Monday, May 4, 2020 — DT 29177 (Published Saturday, May 2, 2020)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29177
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29177]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By 2Kiwis
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
Notes
This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, May 2, 2020 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

The consensus from visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog appears to be that this puzzle is a bit more difficult than one typically expects from Jay.

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.

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

7a	Son needs guts, ignoring a // cause of great suffering (7)

"son " = S [genealogy]

In genealogies, s^[5] is the abbreviation for son(s) ⇒ m 1991; one s one d^*.

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^* married in 1991; one son and one daughter.

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8a	Irritation /caused by/ hollow cough and a smile (7)

10a	Points at a silly // starter course (9)

An antipasto^[5] is an hors d'oeuvre in Italian cooking.

11a	Noise /from/ family group beginning to grate (5)

12a	Common resources /may see/ sailing vessel return (5)

A sloop^[2] is a one-masted sailing boat with fore-and-aft sails.

13a	Shelter /from/ sun then is unusual (6,3)

Nissen hut^[5] is a British name for a tunnel-shaped hut made of corrugated iron with a concrete floor, named after Peter N. Nissen (1871–1930), the British engineer who invented it. This structure would seem to be similar to (and, given that Nissen died in 1930, likely predate) the American Quonset hut^[5] (Trademark) from the Second World War which is named after Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where such huts were first made.

15a	Scold daughter about tiny // plant that causes hay fever (7)

"daughter " = D [genealogy]

In genealogies, d^[5] is the abbreviation for daughter ⇒ Henry m. Georgina 1957, 1s 2d^*.

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^* Henry married Georgina in 1957. Their marriage produced 1 son and 2 daughters.

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"tiny " = WEE [Scottish]

Wee^[5] is a Scottish adjective meaning little ⇒ (i) when I was just a wee bairn; (ii) the lyrics are a wee bit too sweet and sentimental.

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^* The word may be of Scottish origin but, like the Scots themselves, the word has migrated around the world.

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17a	An amount of money reportedly /for/ a dish? (7)

Tenner^[5] is an informal British name for a ten-pound note.

When pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation ) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), the word "tenner" sounds like "TENNAH" — making the word combination "AN TENNER" sound like "ANTENNA".

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

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18a	Commander-in-Chief must arrest poor inmate // filming? (9)

CIC^[1] is the abbreviation for Commander-in-Chief.

Perhaps the question mark following the definition is well-placed as the definition did raise a question mark in my mind. After some considerable thought, I did conclude that "cinematic" might be interchangeable with "filming" in the following instance ⇒ the cameraman's work demonstrated a unique cinematic technique.

20a	Notes // consequences (5)

... these consequences must be faced.

21a	Article written by Channel island // statesman? (5)

This clue might well have been solved more quickly had I only twigged earlier to the fact that the word "island" is not capitalized. That is the first bit of misdirection. The second is that "statesman" whimsically alludes to a resident of the USA.

The Isle of Wight^[5] (abbreviation IOW^[5]) is an island off the south coast of England. It lies at the entrance to Southampton Water^[5], an inlet of the English Channel, and is separated from the mainland by the Solent (show more ) and Spithead (show more ).

The Solent^[5] is a channel between the northwest coast of the Isle of Wight and the mainland of southern England.

Spithead^[5] is a channel between the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight and the mainland of southern England. It offers sheltered access to Southampton Water and deep anchorage.

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Thus, the Isle of Wight is a "Channel island" in that it is an island situated in the English Channel but it is not one of the Channel Islands^[5], a group of islands in the English Channel off the northwestern coast of France.

23a	Caught short /and/ this may be beaten (5,4)

Note the use of the pronoun "this" in the definition which one interprets as "something that can be beaten". This will not be the last time we see this sort of construction in today's puzzle.

Short^[5] (noun) is a British term for a drink of spirits served in a small measure^* or, as Collins English Dictionary puts it, a short^[10] is a drink of spirits as opposed to a long drink such as beer.

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^* A measure^[5] is a container of standard capacity used for taking fixed amounts of a substance.

24a	Pay for // former head to tour Italy (7)

"Italy " = I [IVR code]

Italian Licence Plate

(The IVR code is on the left below the EU flag emblem)

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Italy is I^[5] [from Italian Italia].

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25a	Sort of pigment /required by/ working lineman (7)

Melanin^[5] is a dark brown to black pigment occurring in the hair, skin, and iris of the eye in people and animals. It is responsible for tanning of skin exposed to sunlight.

Down

1d	Opening heart, perhaps, /and/ play this (5,5)

Another use of the pronoun "this" in the definition which is a very terse expression of an idea that could be stated more verbosely as "something that can be played".

2d	Complaints // mature in case of grievances (6)

3d	Argued with leader going for speakers ultimately // with experience (8)

4d	Such clues /may be/ an affliction (6)

5d	Wide bridges needing time /and/ funds (3,5)

In cricket, a wide^[5] (also called wide ball and denoted on cricket scorecards by the abbreviation w^[5]) is a ball that is judged to be too wide of the stumps for the batsman to play, for which an extra is awarded to the batting side.

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^* An extra^[5] is a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited (in most cases) to the batting side rather than to a batsman. The types of extra^[7] are no ball, wide, bye, leg-bye, and penalty runs.

6d	Care assistants will accept // penalties given here (4)

In this instance, the setter uses an adverb in the definition but the construction is similar to the earlier clues where a pronoun was used. One interprets the definition as "a location where a penalty is given".

In soccer [football to the Brits], the penalty area^[5] is the rectangular area marked out in front of each goal, within which a foul by a defender involves the award of a penalty kick and outside which the goalkeeper is not allowed to handle the ball.

7d	Pointed performance included in cost /is/ cheating (5,8)

Based on entries from several dictionaries, sharp practice is an old-fashioned term denoting dishonest or barely honest business or professional practices (show more ). Given the absence of this term from American dictionaries one would have to conclude that it is British.

• unscrupulous dealing, verging on dishonesty (The Chambers Dictionary)^[1]
• dishonesty or cheating; unscrupulous dealing (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)^[2]
• dishonest or barely honest dealings ⇒ any kind of sharp practice will ruin a barrister's career (Oxford Dictionaries Online)^[5]
• (old-fashioned) dishonest or unscrupulous behaviour in business ⇒ (i) The report seems to be saying that certain sharp practices are very common in business; (ii) He accused some solicitors of sharp practice (Collins English Dictionary)^[10]
• an action or a way of behaving, especially in business or professional matters, that is clever but dishonest (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)^[14]

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9d	Horologists must support free thing /for/ such workers (5-8)

Here the definition "such workers" succinctly captures the notion "a specific type of workers".

14d	Writing bound /to be/ a feat of athleticism (10)

16d	Strange metal boxes people /used for/ cheese (8)

Emmental^[5] (also Emmenthal) is a kind of hard Swiss cheese with many holes in it, similar to Gruyère.

17d	Welcomes // allegations -- under a cloud at first (8)

19d	Form of street // canopy (6)

A tester^[5] is a canopy over a four-poster bed.

20d	Ponder broadcast and slip inside /for/ some breakfast (6)

The solver is expected to interpret the definition here as "a particular breakfast food".

22d	Shed tears /seeing/ moderate Tory embracing party's leader (4)

In British political circles, the name wet^[5] is applied to a Conservative with liberal tendencies ⇒ the wets favoured a change in economic policy. It was a term frequently used by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for those to the left of her in the British Conservative Party [which must have been just about everyone].

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 Advanced 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)
^[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Saturday, May 2, 2020 — New Times ... All's Clear

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon features a couple of transformations that marked the transition from the Middle Ages to Modern Times in which everything seems to show up in pairs. We have Noah and his animal kingdom matchmaking, a couple of noises made by members of his cargo, a couple of far-flung countries, a couple of acclaimed dramatists, and a pair of garments that could outfit a restrained flasher.

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

Symbols and Markup Conventions
"*" - anagram "~" - sounds like "<" - indicates the preceding letters are reversed "( )" - encloses contained letters "_" - replaces letters that have been deleted  "†" - indicates that the word is present in the clue	"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present "solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

9a	Car, in a sense, stirred // new awakening (11)

RENAISSANCE* — anagram of (stirred) CAR IN A SENSE

The Renaissance^[5] was the revival of European art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th–16th centuries. (show more )

The Renaissance is generally regarded as beginning in Florence, where there was a revival of interest in classical antiquity. Important early figures are the writers Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio and the painter Giotto. Music flourished, from madrigals to the polyphonic masses of Palestrina, with a wide variety of instruments such as viols and lutes. The period from the end of the 15th century has become known as the High Renaissance, when Venice and Rome began to share Florence's importance and Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo were active. Renaissance thinking spread to the rest of Europe from the early 16th century, and was influential for the next hundred years.

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10a	Contingent for Noah’s ark // excessively audible (3)

TWO~ —sounds like (audibly) TOO (excessively)

Busting the Myth

It is a common misconception that Noah took only two of each creature with him on the ark. Noah's precise mission statement was as follows:   The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” (Gen. 7:1-4) So it would appear that Noah had on board fourteen head of cattle and two pigs. It would also seem that cattle were far more monogamous back then than they are today.

11a	Sound of a farm animal // left in pound (5)

B(L)EAT — L(eft) contained in (in) BEAT (pound)

12a	Spur // belonging to us found in pen (9)

ENC(OUR)AGE — OUR (belonging to us) contained in (found in) ENCAGE (pen)

13a	Armed site oversaw // a computer language (7)

FORT|RAN — FORT (armed site) + RAN (oversaw)

Fortran^[5] is a high-level computer programming language used especially for scientific calculations.

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Origin: 1950s; contraction of 'formula translation'.

14a	Republic // established on one quarter-acre (7)

EST|ON|I|A —  EST(ablished) + ON (†) + I ([Roman numeral for] one) + A (quarter-acre; one of four letters in the word 'Acre')

Estonia^[5] is a a Baltic country on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland.  (show more )

Previously ruled by the Teutonic Knights and then by Sweden, Estonia was ceded to Russia in 1721. It was proclaimed an independent republic in 1918 but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 as a constituent republic, the Estonian SSR. With the break-up of the Soviet Union Estonia regained its independence in 1991.

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16a	Altering a crime scene, list // something enlightening (15)

ECLAIRCISSEMENT* — anagram of (altering) A CRIME SCENE LIST

Éclaircissement^[5] is a literary term denoting an enlightening explanation of something that has hitherto been obscure or inexplicable.

19a	Story penned by more // comedic French playwright (7)

MO(LIE)RE — LIE (story) contained in (penned by) MORE (†)

Molière^[5] (1622–1673) was a French dramatist; pseudonym of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. (show more )

Molière wrote more than twenty comic plays about contemporary France, developing stock characters from Italian commedia dell’arte. Notable works: Tartuffe (1664), Le Misanthrope (1666), and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670).

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21a	Teachers // incorrect about average grade (7)

FA(C)ULTY — FAULTY (incorrect) containing (about) C (average grade)

22a	Turk posed playing // card game (4,5)

{STUD POKER}* — anagram of (playing) TURK POSED

Stud poker^[10] (often shortened to stud) is a variety of poker in which the first card is dealt face down before each player and the next four are dealt face up (five-card stud) or in which the first two cards and the last card are dealt face down and the intervening four cards are dealt face up (seven-card stud), with bets made after each round.

24a	Pickled bud/’s/ prank (5)

CAPER — double definition

26a	Horse // found among onagers (3)

_NAG_ — hidden in (found among) oNAGers

Scratching the Surface
The onager[5] (Equus hemionus onager) is an animal of a race of the Asian wild ass native to northern Iran.

