio communication.

15a   Tree got damaged after onset of great ball of fire (2-6)

18a   Drink in Cheers, embracing single girl (3,5)

In the surface reading, Cheers^[7] may possibly be a reference to the Boston bar featured in the long-running American sitcom of that name.

In the cryptic reading, however, cheers^[5] is a chiefly British exclamation expressing gratitude or acknowledgement for something ⇒ Billy tossed him the key. ‘Cheers, pal.’ This versatile exclamation can also be used to (1) express good wishes before drinking  ⇒ ‘Cheers,’ she said, raising her glass or (2) good wishes on parting or ending a conversation  ⇒ ‘Cheers, Jack, see you later.’.

Ta^[5] is an informal British exclamation signifying thank you ⇒‘Ta,’ said Willie gratefully.

20a   Small island about to disappear (5)

Minorca^[5] is the most easterly and second-largest of the Balearic Islands, a group of Mediterranean islands off the east coast of Spain, forming an autonomous region of that country.

23a   Agree to collect travel document in a port on the Danube (4,3)

Novi Sad^[5] is an industrial city in Serbia, on the River Danube, capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina.

25a   At home, admirer cheers Spanish princess (7)

Four the second time in four clues, the setter offers thanks.

26a   Ill-tempered woman ignoring a sign (5)

27a   White stone in altar base cracked (9)

28a   Admirable place in Scotland, reportedly (8)

Stirling^[5] is a city and administrative region in central Scotland, on the River Forth.

29a   Peashooter, say, with no pea? Useless (6)

Down

1d   Cabinet needs to prove argument ... (8)

I initially had BOOKCASE, although I was at a loss to fit it to the wordplay. This incorrect answer also stymied my efforts at 1a.

2d   ... having spoken about row first, maybe (7)

3d   Where one may be taught style, given opportunity (9)

5d   Argument upset supremo with excellent business funds? (7,7)

6d   Character from 'Oliver!' with cigarette -- that's cool? (5)

Fagin^[7] is a fictional character who appears as an antagonist of the novel Oliver Twist which was penned by English writer Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870).

7d   Break up street fight after start of carnival (7)

8d   Diane on the river in a state of indecision (6)

9d   In a state of open hostility? War gets grandad upset (2,7,5)

16d   Meet a firm struggling in period allocated? (9)

17d   Ordeal on last test drive (5,3)

19d   Opposite of how poetry may be written (7)

21d   Below southern half of Cannon Street, work round the clock (3-4)

Cannon Street^[7] is a road in the south of the City of London.

In music, an opus^[5] (abbreviation  Op. or op.^[5]) is a separate composition or set of compositions. In general, an opus is an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico.

22d   Cards produced by Kay Evans after a shuffle (6)

Although Kay Evans is likely a fictional denizen of Crosswordland, that does happen to be the name of a member of the 1960s American pop music girl group The Goodees^[7].

24d   Look gloomy and threatening, boat having left (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon