Monday, July 27, 2015 — DT 27720 (Bonus Puzzle)

Prologue

The National Post may be publishing on a reduced schedule for the summer. However, that shouldn't mean you have to forgo your Monday puzzle. Here is DT 27720, the puzzle that I expect would have appeared had the presses run today.

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27720
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, February 9, 2015
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27720]
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

The planets have once again aligned and for this week — barring unforeseen behaviour by the editors of the National Post — we should see the puzzles on the same day of the week as they appeared in The Daily Telegraph last February.

The review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog says the puzzle is rated "Difficulty *** — Enjoyment ***". However, given that it was Miffypops who reviewed the puzzle, I would take that with a large grain of salt. He has acknowledged that he frequently does not bother to assign a rating — and merely leaves the stars at the default *** / *** setting.

I had one incorrect solution. It was close to being correct, but as they say close only counts in horseshoes.

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   Special band for the match (7,4)

9a   Accounts /for/ all members of the family (9)

10a   Humble // sailor confronts rough sea (5)

As the definition, humble is a verb.

"sailor" AB (show explanation )

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. 

hide explanation

11a   Broken hearts /may lead to/ lovers' converse (6)

Miffypops has declared this to be a cryptic definition. While I don't necessarily see it as such, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Scratching the Surface
If the surface reading seems a bit rough to you, it is likely because you — like myself — were not familiar with the meaning of converse that is apparently being used. Converse[5] is an archaic term for conversation ⇒ (i) his converse at such seasons was always elevating; (ii) it will be difficult in these converses not to talk of secular matter.

12a   Sure /to be/ a song by drunk (8)

13a   Pack up // quietly and clear out (6)

"quietly" = P (show explanation )

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.

hide explanation

15a   Clears off // temporary settler on board (8)

"on board" = contained in SS (show explanation )

In Crosswordland, you will find that a ship is almost invariably a steamship, the abbreviation for which is SS^[10]. Thus "on board ship" (or merely "on board") is code for 'contained in SS'.

hide explanation

18a   The rest of the players (4-4)

The players could be football players — but not hockey players.

19a   Notice opening /in/ time (6)

Advent^[5] is used in the sense of the arrival of a notable person or thing ⇒ the advent of television. Thus one might say before the advent of television or, equally,  before the time (or era) of television.

21a   What's more /it's/ a sincere reforming (8)

23a   Outrageous articles about Western // capital (6)

Did anyone fail to identify this capital?

OTT^[5] (short for over the top) is an informal British expression denoting excessive or exaggerated ⇒ presenting him as a goalscoring Superman seems a bit OTT.

26a   Accept // an inviting suggestion (5)

I would say that this is a double definition. One presses "Enter" on a computer keyboard to accept what has been typed. One says "Enter" to invite someone into a room.

27a   Surliness // I shall moderate (3,6)

28a   Supplementary benefit for workers lacking security (6,5)

This I would call a cryptic definition. The first portion is a straight definition and the latter portion (with the dashed underline) adds a bit of cryptic elaboration.

Danger money^[5] is the British term for danger pay.

Down

1d   Line up on vessel /for/ religious service (7)

2d   Money comes in handy /in/ China (5)

The setter deceptively capitalizes "China" for the sake of the surface reading.

"money" = L (show explanation )

The pound^[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. While the symbol for pound is £, it is often written as L^[10]. 

hide explanation

China^[5] is (1) a fine white or translucent vitrified ceramic material ⇒ (i) a plate made of china; (ii) a china cup or (2) household tableware or other objects made from china or a similar material ⇒ she had begun to remove the breakfast china.

Delft^[10] is (1) a town in the southwestern Netherlands, in South Holland province; (2) also called delftware, tin-glazed earthenware made in Delft since the 17th century, typically having blue decoration on a white ground; or (3) a similar earthenware made in England.

