Tuesday, October 27, 2015 — DT 27805

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27805
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27805]
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

Apart from the English county town, the Cornish river, and the rather obscure British actress there is really little in this puzzle that should be unknown on this side of the pond. Even these came fairly easily to me. Perhaps growing up in the Annapolis Valley with communities such as Aylesford and Falmouth was of help.

Many of the commenters on Big Dave's Crossword Blog are preparing to assemble for a "Sloggers and Betters" event (a Spoonerism for a Bloggers and Setters convention) which I understand to be an excuse to get together and drink a great quantity of beer. You can see some pictures from the event here. I believe the scope of this event extends beyond The Daily Telegraph cryptic crosswords so many of those in the photos are people I am not familiar with. However, there are still plenty of familiar names for those who follow the comments on Big Dave's site and it is interesting to put a face to a name.

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   Scattered // boxes close to store (6)

4a   Weapon-holder /in/ small taxi, driven initially round block (8)

9a   At sea /in/ a launch (6)

10a   Where a golfer may be seen // heading in the right direction (2,6)

11a   Quickly // pass to the suspect (9)

13a   Conveys // object on board steamship (5)

"steamship" = SS (show explanation )

SS^[5] is the abbreviation for steamship ⇒ the SS Canberra.

hide explanation

14a   Getting // beneath station (13)

17a   Telephoned by a drunk? // That's unacceptable (6,3,4)

21a   Squabbles /caused by/ dogs mother's abandoned (5)

23a   Success with single /is/ a sort of accident (3-3-3)

A single in baseball puts the batter on first base — not even in scoring position. A single in cricket puts the batsman at the other wicket and scores a run.

24a   'Blind alley', // possibly clued as 'Close', originally (3-2-3)

Scratching the Surface
This is a rather clever clue as a close is, in actuality, a blind alley. Close[5] (often found in street names) is a British term for a residential street without through access ⇒ she lives at 12 Goodwood Close.

25a   English country // manor (6)

26a   What may be evident to east /in/ the latter part of the day? (8)

Eventide^[5] is an archaic or literary term for the end of the day or evening ⇒ the moonflower opens its white, trumpet-like flowers at eventide.

27a   Evergreen // tree with crack in it, set back (6)

The myrtle^[5] is an evergreen shrub (Myrtus communis) which has glossy aromatic foliage and white flowers followed by purple-black oval berries.

Down

1d   Is coming over about affected // seafood (6)

2d   County town /may be/ busy early, surprisingly (9)

Aylesbury^[5] is a town in south central England, the county town of Buckinghamshire; population 69,300 (est. 2008).

3d   Completely intoxicated // son's given ground (7)

5d   Cheerfulness /shown by/ soldiers after short time under canvas below bluff (11)

Here, "under canvas" is another way of saying "in a tent".

6d   US actor /and/ actress Eleanor accompanying boy (7)

Eleanor Bron^[7] is an English stage, film and television actress and author. She boasts a couple of rather unique claims to fame. Among her film appearances is the role of Ahme in the Beatles film Help! (1965); her name inspired Paul McCartney when he composed "Eleanor Rigby". She was selected for her authoritative tone to become "the voice of BT" [British Telecommunications, a provider of telephone and other telecommunications services in the UK] and can still be heard on various error messages such as "Please hang up and try again" and "The number you have dialled has not been recognised".

Charles Bronson^[7] (1921–2003), born Charles Dennis Buchinsky, was an American film and television actor.

7d   Professional wearing article, // protective garment (5)

8d   Groom ahead of time /in/ equestrian event (8)

12d   Pull out queen, say -- // this may win you instant cash (7,4)

15d   Beer, for example, // at inn -- 'bier' abroad (9)

Scratching the Surface
Bier[8] is the German word for beer.

16d   Old boy's story about opening of cocktail // bar (8)

In Britain, an old boy^[5] (abbreviation OB^[2])  is:

1. a former male student of a school or college ⇒an old boy of Banbury County School; or
2. a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒ the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards.

It is also a chiefly British affectionate form of address to a boy or man ⇒ ‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.

18d   Budding // number on climb (7)

19d   Girl ringing home /for/ forgiveness (7)

20d   Queen describing former // extension (6)

Anne^[7] (1665–1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.

The use of the word "describe" as a containment indicator is a common cryptic crossword convention. This device relies on describe^[3] being used in the sense of to trace the form or outline of ⇒ describe a circle with a compass.

Thus, in today's clue, we have ANNE (queen) containing (describing) EX (former) with the rationale for the wordplay being that the container (ANNE) forms an outline around the contained entity (EX) in a similar manner to the circumference of a circle forming an outline around the circular area contained within it.

My American dictionaries show annexe as a "chiefly British"^[3] or "especially British"^[11] alternative spelling of annex. Of course, my British dictionaries characterize annex as a "US"^[2] or "especially US"^[4,10] alternative spelling of annexe. Oxford Dictionaries breaks ranks with its British confrères by describing annexe as a chiefly British alternative spelling of annex^[5], implying that it — alone among my British dictionaries — sees annex as the primary spelling. [The entries in The Chambers Dictionary for annex and annexe are too convoluted to even attempt a rational explanation.]

22d   River, south-eastern? // Wrong (5)

The River Fal^[5] flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. The River Fal separates the Roseland peninsula from the rest of Cornwall.

Scratching the Surface
The entire clue could almost be considered to be the definition. No, the solution is not a south-eastern river, it is a south-western river.

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, October 26, 2015 — DT 27804

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27804
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, May 18, 2015
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27804]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Kitty
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

The Diversions page editor at the National Post should have been pitching for the Blue Jays. Just when I'm expecting the customary Monday curve ball, he (or she) blasts a fast ball down the centre of the plate. That is to say that the National Post did not ship a puzzle today.

At Big Dave's Crossword Blog we find Kitty flying solo today. She had problems with the same clue that caused me difficulty (19a). It would seem that I may not be able to handle my beer as well as I thought I could.

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   Rip up crust in slices /for/ a rider's refreshment (7,3)

A stirrup cup^[5] is a cup of wine or other alcoholic drink offered to a person on horseback who is about to depart on a journey.

Delving Deeper

Based on the above definition, a stirrup cup would seem to be an old-time 'one for the road'. However, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary broadens the application of the term somewhat telling us that a stirrup cup[2] is an alcoholic drink that is given to someone, originally a rider, who is about to leave, especially someone who is going on a hunt. Since the recipient no longer seemingly needs to be a rider, it really may be 'one for the road'. Kitty clearly has consulted the Chambers Dictionary, which tells us that a stirrup cup[1] is a drink taken on horseback on departing, or arriving and goes on to say that it may also be the name of a container in the form of a fox's head from which a stirrup cup was drunk (although it does characterize this latter usage as rare).

9a   The Spanish scholar's about // to be qualified (4)

"the Spanish" = EL (show explanation )

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8].

hide explanation

10a   Uncertain // to request a loan with advance (5,3,2)

11a   Fake rubies /could cause/ skin discoloration (6)

12a   Film // scene (7)

15a   Substantially /consisting of/ articles and paintings (2,5)

16a   Time, // it's not on our side? (5)

In cryptic crosswords, we often find that time is the enemy, expressed by Irish poet William Butler Yeats as The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time meaning that innocence and beauty are each subject to the ravages of time.

17a   A picking-up point (4)

It took me a while to get the point as this was one of my last one's in.

18a   French girl // will return if encored (4)

19a   Neat // drink? (5)

I knew the bovine part but the drinking part stumped me.

Although I am more accustomed to "raising a pint", according to comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog the expression "lower a pint" means to "drink a beer" — especially in Ireland.

Neat^[5] is an archaic term for a bovine animal or, as a mass noun, cattle. In other words, an animal which lows or moos.

21a   School principal with system /for/ progress (7)

In Britain, head^[5] is short for headmaster^[5] (a man who is the head teacher in a school), headmistress^[5] (a woman who is the head teacher in a school), or head teacher^[5] (the teacher in charge of a school).

22a   Ron meets rough gent /in/ the X-ray unit (7)

I was not familiar with this spelling — which seems questionable, at best, without the diacritic mark. Perchance the crossing word is spelled RÖADMAP in the UK. Or perhaps I am just being too diacritical.

The roentgen^[5] (also röntgen) is a unit of ionizing radiation, the amount producing one electrostatic unit of positive or negative ionic charge in one cubic centimetre of air under standard conditions.

24a   Sound conductor /of/ works by Schubert (6)

Franz Schubert^[5,7] (1797–1828) was an Austrian composer. His music is associated with the romantic movement for its lyricism and emotional intensity, but belongs in formal terms to the classical age. His works include more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly Lieder) , the ‘Trout’ piano quintet (1819), and nine symphonies.

Lied^[7] (plural Lieder; German for "song") originally denoted in classical music the setting of Romantic German poems to music, especially during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Examples include settings by Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. Among English speakers, however, "Lied" is often used interchangeably with "art song" to encompass works that the tradition has inspired in other languages. The poems that have been made into Lieder often center on pastoral themes or themes of romantic love.

27a   Takes smart evasion, /seeing/ demanding employer (10)

28a   Crow may come after this bird (4)

Cockcrow^[3,4,11] is another term for the very beginning of the day; daybreak; or dawn ⇒ Needing to catch an early flight, she was up before cockcrow.

29a   Taking off show, /providing/ drinks in the bar (10)

Down

2d   Left-wing // movement (4)

Trot^[5] is an informal, chiefly derogatory term for a Trotskyist or supporter of extreme left-wing views ⇒ (i) a band of subversive Trots; (ii) he declared that the Corporation was a ‘nest of long-haired Trots’. Although most dictionaries list it solely as a noun, The Chambers Dictionary shows it as being both a noun and an adjective ⇒ a Trot sympathizer perhaps?

3d   Early rail /or/ space traveller (6)

The implied clue is:

• Early rail [traveller] /or/ space traveller (6)

Stephenson's Rocket^[7] was an early steam locomotive designed by English railway engineer Robert Stephenson in 1829. Though the Rocket was not the first steam locomotive, it was the first to bring together several innovations to produce the most advanced locomotive of its day. It is the most famous example of an evolving design of locomotives by Stephenson that became the template for most steam engines in the following 150 years.The locomotive was preserved and is now on display in the Science Museum in London.

4d   A French and a Western leader are // in the dark (7)

"a French" = UN (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

5d   Many a poem // that's hard to understand (4)

"many" = C (show explanation )

Terms such as "a large number", "many" or "a great many" are often used in cryptic crosswords to indicate that a large Roman numeral — generally C (100), D (500), or M (1000) — is required. 

hide explanation

6d   Mug taken in by compassion /and/ honesty (7)

7d   Abandoning royal dignity (10)

Dignity^[5] is used in the sense of a high rank or position ⇒ he promised dignities to the nobles in return for his rival’s murder.

8d   Train speed is reduced to // walking-pace (10)

As an anagram indicator, reduce (something) to^[5] means to change a substance to (a different or more basic form) ⇒ it is difficult to understand how lava could have been reduced to dust.

12d   Bowl last ball /in/ the dark (5-5)

In cricket, bowl^[5] means (for a bowler) to propel (the ball) with a straight arm towards the batsman, typically in such a way that the ball bounces once. The bowling motion in cricket is more akin to pitching in baseball than any action one is likely to see at a bowling alley — I am sure the proprietor of a bowling alley would be horrified to witness a customer attempting to use a cricket bowling motion.

A black^[5] is a black thing, in particular the black ball in snooker. In snooker, once all the red balls have been potted, the coloured balls must be potted in ascending sequence from the yellow ball (2 points) to the black ball (7 points).^[7]

13d   Recover // CV –- enclose a reworking (10)

14d   VIP // taking part in maiden voyage (5)

15d   Colour halfway between green and red (5)

19d   Real trouble upset // Ophelia's brother (7)

The word "upset" must be split into two parts, with the first part "up" acting as a directional indicator and the second part "set" serving as the fodder.

Laertes^[7] is a character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. His name is taken from the father of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. Laertes is the son of Polonius and the brother of Ophelia. In the final scene, he kills Hamlet with a poisoned sword to avenge the deaths of his father and sister, for which he blamed Hamlet. While dying of the same poison, he implicates King Claudius.

20d   It unfolds and gives way (4,3)

23d   Lets out American imprisoned in // brawl (6)

25d   One employing // some Hindu servants (4)

26d   See head of finance over // charges (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, October 24, 2015 — A Little Bit of Kinkiness

Introduction

As others have already commented, today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon is fairly straightforward. Might we consider the surface reading of 17a to be an acknowledgement of the state in which fans of the Blue Jays find themselves today?

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   Photographer/’s/ spot taken by travelling salesman (5,5)

{ANSEL (AD)AMS}* — AD (spot) contained in (taken by) anagram (travelling) of SALESMAN

Ansel Adams^[5] (1902–1984) was an American photographer, noted for his black-and-white photographs of American landscapes.

6a   Incite // through cross purposes (4)

_S|PUR_ — hidden in (through) crosS PURposes

9a   North American dock // tycoon (5)

NA|BOB — N (North) + A (American) + BOB (dock; cut off)

I have not shown NA to be the abbreviation for North American as my dictionaries list NA^[2,3,4,5,10] (or N.A.^[11]) as a definition for North America but not for North American. However, two editions of Collins English Dictionary list A^[4,10] as being an abbreviation for both America and American.

A Note on Dictionaries

For an abbreviation to be used in a cryptic crossword puzzle, it must appear in a recognized dictionary — and, in the case of some puzzles, even in a particular dictionary. The " bible" for puzzles published in The Daily Telegraph (the source of the Cryptic Crossword which appears in the National Post from Monday through Friday) is The Chambers Dictionary. I have observed that setters of puzzles published in The Sunday Times (which at one time were also carried by the Ottawa Citizen) tend to lean toward Collins English Dictionary. I do not know if Cox and Rathvon rely on any dictionary in particular. I primarily use four online sites which provide access to six dictionaries. These are: Search Chambers (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary) Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English) Collins English Dictionary (Collins English Dictionary, 2015 Edition) The Free Dictionary American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition (2011) Collins English Dictionary (2003 Edition) Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary (2010)

As a noun, dock^[10] denotes:

1. the bony part of the tail of an animal, especially a dog or sheep; or
2. the part of an animal's tail left after the major part of it has been cut off.

and, as a verb, dock means to remove (the tail or part of the tail) of (an animal) by cutting through the bone ⇒ (i) to dock a tail; (ii) to dock a horse.

10a   Mass movement // tiring Mao terribly (9)

MIGRATION — anagram (terribly) of TIRING MAO

Scratching the Surface

In the surface reading, Mao Zedong[5] (also Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as simply Mao) (1893–1976) was a Chinese statesman; chairman of the Communist Party of the Chinese People’s Republic 1949–76; head of state 1949–59. A cofounder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its effective leader from the time of the Long March (1934–35), he eventually defeated both the occupying Japanese and rival Kuomintang nationalist forces to create the People’s Republic of China in 1949, becoming its first head of state.

12a   Pipes // down and showers (6)

D|RAINS — D (down; directional indication in a crossword puzzle, perhaps) + RAINS (showers)

13a   Boxer’s combination // was successful also when landing on the ear? (3-3)

{ONE-TWO}~  — sounds like (when landing on the ear) {WON (was successful) + TOO (also)}

One-two^[5] denotes a pair of punches delivered in quick succession with alternate hands.

16a   That guy’s catching first of three // strikes (4)

HI(T)S — HIS (that guy's; possessive) containing (catching) T (first [letter] of Three)

17a   Disturbed fans forgot // beef dish (10)

STROGANOFF* — anagram (disturbed) of FANS FORGOT

20a   Rocky cries tears /for/ workaholics (10)

CAREERISTS* — anagram (rocky) of CRIES TEARS

21a   Celebrity/’s/ beginning but not ending (4)

STAR_ — STAR[T] (beginning) with its final letter docked (but not ending)

23a   Groups of thirteen // cold and hot spots (6)

C|OVENS — C (cold) + (and) OVENS (hot spots)

A coven^[11] is an assembly of witches, especially a group of thirteen.

25a   Native American // quickly grabbing horse’s head (6)

APAC(H)E — APACE (quickly) containing (grabbing) H (horse's head; head [initial letter] of Horse)

The Apache^[5] are an American Indian people living chiefly in New Mexico and Arizona. Under the leadership of Geronimo, the Apache were the last American Indian people to be conquered by the European settlers.

28a   Sorcerer doctored about 500 // tapers (9)

RECOR(D)ERS — anagram (doctored) of SORCERER containing (about) D ([Roman numeral for] 500)

How many wasted time searching for candles?

29a   Young lady with old // rope (5)

LASS|O — LASS (young lady) + (with) O (old)

30a   Live around back of rustic // parcel of land (4)

A(C)RE — ARE (live) containing (around) C (back [final letter] of rustiC)

31a   A lacrosse team in 3-D // was menacing (10)

THRE(A|TEN)ED — {A (†) + TEN (lacrosse team)} contained in THREE (3) + D (†)

In the solution, the number "ten" is used as a metonym for a lacrosse team, just as "nine" might be for a baseball team or "eleven" for a soccer team.

Lacrosse^[5] is a team game, originally played by North American Indians, in which the ball is thrown, carried, and caught with a long-handled stick having a curved L-shaped or triangular frame at one end with a piece of shallow netting in the angle. In men's field lacrosse, there are ten players on each team (box lacrosse teams are comprised of six players, while women's field lacrosse teams have 12 players).

Down

1d   Family member // mixed up tuna (4)

AUNT* — anagram (mixed up) of TUNA

2d   Journal staffer/’s/ beau getting the sack (9)

SU(BED)ITOR — SUITOR (beau) containing (getting) BED (the sack)

3d   Some fall birthday celebrants // playing “Brasil” (6)

LIBRAS* — anagram (playing) of BRASIL

In astrology, Libra^[10] (also called the Scales or the Balance) is the seventh sign of the zodiac, symbol ♎, having a cardinal air classification and ruled by the planet Venus. The sun is in this sign between about Sept 23 and Oct 22.

Scratching the Surface
Brasil[8] is the Portuguese spelling of Brazil. The surface reading possibly alludes to Brasil[7], The Manhattan Transfer's tenth album which was released in 1987 on Atlantic records. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

4d   Adroit minx confused // woman on a power trip? (10)

DOMINATRIX* — anagram (confused) of ADROIT MINX

A dominatrix^[5] is a dominating woman, especially one who takes the sadistic role in sadomasochistic sexual activities.

5d   Holds up // coffee cups (4)

MUGS — double definition

7d   Patricia keeps wearing // house coat (5)

PA(IN)T — PAT ([diminutive for] Patricia) containing (keeps) IN (wearing; woman in red)

The solution is something used to coat a house.

8d   Seismic zone // in for grief, sadly (4,2,4)

{RING OF FIRE}* — anagram (sadly) of IN FOR GRIEF

The Ring of Fire^[5] is the zone of volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean.

11d   Temper // article by author Stephenson (6)

AN|NEAL — AN ([indefinite] article) + (by) NEAL (author [Neal] Stephenson)

Neal Stephenson^[7] is an award-winning American writer and game designer known for his works of speculative fiction.

14d   Smart Asian country admitting Canada’s foremost // jazz pianist (5,5)

CHIC|K (C)OREA — CHIC (smart) + KOREA (Asian country) containing (admitting) C (Canada's foremost; initial [foremost] letter of Canada)

Chick Corea^[7] is an American jazz and fusion pianist, keyboardist, and composer.

15d   Hot teapots mistakenly // brush stuff? (10)

TOOTHPASTE* — anagram (mistakenly) of HOT TEAPOTS

18d   Weird, while performing // best in logic (9)

OUTRE|AS|ON — OUTRE (weird) + AS (while) + ON (performing)

Best^[5] is used as a verb meaning to outwit or get the better of (someone) ⇒ she refused to allow herself to be bested.

19d   Skimpier // tipper (6)

LEANER — double definition

22d   Cat, // Leo, straying in October (6)

OC(ELO*)T — anagram (straying) of LEO contained in (in) OCT (October; abbrev.)

24d   Cleric // employed by Civic Arena (5)

_VIC|AR_ — hidden in (employed by) CiVIC ARena

A vicar^[5] is a member of the clergy, although the meaning of the term varies among religious denominations. The term may mean:

• in the the Church of England, an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman;
• in other Anglican Churches, a member of the clergy deputizing for another;
• in the Roman Catholic Church, a representative or deputy of a bishop;
• in the US Episcopal Church, a clergyman in charge of a chapel;
• a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service.

26d   Engage // me with silence, please (4)

ME|SH — ME (†) + (with) SH (silence, please)

27d   Frame of mind /is/ low with onset of depression (4)

MOO|D — MOO (low; make a noise like a cow) + (with) D (onset [initial letter] of Depression)

Epilogue

The title of today's review was inspired by 4d.

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, October 23, 2015 — DT 27803

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27803
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, May 16, 2015
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27803 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27803 – 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

Introduction

This seems to be fairly typical fare for a "Saturday" prize puzzle. You should finish in lots of time to catch the ball game.

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   Decision /given by/ Italian who made notes before court (7)

Giuseppe Verdi^[5] (1813–1901) was an Italian composer. His many operas, such as La Traviata (1853), Aida (1871), and Otello (1887), emphasize the dramatic element, treating personal stories on a heroic scale and often against backgrounds that reflect his political interests. Verdi is also famous for his Requiem (1874).

"court" = CT (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

5a   Nickname promises /to be/ questionable (7)

9a   Over half of publicity /is/ allowable (5)

I initially fell into the trap of trying to use over half the letters starting with the first letter. However, nowhere does it state that we must start at the beginning.

10a   Lying // about joining with criminal (9)

While cum is a Latin word meaning 'with' (as gnomethang tells us in his review), I think the wordplay may actually be RE (about) + CUM (joining with) + BENT (criminal).

Cum^[5] is a preposition meaning combined with or used as (used to describe things with a dual nature or function) ⇒ a study-cum-bedroom.

In Britain, the word bent^[5] has the same connotation (dishonest or corrupt) as does the word crooked^[5] in North America. [It would appear that the British use both bent and crooked in this sense].

11a   Percussion in a medley // above audible limit (10)

12a   Stop /in/ area to follow TV doctor (4)

Doctor Who^[7] is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC which has had widespread distribution in North America. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior appears as a blue police box.

14a   Strangely enough it's a large sum of money (5,7)

18a   Part of body /of/ country, large and wild to the west (7,5)

21a   Composer has dropped in /for/ some meat (4)

Frédéric Chopin^[5] (1810–1849) was a Polish-born French composer and pianist. Writing almost exclusively for the piano, he composed numerous mazurkas and polonaises inspired by Polish folk music, as well as nocturnes, preludes, and two piano concertos (1829; 1830).

22a   Vehicle /for/ transferring property (10)

25a   Fans // staying behind (9)

26a   Popular at present /yet/ without any chance of success (2-3)

27a   Pine needs support, // one standing near the boundary (4,3)

In cricket, the term boundary^[10] can refer to:

1. the marked limit of the playing area;
2. a stroke that hits the ball beyond this limit; or
3. the four or six runs scored with such a stroke.

In cricket, long leg^[5] is a fielding position far behind the batsman on the leg side.

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

28a   Ruler // more troubled for each being imprisoned (7)

Down

1d   French dance in which I'll get covered up, /in/ case (6)

The French word for waltz is valse^[8].

Valise^[8], the French word for suitcase, has been adopted into English.

2d   Formula /for/ rice pudding and pie one's left (6)

As an anagram indicator, pudding^[10] is almost certainly being used in the sense of a sausage-like mass of seasoned minced meat, oatmeal, etc, stuffed into a prepared skin or bag and boiled where the key word is "minced".

3d   Knight invading being put in grave // captivity (10)

"knight" = N (show explanation )

N^[5] is the abbreviation for knight used in recording moves in chess [representing the pronunciation of kn-, since the initial letter k- represents 'king'].

As an aside, it is interesting to note that the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines: 

• K^[2] as an abbreviation used in chess for knight. 
• K^[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a king. 
• N^[2] is a symbol used in chess to represent a knight.

The dictionary fails to specify how one differentiates an abbreviation from a symbol.

hide explanation

I don't think that gnomethang has got the wordplay quite right in his review. I see it as N (knight) contained in (invading) INTERMENT (being put in grave).

4d   Trunk // found along equator somewhere (5)

5d   Lying /revealed in/ deft clue I compiled (9)

6d   Married in bar -- coming up, // sign of baby on the way? (4)

7d   Rigorous examination // about catch at sea (8)

Over^[10] is used in the sense of on the subject of or about ⇒ an argument over nothing.

8d   Places // university knocked back, held by models (8)

13d   Biscuit /you'll need/ spirit to break (6,4)

The British use the term biscuit^[3,4,11] to refer to a range of foods that include those that would be called either cookies or crackers in North America. A North American biscuit^[5] is similar to a British scone.

Brandy snap^[5] is a British term for a crisp rolled gingerbread wafer, usually filled with cream.

15d   Laugh out loud, striding along /and/ bounding about (9)

LOL^[5] is an informal abbreviation for laughing out loud or laugh out loud (used chiefly in electronic communication to draw attention to a joke or amusing statement, or to express amusement) ⇒ I love how you said ‘coffee is not my cup of tea’. LOL!.

Lollop^[11] means to to move forward with a bounding or leaping motion.

16d   Fabulous /being/ cooler -- then caught island flu outbreak (8)

"caught" = C (show explanation )

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

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

hide explanation

17d   Stream and lake going over rising New York // borough (8)

Brooklyn^[5] is a borough of New York City, at the south-western corner of Long Island. The Brooklyn Bridge (1869–83) links Long Island with lower Manhattan.

