Thursday, March 26, 2015 — DT 27614

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27614
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27614]
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

Introduction

I bogged down in the southwest quadrant on today's puzzle. A perusal of the comments on Big Dave's blog shows that I had lots of company.

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

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Romances // a female, beautiful and small (7)

5a   One caught in the grasp of tender // policeman (7)

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

9a   Football kit? // Take it off! (5)

Strip^[5] is a British term denoting the identifying outfit worn by the members of a sports team while playing ⇒ the team’s away strip is a garish mix of red, white, and blue.

10a   Episodes // in police department? Gent's lost his head (9)

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

11a   Crack // bone with feather duster? (3-7)

Behind the Photo

Gazza illustrates his hint with a photo of Ken Dodd[7], an English comedian, singer-songwriter and actor, identified by his trademark unruly hair and protruding teeth, his red, white and blue "tickling stick" and his famous, upbeat greeting of "How tickled I am!". In the 1960s his fame was such that he rivalled the Beatles as a household name. His records have sold millions worldwide. Despite his age (87), he is apparently still performing. Dodd's stand-up comedy style is fast and relies on the rapid delivery of one-liner jokes. He intersperses the comedy with occasional songs, both serious and humorous, in an incongruously fine light baritone voice. Dodd is renowned for the length of his performances, and during the 1960s he earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's longest ever joke-telling session: 1,500 jokes in three and a half hours (7.14 jokes per minute), undertaken at a Liverpool theatre, where audiences were observed to enter the show in shifts.

12a   Car // valuation oddly ignored (4)

14a   Commanding Officer with Marlboro initially asks for // matches (12)

Scratching the Surface
Marlboro[7] is the largest selling brand of cigarettes in the world. It is made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States, and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the United States.

18a   Study coin and diamonds, gathering value /is/ reduced (12)

Con^[5] is an archaic term meaning to study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing)  ⇒ the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry.

A cent^[5] is a monetary unit in various countries^[10], equal to one hundredth of a dollar, euro, or other decimal currency unit. However, in Britain — despite having adopted a decimal currency system — one hundredth of a pound is known as a penny rather than a cent.

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

21a   Vile, corrupt /and/ immoral (4)

22a   For each infection, dropping in /is/ ideal (10)

25a   Stamp // individual // card (9)

I failed to recognize that this was a triple definition. Furthermore, the only one of the three definitions that I understood was the one that Gazza chose to explain.

In the first definition, character^[10] is used in the sense of the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing. The corresponding meaning of stamp^[10] is
a characteristic feature or trait; hallmark.

In the second definition, character^[10] is an informal word for person [or individual] ⇒ a shady character.

In the third definition, character^[10] is an informal term for an odd, eccentric, or unusual person ⇒ he's quite a character.

26a   Trespasser heading off -- /it's/ private (5)

27a   Screen rambling unknown's // views (7)

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

28a   With passion // at the start, hugging Agnes regularly (7)

Down

1d   Daft // seaman knocked over American on road (6)

In the Royal Navy, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, able seaman^[5] (abbreviation AB^[5]), is a rank of sailor above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman. On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary tells us that an able seaman^[10] (also called able-bodied seaman) is an ordinary seaman, especially one in the merchant navy, who has been trained in certain skills.

2d   A record, by // George! (6)

Form^[5] is an informal British term for a criminal record: they both had form.

George Formby^[7], born George Hoy Booth, (1904–1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he sang light, comical songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the UK's highest-paid entertainer.

3d   Little devil on wild ride -- relative intervening /is/ shut up (10)

4d   Smile unpleasantly, // lifting Malay dagger -- male is trapped (5)

A kris^[5] (also archaic creese) is a Malay or Indonesian dagger with a wavy-edged blade.

5d   Horse and cart crashed -- // it could be in the pit (9)

6d   In golf, a deviating shot? (4)

In golf, a fade^[5] is a shot causing the ball to deviate to the right (or, for a left-handed golfer, the left) ⇒ when they get to the 18th the ideal shot is a fade.