3d   Divide into parts /and/ bury division (9)

4d   Get a larger size (4)

This clue may appear to refer to returning a pair of tight-fitting shoes, but it is actually just the opposite — the process by which your feet fill a pair that is too large.

5d   Natural aptitude /you'll need/ this month in court (8)

Instant^[5] (abbreviation inst.^[5]) is a dated expression once used in business letters. It is a postpositive adjective meaning of the current month ⇒ (i) your letter of the 6th instant; (ii) we are pleased to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 14 inst.

"court" = CT (show explanation )

Ct^[2] is the abbreviation for Court in street addresses — and possibly in other contexts as well.

hide explanation

6d   Enormous // soldier -- a six-footer (5)

"soldier" = GI (show explanation )

A GI^[5] is a private soldier in the US army ⇒ she went off with a GI during the war. Contrary to popular belief, the term apparently is not an abbreviation for general infantryman, but rather derives from the term government (or general) issue (originally denoting equipment supplied to US forces).

hide explanation

7d   You need inspiration to draw them (7)

8d   Mortification /of/ girl attached to criminal band (8)

Mortification^[2,10] is an obsolete (old use) term for gangrene.

The girl's name should really be spelled Renée, but I have to acknowledge that American actress Rene Russo^[5] uses the masculine spelling.

What did he say?

In his review, Miffypops refers to ... a girl who often crops up in crosswordland as a Frenchman (Allo Allo) .... 'Allo 'Allo! is a BBC television sitcom broadcast from 1982 to 1992. Set in a small town in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, 'Allo 'Allo! tells the story of café owner René Artois. (expand explanation ) Réné, whilst trying to remain impartial, has been dragged into the war by both sides. The Germans are threatening to shoot him if he does not secretly hide stolen valuables; the Résistance is using his café as a safe-house for shot-down British airmen; and on top of that, he is trying to keep his passionate love affairs with the café waitresses secret from his wife. Whenever his wife Edith catches him in the arms of another woman, René invariably responds with the phrase "You stupid woman! Can you not see that..." followed by a convoluted explanation, which Edith always believes, leading to an apology from her. hide explanation

14d   Engineers commanding officer returned amid recent move to new area (8)

"engineers" = RE (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

16d   The farthest one will be from a bank (9)

17d   Oriental girl that's charged -- // it gets thrown out (8)

Presuming that O might be a recognized abbreviation for "oriental" (which it apparently is not), I wrote in OMISSION. Well, surely an omission can be something that is thrown out.

As Miffypops states in his review In crosswordland Oriental usually indicates the E of E(astern) or the word Eastern itself. The former is the case here. Indirect anagrams are not permitted in puzzles, but apparently indirect abbreviations are fair game.

The wordplay is E (Oriental; abbreviation of Eastern) + MISS (girl) + ION ([something] that's charged).

18d   She is expected to succeed (7)

20d   A treaty involved /with/ food transport (3,4)

22d   Under redirection some of those letters // went astray (5)

Contrary to what Miffypops states in his review, the hidden word is actually indicated by the phrase "some of those letters".

24d   Tree /in/ a small enclosure (5)

The aspen^[5] is a poplar tree with small rounded long-stalked leaves that tremble in the breeze. Several species exist, in particular the European Populus tremula and the North American quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides).

25d   Escape /and/ feel different (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

Saturday, July 25, 2015 — Nonsense Verse

Introduction

As I recall, I got off to a fairly fast start with today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon but soon slowed down considerably. There are several references to obscure or unknown (to myself, at least) films and music. Fortunately, I was able to decipher the clues correctly even in the absence of any knowledge of them.

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

Solution to Today's Puzzle

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

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue
	Primary indications (definitions) are marked with a solid underline in the clue; subsidiary indications (be they wordplay or other) are marked with a dashed underline in 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 (//).