19d   Menswear designed without accommodating this writer/'s/ solution (6)

"this writer" = ME (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.

hide explanation

20d   One laments being more intense (6)

23d   Lacking precision // against malaria? (5)

24d   Snake // Pass contains one (4)

Scratching the Surface
Snake Pass[7] is a hill pass in the Derbyshire section of the Peak District, crossing the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower Reservoir at Ashopton. The road was engineered by Thomas Telford and opened in 1821. The pass carries the A57 road between Manchester and Sheffield, but it is no longer the main signposted route between those two cities.

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, October 22, 2015 — DT 27802

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 27802
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Friday, May 15, 2015
Setter Giovanni (Don Manley)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 27802]
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

It was somewhat demoralizing to see that Gazza awarded this puzzle a mere one star for difficulty. I did manage to complete it without calling in my electronic assistants, but the time and effort required to solve it would place the puzzle solidly in the lower end of the three star range. However, looking back at the clues in hindsight, it is hard to see why it was such a challenge — a situation I often find with Giovanni's creations.

It seems that I made a rather blatant faux pas (or perhaps choked) in my review of Tuesday's puzzle. On 9a, I was so certain that I had come up with the intended solution that I did not even bother to verify my result by clicking on the answer in Dutch's review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog. I then proceeded to write a lengthy dissection of a solution that wasn't even correct. Thank you to Richard for pointing out the error of my ways. The correct solution was CLOSE UP (which parses perfectly) and not CHOKE UP (as I came up with). A contributing factor may have been my lateness in writing the review. I was polishing it off while burning the midnight oil.

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   Singer /in/ pub, one having vocal expression (8)

9a   Essex town // not totally tough and mean! (6)

Harlow^[7] is a town in the west of Essex, England, situated on the border with Hertfordshire.

10a   Man by the briny // in a deck chair, say? (6)

11a   Improper posturing // where mountaineers gather (4,4)

As a gerund, "posturing" could be used as a noun as well as an adjective which would make the phrase "improper posturing" equivalent to "base camp" (where "camp" is also used as a noun).

12a   There is apparel specially designed /for/ artists (3-11)

A Pre-Raphaelite^[5] is a member of a group of English 19th-century artists, including Holman Hunt, Millais, and D. G. Rossetti, who consciously sought to emulate the simplicity and sincerity of the work of Italian artists from before the time of Raphael.

Delving Deeper

Seven young English artists and writers founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 as a reaction against the slick sentimentality and academic convention of much Victorian art. Their work is characterized by strong line and colour, naturalistic detail, and often biblical or literary subjects. The group began to disperse in the 1850s, and the term became applied to the rather different later work of Rossetti, and that of Burne-Jones and William Morris, in which a romantic and decorative depiction of classical and medieval themes had come to predominate. As an adjective, Pre-Raphaelite[5] denotes (especially of a woman) reminiscent of a Pre-Raphaelite painting, typically in having long, thick, wavy auburn hair, pale skin, and a fey demeanour.

15a   To move house /is/ appropriate when lake encroaches (4)

As a verb, flit^[5] is a chiefly Scottish and Northern English term meaning to move house or leave one’s home, typically secretly so as to escape creditors or obligations. As a noun, flit^[5] is an informal British term meaning an act of moving house or leaving one’s home, typically secretly so as to escape creditors or obligations ⇒ moonlight flits from one insalubrious dwelling to another. The definitions would suggest that the expression enjoys more extensive use as a noun than as a verb.

17a   Move // sack (5)

A sack^[5] (also sack dress) is a woman’s short loose unwaisted dress, typically narrowing at the hem, popular especially in the 1950s.

A shift^[5] (also shift dress) is a woman’s straight unwaisted dress.

19a   Frame // awkwardly rigid I removed (4)

20a   Firm's reputation? // Distinct danger that will be ruined (6,8)

23a   Short piece delivered to the world /is/ uncompromising (8)

25a   Virtuous // husband, individual type to be given halo (6)

27a   Stick together // at this place having joined company (6)

HERE (at this place) comes after CO (company) because in order for the former to join the latter, the latter must have arrived first.

28a   Fellows count // without using pencil and paper? (8)

Down

1d   Power with which great performer's gained // speed (4)

"power" = P (show explanation )

In physics, P^[10] is a symbol used to represent power (among other things).

hide explanation

2d   Model // that may get someone easily caught out (6)

Sitter^[5] is an informal British sports term for an easy catch or shot ⇒ he scored some great goals but missed some sitters. Thus a cricket batsman who hits a sitter is likely to be easily caught out by a fielder.

3d   Rosemary maybe /wants/ some other boy (4)

HERB is not the "other boy" but is hiding in otHER Boy.

4d   Meeting the Spanish, Greek characters // cheat (6)

"the Spanish" = EL (show explanation )

In Spanish, the masculine singular form of the definite article is el^[8].

hide explanation

Chi^[5] is the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet (Χ, χ).

As the "Greek characters" are meeting "the Spanish", the former arrive first just as when you are meeting someone at the airport, I am sure you would ensure that you arrive in time to greet them as they step off the plane.

I do realize that this argument is open to questioning since if you are to meet someone at a restaurant, more often than not, they arrive first.

5d   An attachment to what money will buy (5,3)

6d   Order // money to be paid to agent (10)

A commission^[5] is an order for something, especially a work of art, to be produced specially ⇒ Mozart at last received a commission to write an opera.

8d   /See/ tragic king // die horribly in classical work (7)

The word "see" — despite not being positioned between the definition and the wordplay — essentially fills the role of a link word. I think of it is a framework element on which the definition and wordplay are hung. The overall sense of the clue is that the name of a "tragic king" can be seen by executing the wordplay.

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

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

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

As Gazza explains in his review, "classical work" might be a reference to the fact that "opus" is a Latin word. On the other hand, it might also relate to the fact that term is customarily applied to works of classical music.

13d   Member of family carries nothing around? // Big van can do that job (10)

14d   A deceiver's no right /to get/ assumed 24 (5)

The numeral 24 is a cross reference indicator directing the solver to insert the solution to clue 24d in its place to complete the clue. The directional indicator is customarily omitted in situations such as this where only a single clue starts in the grid cell that is being referenced.

16d   Outside entrance to minster more than one choirboy // shakes (8)

A treble^[5] is a boy (or girl) with a high-pitched singing voice ⇒ we had sung together as trebles in the choir.

Scratching the Surface
Minster[5] is a British term for a large or important church, typically one of cathedral status in the north of England that was built as part of a monastery ⇒ York Minster.

18d   Session of instruction // a prominent feature after meal (5-2)

Tea may be either a drink or a meal, especially in Britain. (more )

The British distinguish between afternoon tea and high tea, although both may be referred to simply as tea^[10]. Afternoon tea^[2,5,7,10] (or Low Tea) is a light afternoon meal, typically eaten between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, at which tea, sandwiches, biscuits [British term for cookies or crackers] and cakes are served.

High tea^[7] (also known as meat tea) is the evening meal or dinner of the working class, typically eaten between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. It typically consists of a hot dish such as fish and chips, shepherd's pie, or macaroni cheese [macaroni and cheese to North Americans], followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. Occasionally there would be cold cuts of meat, such as ham salad. Traditionally high tea was eaten by middle to upper class children (whose parents would have a more formal dinner later) or by labourers, miners and the like when they came home from work. The term was first used around 1825 and high is used in the sense of well-advanced (like high noon, for example) to signify that it was taken later in the day.

hide explanation

A teach-in^[5] is an informal lecture and discussion or series of lectures on a subject of public interest ⇒ a teach-in on the Vietnam war.

21d   Evening worker (6)

22d   Rejection /of/ agreement restricting one part of UK (6)

"one part of UK" = NI (show explanation )

Northern Ireland^[5] (abbreviation NI^[5]) is a province of the United Kingdom occupying the northeast part of Ireland; population 1,775,000 (est. 2008); capital, Belfast.

According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, Northern Ireland^[5] is the only major division of the United Kingdom to hold the status of province, with England^[5] and Scotland^[5] being considered countries, and Wales^[5] a principality.

hide explanation

24d   Celebrity /having/ an upset, this particular writer (4)

"compiler'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, today, this particular 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.

hide explanation

26d   One and only // fish /in/ sea area (4)

Sole^[5] is a shipping forecast area in the northeastern Atlantic, covering the western approaches to the English Channel.

The Shipping Forecast^[7] is a four times per day BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office [the United Kingdom's national weather service which, prior to 2000, was known as the Meteorological Office] and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The waters around the British Isles are divided into sea areas, also known as weather areas.

The unique and distinctive sound of these broadcasts has led to their attracting an audience much wider than that directly interested in maritime weather conditions. Many listeners find the repetition of the names of the sea areas almost hypnotic, particularly during the night-time broadcast at 0048 UK time.

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