Friday, February 23, 2018 — DT 28579

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28579
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Setter Jay (Jeremy Mutch)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28579]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By 2Kiwis
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Jay is another fairly gentle and fun workout.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Rely on nerve /in/ place of vessels being abandoned? (6,4)

I'm afraid I have to quibble with the explanation given by the 2Kiwis in their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. BANK is being clued by "rely" and not by "rely on". In this clue, the word "on" is acting as a charade indicator and the clue adheres to the "A on B" convention for across clues.

"A on B" Convention

An often ignored cryptic crossword convention provides that, in an across clue, the construction "A on B" is used to clue B + A. The rationale for this practice is that in order for A to be placed on B, B must already have been positioned (i.e., already have been written). Since the English language is written from left to right, this means that B must come first and A is then appended to it. It is apparent that not all setters subscribe to this convention — or, at least, they do not adhere to it religiously. Perhaps, they rely on the convention when it suits their purpose and ignore it when it becomes an inconvenience. [On second thought, perhaps that is typical of most religious observance.] In any event, a solver must always be vigilant for instances where setters flout this convention.

Bottle^[5] is an informal British term denoting the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous ⇒ I lost my bottle completely and ran.

---

Bottle bank^[5] is a British term for a place where used glass bottles may be deposited for recycling.

6a   Doctor imprisoned by a king // out of control (4)

"doctor" = MO (show explanation )

A medical officer^[5] (abbreviation MO^[5]) is a doctor in charge of the health services of a civilian or military authority or other organization.

hide explanation

"king" = K (show explanation )

K^[5] is an abbreviation for king that is used especially in describing play in card games and recording moves in chess.

hide explanation

10a   Alarm /caused by/ article about photo? On the contrary (5)

The phrase "on the contrary" directs us to invert the logic of the preceding statement so that the wordplay becomes 'photo about article'.

11a   Object to // test (9)

12a   New Delhi may be occupied by the French // sex kitten (7)

"the French" = LA (show explanation )

In French, the feminine singular form of the definite article is la^[8].

hide explanation

---

A Delilah^[5] is a seductive and wily temptress^*.

---

^* In the Bible, Delilah^[5] was a woman who betrayed Samson to the Philistines (Judges 16) by revealing to them that the secret of his strength lay in his long hair.

Scratching the Surface
New Delhi[5] is the capital of India, a city in north central India built 1912–29 to replace Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the capital of British India.

13a   Moved aside, // chased by son (7)

The "A by B" construction here follows the same convention as "A on B" in 1a.

14a   Sharpe conceivably /offering/ way of expressing things? (4,2,6)

This clue is a reverse anagram (show explanation ). The solution (TURN OF PHRASE) can be viewed as consisting of an anagram indicator (TURN OF) and anagram fodder (PHRASE) that when executed produce the outcome "sharpe" which appears in the clue. The word "conceivably" in the clue is the reverse anagram indicator. Note that by positioning the word "sharpe" at the beginning of the clue, the setter is able to capitalize it thus making it appear to be a surname rather than just a meaningless series of letters.

In a 'normal' clue, the wordplay appears in the clue and the outcome arising from the execution of the wordplay is found in the solution. For instance, in a clue of the anagram type, the anagram indicator (operator) and anagram fodder (the material on which the indicator operates) would appear in the clue and the outcome of performing the anagram operation would be found in the solution.

On the other hand, in a 'reverse anagram', this situation is reversed. The anagram indicator and fodder are found in the solution and the outcome of executing the anagram operation appears in the clue. This is not unlike the premise of the TV game show Jeopardy — where contestants are given the answer and must respond with a question. Here the solver is given the outcome of the anagram operation and must find the anagram indicator and fodder which would produce it.

Personally, having a background in mathematics and engineering, I would much prefer to use the term 'inverse anagram' rather than 'reverse anagram' as this type of construct is analogous to the concept of inverse functions in those fields. However, I have resigned myself to the fact that this idea is unlikely to find traction.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
Several visitors to Big Dave's Crossword Blog comment that to them the clue suggests English satirical novelist Tom Sharpe[7] (1928–2013).

18a   Fool - he's covering small business /supplying/ dryers (7,5)

Clot^[5] is an informal British term for a foolish or clumsy person ⇒ Watch where you’re going, you clot!.

21a   Traveller /sees/ Prime Minister hugging single girl, shaken (7)

23a   Business custom /is/ to share accommodation (7)

24a   Celebrate in song after the end of shambolic // eatery (9)

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

25a   Appearing in court, group /may be/ distressed (5)

26a   Belt /of/ lava with sulphur at the head (4)

The symbol for the chemical element sulphur is S^[5].

27a   Servers // with first-class locks (10)

"first-class" = AI (show explanation )

A1^[4][5] or A-one^[3] meaning first class or excellent comes from a classification for ships in The Lloyd's Register of Shipping where it means equipped to the highest standard or first-class.

hide explanation

Down

1d   Offers must incorporate exercises /for/ people, perhaps (6)

"exercises" = PE (show explanation )

PE^[5] is an abbreviation^* for physical education.

---

^* In my experience, phys ed^{[3,6,11,12,14]} is the more common shortened form in North America.

hide explanation

2d   This, if ignoring his approach, /is/ a mess (6)

3d   Council // putting writer in place (5,9)

The council^[10] (sometimes capitalized) is a British^* term for the local governing authority of a town, county, etc.

---

^* At least, the term is British in the eyes of the editors at Collins English Dictionary. Personally. I would say that the term is not at all British. Or, perhaps, we in Canada just use a British form of local government.

Local authority^{[2,4,5,10,14]} is a British and New Zealand term for the governing body of a county, district, etc. The equivalent US term is local government.

4d   Support workers /making/ plays in court (9)

5d   Gets close to // answer, resolved to avoid women (5)

As an anagram indicator, resolve^[5] is used in the the sense (said of something seen at a distance) to turn into a different form when seen more clearly ⇒ the orange light resolved itself into four roadwork lanterns.

7d   Details /of/ independent article in 'Time' (8)

"independent" = I (show explanation )

I^[1] is the abbreviation for independent, in all likelihood in the context of a politician with no party affiliation.

hide explanation

Scratching the Surface
Time[7] is an American weekly news magazine founded in 1923. In addition to the US edition, Time also publishes several regional international editions. A so-called "Canadian edition" which was essentially the US edition with Canadian advertising and a token amount of Canadian editorial content was discontinued in 2008.

8d   Heavily involved /with/ requirement in castle (4-4)

A keep^[5] is the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.

9d   Southern Comedy Store /is/ a shambles (14)

If we take the parsing to be S (southern) + LAUGHTER (comedy) + HOUSE (store), then for cryptic purposes, "store" is being used as a verb.

Although there are no complaints about this on Big Dave's Crossword Blog,  I do not see comedy and laughter as synonyms (comedy being something that is intended to induce laughter), at least when used strictly as nouns. However, perhaps they may have essentially the same meaning when used as modifiers. For instance, compare the names of a couple of British comedy venues:

• The Comedy Store^[7] is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England which opened in 1979. It was named after The Comedy Store club in California.
• According to TripAdvisor, Laughterhouse Comedy is Liverpool's biggest and best comedy promoter with nights at The Slaughter House (voted in the top 5 comedy venues in the UK).

While I expect that the setter is using "comedy" to clue "laughter", I have not completely ruled out the possibility that "Comedy Store" may be cluing "Laughterhouse" (although the latter seems rather dubious).

In fact, with Liverpool located in Northern England, the clue might even have read:

• Northern comedy club /is/ a shambles (14)

although that would probably be considered to be too obscure a clue.

---

A shambles^[5] (archaic except in place names) is a butcher's slaughterhouse ⇒ the shambles where the animals were slaughtered.

15d   Insolence, interrupting fine talk about Republican /in/ part of presentation (4,5)

"fine" = F (show explanation )

F^[5] is an abbreviation for fine, as used in describing grades of pencil lead [a usage that Oxford Dictionaries surprisingly characterizes as British].

hide explanation

"Republican" = R (show explanation )

A Republican^[5] (abbreviation R^[5])  is a member or supporter of the Republican Party^[5], one of the two main US political parties^*, favouring a right-wing stance, limited central government, and tough, interventionist foreign policy. It was formed in 1854 in support of the anti-slavery movement preceding the Civil War.

---

^* the other being the Democratic Party

In the UK, republican^[5] can refer to an advocate of a united Ireland but the abbreviation does not seem to apply to that usage.

hide explanation

16d   Circle regularly selects // requirements for mountaineers (3,5)

What did they say?
In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis write BRB doesn’t support this definition. The Chambers Dictionary (aka the Big Red Book or BRB) defines ice pick[1] as a tool with a pointed end used for splitting ice.

17d   Criminal types /may be/ terribly slow to accept prison sentence (8)

19d   Humiliates // military settlements, under attack at the outset (6)

20d   Standing of university in branch of maths (6)

In Britain, the short form for mathematics is maths^[5] ⇒ her mother was a maths teacher, rather than math^[5] as is the case in North America ⇒ she teaches math and science.

22d   Mum looks down on tune used over // one from a musical (5)

Here "one" could denote either a character or song in either of two musicals.

Maria^[7] is the leading female character in the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story, the award winning adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

"Maria"^[7] is also a song from West Side Story sung by the male lead Tony when he learns the name of the girl he's fallen in love with is "Maria". The name "Maria" is spoken or sung in the song 27 times.

Maria von Trapp^[7] (1905–1987), the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, is a leading female character in the award winning 1959 Broadway musical The Sound of Music.

"Maria"^[7], sometimes known as "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" is a show tune from The Sound of Music. This song is sung by the nuns at Nonnberg Abbey, who are exasperated with Maria for being too frivolous and frolicsome for the decorous and austere life at the Abbey.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
^[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Thursday, February 22, 2018 — DT 28578

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28578
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28578]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Mr 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

I would say that today's offering presents a moderately testing workout of the grey matter.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Diplomat/'s/ mother backing singer on road upset (10)

6a   Pole // free? Almost (4)

9a   Advertise // opening of tapas bar (5)

Trail^[5] is used in the sense of to give advance publicity to (a film, broadcast, or proposal) ⇒ the bank's plans have been extensively trailed.

Although the noun "trailer" is used in North America in this sense, I have never heard of the verb being used in this way — and neither, does it seem, have any of the American dictionaries that I consulted.

Scratching the Surface

A tapa[3,11] (often tapas, especially in British dictionaries where the singular is rarely found [explore further ]) is any of various small, savory Spanish dishes, often served as a snack or appetizer (typically with wine or beer) or with other tapas as a meal. Among my regular online reference sources, the singular version (tapa[3,11]) is found in the two American dictionaries, but not in the three British dictionaries (which list the word only in the plural, tapas[2,4,5,10]). However, the singular version tapa[1] is found in my hard-copy edition of The Chambers Dictionary. close Oxford Dictionaries explains the etymology as Spanish tapa, literally 'cover, lid' (because the dishes were given free with the drink, served on a dish balanced on, therefore ‘covering’, the glass).[5]

10a   Handicap: // a golfing term (9)

A albatross^[5] is a source of frustration or guilt; an encumbrance (in allusion to Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner^*) ⇒ an albatross of a marriage.

---

^* In the poem, the mariner kills an albatross bringing a series of misfortunes upon his ship and leading his angry fellow sailors to force him to wear the dead albatross about his neck.

In golf, albatross^[5] is another term for double eagle^[5], a score of three strokes under par at a hole.

Scratching the Surface
Handicap[5] denotes the number of strokes by which a golfer normally exceeds par for a course (used as a method of enabling players of unequal ability to compete with each other) ⇒ he plays off a handicap of 10.

12a   Factor /in/ a small amount (7)

13a   Splendid // inside picture gallery (5)

15a   Horse, // calm before short session (7)

Eventer^[5] is a British term for a horse or rider that takes part in eventing^[5], an equestrian sport in which competitors must take part in each of several contests, usually cross-country, dressage, and showjumping ⇒ he will begin his eventing career in March.

17a   Young animal // always allowed outside (7)

A leveret^[5] is a young hare in its first year.

19a   Popular firm close to another // one providing protection (7)

21a   Subject to work // experience (7)

22a   Eastern lake/'s/ not natural (5)

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Mr Kitty refers to Lake Erie as a US Great Lake ... but surely nearly half of it is in Canada.

24a   Time to face reprimand, // about to cry (7)

27a   Legendary beauty // broken man adored (9)

In Greek mythology, Andromeda^[5] is an Ethiopian princess whose mother Cassiopeia boasted that she herself (or, in some stories, her daughter) was more beautiful than the Nereids. In revenge Poseidon sent a sea monster to ravage the country; to placate him Andromeda was fastened to a rock and exposed to the monster, from which she was rescued by Perseus.

28a   Ring // any number in locality (5)

"any number" = N (show explanation )

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

hide explanation

29a   The last word /from/ leader of Assamese soldiers,... (4)

Scratching the Surface
Assam[5] is a state in northeastern India; capital, Dispur. Most of the state lies in the valley of the Brahmaputra River; it is noted for the production of tea.

30a   ... enlisted troops /from/ separate castes (5,5)

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

Down

1d   Singer /in/ rehearsal, tone-deaf (4)

2d   Be grateful for securing weak // upright (9)

3d   Work out // alone around five (5)

4d   A subtly different mature // ham (7)

Ham^[5] is an informal term for an amateur radio operator.

5d   Examination involving segment // of a ring road? (7)

As an adjective^*, orbital^[5] is a British term meaning (with respect to a road) passing round the outside of a town.

---

^* As a noun, orbital^[5] is short orbital road^[5], a British term for a road passing round the outside of a town.

7d   Point /in/ river offensive smell has enveloped (5)

Pong^[5] is an informal British term meaning:

• (noun) a strong, unpleasant smell ⇒ corked wine has a powerful pong 
• (verb) to smell strongly and unpleasantly ⇒ the place just pongs of dirty clothes

8d   Formal proposal // about compound (10)

11d   Half of them playing Verdi // did well (7)

Scratching the Surface
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).

14d   Wants // information about English team, first in race (10)

"team" = SIDE (show explanation )

Side^[5] is a British term for a sports team ⇒ there was a mixture of old and young players in^* their side.

---

^* Note that, in Britain, a player is said to be "in a side" rather than "on a team" as one would say in North America.

In North America, the term side^[3] is used in a very general fashion that can denote one of two or more opposing individuals, groups, teams, or sets of opinions. While this same general usage is also found in the UK, the term side^[5] is also used there in a much more specific sense to mean a sports team, as we can clearly see from the following usage examples ⇒ (i) Previous England rugby sides, and England teams in many other sports, would have crumbled under the weight of such errors.; (ii) They'll face better sides than this Monaco team, but you can only beat what's put in front of you.

hide explanation

Desideratum^[5] (plural desiderata) is something that is needed or wanted ⇒ integrity was a desideratum.

I am sure most of you will have seen the following (which at one time seemed to be everywhere):

Desiderata Max Ehrmann Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

16d   Danger at sea -- // opted out, or in? (7)

18d   Member of the clergy // and a ruler abroad (5,4)

Rural dean^[10] is a mainly British term for a a clergyman having authority over a group of parishes.

20d   Take flight /in/ retirement (7)

In a double definition, the two definitions are not supposed to have the same meaning. Here they might seem to if one regards retirement as being an act of retiring as the solution (RETREAT) would be used in the same sense, first as a verb and then as a noun.

Retire^[5] (said of a military force) means to retreat from an enemy or an attacking position ⇒ lack of numbers compelled the British force to retire.

However, I managed to find the following meaning of retirement which may be sufficiently different to justify the double definition.

Retirement^[5] is an archaic term for a secluded or private place ⇒ Exmouth, where he has a sweet country retirement.

21d   Oblivious, // a female in Paris about a state of conflict (7)

"a female in Paris" = UNE (show explanation )

In French, the feminine singular form of the indefinite article is une^[8].

hide explanation

23d   Escarpment, // cold place once Fahrenheit's dropped (5)

25d   Learner in market /showing/ natural ability (5)

"learner" = L (show explanation )

The cryptic crossword convention of L meaning learner or student arises from the L-plate^[7], a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in various jurisdictions (including the UK) if its driver is a learner under instruction.

hide explanation

26d   The old lady's small // service (4)

Mass^[5] is the celebration of the Christian Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

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)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 — DT 28577

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 28577
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, November 6, 2017
Setter Rufus (Roger Squires)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 28577]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★	Enjoyment - ★★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

This puzzle may have been a 2-star solve but it was a 5-star effort to review.

In my review, you may notice several instances where I have marked a clue differently from the way that Miffypops has marked it in his review at Big Dave's Crossword Blog. In cases where such variations are significant, I have likely commented on them in the review. On the other hand, where the differences are relatively minor, I may not have bothered to explain them.

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 semi-all-in-one (semi-&lit.) clues. All-in-one (&lit.) clues and cryptic definitions are marked with a dotted underline. Explicit link words and phrases are enclosed in forward slashes (/link/) and implicit links are shown as double forward slashes (//).

Across

1a   Get new staff — /or/ get new owners (6,5)

In his review, Miffypops marks this as a double definition. My initial thought was to do likewise, although I would have shown it as follows with the dotted underline indicating that the first part is a cryptic definition (being a literal interpretation of the solution rather than a definition found in a dictionary):

• Get new staff — /or/ get new owners (6,5)

However, on further reflection, I realize that the first part of the clue can actually be resolved to a charade as CHANGE (get new) + HANDS (staff). Therefore, I have opted to label it as such rather than a double definition.

I think a clue like this could be viewed either way. My approach is to consider such a clue (or part of a clue) to be a cryptic definition only where it is impossible to resolve the wordplay into a standard clue type such as a charade.

9a   Frank /is/ ready to do business (4)

A double definition about which there is no doubt.

10a   Commercial mail /for/ a remote business centre (7,4)

Post^[5] is a chiefly British^* term for mail^[5], including in the sense of letters and parcels sent or received.

---

^* In an ironic twist, the post in Britain is delivered by the Royal Mail while, in Canada, the mail is delivered by Canada Post.

---

Similar to the situation in 1a, I considered declaring this to be a double definition :

• Commercial mail /for/ a remote business centre (7,4)

However, once again, while the first part of the clue could be seen to be a literal interpretation of the solution, it can also be resolved to a simple charade as TRADING (commercial) + POST (mail).

11a   Drag // minor back (4)

14a   Messenger /has/ job getting in beer (7)

Behind the Painting
The painting used by Miffypops to illustrate his review of this clue is Jesus Washing the Apostles’ Feet (Jesus Washing the Feet of the Apostles), by American religious artist Del Parson[7]. The Biblical account on which this painting is based can be found in John 13:1-17.

16a   In an old-fashioned way, please (7)

The portion of the clue with the dashed underline is cryptic elaboration that indicates that the solution is an archaic term.

17a   To be readily available, // part of index is typeset (5)

In his review, Miffypops marks the definition as merely "to be". However, the words "readily available" must be part of the definition or else they would be orphaned.

18a   Singer // very keen to retire (4)

What did he say?
In his review, Miffypops tells us that we need A singer such as Maria Callas 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.

To respond to Miffypops' musings on the appropriateness of the word retire^[5] as a reversal indicator, it is being used in the sense (said of a military force) to retreat [go back] from an enemy or an attacking position ⇒ lack of numbers compelled the British force to retire.

19a   Bargain // crop (4)

Snip^[5,10] is a mainly British term for a surprisingly cheap item; in other words, a bargain ⇒ the wine is a snip at £3.65.

20a   Toys // sold out around end of April (5)

22a   Awful // deep (7)

23a   Somebody's rubber (7)

24a   She'll be a fool if she comes back (4)

Nit^[5] (short for nitwit)^[10] is an informal British term for a foolish person ⇒ you stupid nit!.

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I have marked this clue as a cryptic definition as nothing else seems to fit.

The clue tells us that the solution (a female given name clued by "she") if reversed (indicated by "comes back") would give A NIT (clued by "a fool").

Should you be interested, I invite you toclick here for a more extensive discussion of the clue.

1. This clue is not what I will call — for want of a better term — a "normal clue".

In a normal clue, one finds the indicator and fodder in the clue (together they constitute the wordplay) and the outcome of executing the wordplay in the solution. That is:

• an indicator (found in the clue) acting on fodder (found in the clue) producing an outcome (found in the solution)

For example, a variant of this clue might read:

• She/'s/ a fool coming back (4)

in which the reversal indicator (found in the clue) is "coming back", the fodder (found in the clue) is A NIT (a fool), and the outcome (the solution) is TINA which matches the definition "she" (interpreted to denote a female given name).

2. This clue is not what is commonly referred to as a reverse wordplay clue.

A reverse wordplay clue — which in this case would be the awkwardly-named "reverse reversal" — has the following structure:

• an indicator (found in the solution) acting on fodder (also found in the solution) producing an outcome (found in the clue)

Here is an example that I made up to illustrate the point (so please be a little forgiving if it is not up to professional calibre):

• Pots // found on a baseball diamond (8)

The solution is BACKSTOP, a structure located behind the plate on a baseball diamond. If one treats the solution as wordplay, we see it consists of a reversal indicator (BACK) and fodder (STOP) with the outcome of the reversal operation being the word "Pots" (found in the clue).

3. If not a "normal clue" and not a reverse wordplay clue, then what is it?

I am not really sure what to call this clue whose structure can be described as:

• an indicator (found in the clue) acting on fodder (found in the solution) producing an outcome (found in the clue)

Therefore, I have simply labelled it a cryptic definition.

hide explanation

28a   Enormously powerful ocean destroyer (6,5)

I think the phrase "enormously powerful" may be alluding to an informal meaning of killer^[5] in the sense of a formidably impressive person or thing ⇒ it's the zoom lens that makes this camera an absolute killer.

29a   Lacking opener, drain // pitcher (4)

30a   Confirm // new bits are news (4,7)

Down

2d   It's heavenly to play, but there are strings attached (4)

3d   Out of gear? (4)

4d   Honour // a merger of Ben and Noel (7)

In his review, Miffypops questions the word "merger" as an anagram indicator I can see the word merger meaning to join but am uncomfortable with it meaning to mix. I can assure him that anyone — such as myself — who has been through the merger of two (or more) organizations will attest that things get well mixed up. In my case, it was the merger of all or parts of four former government departments into a single new department.

Stretching the Surface?

In this clue, "Ben and Noel" may merely be convenient names that satisfy the purposes of the setter. However, I did find one — albeit unlikely — possibility for this duo. Felicity[7] is an American drama television series that ran on The WB for four seasons from September 1998 to May 2002. The series follows Felicity Porter through her four years as a student at the fictional "University of New York". On a whim, Felicity (from Palo Alto, California) drops her plans to attend nearby Stanford University to follow a high school crush, Ben Covington, across the country to New York. When she moves into her dorm at UNY, she meets the resident advisor, Noel Crane, with whom a romance eventually develops. The relationships among Felicity, Ben, and Noel form the basic dramatic conflicts in the show throughout the series.

5d   A parliamentarian's /creating/ measures in power (4)

"parliamentarian" = MP (show explanation )

In Britain (as in Canada), a politician elected to the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament^[10] (abbreviation MP^[5]) or, informally, as a member^[5].

hide explanation

Amp^[10] is short for ampere^[10], the basic SI [Système International (d'Unités)] unit of electric current.

Pedant Alert

From a technical perspective, amps are not a measure of power — but then Rufus didn't suggest they are. He says they are a "measure in power". This I merely took to mean that amps are a unit of measurement used in the field of power generation, distribution and use rather than a unit used to measure power as a narrowly defined term in physics. However, some of those commenting at Big Dave's Crossword Blog took this down a different path (see the lengthy thread arising from Comment #5). Anyway, I strongly suspect that the choice of preposition had more to do with achieving the best surface reading than it did with maintaining scientific accuracy.

6d   Fool perhaps // having braided hair put up (7)

I always thought that a tress^[5,10] was a lock of hair (i.e., hair that coils or hangs loosely), especially a long lock of a woman's hair ⇒ her golden tresses tumbled about her face. However, I discover that the word can also denote a plait or braid of hair.

By the way, to solve the clue you don't reverse a word meaning "braided hair" (as instructed by Miffypops). Rather, you reverse a word meaning "having braided hair".

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Fool^[5] is a chiefly British name for a cold dessert made of pureed fruit mixed or served with cream or custard ⇒ raspberry fool with cream.

7d   Understood /to be/ arrested (11)

8d   Wild world opens around a // cat used to wintry weather (4,7)

The snow leopard^[5] (also called ounce) is a rare large cat which has pale grey fur patterned with dark blotches and rings, living in the Altai mountains, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas.

12d   Keeps on the beach, they may be soon liquidated (11)

A keep^[5] is the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.

13d   Vehicles drawn up in accordance with the law (11)

In his review, Miffypops marks this clue as a double definition:

• Vehicles // drawn up in accordance with the law (11)

However, I believe he has fallen into the trap set by the compiler of the puzzle [there may be a good reason that setter is another term for compiler]. As the solution to the clue is a noun, we have a problem with the second of the definitions in Miffypops' explanation which would be an adjective rather than a noun.

The surface reading of the clue is intended to evoke an image of motor vehicles arranged in some legally sanctioned manner (perhaps taxis drawn up at a taxi stand [or taxi rank to our British friends]).

However, if we take vehicle^[10] to mean a medium for the expression, communication, or achievement of ideas, information, power, etc. then a "vehicle drawn up in accordance with the law" could be some kind of legal document.

A conveyance^[5] is a legal document effecting the transfer of property in the case of an unregistered title ⇒ the wife's solicitors will submit a draft conveyance or transfer to the husband's solicitors.

Thus, I believe this to be a cryptic definition of two or more such legal documents. I must admit that this was not the first explanation to come to mind and it only occurred to me as I was writing the review (and, in the process, encountering difficulties explaining other ideas).

15d   One-time rising group // crack up? (5)

Crack up^[10] is being used in an informal sense meaning to present or report, especially in glowing terms ⇒ it's not all it's cracked up to be.

16d   Song /from/ little Sarah, piercing in the afternoon (5)

Sal^[7] is a diminutive for Sally^[7] — which, in turn, is a diminutive for Sarah.

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A psalm^[5] is a sacred song or hymn, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of Psalms and used in Christian and Jewish worship.

20d   Light // diet may upset (7)

21d   Class of fighters, in the East (7)

A samurai^[5] was a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan.

25d   Obscure // blemish (4)

The official solution is BLUR although there are several comments on Big Dave's Crossword Blog to the effect that SLUR would be equally valid (in particular, see the thread starting at Comment #10). It is hard to argue with that reasoning as one of the definitions given for slur^[5] in The Chambers Dictionary is blur.

26d   Whisky drinkers may say that // it's just a question of time (4)

27d   A sign of more to follow (4)

I see this as a cryptic definition rather than a double definition (as Miffypops marks it).

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7]   - Wikipedia
^[8]   - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9]   - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
^[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
^[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)

Signing off for today — Falcon