Saturday, February 22, 2014 — In the Mood for Variety

Introduction

I didn't discern a theme in today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon — did you? If you did, why not leave a comment and let us in on the secret.

A New Addition to the Blog

You will see a change in the blog today. In the Solution to Today's Puzzle section,  I have reproduced the clues — with the definitions underlined. If you happen to find errors in the clues, it is more than likely due to OCR errors that I have failed to detect.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Definitions are underlined in the clue, with subsidiary indications being marked by means of a dashed underline in semi-all-in-one (semi-& lit.) clues and cryptic definitions.

Across

1a   Mad Hatter's sabre-rattling (7)

THREATS* — anagram (mad) of HATTERS

5a   Terribly mad, but before hot treatment for aches (3,4)

{MUD BAT}*|H — anagram (terribly) of MAD BUT + (before) H (hot)

9a   Widens holes in large amounts of paper (5)

REAMS — double definition

10a   Posed with one among Alan's dogs (9)

AL(SAT)IANS — {SAT (posed) + I ([Roman numeral for] one)} contained in {ALAN (†) + S ('s)}

Alsatian^[3,4,11] is a chiefly British name for a German shepherd [breed of dog].

11a   Someone leaving a board is backing up lie about a strategy for investors (15)

DIVER|SI<|FIC(A)TION — DIVER (someone leaving a [diving] board) + SI {reversal (backing up) of IS} + {FICTION (lie) containing (about) A (†)}

12a   Casually moved damaged shade, say (8)

SASHAYED* — anagram (damaged) of SHADE SAY

13a   In class, tell about Williams heroine (6)

_S|TELL|A_ — hidden in (in) clasS TELL About

Stella Kowalski^[7] (née DuBois) is one of the main characters in A Streetcar Named Desire, a play by American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911–1983). She is the younger sister of central character Blanche DuBois and wife of Stanley Kowalski.

16a   Declare something of value on either side of river (6)

ASSE(R)T — ASSET (something of value) containing (on either side of) R (river)

18a   Spoke ill of male in league (8)

M|ALIGNED — M (male) + ALIGNED (in league)

22a   Paint guys add in a moody way (15)

TEMPERA|MEN|TALLY — TEMPERA (paint) + MEN (guys) + TALLY (add)

24a   Make regular name Liz or Dotty (9)

NORMALIZE* — anagram (dotty) of NAME LIZ OR

25a   Jack in center, behind king (5)

K|NAVE — NAVE (center; hub [of a wheel]) following (behind) K (king; chess piece or playing card)

In a move that is rather uncharacteristic of them, the setters have used the US spelling, "center" rather than the usual Canadian spelling, "centre".

26a   Lilliputian Society meeting's summary (7)

MINUTE|S — MINUTE (Lilliputian; adjective meaning tiny) + S (society)

Lilliputian^[5] is an adjective meaning trivial or very small that is derived from the name of the imaginary country of Lilliput in the novel Gulliver's Travels by Irish writer Jonathan Swift (1667–1745), Lilliput being a country inhabited by people 6 inches (15 cm) high.

27a   Sonnet verses established in groups (7)

S(EST)ETS — EST (established) contained in (in) SETS (groups)

Down

1d   Loses patience with insertion of commercial rants (7)

TIR(AD)ES — TIRES (loses patience) containing (with insertion of) AD (commercial)

2d   Examine some shop tools for counsels again (9)

READ|VISES — READ (examine) + VISES (some shop tools)

3d   Second year in continent's old country (7)

AS(S|YR)IA — {S (second) + YR (year)} contained in (in) ASIA (continent)

Assyria^[5] was an ancient country in what is now northern Iraq. From the early part of the 2nd millennium BC Assyria was the centre of a succession of empires; it was at its peak in the 8th and late 7th centuries BC, when its rule stretched from the Persian Gulf to Egypt. It fell in 612 BC to a coalition of Medes and Babylonians.

4d   Treatment of diseases in coastal areas (8)

SEASIDES* — anagram of (treatment of) DISEASES

5d   My jam, for the most part, is awe-inspiring (6)

MY|STIC_ — MY (†) + STIC[K] {STICK (jam; seize up) with the final letter deleted (for the most part)}

6d   Take away bit of trash hauled back (7)

{DETRAC|T_}< — reversal (back) of {T (bit of trash; first letter of Trash) + CARTED (hauled)}

7d   A pad with initial of Italian violin maker (5)

A|MAT|I — A (†) + MAT (pad) + I (initial [letter] of Italian)

The Amatis^[5] were a family of Italian violin-makers from Cremona. In the 16th and 17th centuries three generations of the Amatis developed the basic proportions of the violin, viola, and cello.

8d   Hanson confused by a cry of admiration (7)

HOSANN*|A — anagram (confused) of HANSON + (by) A (†)

There may be other possibilities, but Hanson^[7] could be an allusion to the American boy band from Tulsa, Oklahoma comprising brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson.

14d   Former tennis star with leisure for 1940s military program (4-5)

LEND-L|EASE — LENDL (former tennis star [Ivan Lendl^[7]]) + (with) EASE (leisure)

Lend-Lease^[5] was an arrangement made in 1941 whereby the US supplied military equipment and armaments to the UK and its allies, originally as a loan in return for the use of British-owned military bases.

15d   Single, devoured piece of lasagna in state of disarray (8)

M(ATE|L)ESS — {ATE (devoured) + L (piece [first letter] of Lasagna)} contained in (in) MESS (state of disarray)

16d   Opposite Roman general in the vanguard of 1,000 (7)

ANTONY|M — ANTONY (Roman General) + (in the vanguard of; at the forefront of) M ([Roman numeral for] 1,000)

Mark Antony^[5] (circa 83-30 BC) was a Roman general and triumvir; Latin name Marcus Antonius. A supporter of Julius Caesar, he was appointed one of the triumvirate after Caesar’s murder. Following the battle of Philippi he took charge of the Eastern Empire, where he established his association with Cleopatra. Quarrels with Octavian led finally to his defeat at the battle of Actium and to his suicide.

17d   Stage a new version of a recent novel (7)

REENACT* — anagram (novel) of A RECENT

19d   Energy consumed by changing Atkins diets? (7)

INTAK(E)S* — E (energy) contained in (consumed by) an anagram (changing) of ATKINS

The Atkins diet^[5] is a high-protein, high-fat diet in which carbohydrates are severely restricted. It is named after American cardiologist Robert C. Atkins (1930–2003).

20d   Quality of some wine from New York brought back in rig (7)

DR(YN<)ESS — reversal (brought back) of NY (New York) contained in DRESS (rig)

21d   Butchers about ten proverbs (6)

MA(X)IMS — MAIMS (butchers) containing (about) X ([Roman numeral for] ten)

23d   Heard additional stuff regarding dope (5)

MORON~ — sounds like (heard) {MORE (additional stuff) + ON (regarding)}

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Friday, February 21, 2014 — DT 27324

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27324
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, November 1, 2013
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27324]
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

As is often the case with Giovanni's puzzles, I got off to a very slow start and I doubted whether I would get far in solving this puzzle. However, the solutions slowly revealed themselves and I eventually was able to complete the puzzle without outside help. That, I believe, is the sign of a well-set puzzle — or, at least, a puzzle well-matched to my level of skill.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Sea-sport star wearing red emerged from water again (10)

6a   Centre of operations  devoid of morality (4)

9a   Woman was poorly on return journey (5)

In Britain, poorly^[5] is not only used as an adverb, but also as an adjective meaning unwell ⇒ she looked poorly.

Delia Smith^[7] [whom Deep Threat chooses to illustrate this clue in his review] is an English cook and television presenter [host], known for teaching basic cookery [cooking] skills in a no-nonsense style. She is the UK's best-selling cookery author, with more than 21 million copies sold.

10a   Block of words soldier attached to chart (9)

Para^[4,11] (short for paratrooper) is a soldier in an airborne unit.

12a   How we count with energy concentrated (7)

13a   Bird appearing before a new moon (5)

A tit^{[Britannica Concise Encyclopedia]} is any of several songbirds closely related to the chickadee, including the great tit (Parus major), found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia and the tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), native to North America. These birds are called either "chickadees" or "titmice" in North America, and just "tits" in the rest of the English-speaking world.^[7]

Titan^[5] is the largest satellite of Saturn (diameter 5,150 km), the fifteenth closest to the planet, discovered by C. Huygens in 1655.

15a   Goods vehicle makes journey (7)

17a   Record Socialist dwindling to nothing? (7)

19a   Talk together having hugged one sort of tree (7)

21a   Fighter in army surrounded by loony men (7)

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)^[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency. 

In the British armed forces, the term other ranks^[5] (abbreviation OR^[5]) refers to all those who are not commissioned officers.

22a   Author publishes sermons, but only five of them (5)

Hermann Hesse^[5] (1877–1962) was a German-born Swiss novelist and poet. His work reflects his interest in spiritual values as expressed in Eastern religion and his involvement in Jungian analysis. Notable works: Siddhartha (1922), Der Steppenwolf (1927), and The Glass Bead Game (1943). Nobel Prize for Literature (1946).

24a   Platform nonsense about end of NHS -- bizarre! (7)

In the UK, the National Health Service^[5] (abbreviation NHS) is a system of national medical care paid for mainly by taxation and started by the Labour government in 1948.

Rum^[5] is dated British slang meaning odd or peculiar ⇒ it’s a rum business, certainly.

27a   Cleric, all right and competent, that can be countermanded (9)

28a   Fruit to disappear -- taken by staff (5)

Collins English Dictionary lists 76 shades of meaning for the verb take^[5]. While one might make a case for several of them as the basis for the indicator in this clue, I will go with number 42, to conduct or lead ⇒ this road takes you to the station. Thus, the wordplay would be GO (to disappear) led by (taken by) MAN (staff).

29a   Modern money a setback for old French street (4)

In French, rue^[5] means street.

The euro^[5] is the single European currency, which replaced the national currencies of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands in 2002. Seventeen member states of the European Union now use the euro.

30a   Boss I love leads university, crafty in a bookish way (10)

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

Down

1d  & 14d   Choose dark rice for cooking -- do this with fine lady in prospect! (4,1,4,5)

The clue is an allusion to the English nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross"^[7]. A "cock horse" can mean a high-spirited horse or an additional horse to assist in pulling a cart or carriage up a hill. From the mid-sixteenth century it also meant a pretend hobby horse or an adult's knee [presumably when used to give a child a "horsey-ride"].

Banbury^[7] is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire, England.

2d   That is little fellow, betrayed earlier, to keep going (7,2)

3d   Perform again and swing back the other way (5)

4d   A string's holding together soft plants (7)

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

An alpine^[5] is  a plant native to mountain districts, often suitable for growing in rock gardens ⇒ a collection of alpines and dwarf bulbs.

5d   Most weird estate flooded by lake (7)

7d   Stop a large vessel crossing sea initially (5)

8d   Heroic men at sea netting 500 starfish maybe (10)

An echinoderm^[5] is a marine invertebrate of the phylum Echinodermata, such as a starfish, sea urchin, or sea cucumber.

11d   Approach snooker table and fall apart (2,2,3)

In billiards and snooker, pot^[5] means to strike (a ball) into a pocket ⇒ he failed to pot a red at close range.

Thus the reason you might approach a snooker table is to pot a ball; or, in other words, you "go to pot".

14d   See 1d

16d   Descending mountain when there are fewer fellow-travellers (3-4)

Fellow-traveller^[5] can mean a person who is not a member of a particular group or political party (especially the Communist Party), but who sympathizes with the group’s aims and policies. However, the surface reading of the clue does not readily lend itself to this interpretation.

18d   First principles allowing inferior little types to pocket money (9)

20d   Artist getting about nibbled a toastie (7)

I think we may be having leftovers tonight — I recall being served this yesterday. Rarebit^[5] (also known as Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit) is a dish of melted and seasoned cheese on toast, sometimes with other ingredients. The name rarebit is an alteration of rabbit in Welsh rabbit; the reason for the use of the term rabbit is unknown.

Toastie^[5] is an informal British term for a toasted sandwich or snack.

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

21d   Odd dream is interpreted incorrectly (7)

23d   Separate prophet, very confined (5)

25d   See old lover thwarted (5)

A see^[5] is the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop.

The Pope^[7] is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. His ecclesiastical jurisdiction is often called the "Holy See".

"Star-crossed"^[7] or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers whose relationship is often thwarted by outside forces. The term encompasses other meanings, but originally means the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or that the stars are working against the relationship. Astrological in origin, the phrase stems from the belief that the positions of the stars ruled over people's fates, and is best known from the play Romeo and Juliet by the Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare. Such pairings are often but not always said to be doomed from the start. 

The phrase was coined in the prologue of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:

"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life"

26d   Company man coming out as 'not the proper article'? (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

Thursday, February 20, 2014 — DT 27323

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27323
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Thursday, October 31, 2013
Setter RayT (Ray Terrell)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27323]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★ / ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

I needed help from my electronic assistants today on a couple of clues. I always have trouble with homophone clues that rely on the British pronunciation — or, rather, non-pronunciation — of the letter "R". The other involved my first encounter with a new (to me) bit of British slang.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

7a   Extremely wrong to be consumed by stunner? Indeed (8)

I am going to go out on a limb and offer an alternative to Big Dave's explanation. Actually, my own original explanation was basically the same as that offered by Big Dave. However, while writing the blog, I happened to stumble upon the following:

Devilish^[5] is an informal, dated term meaning very or extremely ⇒ a devilish clever chap.

Using "devilish" as the definition, the wordplay would be EVIL (wrong) contained in (to be consumed by) DISH (stunner).

I am no more able to explain the existence of the word "indeed" in the clue than was Big Dave. In fact, my explanation would seem to make this word even more superfluous than it was under the explanation given by Big Dave.

9a   State benefit right's accepted (6)

10a   Worry about Queen making comeback (4)

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.

11a   The compiler's second time bringing in Queen -- excessive! (10)

It is a common cryptic crossword device for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as compiler, setter, author, writer, or this person to refer to himself or herself. To solve such a clue, one must generally substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms has been used in the clue. Today, the setter has made the scenario slightly more complicated by combining "compiler" with the verb "to be" (producing "compiler's" [compiler is]) which must be replaced by "I'm" (I am).

In the UK, mo^[5] [abbreviation for moment] is an informal term for a short period of time ⇒ hang on a mo!.

The appearance of the word "Queen" in one of the clues of the puzzle is a trademark of RayT. Here he has used it in two consecutive clues — but, of course, he has cheekily acknowledged having done so!

12a   Rendezvous with planet circling Earth (6)

A venue^[2] is a meeting-place.

14a   Honesty is giving my word! (8)

15a   Force conversation for the audience (6)

The word "torque", when pronounced in a non-rhotic^[5] dialect [which includes many British dialects], sounds like "talk". Non-rhotic accents omit the sound /r/ in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce /r/ in all contexts.

17a   Allow for a man's initiation before sex (6)

It^[5] (usually written in quotation marks, 'it') is an informal [and euphemistic] term for sexual intercourse or sex appeal  ⇒ the only thing I knew nothing about was ‘it’.

20a   Slaughter embraced by fanaticism as sacred (8)

22a   Run off following start of school run (6)

23a   Subsequently getting farther with tee shot (10)

24a   Only possessing small bosom ... (4)

But is used as in Having failed on her first two attempts, the athlete now had but one chance left to qualify for the final.

25a   ... recent naturist ends hidden (6)

26a   Rest not holding a cue (8)

Down

1d   Degenerate act ended badly (8)

2d   Wait for Blind Pew on and off (4)

"On and off" means to alternately use (on) and discard (off) letters from the fodder.

Pew^[7], an evil and deadly blind beggar, is a minor character in the novel Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894). Some film adaptations call him "Blind Pew".

3d   Notes male absorbed by short skirts (6)

In British music terminology, minim^[5] is another name for a half note, a note having the time value of two crotchets^[5] [British name for a quarter note] or half a semibreve^[5] [British name for a whole note], represented by a ring with a stem.

4d   Give a little, being generous (8)

5d   One studying temperature in rare moons, perhaps (10)

Once again, I am going to take a different approach from Big Dave. I would say that the entire clue here is the definition, making this a semi-& lit. (semi-all-in-one) clue.

6d   Deserter imprisoned by American soldiers without charge (6)

It was but two days ago that we last encountered this rat. Rat^[4] is used in the sense of a person who deserts his or her friends or associates, especially in time of trouble. Of course, rats are well-known deserters of sinking ships.

8d   Husband's got over old lady, say, returning admiration (6)

In cricket, an over^[5] (abbreviation O^[5]) is a division of play consisting of a sequence of six balls bowled by a bowler from one end of the pitch, after which another bowler takes over from the other end.

13d   Even ruder dancing round pole is explicit (10)

16d   Launch astern holds fast (8)

Fast as in "fast women".

18d   Metal nuts get twisted by centre of spanner (8)

19d   In France I almost back buffoon (6)

In French, je^[8] means I.

21d   A quiet force in religious retreat (6)

An ashram^[5] is (especially in South Asia) a hermitage, monastic community, or other place of religious retreat.

22d   Lot of people quietly steal apples (6)

Scrump^[5] is an informal British term meaning to steal (fruit) from an orchard or garden ⇒ (i) I remember Gordon scrumping apples from the orchard next door; (ii) they used to go out scrumping and thieving.

24d   Group reportedly censored (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

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 — DT 27322

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27322
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27322]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By scchua
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 was not that onerous to solve, but it provided more than ample opportunity for this blogger to head off exploring tangents.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Scientists' aspiration is up -- more potential for development (9,6)

9a   New business set back by famous face (5-2)

There is an error in scchua's explanation of the wordplay, which should be:

• Reversal of ( back ) PUT ( set ) placed after ( by , in an across clue) [a famous face;a celebrity]

10a   Observed how plain the cake was! (7)

11a   Pronouncement from church on complete article (9)

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.

12a   Liveliness of bar Nixon regularly frequented (4)

Brio^[5] means vigour or vivacity of style or performance ⇒ she told her story with some brio. In music, as scchua points out, con brio^[5] is a musical direction meaning with vigour.

The clue may be a reference to Richard Nixon^[5] (1913–194), an American Republican statesman who was the 37th President of the US (1969–74).

13a   Work hard on a new catchphrase (6)

15a   Musical phrase about fine female artist's undesirable people (4-4)

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine that is used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ an F pencil. Although Oxford Dictionaries Online seems to think that this is a British term, I have a Paper-Mate F pencil sitting on the desk in front of me clearly stamped USA.

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

18a   Soldiers best dress for workplace (8)

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

19a   What's left after fine programme is cut short? (3,3)

Another pencil!

Fag end^[4] is a British term for the stub of a cigarette.

22a   Charge for small hotel after game (4)

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

While two major variants of the game of rugby exist in the real world, only one is commonly seen in Crosswordland. Rugby union^[5] (abbreviation RU^[5]) is a form of rugby played in teams of fifteen, in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen.

Twickenham Stadium^[7] [mentioned in scchua's review] (usually known as just Twickenham or Twickers) is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest stadium in the world devoted solely to the sport of rugby union, it is the second largest stadium in the UK after Wembley Stadium and the fifth largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is the home of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and as such primarily a venue for rugby union and hosts England's home test matches [international matches, typically part of a series, played between teams representing two different countries], as well as a number of other major rugby union competitions.

23a   Politician says piece (9)

26a   Run down mountain full of need (7)

Ben^[5] is a Scottish term (used especially in place names) for a high mountain or mountain peak ⇒ Ben Nevis. [Ben Nevis^[5] is a mountain in western Scotland. Rising to 1,343 m (4,406 ft), it is the highest mountain in the British Isles.]

27a   Italy's getting into mixing of blue and green energy source (7)

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

28a   Racing to convert soft-spoken Right (3,5,2,5)

It seems that "The Sport of Kings" has varied over time. According to The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, The Sport of Kings is a proverbial phrase for hunting and (now, most usually) horse-racing, although the earliest uses of the expression related to war, as in Dryden's King Arthur (1691). Other pastimes that apparently have been regarded as "The Sport of Kings" include falconry, real tennis [in contrast to lawn tennis] and, in Hawaii, surfing.

Ascot Racecourse^[7] [illustrated in scchua's review] is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle.

Down

1d   50 per cent of potential covers amount for these creatures (7)

2d   Respond, about to suppress part of drama (5)

3d   Consider action initially in restructuring internet (9)

4d   High-pitched sound under pump regularly increasing (6)

5d   Hang about -- that's ladies' underwear! (8)

6d   Curse track showing love for Portugal (4)

In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love^[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒ love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Portugal is P^[5].

7d   Triumph, say, in natural surroundings personified (9)

The Triumph Motor Company^[7] was a British car and motor manufacturing company. Following a series of takeovers and corporate reorganizations, Triumph became part of the Rover Group within British Leyland Motor Corporation. The last Triumph model was the Acclaim which was introduced in 1981 and was essentially a rebadged Honda Ballade [a premium version of the Honda Civic which was sold only in Japan] built under licence from the Japanese auto company Honda. The Triumph name disappeared in 1984, when the Acclaim was replaced by the Rover 200, which was a rebadged version of Honda's next generation Civic/Ballade model. The trademark is owned currently by BMW, which acquired Triumph when it bought the Rover Group in 1994 — and retained the Triumph marque when it later sold Rover.

8d   Terribly fond of holding son, goes to sleep (4,3)

14d   Hide cause of BT failing (9)

BT Group plc^[7], trading as BT, is a British multinational telecommunications services company with head offices in London, Great Britain. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in over 170 countries.

16d   Set up Labour's underlying structure? (9)

My explanation of the clue differs from that given by scchua in his review.

I interpreted "set up" to be a verb meaning to frame^[5], in the sense of to produce false evidence against (an innocent person) so that they appear guilty.

Using this approach, the wordplay is FRAME (set up) + WORK (labour) with the definition being "underlying structure" or FRAMEWORK.

In his review, scchua shows the definition as being "set up", with the wordplay being WORK (labour) following ('s [contraction of is] underlying; in a down clue) FRAME (structure).

As for the definition, according to The Chambers Dictionary — regarded as the "authority" for Daily Telegraph puzzles — a framework^[1] is (1) the work that forms the frame or (2) the skeleton or outline of anything, while a set-up^[1] is the arrangement, organization, configuration or structure of anything. So, somewhat of a match, I would have to concede.

This approach relies on "set up" being a noun rather than a verb. With one exception, all the dictionaries that I consulted spell the noun as either set-up (hyphenated) or setup (a single word), rather than set up (two words) as in the clue. The Chambers Dictionary spells the noun as a hyphenated word, set-up, as does Chambers 21st Century Dictionary^[2] and Oxford Dictionaries Online^[5]. The American dictionaries, The American Heritage Dictionary and the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, both spell the noun as a single word, setup. The latest version of Collins English Dictionary spells the noun as either setup or set-up^[10]. While an earlier version of Collins English Dictionary does appear to spell the noun as two words, set up^[4], the Collins Thesaurus of the English Language (from the same era) spells the noun as a hyphenated word, set-up.

The Labour Party^[5] in Britain is a left-of-centre political party formed to represent the interests of ordinary working people that since the Second World War has been in power 1945–51, 1964–70, 1974-9, and 1997–2010. Arising from the trade union movement at the end of the 19th century, it replaced the Liberals as the country’s second party after the First World War.

17d   Person wanting to be in good nick? (8)

This clue relies on two meanings of "nick" that are foreign to North Americans.

In the cryptic reading, nick^[5] is British slang for a prison ⇒ he’ll end up in the nick for the rest of his life.

However, to Brits the clue would certainly convey a different meaning on the surface — and therein lies the misdirection.

In Britain, the phrase in (a specified) nick^[5] means in (a specified) condition ⇒ you’ve kept the car in good nick.

18d   Food that might entice an American coin collector? (7)

Rarebit^[5] (also known as Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit) is a dish of melted and seasoned cheese on toast, sometimes with other ingredients. The name rarebit is an alteration of rabbit in Welsh rabbit; the reason for the use of the term rabbit is unknown.

This clue is based on the largely erroneous premise that a bit is an American coin. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, bit^[3] is actually a chiefly British term for a small coin ⇒ a threepenny bit.

In North America, bit^[5] is a dated term for a unit of 12 1/ 2 cents (used only in even multiples). Thus a bit is a monetary value, not a coin. Just as a British penny is a coin with a value of one pence, an American quarter is a coin with a value of two bits. The term is always used in even multiples as there is no possible combination of American coins having a value of one bit (12 1/ 2 cents).

Wikipedia provides a fuller explanation of the use of bit^[7] in the US and the UK:

In the United States, the bit is equal to ⅛ of a dollar or 12½ cents. In the U.S., the "bit" as a designation for money dates from the colonial period, when the most common unit of currency used was the Spanish dollar, also known as "piece of eight", which was worth 8 Spanish silver reales. One eighth of a dollar or one silver real was one "bit".

With the adoption of the decimal U.S. currency in 1794, there was no longer a coin worth ⅛ of a dollar but "two bits" remained in the language with the meaning of one quarter dollar, "four bits" half dollar, etc.

In Britain, Ireland and parts of the former British Empire, where before decimalisation a British-style currency of "pounds, shillings and pence" was in use, the word "bit" was used differently. Rather than representing a specific monetary value, it was applied colloquially to a range of low-denomination coins in the sense of "coin" or "piece of money". Thus a threepence coin or "threepenny piece" would become a "threepenny bit", usually pronounced "thru'penny bit".

The term was used only of coins representing multiple values – a penny coin was simply a "penny", not a "penny bit", a shilling coin was a "shilling", a half crown coin was "half-a-crown" – but anything valued at more than a unit could attract the suffix "bit".

Although earlier there had been other values in circulation such as the "fourpenny bit" or "groat", the "bit" coins still in use in the United Kingdom up to decimalisation in 1971 were the two-shilling bit (often "two-bob bit"), the sixpenny bit (or "tanner"), and the threepenny bit.

In the UK, use of the term "bit" largely disappeared with the arrival of decimal coinage and the loss of the coin denominations to which it had applied [unlike the US, where the term lived on]. Thus a ten pence piece is referred to merely as "ten pence", or even "ten pee", not as a "tenpenny bit".

20d   Daughter approaches swings (7)

21d   Primate mostly eating root of marram grass (6)

Marram grass^[5] (Ammophila arenaria) is a coarse European grass of coastal sand dunes, binding the loose sand with its tough rhizomes.

24d   Regret love affair in France without a name (5)

In French, amour^[8] can mean love affair.

25d   Bound to drink around the end of week (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, February 18, 2014 DT 27321

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27321
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27321]
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 27320 which was published in The Daily Telegraph on Monday, October 28, 2013.

Introduction

The National Post has again skipped a puzzle — too bad that the missing puzzle was one from the "Monday maestro" Rufus.

Today, at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Gazza makes his debut reviewing the "Tuesday" puzzle after more than four years on the "Friday" beat.

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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.

Across

1a   Broken pot -- what a typical canal feature (7)

5a   Nothing is held by deserter detained by agents in foreign country (7)

Rat^[4] is used in the sense of a person who deserts his or her friends or associates, especially in time of trouble. Of course, rats [with the exception of the one in 17d] are well-known deserters of sinking ships.

9a   Well-bred member in retirement entertaining scruffy teen (7)

10a   A scientific establishment with a scholar in US state (7)

11a   Take out from property six engaged in city trading principally (5)

The City^[5] is short for the City of London. Take note that the City of London^[5] is not the same thing as the city of London, but merely the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries and governed by the Lord Mayor and the Corporation^[5] [in Britain, a group of people elected to govern a city, town, or borough].

The City is also a metonym for the financial and commercial institutions located in the City of London ⇒ (i) the Budget got a stony reception from the City; (ii) a City analyst. 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. In the surface reading of this clue, the phrase "city trading" is likely an allusion to financial activities conducted there.

In the clue, the setter uses "city" as a surrogate 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.

12a   Group of soldiers perform on square with volunteers, one with pride? (9)

In cricket, a square^[5] is a closer-cut area at the centre of a ground [an area of land where cricket is played], any strip of which may be prepared as a wicket [in this case, another name for pitch, the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps].

To "perform on square" can presumably be one of two possibilities — to bat or to bowl. 

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)^[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency. 

"With" denotes being a member of, like describing Ringo Starr as a drummer with the Beatles. 

13a   Put forward in pamphlets, e.g. gush that's retrograde (7)

14a   A holder of seat engaged in diatribe that's unrestrained (7)

In many Commonwealth countries (including Britain and Canada), a member of the House of Commons or similar legislative body is known as a Member of Parliament^[10] (or MP^[5] for short).

16a   Good man notes loose headwear (7)

19a   Legendary entertainer appears in a trailer's screening (7)

Frank Sinatra^[5] (1915–1998) was an American singer and actor. His many hits include ‘Night and Day’ and ‘My Way’. He won an Oscar for his role in the film From Here to Eternity (1953).

As a hidden word indicator, screening^[5] is used in the sense of concealing something with a screen.

22a   Carer host spoilt, one of a lumbering nature? (4-5)

24a   Shame there's quiet after half-hearted pop group appears (5)

ABBA^[7] was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972, comprising Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. ABBA is an acronym of the first letters of the band members' first names.

25a   Green food found by organised workers during the summer in France (7)

In the UK, TUC^[5] is the abbreviation for the Trades Union Congress^[5], the official representative body of British trade unions, founded in 1868 and meeting annually.

In French,  le^[8] is the masculine singular form of the definite article and été^[8] means summer. Before a word starting with a vowel, le is contracted to l', so "the summer" is l'été.

26a   City missing old energy? Show indignation (7)

Bristol^[5] is a city in southwest England; population 374,000 (est. 2009). Situated on the River Avon about 10 km (6 miles) from the Bristol Channel, it has been a leading port since the 12th century.

27a   Put right park area provided within outskirts of Tewkesbury (7)

Rec^[5] is an informal British term for a recreation ground^[5], a piece of public land used for sports and games.

Tewkesbury^[7] is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England that stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon; population 10,704 (2011 census).

28a   Unusual tray covered with party food gets short outing (3,4)

Down

1d   Fierce animal to stray when leader is replaced with time (7)

2d   Deficient wit encapsulates name associated with common element (7)

3d   Watchful state required in mismanagement of sale and rents (9)

4d   Plea shortly in sheltered accommodation to provide fish (7)

5d   Old US president imbued with hard set of principles (7)

Jimmy Carter^[5] is an American Democratic statesman, 39th President of the US 1977–81. He hosted the talks which led to the Camp David agreements (1978) and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

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

6d   Joyful expression after award is given in US city (5)

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).

Alan Partridge^[7] [mentioned by Gazza in his review] — a fictional character portrayed by English comedian Steve Coogan — is a parody of both sports commentators and chat show presenters [hosts]. It would seem that "Aha!" is a catchphrase associated with this character.

7d   Train's mobilised to carry a Russian authority (7)

8d   I'm opposed to a drink when crossing a street (7)

Like Gazza, I wondered why the "I'm" is in the clue. Initially, I supposed that "for" and "against" might be used as nouns meaning pro and con respectively. However, I failed to find any evidence to support that theory.

 Therefore, the only explanation that I can come up with is that "I" is intended to refer to the solution to the clue. Thus the phrase "I'm opposed to" would be interpreted as "The solution to the clue is [a synonym for] opposed to".

15d   Lying urban reformer's slogan? (9)

16d   Civil earl's getting agitated when interrupted by copper (7)

Civil^[5] means relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or ecclesiastical matters. In this clue, we need to focus on the latter sense rather than the former.

The symbol for the chemical element copper is Cu^[5] (from Latin cuprum).

An earl^[5] is a British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquess [the third highest of the five ranks of nobility — duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron].

17d   Roland, perhaps, inspired by Ernie's partner proving unpredictable (7)

Unlike Gazza, I would not include "proving" as part of the definition. To me, it is merely serving as a link between the wordplay and the definition.

Roland Rat^[7] is a puppet character that has appeared widely on British television. Gazza's characterisation of Roland as "the saviour of TV-AM" is explained by the following:

Roland Rat was introduced in 1983 to ailing breakfast television network TV-am by Anne Wood and was generally regarded as its saviour, being described as "the only rat to join a sinking ship". After a couple of months on TV-am, Roland took the audience from 100,000 to 1.8 million.

Ernie and Eric do an encore after their appearance yesterday. Ernie Wise^[7] (1925–1999) and his partner Eric Morecambe^[7] (1926–1984) comprised the British comedy duo Morecambe and Wise^[7].

18d   Place for raising issue? (7)

19d   Top tennis player beginning to besmirch journalist? It fosters something unpleasant (7)

A seedbed^[2] is an environment in which something, especially something undesirable, develops ⇒ (i) a seedbed of revolution^[3]; (ii) the seedbed of discontent^[4].

20d   Transport back over Devon landmark in agricultural vehicle (7)

Dartmoor^[7] is an area of moorland [a tract of open uncultivated upland, typically covered with heather] in south Devon, England. Dartmoor is known for its tors – hills topped with outcrops of bedrock, which in granite country such as this are usually rounded boulder-like formations. More than 160 of the hills of Dartmoor have the word tor in their name.

21d   Some refuse taken from hotel in a phase for recycling (3-4)

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

23d   Alluring woman in island after period of time (5)

A houri^[5] is a beautiful young woman, especially one of the virgin companions of the faithful in the Muslim Paradise.

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