Monday, October 6, 2014 — DT 27489

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27489
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27489]
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 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

Jay provides a rather gentle workout today without much in the way of Briticisms.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Devious boy (no model) /gets/ investment to make a killing (5,5)

6a   Cheerful after company/'s/ success (4)

9a   Sat on work /being/ challenged (7)

In music, Op.^[5] (also op.) is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

10a   Examine // honour (in replacing soldiers) (7)

The Corps of Royal Engineers^[7], usually just called the Royal Engineers (abbreviation RE), and commonly known as the Sappers^[7], is a corps of the British Army that provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces.

12a   In case of problems, popular monarchs try // these for cutting material (7,6)

The grammar in the definition may be a bit poor, but the idea comes across.

14a   Supplied // half clean, changing every day (8)

15a   Doctor got up // in a dark mood (6)

17a   Proposed // putting daughter on board (6)

Board^[5,10] is an archaic term for a table, especially one used for eating at, and especially when laden with food ⇒ he looked at the banquet which was spread upon his board.

19a   A spit designed to hold sheep /or/ beef (8)

Pastrami^[5] is highly seasoned smoked beef, typically served in thin slices.

21a   Piano duet regularly finish // uncertain (13)

24a   Cuts // affairs after hotel broadcast (7)

25a   Be left // rebuilding their following at home (7)

26a   Try to find /and/ understand source of knowledge (4)

27a   Rocker attached to musical // game played with string (4-6)

CATS^[7] is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The show premiered in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1983.

Cat's cradle^[3] is a game in which a string is looped on the fingers to form an intricate pattern between a player's hands that can be successively varied or transferred to another player's hands.

Down

1d   Black and blue /from/ knock (4)

2d   Thesis supporting working /--/ in theory (2,5)

3d   Fair // start to day -- is most of Bury relaxed? (13)

The setter misleadingly capitalizes Bury so as to suggest a British town. Bury^[7] is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north-northwest of the city of Manchester.

4d   Veteran/'s/ second-hand watch? (3-5)

5d   Looking at/,/ for example, incorporating Chinese principle (5)

In Chinese philosophy, yin^[5] is the passive female principle of the universe, characterized as female and sustaining and associated with earth, dark, and cold. Contrasted with yang^[5], the active male principle of the universe, characterized as male and creative and associated with heaven, heat, and light.

7d   Herb/'s/ terrible anger, wearing glasses (7)

This is known as a 'visual' or 'looks like' clue. The word "glasses" (or often specs or spectacles) is used to clue OO because these letters look like a pair of glasses.

8d   Are its pies cooked in France? (10)

This is a cryptic definition which has a bit of wordplay embedded within it.

A patisserie^[5] is a shop where pastries and cakes are sold ⇒ the patisserie also specializes in cheesecakes and tortes.

11d   In-form professional? (13)

In Britain, a form^[5] is a class or year in a school, usually given a specifying number. Thus the fifth form would be the British counterpart to the fifth grade in North America and Form One would be like saying Grade One.

13d   Focuses on // insults about belly (10)

16d   Approves/,/ provided one is included in charges (8)

18d   Type of story /found in/ part of garden magazine? (7)

Time^[7] (often written in all-caps as TIME) is an American weekly news magazine that was founded in 1923. A European edition (Time Europe, formerly known as Time Atlantic) is published in London and also covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition (Time Asia) is based in Hong Kong. The South Pacific edition, which covers Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, is based in Sydney, Australia. In December 2008, Time discontinued publishing a Canadian advertiser edition.

20d   Maintained // the Bible was wrong (7)

A chiefly British term, the Authorized Version^[5] (abbreviation AV)^[5] is an English translation of the Bible made in 1611 at the order of James I and still widely used, though never formally ‘authorized’. It is also called the King James Bible — a name by which it is undoubtedly far better known in North America.

22d   Perhaps Jamaican // artist comes across a way (5)

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.

