Thursday, May 5, 2016 — DT 27991

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27991
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27991]
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 27990 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, December 22, 2015.

Introduction

The editors at the National Post continue to shun Rufus, once again skipping his Monday puzzle. This contributed to me being a bit late on parade today. On top of that complication, I also wrote the review that appears today on Big Dave's Crossword Blog for the puzzle published in The Daily Telegraph.

In an unusual — for me — moment of inspiration, I suspected quite early that the puzzle might be a pangram (one in which every letter of the alphabet appears at least once in the solution). As was the case for Gazza, that suspicion turned out to be the key to solving 6d.

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

8a   Don't make me laugh: // instruction to trainee bellringer? (4,3,5,3)

9a   Antelope // bagged by foreign upstart (3)

The gnu^[5] (also called wildebeest) is either of two species of large dark antelope with a long head, a beard and mane, and a sloping back.

10a   Mum and dad, perhaps // oddly impersonal entertaining daughter (11)

11a   Fur, // black, entered in auction (5)

Sable^[5] is the fur of a marten (Martes zibellina) with a short tail and dark brown fur, native to Japan and Siberia and valued for its fur.

12a   Evicted // Doctor of Divinity shown around island cottage (9)

My initial erroneous attempt to decipher the clue led me down the garden path to DISHOUSED, DD (Doctor of Divinity; abbrev.) containing (shown round) {IS (island; abbrev.) + HOUSE (cottage)}.

This was correct aside from having the wrong synonym for cottage. However, it certainly played havoc with my efforts in the southeast quadrant.

15a   Arab /from/ second tribe featured in article (7)

The meaning of Saracen^[10] has evolved over the ages. At the time of the Roman Empire, it meant a member of one of the nomadic Arabic tribes, especially of the Syrian desert, that harassed the borders of the Roman Empire in that region. Later, at the time of the crusades, the name was used for a Muslim, especially one who opposed the crusades. Later yet again, the term came to mean any Arab.

17a   Swindler swindled? // Turn a blind eye (7)

Do^[5] is an informal British term meaning to swindle ⇒ a thousand pounds for one set of photos — Jacqui had been done.

As Gazza points out in his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog [The] Chambers [Dictionary] doesn’t recognise the first word on its own as meaning a swindler – it usually has to be followed by another word such as ‘artist’. I might add that I came up with the same result in the several other dictionaries that I consulted.

19a   Powerful ruler /in/ old marquee introduced to head (9)

20a   Member of religious group // sitting in orchestra stalls (5)

Rasta^[5] is an informal short form for Rastafarian^[5], an adherent of Rastafarianism — a religious movement of Jamaican origin. Rastafarians believe that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was the Messiah and that blacks are the chosen people and will eventually return to their African homeland. They 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.

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading would seem to have a bit of a North American flavour — which is not unusual in a "Tuesday" puzzle. Orchestra stalls[10] is another word for orchestra[10] in the mainly US and Canadian sense denoting what the Brits know as the stalls* in a theatre. * Stalls[5] is a British term for the seats on the ground floor in a theatre.

21a   Carpenter's power-driven piece of machinery // noticed on flier (8,3)

24a   Break down // rubbish (3)

In the second definition, rubbish^[3] is used in the sense of foolish discourse or nonsense and rot^[3] is used in the sense of pointless talk or nonsense ⇒ She always talks such rot.

25a   Dark horse, // any one of the last three characters? (7,8)

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

Down

1d   Sudden downpour /in/ Cape followed by noisy crack (10)

C.^[5,10] is an abbreviation for Cape used on maps as part of a name ⇒ C. Hatteras.

2d   Basic // flat round centre of Ripon (6)

Scratching the Surface
Flat[5] is the British term for what would be called an apartment[5] in North America. Ripon[7] is a city in North Yorkshire, England. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally significant, as well as the Ripon Racecourse and other features such as its market. The city itself is just over 1,300 years old.

3d   Ring a teacher at university over North American // drug (10)

Bell^[5] is an informal British term meaning to telephone (someone) ⇒ no problem, I’ll bell her tomorrow.

A don^[10] is a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

Subtle Distinction
In his review, Gazza quite correctly shows the NA at the end of the solution as being "the abbreviations for North and American". This accords with my findings as all the dictionaries that I consulted show NA[1,2,3,4,5,10,11] as being the abbreviation for North America but not for North American whereas A[1] can be the abbreviation for either America or American.

Belladonna^[5], another name for the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), is also the name of a drug prepared from the leaves and root of deadly nightshade, containing atropine.

4d   Small tailless fish // cause amazement (4)

5d   Awfully neat word /for/ 'destroy' (4,4)

6d   Shoot // reserve, male (4)

7d   Fully acquainted /with/ poetry with depth (6)

8d   Margaret's astride a US // steed that's legendary (7)

Peg^[7] is an abbreviation of Peggy (given name), itself a diminutive of the name Margaret.

In Greek mythology, Pegasus^[5], is a winged horse which sprang from the blood of Medusa when Perseus cut off her head.

13d   Acknowledged // fuss: c-clue's faulty (10)

14d   Freight carrier, // reliable type (5,5)

Goods train^[5] is the British term for freight train^[5], a train for carrying goods rather than people ⇒ a goods train carrying iron ore derailed near the town.

16d   Magician // working in clubs, member of panel (8)

C^[1] is the abbreviation for clubs, a suit in a deck of cards.

18d   Just // ten appear in play in cathedral city (7)

The Diocese of Ely^[7] is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in the city of Ely.

19d   Collect // truck (4-2)

20d   Arguing /in/ line in front of gymnasium (6)

22d   Dissolute man /in/ horse-drawn carriage blowing top (4)

Historically, a brake^[5] was an open horse-drawn carriage with four wheels.

23d   Relative // lean and haggard? Not good (4)

"good" = G (show explanation )

The abbreviation G^[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

hide explanation

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, May 4, 2016 — DT 27989

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27989
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, December 19, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27989 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27989 – 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

Today's offering from a mystery "Saturday" setter has a bit of a Scottish flavour.

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   Ruin simple mechanical part /in/ kitchen appliance (10)

Dish^[5] is an informal, chiefly British term denoting to utterly destroy or defeat ⇒ the election interview dished Labour’s chances.

6a   Unwanted messages /and/ plans sent back (4)

9a   Mineral // gunners kept in container (5)

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery^[7] (RA), is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.

Borax^[5] is a white compound which occurs as a mineral in some alkaline salt deposits and is used in making glass and ceramics, as a metallurgical flux, and as an antiseptic. It is a hydrated sodium borate (chemical formula Na₂B₄O₇10H₂O).

10a   Fashionable French writer takes ship /for/ northern city (9)

Jules Verne^[5] ( 1828–1905) was a French novelist. One of the first writers of science fiction, he often anticipated later scientific and technological developments, as in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1870). Other novels include Around the World in Eighty Days (1873).

"ship" = SS (show explanation )

In Crosswordland, a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS^[5] ⇒ the SS Canberra.

hide explanation

Inverness^[5] is a city in Scotland, administrative centre of Highland council area, situated at the mouth of the River Ness; population 41,200 (est. 2009).

12a   'Topple Tunisia' ordered // Roman governor (7,6)

Pontius Pilate^[5] (died circa 36 AD) was Roman procurator of Judaea circa 26-circa 36. He is remembered for presiding at the trial of Jesus Christ and authorizing his crucifixion.

Scratching the Surface
Tunisia[5] is a country in North Africa; population 10,486,300 (est. 2009); official language, Arabic; capital, Tunis.

14a   I will set down after nasty chap with current // American car (8)

Cad^[5,10] is a dated informal British term for a man who behaves dishonourably, especially towards a woman ⇒ her adulterous cad of a husband.

15a   English hunt's regressive // reputation (6)

Meet^[5] is a British term for a gathering of riders and hounds before a hunt begins ⇒ she fell from her horse during a weekend meet.

17a   Aquatic creatures // returning fight around river (6)

19a   Witness is able to put across artist — // producer of graffiti? (5,3)

"artist" = RA (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

21a   Anne perhaps to deal with broadcast /in/ a Scottish way (7,6)

Princess Anne^[5], the Princess Royal, is the daughter of Elizabeth II. [I note that her father does not rate a mention.]

Princes Street^[7] is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km) from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street has virtually no buildings on the south side, allowing panoramic views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, and the valley between.

24a   Decline on working -- showing this? (9)

A semi-all-in-one which has wordplay (marked with dashed underline) embedded in the definition (entire clue).

25a   Nobleman by end of party // having good time (5)

I am not sure the clue quite works. The definition must be either "having good time" or merely "good time" (with "having" then acting as a link word). However, early is "in good time".

26a   Flat // race maybe failing to finish (4)

Scratching the Surface
A flat race[5] is a horse race over a course with no jumps, as opposed to a steeplechase or hurdles.

27a   Sewer /of/ open water leading to mass anxiety (10)

"mass" = M (show explanation )

In physics, the symbol m^[5] is used to represent mass.

hide explanation

Down

1d   Obligation /of/ first appearance leaving university (4)

2d   Get rid of journalist /that's/ played violin badly (7)

3d   Speaking enthusiastically /of/ disc with song Los Angeles rejected (6,7)

Wax^[5] is an informal term meaning to make a recording of ⇒ (i) he waxed a series of tracks that emphasized his lead guitar work; (ii) (as noun waxing) the latest waxing by the Grams.

4d   Blade -- // I am just the thing to open old wound (8)

A scimitar^[5] is a short sword with a curved blade that broadens towards the point, used originally in Eastern countries.

5d   Presley with energy overwhelming island/'s/ little folk (5)

"energy" = E (show explanation )

In physics, E^[5] is a symbol used to represent energy.

hide explanation

Elvis Presley^[5] (1935–1977) was an American rock-and-roll and pop singer; full name Elvis Aaron Presley. He was the dominant personality of early rock and roll with songs such as ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (both 1956). He also made a number of films, including King Creole (1958).

7d   Churchman // to talk at length about the Spanish (7)

"the Spanish" = EL (show explanation )

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8].

hide explanation

Prelate^[5] is a formal or historical term for a bishop or other high ecclesiastical dignitary.

8d   Quiz /in which/ dimmest ran out (10)

Mastermind^[7] is a British television quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.

Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed—four and in later contests five or six contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II.

11d   Getting back /in/ control before declaration (13)

13d   Assistant /from/ place comic upset (10)

16d   Raised issue /that's/ against the current (8)

18d   Aimless motion // makes Ted wild (7)

20d   Set // place to rest on lake (7)

22d   Following // church after wrongdoing (5)

"church" = CE (show explanation )

The Church of England^[10] (abbreviation CE^[10]) is the reformed established state Church in England, Catholic in order and basic doctrine, with the Sovereign as its temporal head.

hide explanation

23d   Those in favour /will give/ a positive response (4)

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 — DT 27988

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27988
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, December 18, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27988]
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

For Deep Threat this puzzle presented a difficulty level of merely a single star. Obviously, he is far more knowledgeable than I in the field of theology. While we can always expect one or two religious references from Giovanni, he has used one today with which I was not at all familiar. My research mired me in the middle of a theological debate between those who believe in a midtribulation rapture and those who adhere to a pretribulation rapture. It also led me to some interesting connotations of the name of a prominent US politician.

Giovanni's 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).

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   Half of allies will be this, // beyond everything (5,3)

5a   Eagerly desire /to have/ a dreamy Oxford feature (6)

Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England and famous worldwide for its prestigious university, the oldest in the English-speaking world. In his poem ‘Thyrsis’ the Victorian poet Matthew Arnold called Oxford ‘the city of dreaming spires’ after the stunning architecture of these university buildings.

9a   Enclosed area /in which/ one may see car dry out (9)

11a   Male is having hesitation -- // not the most generous fellow! (5)

12a   Show remorse /as/ initiators of ruthless enterprise, then shut up (6)

13a   Gentle pieces of poetry enthralling artist -- they are sweet (8)

"gentle" = P (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

"artist" = RA (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

Praline^[5] denotes:

1. a smooth, sweet substance made by boiling nuts in sugar and grinding the mixture, used especially as a filling for chocolates ⇒ white chocolate and praline cheesecake; or
2. a chocolate filled with praline ⇒ pralines laced with alcohol.

15a   Smart heretics ruined // a feature of the festive season (9,4)

Remember, this puzzle appeared in the UK in mid-December.

18a   Lose enthusiasm, // as one deprived of heat and water could (3,3,2,5)

The later part of the clue is a cryptic definition giving a literal example of the solution.

22a   Delightful // cleaner of a bygone time in China (8)

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

Ming^[5] is the name of the dynasty that ruled China 1368–1644 founded by Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398).

23a   Come down // in flames (6)

26a   Stranger // story embedded within article (5)

27a   Protest about naughty // form of government (9)

Demo^[5] is a chiefly British term for a public meeting or march protesting against something or expressing views on a political issue ⇒ a peace demo.

28a   Having a floor covering /that is/ rough (6)

29a   Picture /of/ foreign river -- river with distinguishing feature (8)

The Po^[7] is a river that arises in the Cottian Alps and flows eastward across northern Italy entering the Adriatic Sea through a delta near Venice.

Down

1d   /In/ truth // Bill has a position as a minister (8)

The positioning of the link word "in" at the beginning of the clue initially threw me. Giovanni has inverted the sentence structure of the clue to enhance the surface reading. If written in a normal sentence structure the clue would read:

• Bill has a position as a minister /in/ truth (8)

A curacy^[5] is the office of a curate, or the tenure of this ⇒ he served his curacy in Northampton.

Curate^[5] may mean:

1. (also assistant curate) a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest; or
2. (archaic) a minister with pastoral responsibility.

2d   The last noise // maybe in a club? (5)

I did consider that the solution might be TRUMP but rejected it as implausible, settling instead for THUMP (which I figured would likely be the last noise one might hear if hit over the head with a club).

Trump^[5] is an archaic term for a trumpet or a trumpet blast.

The Biblical references pertinent to the clue are as follows:

• Paul wrote to the Church at Thessalonica, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thess. 4:16-17).
• In an epistle to the Church at Corinth, Paul said "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (I Cor. 15:51-52).
• In the Book of Revelation, seven angels sound their trumpets of judgment in succession marking the stages in the destruction of the earth. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ... And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." (Rev. 11:15,19).

Biblical scholars disagree as to whether the last trump (the trump of God) referred to by St Paul is the same as the seventh trumpet (the trumpet blown by the seventh angel) in the Book of Revelation. In his review, Deep Threat would appear to have used an illustration depicting the later.

Digressing

Given the current prominence of the name "Trump", you may find some of my other discoveries to be interesting and/or amusing: Come up trumps[5] (or turn up trumps) is an informal, chiefly British expression meaning (of a person or situation) to have a better performance or outcome than expected. Trump[5] is an informal, dated* term for a helpful or admirable person. * I am sure some may have an explanation for why the word has lost this meaning. Trump[5] is an informal term meaning to break wind audibly.

The latter definition suggests another interpretation of the clue. If the occurrence were more than just audible, perhaps it was the last noise in the club before everyone beat a hasty retreat.

3d   TV bosses show an interest in these // sailors (7)

Rating^[5] is a British term for a non-commissioned sailor in the navy ⇒ the rest of the new crew was made up of naval ratings. [So named from the position or rating held by a sailor, recorded on a ship's books.]

4d   King // to gain knowledge when knight has fled (4)

"knight" = N (show explanation )

A knight^[5] is a chess piece, typically with its top shaped like a horse’s head, that moves by jumping to the opposite corner of a rectangle two squares by three. Each player starts the game with two knights.

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

As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines: 

• K^[2] as an abbreviation used in chess for knight. 
• K^[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a king. 
• N^[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a knight.

The dictionary fails to specify how one differentiates an abbreviation from a symbol.

On the other hand, both The Chambers Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary list K or K.^[1,11] as an abbreviation for knight without specifying the specific context in which this abbreviation is used. However, the context may well be in an honours list rather than in a game of chess. In the UK, for instance, KBE^[5] stands for Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

hide explanation

King Lear^[7] is a tragedy by English playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. Lear^[5], a legendary early king of Britain, is mentioned by the 12th century Welsh chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1139; first printed in 1508), an account of the kings of Britain.

6d   More unsuspecting // learner taken in by silly smile (7)

"learner" = L (show explanation )

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 jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

hide explanation

7d   In wickedness prophet is said /to be/ hypocritical (9)

8d   Say engineers will be needed on ship /to provide/ exit (6)

"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

"steamship" = SS (show explanation )

SS^[5] is the abbreviation for steamship ⇒ the SS Canberra.

hide explanation

Usually the phrase "on ship" indicates a containment operation ('contained in SS'). However, in this case it indicates a charade ('on top of SS').

10d   I repeatedly snored dreadfully -- // a laughing stock (8)

A derision^[10] is an object of mockery or scorn.

14d   I am some sort of dog, little fellow /to be/ opposed (8)

16d   Wounded grenadier /is/ studying again (9)

In Britain, to read^[5] means to study (an academic subject) at a university ⇒ (i) I’m reading English at Cambridge; (ii) he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

17d   It presents a purple colour -- // as may the drunk on street (8)

Amethyst^[5] is a precious stone consisting of a violet or purple variety of quartz.

19d   Candidate /has/ no source of wealth before start of election (7)

20d   Court /is/ thus within the law (7)

21d   City den /supplying/ cake (6)

"city" = EC (show explanation )

In the clue, the setter uses "city" to stand for for the EC postcode which serves the City of London [postcode being the British counterpart of the Canadian postal code or American zip code]. The EC (Eastern Central) postcode area^[7] (also known as the London EC postcode area) is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes almost all of the City of London as well as parts of several other London boroughs.

The City of London^[7] (not to be confused with the city of London) is a city and ceremonial county within London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the conurbation has since grown far beyond the City's borders. The City of London is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London. It is one of two districts of London to hold city status, the other being the adjacent City of Westminster.

The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City (often written as just "City" and differentiated from the phrase "the city of London" by capitalising "City") and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km²), in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. This is analogous to the use of the terms Wall Street and Bay Street to refer to the financial institutions located in New York and Toronto respectively.

hide explanation

An eclair^[10] is a finger-shaped pastry filled with cream and covered with chocolate.

24d   A horse topples over traversing hard // country (5)

"hard" = H (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

Ghana^[5] is a country of West Africa, with its southern coastline bordering on the Atlantic Ocean; population 23,887,800 (est. 2009); languages, English (official), West African languages; capital, Accra. Former name (until 1957) Gold Coast.

Delving Deeper
Formerly a centre of the slave trade, the area became the British colony of Gold Coast in 1874. In 1957 it was the first British colony to gain independence as a member of the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.

25d   A war medal, something circular // that is given to a soldier (4)

In the UK and Commonwealth countries, the Military Medal^[5] (abbreviation MM) is a decoration for distinguished active service on land, instituted in 1916 (originally for enlisted soldiers).

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, May 2, 2016 — DT 27987

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27987
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, December 17, 2015
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27987]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Falcon
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 27986 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

Introduction

I am afraid this puzzle must not have made much of an impression on me back in December, for I solved it a second time without realizing that I had seen it before. It was only when I checked Big Dave's Crossword Blog to see who had blogged it and what they thought of it that I discovered the reviewer had, in fact, been yours truly.

I must have been a bit out of it on the evening that I composed the review, as I see that I picked one clue as my favourite and then proceeded to also award it an honourable mention.

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   Memory /of/ crime scene in bombing (12)

8a   Authorities // vocal about carbon emissions discharged (7)

"carbon" = C (show explanation )

The symbol for the chemical element carbon is C^[5].

hide explanation

9a   Proposition // regularly spurned by girl (7)

Premiss is an alternative British spelling of premise^[5].

11a   Part of Beaverbrook in a war/'s/ campaign (7)

Okinawa^[5] is a region in southern Japan, in the southern Ryukyu Islands; capital, Naha.

The Battle of Okinawa^[7], codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a series of battles fought in the Ryukyu Islands, centered on the island of Okinawa, and included the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War during World War II, the 1 April 1945 invasion of the island of Okinawa itself. The 82-day-long battle lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945.

Scratching the Surface
Baron Beaverbrook[7] of Beaverbrook in the Province of New Brunswick in the Dominion of Canada and of Cherkley in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the prominent Canadian-born British media owner and politician Sir Max Aitken, 1st Baronet.

12a   Rubbish // resistance by centre turned supporter (7)

"resistance" = R (show explanation )

In physics, the symbol R^[5] is used to represent electrical resistance.

hide explanation

Rubbish^[3,4,11] is used in the sense of foolish words or speech; in other words, nonsense. I note that Oxford Dictionaries considers the word rubbish^[5] (in all senses) to be chiefly British — despite it not being characterized as such by American dictionaries.

Rhubarb^[5] is an informal British term meaning either:

1. the noise made by a group of actors to give the impression of indistinct background conversation, especially by the random repetition of the word ‘rhubarb’; or
2. nonsense ⇒ it was all rhubarb, about me, about her daughter, about art.

13a   Abandon // maidenly fluttering ditching man (5)

14a   Good chaps with sound // Prime Minister (9)

"good" = G (show explanation )

The abbreviation G^[10] for good likely relates to its use in grading school assignments or tests.

hide explanation

William Ewart Gladstone^[5] (1809–1898) was a British Liberal statesman, prime minister 1868–74, 1880-5, 1886, and 1892-4. At first a Conservative minister, he later joined the Liberal Party, becoming its leader in 1867. His ministries saw the introduction of elementary education, the passing of the Irish Land Acts and the third Reform Act, and his campaign in favour of Home Rule for Ireland.

What did I say?

In my review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I alluded to "blokes" being a synonym of "chaps". Bloke[5] is an informal British term for a man ⇒ he’s a nice bloke. By the way, Oxford Dictionaries characterizes chap[5] as an informal British term for a man or a boy ⇒ he sounded like a nice, caring sort of chap. However, of the  several dictionaries — both British and American — that I consulted, it is the only one to characterize the term as British.

16a   Get allies to restore // order (9)

19a   One gives // name in entrance (5)

21a   Capital /is/ firm following endless alarm (7)

Belfast^[5] is the capital and chief port of Northern Ireland; population 260,700 (est. 2009). The city suffered damage and population decline from the early 1970s as a result of sectarian violence by the IRA and Loyalist paramilitary groups.

23a   Target centre, one touching // gold perhaps (7)

Bull^[5] is a chiefly British short form for bull's-eye.

24a   Opening to escape canopy top in plane, alternatively (7)

Ejector seat^[5,10], another term for ejection seat^[5,10], is a seat, especially as fitted to military aircraft, that is fired by a cartridge or rocket to eject the occupant from the aircraft in an emergency. The cited entries from Oxford Dictionaries and Collins English Dictionary led me to believe that ejection seat must be the more commonly used term in the UK with ejector seat being an alternative version. However, British readers pointed out that this is not the case. They concurred with Chambers 21st Century Dictionary that the term used in Britain is ejector seat^[2] with ejection seat being a US term.

However, this view was far from unanimous, with some British writers supporting "ejection seat" and some American writers on the side of "ejector seat". This is all recorded in the thread started by Kitty at Comment #10. The final word appeared to have gone to Doug who in the final entry in the thread attached to Comment #10 points out that the Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. (the British inventor of the device) calls it an ejection seat.

But hold on, Kitty offers a well-researched rebuttal at Comment #36.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the wording of the clue does seem to be premised on the notion that ejector seat is an alternative term for ejection seat.

25a   Vault over line facing a // fair game (7)

"over" = O (show explanation )

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation O^[5] denotes over(s), an over^[5] being 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.

hide explanation

Tombola^[5] is a British term for a game in which people pick tickets out of a revolving drum and certain tickets win immediate prizes, typically played at a fete^* or fair ⇒ (i) entrance includes a tombola and raffle; (ii) traditional games such as tombola or bingo.

^* Fete^[5] (also fête) is a British term for a public function, typically held outdoors and organized to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments ⇒ a church fete.

26a   Mean // time retained in stir (12)

Down

1d   Learn // about answer and stupid lies (7)

2d   Bird/'s/ fat under rising batter (7)

3d   Regrets // again with lots to turn over (9)

4d   Smashing // beer, half cut after drink (5)

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

5d   Sights // French tower say, by Seine's left bank (7)

The Eiffel Tower^[5] is a wrought-iron structure erected in Paris for the World Exhibition of 1889. With a height of 300 metres (984 ft), it was the tallest man-made structure for many years.

Scratching the Surface
The Seine[5] is a river of northern France. Rising north of Dijon, it flows north-westwards for 761 km (473 miles), through the cities of Troyes and Paris to the English Channel near Le Havre.

6d   City/'s/ elegance gone (7)

Some yearn for a time long gone.

Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?

— Pete Seeger

7d   'Word' for Mac but not Linux? (12)

Scratching the Surface

Microsoft Word[7] is a word processor developed by Microsoft. It was first released on October 25, 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix* systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS (1983), Apple Macintosh running Mac OS (1985), AT&T Unix PC (1985), Atari ST (1988), OS/2 (1989), Microsoft Windows (1989) and SCO Unix (1994). * Xenix[7] is a discontinued version of the Unix operating system for various microcomputer platforms, licensed by Microsoft from AT&T Corporation in the late 1970s. The Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) later acquired exclusive rights to the software, and eventually replaced it with SCO UNIX (now known as SCO OpenServer). In the mid-to-late 1980s, Xenix was the most common Unix variant, measured according to the number of machines on which it was installed. Mac OS[7] is a series of graphical user interface–based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. Linux[7] is a Unix-like and mostly POSIX-compliant computer operating system (OS) assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution.

10d   Underground /taken from/ nearest urban settlement (12)

15d   Made bitter // perfect, judged imbibing beer's head (9)

Scratching the Surface
Bitter[5] is a British name for beer that is strongly flavoured with hops and has a bitter taste ⇒ (i) a pint of bitter; (ii) the company brews a range of bitters.

17d   Ship/'s/ grand age with everybody on board (7)

"grand" = G (show explanation )

Grand^[5] is an informal term for a thousand dollars or pounds ⇒ he gets thirty-five grand a year. While the term "grand" itself would seem to be commonly used in the UK, the informal abbreviation G^[5] meaning grand appears to be regarded as a North American usage ⇒ I was up nine Gs on the blackjack tables.

G is defined in various British dictionaries as follows:

1. Oxford Dictionaries: (North American informal) abbreviation for grand, a thousand dollars)^[5];
2. Chambers 21st Century Dictionary: (North American slang) abbreviation for a grand, 1000 dollars^[2];
   
3. Collins English Dictionary: (mainly US slang) a symbol for grand (a thousand dollars or pounds)^[10] .

hide explanation

18d   Shock // found the French being supportive (7)

"the French" = LE (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

19d   Top lifted on girl /creates/ embarrassment (7)

20d   Report receiving medal /in/ offensive (7)

The Order of Merit^[7] (abbreviation OM^[5]) is a dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, and is limited to 24 living recipients at one time from these countries plus a limited number of honorary members. The current membership includes one Canadian (former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien).

22d   Mostly the drink /producing/ monotonous drone (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