Across

1a   Self-driven // to eat, Maud reordered (9)

AUTOMATED* — anagram (reordered) of TO EAT MAUD

6a   Boast dancing // shoe of a sort (5)

SABOT* — anagram (dancing) of BOAST

9a   Scary noise inside box /in/ rearmost car (7)

CA(BOO)SE — BOO (scary noise) contained in (inside) CASE (box)

10a   Dirty player/’s/ cold, then warmer (7)

C|HEATER — C (cold) + (then) HEATER (warmer; noun, device that warms)

11a   Squeeze behind the front // part of a foot (4)

_INCH — [P]INCH (squeeze) with the initial letter removed (behind the front)

12a   Moonshine // party taking tree down (10)

B(ALDER|D)ASH — BASH (party) containing (taking) {ALDER (tree) + D (down)}

Moonshine^[3] is an informal term for foolish talk or thought; in other words, nonsense.

14a   A job with the French // evangelist (7)

A|POST|LE — A (†) + POST (job) + (with) LE (the French; French word meaning 'the')

15a   No // fur seal swimming (7)

REFUSAL* —anagram (swimming) of FUR SEAL

17a   Beer // that’s disgusting consumed by rats (7)

DRA(UGH)T —UGH (that's disgusting [especially when followed by an exclamation mark!]) contained in (consumed by) DRAT (rats [again, when followed by an exclamation mark!])

20a   Plug // small movie about ghosts (7)

S|TOPPER — S (small; abbrev.) + TOPPER (movie about ghosts)

Topper^[7] (1937) is an American comedy film starring Constance Bennett and Cary Grant which tells the story of a stuffy, stuck-in-his-ways man, Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) who is haunted by the ghosts of a fun-loving married couple. A TV movie remake, Topper (1979) was also produced starring Kate Jackson, Jack Warden and Andrew Stevens. In 1985, Topper was one of the first black-and-white films to be re-released in a colorized version.

22a   Write pitch about deal /for/ five-foot line (10)

PEN|TA(METE)R — PEN (write) + TAR (pitch) containing (about) METE (deal)

... a line of verse having five metrical feet.

23a   Run into pastry // cook too much (4)

BU(R)N — R (run; abbrev., baseball term) contained in (into) BUN (pastry)

25a   More annoying // runner caught by nobleman (7)

PE(SKI)ER — SKI (runner) contained in (caught by) PEER (nobleman)

26a   Vocal insult /is/ an act of deception (7)

SLEIGHT~ — sounds like (vocal) SLIGHT (insult)

27a   Discover // tip about start of race (5)

LEA(R)N — LEAN (tip) containing (about) R (start of race; initial letter of Race)

28a   Fellows beside a good Great Lake // zoo (9)

MEN|A|G|ERIE — MEN (fellows) + (beside) A (†) + G (good; abbrev., result on a test or assignment at school) + ERIE (Great Lake)

Down

1d   Church entering a bawdy // guy’s name (9)

A|R(CH)IBALD — CH (church; abbrev.) contained in (entering) {A (†) + RIBALD (bawdy)}

2d   English explorer brought back company // product for smokers (7)

TOBAC<|CO — reversal (brought back) of CABOT (English explorer) + CO (company; abbrev.)

Cabot^[5] is the name of two Italian explorers and navigators [although they were Italian, they worked in the service of England and (in the case of the son) Spain].

• John Cabot (circa 1450-circa 1498); Italian name Giovanni Caboto. He sailed from Bristol in 1497 in search of Asia, but in fact landed on the mainland of North America, the first European to do so.
• Sebastian Cabot (circa 1475–1557), son of John Cabot. Sebastian accompanied his father on his voyage in 1497 and made further voyages after the latter’s death, most notably to Brazil and the River Plate (1526).

The above entry from Oxford Dictionaries Online would appear to be inaccurate on at least one — and quite possibly — two counts.

• The claim that Cabot was the first European to land on the mainland of North America is presumably alluding to the fact that Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean and thus did not set foot on the mainland of North America. However, the officially accepted (though disputed) landing site for Cabot is Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland (also an island). Another proposed landing site is Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
• Even if we grant that Cabot may have landed at one of the other proposed sites (such as Labrador or Maine), he would still not be "the first European" to visit the mainland of North America. The Vikings were here five hundred years before him.

Scratching the Surface

The surface reading may allude to Sir Walter Raleigh[7], who is well known for popularising tobacco in England. Despite heading up a company of investors that attempted — with disastrous result — to establish a colony in Virginia, Raleigh himself never visited North America, although he led expeditions in 1595 and 1617 to the Orinoco River basin in South America in search of the golden city of El Dorado. Instead, he sent others to found the Roanoke Colony in Virginia, later known as the "Lost Colony".

3d   Feeling /of/ bad fate reversed (4)

MOOD< — reversal (reversed) of DOOM (bad fate)

4d   Adolescent // Gene ate bananas (7)

TEENAGER* — anagram (bananas) of GENE ATE

5d   Woodland creature eating fish // cracker? (7)

DE(COD)ER — DEER (woodland creature) containing (eating) COD (fish)

... one who cracks codes.

6d   Novel Nosferatu gains $1000 /for/ mystery writer (3,7)

{SUE GRAFTON}* — anagram (novel) of NOSFERATU containing G ($1000; grand, abbrev.)

Sue Grafton^[7] is a contemporary American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the 'alphabet series' ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California.

Scratching the Surface

Nosferatu[7] is a 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel (for instance, "vampire" became "Nosferatu" and "Count Dracula" became "Count Orlok"). Stoker's heirs sued over the adaptation, and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, a few prints of Nosferatu survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema. As of 2015, it is Rotten Tomatoes' third best-reviewed horror film of all time.

7d   Gives away // bit of hope in wagers (7)

BET(RAY)S — RAY (bit of hope) contained in (in) BETS (wagers)

8d   Temple reading // to cheer (5)

TO/RAH — TO (†) + RAH (cheer)

In Judaism, the Torah^[5] is the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures (known as the Pentateuch in the Christian Bible).

13d   Lack of progress // upset antagonist (10)

STAGNATION* — anagram (upset) of ANTAGONIST

16d   Producer Michaels still audited // spectacles (9)

LORGNETTE~ — sounds like (audited) {LORNE (producer Michaels) + YET (still)}

Lorne Michaels^[5] (born Lorne Lipowitz) is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, comedian, and actor, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live, as well as producing the Late Night series (since 1993) and The Tonight Show (since 2014).

A lorgnette^[5] (also lorgnettes) is a pair of glasses or opera glasses held in front of a person’s eyes by a long handle at one side.

18d   Problem remembering // I am sane, strangely (7)

AMNESIA* — anagram (strangely) of I AM SANE

19d   Proposition // the “Stand” band about love (7)

THE(O)REM — {THE (†) + REM (“Stand” band)} containing (about) O (love; nil score in tennis)

"Stand"^[7] is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from the album Green in 1989. The song quickly rose up the charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States. The song reached number 48 on the UK Singles Charts. The song reached number 16 in Canada.

20d   Member of the family // walks forward (7)

STEPSON — STEPS (walks) + ON (forward)

21d   Air bag carried inside by // plumber’s helper (7)

P(LUNG)ER — LUNG (air bag) contained in (carried inside) PER (by)

Per^[11] is a preposition meaning (especially in Latin phrases) by or through. For example, per capita^[1] means by heads or for each person, per curiam^[1] means by a court (of law), and per procurationem^[1] means by the agency of (another).

22d   Dog I left /for/ student (5)

PUP|I|L — PUP (dog) + I (†) + L (left; abbrev.)

24d   Floating piece of ice /in/ town’s sound (4)

BERG~ —sounds like ('s sound; sound of) BURG (town)

Epilogue

The title of today's piece is inspired by 12a and 22a.

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, July 24, 2015 — DT 27719

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27719
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, February 7, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27719 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27719 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Big Dave (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review.

Introduction

I solved this puzzle several days ago — well, I solved all but one clue at that time. I had a total blind spot when it came to 21a. I came back to puzzle several times over the next few days, but without any more insight into the solution. Then I picked up the puzzle again one day — and, like a bolt out of the blue, the solution miraculously appeared. What an incredible mystery are the workings of the brain!

A couple of those commenting at Big Dave's Blog (Caravaggio at Comment #4 and Hillary at Comment #16) refer to having "run into" or "hit the buffers". Buffers^[5,10] is a British term for a pair of shock-absorbing pistons projecting from a cross-beam at the end of a railway track or on the front and rear of a railway vehicle to reduce shock due to contact. The buffers will literally stop a railway car in its tracks.

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

5a   Husband in Christmas show, Marley at first, then // ghost (7)

It did take me a moment to realize how the word "then" is being used.

The clue parses as H (husband) contained in (in) PANTO (Christmas show) + (then; afterwards) M (Marley at first; initial letter of Marley).

Panto^[5] is an informal British short form for pantomime^[5], a traditional British theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.

Scratching the Surface

Jacob Marley[7] is a fictional character who appears in English writer Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. He is Scrooge's deceased business partner, now a chained and tormented ghost, damned to wander the earth forevermore as punishment for his avaricious and uncaring attitude towards mankind. Marley roams restlessly, witnessing the hardships others suffer and lamenting that he has lost his chance to help them forever.

7a   Birds // chatter about new bag (7)

As crypticsue states in her review, a net might be considered to be "a type of bag". However, I think a better explanation is to use net^[5] as a verb in the sense of (1) to catch (a fish or other animal) with a net ⇒ (i) damage caused when netting the fish; (ii) rabbits can be netted all the year round or (2) in the figurative sense of to acquire or obtain in a skilful way ⇒ customs officials have netted large caches of drugs. The corresponding meanings for bag^[5] would be (1) to succeed in killing or catching (an animal) ⇒ Mike bagged nineteen cod or (2) to succeed in securing (something) ⇒ (i) we’ve bagged three awards for excellence; (ii) get there early to bag a seat in the front row.

The gannet^[5] is any of three species of large seabird with mainly white plumage, which catches fish by plunging into the water.

9a   Only admitting copper // at the right moment (2,3)

"copper" = CU (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

10a   Candidate's'/ cold sore, one almost being concealed (9)

11a   First to spot a spot of misguided // flattery (4,4)

Soft soap^[3,4,11] denotes flattering, persuasive, or cajoling talk.

13a   Fungus // among bundle brought back (3-3)

The ink cap^[5] is any of several species of widely distributed mushroom with a tall, narrow cap and slender white stem, turning into a black liquid after the spores are shed.

16a   Right to ring head of faculty after answer // relating to a Greek mathematician (11)

Archimedes^[5] (circa 287–212 BC) was a Greek mathematician and inventor, of Syracuse. He is famous for his discovery of Archimedes’ principle (legend has it that he made this discovery while taking a bath, and ran [in many versions, naked] through the streets shouting ’Eureka!'); among his mathematical discoveries are the ratio of the radius of a circle to its circumference, and formulas for the surface area and volume of a sphere and of a cylinder.

20a   Practically // everyone, contrary to expectation (3,3)

21a   Something from the watercolourist? (8)

The setter postulates that a watercolourist might not only paint with water but also paint images of water.

24a   Rector has confused // band (9)

26a   Photographs // ten broad flat fish (1-4)

28a   A pound, cash // thus far (7)

"pound" = L (show explanation )

The pound^[5] (also pound sterling) is the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. While the symbol for pound is £, it is often written as L^[10]. 

hide explanation

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

29a   Heather coming round to put back // risqué books (7)

Erica^[5] denotes a plant of the genus Erica, especially (in gardening) heather.

Down

1d   Powder // used by Faust (alchemist) (4)

Scratching the Surface

Faust[5] (also Faustus) (died circa 1540) was a German astronomer and necromancer [a practitioner of necromancy (see below)]. Reputed to have sold his soul to the Devil, he became the subject of a drama by German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, an opera by French composer Charles Gounod, and a novel by German writer Thomas Mann. Necromancy[5] denotes (1) the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future ⇒ alchemy, necromancy, and other magic practices or (2) witchcraft, sorcery, or black magic in general. [Of interest in the context of the clue, one may note that the usage example lumps together alchemy and necromancy as examples of magic practices.] Alchemy[5] is the medieval forerunner of chemistry, concerned with the transmutation of matter, in particular with attempts to convert base metals into gold or find a universal elixir ⇒ occult sciences, such as alchemy and astrology.

2d   Strain /shown by/ rest at sea on steamship (6)

"steamship" = SS (show explanation )

In Crosswordland, a ship is rarely anything other than a steamship (abbreviation SS^[5]). However, today's setter leaves absolutely no room for doubt.

hide explanation

3d   Houseman, English, twice // confined suspected terrorist (8)

In Britain, houseman^[5] (North American intern) is another term for house officer^[5], a recent medical graduate receiving supervised training in a hospital and acting as an assistant physician or surgeon.

Will the use of the North American term "intern" in the solution provoke the usual howls of protest across the pond?

In North America, houseman^[5] is another term for houseboy^[5], a boy or man employed to undertake domestic duties.

Scratching the Surface

For me the clue brought to mind Romanian-born British-American actor and film producer John Houseman[7] (born Jacques Haussmann; 1902–1988) who is perhaps best known for his role as Professor Charles Kingsfield in the film The Paper Chase (1973), for which he won a best supporting actor Oscar. He reprised his role as Kingsfield in the subsequent television series adaptation of The Paper Chase. However, I have to admit that I didn't remember his first name correctly, getting confused with English poet A. E. Housman[7] (1859–1936).

4d   Heavy metal // guitar accessory? (4)

Lead^[5] is a British term for a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance, or that connects two points of a circuit together.

5d   Writer // in favour of American technique, initially (6)

Marcel Proust^[5] (1871–1922) was a French novelist, essayist, and critic. He devoted much of his life to writing his novel À la recherche du temps perdu (published in seven sections between 1913 and 1927). Its central theme is the recovery of the lost past and the releasing of its creative energies through the stimulation of unconscious memory — now, there's a goal to which cryptic crossword devotees could certainly aspire.

6d   One employed by F1 team, // male, by newly-built chicane (8)

FIA Formula One World Championship^[7] (also Formula One, Formula 1, and F1) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules with which all participants' cars must comply. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, originally meaning great prizes), held throughout the world on purpose-built circuits and public roads.

Scratching the Surface
A chicane[5] is a sharp double bend created to form an obstacle on a motor-racing track or a road ⇒ the Austrian’s car flew out of control and spun across the chicane.

7d   Bell // sounding? I must leave (4)

In general terms, go^[5] (said of a machine or device) means to function ⇒ my car won’t go. As crypticsue points out in her review, The Chambers Dictionary is very precise, telling us that go^[1] (said of e.g. a bell or gun) means to sound.

Thus the wordplay is GOING (sounding) with the I removed (I must leave).

8d   Waste energy /making/ jam (6)

"energy" = E (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

12d   Weak // female needs to get on track (5)

14d   Dance // clubs round northern Georgia (5)

"clubs" = C (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

"round" = O (show explanation )

The word "round" is used to represent 'O', a letter having a round shape.

hide explanation

"Georgia" = GA (show explanation )

The US Postal Service abbreviation for the state of Georgia^[7] is GA.

hide explanation

The conga^[5] is a Latin American dance of African origin, usually with several people in a single line, one behind the other.

15d   Tea, say, /and/ beer gave out (8)

17d   Paved footpath /in/ grounds, wide, leading to a yard (8)

In cricket, a wide^[5] (also wide ball) is a ball that is judged to be too wide of the stumps for the batsman to play, for which an extra is awarded to the batting side. An extra^[5] is a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman.

Causeway^[2] is a [seemingly — at least chiefly — British] term for a stone-paved pathway.

Behind the Picture

The illustration in Big Dave's hints shows the Giant's Causeway[7], a UNESCO World Heritage Site in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills. The area contains about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. Having always thought of a causeway as raised road across water such as the Canso Causeway in Nova Scotia, I was always puzzled by the name Giant's Causeway which is not a road across water but a path into the sea. Discovering this [seemingly British] alternative meaning for causeway certainly explains all.

18d   Temple /of/ a deity in Pennsylvania (6)

"Pennsylvania" = PA (show explanation )

The US Postal Service abbreviation for the state of Pennsylvania^[7] is PA.

hide explanation

In India and East Asia, a pagoda^[5] is a Hindu or Buddhist temple, typically in the form of a many-tiered tower.

19d   A professional companion // his age, surprisingly (6)

Continuing our exploration of the Orient, a geisha^[5] (also geisha girl) is a Japanese hostess trained to entertain men with conversation, dance, and song.

22d   Church officer // attacked carrying cross (6)

A sexton^[5] is a person who looks after a church and churchyard, typically acting as bell-ringer and gravedigger.

23d   Speak about short time /in/ lodge (4)

25d   Study involving the origin of rye /and/ another crop (4)

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.

27d   Song /from/ Callas needing no introduction (4)

Maria Callas^[5] (1923–1977) was an American-born operatic soprano, of Greek parentage; born Maria Cecilia Anna Kalageropoulos. She was a coloratura soprano whose bel canto style of singing was especially suited to 19th-century Italian opera.

In music, an aria^[5] is a long accompanied song for a solo voice, typically one in an opera or oratorio.

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, July 23, 2015 — DT 27718

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27718
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, February 6, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27718]
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

My experience with this puzzle certainly did not mirror that of Deep Threat. I became seriously mired and needed a bit of help from my electronic assistants to get me back on track. As you can see from Comment #1 — not to mention a good many others — on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, I am far from being the only one to find the puzzle difficult.

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

7a   View /of/ professional put on record (7)

8a   Order // fellow to be brought into company doctor (7)

10a   Think after short break /provides/ one with the answer (9)

11a   Watery fluid // the man's put into alcoholic drink (5)

I would have to say that the image conjured up by this clue is anything but pleasant.

12a   Austrian composer /makes/ little girl keep very quiet (5)

"very quiet" = PP (show explanation )

Pianissimo^[5,10] (abbreviation pp^[5,10]) is a direction used in music to mean either (as an adjective) very soft or very quiet or (as an adverb) very softly or very quietly.

hide explanation

Franz von Suppé^[7] or Francesco Suppé Demelli (1819–1895) was an Austrian composer of light operas who is notable for his four dozen operettas.

13a   Eddy /gets/ left in some tram that's broken down (9)

Had I spelled the solution correctly, I would have avoided some grief at 14d.

15a   Regarding // message on hospital sign? (7)

17a   Not in favour of having article in vessel/'s/ hold (7)

18a   Story // lasting a long time -- false story I avoided (9)

20a   Butterfly // that may make someone speaking pause (5)

The comma^[5] (also comma butterfly) is a widespread butterfly (Polygonia c-album) that has orange and brown wings with ragged edges, and a white comma-shaped mark on the underside of the hindwing.

This comma ranges across Europe and temperate Asia to Japan and south to Morocco. It is is one of the more familiar butterflies in Southern England, and is also resident in Scotland and in North Wales.

21a   Frontier // this writer's established in literature (5)

"this writer's" = IM (show explanation )

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the) compiler, (the) setter, (this) author, (this) 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 "this writer" with the verb "to be" producing "this writer's" (a contraction of "this writer is") which must be replaced by "I'm" (I am).

hide explanation

23a   Females getting into row (9)

I would have crossed the finish line sooner had I spelled the solution to 9d correctly.

24a   Shelter at back of yard, // showing sign of tiredness? (7)

What did he say?
In his review, Deep Threat refers to an awning as the sort of shelter erected on a boat or caravan to protect the occupants .... Caravan[5] is the British name for a trailer[5], a vehicle equipped for living in, typically towed by a car and used for holidays [vacation].

25a   Go wrong and start to spoil // jobs (7)

Down

1d   Measure of an Arab's capacity for work? (10)

2d   Aerial // I had set up on post (6)

A dipole^[10] (also called dipole aerial) is a directional radio or television aerial (or, chiefly North American or technical, antenna^[5]) consisting of two equal lengths of metal wire or rods, with a connecting wire fixed between them in the form of a T.

3d   Old women // left deranged, upset, with stingers around (8)

Beldame^[5] is an archaic term for an old woman.

4d   Deficient // Conservative in panic (6)

"Conservative" = C (show explanation )

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

The Conservative Party^[5] (abbreviation C.^[10])  is a a major British political party that emerged from the old Tory Party under Sir Robert Peel in the 1830s and 1840s. Since the Second World War, it has been in power 1951–64, 1970-4, and 1979–97. It governed in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010 until the general election held in May of this year, in which it was returned with a majority. 

hide explanation

5d   Lock up // mischief-maker, revolutionary Irish boy (8)

6d   Servant/'s/ contribution to book? (4)

Historically, a page^[5] is a man or boy employed as the personal attendant of a person of rank.

7d   Soldier to brood with one cold fellow- soldier // as a hanger-on (13)

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

9d   Loose women // said to mingle with monied men (4-9)

A demi-mondaine^[5] is a woman considered to belong to the demi-monde^[5] which (in 19th-century France) was a class of women considered to be of doubtful social standing and morality.

It may have expedited progress at 20a had I spelled it correctly.

14d   Back with soldiers in dull // initiative to prepare for war again? (10)

According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, mat^[5] is the US spelling of matt^[5] (or matte), an adjective used to describe a surface or colour which is dull and flat or without a shine ⇒ (i) prints are available on matt or glossy paper; (ii) a matt black. I am only familiar with the spelling matte.

Misspelling 13a caused havoc here until the mistake was sorted out.

16d   Sort of cat // trailing around (8)

A ringtail^[5] is a ring-tailed cat or lemur^[5], any of a number of species of arboreal primate with a pointed snout and typically a long tail, found only in Madagascar.

This clue possibly also works on another level. If a cat had a ring for a tail, it might be said to be trailing a round.

17d   Fruit /that may be/ dear in France starts to ripen in early summer (8)

The French word for dear is cher^[8].

19d   Bird // we hear make a puffing sound (6)

The chough^[5] (pronounced 'chuff') is (1) any of three species of black Eurasian and North African bird of the crow family, with a downcurved bill and broad, rounded wings, typically frequenting mountains and sea cliffs or (2), also known as the white-winged chough, a black and white Australian bird (Corcorax melanorhamphos) of the mud-nester family.

Chuff^[5] (said of a steam engine) means to move with a regular sharp puffing sound ⇒ the train was chuffing out of the station.

20d   Theatrical fellow // who would shy away from difficulties? (6)

Sir Noël Coward (1899–1973) was an English dramatist, actor, and composer. He is remembered for witty, satirical plays, such as Hay Fever (1925) and Private Lives (1930), as well as revues and musicals featuring songs such as ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ (1932).

22d   Cut /makes one/ grumble audibly (4)

The link phrase "makes one" is intended in the sense 'produces for the solver'.

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