 Rasta^[5] (short for Rastafarian^[5]) is a member of the Rastafarian religious movement. Rastafarians have distinctive codes of behaviour and dress, including the wearing of dreadlocks and the smoking of cannabis, and they follow a diet that excludes pork, shellfish, and milk. This originally Jamaican religion regards Ras Tafari (the former emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie) as God.^[10]

23d   Last year's // problem affecting viewer (4)

Here, "viewer" refers to an organ of sight.

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, October 4, 2014 — Picnicking with Joan Crawford

Introduction

I thought that today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon continued the recent trend of raising the difficulty level a notch from what we have become accustomed to — a not unwelcome development, I might add.

My mind must be a dumping ground for useless information as I was able to dredge up the names of a turn of the previous century American journalist whose work I have never encountered, Russian and American novels I have never read, a movie made before I was born, and an actress whose work I have never watched.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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 █ - yet to be solved

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (& lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

7a   Leave // evergreen tree down by the sound (8)

FUR|LOUGH — sounds like (by the sound) {FIR (evergreen tree) + LOW (down)}

9a   Athenian character's boxing hot // heavyweights in Africa (6)

RH(IN)OS — {RHO (Athenian character; the seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ρ, ρ)) + S ('s)} containing (boxing) IN (hot)

10a   Frequently/,/ x follows decimal? (10)

OF|TEN|TIMES — TIMES (x; multiplication sign) following (follows) OF TEN (decimal; as an adjective)

11a   A Nellie who reported // with skill (4)

A|BLY — A (†) + BLY (Nellie who reported)

Nellie Bly^[5] (1867–1922) was a US journalist and social reformer; pseudonym of Elizabeth Jane Cochrane. As a reporter for the Pittsburgh Dispatch, she wrote about child labor and unsafe working conditions in factories.

12a   Pushkin hero/'s/ single drink of booze (6)

ONE|GIN — ONE (single) + GIN (drink of booze)

The wordplay works even better as a phrase with "one gin" being "a single drink of booze".

Eugene Onegin^[7] is a novel in verse written by Russian author Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837).

14a   Defector // stirring pot at sea (8)

APOSTATE* — anagram (stirring) of POT AT SEA

15a   1945 movie heroine/'s/ slight bloody wound (7.6)

MILD|RED| PIERCE — MILD (slight) + RED (bloody) + PIERCE (wound)

Mildred Pierce^[7] is a 1945 American drama film starring Joan Crawford in a film noir about a long-suffering mother and her ungrateful daughter. The screenplay is based upon the 1941 novel Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain. The film was Crawford's first starring role for Warner Bros. after leaving MGM, and won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

17a   Irate, Sam wrecked // sportscar (8)

MASERATI* — anagram (wrecked) of IRATE SAM

Maserati^[7] is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established in 1914, in Bologna.

19a   Crazy German article backing // Gulf War figure (6)

{SAD|DAM}< — reversal (backing) of {MAD (crazy) + DAS (German [definite] article)}

Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) was Iraqi President, Prime Minister, and head of the armed forces 1979–2003; full name Saddam bin Hussein at-Takriti. During his presidency, Iraq fought a war with Iran (1980-8) and invaded Kuwait (1990), from which Iraqi forces were expelled in the Gulf War of 1991. He also ordered punitive attacks on Kurdish rebels in the north of Iraq and on the Marsh Arabs in the south. He was overthrown in 2003 following the invasion and occupation of Iraq by US-led forces. He was later tried for crimes against humanity and executed.

21a   Shatter // a sculptor's artwork (4)

BUST — double definition

22a   Edith Wharton character // coming out of penetrating gas (5,5)

ETHAN (FROM)E — FROM (coming out of) contained in (penetrating) ETHANE (gas)

Ethan Frome^[7] is a novel published in 1911 by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Edith Wharton (1862–1937). The novel was adapted into a film, Ethan Frome, in 1993.

