Thursday, February 6, 2014 — DT 27311

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27311
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, October 17, 2013
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27311]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - solved but without being able to fully parse the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

If this puzzle merits three stars for difficulty — as Big Dave has deemed — then I would think that it likely sits at the lower end of that range. Either that, or I did a remarkably good job of tuning into the setter's wavelength 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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Horse has to strike, losing lead (7)

5a   Soaps following end of Scrubs including Hospital (7)

The surface reading might seem to refer to the American medical comedy-drama television series Scrubs^[7] which, I suppose, may possibly have aired in Britain.

However, I suspect that it more likely refers to Wormwood Scrubs^[7], known locally as The Scrubs, or simply just "Scrubs", an open space located in the  London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and one of the largest areas of common land in London. The southern edge of the Scrubs is the site of the Hammersmith Hospital campus, which includes the relocated Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.

9a   More insignificant rubbish about Latin... (7)

10a   ...more relevant subsequent to Church Synod perhaps (7)

A synod^[10] is a local or special ecclesiastical council, especially of a diocese, formally convened to discuss ecclesiastical affairs.

A chapter^[10] is the collective body or a meeting of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church or of the members of a monastic or knightly order.

11a   Plant seeds while ignoring hard ground (9)

H^[5] is the abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ a 2H pencil.

As an anagram indicator, ground is the past participle (used as an adjective) of the verb grind^[5]. An anagram indicator is a word that denotes movement or transformation. Grind denotes transformation in the sense of wheat being ground into flour. Perhaps less compelling, grind can signify movement. It can mean to move move noisily and laboriously ⇒ the truck was grinding slowly up the hill. However, the more apt choice — given that today's puzzle was set by Ray T — may well be (in reference to a dancer) to gyrate the hips erotically ⇒ go-go girls grinding to blaring disco.

Edelweiss^[5] (Leontopodium alpinum) is a European mountain plant which has woolly white bracts around its small flowers and downy grey-green leaves.

12a   Accordingly American embraces American composer (5)

John Philip Sousa^[5] (1854–1932) was an American composer and conductor. His works include more than a hundred marches, for example The Stars and Stripes.

13a   Stand in position for painter? (5)

This is one of those clues where I was certain that the solution could not be as simple as it appeared to be. I was convinced that I must surely be overlooking some clever nuance in the wordplay. However, that would appear not to be the case. I guess that the setter intended us to be misdirected into thinking that the clue related to a model posing for an artist. The clue doesn't strike one as being half so clever when one fails to take the bait.

15a   Understanding unusually seen as comprising conflict (9)

The setter intends comprise^[5] to mean include^[5]. However, comprise and include are only synonyms in a specific context — and I don't believe that the context in this clue fits the bill.

Oxford Dictionaries Online says:

Include has a broader meaning than comprise. In the sentence the accommodation comprises 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and living room, the word comprise implies that there is no accommodation other than that listed. Include can be used in this way too, but it is also used in a non-restrictive way, implying that there may be other things not specifically mentioned that are part of the same category, as in the price includes a special welcome pack.

According to my interpretation, the clue would have worked perfectly well had it been phrased:

• Understanding unusually seen as including conflict (9)

but, as it stands, is incorrect.

17a   Clean scent if I'd showered? (9)

"Showered" is an interesting anagram indicator. I suppose it does indicate a transformation from one state (dirty) to another state (clean). And, then, there is the question mark, which setters use to cover a multitude of sins.

19a   Small crucifix over more than one entrance (5)

22a   Fondles female in front of slippery customers (5)

23a   Fan is 'matchless' without Liverpool, say... (9)

Liverpool^[5] is a city and seaport in northwest England, situated at the east side of the mouth of the River Mersey; population 454,700 (est. 2009). Liverpool developed as a port in the 17th century with the import of cotton from America and the export of textiles produced in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and in the 18th century became an important centre of shipbuilding and engineering.

The surface reading is likely a reference to Liverpool Football Club^[7], an English professional association football [soccer] club based in Liverpool that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system) ...

25a   ...Villa's excessive in enclosure (7)

... and, continuing in the same vein, the surface reading of this clue likely refers to the Aston Villa Football Club^[7] (also known as Villa), an English professional association football club based in Birmingham that also plays in the Premier League.

OTT^[5] is British slang for over the top ⇒ presenting him as a goalscoring Superman seems a bit OTT.

26a   Force to continue slowly round job centre (7)

27a   In discomfort or mental anguish (7)

I anguished over the wordplay in this clue — and needed a prod from Big Dave to find the hidden word.

28a   State drawn into secretive work in captivity (7)

Down

1d   French writer is longer penning story (7)

Molière ^[5] (1622–1673) was a French dramatist; pseudonym of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. He wrote more than twenty comic plays about contemporary France, developing stock characters from Italian commedia dell’arte. Notable works: Tartuffe (1664), Le Misanthrope (1666), and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670).

2d   Hounds  me and others like me! (7)

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as compiler, setter, author, writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue. Today, however, the tables are turned.

3d   Let everybody almost get into debt (5)

4d   Sprout fur around a time after midnight (9)

Here we encounter a not uncommon cryptic crossword device, in which "midnight" is used to clue G, the middle letter (mid) of niGht. Other examples of this construction are "sweetheart" for E, the middle letter (heart) of swEet, and "redhead" for R, the first letter (head) of Red.

5d   Misses reportedly loose (5)

6d   Excel scan modified in course (9)

7d   Ecstasy consequently found in endless modern rave (7)

E^[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i) people have died after taking E; (ii) being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.

8d   Better drink, consuming last of lager before idiot (7)

As a verb, sup^[5] is a dated or Northern English term meaning to take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls ⇒ (i) she supped up her soup delightedly; (ii) he was supping straight from the bottle. As a noun, it means (1) a sip of liquid ⇒ he took another sup of wine or (2) in Northern England or Ireland, an alcoholic drink ⇒ the latest sup from those blokes at the brewery.

14d   View Loch Ness catching also head of serpent (9)

Chiefly found on maps, L.^[5] is the abbreviation for Lake, Loch [Scottish word for lake], or Lough [Irish word for lake].

Usually found in place names, ness^[5] means a headland or promontory ⇒ Orford Ness.

16d   Range enclosing peak over in Australia perhaps (9)

In cricket, an over^[5] (abbreviation O^[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.

The Antipodes^[5] is a term used by inhabitants of the northern hemisphere to refer to Australia and New Zealand.

17d   Cryptic, if edited, shows up deficiency (7)

18d   Lust ends in transparent cover (7)

20d   Beaten due to no pants! (7)

Pants^[5] is British slang for rubbish or nonsense ⇒ he thought we were going to be absolute pants.

21d   Not spending money to catch Queen? Tough! (7)

Regina^[5] (abbreviation R^[5]) — Latin for queen — denotes the reigning queen, used following a name (e.g. Elizabetha Regina, Queen Elizabeth) or in the titles of lawsuits (e.g. Regina v. Jones, the Crown versus Jones — often shortened to R. v. Jones).

23d   Stickiness with exercise and training initially (5)

By not underlining the entire clue, I would infer that Big Dave considers this to be a semi & lit. (or, as some prefer to call it, semi-all-in-one) clue rather than a true & lit. (or all-in-one) clue. However, I would submit that the setter may well have intended it to be the latter — a clue in which the entire clue (according to one reading) is the definition as well as (under a different interpretation) the wordplay.

The fact that someone who is just starting out in an exercise program may sweat more easily than someone who has become accustomed to it could be the basis of including the word "initially" in the definition, as I have chosen to do.

24d   State of the old lady in a house turned upside-down (5)

As Big Dave points out, Omaha is not a state. Perhaps the clue might have been better phrased:

• Situation of the old lady in a house turned upside-down (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, February 5, 2014 — DT 27310

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27310
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27310]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - solved but without being able to fully parse the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Once again, a couple of hours at the gym between sessions with the puzzle worked wonders. I can't say whether it's the workout itself or the sauna and shower afterwards that does more to improve my brain function.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Charlie gets out of bed for emergencies (6)

Charlie^[5] is a code word representing the letter C, used in radio communication.

5a   Quiet lake in Ireland -- before journalist turned up! (8)

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

Lough^[5] is the Irish word for lake. It is apparently pronounced the same as loch^[5], the word for lake in Scottish.

9a   One's prediction unfortunately not true in case of lumberjack (7-6)

I must admit that I failed to grasp the point that, as a definition, one must read "one's prediction" as "one has prediction". My thanks to scchua for identifying that wrinkle in the clue; I had mistakenly supposed that the entire clue was intended to be a cryptic definition.

10a   Nation seeing a married chap taken in by agents (8)

CIA^[5] is the abbreviation for Central Intelligence Agency^[5], a federal agency in the US responsible for coordinating government intelligence activities.

11a   Cardinal's song? (6)

12a   Sailor's back on street before A levels (6)

In the UK (with the exception of Scotland), A level^[5] (advanced level) is a qualification in a specific subject typically taken by school students aged 16-18, at a level above GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

In the UK (with the exception of Scotland),  GCSE^[5] (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a qualification in a specific subject typically taken by school students aged 14-16, at a level below A level. Prior to 1988, it was known as O level^[5] (ordinary level).

14a   Speed up progress of divorcee with exercise and new diet (8)

PE^[5] is the abbreviation for physical education (or Phys Ed, as it would likely be called by most school kids).

16a   Lock on Barbarian's woman after game (8)

The Huns^[5] were a warlike Asiatic nomadic people who invaded and ravaged Europe in the 4th-5th centuries.

In his review scchua illustrates the clue with an image of Diana^[10] who, in Roman mythology, was the virginal goddess of the hunt and the moon — and who is often identified as a huntress.

19a   Slither around with no time for enjoyment (6)

21a   Sportsperson making fish run? (6)

I immediately entered ANGLER here. It was not until I came to 13d that I first suspected — and then confirmed — that this was incorrect.

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s). Of course, it also has the same meaning in baseball.

23a   Gets bill, with robbers losing head (8)

25a   Something both good and bad that could lead to glibness! (5,8)

The wordplay in this clue is a inverse anagram (or, as some prefer, reverse anagram). In a regular anagram, the anagram indicator and fodder are found in the clue and the anagram result is found in the solution. In an inverse anagram, this situation is reversed — the anagram indicator and fodder are found in the solution, while the anagram result is found in the clue. Of course the clue must also contain some indication (usually exceedingly vague) of the existence of the inverse anagram.

In the present clue, "glibness" is the anagram result and the indication that this is an inverse anagram is given by "that could lead to". Actually, there is nothing in the indication to specify an inverse anagram in particular; it could just as well denote some other construct (as I said above, the indication is usually "exceedingly vague").

The solution is MIXED BLESSING which can be interpreted as an anagram (mixed) of BLESSING with the anagram result being GLIBNESS (which is found in the clue).

26a   Be proud, though dismissed by platform (5,3)

Think of platform^[5] being used in the sense of the declared policy of a political party or group.

In cricket or baseball, out^[5] signifies no longer batting or at bat; having had one’s innings [cricket] or at bat [baseball] ended by the fielding side.

In Britain, proud^[5] can mean slightly projecting from a surface  ⇒ balls standing proud of the fabric.

27a   Go round, consumed by rubbish (6)

Down

2d   Ray may do this about French parliamentary bill (7)

I initially picked the wrong option here, but did not need much time to reflect on my choice before realizing that a prism would be a better instrument than a mirror.

3d   Bush finds credit in reserve (5)

The surface reading likely refers to either of two former US Presidents, George Bush^[5] or George W. Bush^[5].

In sports, a reserve^[2] is an extra player or participant who can take another's place if needed; in other words, a substitute. While the dictionaries don't flag this as a British term, I also don't find it in the American dictionaries specifically applied to sport thereby leading me to conclude that the term may be used more commonly in the British sports vocabulary than it is on this side of the Atlantic.

4d   Vibration caused by Roller in good condition? (5,4)

The setter deceptively capitalises Roller^[7] to suggest a Rolls-Royce automobile.

5d   House sitters look mature (7)

...with House sitters being those who sit in the House of Lords. Here the setter deceptively places the word "House" at the beginning of the clue to disguise the fact that it is capitalised.

The peerage^[7] refers to peers as a class  ⇒ he was elevated to the peerage two years ago.

A peer^[5] is a member of the nobility in Britain or Ireland, comprising the ranks of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron ⇒ hereditary peers could still dominate the proceedings of the House of Lords.

Membership of the Upper House of the British Parliament, the House of Lords^[7], is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. There are currently 26 Lords Spiritual who sit in the Lords by virtue of their ecclesiastical role in the established Church of England. The Lords Temporal make up the rest of the membership; of these, the majority are life peers with the remainder being hereditary peers. The former are appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, or on the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Membership was once a birthright of hereditary peers, other than those in the peerage of Ireland. However, following a series of reforms, only 92 members (as of 2014) still sit in the Lords by virtue of a hereditary peerage. The formal title of the House of Lords is The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.

6d   Poem about theatre in Greece (5)

In ancient Greece, an Odeon^{[Webster's Dictionary]} was a kind of theater, smaller than the dramatic theater and roofed over, in which poets and musicians submitted their works to the approval of the public, and contended for prizes; hence, in modern usage, the name of a hall for musical or dramatic performances.

7d   Fashion model glad to get top award (4,5)

8d   Being serious, set out to support merit (7)

The definition ("serious") is positioned in the middle of the clue because — for cryptic effect — the setter has chosen to employ a non-standard sentence structure. The word "being" is actually a link between the wordplay and definition — as becomes clear when we "straighten out" the clue:

• Set out to support merit being serious (7)

After seeing the clue written in this fashion, it is not difficult to understand why the setter preferred the more convoluted sentence structure.

13d   Panicked at Nixon welcoming Italian remedy (9)

The surface reading likely refers to former US President  Richard Nixon^[5] (1913–194).

15d   Person who buys almost perfect hunter (9)

In the surface reading, hunter^[10] may refer to a horse, a dog, or a watch.

17d   A foreign male in maintained environment gets untidy (7)

In French, un^[8] is the masculine singular form of the indefinite article.

18d   Colour of small runabout perhaps on lease (7)

I think scchua might have found an image of Scarlet Johansson in which her features were more proudly [per comment at 26a] displayed.

20d   Deception left crew under six, nine having gone (7)

An eight^[5] is an eight-oared rowing boat or its crew.

22d   Travelled west of Oregon for cowboy show (5)

I think scchua has got the wordplay wrong here. I don't believe that O is intended to be the abbreviation for Oregon. Rather the wordplay is RODE (travelled) + O (west [first letter] of Oregon).

24d   Force out and achieve victory, to a limited extent (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

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 — DT 27309

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27309
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27309]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Deep Threat
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without being able to fully parse the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I thought that this puzzle was a bit more difficult than most of those that we have seen recently — although Deep Threat does not seem to share that view. About halfway through, I found myself in a state of "gridlock" — which I think is a very appropriate term to describe my situation. Solving any clue would have given me the checking letters needed to solve one or more other clues — but I was unable to solve any clue, thus preventing me from making any headway whatsoever. However, after solving a handful of clues with a bit of help from my electronic assistants, the remainder of the puzzle fell nicely into place.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

7a   Plague produced by store in state of disgrace (3,5)

9a   Learner driver breaking a rule formulated appeal (6)

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.

10a   Crack  biscuit in game (4)

The British use the term biscuit^[3,4,11] to refer to a range of food items that include those that are called either cookies or a crackers in North America. What we know as a biscuit^[5] in North America is similar to a British scone. Thus a cookie such as a ginger snap would be a biscuit to the Brits.

Snap^[4] is a British card game [although one that I can personally attest is also played in Canada] in which the word snap is called when two cards of equal value are turned up on the separate piles dealt by each player.

11a   Annoying mob's here to riot (10)

12a   Real man Gareth accepting no good wristband? (6)

Gareth Bale^[7] is a Welsh footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Wales national team as a winger. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol^[7] (Royal Madrid Football Club), commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football [soccer] club based in Madrid, Spain.

The NG element of the wordplay could be a charade of N (no) + G (good; a result achieved at school on an assignment or test) or it could be an abbreviation for the term no good in its own right. The American Heritage Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary all list NG^[3,4,11] and/or some of its variants N.G., ng, or n.g. as standing for no good.

14a   A name curtailed in performance making one speechless (8)

A turn^[3] is a brief theatrical act or stage appearance.

15a   Scot in Selkirk guards worthless material (6)

Tinsel^[3] can mean something sparkling or showy but basically valueless.

17a   Slight quarrel about a right to get list of duties (6)

Without a prod from my electronic assistants, it never occurred to me to think of duty in the sense in which it is used here.

20a   Authentic Scottish community on radio (8)

Stirling^[5] is a city and administrative region in central Scotland, on the River Forth; population 32,000 (est. 2009).

22a   Stewed food with student festivities in the open? (6)

In Britain, rag^[5] (usually used as a modifier) refers to a programme of stunts, parades, and other entertainments organized by students to raise money for charity ⇒ rag week.

23a   Musicians' gathering blocks discordant noises (3,7)

24a   Poetess bringing out line for course of action (4)

Sylvia Plath^[5] (1932–1963) was an American poet, wife of English poet Ted Hughes (1930–1998). Her work is notable for its treatment of extreme and painful states of mind. In 1963 she committed suicide. Notable works: Ariel (poems, 1965) and The Bell Jar (novel, 1963).

The story of the tragic romance between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes is told in the 2003 British film Sylvia^[7] in which the pair are played by Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. The film begins with their meeting at Cambridge in 1956 and ends with Sylvia Plath's suicide in 1963.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932, Plath developed a precocious talent as a writer, publishing her first poem when she was only eight years old. That same year, tragedy introduced itself into her life as Plath was forced to confront the unexpected death of her father. In 1950, she began studying at Smith College on a literary scholarship, and while she was an outstanding student, she also began suffering from bouts of extreme depression. Following her junior year, she attempted suicide for the first time. Plath survived, and, in 1955, she was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study in England at the University of Cambridge. While in Great Britain, Plath met Ted Hughes, a respected author, who would later become the British Poet Laureate. The two fell in love and married in 1956. Marriage, family and a growing reputation as an important poet nonetheless failed to bring Plath happiness. She became increasingly fascinated with death, a highly visible theme in her later poetry and her sole novel, The Bell Jar. After Hughes left her for another woman, her depression went into a tailspin from which she never recovered. She killed herself at age 30.

And this account barely scratches the surface of the tragedy and controversy that surrounded her in life — and in death.

25a   Bully  a rival of the Greeks (6)

In Greek mythology, Hector^[5] was a Trojan warrior, son of Priam and Hecuba and husband of Andromache. He was killed by Achilles, who dragged his body behind his chariot three times round the walls of Troy.

For the benefit of those reading Deep Threat's review, Hector the Dog was the title character in Hector's House^[7],  a children's television series using hand puppets that appeared on British television in the 1960s. The program was actually a French production (La Maison de Toutou) revoiced for a British audience.

26a   Cooking pies, I do start to caramelise at intervals (8)

Down

1d   Gloomy players near Belfast? (8)

Down^[5] is one of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland, since 1973 an administrative district; chief town, Downpatrick.

Belfast^[5,7] is the capital, largest city and chief port of Northern Ireland; population 260,700 (est. 2009). Most of Belfast is in County Antrim, but parts of East and South Belfast are in County Down.

For the wordplay, one really needs to consider the solution as an entire phrase, with "Down cast" signifying [an ensemble of stage] players [from somewhere] near Belfast.

2d   Shot in play -- and getting caught with it? (4)

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

3d   See through  gang fight in New York (6)

... and in many other locations around the world.

In the US, Canada, and New Zealand, a rumble^[5,10] is a street fight between gangs or large groups ⇒a rumble between two gangs of street thugs.

Rumble^[5] is an informal British term meaning to discover (an illicit activity or its perpetrator) ⇒ it wouldn’t need a genius to rumble my little game.

4d   Clan I've upset associated with a Spanish city (8)

Valencia^[5] is a port in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean coast; population 807,200 (2008).

5d   Place for hiding with hook almost visible providing narrow escape (5,5)

A hinge^[2] is the movable hook or joint by which a door is fastened to a door-frame or a lid is fastened to a box, etc and also on which they turn when opened or closed.

It took me a while to reconcile a hook being a hinge. However, there are types of hinges that consist of a hook (or pin) mounted on the supporting structure and a ring attached to the door or gate which fits over the hook to support the door or gate and allow it to swing back and forth.

6d   Jolt from significant remorse (6)

8d   Extended car that's electronic, say (6)

In Britain, a station wagon^[5] is known as an estate car^[5] (which is often shortened to just estate^[5]).

13d   Kelly, perhaps, fronting appeal surrounded by hopeful kindness (10)

I went slightly off-track thinking that "kelly, perhaps" might be a reference to kelly green^[10] — and the first five letters of the solution are an anagram of GREEN. However, it seems that this term is North American in origin, rather than Irish.

Gene Kelly^[5] (1912–1996) was an American dancer and choreographer. He performed in and choreographed many film musicals, including An American in Paris (1951) and Singin' in the Rain (1952).


"It"^[2] is an old 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]).

16d   Young woman enthralled by hearing organ with unknown agent (8)

In mathematics (algebra, in particular), an unknown^[10] is a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation ⇒ 3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns. [Unknowns are typically represented symbolically by the letters x, y and z.]

18d   Fellow with excess of butter, maybe, but no mass water source? (8)

European agricultural policy^[7] is designed to maintain production levels for certain farm products at a high level compared with demand in the free market. This leads to the European Union purchasing millions of tonnes of surplus output every year at the stated guaranteed market price, and storing this produce in large quantities (leading to what critics have called 'butter mountains' and 'milk lakes'), before selling the produce wholesale to developing nations.

In physics, m^[5] is the symbol for mass ⇒ E = mc².

19d   Fire uppity American in service, fool close to unemployable (6)

In the UK, nit^[5] is an informal term for a foolish person ⇒ you stupid nit!.

21d   Time needed by French composer making journey (6)

Maurice Ravel^[5] (1875–1937) was a French composer whose works are somewhat impressionistic in style, employing colourful orchestration and unresolved dissonances. Notable works: the ballets Daphnis and Chloë (1912) and Boléro (1928) and the orchestral work La Valse (1920).

22d   Organised police force in rank (6)

The Criminal Investigation Department (seemingly better known by its abbreviation CID^[2] — in which respect it is not unlike the RCMP and FBI) is the detective branch of the British police force.

24d   Tramp left to break in to school (4)

I didn't think of a school of whales; instead I wondered if "pod" might be a British term for a a portable [classroom].

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, February 3, 2014 — DT 27308

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27308
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 14, 2013
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27308]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Libellule
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without being able to fully parse the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

You certainly shouldn't find this puzzle overly taxing — just dash through it and get on with your day.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Separated and sure to play around (7)

5a   Terribly grieved, draw apart (7)

9a   Declares a piece of poetry endless (5)

10a   Happen  to change course (4,5)

I first entered COME ALONG which caused 8d to hang around unsolved until I sorted things out at the end. My incorrect solution fit the first definition well ("Opportunities like this don't come along very often") and was a passable (barely) match for the second ("Forget studying, come along with us to the bar!").

11a   Tyrant captures northern retreat -- it's hopeless (10)

12a   Risky transaction with a Greek character (4)

Beta^[5] is the second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β).

14a   Wide selection of actors for radio (12)

18a   This offence may mean a criminal record (7,5)

It took me a moment to realize that this is not intended to be a double definition, but rather a charade with the wordplay being ILLEGAL (criminal) + ENTRY (record).

21a   Information given by grass, perhaps (4)

22a   Completely out of gear (5,5)

Rufus is known for his sometimes "barely cryptic clues" — but this one reveals a new meaning for that phrase.

25a   Supporters now in new stand (9)

In addition to meaning in this place, here^[5] can also be used when indicating a time, point, or situation that has arrived or is happening ⇒ here is your opportunity.

26a   Filleted joint and topping for bishop (5)

27a   Aged men involved in the final stages of a board meeting? (7)

... the board being one used in a chess match.

28a   Around end of watch, escort put out lights (7)

Down

1d   Grants a minor point (6)

2d   Being apprehensive is not any use -- although it might be (6)

I would say that the anagram indicator here is one of the most involved that I have ever encountered. The wordplay is an anagram (is not ... although it might be) of ANY USE.

The words "being ... is" provide a link between the definition and the wordplay. This becomes more obvious when we rewrite the clue using a more normal sentence structure:

• Not any use — although it might be is being apprehensive (6)

The surface reading of the restructured clue is certainly less pleasing — in fact, one may well think it to be virtually meaningless. However, this example does serve to illustrate how link words or phrases may sometimes find themselves at the being of a clue, rather than in the middle.

3d   Record our time and dampen spirits (10)

4d   Competed in speed with one in highway (5)

5d   West Indian  friar (9)

"West Indian" could refer to either of two Caribbean nations. A Dominican^[5] is a native or inhabitant of the island of Dominica. A Dominican^[5] may also be a native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic.

A Dominican^[5] is a member of the Roman Catholic order of preaching friars founded by St Dominic, or of a religious order for women founded on similar principles.

6d   Medicine bottle that's taken through Libya's capital (4)

To solve this clue, it is totally unnecessary to know that Tripoli^[5] is the capital of Libya.

7d   Greek island -- one with a colony in Africa at one time (8)

Rhodes^[5] is  a Greek island in the southeast Aegean, off the Turkish coast, the largest of the Dodecanese and the most easterly island in the Aegean; population 130,000 (est. 2004).

Rhodesia^[5] is the former name of a large territory in central southern Africa which was divided into Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). In 1963, the British colony of Southern Rhodesia adopted the name Rhodesia when the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia became the independent republic of Zambia. Rhodesia became independent Zimbabwe in 1979.

8d   Split up and set off with compass (8)

13d   Space explorer? (10)

Now this a more typical "barely cryptic clue" [see comment at 22a].

15d   Suddenly everyone's getting on simultaneously (3,2,4)

Maybe (as Libellule sees it) this is a double definition, or maybe it's a charade with the wordplay being ALL (everyone) + ('s [contraction for has] getting on] AT ONCE (simultaneously). As a charade indicator, "has getting on" is a lot of firepower to deploy as each of the three words is often seen as a charade indicator in its own right.

16d   Singers are barred in it (8)

17d   Being careless, tumbles over the coal scuttle (8)

Similar to 2d, "being" links the definition to the wordplay. Such link words or phrases usually sit between the two parts of a clue, and it would if we were to write the clue with a more normal sentence structure:

• Tumbles over the coal scuttle being careless (8)

Again, the surface reading of the restructured clue is definitely less pleasing than that of the original.

19d   Draw results in little play (6)

20d   Creatures which increase -- but don't multiply? (6)

23d   Tries making another attempt to pass (5)

Resit^[5] is a British term which, as a verb, means to take (an examination) again after failing it  ⇒ she is resitting her maths GCSE [General Certificate of Secondary Education] and, as a noun, denotes an examination that is resat ⇒ the system allows the office to timetable all resits in a single block.

24d   Yard or square measure (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

Saturday, February 1, 2014 — Prep for Spring Training

Introduction

I found today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to lie toward the more challenging end of their spectrum. While there does not seem to be any particular theme, I suppose that with this being Super Bowl weekend, it is appropriate to find a quarterback among the clues. However, with spring training soon to commence, baseball is featured more prominently.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Across

1a   F|ACTUAL — F (false) + ACTUAL (true)

5a   CA(PITA)L — CAL (Calvin) containing (gets) PITA (bread)

9a   _R|ENDS — R (actoR finally) + ENDS (finishes)

10a   MEN|AG|ERIE — MEN (guys) + (next to) AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver) + ERIE (lake of [more precisely, bordering on] Ontario)

Lake Erie^[5] is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, situated on the border between Canada [Ontario] and the US [Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania]. It is linked to Lake Huron by the Detroit River and to Lake Ontario by the Welland Ship Canal and the Niagara River, which is its only natural outlet.

11a   COLLABORATION* — anagram (bananas) of TO BAR COLONIAL

13a   S(IMMER)ING — SING (†) containing (about) IMMER (German [word meaning] always)

15a   S|POOR — S (small) + POOR (inadequate)

16a   _LAR|GE_ — hidden in (middle [of]) particuLAR GEntleman

Note that seven letters must be removed from each end of the fodder.

18a   PA|TROLLED — TROLLED (went fishing) following (after) PA (dad)

20a   {THE GONDOLIERS}* — anagram (madly) of ENGLISH ROOTED

The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria^[7] is a Savoy Opera, with music by English composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and libretto by English dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836 –1911). It premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London, England in December 1889. This was the twelfth comic opera collaboration of fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan.

23a   ESOTERICA* — anagram (breaking) of A TIE SCORE

24a   QUA|KE_ — QUA (as) + KE (pair [first two letters] of KEttles)

Although "pair" could conceivably indicate any two letters in "kettles", this construct usually — if not always — indicates the first two letters.

25a   RO(SET)TE — SET (fixed) contained in (in) ROTE (routine)

26a   _KNESS|ET_ — hidden in (covered by) darKNESS ETernally

The Knesset^[5] is the parliament of modern Israel, established in 1949. It consists of 120 members elected every four years.

Down

1d   FORECAST|LE — FORECAST (make a prophecy) + (with) LE (the French; French word meaning 'the')

2d   CONG(L)O|ME|RATIONS — L (left) contained in (in) CONGO (African land) + (with) ME + RATIONS (shares)

3d   UPSCALE* — anagram (new) of CAPSULE

I did wonder if trendy and upscale are really synonymous? After some consideration, I would have to say that they seem to be close enough in meaning. Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines upscale^[2] as a US colloquialism meaning up-market^[2] which it, in turn, defines as relating to or suitable for the more expensive end of the market; high in price, quality or prestige ⇒ lives in an up-market area of town.

4d   LIMBO — double definition; "dance" & "neither here nor there"

5d   CON|NAUGHT — CON (take in; scam) + NAUGHT (nothing)

Connaught is the Anglicized spelling for Connacht^[5], a province in the west of the Republic of Ireland.

6d   PYGMIES* — anagram (swimming) of I SPY MEG

7d   {TORONTO BLUE JAYS}* — anagram (liquid) of ENJOY ULTRA BOOST

The Toronto Blue Jays^[7] are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s American League (AL).

8d   LEES — LEE (Confederate general) + S ('s)

Robert E. Lee^[5] (1807–1870) was an American general who was the commander of the Confederate army of Northern Virginia for most of the American Civil War. His invasion of the North was repulsed at the Battle of Gettysburg (1863) and he surrendered in 1865.

12d   I|RIDE|SCENT — I (†) + RIDE (get transported) + (by) SCENT (perfume)

14d   IMP|ROV(IS)E — IMP (little rascal) + {IS (†) contained in (breaking up) ROVE (stray)}

17d   EVE|REST — EVE (a lady in an old garden) +REST (recess)

In the Biblical account of the Creation, Eve^[5] was the first woman, companion of Adam and mother of Cain and Abel. Adam and Eve first lived the Garden of Eden^[5], from which they were expelled for disobediently eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

Mount Everest^[5] is a mountain in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Rising to 8,848 m (29,028 ft), it is the highest mountain in the world. It was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealand mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (1914–1986).

19d   OBLIQUE* — anagram (tossed) of QB LOUIE

In American [and Canadian] football, a quarterback^[5] (abbreviation QB) is a player stationed behind the centre who directs a team’s offensive play.

Aside from being played on different fields, with a different number of players, and according to different rules, American and Canadian football are very similar games!

21d   D|RANK — D (dee; the misleading capitalization is an exercise of setter's licence) preceeding (before) RANK (class)

22d   PEAR~ — sounds like (audibly) PARE (skin)

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