Friday, August 7, 2015 — DT 27730

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27730
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, February 20, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27730]
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

With Giovanni, one can always count on learning a new word or two. Today's puzzle made a larger contribution than usual to increasing my vocabulary.

The puzzle also has more than the usual number of religious references. We can always expect one or two of these from Giovanni, but he has been very liberal in his use of them today. His fondness for such clues can be attributed to the fact that Don Manley, as he is otherwise known, also serves as crossword editor of the Church Times (an independent Anglican weekly newspaper published in the UK).

On Big Dave's Crossword Blog the Brits are bemoaning the cricket results from New Zealand ("the land of the 2Kiwis") which the BBC reported as "England crushed by New Zealand in World Cup Pool A: England suffered a humiliating eight-wicket thrashing ...England blown away ... [New Zealand cricketer] Brendon McCullum then smashed an 18-ball half-century, the fastest in World Cup history ... Only when McCullum was bowled by Chris Woakes for a 25-ball 77 did England avoid the ignominy of being beaten before the scheduled tea interval".

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 (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Early music without instrumentation (4,6)

Dawn chorus^[5] is a British term for the singing of a large number of birds before dawn each day, particularly during the breeding season ⇒ the dawn chorus woke Robyn at five.

6a   Early man // discovered across Dorset/Hampshire border (4)

In the Bible, Seth^[10] is Adam's third son, given by God in place of the murdered Abel (Genesis 4:25).

Scratching the Surface
Dorset[5] is a county of southwestern England; county town, Dorchester. Dorset borders Hampshire to the east.[7] Hampshire[5] is a county on the coast of southern England; county town, Winchester. It is bordered by Dorset to the west.[7]

10a   Suffering at the back of cold // entrance (5)

11a   Work that could get sewer functioning (9)

I eventually realized that STITCHING was a poor choice.

12a   Room seen through the French // window (7)

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

hide explanation

A lattice^[2] (also lattice window) is a window with small diamond-shaped panels of glass held in place with strips of lead.

13a   Feeble walker /is/ old, retd, drunk (7)

A toddler^[1,3,11] is a person who toddles, especially [but, apparently, not necessarily] a young child learning to walk.

14a   Devil on street with nasty stare // kicks up a fuss (12)

18a   I phone darling, exuding love, naughtily // flirting (12)

21a   Billy may be so // foolish (7)

Billy^[5] is short for billy goat.

Goat^[5] is an informal British term for a stupid person or a fool ⇒ just for once, stop acting the goat.

23a   Girl's shout of surprise seen on reflection /as/ shout of praise (7)

Hosanna^[5] (also hosannah) is a word used (especially in biblical, Judaic, and Christian use) to express adoration, praise, or joy ⇒ Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

24a   Off-putting type /offers/ ridiculous rationale (9)

25a   American university map-maker passes over, // misses out (5)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology^[5] (abbreviation MIT) is a US institute of higher education, famous for scientific and technical research, founded in 1861 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In the UK, OS^[5] stands for Ordnance Survey^[5], an official survey organization, originally under the Master of the Ordnance, preparing large-scale detailed maps of the whole country.

26a   Only part of play heard /or/ watched (4)

27a   Party very loud after food, /making one/ fed up (7,3)

"very loud" = FF (show explanation )

Fortissimo^[5] (abbreviation ff^[5]) is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very loud  or (as an adverb) very loudly.

hide explanation

The link phrase "making one" is equivalent to "creates for one (referring to the solver)".

Down

1d   Under the doctor, upset priest /is/ easily managed (6)

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

2d   Presence /of/ this person beset by anger (6)

"this person" = I (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

3d   Some morticians trained /to offer/ expressions of sympathy (14)

4d   Not awfully inspiring person given promotion // as a commercial traveller? (2,3,4)

5d   Type of Christian // turning up in certain universities (5)

Uniat is an alternative spelling of Uniate^[5], an adjective that means denoting or relating to any community of Christians in eastern Europe or the Near East that acknowledges papal supremacy but retains its own liturgy ⇒ the Uniate churches.

7d   Eat to get over awful toil -- having minimal energy, grow pale (8)

Etiolate^[5] means to make (a plant) pale through lack of light ⇒ the seedling had been etiolated by having been grown in darkness.

8d   Multi-storey // school needing extra money (4-4)

High^[5] is an informal, chiefly North American term for high school ⇒ I go to junior high.

Rise^[5] is the British term for an increase in salary or wages ⇒ non-supervisory staff were given a 5 per cent rise [North American counterpart: raise^[5]].

9d   Act as desperate woman maybe, /making/ terribly wooden response (6,4,4)

... desperately needing to use the facilities!

15d   It's swell having tea thrown in /for/ an extra amount (9)

Cha (or chai) are alternative spellings for char^[5], an informal British name for tea.

16d   Short gypsy dancing, girl /revealed by/ telescope (8)

17d   Antioxidant /from/ plant -- the thing in the morning to be swallowed (7,1)

Vitamin E^[5] is another term for tocopherol — tocopherol^[5] being any of several closely related compounds, found in wheatgerm oil, egg yolk, and leafy vegetables, which collectively constitute vitamin E. They are fat-soluble alcohols with antioxidant properties, important in the stabilization of cell membranes. [Note: Should you happen to feel — as I do — that these definitions are not entirely mutually consistent, please reserve your complaints for the editors at Oxford Dictionaries Online.]

19d   Colour // architect Jones used with encrusted diamonds (6)

Inigo Jones^[5] (1573–1652) was an English architect and stage designer. He introduced the Palladian style to England; notable buildings include the Queen’s House at Greenwich (1616) and the Banqueting Hall at Whitehall (1619).

"diamonds" = D (show explanation )

Diamonds^[2] (abbreviation D^[2]) is one of the four suits of playing-cards.

hide explanation

20d   Church service with bread, one female /getting/ huge piece of crust (6)

Mass^[5] is the celebration of the Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church — Eucharist^[5] being the Christian service, ceremony, or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.

A massif^[5] is a compact group of mountains ⇒ the rock massif of Scotland.

22d   Problem /is/ hard, leading to irritation (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, August 6, 2015 — DT 27729

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27729
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, February 19, 2015
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27729]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By pommers
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

Her Majesty is AWOL from this not-too-taxing puzzle from RayT.

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 (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Planted one's plant // OK (12)

8a   Scruffs // sleep best without cover (5)

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, scruff[5] is an informal British term for a person with a dirty or untidy appearance.

9a   Dogged mongrel's first /to get/ docked (9)

11a   Epoch or so possibly /to create/ stars (9)

12a   Angles /for/ fish on board ship (5)

Ide^[5] is another name for the orfe^[5], a silvery freshwater fish (Leuciscus idus) of the carp family, which is fished commercially in eastern Europe.

"on board ship" = 'contained in SS' (show explanation )

In Crosswordland, you will find that a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS^[10]. Thus "on board ship" (or sometimes merely "on board") is code for 'contained in SS'.

hide explanation

Geometrically speaking, angles and sides are not the same thing at all, yet the phrase "examine something from all angles" means exactly the same thing as "examine something from all sides".

13a   Place set out around clubs /for/ performance (9)

16a   Home, // a chap's castle ultimately (5)

Chap^[5] is an informal British term for a man or a boy.

Bod^[3] is chiefly British slang for a person.

What did he say?
In his review, pommers comments Presumably this chap is an Englishman. A British proverb states an Englishman's home is his castle[5].

18a   Swears // a volume with expressions of pain (5)

19a   Performers // about flipped before 'Hair' (9)

"about" = CA (show explanation )

The preposition circa^[5] (abbreviation c or c.^[5] or ca^[5]), often used preceding a date or an amount, means approximately or about  ⇒ (i) the church was built circa 1860; (ii) he was born ca 1400.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface

Hair[7] (extended title: Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical) is a 1967 rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much comment and controversy. The musical broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical", using a racially integrated cast, and inviting the audience onstage for a "Be-In" finale.

20a   Handle // the continental bird to start (5)

"the continental" = LE (show explanation )

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

hide explanation

The tits, chickadees, and titmice^[7] constitute the Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa. These birds are called either "chickadees" or "titmice" in North America, and just "tits" in the rest of the English-speaking world.

Scratching the Surface
Might bird[5] have been used in the informal British sense of a young woman or a man’s girlfriend.

22a   Outgoing // former husband sober embracing pet? (9)

"sober" = TT (show explanation )

Teetotal^[5] (abbreviation TT^[5]) means choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol ⇒ a teetotal lifestyle.

The term is an emphatic extension of total, apparently first used by Richard Turner, a worker from Preston [England], in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol, rather than mere abstinence from spirits, as advocated by some early temperance reformers.

hide explanation

25a   Extremely cerebral peak // of superlative brilliance (9)

Note that since the solution is an adjective, the word "of" must be part of the definition.

Mount Everest^[5] is a mountain in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Rising to 8,848 m (29,028 ft), it is the highest mountain in the world; it was first climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

26a   Maradona, say, /with/ pass after pass (5)

Diego Maradona^[7] is a retired Argentine professional footballer [soccer player]. Regarded by many to be the greatest football player of all time, he was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with retired Brazilian professional footballer Pelé^[7] who is also widely regarded to be the greatest player of all time.

27a   Feeling // quietly hurt taking in Independent (12)

"quietly" = P (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

"Independent" = I (show explanation )

I^[1] is the abbreviation for independent, likely in the context of a politician with no party affiliation. 

hide explanation

Down

1d   Fantastic character // turning round our sphere? (9)

2d   Demands to support Tory leader/'s/ charges (5)

3d   Painting /of/ dry French commmanding officer (5)

This "commmanding officer" seems to have over-indulged on m&m's.

In French, sec^[8] is an adjective meaning dry.

Secco^[5] (also fresco secco) is the technique of painting on dry plaster with pigments mixed in water.

4d   A salute keeping soldiers /in/ conformity (9)

5d   Time went slow catching second // shift (9)

6d   Regretted admitting Left // governed (5)

7d   Eager /to see/ thin, sauciest pants (12)

As an anagram indicator, pants^[5] is used in an informal British sense meaning rubbish or nonsense ⇒ he thought we were going to be absolute pants.

Behind the picture
In his review, pommers includes a photo of a pair of pants. In Britain, the word pants[5] does not mean trousers. Rather, it refers to underwear — specifically men's undershorts or women's panties (the latter otherwise known as knickers to the Brits). Thus if I were to take off my pants in the UK, I would be far more exposed than if I were to do so in North America!

10d   Pansies don't flourish outside current // allotment (12)

"current" = I (show explanation )

In physics, I^[5] is the symbol for electric current. 

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, allotment[5] is used in a British sense meaning a plot of land rented by an individual for growing vegetables or flowers. This term is also used in Canada — at least in Ottawa — although one would be more apt to hear the longer version of the name, allotment garden[7].

14d   Bland // mousse? Let's attempt to eat it up (9)

15d   Fickle person/'s/ home with clean guttering (9)

As an anagram indicator, gutter^[5] is used in the sense (of a candle or flame) to flicker and burn unsteadily.

Used figuratively, chameleon^[5] denotes a person who changes their opinions or behaviour according to the situation ⇒ voters have misgivings about his performance as a political chameleon.

17d   Dirtiest // old boy's oddly clean bedsit (9)

"old boy" = OB (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
Bedsit[5] (also bedsitter or bed-sitting room) is a British term for a one-roomed unit of accommodation typically consisting of combined bedroom and sitting room with cooking facilities.

21d   The Conservatives possibly including 'one // of them' (5)

23d   All players /show/ disapproving expression by half-time (5)

In music, tutti^[5] is a direction indicating that a passage is to be performed with all voices or instruments together.

24d   Love died in fiction /of/ classic film perhaps (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, August 5, 2015 — DT 27728

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27728
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27728]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By 2Kiwis
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

Yesterday, the game was cricket. Today, it is rugby — with a bit of soccer corruption thrown in for good measure.

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 (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Minor damage with vehicle shunted at rear /is/ a form of lottery (11)

As a verb, shunt^[2,10] is an informal British term meaning to crash (a car), especially one in the back of another and, as a noun, shunt^[2,5,10] denotes a minor motor vehicle accident, especially a collision of vehicles travelling one close behind the other ⇒ a lorry [truck] shed [spilled] its load, causing an eight-vehicle shunt.

9a   Head back after sailor/'s/ major win (7)

"sailor" = jack (show explanation )

The entry for jack in The Chambers Dictionary would fill a page if it were not spread over parts of two pages. Among the definitions, one finds jack^[1] defined as (often with capital) a sailor.

hide explanation

10a   A time trial // witness (6)

12a   Go on // about horse (7)

"about" = C (show explanation )

The preposition circa^[5] (abbreviation c or c.^[5]), often used preceding a date, means approximately or about  ⇒ the church was built circa 1860.

hide explanation

Chunter^[5] is an informal British term meaning to talk or grumble monotonously ⇒ she chuntered on about her problems.

13a   Posh type importing pot /is/ to stop operating (4,3)

Toff^[5] is an informal, derogatory British term for a rich or upper-class person.

14a   Characters in panto use lewdness, /getting/ the bird (5)

Ousel is an alternative spelling of ouzel^[5], a bird that resembles the blackbird.

Scratching the Surface
Panto[5] is an informal British short form for pantomime (show explanation ). A pantomime[5] is a traditional British theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas. hide explanation

15a   Flier/'s/ surprisingly great pride curtailed (9)

17a   Any sadist must be worried /in/ religious occasion (6,3)

A saint's day^[5] is a day on which a saint is particularly commemorated in the Christian Church.

20a   Television given to engineers /may be/ adjusted (5)

"engineers" = RE (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

22a   Line adopted by FIFA fixed court // trouble (7)

"court" = CT (show explanation )

Ct^[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and possibly in other contexts as well.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
FIFA[5] (acronym from French Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the international governing body of soccer [known in much of the world as "association football"], formed in 1904 and based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Apparently the fix referred to in the clue was not a lasting one. Following the February appearance of this clue in the UK, the US Justice department in May indicted fourteen current and former FIFA officials^[7], charging them with a variety of offences including wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.

24a   Unhappy tale about pixie going back /for/ flier (7)

25a   Stops // to invest £1000 in Scottish banks (6)

"£1000" = K (show explanation )

K^[5] (or k) is an informal representation of thousand (used chiefly in expressing salaries or other sums of money) ⇒ he earns about £50K a year.

hide explanation

Brae^[5] is Scottish for a steep bank or hillside.

26a   Complaint // left university doctor with a turn (7)

In Crosswordland, a complaint is often medical in nature.

"doctor" = MB (show explanation )

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine^[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree. 

hide explanation

27a   Disagreement /from/ centre to new Members of Parliament (11)

Down

2d   Limit put on Italian (old, but unfinished) // government building (7)

"Italian" = IT (show explanation )

There are a couple of ways to explain this coding:

• It.^[10] is an abbreviation for Italian or Italy.
• Italian^[10] is another name for Italian vermouth. It^[5] is an informal, dated British term for Italian vermouth ⇒ he poured a gin and it.

hide explanation

In the US, a capitol^[5] is a building housing a legislative assembly ⇒ the work is on display at the Utah state capitol. The Capitol^[5] is the seat of the US Congress in Washington, DC.

3d   Invertebrate // rook oddly found in new hardtop (9)

Scratching the Surface
One has to dig deep to attribute any meaningful context to the surface reading of this clue. As an adjective, invertebrate[2] denotes having no strength of character. Rook[10] is a slang term for a swindler or cheat, especially one who cheats at cards. Therefore, we find a cheat with no backbone in an auto with a detachable roof.

An arthropod^[4] is any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda, having jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an exoskeleton made of chitin. The group includes the crustaceans, insects, arachnids, and centipedes.

4d   Plan // talk about source of Rhine (5)

Scratching the Surface
The Rhine[5] is a river in western Europe which rises in the Swiss Alps and flows for 1,320 km (820 miles) to the North Sea. It forms the border between Germany and Switzerland in the south, then Germany and France, before flowing north through Germany and westwards through the Netherlands to empty into the North Sea near Rotterdam.

5d   Supplier of food /for/ three queens? (7)

A queen^[5] is an adult female cat that has not been spayed.

"queen" = ER (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

6d   Answer /from/ soldiers on South Atlantic (7)

These soldiers make their second appearance today.

"soldiers" = RE (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

The pond^[5] is a humorous way to refer to the Atlantic Ocean ⇒ he’s relatively unknown on this side of the pond.

7d   Flying jet, so create // a form of escape (7,4)

On the question of ejector seat versus ejection seat, my British dictionaries appear to be divided. According to Oxford Dictionaries Online and Collins English Dictionary, ejector seat^[5,10] is an alternative term for ejection seat^[5,10]. On the other hand, The Chambers Dictionary and Chambers 21st Century Dictionary both show ejection seat as being the US term for ejector seat^[1,2].

Both of my American dictionaries — the American Heritage® Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary — list only the ejection seat version of the name.

8d   Packs // amounts needed to cover credit (6)

The definition here might refer specifically to rugby or it may have been intended in a more general sense.

In rugby, pack^[10] denotes the the forwards of a team or both teams collectively, as in a scrum or in rucking (show explanation ).

A ruck^[10] is a loose scrum that forms around the ball when it is on the ground. As a verb, ruck^[10] denotes the action of trying to win the ball by advancing over it when it is on the ground, driving opponents backwards in the process.

hide explanation

In rugby, a scrum^[5] is the act or method of restarting play after an infringement when the two opposing packs of forwards group together with heads down and arms interlocked and push to gain ground while the scrum half throws the ball in and the hookers attempt to scoop it out to their own team. A scrum is usually called by the referee (set scrum) but may be formed spontaneously (loose scrum [or ruck]).

In a more general sense, scrum^[5] is an informal British term for a disorderly crowd of people or things ⇒ there was quite a scrum of people at the bar.

A pack^[5] may be (1) a group of wild animals, especially wolves, living and hunting together or (2) a group of hounds kept and used for hunting. Although not specifically shown in the dictionaries that I consulted, presumably these uses can be extended to figuratively refer to a group of people who behave like animals.

In Canada, impromptu press conferences in which politicians face packs of reporters in the corridor outside the House of Commons are called media scrums.

11d   Deliberate pretence /of/ kindness, embracing volunteers (11)

"volunteers" = TA (show explanation )

In the UK, Territorial Army^[5] (abbreviation TA^[5]) at one time was the name of a volunteer force founded in 1908 to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined military personnel for use in an emergency. Since 2013, it has been called the Army Reserve.

hide explanation

16d   Athletic prince at university? (5,4)

The clue is a play on the term royal blue^[5] which is a deep, vivid blue.

In Britain, a blue^[5] is a person who has represented Cambridge University (a Cambridge blue) or Oxford University (an Oxford blue) at a particular sport in a match between the two universities ⇒ a flyweight boxing blue. This usage almost certainly arises from the colours associated with these universities — and hence the colour of the uniforms worn by their athletes. Cambridge blue^[5] is a pale blue colour, while Oxford blue^[5] is a dark blue, typically with a purple tinge.

Thus, a member of the royal family who happens to participate in such a sport could be termed a "royal blue".

18d   Gather refusal /means/ hell (7)

Inferno^[5] is another word for  Hell (with reference to Dante’s Divine Comedy).

19d   Wood/'s/ parking fine outside hospital? (7)

20d   Plan // to redraft top drama tons rejected (4,3)

21d   Unfortunately up in the morning /for/ a greeting (6)

Salaam^[5] is a common greeting in many Arabic-speaking and Muslim countries.

23d   Agreement as Telegraph shows // discrimination? (5)

Scratching the Surface

The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning UK English language broadsheet newspaper, published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B. Sleigh in June 1855 as The Daily Telegraph and Courier, and since 2004 has been owned by David and Frederick Barclay (who acquired it from Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc.). The Daily Telegraph has a sister paper, The Sunday Telegraph. The two printed papers are run separately with different editorial staff, but there is some cross-usage of stories. News articles published in either, plus online Telegraph articles, may also be published on the Telegraph Media Group's www.telegraph.co.uk website, all under The Telegraph title. The Daily Telegraph, of course, is the paper in which this puzzle first appeared. At one time, the National Post and The Daily Telegraph were both owned by Conrad Black.

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, August 4, 2015 — DT 27727

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27727
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27727]
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
Notes
The National Post has skipped DT 27725 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, February 14, 2015 and which appeared on this blog yesterday as a Bonus Puzzle as well as DT 27726 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, February 16, 2015.

Introduction

This puzzle should provide a fairly quick solve. Not only are the clues reasonably easy, but there are relatively few Briticisms (aside from the heavy dose of cricket at 5d) and it contains only 26 clues — being, to the best of my knowledge, the smallest number that is ever seen in a puzzle.

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 (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

5a   Straighten out // Charlie, humorist at university (5,2)

"Charlie" = C (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

Edward Lear^[5] (1812–88) was an English humorist and illustrator. He wrote A Book of Nonsense (1845) and Laughable Lyrics (1877). He also published illustrations of birds and of his travels around the Mediterranean.

"at university" = UP (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

7a   Article about bishop assigned to a // Scottish island (5)

"bishop" = RR (show explanation )

Right Reverend^[5] (abbreviation RR^[2]) is a title given to a bishop, especially in the Anglican Church ⇒ the Right Reverend David Jenkins, Bishop of Durham.

hide explanation

Arran^[5] is an island in the Firth of Clyde, in the west of Scotland.

9a   Lets off steam following English // results (6)

Event^[10] is used in the sense of the actual or final outcome or result (especially in the phrases in the event and after the event).

10a   Heading for blue reptile heard /in/ snowstorm (8)

In his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Gazza observes The surface doesn’t mean a lot — a sentiment that I endorse.

11a   Houses // decent couples (10)

13a   Pressure /in/ eliminating round (4)

14a   There may be rhyme but no reason in it (8,5)

16a   Board // express crossing heart of Austria (4)

Board^[5] is used in the sense of to live and receive regular meals in a house in return for payment or services.

17a   Bad luck /in/ firm going to Cheshire? (4,6)

Scratching the Surface
Cheshire[5] is a county of west central England; county town, Chester.

Cheshire^[5] is a kind of firm crumbly cheese, originally made in Cheshire.

Hard cheese^[5] is an informal British phrase used to express sympathy over a petty matter ⇒ jolly hard cheese, better luck next time!.

19a   So long, // some essay on a rainforest (8)

Sayonara^[5] is an informal, chiefly US exclamation [of Japanese origin] meaning goodbye ⇒ the beautiful Diana was twenty-one when she said sayonara.

20a   Bloody stupid // former pupil (3,3)

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.

Scratching the Surface
Bloody[5] is an informal, chiefly British term used to express anger, annoyance, or shock, or simply for emphasis  ⇒ (i) you took your bloody time; (ii) bloody Hell!—what was that?; (iii) it’s bloody cold outside.

22a   Diet round fifth of September, /then/ wine and dine (5)

23a   Hat // ripped to show most of costly lining (7)

Down

1d   Bird/'s/ tail, not small (4)

2d   Keep // drop of plonk on ice (8)

3d   Tooth decay /in/ canine, showing the first sign (6)

In his review, Gazza parses this clue as:

• C (canine; abbreviation in dentistry [found in The Chambers Dictionary]) + (showing) ARIES (the first sign [of the zodiac])

My interpretation was slightly different:

• C (canine, showing the first; first letter of Canine) + ARIES (sign [of the zodiac])

I'm afraid that I can't fully buy into Gazza's explanation as I am somewhat uncomfortable with "showing" as a charade indicator.

In astrology, Aries^[10] (also called the Ram) is the first sign of the zodiac, symbol ♈, having a cardinal fire classification, ruled by the planet Mars. The sun is in this sign between about March 21 and April 19.

4d   Chief // unbalanced atop mount? (5,5)

Crazy Horse^[5] (circa 1849–1877) was a Sioux chief; Sioux name Ta-Sunko-Witko. A leading figure in the resistance to white settlement on American Indian land, he was at the centre of the confederation that defeated General Custer at Little Bighorn (1876). He surrendered in 1877 and was killed in custody.

5d   Fielder // caught six balls, one after the other (5)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c.^[2,10] or c^[5] denotes caught or caught by.

In cricket, similar to baseball, one way for a batsman to be dismissed is to be caught out^[5], that is for a player on the opposing team to catch a ball that has been hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.

hide explanation

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 (show explanation ), after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

In cricket, the pitch^[5] is the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps ⇒ both batsmen were stranded in the middle of the pitch. 

hide explanation

In cricket, cover^[5] (short for cover point^[5]) denotes (1) a fielding position a little in front of the batsman on the off side (show explanation ) and halfway to the boundary (show explanation ) or (2) a fielder at cover point ⇒ an easy catch by Hick at cover.

In cricket, the off^[5]  (also called off side) is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) towards which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball.  The other half of the field is known as either the leg^[5] (also called leg side) or on^[5] (also called on side) ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg.

hide explanation

In cricket, the term boundary^[10] refers to (1) the marked limit of the playing area, (2) a stroke that hits the ball beyond this limit, or (3) the four or six runs scored with such a stroke. If the ball touches the ground before crossing the boundary (similar to a ground rule double in baseball), four runs are scored. However, if the ball crosses the boundary without touching the ground (similar to a home run in baseball), six runs are scored.

hide explanation

6d   VIP can bluster, maddening // government employee (6,7)

8d   Raced over to judge // to tell a story (7)

12d   Mint // coin -- sovereign, perhaps (10)

In Britain's current decimal currency system, a penny^[5] is a bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound.

The pennyroyal^[5] is either of two small-leaved plants of the mint family, used in herbal medicine. They are a creeping Eurasian plant (Mentha pulegium) and American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides).

14d   Rather // less than fifty per cent (3,4)

Not half^[5] is an informal British expression meaning to an extreme degree or very much so ⇒ she didn’t half flare up! [meaning that she flared up up to an extreme degree (she was not merely "half upset" but fully upset) or, in other words, she hit the roof].

15d   Winner rejected first-class // carriage (8)

"first class" = AI (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

Historically, a victoria^[5] (named after Queen Victoria) was a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a collapsible hood, seats for two passengers, and an elevated driver’s seat in front ⇒ Atlanta 's finest could promenade in phaetons, victorias and tallyhos pulled by gleaming horses.

17d   Try on extremely tasteless // suit (6)

18d   Demonstrated // how to fill tin (5)

"tin" = SN (show explanation )

The symbol for the chemical element tin is Sn^[5] (from late Latin stannum).

hide explanation

21d   Crucifix put up /in/ entrance (4)

A rood^[5] is a crucifix, especially one positioned above the rood screen of a church or on a beam over the entrance to the chancel.

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