24a   Slayed horses around // stalls (6)

DELAYS* — anagram (horses around) of SLAYED

25a   Take some beers back /for/ actress (4,4)

{SELA WARD}< — reversal (back) of {DRAW (take) + ALES (some beers; the others being lagers)}

Sela Ward^[7] is an American actress, perhaps best known for her television roles as Teddy Reed on the American TV series Sisters (1991–96) and as Lily Manning on Once and Again (1999–2002).

Down

1d   Mess up in // breakfast choice (6)

MUFF|IN — MUFF (mess up) + IN (†)

2d   Feeling sad/,/ played on a horn for listeners (4)

BLUE — sounds like (for listeners) BLEW (played a horn)

3d   Save printer refill // fastener (8)

BUT|TONER — BUT (save; all her brothers, save one, were lost at sea) + TONER (printer refill)

A buttoner would presumably be someone who buttons and a fastener someone who fastens.

4d   Speedy // green sauce including piece of radish (6)

P(R)ESTO — PESTO (green sauce) containing (including) R (piece [initial letter] of Radish)

5d   Ornamental columns // I put in coated with gypsum (10)

P(I)LASTERED — I (†) contained in (put in) PLASTERED (coated with gypsum)

There would appear to be something missing from the clue. "Ornamental columns" are pilasters. Pilastered means furnished with pilasters. Perhaps the clue should have read:

• 5d   Having ornamental columns // I put in coated with gypsum (10)

6d   Gambling diversion // allowed in course (8)

ROU(LET)TE — LET (allowed) contained in (in) ROUTE (course)

8d   Picnic fare // dish a man chews rudely (3,10)

{HAM SANDWICHES}* — anagram (rudely) of DISH A MAN CHEWS

13d   Liberating plays // reminiscent of W.S. (10)

GILBERTIAN* — anagram (plays) of LIBERATING

Sir W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) was an English dramatist; full name William Schwenck Gilbert. He is best known as a librettist who collaborated on light operas with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. Notable works: HMS Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), and The Mikado (1885).

15d   Uniform // definitely covered with fermented honey (8)

MEA(SURE)D — SURE (definitely) contained in (covered with) MEAD (fermented honey)

16d   School's principal interrupting foolishly /and/ senselessly (8)

IN(S)ANELY — S (School's principal [initial letter]) contained in (interrupting) INANELY (foolishly)

18d   Relaxed /with/ a flirt (2,4)

A|T EASE — A (†) + TEASE (flirt)

As a link word, with^[11] is used in the sense of characterized by or having ⇒ a person with intelligence and initiative.

20d   Look up to // notice muddy patch (6)

AD|MIRE — AD ([commercial] notice) + MIRE (muddy patch)

This is an instance where one must apply the principle of "lift and separate" (a humorous reference to brassiere ads). The infinitive "to notice" that appears in the surface reading must be lifted and separated into its component parts. The first part (to) is part of the definition, while the second part (notice) is part of the wordplay.

23d   Fights // are exciting, according to audience (4)

ROWS — sounds like (to audience) ROUSE (are exciting)

Epilogue

The title of today's blog was inspired by 8d and 15a.

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

Friday, October 3, 2014 — DT 27488

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27488
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27488]
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 needed a little help from my electronic assistants today. I also did not fully understand the wordplay in one clue. It might have been more clear had I spent more time in the pool hall.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Cave-dweller /having/ year in grotto -- led out (10)

A troglodyte^[10] is a cave dweller, especially one of the prehistoric peoples thought to have lived in caves.

6a   Lincoln, familiarly and primarily // a murder victim (4)

Abraham Lincoln^[5] (1809–1865) was an American Republican statesman, 16th President of the US 1861-5. His election as President on an anti-slavery platform helped precipitate the American Civil War; he was assassinated shortly after the war ended. Lincoln was noted for his succinct, eloquent speeches, including the Gettysburg Address of 1863.

In the Bible, Abel^[5] was the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered by his brother Cain.

9a   Closely watch // board with regard to covering bills (4,4,2)

10a   Only // minutes before (4)

12a   Start of hymn tune/,/ it grows on one (4)

13a   A number with food in bag /leaving/ Cape Cod resort (9)

Tuck^[5] is an informal British term for food eaten by children at school as a snack ⇒ The projects being piloted in 500 schools across the country include a crackdown on unhealthy foods in school tuck shops and vending machines.

Nantucket^[5] is an island off the coast of Massachusetts, south of Cape Cod and east of Martha’s Vineyard. It was an important whaling centre in the 18th and 19th centuries.

15a   Grace ill? Could be // hypersensitive (8)

What role does the conditional expression "could be" play in this clue? In his review, Deep Threat shows it as being the anagram indicator. To some extent, it also seems to play the role of a link phrase. In fact, I suspect that there may be those who would argue that the anagram indicator is actually the question mark, with the expression "could be" acting as a link phrase. If so, the clue would be marked up as:

• 15a   Grace ill? /Could be/ hypersensitive (8)

I have opted to follow Deep Threat's lead and designate "could be" as the anagram indicator. See 21d where there is also a conditional expression used as an anagram indicator.

16a   Move at home // to intervene (4,2)

18a   Almost transfix a // creature with horns (6)

Transfix^[5] is used in the sense of to pierce with a sharp implement or weapon ⇒ a field mouse is transfixed by the curved talons of an owl.

20a   Carnivore/'s/ beginning to poke in ground (8)

This was certainly not the first carnivore to come to mind.

23a   One travelling from Earth // to Saturn, possibly around end of era (9)

24a   Dog // food (4)

The chow^[5] (also chow chow) is a dog of a sturdy Chinese breed with a broad muzzle, a tail curled over the back, a bluish-black tongue, and typically a dense thick coat.

26a   Took advantage of // American edition (4)

27a   Lacking up-to-date information // from contact (3,2,5)

28a   Mount // attending Newmarket -- name? (4)

In the surface reading, the mount is a horse.

Newmarket^[5] is town in eastern England, in Suffolk; population 18,300 (est. 2009). It is a noted horse-racing centre and headquarters of the Jockey Club. The Jockey Club is an organization whose stewards are the central authority for the administration of horse racing in Britain. It was founded in 1750.

Newmarket Racecourse^[7], which has a capacity of 45,000, is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in the town of Newmarket, Suffolk. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horseracing and is home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations, including Tattersalls^[5] [an English firm of horse auctioneers founded in 1776 by the horseman Richard Tattersall (1724–1795)], the National Horseracing Museum and the National Stud [stud farm]. The racecourse hosts two of the country's five Classic Races - the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, and numerous other Group races. In total, it hosts 9 of British racing's 32 annual Group 1 races.

I first encountered the term "stud" being used to mean a stud farm as opposed to a stallion used for breeding purposes when I visited the Irish National Stud^[7] in Tully, Ireland. I could not resist buying a sweat shirt emblazoned with "Irish National Stud" — which certainly proved to be a great conversation piece with women when I returned to Canada.

Mount Etna^[5] is a volcano in eastern Sicily, rising to 3,323 m (10,902 ft). It is the highest and most active volcano in Europe.

29a   Technocrat ordered // waterproof item of clothing (6,4)

Down

1d and 25 Down:   What may be said after hit /for/ pop band? (4,4)

Take That^[7] are a British pop group that was originally formed in 1990, split up in 1996 and reformed in 2005.

2d   Comprehensive // cover? (7)

3d   C.S. Lewis, perhaps, /or/ his leading character? (8,4)

C. S. Lewis^[5] (1898–1963) was a British novelist, religious writer, and literary scholar; full name Clive Staples Lewis. He broadcast and wrote on religious and moral issues, and created the imaginary land of Narnia for a series of children’s books, which began with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950).

Aslan^[7] is the main character of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. He is "the great Lion" of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books. He is also the only character to appear in all seven books of the series. Aslan is Turkish for "lion".

A literary lion^[5] is a notable or famous author.

4d   Refined // young socialite coming out very happily (8)

5d   Difficult, /with/ empty tummy, consuming cornet? (6)

In the surface reading, cornet^[5] is a British term for a cone-shaped wafer filled with ice cream. In the cryptic analysis, on the other hand, it is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but shorter and wider.

7d   Finish // ahead following run of successful pots (5,2)

Despite coming up with the correct solution, I didn't fully comprehend the wordplay — although I did recognize that "pots" is a reference to billiards and snooker.

In billiards and snooker, a pot^[5] is a shot in which a player strikes a ball into a pocket ⇒ he put together a 36 clearance to blue which was full of difficult pots.

However, I was only familiar with break^[5] meaning (as a verb) to make the first stroke at the beginning of a game of billiards, pool, or snooker or (as a noun) a player’s turn to make the opening shot of a game ⇒ whose break is it?.

However, in snooker and billiards, break^[5] also means a consecutive series of successful shots, scoring a specified number of points ⇒ a break of 83 put him in front for the first time.

In his review, Deep Threat uses break up^[5] in a chiefly British sense meaning to end the school term ⇒ we broke up for the summer.

8d   Tune in late to get broadcast officer/'s given/ (10)

Although the words "'s given" ("is given" in the cryptic reading) appear at the end of the clue, they fulfill the same function as a link word or phrase. This can be seen if one removes the sentence inversion:

• 8d   Officer /is given [by]/ tune in late to get broadcast (10)

or if one converts the clue to the active voice from the passive voice:

• 8d   Tune in late to get broadcast /gives/ officer (10)

Of course, the surface reading of either of these alternative versions of the clue is in no way as elegant as that of the original.

11d   A sweet // Bordeaux, initially, say, then whisky (12)

The spelling alone rules out Irish whiskey.

Bordeaux^[5] is a red, white, or rosé wine from the district of Bordeaux in southwestern France.

Sweet^[5] is the British term for either (1) a piece of candy^[5] ⇒ a bag of sweets or (2) a sweet dish forming a course of a meal; in other words, a pudding or dessert.

14d   To lampoon // dude seen in one ancient city is in keeping (10)

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

17d   Imprisoned /in/ small hospital unit, suffering from depression (4,4)

In my experience, the busiest section, by far, of the Crosswordland Hospital is the ear, nose and throat (ENT^[2]) department.

 In Britain, the expression send someone down^[5] means to sentence someone to imprisonment ⇒ you’re going to get sent down for possessing drugs. In the US, the expression send someone up means the same thing.

19d   Lingo used by northern // model (7)

21d   Disgraced MP // may make up for way of working (7)

The conditional expression "may make" is the anagram indicator. Compare this to 15a where a conditional expression is also the anagram indicator.

John Profumo^[5] (1915–2006) was a British Conservative politician. In 1960 he was appointed Secretary of State for War under Harold Macmillan. Three years later news broke of his relationship with Christine Keeler, the mistress of a Soviet diplomat, raising fears of a security breach and precipitating his resignation.

22d   Rattle around most of Pacific island /in/ car (6)

Guam^[5] is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, administered as an unincorporated territory of the US; population 178,400 (est. 2009); languages, English (official), Austronesian languages; capital, Agaña. Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898.

Jaguar Cars^[7] is a brand of Jaguar Land Rover, a British multinational car manufacturer headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England, owned by Indian automaker Tata Motors since 2008.

25d   See 1 Down

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, October 2, 2014 — DT 27487

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27487
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, May 12, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27487]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
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 thought that this puzzle was a bit more difficult than what we are used to seeing from Rufus. Miffypops seems to concur, having given it three stars for difficulty rather than the customary two.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Not seen to take part in the action (3-5)

Often, as in the case here, Rufus creates clues that virtually defy categorization. After due consideration, I have elected to call it a straight cryptic definition (similar to 13a). If the definition were to be "not seen" as Miffypops indicates, then how would one classify the remainder of the clue?

I toyed with marking the clue in a manner similar to 9a, 10a, and 16a as:

• 1a   Not seen to take part in the action (3-5)

but could not convince myself of its validity.

While solving the clue, I was thinking in terms of an actor who is off-stage for the moment not be seen by the audience. However, in his review, Miffypops suggests that the clue refers to the non-acting stage hands and other personnel behind the scenes and perhaps that is what we are intended to glean from "not seen to take part [i.e., an acting role]".

6a   Having clear head in panic /is/ seldom seen (6)

9a   Obtain support perhaps with a beating? (4,2)

10a   Grace coming in disguise? (8)

11a   Snooty // head of a religious order (8)

12a   Journalist taken aback by bad news /for/ country (6)

This anagram of NEWS is actually nothing more than a reversal.

13a   They each go to work on foot (12)

16a   Don't give up working as a judge? (4,2,6)

19a   Whole // country is full of conservationists (6)

Eire^[5] is the Gaelic name for Ireland, the official name of the Republic of Ireland from 1937 to 1949.

In Britain, the National Trust^[5] (abbreviation NT) is a trust for the preservation of places of historic interest or natural beauty in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, founded in 1895 and supported by endowment and private subscription. The National Trust for Scotland^[7], a separate organization, was founded in 1931.

21a   A ruse hatched in attempt /to get/ state funds (8)

23a   Reduction in fuel /is/ enormous (8)

24a   Scoffed // with a guard (6)

The Chambers Dictionary [alone among its peers] defines rail^[1] as meaning to scoff; to use vigorously or mockingly reproachful language; to banter; to revile (usually with at or against) ...

25a   We hear an officer // that's at the heart of things (6)

A clue such as this, in which the definition starts with "that's" must be interpreted as though it read "[something] that's at the heart of things".

You may notice that I have marked the definition differently than Miffypops did.

The wordplay in this clue is "We hear an officer". If we were to accept (as Miffypops suggests) that the definition is "the heart of things", then we must somehow account for the remaining words "that's at". The only way to account for these words would be to declare them to be a link phrase between the wordplay and the definition. However, I do not consider "that's at" to be a valid link phrase and, for that reason, I have rejected Miffypops determination of the definition.

Had the clue been slightly modified, Miffypops choice would work. Suppose that the word "at" were removed from the clue. Then the word "that's" would be a valid link word:

• 25a   We hear an officer /that's/ the heart of things (6)

Admittedly, the surface reading of the modified clue is degraded considerably. However, it serves to prove the point that I wish to make.

26a   Covered // outhouse, full of warmth (8)

In Britain, an outhouse^[5] is a building such as a shed or barn that is built on to or in the grounds of a house rather than — as in North America — an outside toilet.

Down

2d   Secure /with/ business increased (4,2)

As a link word, with^[11] is used in the sense of characterized by or having ⇒ a person with intelligence and initiative.

3d   Approximately one thousand held captive /in/ WW1 battle (5)

Surely, as a synonym for approximately, some is an adverb rather than a noun ⇒ some 2000 protesters descended on city hall.

In this type of clue, the solver must infer some implicit elements, including a pause following the first word of the clue. The clue must be interpreted as "[start with] approximately; [then] one thousand held captive [by it]" which parses as SOME (approximately) containing (held captive) M ([Roman numeral for] one thousand).

I did consider including the word "in" as part of the containment indicator (making it "held captive in"). However, I think that it works better as a link word.

4d   Swimmer able to do the crawl? (9)

5d   Measure lawyers try // to ban (7)

An em^[2] is a unit of measurement used in printing.

6d   Spots -- we hear // they appear before the eyes (5)

7d   Responding to // a phone call about disturbing news (9)

As Miffypops points out, this is the second time in this puzzle that we encounter an anagram of NEWS — although this time the setter mixes the letters more thoroughly.

In his review, Miffypops shows the definition as merely being "responding", thereby implying that "to" is a link word:

• 7d   Responding /to/ a phone call about disturbing news (9)

Under my parsing, ANSWERING is a transitive verb (Answering the question proved difficult) whereas under Miffypops' parsing, it is an intransitive verb (Answering truthfully proved difficult).

As a link word, to^[10] would be a preposition used to indicate equality ⇒ 16 ounces to the pound.

8d   What's inside // pleases (8)

13d   Tropic // island produce (9)

A tropic^[5] is the parallel of latitude 23°26ʹ north (tropic of Cancer) or south (tropic of Capricorn) of the equator.

Capri^[5] is an island off the west coast of Italy, south of Naples. Miffypops' hint "a cereal crop grown on a Mediterranean island" is a verbose way of saying "Capri corn".

14d   Fruitful source of oil (5,4)

15d   Runners are trained by this // tall thin type (8)

Runner^[2] is another term for runner bean^[5], a British name for the plant (Phaseolus coccineus) also known as the scarlet runner (which is the name by which we know it in North America).

17d   Noise-makers // startle unexpectedly (7)

18d   Are such blocks used for building windbreaks? (6)

Breeze block^[5] is a British term for a lightweight building brick made from small cinders mixed with sand and cement ⇒ breeze-block huts and cabins.

20d   After rest, student /gives/ help in the classroom (5)

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.

22d   Relocate // garment // workers (5)

A rare triple definition.

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, October 1, 2014 — DT 27486

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27486
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, May 10, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27486 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27486 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: ██ - solved without assistance ██ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools ██ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools ██ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools ██ - 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

Not being up on British radio from more than fifty years ago, I needed a bit of help today! Actually, I was aware of the program but not familiar with the characters portrayed by the comedians that appeared on it.

I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Dish of seafood // an aid to growth (8)

9a   Gaol rich crooked // powerful man (8)

Gaol^[5] is an alternative British spelling of jail [in the surface reading, used as a verb].

10a   Vegetarian food // out of unopened bottles (4)

11a   Veteran using net // more certain to catch fish initially following change (6,6)

Silver surfer^[5] is an informal [likely British] term for an elderly person who is a regular or enthusiastic user of the Internet.

13a   Person drinking // to wake up in vehicle (8)

15a   Bush // expels one from a spy organisation twice (6)

Of course, you should expel one from the first CIA, not the second.

The Central Intelligence Agency^[5] (abbreviation CIA) is a federal agency in the US responsible for coordinating government intelligence activities. Established in 1947 and originally intended to operate only overseas, it has since also operated in the US.

16a   Look over // section of film (4)

Although movies are no longer distributed on reels, most of us can remember when they were.

17a   Was speechless, // taking motorway to sea (5)

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway [controlled access, multi-lane divided highway] in England connecting London to Leeds.

The Med^[5] is an informal, chiefly British name for the Mediterranean Sea.

18a   Ruth /to be/ mine before year (4)

Ruth^[5] is an archaic term denoting a feeling of pity, distress, or grief. Now usually seen only in the adjective ruthless^[5].

20a   Encouragement /to have/ run out in vehicle (6)

In cricket, the abbreviation ro^[2] stands for run out^[7], the dismissal of a batsman by hitting a wicket with the ball while the batsman is out of his ground.

21a   Chamberlain perhaps // to perform round Home Counties (8)

Neville Chamberlain^[5] (1869–1940) was a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister 1937–40. He pursued a policy of appeasement with Germany, signing the Munich Agreement (1938), but was forced to abandon this policy following Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939.

The Home Counties^[5] are the counties surrounding London in southeast (SE) England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire.

23a   Fan to rub down athlete/'s/ essentials (4,3,5)

Usain Bolt^[5] is a Jamaican sprinter. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing he won gold medals in the 100 metre and 200 metre races, setting a new world record time for each. He defended his Olympic titles in 2012, winning gold in the 100 metre and 200 metre races.

26a   The Thames in some parts // is doubled (4)

Isis^[10] is the local name for the River Thames at Oxford, England.

27a   Made step wildly in this (8)

This is a semi-&lit. (semi-all-in-one) clue, a type of clue in which the entire clue provides the definition while a portion of the clue (the part with the dashed underlining) serves as the wordplay. Compare this to the true &lit. clue found at 17d.

28a   Fashion expert // perhaps does clothes symbol (8)

The word "perhaps" indicates that "does" are examples of DEER (others being stags, fawns, etc.).

Down

2d   Forge raw ore in making this (8)

In my opinion, the structure of this clue is the same as that of 27a and I have therefore shown it  similarly as a semi-&lit. (semi-all-in-one) clue.

3d   Senior politicians /will get/ exercise having kick around on sports ground (5,2,5)

I deciphered the "on sports ground" part of the wordplay, but needed crypticsue's explanation for the remainder. The wordplay parses as {USE (exercise) contained in (having ... around) HOOF (kick)} preceding (on; in a down clue) LORDS (sports ground; Lord's).

In the UK, the House of Lords^[5] is the higher chamber of Parliament, composed of peers and bishops.

Lord's Cricket Ground^[7], generally known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is widely referred to as the "home of cricket" and is home to the world's oldest sporting museum. 

4d   Goon // associated with church briefly (6)

The Goon Show^[7] was a British radio comedy programme featuring Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers — originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960. "Mad" Dan Eccles^[7] is the name of a comedy character from the show, created and performed by Spike Milligan.

Eccles.^[10] is an abbreviation for ecclesiastic or ecclesiastical.

5d   Prune supplied energy /for/ run (4)

It would seem that crypticsue has inadvertently underlined the wrong word.

6d   Douglas perhaps sober /getting/ medical treatment (5-3)

The word "perhaps" indicates that "Douglas" is the name of one of several types of FIR.

The Douglas fir^[5] is a tall, slender conifer with soft foliage and, in mature trees, deeply fissured bark. It is widely planted as a timber tree. The tree is named after David Douglas (1798–1834), the Scottish botanist and explorer who introduced it to Europe from North America.

7d   In favour of female // academic (4)

8d   Army chap trained /as/ chemist (8)

In Britain, the term chemist^[5] can mean (1) a shop where medicinal drugs are dispensed and sold, and in which toiletries and other medical goods can be purchased ⇒ antihistamine tablets are freely available in chemists or (2) a person authorized to dispense medicinal drugs.

12d   A paper surprisingly probing revolution // making fresh judgement (12)

14d   Dance /with/ business expert after game at Twickenham (5)

Rugby union^[10] (abbreviation RU^[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).

Twickenham Stadium (usually known as just Twickenham or Twickers) is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest stadium in the world devoted solely to the sport of rugby union, it is the second largest stadium in the UK after Wembley Stadium and the fifth largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is the home of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and as such primarily a venue for rugby union and hosts England's home Test matches. A Test match^[5] is an international cricket or rugby match, typically one of a series, played between teams representing two different countries.

16d   Arsenic's disguised /in/ spicy spirit (8)

17d   I'm involved with venture in which leader's removed (8)

This is an  &lit.^[7] (all-in-one) clue, a type of clue in which the entire clue not only provides the definition (according to one interpretation) but also serves as the wordplay (according to a different interpretation). Compare this clue to the semi-&lit. clues found at 27a and 2d. In both types of clue, the entire clue provides the definition. However, in an &lit. clue, the entire clue serves as the wordplay, whereas in a semi-&lit. clue only a portion of the clue serves as the wordplay.

19d   Speculate /in/ article over origin (8)

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.

22d   Cloak on a small // Greek goddess (6)

In Greek mythology, Pallas^[5] (also Pallas Athene) is one of the names (of unknown meaning) of Athene^[5] (also Athena), the patron goddess of Athens, typically allegorized into a personification of wisdom.

24d   Fox catching a // despicable person (4)

Tod^[10] is a Scot and northern English dialect word for a fox.

Tod is also the name of the fox in The Fox and the Hound^[7], a 1967 novel written by American novelist Daniel P. Mannix on which the 1981 Walt Disney animated film of the same name is loosely based.

25d   Bachelor embarrassed /having/ produced children (4)

I am quite confident that "having" is not part of the definition, but is a link word. As such, have^[10] is likely used in the sense of to receive, take, or obtain — making the overall structure of the clue {[execute the] wordplay} /obtaining/ definition.

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