Tuesday, December 5, 2017 — DT 28519

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28519
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28519]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By KiwiColin
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Jay gives us a relatively gentle workout today.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Intends to circle island in poor health, /getting/ uninterrupted progress (5,7)

9a   Simple boxes or empty case /for/ ceramic ware (9)

10a   Pulls a face, /seeing/ weapons across river (5)

Gurn^[5] is a British term meaning to pull^* a grotesque face.

---

^* Pull a face^[5] is another way of saying make a face.

11a   With detectives chasing, managed /to get/ off! (6)

"detectives" = CID (show explanation )

The Criminal Investigation Department (seemingly better known by its abbreviation CID^[2]) is the detective branch of a British police force.

hide explanation

Off^[10] (said of food or drink) means having gone bad, sour, etc ⇒ this milk is off.

12a   Daily newspaper's millions -- a // force of attraction! (8)

Daily^[5] (noun) is a dated British term for a woman who is employed to clean someone else’s house each day.

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.

The i^[7] is a British newspaper owned and published by Johnston Press, which also publishes the Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman. It is a tabloid format publication aimed at commuters and others with limited time. Prior to 2016, the i was owned by the group belonging to Russian-born British media mogul Evgeny Lebedev that publishes The Independent and Independent on Sunday.

What did they say?

In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the KiwiColin tells us that the word "newspaper" is cluing  a one letter abbreviation for a UK newspaper that in now only published on-line. I'm afraid KiwiColin has picked up the wrong newspaper. The Independent [7] (nicknamed the Indy) is a British online newspaper. Established in 1986 as an independent national morning newspaper published in London, it was sold to Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev in 2010. It began as a broadsheet, but changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition of The Independent was published in March 2016, leaving only its digital editions. KiwiColin, situated as he is in New Zealand, can be forgiven for his confusion with British newspapers. Fortunately, I had run across both of the newspapers in question in previous puzzles and did manage to identify the correct publication. I am surprised, though, by the number of Brits who failed to twig to the proper newspaper.

13a   Son does nothing, /but/ edges along warily (6)

15a   Ship carrying cargo of loose ginger /produces/ snorts (8)

In Crosswordland, you'll rarely go wrong in assuming that a ship is a steamship (abbreviation SS^[5]).

18a   Men jump /for/ chance of redemption here (8)

19a   Fine performer/'s/ important part (6)

"fine" = F (show explanation )

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].

hide explanation

21a   Previously finished // quick examination (4-4)

23a   Qualifier/'s/ against cutting new beard (6)

26a   Indian state/'s/ area service rolled back (5)

Mass^[5] is the celebration of the Christian Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

---

Assam^[5] is a state in northeastern India. Most of the state lies in the valley of the Brahmaputra River; it is noted for the production of tea.

27a   Skinny artist (9)

28a   What might be instrumental /in/ legislative assembly notes? (7,5)

Chamber music^[5] denotes instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one player to a part, the most important form being the string quartet.

Down

1d   Scroll // worthless reading matter on your meeting with American (7)

2d   Overall // interest payable before working (5)

APR^[5] is the abbreviation for annual or annualized percentage rate (used typically of interest on loans or credit).

Here and There

Overall[4] — not to be confused with overalls (see below) — is a British term for a a protective work garment usually worn over ordinary clothes. It would seem to be a general term that encompasses not only garments that the British call dungarees (North American overalls) or boiler suits (North American coveralls) but also coat and smock type garments (such as lab coats perhaps) — and, judging by the present clue, even aprons as well. While Brits and North Americans share many of the same names for articles of clothing, the meaning of those terms is often quite different on either side of the pond. In North America, overalls[3,11] are loose-fitting trousers, usually of strong fabric, with a bib front and shoulder straps, often worn over regular clothing as protection from dirt. The British definition of overalls[4] is broader, including not only garments with a bib and shoulder straps but also those having a jacket top. These latter garments are also known as boiler suits in the UK and would be called coveralls[3] in North America. Furthermore, whereas the term dungarees[3,4,11] is used in North America to refer to either trousers or North American style overalls, in the UK it is used solely to mean the latter, i.e., a suit of workman's overalls made of dungaree [denim] consisting of trousers with a bib attached. Note that I have carefully avoided using the North American term "pants" in favour of the more universal term "trousers". In Britain, the term "pants" refers to underwear. Thus when I take off my pants in the UK, I am far more exposed than when I do so in North America!

