Tuesday, May 26, 2020 — DT 29193

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29193
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Monday, October 28, 2019
Setter Campbell (Allan Scott)
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29193]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Miffypops
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★	Enjoyment - ★★★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved

Introduction

The needle on the difficulty meter has swung from one extreme to the other between yesterday and today.

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.

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Change // on-off device (6)

4a	How eleven may appear // individually? (3,2,3)

9a	In front, I'm extremely // sharp (2,4)

10a	Unwise dropping rugby's foremost // forward (8)

11a	Caught unawares, // Spurs dire, out of form (9)

Scratching the Surface
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club[7] commonly referred to as the Spurs, is an English professional football [soccer] club located in Tottenham, London, that plays in the Premier League (the top level in the English football league system).

13a	Cautious, // cleaner close to canary (5)

Char^[5] is an informal British term for charwoman^[5] (or charlady^[5]), a dated British name for a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

What did he say?
In his review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Miffypops describes the first piece of the charade as Another name for a daily cleaner .... Although Miffypops has not used daily as a noun, it can be used as such in this context. Daily[5] (noun) is a dated British term for a woman who is employed to clean someone else’s house each day.

14a	Question university girl about one revolutionary // dish (6,8)

"revolutionary " = CHE [Guevara]

Che Guevara^[7] (1928–1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.

hide

---

Quiche Lorraine^[5] is a quiche made with bacon or ham.

---

Origin: Lorraine is the name of a region of north-eastern France. 

17a	Row after character /appears in/ line-up (8,6)

Identity parade^[5] appears to be the principal British term for a (police) line-up^[5]*, a group of people including a suspect for a crime assembled for the purpose of having an eyewitness identify the suspect from among them.

---

^* The latter term is apparently also used in Britain (the dictionary describes it as "another term" for the former)

21a	Win over // church member (5)

23a	Dreadful, the French // record (9)

Chronic^[5] is used not in the medical sense but as British slang meaning of a very poor quality ⇒ the film was absolutely chronic.

"the French " = LE

In French, the masculine singular form of the definite article is le^[8].

hide

24a	Notably, // a black smock Renoir finally discarded (5,3)

"black " = B [pencil lead]

B^[5] is an abbreviation for black, as used in describing grades of pencil lead ⇒ 2B pencils.

hide

Overall^[4] — not to be confused with overalls (see box below) — is a British term for a a protective work garment usually worn over ordinary clothes. It would seem to be a general term that encompasses not only garments that the British call dungarees (North American overalls) or boiler suits (North American coveralls) but also coat and smock type garments (such as lab coats perhaps) — and even aprons as well.

Here and There

While Brits and North Americans share many of the same names for articles of clothing, the meaning of those terms is often quite different on either side of the pond. In North America, overalls[3,11] are loose-fitting trousers, usually of strong fabric, with a bib front and shoulder straps, often worn over regular clothing as protection from dirt. The British definition of overalls[4] is broader, including not only garments with a bib and shoulder straps but also those having a jacket top. These latter garments are also known as boiler suits[5] in the UK and would be called coveralls[3] in North America. Furthermore, whereas the term dungarees[3,4,11] is used in North America to refer to either trousers or North American style overalls, in the UK it is used solely to mean the latter, i.e., a suit of workman's overalls made of dungaree [denim] consisting of trousers with a bib attached. Note that I have carefully avoided using the North American term "pants" in favour of the more universal term "trousers". In Britain, the term "pants" refers to underwear. Thus were I to take off my pants in the UK, I would be far more exposed than if I were to do so in North America!

Scratching the Surface
Auguste Renoir[5] (1841–1919) was a French painter. An early impressionist, he developed a style characterized by light, fresh colours and indistinct, subtle outlines. Notable works: Les Grandes baigneuses (1884-7).

25a	Reportedly dressing // well (6)

The word "source" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation ) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), sounds like "sauce" .

Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English.

hide

26a	Plays, and blue // film (3,5)

Blue^[5] is an informal British term denoting politically conservative ⇒ the successful blue candidate.

A Tory^[10] is a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain [or, for that matter, in Canada].

---

Toy Story^[7] is a 1995 American computer-animated buddy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was the first entirely computer-animated feature film.

27a	Quick // pint on seafront (6)

Prom^[5] is an informal British short form for promenade^[5], a paved^* public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort.

---

^* In Britain, pave^[5] means to cover (a piece of ground) with flat stones or bricks — not asphalt.

Down

1d	Perhaps wife // needs support after blowing top (6)

2d	Break // tile under ground (9)

As an anagram indicator, ground is used as the past tense or past participle of the verb grind^[5]. An anagram indicator is typically a word that denotes movement or transformation. Grind denotes transformation, for example, in the sense of grain being ground into flour.

3d	Material /in/ river, short rectangular building block (7)

The Cam^[10] is a river in eastern England, in Cambridgeshire, flowing through Cambridge to the Great Ouse (river).

---

Cambric^[5] is a lightweight, closely woven white linen or cotton fabric.

5d	Remarkably modern paper, // one trying to impress others (4-7)

6d	Doorman // runs after Bob? (7)

"runs " = R [cricket notation]

On cricket scorecards [not to mention baseball scoreboards], the abbreviation R^[5] denotes run(s).

In cricket, a run^[5] is a unit of scoring achieved by hitting the ball so that both batsmen are able to run between the wickets, or awarded in some other circumstances.

hide

7d	Love very good // Greek character (5)

"love " = O [nil score in tennis]

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

Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).

hide

Mega^[5] is an informal term that would seem to have a broader range of meanings in the UK than in North America:

• (adjective) very large or huge ⇒ he has signed a mega deal to make five movies
• (adjective) excellent ⇒ it will be a mega film
• (adverb) extremely ⇒ they are mega rich

---

Omega^[5] is the last letter of the Greek alphabet (Ω, ω).

8d	Admission /made by/ unknown female tucking into dish (5,3)

"unknown " = Y [algebraic notation]

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

hide

Here and There

In the US and Canada, an entrée[2,10] is the main course of a meal. Most UK dictionaries, define entrée[2,10] as a dish served before a main course; in particular, a small dish served after the fish course and before the main course at a formal dinner. Strangely, the primary entry on the Lexico website (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) defines entrée[5] in the US fashion as being the main course of a meal. Does this indicate that the US usage is beginning to take hold in the UK?

12d	Show // as claret cup, erroneously (11)

15d	Word for 'improper behaviour' // coined abroad by eccentric (9)

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

16d	Diagram of interest to Desperate Dan! (3,5)

Desperate Dan^[7] is a wild west character in the British comic The Dandy. He first appeared in its first issue, dated 4 December 1937. He is reputed to be the world's strongest man, able to lift a cow with one hand. Even his beard is so tough he has to shave with a blowtorch. Among his favourite foods is "cow pie" — which apparently is a whole cow baked in a pie, and not a "meadow muffin".

18d	Agency worker set off /in/ violent storm (7)

19d	Managed to attract endless // resentment (7)

20d	Failing // to sidetrack learner leaving (6)

22d	Anguish /in/ New York following a turn (5)

Key to Reference Sources: 

^[1]   - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2]   - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4]   - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6]   - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Advanced 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

Monday, May 25, 2020 — DT 29192 (Published Saturday, May 23, 2020)

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Daily Telegraph DT 29192
Publication Date in The Daily Telegraph Saturday, October 26, 2019
Setter Unknown
Link to Full Review Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29192 – Hints] Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29192 – Review]
Big Dave's Crossword Blog Review Written By Tilsit (Hints) crypticsue (Review)
BD Rating
Difficulty - ★★★★ / ★★★★★	Enjoyment - ★
Falcon's Experience ┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐ ███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ Legend: █ - solved without assistance █ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools █ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools █ - solved but without fully parsing the clue █ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog █ - yet to be solved
Notes
As this was a Saturday "Prize Puzzle" in Britain, there are two entries related to it on Big Dave's Crossword Blog — the first, posted on the date of publication, contains hints for selected clues while the second is a full review issued following the entry deadline for the contest. The vast majority of reader comments will generally be found attached to the "hints" posting with a minimal number — if any — accompanying the full review. This puzzle appears on the Monday Diversions page in the Saturday, May 23, 2020 edition of the National Post.

Introduction

I was gobsmacked to see crypticsue's assessment of this puzzle. I don't believe that I have ever seen such a negative rating — or a difficulty rating surpassing four stars. As I managed to complete the puzzle without outside assistance, I am feeling pretty proud of myself — or, as the Brits would say, chuffed. And although I found the puzzle difficult, I did rather enjoy it.

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.

Markup Conventions
"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present	"solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Wild cat is stalking cobra, writhing /and/ tumbling (10)

Take Your Pick

On Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Tilsit places the anagram of CAT IS "after" the anagram of COBRA while crypticsue has it "round". However, both approaches yield the same result. My initial thought was that Tilsit's explanation (following) better suits the indicator "stalking" than does crypticsue's version (circling). However, on further reflection, I do believe that lions stalking their prey may very well circle them. So given the predator mentioned in the clue, her approach may even be the more appropriate one.

6a	Men seeking stable // parts of moat, grit falling unevenly (4)

In Christianity, the Magi^[2] (plural of magus) were the three^* wise men or astrologers from the east who brought gifts to the infant Jesus, guided by a star. Also called the Three Kings and the Three Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12).

---

^* or possibly more (show more )

Matthew is the only one of the four canonical gospels to mention the Magi^[7]. Matthew reports that they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve.

hide

9a	Motorway with illuminations, westbound excellent /for/ emergency service? (7)

The M1^[7] is a north–south motorway^* in England connecting London to Leeds.

---

^* Motorway^[2,5] (abbreviation M^[5]) is a British, Australian, and New Zealand term for a dual-carriageway road [divided highway] designed for fast-moving traffic, especially one with three lanes per carriageway [direction of travel] and limited access and exit points [controlled access].

"excellent " = AI [ship classification (A1)]

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

---

A militia^[5] is a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.

What did he say?

In his hints on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, Tilsit describes the solution as the name given to an emergency force seen abroad. It seems that the term militia has not seen much use in the UK in the last century or so, although a few vestiges do remain[7]: Militias existed prior to the 20th century. In the first decade of the 20th century, the 'militias' were renamed 'reserves'. The reserves were placed in "suspended animation" in 1924 and disbanded in 1953. In 1939, a limited form of conscription was introduced. The term militia was applied to these conscripts in an effort to make the idea more acceptable to the British public. The declaration of war on 3 September entailed implementation of full conscription, superseding the militia, never to be revived. Three units of the British Army still maintain their militia designation: the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, the Jersey Field Squadron (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey), and the Royal Alderney Militia. Finally, the Atholl Highlanders are a ceremonial infantry militia maintained by the Duke of Atholl—they are the only legal private army in Europe.

10a	Boozer in almost entirely prime // colours (7)

Scratching the Surface
In British English, boozer[5] is not only an informal term for a person who drinks large quantities of alcohol but also an informal term for a pub or bar. Thus, while the term is used in the former sense in the cryptic reading of the clue, Brits will likely see it in the latter sense in the surface reading.

12a	Rash /of/ surplus plastic noticed around northern France (4-9)

"France " = F [IVR code]

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for France is F^[5].

hide

French Licence Plate
(The IVR code is on the left below the EU flag emblem)

14a	Dog following return of the Queen/'s/ hawk (6)

"the Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]

The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER^[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.

hide

15a	And what have you from Rome? (2,6)

17a	Journalist showing behind while notice /is/ given (8)

19a	Weep /as/ son rejected the wine in Provence (6)

"son " = S [genealogy]

In genealogies, s^[5] is the abbreviation for son(s) ⇒ m 1991; one s one d^*.

---

^* married in 1991; one son and one daughter.

hide

Provence^[5] is a former province of southeastern France, on the Mediterranean coast east of the Rhône. It is now part of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. (show more )

Settled by the Greeks in the 6th century BC, the area around Marseilles became, in the 1st century BC, part of the Roman colony of Gaul. It was united with France in 1481.

hide

The French word for wine is vin^[8]. As it is masculine, "the wine" is le vin.

22a	A good deal securer /using/ local net search about retiring (7-6)

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

24a	Quintet sit rabbiting about incorporating // singer? (7)

Scratching the Surface

Rabbit[5] is an informal British term meaning (noun) a conversation ⇒ we had quite a heated rabbit about it (verb) to talk at length, especially about trivial matters ⇒ stop rabbiting on, will you, and go to bed! The term rabbit (meaning talk) comes from Cockney rhyming slang "rabbit and pork". In Cockney rhyming slang, the slang word (in this case, "rabbit") is obtained by replacing a word (in this case, "talk") by a phrase with which it rhymes (in this case, "rabbit and pork") and then dropping the rhyming word (in this case, "pork"*) from the phrase. Through this process, "talk" becomes "rabbit". * The word "pork" , when pronounced in a non-rhotic accent (show explanation ) typical of dialects found in many parts of Britain (especially southeastern England), more or less rhymes with "talk" . Non-rhotic accents omit the sound < r > in certain situations, while rhotic accents generally pronounce < r > in all contexts. Among the several dozen British English accents which exist, many are non-rhotic while American English (US and Canadian) is mainly rhotic. This is, however, a generalisation, as there are areas of Britain that are rhotic, and areas of America that are non-rhotic. For more information, see this guide to pronouncing < r > in British English. hide

25a	Best // essence of citrus, small amount (7)

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

---

^* Ironically, in this sense best is a synonym of worst^[5], a verb meaning to get the better of or defeat ⇒ this was not the time for a deep discussion—she was tired and she would be worsted.

26a	Get away with late arrival for hospital // somewhere in London (4)

"hospital " = H [symbol used on street signs]

H is a symbol for 'hospital' used on street signs.

hide

---

Soho^[7] is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable transformation. It now is predominantly a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices, with only a small remnant of sex industry venues.

---

Origin: The name Soho^[5] dates to the mid 17th century and probably derives from the old word 'soho', used as a hunting cry: the area was a royal park in Tudor times.

Not to be confused with ...
SoHo[5] is an area of Manhattan, New York City. Origin: SoHo is an abbreviation that derives from SOuth of HOuston Street.

27a	British disarmed revolts, including one // person holding up train (10)

Down

1d	Handy to be associated with this force? (4)

2d	Prevent // rugby hooligan touring Spain (4,3)

"rugby " = RU [rugby union]

Rugby union^[10] (abbreviation RU^[5]) is a form of rugby football played between teams of 15 players (in contrast to rugby league^[5], which is played in teams of thirteen).

Rugby union^[7] is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar.

hide

"Spain " = E [IVR code]

The International Vehicle Registration (IVR) code for Spain is E^*[5] (from Spanish España).

hide

Spanish Licence Plate Format
(The IVR code is on the left below the EU flag emblem)

3d	Smashing things /made from/ flour mix using metric weights (9-4)

4d	Dream /to be/ 25 with a piercing, instead of old and posh (6)

The numeral "25" is a cross reference indicator to clue 25a (show more ).

To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light^* identified by the cross reference indicator.

The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.

---

^* light-coloured cell in the grid

hide

"old " = O [linguistics]

In linguistics, O^[12] is the abbreviation for Old ⇒ (i) OFr [Old French]; (ii) OE [Old English].

However, a second entry from this same source shows o (lower case) meaning old (not capitalized) suggesting that the use of this abbreviation may not necessarily be confined to the field of linguistics.

hide

"posh " = U [upper class]

In Britain, U^[5] is used informally as an adjective (in respect to language or social behaviour) meaning characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes ⇒ U manners.

The term, an abbreviation of  upper class, was coined in 1954 by Alan S. C. Ross, professor of linguistics, and popularized by its use in Nancy Mitford's Noblesse Oblige (1956).

In Crosswordland, the letter U is frequently clued by words denoting "characteristic of the upper class" (such as posh or superior) or "appropriate to the upper class" (such as acceptable). 

hide

5d	Cases /found in/ taxi this person catches (8)

"this person " = I

It is a common cryptic crossword convention for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as (the or this) compiler, (the or this) setter, (the or this) speaker, (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

7d	Husband permitted to wear tucked in jumper? (7)

"husband " = H [genealogy]

The abbreviation for husband is h^[1,2] or h.^{[3,4,10,11,12]} or H^[12] or H.^[4,10,11,12]) [although no context is provided, it may well come from the field of genealogy].

hide

8d	Voracious, /taking/ a bite of reel bait as nibbling's on the rise (10)

11d	NY-based organisation shortly /becoming/ French one? (6,7)

13d	Second-rate highway outlaws seizing English // food (5,5)

The American term for broad bean^[14] is apparently fava bean. I'm afraid that I am unfamiliar with either term.

16d	Northern resident // declared showers overpriced (8)

The reindeer^[10] is a large deer, Rangifer tarandus, having large branched antlers in the male and female and inhabiting the arctic regions of Greenland, Europe, and Asia. It also occurs in North America, where it is known as a caribou^*.

---

^* I must say that it came as quite a surprise when I first discovered that reindeer and caribou were one and the same animal!

18d	Top of singles 100 chart, composed // score (7)

20d	Home extension // also gripped by unruly rave (7)

21d	Qualified // in a tie too, presumably (6)

I've marked the latter part of this clue as a cryptic definition, although I am not particularly enamoured with that choice. I arrived there essentially through a process of elimination. It is not cryptic elaboration on the definition as it has nothing to do with that sense of the solution. Thus, it must either be wordplay (which it is not) or a second definition.

I conclude that the solver must interpret the latter part of the clue to mean "Dressed in this manner, one is also likely wearing a tie". I guess we could give the name "implicit definition" to this type of clue. The definition itself is not actually stated but must be inferred from the cryptic elaboration.

23d	Daughter supports that woman's // family of 16? (4)

One could also parse the clue as:

• Daughter supports that woman/'s/ family of 16? (4)

In the first case, 'her' is a possessive adjective or, in the argot of modern grammar, a determiner^*; in the second case, it is a personal pronoun.

---

^* a term that seems to have been invented since I studied grammar many decades ago

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 Advanced 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

Saturday, May 23, 2020 — Gone Fishin'

Introduction

Today's puzzle from Cox & Rathvon will likely appeal to the anglers among us as there are a lot of fish being caught.

Perhaps I spent too much time in the sun frying my brain, but I found the puzzle to be on the decidedly difficult side.

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

Symbols and Markup Conventions
"*" - anagram "~" - sounds like "<" - indicates the preceding letters are reversed "( )" - encloses contained letters "_" - replaces letters that have been deleted  "†" - indicates that the word is present in the clue	"//" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when no link word or link phrase is present "/[link word or phrase]/" - marks the boundary between wordplay and definition when a link word or link phrase is present "solid underline" - precise definition "dotted underline" - cryptic definition "dashed underline" - wordplay "double underline" - both wordplay and definition
Click here for further explanation and usage examples of the symbols and markup conventions used on this blog.

Across

1a	Fish caught in waves // added costs (10)

SUR(CHAR)GE — CHAR (fish) contained in (caught in) SURGE (waves)

6a	Overstuff // belly, eating last of meal (4)

G(L)UT — GUT (belly) containing (eating) L (last [letter] of meaL)

10a	Boy often depicted with darts // trophy I had (5)

CUP|ID — CUP (trophy) + ID ([contraction for] I had; I'd)

In Roman mythology, Cupid^[5] is the god of love who is also known by his Latin name Amor^[7]. He is represented as a naked winged boy with a bow and arrows, with which he wounds his victims. His equivalent in Greek mythology is Eros.

11a	Sketch // fish caught in gate (9)

PORT(RAY)AL — RAY (fish) contained in (caught in) PORTAL (gate)

12a	Spread // fish caught by soldier at sea (9)

MAR(GAR)INE —GAR (fish) contained in (caught by) MARINE (soldier at sea)

13a	Submitted // one-fourth of bill due (5)

B|OWED — B (one-fourth of [the letters in the word] Bill) + OWED (due)

14a	Go back and pick up // others’ creative work (7)

REST|ART — REST (others) + ART (creative work)

Go back and pick up is a synonym for restart as in ⇒ It is not necessary to restart from the beginning, merely go back and pick up from Step 4.

16a	Tenor in New York // lacking resonance (5)

T|IN|NY — T(enor) + IN (†) + NY (New York)

18a	Starchy // uniform with tag (5)

RIG|ID — RIG (uniform) + (with) ID ([identification] tag)

20a	Ajax’s father // not holding guy back (7)

{T(ELAM)ON}< — reversal of (back) {NOT (†) containing (holding) MALE (guy)}

In Greek mythology, Telamon^[10] was a king of Salamis; brother of Peleus and father of Teucer and Ajax.

23a	Bug attached to // Chekhov (5)

ANT|ON — ANT (bug) + ON (attached to)

Anton Chekhov^[5] (1860–1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer. (show more )

Chekhov's work, portraying upper-class life in pre-revolutionary Russia with a blend of naturalism and symbolism, had a considerable influence on 20th-century drama. Notable plays: The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1900), The Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904).

hide

24a	Independent // part of Europe catching fish (9)

FR(EEL)ANCE — FRANCE (part of Europe) containing (catching) EEL (fish)

26a	Favoured // strength when catching fish (9)

FOR(TUNA)TE — FORTE (strength) containing (when catching) TUNA (fish)

Fortunate^[5] is used in the sense of favoured by or involving good luck; in other words, lucky.

27a	Farm building housing old // tycoon (5)

BAR(O)N — BARN (farm building) containing (housing) O(ld)

28a	Audited tax // deposit worth a lot (4)

LODE~ — sounds like (audited) LOAD (tax; especially as a verb)

29a	A fish caught by steel or brass // hand, in part (10)

MET(A|CARP)AL — {A (†) + CARP (fish)} contained in (caught by) METAL (steel or brass)

Down

1d	American plane // may score badly (8)

SYCAMORE* — anagram of (badly) MAY SCORE

The plane^[5] (also called plane tree) is a tall spreading tree of the genus Platanus of the northern hemisphere, with maple-like leaves and bark that peels in uneven patches.

In North America, sycamore^[5] is another name for the buttonwood^[5] (also known as buttonwood tree)^*, an American plane tree.

---

^* genus Platanus: several species, in particular Platanus occidentalis (also called buttonball tree), which is the largest deciduous tree in the US and is grown for ornament and timber

Not to be confused with ...

Outside North America, sycamore[5] is the name of a large Eurasian maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) with winged fruits, native to central and southern Europe. It is planted as a fast-growing ornamental but tends to displace native trees. In the Bible, sycamore[5] (also sycomore or sycomore fig) refers to a fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) that grows in the Middle East. Buttonwood[5] is also the name of two mangroves (Conocarpus erectus and Laguncularia racemosa) found mainly in tropical America, used in the production of tanbark and for charcoal.

2d	Presort new // accounts (7)

REPORTS* — anagram of (new) PRESORT

3d	Herculean challenge // in pithy drama (5)

_HY|DRA_ — hidden in (in) pitHY DRAma

In Greek mythology, the Hydra^[5] was a many-headed snake whose heads grew again as they were cut off, eventually killed by Hercules.

4d	Give a new coat to // father, first person in hit Broadway show (7)

RE(PA|I)NT — {PA (father) + I (first person; grammar)} contained in (in) RENT (hit Broadway show)

Rent^[7] is a rock musical loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera La Bohème. Having made its Broadway debut in 1996, it tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

5d	Regard brood, // displaying sincerity (7)

EAR|NEST — EAR (regard; heed) + NEST (brood)

Ear^[5] is used in the sense of attention, especially favourable attention; in other words, heed (especially in the phrases give ear to and lend an ear).

7d	Purchasing plan // breaking a law—yay! (7)

LAYAWAY* — anagram of (breaking) A LAW YAY

8d	Showed the way in on top of that // Spanish city (6)

TO(LED)O — LED (showed the way) contained in (in) TOO (on top of that)

Toledo^[5] is a city in central Spain on the River Tagus. It was a pre-eminent city and cultural centre of the formerly independent Spanish kingdom of Castile.

9d	Ordeal, taking roll /in/ court (8)

TRI(BUN)AL — TRIAL (ordeal) containing (taking) BUN (roll)

For those who doubt the equivalence of ordeal and trial, ordeal^[12] is defined as:

• any difficult, painful, or trying experience; severe trial
• an ancient method of trial in which the accused was exposed to physical dangers [especially by fire or water], from which he or she was supposed to be divinely protected if innocent

15d	Flying on a rug, a true // mythic adventurer (8)

ARGONAUT* — {anagram of (flying) ON A RUG A} + T(rue)

In Greek mythology, the Argonauts^[5] were a group of heroes who accompanied Jason on board the ship Argo in the quest for the Golden Fleece.

17d	Fiendish // nurse in wacky finale (8)

{INFE(RN)AL}* — RN ([registered] nurse) contained in (in) anagram of (wacky) FINALE

18d	Went to bed, // about bushed (7)

RE|TIRED — RE (about) + TIRED (bushed)

19d	Shrink // and others supplied retrospective (7)

{DEF|LA|TE}< — reversal of (retrospective) {ET AL (and others) + FED (supplied)}

20d	Yonder is a // saintly woman (7)

THERES|A — THERES (yonder is; there's, contraction of there is) + A (†)

Although misspelled, I can only conclude that the reference was intended to be to Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910–1997), popularly known as Mother Teresa^[7]. The setters have used the French-based spelling with an "h" rather than the Italian-based spelling without an "h".

21d	Device for capturing // mystical formula on piece of paper (7)

MANTRA|P — MANTRA (mystical formula) + (on) P (piece [initial letter] of Paper)

In addition to being a term for a sexually aggressive woman, a mantrap^[3] is a trap for catching people, especially trespassers or poachers.

22d	Permitted // closing of communal grave (6)

L|AWFUL — L (closing [final letter] of communaL) + AWFUL (grave)

25d	Sign // 51 means of support for most women (5)

LI|BRA — LI ([Roman numeral for] 51) + BRA (means of support for most women)

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.

Epilogue

This week the review is appearing a bit later than has been the case in the recent past. While I didn't go fishing, I did go to the lake and bask in the sunshine — and, I can assure you, proper physical distancing was observed.

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 Advanced 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