7d   One might use sleight of hand // to trick one involved in a trial (8)

8d   Reaction // on press broadcast? Ecstasy! (8)

E^[5] is an abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy or a tablet of Ecstasy ⇒ (i) people have died after taking E; (ii) being busted with three Es can lead to stiff penalties.

13d   Reaching out // to engrave in chain (10)

15d   In a calm way, // obviously restraining the ego (9)

Here one could mess about in the branches, trying to rationalize the use of ego to clue I based on its meaning in metaphysics, or in psychoanalysis, or even in common everyday usage. Or, one could go straight to the root, as ego^[5] is the Latin word for 'I'.

16d   Nice chess moves -- not hard // things to learn in school? (8)

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

17d   Driver should do this // in time to get over 'I start to corner' (8)

Indicate^[5] is a British term denoting (of a driver or motor vehicle) to signal an intention to change lanes or turn using an indicator ⇒ (i) Cal indicated and moved across the road; (ii) one car had indicated left but pulled out in front of him.

In this situation, it would appear that the British might also use the word signal^[5] (which also happens to be the term that would be used in North America).

19d   Italian /makes/ gesture on the other hand (6)

Signor^[5] (also Signore, plural Signori) is a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking man, corresponding to Mr or sir ⇒ (i) Signor Ugolotti; (ii) I am a man of honour, Signor.

20d   Force // green reforms on party, finally (6)

23d   Power // beneficial to Church (5)

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.

24d   Poet dismissing learner /as/ cook (4)

William Blake^[5] (1757–1827) was an English artist and poet. Blake’s poems mark the beginning of romanticism and a rejection of the Age of Enlightenment. His watercolours and engravings, like his writings, were only fully appreciated after his death. Notable collections of poems: Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794).

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

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, March 25, 2015 — DT 27613

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27613
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 6, 2014
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27613]
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

This is a fairly typical Rufus offering — a very entertaining exercise that is unlikely to overtax one.

The expressions of sympathy on Big Dave's blog are offered to Miffypops whose sister-in-law passed away on the day prior to the publication of this puzzle in the UK.

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

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Determined to get result of hunt put in // pot (7)

In Britain, unlike North America, skillet^[5] does not refer to a frying pan; rather, it is a historical term for a small metal cooking pot with a long handle, typically having legs.

5a   Income /from/ flat in Parisian street (7)

The French word for street is rue^[8].

9a   Get ecstatic with Northern // bird (5)

10a   An off-break (4,5)

Although the surface reading alludes to cricket, the clue is really a cryptic definition of an absence from work or school due to illness.

Off^[5] is an informal British term meaning unwell ⇒ I felt decidedly off.

Scratching the Surface
In cricket, off-break[2] (also called off-spin) refers to (1) deviation in the direction of a ball inwards from the offside spin with which it is bowled or (2) a ball bowled so as to have such a deviation.

What are they talking about?

In Comment #14 on Big Dave's blog, Brian mentions "the world's greatest game" which later in the thread is identified (facetiously) by Hanni as "conkers". Brian's idea of "the world's greatest game" is almost certainly cricket (see "Scratching the Surface" above). In Britain, conker[5] is a name given to the hard, shiny dark brown nut of a horse chestnut tree and conkers[5] is a children’s game in which each has a conker on the end of a string and takes turns in trying to break another’s with it. Hanni concludes the thread by commenting it’s somewhat unrepeatable what the other half said when I mentioned conkers!. I think we can all easily imagine what part of the male anatomy might have featured in her husband's comment.

11a   Convincing // vice-consul is complicated (10)

12a   Name has to be changed? // So be it (4)

14a   Untimely errors // made by chairman's son (12)

Anachronism^[5] can refer to the action of attributing something to a period to which it does not belong ⇒ it is anachronism to suppose that the official morality of the age was mere window dressing. [thus an "untimely error" in attributing the characteristics of one period of time to another era]

18a   A treat for spectators -- // no support being required (4-8)

Numerated as (4,8) this would denote complimentary admission to a sports event. A British sports stadium, especially a soccer ground, apparently would typically have an area known as the terraces^[5], a flight of wide, shallow steps providing standing room for spectators.

21a   One's QC // material (4)

In Britain, silk^[5] is an informal term for a Queen’s (or King’s) Counsel [so named because of the right accorded to wear a gown made of silk]. A Queen's Counsel^[5] (abbreviation QC) or, during the reign of a king, a King's Counsel^[5] (abbreviation KC) is a senior barrister appointed on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor^[5], the highest officer of the Crown, responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts.

22a   Female supporter at the match (10)

25a   Insulting // attack (9)

26a   Consumers /requiring/ faultless service in United States (5)

What did he say?
In his review, Miffypops says One of the seven deadly sins makes an appearance albeit well hidden. Did you find it? I have to say that I didn't. In fact, Miffypops is actually referring to "vice" — but I'm afraid that did not make the list with which I am familiar. In theology, the seven deadly sins[10] are pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth.

27a   Everyone is in to try /for/ the highest qualification (7)

"The highest qualification" is an adjective (qualification) that could be applied to one who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

28a   Stand up, showing refinement -- // one has to receive the sweep (7)

Scratching the Surface
The surface reading may be an allusion to cricket, where sweep[10] means a shot in which the ball is hit more or less square on the leg side from a half-kneeling position with the bat held nearly horizontal. On the other hand, the clue may be a reference to a host receiving guests at a social function to which the chimney sweep drops in.

Down

1d   Smart // deal (6)

In Britain, deal^[5] means (1) fir or pine [or, apparently spruce] wood as a building material or (2) a plank made of fir or pine [or, apparently, spruce] wood [what we in North America would commonly refer to as lumber]. Apparently, this meaning of deal^[3,11] also exists (or once existed) in North America, but I would think that it is very rarely used now — especially by the general public.

Delving Deeper
In Britain, lumber[5] has a totally different meaning than it does in North America, being articles of furniture or other household items that are no longer useful and inconveniently take up storage space.

2d   In a hole? // Use your ingenuity (6)

3d   One illness to suffer /in/ isolation (10)

I think Miffypops has overextended the definition.

4d   There's initial demand to get second // jobs (5)

5d   Well, now (9)

6d   Goodbye // depression! (4)

Vale^[5] is an archaic exclamation meaning farewell.

He said what?
In his review, Miffypops says [Vale] is used more commonly in The USA than it is here in The UK. I must say that I have yet to hear that expression south of the border. I do like Big Dave's comment though.

7d   Narrow escape /from/ mean girl (4,4)

Mean^[5] is a chiefly British term denoting unwilling to give or share things, especially money; not generous ⇒ (i) she felt mean not giving a tip; (ii) they’re not mean with the garlic.

Scratching the Surface
In the surface reading, mean[5] likely denotes unkind, spiteful, or unfair ⇒ I was mean to them over the festive season. Mean[5], as an adjective denoting vicious or aggressive in behaviour, is a North Americanism ⇒ the dogs were considered mean, vicious, and a threat.

Near^[5] is an archaic term denoting mean [stingy] or miserly.

8d   All the same, head /makes/ a regular appearance (8)

I would appear that Miffypops has misplaced his underlining.

The wordplay is EVEN (all the same) + NESS (head)

Usually found in place names, ness^[5] means a headland or promontory ⇒ Orford Ness.

13d   Where coffees are served /and/ drunk (2,4,4)

In one's cups^[3,5] is an informal expression (dating from the early 1600s) meaning drunk ⇒ (i) he became mellow and humorous when in his cups; (ii) You can't believe anything he says when he's in his cups.

15d   What skiers may need to reach their peak (9)

16d   Branch /is/ not on fire (8)

What did he say?

In his review, Miffypops describes shoot as a term used in oikball meaning to kick a ball with intent to score a goal. Oik[5] (also oick) is an informal British term for an uncouth or obnoxious person or, as Cambridge Dictionaries Online puts it, an oik is a rude and unpleasant man from a low social class ⇒ In his latest film he plays a racist oik from the East End of London. Although I have never found a formal definition for the term, oikball appears to be a derogatory term for football [soccer] used primarily by rugby fans — among whom Miffypops has clearly identified himself on numerous occasions. An old British adage states "Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen." This saying cleverly contrasts football (or soccer) with rugby. "Ruffian" is an old-fashioned word meaning a tough, violent, possibly criminal person. The saying shows the irony of the fact that a rough and dangerous game like rugby was played by polite, well-educated "gentlemen", while the much gentler and safer game of football was played by tough, lower-class men with a reputation for violence. Even today rugby players might seem to be very polite gentlemen when compared to many footballers, especially those seen swearing at referees and angrily abusing them when a decision goes against them. Some people might even say that this old British saying still applies today.

17d   Appetite satisfied? // One's more than enough! (8)

I have marked this clue as a double definition (although, in doing so, I am diverging from Miffypops' indication). Both definitions lean toward the cryptic end of the spectrum — and the setter has appropriately flagged them with a question mark and an exclamation mark respectively.

Have a bellyful^[5] (or have one's bellyful) is an informal expression meaning to become intolerant of someone or something after lengthy or repeated contact ⇒ he had had his bellyful of hospitals.

19d   Compensate /with/ cosmetics? (4-2)

For technical reasons, I doubt that this can be considered to be a double definition (although Miffypops has marked it as such) since the numeration, in the case of the first definition, would be (4,2).

20d   Inventor // is done for misrepresentation (6)

Thomas Edison^[5] (1847–1931) was an American inventor. He took out the first of more than a thousand patents at the age of 21. His inventions include automatic telegraph systems, the carbon microphone for telephones, the phonograph, and the carbon filament lamp.

23d   Daily leader studied /in/ awe (5)

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

24d   Part of link needing // a joint (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, March 24, 2015 — DT 27612

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27612
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, October 4, 2014
Setter Cephas (Peter Chamberlain) [unconfirmed]
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27612 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27612 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) gnomethang (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

Based on the setting rotation, this puzzle should have been set by Cephas (Peter Chamberlain) but there is only the briefest of mentions of this possibility by one commenter on Big Dave's site.

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

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Male hanging around to enjoy // carnival (5,4)

An arras^[5] is a wall hanging made of a rich tapestry fabric, typically used to conceal an alcove ⇒ he pulled back the arras on the far wall and went into his secret chamber.

Carnival^[5] is an annual festival, typically during the week before Lent in Roman Catholic countries, involving processions, music, dancing, and the use of masquerade ⇒ (i) the culmination of the week-long carnival; (ii) Mardi Gras is the last day of carnival; (iii) a carnival parade.

Mardi Gras^[5] is a carnival held in some countries on Shrove Tuesday, most famously in New Orleans ⇒ the Mardi Gras parade. Mardi Gras is French for 'fat Tuesday', alluding to the last day of feasting before the fast of Lent.

Scratching the Surface
A carnival[5] is a public event or celebration, typically held outdoors and involving stalls, entertainment, and processions ⇒ children from Wroughton are getting ready for the village carnival. The Québec Winter Carnival[7] might be an example — on a grand scale — of such an event. Carnival[5], in the sense of a travelling fair or circus, is a North American usage.

6a   Redecorate // reception at university (2,2)

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

Do up^[10] is an informal term meaning to to renovate or redecorate.

10a   Awkward // drunk (5)

11a   Whose epic, remade, /is/ the best example of its type (9)

12a   Group of players, // actors with her, performing (9)

14a   Learning about island /in/ French river (5)

The Loire^[5] is a river of west central France. France’s longest river, it rises in the Massif Central and flows 1,015 km (630 miles) north and west to the Atlantic at St-Nazaire.

15a   Press tycoon employing any number, English // without exception (3,4)

The letter n^[10] is used (especially in mathematics) as a symbol to represent an indefinite number (of) ⇒ there are n objects in a box.

16a   Terribly angered? Indeed! (7)

The exclamation "Indeed!" could be substituted with "You can say that again!". Thus, we might think of "Terribly angered" serving not only as the wordplay [when said once] but also as the definition [when uttered a second time].

18a   Plumper // game, mostly (7)

Rounders^[5,7] is a ball game played between two teams. The game involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a cylindrical bat. Gameplay centres on a number of innings, in which teams alternate at batting and fielding. A maximum of nine players are allowed to field at any time. Points (known as 'rounders') are scored by the batting team when one of their players completes a circuit past four bases arranged in the shape of a diamond without being put 'out'. The game is popular among Irish and British school children. [Sound at all familiar?]

Delving Deeper

The game of rounders[7] has been played in England since Tudor times, with the earliest reference being in 1744 in A Little Pretty Pocket-Book where it was called "base-ball" by John Newbery. In 1828, William Clarke in London published the second edition of The Boy's Own Book, which included the rules of rounders and which contained the first printed description in English of a bat and ball base-running game played on a diamond. The following year, the book was published in Boston, Massachusetts. Rounders is played under slightly different rules in Britain and Ireland. Both the 'New York game' [from which modern baseball evolved] and the now-defunct 'Massachusetts game' versions of baseball, as well as softball, share the same historical roots as rounders and bear a resemblance to the Irish version of the game.

20a   Bread is crumbled /for/ gannet, say (7)

21a   Former deed, // correct in every detail (5)

23a   Make a song and dance about points, // being old-fashioned (9)

The solution is a noun. Therefore, the definition must be "being old-fashioned" rather than merely "old-fashioned" [as indicated by gnomethang in his review].

25a   Contrasting, // random pairs in age (9)

26a   Long // period of time before end of season (5)

28a   Arguments /in/ queues (4)

Queue^[5] is a chiefly British term meaning a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed. The usual US and Canadian term is line.^[10]

29a   US city // architect meeting trouble in heart of Provence (9)

John Nash^[5] (1752–1835) was an English town planner and architect. He planned the layout of Regent’s Park (1811–25), Trafalgar Square (1826-circa 1835), and many other parts of London, and designed the Marble Arch.

Oh dear! Although Big Dave has it correct in his hint, gnomethang certainly garbles the wordplay of this clue in his review. The wordplay should be NASH ([English] architect) + {ILL (trouble) contained in (in) VE (heart [middle two letters] of ProVEnce)}

Scratching the Surface
Provence[5] is a former province of southeastern France, on the Mediterranean coast east of the Rhône. Settled by the Greeks in the 6th century BC, the area around Marseilles became, in the 1st century BC, part of the Roman colony of Gaul. It was united with France in 1481 and is now part of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

Down

1d   Cracker's content, /having/ married German chap (5)

A cracker^[5] is a decorated paper cylinder which, when pulled apart, makes a sharp noise and releases a small toy or other novelty ⇒ a Christmas cracker. Typically the contents of a cracker^[7] are a coloured paper hat; a small toy, small plastic model or other trinket and a motto, a joke, a riddle or piece of trivia on a small strip of paper.

Scratching the Surface
A cracker[5] is an attractive person, especially a woman ⇒ you look a cracker.

2d   Tabloid /in/ Prague? (3)

Scratching the Surface
Prague[5] is the capital of the Czech Republic, in the north-east on the River Vltava; population 1,196,454 (2007).

3d   Up /for/ a big band song (2,3,4)

I do not believe that "for" is part of the definition [as shown in gnomethang's review]. If one is "up for" an activity, they are "in the mood for" it.

"In the Mood"^[7] is a big band-era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. It topped the charts for 13 straight weeks in 1940 in the U.S.

4d   Favour // girl, teetotaller, with energy (7)

TT^[5] is the abbreviation for teetotal or teetotaller.

Delving Deeper
Teetotal[5] means choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol ⇒ a teetotal lifestyle. The term is an emphatic extension of total, apparently first used by Richard Turner, a worker from Preston [England], in a speech (1833) urging total abstinence from all alcohol, rather than mere abstinence from spirits, as advocated by some early temperance reformers.

A favour^[2] is a knot of ribbons worn as a badge of support for a particular team, political party, etc., although Oxford Dictionaries Online characterises this usage of favour^[5] as archaic.

A rosette^[5] is a rose-shaped decoration, typically made of ribbon, worn by supporters of a sports team or political party or awarded as a prize ⇒ the showjumping rosettes Samantha had accumulated.

In Britain, it is a common practice to wear a rosette to show one's allegiance to a sports team or political party.

5d   Charge for warehousing // gold, in part (/and/ silver in reserve?) (7)

This clue consists of a definition followed by two sets of wordplay.

Wordplay #1: OR ([heraldic term for] gold) contained in (in) STAGE (part)

Wordplay #2: AG ([symbol for the chemical element] silver) contained in (in) STORE (reserve)

7d   Unfolding US magazine // when boozer kicks off? (7,4)

Time^[7] (often written in all-caps as TIME) is an American weekly news magazine that was founded in 1923.

Boozer^[5] is a British term for a pub or bar. [or — as gnomethang points out — it could also refer to the toper therein]

Opening time^[5] is a British term denoting the time at which public houses [pubs] may legally open for custom [business].

Custom^[5] is a British term denoting regular dealings with a shop or business by customers [what would be known in North America as 'business'] ⇒ if you keep me waiting, I will take my custom elsewhere.

8d   Affected // rep treated and nursed (9)

9d   Work on a large // gem (4)

In music, Op.^[5] (also op.) is an abbreviation meaning opus (work). It is used before a number given to each work of a particular composer, usually indicating the order of publication.

13d   Flier saying // something that's sharp (8,3)

15d   Save young // local worker (9)

Local^[5] is an informal British term for a pub convenient to a person’s home ⇒ a pint in the local.

17d   Broadcast of extremely theatrical variety? (7,1,1)

19d   Give up // French article during check (7)

Not a "French article" but an abbreviation for French followed by an indefinite article.

20d   I stress out // nuns (7)

22d   Young child handling adult // perfectly! (2,1,1)

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.

24d   One-way ticket left out /for/ char (5)

Single^[5] is a British term denoting that a ticket is valid for an outward journey only, not for the return ⇒ a first-class single ticket.

Scratching the Surface
Char[5], another name for a charwoman[5], is a dated British term for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

27d   What could be boring? // Everything, it's said (3)

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon

Monday, March 23, 2015 — DT 27611

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27611
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, October 3, 2014
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27611]
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

Fairly early in the solving process, I suspected that this might be a pangram — a rare occurrence indeed (not the fact that it is a pangram, but that I was able to recognize it as such). A pangram is a puzzle in which every letter of the alphabet makes at least one appearance in the solution grid.

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

Notes on Today's Puzzle

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

Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in all-in-one (&lit.) clues, semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//). Definitions presented in blue text are for terms that appear frequently.

Across

1a   Excellent // companion -- a politician and I will get on (8)

A Companion of Honour (abbreviation CH) is a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour^[7], an order of the Commonwealth realms^[7] founded by King George V in June 1917 as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion.

In Northern English dialects, champion^[10] is an adjective denoting first rate or excellent.

5a   Sound of drunken sailor /in/ unruly incident at the controls (6)

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

9a   A Parisian suit's beginning to get greasy -- /so/ clean (8)

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

10a   Very little // time for measuring the pulse? (6)

12a   One can tell what pressure we are under (9)

13a   Rise /from/ place say, having been knocked over (3,2)

14a   I become cross, having come to destroy // beast (4)

The ibex^[5] is any of several species of wild mountain goat with long, thick ridged horns and a beard, found in parts of central Asia and in Ethiopia. Ironically, after providing that definition, Oxford Dictionaries Online proceeds to give an example of a species (Capra pyrenaica) found in the Pyrenees!

16a   Longed // to be scholarly, given new head (7)

19a   One of two arches either side of a bridge (7)

21a   Enthusiasm /brings/ prizes, though with many missing out (4)

The solution is hidden (with many [letters] missing out) in priZES Though.

24a   Fortune no end about /to be made/ -- filthy money (5)

25a   Good to join mate visiting a nice rickety // bar (3,6)

In Britain, mate^[5] is an informal term (1) for a friend or companion ⇒ my best mate Steve or (2) used as a friendly form of address between men or boys ⇒ ‘See you then, mate.’.

Gin palace^[10] is an antiquated term for a gaudy drinking house.

27a   Crime writer // managed to get ink flowing (6)

Ian Rankin^[7] is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels.

28a   New poet isn't // one to help friends or relations (8)

29a   Depression // over with first husband out of the way (6)

30a   Like yarn running through a book? (8)

Down

1d   US television network includes odd // bits (6)

CBS^[7] (an initialism of the network's former name, the Columbia Broadcasting System; corporate name CBS Broadcasting, Inc.) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network that is the flagship property of CBS Corporation.

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

2d   Promise /made by/ fool on northern river (6)

The River Ure^[7] is a stream in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 74 miles (119 km) long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse.

3d   Solid figure /of/ knight turning up to be received by premier (5)

Sir^[5] is used as a title before the forename of a knight or baronet.

Outside of Australia and Canada, the term Premier^[5] refers to a Prime Minister or other head of government. In Australia and Canada, a Premier is the chief minister of a government of a state or province.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's blog, Deep Threat describes PM as the initials denoting David Cameron’s office. David Cameron[5] is a British Conservative statesman, Prime Minister since 2010 (in coalition with the Liberal Democrats).

In mathematics, a prism^[5] is a solid geometric figure whose two ends are similar, equal, and parallel rectilinear figures, and whose sides are parallelograms.

4d   Open with a sign that something's wrong -- // stress too much (7)

6d   Tumbler's content ______, // that's clear! (9)

Having seen this term fairly recently. I knew that isinglass would likely refer to the gelatin which is used to clarify beer (and, as Deep Threat informs us, to clarify wine and preserve eggs) — rather than the US term for the more or less transparent mineral. Apparently, isinglass is a clear gelatin that dissolves in water.

Isinglass^[5] is a kind of gelatin obtained from fish, especially sturgeon, and used in making jellies, glue, etc. and for fining real ale. Real ale^[5] is a British term for cask-conditioned beer that is served traditionally, without additional gas pressure. Fine^[5] as a verb means to clarify (beer or wine) by causing the precipitation of sediment during production.

Isinglass^[5] is a chiefly US term for mica or a similar material in thin transparent sheets.

7d   Spanning entrance to theatre is a charmingly old-fashioned // etching (8)

An aquatint^[5] is a print resembling a watercolour, made by etching a copper plate with nitric acid and using resin and varnish to produce areas of tonal shading.

8d   Dan keeps crashing -- // protection for joints /needed/ (4,4)

11d   Supplicate // quietly -- bit of hope follows (4)

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.

15d   Ban the heartless group // trafficking? (9)

I would think that traffic^[10] and barter^[10] are hardly synonymous — but Collins English Dictionary does not support me on that contention.

17d   Trouble taken initially to store the Spanish litres -- /in/ this cupboard? (8)

Historically, a cellaret^[5] (US also cellarette) was a cabinet or sideboard for keeping alcoholic drinks and glasses in a dining room.

18d   Style of singing /that/ could convey noble act (3,5)

Bel canto^[5] is a lyrical style of operatic singing using a full, rich, broad tone and smooth phrasing ⇒ (i) a superb piece of bel canto; (ii) the bel canto arias of Bellini.

20d   Person full of humour and energy /gets/ remuneration (4)

21d   Re-establishment of Nazi set /is/ most bizarre (7)

22d   Hunger // in the morning when there's possible food around? (6)

Hunger^[10] can denote to have or cause to have a need or craving for food, while famish^[10] can mean to be or make very hungry or weak.

I am comfortable with I hunger meaning I have a craving for food but it took me a while to get my head around other usages of these two words. From the definition, one could apparently say Lack of food hungers one meaning Lack of food causes one to have a craving for food. Similarly, one could apparently say I famish (I am very hungry) or lack of food famishes one (lack of food makes one very hungry). As the dictionary points out, famish is now usually used in the passive, so one would commonly say I am famished (by lack of food) [with "by lack of food" being unstated but understood] rather than lack of food famishes me.

23d   Ten roughly accommodated in apartment? // Only five here (6)

The definition, when read in the context of the overall clue, implies "Only five [can be accommodated] here [i.e., in the solution]".

Pentad^[5] is a technical term for a group or set of five.

26d   After start of argument fight // roughly (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

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

Signing off for today — Falcon