27a	New movement // for inmate or lunatic (11)

REFORMATION* — anagram of (lunatic) FOR INMATE OR

The Reformation^[5] was a 16th-century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Church ending in the establishment of the Reformed and Protestant Churches. (show more )

The roots of the Reformation go back to the 14th-century attacks on the wealth and hierarchy of the Church made by groups such as the Lollards and the Hussites. But the Reformation is usually thought of as beginning in 1517 when Martin Luther issued ninety-five theses criticizing Church doctrine and practice. In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Saxony, Hesse, and Brandenburg, supporters broke away and established Protestant Churches, while in Switzerland a separate movement was led by Zwingli and later Calvin.

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Down

1d	Food // town sent back (4)

GRUB< — reversal of (sent back) BURG (town)

2d	Necessary triangle in need of adjustment (8)

INTEGRAL* — anagram of (in need of adjustment) TRIANGLE

3d	Put under Tim, put in my group // when it’s cold outside (10)

W(INTER|TIM)E — {INTER (put under) + TIM (†)} contained in (put in) WE (my group)

4d	A grave // toward the back (6)

A|STERN — A (†) + STERN (grave; serious)

5d	Kay makes horse noises, /and/ pants (8)

K|NICKERS — K (kay) + NICKERS (makes horse noises)

This appears to be a clue imported from the UK. It will likely cause no difficulty for those of us accustomed to solving British puzzles. However, I wonder how it will go over with those without that experience.

In Britain, the word pants^[5] does not mean trousers as it does in North America. Rather, it refers to underwear — specifically men's undershorts or women's panties (the latter otherwise known as knickers^[5] to the Brits).

As I like to say, were I to remove my pants in the UK, I would be far more exposed than were I to do so in North America!

6d	Mountainous country, // according to half of us (4)

PER|U — PER (according to) + U (half of [the word] Us)

Peru is a country in South America on the Pacific coast, traversed throughout its length by the Andes. (show more )

The centre of the Inca empire, Peru was conquered by the Spanish conquistador Pizarro in 1532. Peru was liberated by Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín in 1820–4, and a republic established. It lost territory in the south in a war with Chile (1879–83) and also had border disputes with Colombia and Ecuador in the 1930s and 1940s.

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7d	Overload // small coach (6)

S|TRAIN — S (small; clothing size) + TRAIN (coach; teach)

8d	Shaking only rattle // with patience (10)

TOLERANTLY* — anagram of (shaking) ONLY RATTLE

13d	Charge mother and boys outside restricted // private club (10)

F(R)EE|MA|SONS — {FEE (charge) + MA (mother) + (and) SONS (boys)} containing (outside) R (restricted; film classification)

The Freemasons^[5] are an international order established for mutual help and fellowship, which holds elaborate secret ceremonies. (show more )

The original free masons were itinerant skilled stonemasons of the 14th century, who are said to have recognized fellow craftsmen by secret signs. Modern freemasonry is usually traced to the formation of the Grand Lodge in London in 1717; members are typically professionals and businessmen.

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15d	Technocrat changed // protective garment (6,4)

{TRENCH COAT}* — anagram of (changed) TECHNOCRAT

17d	On a list, mark // classic playwright to listen to (5,3)

{CHECK OFF}~ — sounds like (to listen to) CHEKOV (classic playwright)

Anton Chekhov^[5] (1860–1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer. (show more )

Chekhov's work, portraying upper-class life in pre-revolutionary Russia with a blend of naturalism and symbolism, had a considerable influence on 20th-century drama. Notable plays: The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1900), The Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904).

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18d	Yale students covering kissers // … (8)

EL(LIPS)IS — ELIS (Yale students) containing (covering) LIPS (kissers)

A Yale University student or alumnus is known informally as an Eli^[7].

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Origin: after Yale founder Elihu Yale

20d	Sudden movement outside operator/’s/ room (6)

L(O)UNGE — LUNGE (sudden movement) containing (outside) O ([telephone] operator)

21d	Trajectory in cook/’s/ whole different story (3,3)

F(AR C)RY — ARC (trajectory) contained in (in) FRY (cook)

23d	Some wine // left on board (4)

PORT — double definition

Port^[5] (also port wine) is a strong, sweet dark red (occasionally brown or white) fortified^* wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine. The name is a shortened form of Oporto, a major port from which the wine is shipped.