3d   Doctor sees end in // poverty! (9)

4d   Pseudonym one's forgotten, // unfortunately (4)

5d   Writing // that's seen on face on clock? (8)

This type of writing, otherwise known as cursive, is apparently no longer taught in Ontario schools.

6d   River // running through where ginseng's raised ; (5)

The Niger^[5] is a river in north-western Africa, which rises on the north-eastern border of Sierra Leone and flows in a great arc for 4,100 km (2,550 miles) north-east to Mali, then south-east through western Niger and Nigeria, before turning southwards into the Gulf of Guinea.

7d   Panorama /may be/ in favour of religious group seizing power (8)

"power" = P (show explanation )

In physics, P^[10] is a symbol used to represent power [among other things] in mathematical formulae.

hide explanation

8d   Analyses // a second and speaks (6)

14d   Germany have players // low in spirits (8)

"Germany" = D (show explanation )

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Germany is D^[5] [from German Deutschland].

hide explanation

16d   Develop a drug with revolutionary fix /for/ cell (9)

17d   Impetus /gained from/ minute show of hesitation (8)

18d   The last character cutting copra concocted // something for depression (6)

Prozac^[5] is a trademark for a synthetic compound which inhibits the uptake of serotonin in the brain and is taken to treat depression.

Scratching the Surface
Copra[5] is dried coconut kernels, from which oil is obtained.

20d   Old boy's on unlimited notice to support Queen -- /it's/ automatic (7)

"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

"Queen" = R (show explanation )

Queen may be abbreviated as Q, Qu. or R.

Q^[5] is an abbreviation for queen that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

Qu.^[2] is another common abbreviation for Queen.

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

---

^* A Commonwealth realm^[7] is a sovereign state that is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares the same person, currently Elizabeth II, as its head of state and reigning constitutional monarch, but retains a crown legally distinct from the other realms. There are currently sixteen Commonwealth realms, the largest being Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom with the remainder being smaller Caribbean and Pacific island nations.

Thus Queen Elizabeth signs her name as 'Elizabeth R' as seen here on Canada's paint-stained constitution.

hide explanation

22d   Power // specs and speed (5)

This is known as a 'visual' or 'looks like' clue. The word "specs" (short for spectacles) clues OO because this combination of letters looks like a pair of spectacles.

24d   Set out to cover team // departures (5)

Eleven^[5] (often appearing as a Roman numeral XI) is the number of players in^* a cricket^[7] side [team] or an Association football^[7] [soccer] team — and is frequently used as a metonym for such a team ⇒ at cricket I played in the first eleven.

---

^* Note that in Britain a player is "in a side" or "in a team" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

25d   A bit of nasty ear // infection (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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, December 4, 2017 — DT 28518 (Published Saturday, December 2, 2017)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28518
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28518]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Mr Kitty
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
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, December {date}, 2017 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

Aside from the Polish currency and the British snooker venue, this puzzle progressed nicely. Having realized — a rare occurrence — that the puzzle was likely a pangram helped dredge the former from the dark recesses of my memory. There was no hope with the latter as that bit of information had never been encountered, let alone stored away.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Instant // credit // check (4)

This clue is a triple definition incorporating three British meanings for the solution.

Tick^[5] is an informal British term for a moment ⇒ (i) I shan’t be a tick; (ii) I’ll be with you in a tick.

Tick^*[5] (used in the phrase on tick) is an informal British term meaning credit ⇒ the printer agreed to send the brochures out on tick.

---

^* The term apparently originates as a short form for ticket in the phrase on the ticket, referring to an IOU or promise to pay.

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. Mr Kitty comments The third could be an Americanism. Quite the contrary, Oxford Dictionaries characterises it as a British term.

Tick^[5] is a British term [although one commonly used as well on this side of the pond] for a mark (✓) used to indicate that an item in a list or text is correct or has been chosen, checked, or dealt with.

3a   In New York, an opening for nurses, say, /in/ a regime fixated by health and safety? (5,5)

Nanny state^[5] is a British term denoting the government regarded as overprotective or as interfering unduly with personal choice.

9a   Paraquat found in // water? // On the contrary (4)

Let's call this an Ikea clue — some assembly required. The phrase "on the contrary" constitutes the assembly instructions and directs us to invert the logic of the preceding statement. Thus, rather than "Paraquat found in water" the fully assembled clue becomes "Water found in Paraquat".

---

Aqua^[5] (Latin 'water') is (especially in pharmaceutical and commercial use) another term for water.

Scratching the Surface
Paraquat[5] is a toxic fast-acting herbicide, which becomes deactivated in the soil.

10a   These protect against spills /in/ streets I've repaired (10)

11a   Son, scolded, // drank from a bottle (7)

Wig^[5] is a dated, informal British term meaning to rebuke (someone) severely ⇒ I had often occasion to wig him for getting drunk.

13a   Witty reply // about securing independent job (7)

"independent" = I (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

14a   Film // romance with young boxer perhaps embracing student at the start (4,7)

Romance^[5] is a genre of fiction dealing with love in a sentimental or idealized way ⇒ wartime passion from the master of romance.

"student" = 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

---

Pulp Fiction^[7] is a 1994 American black comedy neo-noir crime film written and directed by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Directed in a highly stylized manner, the film tells a few stories of criminal Los Angeles. The film's title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue.

Behind the Picture
Pulp Fiction theatrical release poster Mr Kitty illustrates his review with a photo — used in the theatrical release poster (opposite) — of American actress Uma Thurman in the role of Mia Wallace.

18a   Welsh boy overcome by win /in/ final (11)

Aled^[7] is a male Welsh given name.

21a   Left with an escort, lacking energy /and/ listless (7)

"energy" = E (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

22a   Children's author /in/ vehicle, luxury one no end (7)

Rolls^[10] is an informal name for a Rolls-Royce^[10], a make of very high-quality, luxurious, and prestigious British^* car.

---

^* Although the Rolls-Royce company is no longer British-owned.

---

Lewis Carroll^[5] (1832–1898) was an English writer; pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He wrote the children's classics Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871), which were inspired by Alice Liddell, the young daughter of the dean at the Oxford college where Carroll was a mathematics lecturer.

23a   Criminal count had shot /is/ critical (5-3-2)

24a   Animal /from/ heart of Tibet getting cross (4)

The ibex^[5] is a wild mountain goat with long, thick ridged horns and a beard, found in parts of central Asia and in Ethiopia^*.

---

^* Incredibly, after providing that definition, Oxford Dictionaries proceeds to give an example of a species (Capra pyrenaica) found in the Pyrenees!

Scratching the Surface
Tibet[5] is  a mountainous region in Asia on the northern side of the Himalayas, since 1965 forming an autonomous region in the west of China.

25a   Expression of annoyance by the old man, // generous benefactor (5,5)

Sugar^[5] is an informal exclamation used as a euphemism for “shit”.

26a   Leaders of junket accept vodka and // coffee (4)

Here and There
As we see from the discussion in the thread arsing from Comment #9 on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, from a British perspective java[5] is an informal North American term for coffee ⇒ I'm dying for a cup of java.

Down

1d   Time artist spent unwisely /in/ part of church (8)

"artist" = RA (show explanation )

A Royal Academician (abbreviation RA^[10]) is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts^[5] (also Royal Academy; abbreviation also RA^[10]), an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose is to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. 

hide explanation

---

In a cross-shaped church, a transept^[5] is either of the two parts forming the arms of the cross shape, projecting at right angles from the nave.

2d   Pot /seen in/ snooker theatre? (8)

The setter succeeded in leading me down the garden path looking for a type of snooker shot. I eventually stumbled upon the solution in a glossary of snooker terms.

The Crucible Theatre^[7] (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre built in 1971 in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it hosts the most prestigious event in professional snooker, the World Championship.

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

4d   Change // the last word and penultimate of words (5)

5d   Flipping lair contains rats and the like -- // it doesn't matter (5,4)

6d   Berths here for the rest of the travellers? (8,3)

7d   Act as witness // at examination (6)

8d   Start of European flower // festival (6)

An aster^[10] is any plant of the genus Aster, having white, blue, purple, or pink daisy-like flowers.

12d   Vogue, FT? Rich sorts // present! (4,7)

Gift voucher^[5] (another name for gift token) is a British term for what is known in North America as a gift certificate^[5].

Scratching the Surface

Vogue[7] is an American fashion and lifestyle magazine. Vogue began as a weekly newspaper in 1892 in the United States, before becoming a monthly publication years later. The British Vogue was the first international edition launched in 1916. As of today there are 22 international editions, and the launch the twenty-third edition, Vogue Polska in Polish, has been announced for March 2018. The Financial Times[7] (abbreviation FT) is a British international business newspaper that is printed on conspicuous salmon pink newsprint.

15d   Clubs enticed one in AA /in/ Scotland (9)

Caledonia^[10] (the Roman name for Scotland) is now used poetically and, sometimes, humorously to refer to that country.

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading clearly alludes to someone falling off the wagon in Scottish nightclubs. Thus AA is almost certainly a reference to Alcoholics Anonymous and not the Automobile Association (the British counterpart to the CAA in Canada or the AAA in the US).

16d   Old doctor and I splitting fizzy drink // somewhere in South America (8)

"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

---

Colombia^[5] is a country in the north-western part of South America, having a coastline on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.

17d   Edited daily sex // problem for readers (8)

19d   Ready for a trip to Warsaw? (6)

Ready^[5,10] or the ready^[10] (also called readies or the readies) is an informal British term for ready money^[5,10] (also called ready cash), funds for immediate use or, in other words, available money or cash.

---

The zloty^*[5] (plural zlotys or zloty) is the standard monetary unit of Poland, divided into 100 groszy.

---

^* Polish 'golden'

20d   Overlooked // a Parisian intimate being twisted inside (6)

"a Parisian" = UN (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

22d   Imprisoned, // Conservative put on years (5)

"Conservative" = C (show explanation )

The abbreviation for Conservative may be either C.^[10] or Con.^[10].

A Tory^[10] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain or Canada.

Historically, a Tory^[10] was a member of the English political party that opposed the exclusion of James, Duke of York from the royal succession (1679–80). Tory remained the label for subsequent major conservative interests until they gave birth to the Conservative Party in the 1830s.

The Conservative Party^[5] is a a major British political party that emerged from the old Tory Party under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s. Since the Second World War, it has been in power 1951–64, 1970-74, and 1979–97. It governed in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 until the general election of May 2015, in which it was returned with a majority.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, December 2, 2017 — Applying the Right Spin

Introduction

As many of the comments indicate, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon put up a bit of a tussle. Like some of you, I did not get far on my first read through. It was then a process of gradually building out from the few bridgeheads that I had managed to establish. Yes, 19a was also my last one in and I worked it out from the wordplay before checking in the dictionary to see if it really exists. As it turns out, I have actually encountered the word before, but in  an equestrian context where it denotes an ornamental covering spread over a horse's saddle or harness.

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

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - yet to be solved

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions — including whimsical and vague definitions — are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Fats Waller playing // "Cascades" (10)

WATERFALLS* — anagram (playing) of FATS WALLER

Scratching the Surface
Fats Waller[5] (1904–1943) was an American jazz pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and singer; born Thomas Wright Waller. He was the foremost exponent of the New York ‘stride school’ of piano playing. It may be merely a coincidence, but "The Cascades"[7] is the name of a 1904 ragtime composition by American composer and pianist Scott Joplin (ca. 1867/68–1917).

6a   Portion of quiche for // cook (4)

_CHE|F_ — hidden in (portion of) quiCHE For

9a   Agent with Middle East land // collector of a sort (4.3)

REP|O MAN — REP (agent) + OMAN (Middle East land)

Oman^[5,7], officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country at the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.

---

Repo man^[5] is an informal North American^* term for a person employed to repossess goods for which a purchaser has defaulted on payment ⇒ for the last year, he's been one step ahead of the repo man.

---

^* Strangely, this term appears in all my British dictionaries but in none of my US dictionaries.

10a   True scoundrel/'s/ racehorse (7)

T|ROTTER — T (true; abbrev.) + ROTTER (scoundrel)

Rotter^[5] is a informal, dated, chiefly British term for a cruel, mean, or unkind person ⇒Rosemary had decided that all men were rotters.

---

A trotter^[5] is a horse bred or trained for the sport of trotting^*.

---

^* Trotting is a form of harness racing^[7] in which horses move with a trotting gait rather than a pacing gait. The difference is that a trotter moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs (right front and left hind, then left front and right hind striking the ground simultaneously), whereas a pacer moves its legs laterally (right front and right hind together, then left front and left hind).

12a   Writer with weapon bagging one // bird (7)

PEN|GU(I)N — PEN (writer; author or writing implement) + GUN (weapon) containing (bagging) I ([Roman numeral for] one)

Here and There

This clue might cause some head scratching across the pond. While North Americans might interpret "pen" to mean either an author or a writing implement, to our British confreres it would mean only the latter. While North American dictionaries define pen[3,11] as a writer or an author ⇒ a hired pen, British dictionaries do not list this meaning although they do show pen[2,4] (or the pen[5,10]) as symbolically denoting writing as an occupation.

13a   Wasp returning around bit of hard // baloney (5)

PS(H)AW< — reversal (returning) of WASP (†) containing (around) H (hard; abbrev. for a grade of pencil lead)

Pshaw^[5] is a dated, humorous expression of contempt or impatience ⇒ Poison? Pshaw! The very idea!.

Here and There

The surface reading here might give pause to a British reader. While the term "baloney"[5] in the sense of foolish or deceptive talk or nonsense* does appear to be used in the UK, Oxford Dictionaries tells us that baloney, in the sense of bologna is a North American term — as is bologna[5] (or bologna sausage) itself. This would almost suggest that bologna may be foreign to the British diet. However, whether or not they eat it, they do have a term for it. They call it polony[5]. * in this sense, baloney[3] is a euphemism for bullshit

15a   Ancient Greek // nickel possessed by world sports organization (5)

IO(NI)C — NI ([Ni, symbol for the chemical element] nickel) contained in (possessed by) IOC (world sports organization; International Olympic Committee)

17a   Cold applied to sore // combatant (9)

C|ON|TENDER — C (cold; abbrev. found on a cold water faucet) + ON (applied to) + TENDER (sore)

19a   Aristotle's wearing chicken // outfit (9)

CAP(ARI|S)ON — {ARI ([diminutive of] Aristotle; Onassis perhaps) + S ('s)} contained in (wearing) CAPON (chicken)

A capon^[5] is a male chicken castrated when young to improve the quality of its flesh for food.

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Caparison^[3] as a noun denotes richly ornamented clothing or finery and as a verb means to dress (another) in rich clothing.

21a   Black // Beauty's opening in auction (5)

SA(B)LE — B (Beauty's opening [initial letter]) contained in (in) SALE (auction)

Scratching the Surface

Black Beauty[7] is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. The story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir told by the titular horse named Black Beauty—beginning with his carefree days as a colt on an English farm with his mother, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country. Along the way, he meets with many hardships and recounts many tales of cruelty and kindness. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate best-seller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, but having lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time.

23a   Devoured // each decade (5)

EA|TEN — EA (each; abbrev.) + TEN (decade)

24a   Upset, in sum, at // coastal disaster (7)

TSUNAMI* — anagram (upset) of IN SUM AT

A tsunami^[5] is a long, high sea wave caused by an earthquake or other disturbance ⇒ the loss of human lives from this latest tsunami is staggering.

27a   Police officer // let loose after month (7)

MO|UNTIE — UNTIE (let loose) following (after) MO (month; abbrev.)

28a   Love wearing skirt covering // massive weight (7)

KIL(O)T|ON — O (love; tennis score of 0) contained in (wearing) KILT (skirt) + ON (covering)

29a   Northern island in French // river (4)

N|ILE — N (northern; abbrev.) + ILE (island in French; French word meaning 'island')

The Nile^[5] is a river in eastern Africa, the longest river in the world, which rises in east central Africa near Lake Victoria and flows 6,695 km (4,160 miles) generally northwards through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt to empty through a large delta into the Mediterranean.

30a   The senator changed // shades (5,5)

{EARTH TONES}* — anagram (changed) of THE SENATOR

Down

1d   Get bent // with Dada artist (4)

W|ARP — W (with; abbrev.) + ARP (Dada artist)

Cloud Shepherd, Jean Arp (1953)

Jean Arp^[5] (1887–1966) was a French painter, sculptor, and poet; also known as Hans Arp. He was a co-founder of the Dada movement and is noted for his three-dimensional abstract curvilinear sculptures in marble and bronze.

2d   Sadly. Pop isn't // English? (7)

TOPSPIN* — anagram (sadly) of POP ISNT

Sadly, strictly speaking, English isn't topspin. Also known as side spin, english^[7] (which is usually not capitalized) is spin placed on the cue ball when hit with the cue tip to the left or right of the ball's center. The British and Irish do not use this term, instead preferring "side". "English" is sometimes used more inclusively, to colloquially also refer to follow (top spin) and draw (back spin).

3d   Certain Italian // male carried by horse (5)

RO(M)AN — M (male; abbrev.) contained in (carried by) ROAN (horse)

4d   Says // Ann's gaining small amount of weight (9)

ANN(OUNCE)S — {ANN (†) + S ('s)} containing (gaining) OUNCE (small amount of weight)

5d   Los Angeles can // talk in the Forum (5)

LA|TIN — LA (Los Angeles; abbrev.) + TIN (can)

In an ancient Roman city, a forum^[5] was a public square or marketplace used for judicial and other business. The Forum^[10] refers to the main forum of ancient Rome, situated between the Capitoline and the Palatine Hills.

Scratching the Surface
The Forum[7] is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, adjacent to Los Angeles. It is  the former home of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.

7d   Married, // husband had a hankering (7)

H|ITCHED — H (husband; abbrev.) + ITCHED (had a hankering)

8d   One prize picked up by swamp // safety official (4.6)

F(I|RE WARD)EN — {I ([Roman numeral for] one) + REWARD (prize)} contained in (picked up by) FEN (swamp)

11d   Storied musician // sloshed her soup (7)

ORPHEUS* — anagram (sloshed) of HER SOUP

In Greek mythology, Orpheus^[5] was a poet who could entrance wild beasts with the beauty of his singing and lyre playing. He went to the underworld after the death of his wife Eurydice and secured her release from the dead, but lost her because he failed to obey the condition that he must not look back at her until they had reached the world of the living.

14d   Flyer // altered Crimean War (10)

AIRCREWMAN* — anagram (altered) of CRIMEAN WAR

The word aircrewman is not found in my usual stable of dictionaries, although it is listed by TheFreeDictionary.com website citing other sources as meaning a member of an aircrew. An aircraftman^[4] (or aircraftwoman) a serviceman (or servicewoman) of the most junior rank in the RAF.

Scratching the Surface
The Crimean War[10] (1853-56) was a war fought mainly in the Crimea between Russia on one side and Turkey, France, Sardinia, and Britain on the other.

16d   Horn on the outside of old // monarch's headpiece (7)

COR(O)NET — CORNET (horn; musical instrument) containing (on the outside of) O (old; abbrev.)

A cornet^[5] is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but shorter and wider.

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I have to wonder whether any self-respecting monarch would be found wearing a coronet^[5] which is a small or relatively simple crown, especially as worn by lesser royalty and peers or peeresses.

18d   New England island // article fit snugly inside mesh (9)

N(AN|TUCK)ET — {AN ([indefinite] article) + TUCK (fit snugly)} contained in (inside) NET (mesh)

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

20d   Dog // bit bum in drag (3,4)

P(IT B)*ULL — anagram (bum) of BIT contained in (in) PULL (drag)

22d   Composer // attacked by bugs when taking run (7)

B(R)ITTEN — BITTEN (attacked by bugs) containing (when taking) R (run; abbrev. encountered in baseball and cricket)

Benjamin Britten^[5], Lord Britten of Aldeburgh (1913–1976) was an English composer, pianist, and conductor. He founded the Aldeburgh festival with Peter Pears in 1948, and in 1976 became the first composer to be made a life peer. Notable operas: Peter Grimes (1945), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1960), and Death in Venice (1973).

24d   Snarled at the // Greek character (5)

THETA* — anagram (snarled) of AT THE

Theta^[5] is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet (Θ, θ).

25d   Tax returns after a // dole (5)

A|LLOT< — reversal (returns) of TOLL (tax) following (after) A (†)

26d   Burden // where we must bear it? (4)

ON|US — ON US ('where we must bear it')

Epilogue

The theme of today's review is inspired by 2d where the setters may not have applied the correct spin.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, December 1, 2017 — DT 28517

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28517
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, August 28, 2017
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28517]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Rufus is pretty much what we have come to expect from him, although there is a word that is new to me that one might be more apt to encounter in a Giovanni puzzle than one from the "Monday Maestro".

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Orchestrated /and/ recorded (6)

4a   Sweet // account I would pursue no further (4,4)

Sweet^[5] is a British term for a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar ⇒ a bag of sweets. In North American parlance, sweets would be candy^[5] and a sweet would be a piece of candy^*.

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^* In Britain, candy^[5] means sugar crystallized by repeated boiling and slow evaporation ⇒ making candy at home is not difficult—the key is cooking the syrup to the right temperature.

Acid drop^[5] is a British term for a kind of boiled sweet [candy] with a sharp taste.

9a   Improves // compensation (6)

10a   What's inside /is revealed by/ bird in nest building (8)

The rail^[5,10] is any of various small wading birds with drab grey and brown plumage, typically having a long bill, short wings, and long legs and found in dense waterside vegetation.

12a   State in readiness to move /in/ agreement (4)

What did he say?

In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops tells us that the "agreement" in the clue is a treaty such as the one signed on May 14th 1955 in Warsaw. The Warsaw Pact[7], formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defence treaty signed in Warsaw among the Soviet Union and seven Soviet satellite states of Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

13a   Have a good career as a traveller (2,3)

Rufus' clues are sometimes difficult to pigeonhole. Here. I have deemed the phrase "as a traveller" to be cryptic elaboration of the definition rather than a separate definition.

14a   Measure // police service's taken with energy (4)

The Met^[5] denotes the Metropolitan Police in London — otherwise known as Scotland Yard.  (show more )

The Metropolitan Police Service^[7] (widely known informally as the Met^[5]) is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police. The Met also has significant national responsibilities such as co-ordinating and leading on counter-terrorism matters and protection of the British Royal Family and senior figures of Her Majesty's Government. The Met is also referred to by the metonym Scotland Yard after the location of its original headquarters in a road called Great Scotland Yard in Whitehall. The Met's current headquarters is New Scotland Yard, in Victoria.

hide explanation

"energy" = E (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

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Mete^{[3,4,5,10,11]} is an archaic, poetic, or dialect term meaning to measure or measure out ⇒ with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

17a   I must enter complicated reading test, /but/ go to pieces (12)

20a   One looking for scraps may show it (12)

23a   In a high position // at work (4)

"work" = OP (show explanation )

In music, an opus^[5] (plural opuses or opera) is a separate composition or set of compositions.

The abbreviation Op.^[5] (also op.), denoting opus, is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication. The plural form of Op. is Opp..

Opus^[5] can also be used in a more general sense to mean an artistic work, especially one on a large scale ⇒ he was writing an opus on Mexico.

hide explanation

24a   Want, we hear, // to work as a baker (5)

25a   Fool // left in bed (4)

Here and There
In Britain, a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child is called a cot[5] rather than a crib[5] as it is known in North America. Thus Miffypops' reference to a "small bed".

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Clot^[5] is an informal British term for a foolish or clumsy person ⇒ Watch where you’re going, you clot!.

28a   Pains gripping sick // Greek hero (8)

In Greek mythology, Achilles^[5] was a hero of the Trojan War, son of Peleus and Thetis. During his infancy his mother plunged him in the Styx, thus making his body invulnerable except for the heel by which she held him. During the Trojan War Achilles killed Hector but was later wounded in the heel by an arrow shot by Paris and died.

29a   Selected // socks needed in cold North (6)

30a   Reduction, // as included in order (8)

31a   Pattern of Campbell /being/ a follower of Plymouth? (6)

Argyle^[5] is a pattern composed of diamonds of various colours on a plain background, used in knitted garments such as sweaters and socks ⇒ the traditional argyle design associated with golf.

Surprisingly, the name dates only to the 1940s. It comes from Argyll, a family name and a former county of Scotland. The pattern is based on the tartan of the Argyll branch of the Campbell clan.

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Plymouth Argyle Football Club^[7] is a professional football [soccer] club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system, following promotion from League Two in the 2016–17 season.

Down

1d   Stock reaction to panic (8)

2d   Not very bright /getting/ on top of the players (8)

3d   Boy /in/ a whirl (4)

5d   Harvard graduate /shows/ hypocrisy on a ship with Scotsman (12)

This was my last one in which I managed to work it out from the wordplay with an assist from the checking letters — but only with a great deal of effort.

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Cant^[5] is hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature ⇒ he had no time for the cant of the priests about sin.

A brig^[5] is a two-masted square-rigged ship, typically having an additional lower fore-and-aft sail on the gaff and a boom to the mainmast.

Ian^[7] (also Iain) is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, corresponding to English/Hebrew John. It is a common name for a Scotsman — and especially so in Crosswordland.

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Cantabrigian^[10] (adjective) denotes relating to, or characteristic of Cambridge, England or Cambridge University, or of Cambridge, Massachusetts or Harvard University^* while a Cantabrigian^[10] (noun) is an inhabitant or native of Cambridge [England or Massachusetts] or a member or graduate of Cambridge University or Harvard University.

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^* Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts

6d   It's not fair -- to be kept in it? (4)

Well, if 13a was difficult to classify, this clue is even more so. I think the entire clue constitutes a cryptic definition with a straight definition (marked with a solid underline) embedded within it.

7d   Knocked down // in rude dancing (6)

8d   Succeeded in exam /in/ oral history (6)

11d   They advance and charge (12)

15d   Mountains // in Arabian desert (5)

The Andes^[5] are a major mountain system running the length of the Pacific coast of South America. Its highest peak is Aconcagua, which rises to a height of 6,960 m (22,834 ft).

16d   Begin // to show surprise (5)

18d   Welsh island // fish definitely looking up (8)

Anglesey^[5] is an island and (since 1996) county of north-western Wales, separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait.

19d   Words /which carry/ conviction? (8)

21d   Brief message about an // unfounded report (6)

22d   This style of architecture had its points (6)

Gothic^[5] is a style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th–16th centuries (and revived in the mid 18th to early 20th centuries), characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate tracery.

26d   Fuel designed // that deals with smoke problem (4)

27d   Deity /that's/ witnessed in purest horror (4)

In Norse mythology, Thor^[5,7], the son of Odin and Freya (Frigga), is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility. Thursday is named after him.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon