Thursday, March 6, 2014 — DT 27333

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27333
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27333]
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 fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I must have been on the right wavelength today as I breezed through this puzzle fairly quickly [quickly, at least, by my standards].

Today I have instituted — or, perhaps, I should say resurrected — a feature that I call Cryptic Crosswords 101, where I plan to discuss some aspect of cryptic crosswords that is illustrated in the puzzle for that day. This feature is expected to appear from time to time.

Cryptic Crosswords 101 — Implicit and Explicit Clue Elements

Cryptic Crosswords 101 is an occasional feature of the blog where I discuss some aspect of cryptic crossword puzzles. Today, I look at explicit versus implicit elements of a clue.

The majority of cryptic crossword clues (excluding clues such as double definitions, cryptic definitions, and & lit. clues) consist of a definition and wordplay (a device such as an anagram or a charade — or some combination of such devices). There may, or may not, be a word or phrase to link the definition and the wordplay (or, looked at another way, to delineate the definition from the wordplay). The link word or phrase serves to join the definition and the wordplay in such a way as to produce a meaningful surface reading. In the cryptic analysis of the clue, the link word or phrase serves to separate the clue into its two components — definition and wordplay.

In the first clue in today's puzzle:

• 7a   Diverting incident involving teams -- in what way? (8)

the word "involving" acts as an explicit link (or point of delineation) between the definition (diverting incident) and the wordplay (involving teams -- in what way?).

In the second clue:

• 9a   Eventually book on time (2,4)

the link (or point of delineation) between the definition (eventually) and the wordplay (book on time) is implicit.

In each of these clues, the wordplay is a charade. In 7a, the wordplay parses as SIDES (teams) + HOW (in what way). Note that there is no explicit charade indicator in the clue; in other words, the charade indication is implicit.

In 9a, the wordplay parses as ATLAS (book) + (on) T (time). In this clue, the word "on" is an explicit charade indicator.

Some purists would likely dispute whether the word "on" has been used appropriately in the latter clue. However, I will leave that discussion for another time.

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   Diverting incident involving teams -- in what way? (8)

In North America, the term side^[3] is used in a very generic fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage would seem to exist as well in the UK, the term side^[5] can also be used there in a more specific sense to mean a sports team ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you..

9a   Eventually book on time (2,4)

10a   Conflict in street prevalent (6)

11a   Girl, Flower Queen (8)

Queen Mary could refer to either of two reigning monarchs of England, the wife of another reigning monarch, or even either of two ocean liners:

• Mary I of England^[7] (1516–1558), queen regnant of England and Ireland, daughter of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon; wife of Philip II of Spain and sister of Edward VI and Elizabeth I of England; her executions of Protestants caused her opponents to give her the sobriquet "Bloody Mary".
• Mary II of England^[7] and Scotland (1662–1694), joint sovereign of England, Scotland and Ireland with her husband, William III of England (II of Scotland), daughter of James II of England (VII of Scotland) and Lady Anne Hyde, and sister of Anne of Great Britain.
• Another well-known Queen Mary is Mary of Teck^[7] (1867-1953), wife of King George V.

Two ocean liners were named after Mary of Teck:

• RMS Queen Mary^[7], a Cunard Line ocean liner launched in 1934, now retired as a hotel in Long Beach, California, USA
• RMS Queen Mary 2^[7], a Cunard passenger ship that entered service in 2003

12a   Former PM visiting basic military training ground (9,5)

The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury^[7] (1830–1903) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1885-6, 1886–92, and 1895–1902; born Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoigne-Cecil. He supported the policies which resulted in the Second Boer War (1899–1902).

Salisbury Plain^[7] is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering 300 square miles (780 km²). It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known landmarks. Largely as a result of the establishment of the Defence Training Estate Salisbury Plain (DTE SP), the plain is sparsely populated and is the largest remaining area of calcareous grassland in north-west Europe.

15a   Clue would be perfect if shortened (4)

17a   Puzzle concerning old aircraft (5)

Bus^[4] is a [seemingly British] term for a a car or aircraft, especially one that is old and shaky. American dictionaries define bus as an informal term for a large or ungainly automobile^[3] or a passenger automobile or airplane used in a manner resembling that of a bus^[11].

19a   Austen character held in 21 Mansfield Park (4)

Jane Austen^[5] (1775–1817) was an English novelist. Her major novels are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818). They are notable for skilful characterization, dry wit, and penetrating social observation.

Although the setter makes 21 Mansfield Park appear to be a street address, in the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park is actually the name of an estate. The numeral 21 appearing in the clue is, in fact, a cross reference indicator directing the solver to insert the solution to clue 21d in its place to complete the clue. Once this is done, another Jane Austen work can be found hiding in the clue.

20a   Poet having to adjust, badly lamed in battle against English (6,2,2,4)

Walter de la Mare^[5] (1873–1956) was an English poet, known particularly for his verse for children. Notable works: The Listeners (1912).

23a   Born to the west of trendy resort town (8)

Brighton^[5] is a resort on the south coast of England, in East Sussex; population 127,700 (est. 2009). It was patronized by the Prince of Wales (later George IV) from circa 1780 to 1827, and is noted for its Regency architecture.

The term right-on^[10] is used in the sense of modern, trendy, and socially aware or relevant   ⇒ the young, right-on student crowd rather than [what may be a North American usage] absolutely right or perfectly true^[3].

25a   Accustomed to be wearing scarlet around university (6)

27a   Beginning to give lip, reportedly (6)

Sauce^[5] is an informal, chiefly British term for impertinence or cheek ⇒ ‘None of your sauce,’ said Aunt Edie — which, in North America, would be called sass^[5].

The word "source", when pronounced with a non-rhotic^[5] British accent, would sound like "sauce" [or, at least, the way a Brit would pronounce sauce]. Non-rhotic accents omit the sound /r/ in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce /r/ in all contexts.

28a   Dislike a model (8)

Down

1d   Take elevator (4)

Lift^[5] is the British name for an elevator^[5].

2d   Twins, pride and joy (in incubators, initially) (6)

3d   Jug found in drain, missing lid (4)

4d   Ignore sexual advance at university (4,2)

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

5d   Picnic bun filled with meat (8)

In Britain, a bun^[4] — in addition to being a small roll — can be any of various types of small round sweet cakes.

6d   Shooting star and new moon observed by extremely eager scientist (10)

8d   List to exclude where shoes are mended (7)

A heel bar^[5] (or heelbar^[1]) is a [seemingly British] term for a small shop or stall where shoes are repaired, especially while the customer waits.

13d   Artist, lady who ran off (4,6)

Andy Warhol^[5] (Circa 1928–1987) was an American painter, graphic artist, and film-maker. A major exponent of pop art, he achieved fame for a series of silk-screen prints and acrylic paintings of familiar objects (such as Campbell’s soup tins) and famous people (such as Marilyn Monroe), treated with objectivity and precision.

14d   Fanatical bishop in surprise attack (5)

B^[5] is an abbreviation for bishop that is used in recording moves in chess.

16d   Fitzgerald's come up with grisly tale (8)

Ella Fitzgerald^[5] (1917–1996) was an American jazz singer, known for her distinctive style of scat singing.

18d   Ridicule when Liberal's involved makes one cross (7)

A saltire^[5] is a diagonal cross as a heraldic ordinary [an ordinary^[5] being any of the simplest principal charges^[5] (a device or bearing placed on a shield or crest) used in coats of arms (especially chief, pale, bend, fess, bar, chevron, cross, saltire)].

21d   Respect Eastern power in speech (6)

22d   Shy type eating second creamy dessert (6)

24d   Close tight (4)

26d   Public school board no good (4)

Eton College^[7], often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent [private] school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor". It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, and is one of the original nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. [Note: In Britain, "public schools" are a special class of private school; what North Americans would call public schools seem to be referred to in Britain by terms such as state-run or state-funded schools].

The abbreviation G^[10] for good likely comes from its use in rating school assignments or tests.

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, March 5, 2014 — DT 27332

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27332
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, November 11, 2013
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27332]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog 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 █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I completed today's puzzle while watching the NHL trade deadline broadcast. As it turned out, there was little trade action to distract me from the puzzle and it was completed long before the flurry of activity that occurred shortly before the 3:00 pm trade deadline.

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   Alarm rattles building (7)

5a   It may lead to quick duck for any batsman (7)

This clue is a play on two meanings of the word "duck".

Bowling^[5] in cricket consists of propelling the ball with a straight arm towards the batsman, typically in such a way that the ball bounces once ⇒ Lillee bowled another bouncer.

Thus, depending how the ball bounces, the batsman may have to duck to avoid being hit.

On the other hand, in cricket, a duck^[5] is a batsman’s score of nought [zero] ⇒ he was out for a duck. This is similar to the North American expression goose egg^[5] meaning a zero score in a game. In British puzzles, duck is used to indicate the letter "O" based on the resemblance of the digit "0" to this letter.

Therefore, if a batsman is unable to hit a bouncer, he could be "out for a duck" or, in other words, a bouncer could lead to a quick duck.

9a   Backing writer or flier (5)

10a   Throw a fight and spend night worrying? (4,5)

11a   Carriers available for small charges (10)

In Britain, a stroller^[5] is known as a pushchair^[5].

12a   Such wolves are no longer (4)

14a   Flogged by a stock-holder? (12)

18a   They use first impressions to eradicate wrong types (5-7)

21a   Point to agent in sight (4)

22a   They may be eaten in Morocco, inviting glances (6,4)

Sheep's eyes^[3,4,11] are shy, amorous, lovesick glances ⇒ making sheep's eyes at her.

Here's proof (if you dare to watch) that they are eaten in Morocco!

25a   They are utterly conclusive (4,5)

John Sedgwick^[7] (1813–1864) [mentioned by Gazza in his review] was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sharpshooter at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

On May 9, 1864, his corps was probing skirmish lines ahead of the left flank of Confederate defenses and he was directing artillery placements. Confederate sharpshooters were about 1,000 yards (900 m) away and their shots caused members of his staff and artillerymen to duck for cover. Sedgwick strode around in the open and was quoted as saying, "What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line?" Although ashamed, his men continued to flinch and he repeated, "I'm ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance." Just seconds later he fell forward with a bullet hole below his left eye.

26a   He has to be what he is (5)

27a   Laughs at what could be desired (7)

28a   Sort of safe seat high-flier appreciates in difficulty (7)

Down

1d   Wild capers may get you into one (6)

2d   Sailor is married to Elizabeth -- a superior lady (6)

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

3d   In fact, solo composition is a method of teaching music (5,3-2)

Tonic sol-fa^[5] is a system of naming the notes of the scale (usually [in the UK] doh, ray, me, fah, soh, lah, te) used especially to teach singing, with doh as the keynote of all major keys and lah as the keynote of all minor keys.

4d   One playing minor part in run (5)

In cricket, an extra^[5] is a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman.

5d   Were debts spread out? Yes! (9)

One must read "Yes!" as being an implicit second instance of "spread out". The clue is therefore interpreted as "Were debts spread out? Yes! [they were] spread out".

6d   State university with rising capital investment (4)

The American Heritage Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary both define investment^[3,11] as an archaic term for a garment or vestment. However, The Chambers Dictionary does not include the singular in this sense but does list investments^[1] [specifically in the plural] as an archaic word for clothes.

7d   New couples finally succeeded to become big shots (5-3)

The setter has laid a trap for us in this clue. The wordplay appears to be an anagram (new) of COUPLES + D (finally succeeded; i.e., the final letter of succeedeD). However, that is not the case at all. The wordplay is actually an anagram (new) of COUPLES + (finally) S (succeeded). The word "finally" is essentially a charade indicator informing us that S (an abbreviation for succeeded) is the final letter of the solution.

The abbreviation s^[5] stands for succeeded, in the sense of to have become the new rightful holder of an office, title, or property ⇒ he succeeded to his father’s kingdom. It might be seen, for instance, it charts of royal lineages.

8d   Arrested, perhaps, and recovered tyres (8)

Tyre^[5] is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile component).

13d   Little may be seen through it (10)

15d   They are known to go round with crooks (9)

... and they are responsible for raising the delicacy presented at 22a.

16d   Asked for and attracted interest (8)

I'm not surprised that Gazza alludes to cricket in his hint. In cricket, an appeal^[5] is a call by a bowler or fielder on the umpire to declare a batsman out, traditionally with a shout of ‘How’s that?’ and to appeal is to make such a call.

17d   He does his writing in bars (8)

For British musicians, stave [mentioned by Gazza in his review] seems to be the preferred name for  staff^[7], the set of five horizontal lines and four spaces, each representing a different musical pitch, on which a musical score is written.

19d   A child of the pen (6)

A pen^[5] is a female swan, a cob^[5] [mentioned by Gazza in his review] is a male swan, and a cygnet^[5] is a young swan.

20d   Loan shark employer admits game being up (6)

Rugby union^[5] (abbreviation 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.

23d   Result in directions being put to wrong use (5)

24d   Very impressed, we put in small announcement (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

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 — DT 27331

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27331
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, November 9, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27331 - Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27331 - Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) gnomethang (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 █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
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

An error in the southwest corner held me up for a time. Fortunately, I discovered the problem and was then able to complete the puzzle without needing to resort to the use of electronic aids.

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   Vegetable's beauty set down by artist (6)

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA^[5]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5], an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

4a   Colour of suit captured by writer (3-5)

10a   In positive signal, Stock Exchange initially moved slowly forward (5)

11a   English ranting shown in print (9)

Contrary to the indication in gnomethang's review. I would say that the definition is "print" with "shown in" merely serving as a link between the wordplay and definition.

12a   Saint's recompense getting tip off servant (7)

13a   Bit of roast leg, it's thrown out (7)

As gnomethang explains in his review, this is an & lit.^[7] (all-in-one) clue, a type of clue in which the entire clue (in accordance with interpretation) is the definition, and (under a different interpretation) is the wordplay.

14a   Film Grand National winner set to make return, holding form (4,1,3,6)

The Grand National^[5] is an annual horse race established in 1839, a steeplechase run over a course of 4 miles 856 yards (about 7,200 metres) with thirty jumps, at Aintree, Liverpool, in late March or early April.

Red Rum^[7] was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years. The world-famous steeplechase is a notoriously difficult race that has been referred to as being "the ultimate test of a horse’s courage".

International Velvet^[7] [mentioned by gnomethang in his review] is a 1978 dramatic film. It was a sequel to the 1944 classic, National Velvet. Given that this film seems to have nothing to do with the Grand National. perhaps gnomethang intended to refer to the 1944 film.

National Velvet^[7] is a 1944 film based on the novel of the same name by British author Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), published in 1935. The film recounts the story of a twelve-year old English girl, Velvet Brown (played by a young Elizabeth Taylor), who wins a spirited gelding in a raffle and trains him for the Grand National steeplechase aided by her father's hired hand, a young drifter named Mi Taylor (played by Mickey Rooney).

17a   Lazy fellow gets benefit free (4-3-7)

21a   Dim former pupil's treatment (7)

In Britain, an old boy^[5] (abbreviation OB^[2])  is (1) a former male student of a school or college ⇒an old boy of Banbury County School or (2) a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards. It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

23a   Harmony left behind tuneless music (7)

24a   Cleaner part of South Africa turned rogue (9)

My initial entry here was charwoman, which certainly impeded progress in the southwest quadrant until I discovered my error.

Char^[5] is another name for a charwoman^[5], a dated British term for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office. 

Natal^[5] is a former province of South Africa, situated on the east coast. Having been a Boer republic and then a British colony, Natal acquired internal self-government in 1893 and became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910. It was renamed KwaZulu-Natal in 1994. The name comes from Latin Terra Natalis 'land of the day of birth', a name given by Vasco da Gama in 1497, because he sighted the entrance to what is now Durban harbour on Christmas Day.

25a   Dislike one-day international's first pair of umpires (5)

International^[5] is a British term for a game or contest between teams representing different countries in a sport ⇒the Murrayfield rugby international.

A One Day International (ODI)^[7] is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, usually fifty. [In comparison, a regular cricket match may well take most of a week to play.]

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.

26a   Lasts longer than unfashionable underwear (8)

Historically, stays^[5] were a corset made of two pieces laced together and stiffened by strips of whalebone.

27a   One tries to catch old Englishman with Queen (6)

An Angle^[5] is a member of a Germanic people, originally inhabitants of what is now Schleswig-Holstein, who came to England in the 5th century AD. The Angles founded kingdoms in Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia and gave their name to England and the English.

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). 

Down

1d   Call on team near to fighting (8)

In Britain, a side^[5] is a sports team ⇒ there was a mixture of old and young players in their side. While side can also mean team in North America, I believe that we use the term both less frequently and in a more generic fashion than it is used in the UK.

2d   Dead poser masquerading as bandit (9)

3d   Phonecard conceals expensive weapon (7)

A SIM^[5] (also SIM card) is a smart card inside a mobile phone, carrying an identification number unique to the owner, storing personal data, and preventing operation if removed. [Origin: acronym from subscriber identification module]

5d   It shows one's intended to employ tutoring heartlessly (10,4)

6d   Large ice endlessly slipping? (7)

7d   Be way out including touch of scattiness (5)

8d   Weapon cocked, go for small piece (6)

This being a down clue, "cock" (as a reversal indicator) is used in the sense of to raise, as a dog cocking its ears.

9d   Dotty conveners set out to ostracise (4,2,8)

Send (someone) to Coventry^[5] is a chiefly British expression meaning to refuse to associate with or speak to someone ⇒ some people ignore and send to Coventry individuals they disapprove of.

15d   I led a riot, anarchic leader (9)

In Britain, a leading article in a newspaper is known as a leader^[5].

16d   It'll help cook get grime scrubbed (3,5)

18d   Historical garment, cotton in the middle? (7)

I have to admit that I failed to recognize the wordplay, despite being virtually certain that I've encountered it — or something very similar — in a previous puzzle.

19d   Storm -- sort endlessly overcome by former Blairite minister (7)

Tony Blair^[5] is a British Labour statesman who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1997 to 2007. Geoff Hoon^[7] is a British Labour politician who held several cabinet posts under Tony Blair.

20d   American boss in marathon chosen (6)

Honcho^[5] is a North American term, thus explaining why it is clued as "American boss". The term comes from Japanese and was brought back to the US by servicemen stationed in Japan during the occupation following the Second World War.

22d   Louvre embraces new point of view (5)

In all likelihood, the setter anticipates that we will mistakenly interpret Louvre^[5] to be a reference to the museum and art gallery in Paris that is known, in particular, as the home of the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

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, March 3, 2014 — DT 27330

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27330
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, November 8, 2013
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27330]
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 fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I was too quick to pat myself on the back for being able to identify the former England cricketer of whom I had never heard. As it turns out, he is but a figment of my imagination.

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   A mister with sitar playing in Indian city (8)

Amritsar^[5] is a city in the state of Punjab in northwest India; population 1,194,700 (est. 2009). It became the centre of the Sikh faith and the site of its holiest temple, the Golden Temple. It was the scene of a riot in 1919, in which 400 people were killed by British troops.

9a   In the auditorium, unsettled by stages (6)

10a   Irish individual, right person for applying pressure (6)

Ir.^[2] is the abbreviation for Ireland or Irish.

11a   New deal required in cargo reception area, there being impasse (8)

12a   Ignoble now, having got drunk? Cease exploding angrily! (7,4,3)

15a   Be sorrowful about knight who cares too much for social standing? (4)

N^[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].

17a   Not like a circle aligned in debate? (5)

19a   Business arrangement for Kent location (4)

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

20a   Pampering that gets some people down when not up? (14)

23a   Quiet learner needs a medicine, being without sign of passion (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.

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. 

25a   A right bounder beginning to escape from passageway (6)

Bounder^[3,4] is a British (Collins English Dictionary) or chiefly British (American Heritage Dictionary) term for a cad.

Rotter^[3,4] [appearing in Deep Threat's review] is a British (Collins English Dictionary) or chiefly British (American Heritage Dictionary) term for a worthless, unpleasant, or despicable person or, in other words, a scoundrel.

27a   Be consistent at this place, backing firm (6)

28a   Stalwart Cavalier having changed sides at the outset (8)

A Cavalier^[5] was a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.

A Royalist^[5] was a supporter of the King against Parliament in the English Civil War.

Down

1d   Ruler involved in crimes after revolution (4)

2d   Little person getting cut outside pub (6)

A minnow^[4] is a small or insignificant person.

3d   Help to keep river, having very little water (4)

4d   Drug injected primarily in a poet being dissolute (6)

As an anagram indicator, consider dissolute^[10] to be a synonym for unrestrained.

5d   Gangster must meet fate in bed, it's somehow decided (8)

Al Capone^[5] (1899–1947) was an American gangster, of Italian descent who dominated organized crime in Chicago in the 1920s.

6d   Skipper could be satanic ape unfortunately (3,7)

8d   Violinists, etc in street bands (7)

13d   Poet who would look down on many? (10)

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow^[5] (1807–82) was an American poet. He is known for ‘The Wreck of the Hesperus’ and ‘The Village Blacksmith’ (both 1841) and The Song of Hiawatha (1855).

14d   Stranger given food heading off (5)

16d   Little creatures, busy types, drinking wine (8)

Asti^[7] (formerly known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation.

18d   As food allowance is out of this world, recorded in log (7)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial^[7] (often referred to simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. He and his siblings help the extraterrestrial return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.

21d   Support in hospital minimal -- leading to bad feeling (6)

The letter H is often clued by the word "hospital" based on the abbreviation commonly seen on road signs. However, in this clue, the setter clues H as "hospital minimal" indicating the first letter of Hospital.

22d   Meek and mild medic joins revolutionary priest (6)

In the Bible, Eli^[5] is a priest who acted as a teacher to the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1-3).

24d   Unemotional bowling partner for R. Willis? (4)

Even though I had never heard of either former England cricket player, I thought the clue was easy enough to solve. The answer is obviously C. Alm, is it not? Not!

Robert Willis, known as Bob Willis^[7], is an English former cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England. A right-handed and aggressive fast bowler with a notably long run-up, Willis spearheaded several England bowling attacks between 1971 and 1984.

Chris Old^[7] is an English former cricketer who played for Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England. A right-arm fast-medium bowler and lower order left-handed batsman, Old represented England in international competition between 1972 and 1981.

26d   Money shut up after party (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, March 1, 2014 — Wandering As If in a Haze

Introduction

I found today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon to be a bit more difficult solve than usual. As has been the situation of late, there does not appear to be any particular theme to the puzzle — although the setters do manage to work in references to both Christmas and Easter.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Definitions are underlined in the clue, with subsidiary indications being marked by means of a dashed underline in semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Share poem reconfigured in sign language (9)

SEMAPHORE* — anagram (reconfigured) of SHARE POEM

6a   Listen in on the French horn (5)

BUG|LE — BUG (listen in on) + LE (the French; French word meaning 'the')

9a   Scientist gets down to drill in your ear (5,4)

{NEILS BOHR}~ — sounds like (in your ear) {KNEELS (gets down) + BORE (to drill)}

The wordplay could equally well be sounds like (in your ear) {KNEELS (gets down) + (to) BORE (drill)} where the charade indicator "to" would be used in the sense of "pressed against" — as in expressions such as "shoulder to the wheel" or "nose to the grindstone".

Niels Bohr^[5] (1885–1962) was a Danish physicist and pioneer in quantum physics.

10a   The first of Hans Arp's instruments (5)

H_|ARPS — H (the first [letter] of Hans) + ARP (†) + S ('s)

Jean Arp^[5] (1887–1966) was a French painter, sculptor, and poet; also known as Hans Arp.

11a   British novelist's spoken for Texas locale (6)

AUSTIN — sounds like (is ['s] spoken) AUSTEN

Jane Austen^[5] (1775–1817) was an English novelist.

Austin^[5] is the state capital of Texas; population 757,688 (est. 2008).

12a   Shea club arranged for priest's garb (8)

CHASUBLE* — anagram (arranged) of SHEA CLUB

The shea^[5] (Vitellaria paradoxa or Butyrospermum parkii) is a small tropical African tree which bears oily nuts from which shea butter is obtained.

However, in light of 2d, perhaps a "shea club" is a baseball bat, Shea Stadium^[7] being the former home field of the New York Mets.

A chasuble^[5] is an ornate sleeveless outer vestment worn by a Catholic or High Anglican priest when celebrating Mass.

14a   Used faulty brainwork, even when in fog (10)

MIS(THOUGH)T — THOUGH (even when) contained in MIST (FOG)

As an instance of though^[3] being used in the sense of 'even when', consider He still argues, though he knows he's wrong.

16a   Artist with some "dirt" conveyed in conversation (4)

KLEE~ — sounds like (conveyed in conversation) CLAY (some "dirt")

Paul Klee^[5] (1879–1940) was a Swiss painter, resident in Germany 1906–33.

The quotation marks around dirt are undoubtedly intended to make us think of dirt^[3] in the sense of malicious or scandalous gossip.

18a   Bite insect back (4)

TANG< — reversal (back) of GNAT (insect)

19a   Margaret going around plus Erin going astray (10)

ME(AND|ERIN)G — MEG ([common nickname for] Margaret) containing (going around) {AND (plus) + ERIN (†)}

21a   Shoulder spots I'd seen in deer (8)

RO(ADS|ID)E — {ADS (spots) + ID (I'd)} contained in (seen in) ROE (deer)

22a   Phony Yankee gumshoe (6)

SHAM|US — SHAM (phony) + US (Yankee)

Shamus^[3,4,11] is US slang for a police officer or a private investigator.

26a   Ring in the sea is first-class ring (5)

A|TOLL — A (first-class) + TOLL (ring)

27a   Showing beam of sunlight entering window (9)

PORT(RAY)AL — RAY (beam of sunlight) contained in (entering) PORTAL (window)

28a   Stop Mr. Eliot's losing propositions? (5)

DIE|TS — DIE (stop) + TS (Mr. Eliot)

T. S. Eliot^[5] (1888–1965) was an American-born British poet, critic, and dramatist; full name Thomas Stearns Eliot.

29a   Tiredness affected some doctors (9)

RESIDENTS* — anagram (affected) of TIREDNESS

Down

1d   Dancer's driver in peasant attire (5)

_SANT|A_ — hidden in peaSANT Attire

Dancer is a member of the team of reindeer^[7] traditionally held to pull the sleigh of Santa Claus.

2d   Encounters error in New York baseball team (5)

M(E)ETS or ME(E)TS —E (error; baseball terminology) contained in (in) METS (New York baseball team)

The New York Mets^[7] are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City that play in Major League Baseball's National League East Division.

3d   Jumble of silly chia pets (8)

PASTICHE* — anagram (silly) of CHIA PETS

4d   Reed tramps trimmed at both ends (4)

_OBOE_ — [H]OBOE[S] (tramps) with the initial and final letters deleted (trimmed at both ends)

5d   Share in the oddly reflected light (10)

EARTHSHINE* — anagram (oddly) of SHARE IN THE

In astronomy, earthshine^[5] is the glow caused by sunlight reflected by the earth on the darker portion of a crescent moon.

6d   The guy in top command (6)

BE(HE)ST — HE (the guy) contained in (in) BEST (top)

7d   Soldier captures a rakish Italian patriot (9)

G(A|RIBALD)I — GI (soldier) containing (captures) {A (†) + RIBALD (rakish)}

A GI^[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war. Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather of government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

Giuseppe Garibaldi^[5] (1807–1882) was an Italian patriot and military leader of the Risorgimento. With his volunteer force of ‘Red Shirts’ he captured Sicily and southern Italy from the Bourbons in 1860-1, thereby playing a key role in the establishment of a united kingdom of Italy.

8d   Wrongly segregate something hidden (6,3)

{EASTER EGG}* — anagram (wrongly) of SEGREGATE

An Easter egg^[10] is an egg made of chocolate that is given as a present at Easter. In some countries, Easter eggs are hidden and children then look for them.

13d   Extraordinary rep pursued bum (5-5)

{SUPER DUPER}* — anagram (bum) of REP PURSUED

14d   Wandering timer dame? (5,4)

{METER MAID}* — anagram (wandering) of TIMER DAME

This is an & lit.^[7] (all-in-one) clue, a type of clue in which the entire clue (in accordance with one reading) is the definition, and (under a different reading) is the wordplay.

15d   Carol, opening outside a city in Asia (9)

SING(A)PORE — {SING (carol; as a verb) + PORE (opening)} containing (outside) A (†)

Singapore^[5] is a country in southeast Asia consisting of the island of Singapore (linked by a causeway to the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula) and some fifty-four smaller islands; population 4,657,500 (est. 2009); official languages, Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English; capital, Singapore City.

17d   Tied score in football, having energy at that point (8)

T(E|THERE)D — TD (score in football; touchdown) containing (having) {E (energy) + THERE (at that point)}

In American [or Canadian] football, a touchdown^[5] is a six-point score made by carrying or passing the ball into the end zone of the opposing side.

20d   Extra note: what's given to the poor songs (6)

PS|ALMS — PS (extra note; postscript) + ALMS (what's given to the poor)

A psalm^[5] is a sacred song or hymn, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of Psalms and used in Christian and Jewish worship.

23d   Ancient American springtime article (5)

MAY|AN — MAY (springtime; perhaps intended to be interpreted as 'spring time', or a time in sping) + AN (article)

A Maya^[10] (or Mayan) was a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan, Belize, and northern Guatemala, having an ancient culture once characterized by outstanding achievements in architecture, astronomy, chronology, painting, and pottery.

24d   Markdowns for saloon's first brews (5)

S_|ALES — S (Saloon's first [letter]) + ALES (brews)

25d   Greek god's aching back (4)

EROS< — reversal (back) of SORE (aching)

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