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^* having had spirits added

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Port^[5] is the side of a ship or aircraft that is on the left when one is facing forward ⇒ (i) the ferry was listing to port; (ii) [as modifier] the port side of the aircraft.

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Origin: probably originally the side containing an entry port or facing the port (quayside) for loading

25d	Called, // step on a ladder (4)

RUNG — double definition

Epilogue

The Renaissance and the Reformation were periods in history that changed the world. Are we now passing through another period of world-altering change? If so, what name will historians of the future apply to it?

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 Advanced 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)
^[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, May 1, 2020 — DT 29176

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29176
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29176]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Mr K
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

There is a wide diversity of opinion on Big Dave's Crossword Blog regarding the difficulty of this puzzle — some finding it difficult, others easy. I find myself in both camps. I started the puzzle last evening and worked my way through the top half but found myself unable to make headway in the bottom half. When I awoke this morning, I breezed through the remainder of the puzzle.

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

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Carpeted // under the table (8)

Carpet^[5] is an informal British^* term meaning to reprimand severely ⇒ the Chancellor of the Exchequer carpeted the bank bosses.

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^* Although we do not use this expression in North America, we certainly use the possibly related expression to be called on the carpet^[5].

5a	Busts -- // they slow you down, we hear (6)

10a	Naive // doctor enthusiastic about operation day (15)

11a	Dangers /from/ cures limiting hospital (7)

In the wordplay, cure^[5] is used not in the medical sense but, rather, in the sense of to preserve (meat, fish, tobacco, or an animal skin) by salting, drying, or smoking.

"hospital" = H

12a	Complaint /made by/ artist embraced by every European (7)

In Crosswordland, complaints often prove to be medical in nature.

"artist " = RA

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. 

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"European " = E [as in E-number]

E^[1,2] is the abbreviation for European (as in E number^*).

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^* An E number^[1,4,10,14] (or E-number^[2,5]) is any of various identification codes required by EU law, consisting of the letter E (for European) followed by a number, that are used to denote food additives such as colourings and preservatives (but excluding flavourings) that have been approved by the European Union.

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13a	Associates // Charlie with leg caught in fishing equipment (8)

"Charlie " = C [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]

In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet^[7]*, Charlie^[5] is a code word representing the letter C.

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^* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet

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"leg " = ON [cricket term]

In cricket, the leg^[5] (also called leg side) is another name for the on^[5] (also known as on side), the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball ⇒ he played a lucky stroke to leg.

The other half of the field is known as the off^[5] (also called off side).

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"caught " = C [cricket notation]

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

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

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15a	Hold up // pen (5)

18a	Unhappy // at university clique (5)

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

20a	Out of date // medicine that is valued 50% off (8)

These meds are obviously well beyond their best before date!

23a	Tramp // stumbles around atomic base (7)

A^[1] is the abbreviation for atomic, as in A-bomb.

In mathematics, e^[5] is the transcendental^* number that is the base of Napierian or natural logarithms, approximately equal to 2.71828.

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^* A transcendental number^[5] is a number such as e or π that is real but not a root of an algebraic equation with rational coefficients.

25a	Honourably // short time to recover (7)

"short time " = MO

Mo (abbreviation for moment) is an informal term^* for a short period of time ⇒ hang on a mo!.

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^* Identified by several British dictionaries as being a British^[5,14], chiefly British^[2,4],  or mainly British^[10] term. However, one British and two US dictionaries do not specify it as being a British^[1,11,12] term. This meaning of the word "mo" is not found in my third US dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language^[3].

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26a	Open basic cell to criminal? One might (6,9)

A cryptic definition with embedded wordplay. The entire clue is the definition with the portion of the clue with the double underline also being wordplay.

27a	Simply // starts to eat alternative snack items -- like yoghurt (6)

28a	Dessert // came with rice, strangely (3,5)

Down

1d	Regularly visits // relatives to support husband (6)

"husband " = H [genealogy]

The abbreviation for husband is h^[1,2] or h.^{[3,4,10,11,12]} or H^[12] or H.^[4,10,11,12]) [although no context is provided, it may well come from the field of genealogy].

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2d	Quiet after Greek character digs /for/ fungi (9)

Mu^[5] is the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet (Μ, μ).

3d	Describe // former lover? Unattractive (7)

4d	Leaves // site to work around ten (5)

6d	Indicates // the Queen's pulled up trousers (7)

"the Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]

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

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7d	Greek // somewhat ticklish? Somewhat (5)

Attic^[5] is the dialect of Greek used by the ancient Athenians. It was the chief literary form of classical Greek.

8d	Naughty nude lady's wanting adult // at once (8)

"adult " = A [former British film certificate]

The A (Adult) certificate is a former film certificate^[7] issued by the British Board of Film Classification. This certificate existed in various forms from 1912 to 1985, when it was replaced by the PG (Parental Guidance) certificate. [Despite its demise in the real world, it continues to find widespread use in Crosswordland.]

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9d	Hair in two different directions -- daughter/'s/ worried (8)

"daughter " = D [genealogy]

In genealogies, d^[5] is the abbreviation for daughter ⇒ Henry m. Georgina 1957, 1s 2d^*.

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^* Henry married Georgina in 1957. Their marriage produced 1 son and 2 daughters.

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14d	Move closer with Mercedes stuck in // traffic (8)

In the UK, Merc^[5] is an informal term for a Mercedes car^* .

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^* I would say that North Americans would apply the name Merc to a different automobile, the Mercury — even though this brand has been defunct since 2010 (show more ).

Mercury^[7] is a defunct division of the American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Marketed as an entry-level premium brand for nearly its entire existence, Mercury was created in 1938 by Edsel Ford. Forming half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division, the brand was intended to bridge the price gap between the Ford and Lincoln vehicle lines. In a similar context, Buick and Oldsmobile played the same role within General Motors while the Chrysler Division did so within Chrysler Corporation (following the end of DeSoto and the creation of Imperial).

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16d	Benefit expert // at one's disposal (9)

17d	Many // pull item out (8)

19d	Steaming out of river/'s/ current (7)

21d	Volatile // rodent found in Morecambe, perhaps (7)

The British comic duo Morecambe and Wise^[7] (also known as Eric and Ernie), comprised of Eric Morecambe (1926-1984) and Ernie Wise (1925–1999), were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984. They have been described as "the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced".

Scratching the Surface
Born John Eric Bartholomew, Morecambe[7] took his stage name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe in Lancashire, England [where,according to the setter, a rat is found].

22d	College // cracked my clue (6)

A lyceum^[1] is a college^*.

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^* Good luck finding it defined as such anywhere other than The Chambers Dictionary.

In ancient Greece, The Lyceum was a gymnasium and grove beside the temple of Apollo at Athens, in whose walks Aristotle taught.

24d	Book // ultimately missing conclusion (5)

25d	Ludicrously busy // chap in charge (5)

"chap " = MAN

Chap^[3,4,11] is an informal British^[5] or chiefly British^[3] term for a man or boy — although a term that is certainly not uncommon in Canada. It is a shortened form of chapman^[3,4,11], an archaic term for a trader, especially an itinerant pedlar^[a,b].

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^[a] Pedlar is the modern British spelling of peddler^[14] which, in most senses, is considered by the Brits to be a US or old-fashioned British spelling. The exception is in the sense of a dealer in illegal drugs which the Brits spell as drug peddler.
^[b] The current meaning of chap^[2] dates from the 18th century. In the 16th century, chap meant 'a customer'. The dictionaries do not explain how a shortened form of 'chapman' (pedlar) came to mean 'customer'.

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"in charge " = IC

The abbreviation i/c^[2,5] can be short for either:

• (especially in military contexts) in charge (of) ⇒ the Quartermaster General is i/c rations
• in command (of) ⇒ 2 i/c = second in command.

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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 Advanced 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)
^[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon