Sunday, December 19, 2010 (ST 4407)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4407
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, November 14, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4407]
Times for the Times Review Written By Talbinho

Introduction

I needed quite a bit of assistance from my Tool Chest to complete this puzzle, as well as help from Talbinho's review to understand the wordplay in several clues (in particular 20a, 22a, 17d and the Briticism at 30a).

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

boozer - noun British informal a pub or bar.

Cobweb - a fairy, servant to Titania (Queen of the Fairies) in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

rum² - adjective British informal , dated odd; peculiar: it's a rum business, certainly.

Appearing in Solutions

Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40 AD – 93 AD) - Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain.

fairy lights - noun British small coloured electric lights used for decoration, especially at festivals such as Christmas.

fly³ - adjective informal

1. British knowing and clever: she's fly enough not to get tricked out of it
2. North American fashionably attractive and impressive: a fly dude

I'm afraid that I am unfamiliar with the North American meaning, let alone the British one.

light¹ - noun 8 British (in a crossword puzzle) a blank space to be filled by a letter.

local - noun British informal a pub convenient to a person's home: a pint in the local.

mere² - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 1. Dialect or archaic a lake or marsh.

Ottawa residents will likely be acquainted with this term from Kingsmere, the estate of former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, in Gatineau Park.

Plumbago - a genus of 10-20 species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. Common names include plumbago and leadwort (names which are also shared by the genus Ceratostigma).

pp - abbreviation 3 music pianissimo, adverb performed very softly; adjective very soft.

RA - abbreviation [3^rd entry] (in the UK) Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Royal Academy of Arts (also Royal Academy) - an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose was to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. Sir Joshua Reynolds was its first president and he instituted a highly influential series of annual lectures.

RU - abbreviation 2 Rugby Union.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

5a On the way back toboggan's speed is out of control (8)

"On" is a very multi-talented word. As a charade indicator, it may mean either 'before' or 'after' (which may vary depending on whether we are dealing with an across or a down clue). It can also serve as a containment indicator. However, in this clue it is used as part of a reversal indicator.

I believe the definition to be "control" (verb), and the solution REGULATE, making the wordplay a reversal (on the way back) of LUGE (toboggan, a definition open to debate) contained in (has ... is out of) RATE (speed). As does Talbinho, I am presuming that the 's (apostrophe-s) stands for 'has' in this clue. The containment indicator would seem to be a bit awkward, but I can't really see any other possibility. Unless I am misinterpreting his words, Talbinho's explanation would seem to imply that he regards the definition as being "out of control" ('Reversed LUGE has RATE is {definition}'). But I don't believe "out of control" could possibly be the definition for REGULATE.

9a Decorative twinkler or a clue for Cobweb? (5,5)

I'm afraid that my knowledge of Shakespeare is not what it might be. Thus I needed to do some research to figure out who Cobweb is. My search initially took me down some wrong - though rather interesting - back alleys. The first character that I encountered was an American comic book heroine named the Cobweb who is described thus:

Cobweb's only apparent powers were allure and the ability to make an entrance. ... Artist [Melinda] Gebbie's deep background in feminist erotica showed in the depiction of the Cobweb, whose costume consisted of pulled-back 1940s-style hair, a domino mask, a diaphanous purple nighty, garters and, apparently, no panties. Her sidekick and lesbian lover, Clarice, was a leggy blonde in skimpy chauffeur's outfit, also with domino mask.

Eventually, I was to discover that the Cobweb referred to in the clue is a fairy character in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Britain, Christmas lights are called fairy lights.

Talbinho ponders whether the word 'light' in the solution refers to crossword puzzle terminology ("... a 'light' in a crossword means an entry in the grid, hence 'clue for Cobweb?'"). However, I find this a bit difficult to accept, since a light is a blank cell in a crossword grid (which consists of light cells and dark cells) in which a letter of the solution (not the clue) is entered. If not as explained by Talbinho, perhaps light is somehow related to the following meaning:

light¹ - noun 3 understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment: she saw light dawn on the woman's face

16a From cacti Ron produced funny drug (8)

Here the definition is "funny drug" alluding to the substance in question being an illegal drug.

20a Gentle 21 - no way! (6)

I needed help from Talbinho here. The definition is "gentle", with the solution being TENDER. The wordplay is NURSERY (the solution to 21d, as indicated by the cross reference 21) with the final RY removed (no way). Here, way is used in the sense of 'a transportation route'; more specifically, a railway (abbreviation Ry).

22a Tumbledown with damage to the rear and hair back to front (10).

Perhaps I just did not put enough thought into this clue, but once again I had to rely on Talbinho to explain the wordplay. The definition is "tumbledown" with the solution being RAMSHACKLE. The wordplay is a two-part charade where the first part is a reversal (to the rear) of MAR (damage), and the second part is HACKLES (hair) with the final (back) letter (S) moved to the beginning (front).

2d At heart of trial judge is enraged (5)

Talbinho does not like the construction of this clue ("either 'At' or 'is' needs to go"). However, if one interprets "at" as a charade indicator in the sense of 'beside' or 'next to' (at - preposition 4 with, by, beside, next to, etc), the clue is saying "Beside I (heart of trial) RATE (judge) is IRATE (enraged)" which seems okay in my books.

17d Element of symbolically backing biblical city (9)

Yet again, I needed Talbinho's explanation of the wordplay. One commenter on Times for the Times opines "the clue itself is hard to parse; why the 'of'?" My sentiments precisely. Strike out the "of" and the clue probably makes more sense. The clue is a cryptic way of saying "Element whose chemical symbol reversed is a biblical city".

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 12, 2010 (ST 4406)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4406
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, November 7, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4406]
Times for the Times Review Written By Talbinho

Introduction

A relatively less difficult puzzle today, in that I was able to complete it without electronic aids. As often is the case, there are some questionable clues in today's puzzle. Not out-and-out errors; just poorly crafted clues. Talbinho discusses several of these in his review.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Solutions

hurling - noun an Irish game resembling [field] hockey, played with a shorter stick with a broader oval blade. It is the national game of Ireland and may date back to the 2nd millennium BC.

steam radio - noun chiefly UK, informal radio, as opposed to television; a radio set, especially an old fashioned one; a radio broadcast.

The expression steam radio is apparently based on the belief, widespread at the advent of television, that radio would be displaced by the new medium just as steam locomotives had been obsoleted by diesel locomotives.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1d Strike a questioning attitude (4)

Talbinho attempts to analyze this clue as if it were a double definition, with self-professed unsatisfying results. I had supposed it to be a cryptic definition, where "to strike an attitude" is to pose and the insertion of the adjective "questioning" plays on another sense of the word, namely "to pose a question".

13d Old medium-wave broadcast during asteroid storm (5,5)

This is another clue where one cannot be too rigorous about the parsing. What we know for sure is that the solution is STEAM RADIO, a British expression alluding to the belief that radio would be displaced by television, just as steam locomotives were displaced by diesel locomotives. Apparently, in addition to this instance, "steam" is used in other British expressions to denote "old-fashioned". Thus "old" could be STEAM and "medium-wave broadcast" could be radio. However, this seemingly can't be the case, as the wordplay must be AM (medium-wave broadcast) contained in (during) an anagram (storm) of ASTEROID. This would seem to leave the word "old" alone to be the definition for STEAM RADIO - an implausible idea. Moreover, the clue doesn't appear to work as either a cryptic definition or an & lit. clue. So I think we just have to accept it as a poorly crafted clue.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 5, 2010 (ST 4405)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4405
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, October 31, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4405]
Times for the Times Review Written By Talbinho

Introduction

Even once I had all the correct solutions entered in the grid, I remained puzzled as to the wordplay in a few clues. As always, I was able to find the answer at Times for the Times.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

corporation - noun 3 dated , humorous a paunch

David Ellis - this may be an invented name; although Wikipedia provides a half dozen possible candidates, they seem far too obscure to be the person to whom the clue refers.

Sir Winston Churchill - British painter, perhaps better known as the Prime Minister who led Britain through World War II

express ¹ - verb 2 press out (liquid or air)

poll - noun 4 old use the head

time - noun 2 British the moment at which the opening hours of a pub end: the landlord called time

Appearing in Solutions

decree nisi (from the Latin nisi, meaning "unless") - a court order that does not have any force until such time that a particular condition is met, such as a subsequent petition to the court or the passage of a specified period of time

This form of ruling has become a rarity in recent times, with one exception: in some jurisdictions it is still a standard stage of divorce proceedings. In England and Wales, section 1(5) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 provides that "Every decree of divorce shall in the first instance be a decree nisi and shall not be made absolute before the expiration of six months from its grant", and section 9(1) allows any person (including the Queen's Proctor), before the decree is made absolute, to "show cause why the decree should not be made absolute by reason of material facts not having been brought before the court".

don ¹ - noun 1 British a university teacher, especially a senior member of a college at Oxford or Cambridge

fell ³ - noun a hill or stretch of high moorland, especially in northern England

fell running - also known as mountain running and hill running, the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty

Huntingdon - a market town in the county of Cambridgeshire in East Anglia, England

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1a Having more than enough of a corporation? (8)

I could understand Canadians and Americans having enough of Bell (the name of large telecommunication companies in both countries), but the Brits! As best as I could discover, the Bell name has never been used extensively in Britain - certainly not like it is in North America. In the clue, however, "corporation" has nothing (aside from the surface reading) to do with the name of a company. It is slang for a potbelly. Apparently, the term is not even specifically British - just old-fashioned.

9a Express poll, support unchanged (2,2)

I must confess that I failed to see the wordplay in this clue - but, then again, it was a mystery to Talbinho as well. A visitor to Times for the Times explains it as:"express (to force out or emit) poll (head) of basis (support) = as is (not changed)".

2d Trip to Danube beginning in Strasbourg is this (9)

I missed the anagram here, supposing the clue to be a cryptic definition (which hardly seemed cryptic). This is, in fact, a semi & lit. (or all-in-one) clue. The entire clue provides the definition. The wordplay is an anagram (trip, likely in the sense of 'to dance') of {TO DANUBE + S (beginning of Strasbourg)} giving EASTBOUND.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 28, 2010 (ST 4404)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4404
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, October 24, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4404]
Times for the Times Review Written By Talbinho

Introduction

Most of this puzzle is not too difficult, although there are a few clues that are certainly a severe challenge. A couple of clues (9a and 25a) did raise questions in my mind, and I note that these same clues are also the subject of observations of a similar nature by Talbinho.

Today's Errata

3d Backs 75% (13)

Chambers, Collins and Oxford all show the solution as being hyphenated, which would make the numeration (5-8):

• 3d Backs 75% (5-8)

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

back - noun 3 a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards

Appearing in Solutions

aplitic - adjective of or related to aplite, a fine-grained, light-colored granitic rock consisting primarily of orthoclase and quartz

armband - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 2. an inflatable buoyancy aid, worn on the upper arm of a person learning to swim

bye ¹ - noun 3. Cricket a run scored off a ball not struck by the batsman: allotted to the team as an extra and not to the individual batsman

il - Italian the

Territorial Army (abbreviation TA) - noun in the UK: a fully trained volunteer force intended to provide back-up to the regular army in cases of emergency

tessera - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 2. a die, tally, etc., used in classical times, made of bone or wood

three-quarter - noun rugby any of the four players positioned between the full back and the scrum half and stand-off half

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

12a Old German construction site abandoned after union resolution? (3,6,4)

Talbinho laments "not sure what's cryptic about this". I think that we are expected to be misdirected into reading "union resolution" as a formal proposal put forward by a labour movement rather than a reference to German unity. However, Talbinho is not terribly unreasonable in his gripe, as this trap is hardly very effective.

2d High shot on broken rest could find this on the table (7)

The surface reading alludes to the game of billiards, although the solution is not something that one would normally expect to find on a billiards table - unless you happen to recall the Clampetts' "fancy eating table" from the 1960s TV series The Beverly Hillbillies.

3d Backs 75% (13)

Although the total number of players on a team - as well as the names of the positions - differs between Rugby Union and Rugby League, there are seven backs in each game. These comprise two half backs (or, alternatively, half-backs or halfbacks) or equivalent, four three-quarters, and one fullback. In the charts below, the three-quarters are the wings and centres.

Rugby League positions
8 Prop 9 Hooker 10 Prop 11 Second row 12 Second row 13 Loose forward / Lock 7 Scrum half / Halfback 6 Stand-off / Five-eighth 4 Left centre 3 Right centre 5 Left wing 2 Right wing 1 Fullback

18d Novel heroine takes time to die (7)

There is a great deal of discussion on Times for the Times about the acceptability of the word tessera meaning die (singular of dice). However, this meaning does appear in Collins English Dictionary. Of course, since it apparently cannot be found in Chambers, it obviously is not acceptable.

22d Come to accept ruin at some point, unfortunately (5)

Talbinho interprets this clue as a charade, one element of which is an anagram, [i.e., {(RUIN)* + E}] and comments "strangely worded with the anagram word ('ruin') and anagram indicator ('unfortunately') split by other wordplay". However, if one interprets the clue as an anagram of a charade [i.e., {RUIN + E}*], the anagram indicator is no longer isolated from the fodder.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 21, 2010 (ST 4403)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4403
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, October 17, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4403]
Times for the Times Review Written By Talbinho

Introduction

Although I successfully completed the puzzle, I did not fully comprehend the wordplay in a couple of the clues. For example, I didn't twig to the fact that "on" means RE in 9a and the wordplay in 14d was a bit unclear (and now that I understand it, I don't necessarily like it all that much). As for the bizarre clue 20d, Talbinho has said it all.

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Solutions

boomer - noun informal Australian a large male kangaroo

bouncy castle - noun British a large inflatable structure, typically in the form of a stylized castle or other building, on which children can jump and play

chop-chop - adverb & exclamation quickly; quick: ‘Two pints, chop-chop,’ Jimmy called

if.... - a 1968 British feature film by director Lindsay Anderson satirising English public school life.

nutter - noun British informal a mad or eccentric person

Penny Black - noun the first adhesive postage stamp, issued in Britain in 1840; an imperforate stamp bearing the profile of Queen Victoria on a dark background

squaddie - noun British informal a private soldier

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

6d A second 60s cult movie is highly unlikely (2,2)

Thankfully, the clue was easy to decipher - even without having heard of if...., a 1968 British film. While the film is not on a list of The Top 50 Cult Movies that I managed to uncover, Wikipedia says of it "if... won the Grand Prix at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival. In 2004, the magazine Total Film named it the sixteenth greatest British film of all time."

14d Female student gets support when without means to send a letter (5,5)

Having (at one point in my life) been an avid stamp collector, I was quite familiar with a Penny Black (not that I ever personally possessed one).

Nevertheless, in today's clue, the wordplay does not completely resonate with me. Working from Talbinho's explanation, the wordplay would seem to be PENNY (female) + {L (student) contained in (gets ... when without) BACK (support}. The word 'gets' is sometimes used as a container indicator (as in BACK gets L = BLACK) and sometimes as a charade indicator (as in B gets LACK = BLACK). However, neither of these is the case here. In this clue, the word 'gets' appears to work in conjunction with 'when outside' to signify an "inverse" container operation.

Nevertheless, I find the wordplay to be awkward. To my mind, the cryptic reading would be improved (but perhaps not the surface reading) if the word "when" were to be eliminated.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 14, 2010 (ST 4402)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4402
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, October 10, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4402]
Times for the Times Review Written By talbinho

Introduction

This puzzle has some very difficult wordplay. In fact, in more than a few instances, I first found the solution and then reverse engineered the wordplay.

Today's Errata

The review at Times for the Times incorrectly shows the date of publication in the U.K. as September 10 rather than October 10.

There is likely an error in the clue at 13d. However, I have charitably chosen to treat it as very clever wordplay (see Commentary on Today's Puzzle).

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

box - (in phrase box the compass) chiefly Nautical 1 recite the compass points in correct order

gin ² - noun 3 (also gin trap) a trap for catching birds or small mammals

traveller - noun (usually Traveller) British a Gypsy or other nomadic person

Appearing in Solutions

angelica - noun

• a tall aromatic plant of the parsley family, with large leaves and yellowish-green flowers. It is used in cooking and herbal medicine
• the candied stalk of angelica, used in confectionery and cake decoration

creeper - noun 3 informal (creepers) short for brothel creepers: plural noun, informal soft-soled suede shoes

L ² - abbreviation 2 learner driver [and, by extension, student]

mayblossom - one of the common names for Crataegus monogyna, or Common Hawthorn, a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. Other common names include may, maythorn, quickthorn, whitethorn, motherdie, and haw.

plumbago - noun 1. any plumbaginaceous plant of the genus Plumbago, of warm regions, having clusters of blue, white, or red flowers; also called leadwort

terai - noun 1 a wide-brimmed felt hat, typically with a double crown , worn chiefly by travellers in subtropical regions

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with talbinho's review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1a Rambler has just one shoe (7)

Another name for a rambler (rose) is CREEPER, which is also a British term for a soft-soled suede shoe. As it is actually a shortened form of brothel creeper, the origin of the term would likely be intriguing. Unfortunately, Oxford Dictionaries online fails to provide this information - so we must use our imagination.

5a Changes of menu are good for a girl (7)

As talbinho points out in his review, the word "good" is superfluous to the cryptic reading - thrown in merely to smooth the surface reading.

11a Primate on English isle a Neanderthal type? (3-3)

Sometimes 'ignorance is bliss'. Not realising that "the Isle of Man isn't even part of the UK, let alone England", I was unhindered by geographical reality and easily solved this clue.

19a Odd end, as internal piping leads to lines of pillars (10)

To translate the surface reading into the cryptic reading, one often has to discard the existing punctuation - and sometimes insert additional (or alternative) punctuation. Such is the case here where the cryptic reading of the clue could be stated as, "Odd end as; internal piping leads to /\ lines of pillars". Here the fulcrum symbol ("/\") is used to delineate the boundary between the wordplay and the definition. Thus the first part of the wordplay is an anagram (odd) of END AS and the second part is COLON (internal piping; i.e., part of the large intestine) is placed before (leads to). When these two pieces of wordplay are combined, the result is COLONNADES (COLON|NADES*). I like to think of this type of clue as being like an instruction manual or recipe book, where we have:

• Step1: Odd end as [start with an anagram (odd) of END AS];
• Step 2: internal piping leads to [then place COLON (internal piping) in front (leads to)];
• Result: lines of pillars [to get the result COLONADES]

22a Douglas chap, perhaps, seen to drag two poles to his home? (8)

I learned a lot about the Isle of Man today, discovering from talbinho that Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man. I had presumed that the reference was to the town in Scotland.

23a Fellow caught one short of a century, agitated (6)

The surface reading refers to cricket, where it is seemingly fairly common for a batsman to score one hundred runs (known a a century) before being out. Thus the clue describes a situation where a batsman (fellow) being upset when he is caught out (i.e., the ball he hits is caught by a fielder) after scoring 99 runs - one short of a century. I didn't see the Roman numeral (IC = 99) until after I had solved the clue, having reasoned instead that "short of" means "just before" so "one short of a century" would be "I before C (hundred)".

28a Bearskins, it's said they favour? (7)

This cryptic definition (signalled by the question mark) brought a smile once the answer was exposed.

29a Whale of a weight, Manx cat carried (7)

The definition is "whale" and the solution is GRAMPUS. The wordplay is GRAM (a weight) + (carried) PUS (Manx cat). A Manx cat is tailless, so we have PUSS (cat) without its final letter (tailless). The word "carried" is used as a charade indicator, perhaps in the sense "to have (something) on the surface or skin; bear: e.g., carries scars from acne". Since "carry" can mean 'to support', this construct would have worked really well in a down clue.

13d Everyone can sew badly, making these excuses (10)

The definition is "these excuses" indicating that the solution is a particular type of excuses, namely ALLOWANCES. The wordplay is ALL (everyone) + O + an anagram (badly) of CAN SEW. In cryptic crossword puzzles, the letter O is often clued by terms such as 'nothing', 'love' (a score of zero in tennis), or 'duck' (a batsman's score of naught in cricket). Today's setter seems to have taken this idea to the absolute extreme, and literally included nothing in the clue to represent the letter O.

17d Girl decorating some cakes (8)

I zeroed in on the wrong girl here, thinking it might be Angelina, figuring that the wordplay might be either:

• INA (girl) on (decorating) ANGEL (some [type of] cake); or
• LINA (girl) on (decorating) ANGE (some cake; i..e., ANGEL without its final letter).

Instead, the girl is ANGELICA, which is also the candied stalk of the angelica plant used in cake decorating.

24d There's a lot in gin for the traveller (5)

A "gin" is a type of trap. Terms such as "a large number", "many", and - in this case - "a lot" often signify a large Roman numeral. Today's puzzle is brought to us by the the number M. Thus, the wordplay translates as "There is M (a lot) in TRAP (gin)". In Britain, a Gypsy, hobo or TRAMP is called a traveller.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 7, 2010 (ST 4401)

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4401
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, October 3, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4401]
Times for the Times Review Written By talbinho

Introduction

Today the Citizen presents a fairly gentle piece from The Sunday London Times, one that provides a nice re-entry into the world of cryptic crosswords after my recent hiatus from them during my tour of Italy. There are no glaring errors in this puzzle - a welcome change from the last few puzzles before I left. As usual, there are a few Briticisms and archaic expressions in the puzzle. I learned a new musical term at 17d (as well as a new slang term for a toilet at 9a).

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

bog - noun 2 (the bog) British informal the toilet

marge ¹ - noun British informal margarine

Appearing in Solutions

cantabile - Music adverb & adjective in a smooth singing style; noun a cantabile passage or movement: the allegro also begins with a beautiful cantabile

(Clément Philibert) Léo Delibes (1836-91) - French composer, noted particularly for his ballets Coppélia (1870) and Sylvia (1876), and the opera Lakmé (1883). [Collins English Dictionary]

loo ¹ - noun 2 British informal a toilet

p - abbreviation piano, Music adverb & adjective (especially as a direction) soft or softly; noun a passage performed or marked to be performed softly

RA - abbreviation (in the UK) Royal Academician, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts

Royal Academy of Arts (also Royal Academy) - an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose was to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain. Sir Joshua Reynolds was its first president and he instituted a highly influential series of annual lectures

withal - adverb archaic all the same; nevertheless (used when adding something that contrasts with a previous comment): she gave him a grateful smile, but rueful withal

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 31, 2010 (ST 4400)

Forecast Based on recent publication pattern
The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4400
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, September 26, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4400]
Times for the Times Review Written By yfyap
Notes While I am on vacation in Italy, the blog will consist simply of a link to the review at Times for  the Times for the puzzle expected to be published on that date based on the long-standing publication pattern.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 24, 2010 (ST 4399)

Forecast Based on recent publication pattern
The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4399
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, September 19, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4399]
Times for the Times Review Written By talbinho
Notes While I am on vacation in Italy, the blog will consist simply of a link to the review at Times for  the Times for the puzzle expected to be published on that date based on the long-standing publication pattern.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 17, 2010 (ST 4398)

Introduction

Tomorrow I will depart for Italy, where I will be taking in the sights for the next two to three weeks. Today, I am busily trying to get ready for the trip, so there will be an abbreviated blog today. In addition, I have created a series of posts that will be published each week during my absence providing a link to the review on Times for the Times for the puzzle that I expect to be published on that date based on the long-standing publication schedule. I expect to reactivate the complete blog early in November.

The Sunday London Times Puzzle Number ST 4398
Publication Date in The Sunday London Times Sunday, September 12, 2010
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4398]
Times for the Times Review Written By talbinho

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 10, 2010 (ST 4397)

This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on September 5, 2010

Introduction

I found this puzzle to be extremely difficult - and not made any easier by the errors in the clues. In addition to the two errors that I have listed, I found the clue at 14a to be suspect (although no complaint was lodged on Times for the Times regarding this latter clue).

Today's Errata

There are errors in at least two clues in today's puzzle.

26a Vagrants seen in brief I ignored (7)

This clue should have read:

• 26a Vagrants seen in briefs I ignored (7)

4d Move suddenly close to bus - crash (6)

This clue should have read:

• 4d Moved suddenly close to bus - crash (6)

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions appearing in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

cooker - noun 2 British informal an apple or other fruit that is more suitable for cooking than for eating raw

daily - noun informal 2 (also daily help) British dated a woman who is employed to clean someone else's house each day

Appearing in Solutions

bottle - noun 2 British informal the courage or confidence needed to do something difficult or dangerous: I lost my bottle completely and ran

dosser - noun British informal derogatory

• 1 a person who sleeps rough; a tramp
• 2 an idle person

own goal - noun

• (in soccer) a goal scored when a player inadvertently strikes or deflects the ball into their own team's goal
• British informal an act that unintentionally harms one's own interests: government scores own goal by assisting organized crime in London

prang - British informal

• verb crash (a motor vehicle or aircraft)
• noun a crash involving a motor vehicle or aircraft

ropy - adjective British informal slightly ill: I did feel a bit ropy earlier; noun ropiness

Ross - an area of northern Scotland

Links to Solutions

A review of today's puzzle by 7dpenguin can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4397].

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 3, 2010 (ST 4396)

This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on August 29, 2010

Introduction

I worked hard to solve this puzzle and, in the end, carelessly overlooked one clue. Perhaps that was for the best, as I likely would have expended considerable time fruitlessly had I attempted to solve the clue - since a test run of my solving tools failed to find the solution.

Today's Errors

There may be errors in two of the clues in today's puzzle.

10a Hesper - evening star - orbiting the globe (6)

Hesper (or Hesperus) is "the planet Venus in its appearance as the evening star". However, the phrase "- evening star -" is completely extraneous to the clue. Here is how talbinho attempts to explain its appearance:

a lovely anagram but a bizarre clue. Given that 'orbiting' is the only possible anagram indicator, my guess is that '- evening star -' was included in error, and was an annotation to a draft version or something (such as might have been included to reassure a typesetter who hadn't come across the word)

Thus the clue likely should have read merely:

10a Hesper orbiting the globe (6)

15a Threatening who's not well-favoured towards you? (4,8)

The consensus at Times for the Times is that a word is missing from this clue which may have been intended to read along the lines:

15a Threatening client who's not well-favoured towards you? (4,8)

Today's Glossary

Selected abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

wipe the floor with - phrase informal inflict a humiliating defeat on: they wiped the floor with us in a 3-0 win

Appearing in Solutions

albert (also albert chain) - noun British a watch chain with a bar at one end for attaching to a buttonhole; Origin: mid 19th century, named after Prince Albert

Albert Herring - a comic chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, his Op. 39

bye-law - alternative spelling of by-law, noun 1 British a regulation made by a local authority or corporation

[Note: Chambers and Oxford both show the spelling as by-law and bye-law, while Collins opts for bylaw and bye-law; however, it seems our setter prefers byelaw]

calf love - [Collins English Dictionary] noun [possibly British] temporary infatuation or love of an adolescent for a member of the opposite sex; also called puppy love [Note: the term puppy love is certainly familiar to North Americans, but (to the best of my knowledge) calf love is not used here]

copper¹ - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 4 Chiefly British a large vessel, formerly of copper, used for boiling or washing

holt² - noun the burrowed lair of an animal, esp an otter

mate¹ - noun 3 British informal a friend or companion: my best mate Steve

Links to Solutions

A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4396].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

9a Having set sail, three-master is in Eastern sea (8)

I wasted a bit of time becalmed in the Red Sea until I discovered that the winds were more favourable in the Mediterranean.

2d & 3d In comic opera, watch her jewellery! (6,7)

I noticed (as did a commenter at Times for the Times), that an "albert" is a watch chain, not a watch.

6d Former pilot's acrobatic deed (7)

While talbinho says "some confusion between acrobatics and aerobatics, I think", I personally don't think one can quibble with the clue as Oxford gives the origin of the word aerobatics as "First World War: from aero- + a shortened form of acrobatics".

7d Wiped the floor with worsted (8)

The surface reading suggests cleaning up a spill using a piece of woolen fabric. However, "worsted" here is a verb, not a noun, and means 'got the better of; defeated'. In this double definition type clue, "wiped the floor with" means 'inflicted a humiliating defeat'.

It is interesting to note that, as a verb, worst is a synonym for best which means 'outwit or get the better of (someone)' whereas, as adjectives or adverbs, these words are antonyms!

11d Without being without space, visitor dances (7)

In his review, talbinho says "unfortunately the comma between 'space' and 'visitor' ruins the clue". However, I have come to understand that one of the basic rules of cryptic clues is that punctuation is present for the surface reading of the clue and should be ignored in the cryptic reading. Of course, there is a corollary to this rule which states that one should ignore the rule if the punctuation is important to the cryptic reading.

14d Regulations along a route passing through Wales need to be changed (7)

The definition is "regulations" with the solution being BYELAWS (a new - perhaps British - spelling of the word for me). The wordplay seems to be BY (along a route passing through) + an anagram (need to be changed) WALES. If that is the correct explanation, then the phrase "along a route passing through" would appear to be a long and convoluted way to express the idea by - but then Wales is the location of the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (or Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, for short).

By the way (which, incidentally, could mean 'along a route'), the British dictionaries define bylaw as a British term, especially when referring to regulations enacted by local levels of government. However, bylaw is a common term in Canada (and apparently other Commonwealth countries). The United States on the other hand tends to use terms such as code, ordnance and regulation.

25d Otter's refuge - when heated, plunge in lake (4)

I didn't realize that I had overlooked this clue until I reached this point in reading talbinho's review. In any event, I probably would have failed to find the solution anyway, as a test run of my tools failed to produce the answer.

An otter's refuge (lair) is called a HOLT (a new word to me). This is what I like to think of as a recipe style clue, where the wordplay takes the form of a set of steps in a procedure. Thus we have:
Step 1: heated = HOT
Step 2: plunge in (i.e., insert) L (lake) = HO(L)T

In his review, talbinho dubs this "dubious wordplay". However, it is a style that one does see from time to time.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, September 26, 2010 (ST 4395)

This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on August 22, 2010

Introduction

I found this - while not overly challenging - to be quite an enjoyable puzzle to solve. It was, unfortunately, marred by an error in the clue at 25a. Looking at the bigger picture, there are 28 clues in today's puzzle with only one error. It just might behoove you to keep that in mind as you work through the puzzle.

Today's Errors

Those who read the comments section of the posting on Times for the Times relating to last weeks puzzle (ST 4394) will know that there is an error in this puzzle at 25a, which should read:

25a Reminder left inside - one of 28 here (4)

As published (in the Ottawa Citizen, as was the case in The Sunday London Times), the clue contained the word "remainder" rather than "reminder". According to the comments at Times for the Times, this error which appeared in the printed version of the puzzle in the U.K. was fixed, at some point, in the online version. Nevertheless, in was not fixed in the syndicated version.

By the way, don't be deceived by the apparent typo in talbinho's review. The error is in clue 25a (not 26 as shown in his review).

Today's Glossary

A selection of abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Appearing in Clues

institute - verb 2 to initiate something or cause it to begin • to institute legal proceedings

journo - noun colloquial, originally Australian a journalist

Appearing in Solutions

raise - verb 9 to bring into being; to provoke • raise a laugh • raise the alarm

Battle of the Somme - one of the bloodiest military operations ever recorded, this battle took place during the First World War between 1 July and 18 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name.

Links to Solutions

A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4395].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

"At" as a Charade Link Word

In today's puzzle, we encounter four instances of the word "at" being used as a link word in a charade type clue:

• 10a Commend leader of psychiatrists at institute (6)
• 21a Excellent drink at The Queen at start of binge (6)
• 6d After an hour at work put an end to game (9)

In each case, the word "at" means 'beside', as in the expression "standing at the bar". For example, in 21a, the definition is "excellent" and the wordplay is SUP (drink) + (at) ER (the Queen) + (at) B (start of binge) to produce the solution SUPERB.

22a Filter natural water from small stone (6)

The definition is "filter" and the wordplay is RAIN (natural water) following (from) ST (small stone; i.e., the first letters of the word "stone") to give STRAIN. In clues such as this, selection indicator words such as "small" are used to indicate an unspecified number of letters taken from the fodder word (but I would say that the number is one or two, in most cases).

At Times for the Times, there is some discussion of the use of "from" to mean 'after' with jackkt commenting "Don't really understand how 'from' works into 22ac indicating that 'RAIN' goes after 'ST'" and tony_sever replying "I thought 'from' in 22A was pushing things a little but not enough to be objectionable - I read it as 'starting from'". I certainly had no difficulty accepting "from" meaning 'after', as in "From his twenty-first birthday, he celebrated each passing year by getting together with a bunch of buddies at a local pub". Words like "from" can take so many different meanings that unless one finds precisely the right one, the clue can often seem to make no sense at all.

7d Stop daughter following poet (4)

I first tried unsuccessfully to solve this clue by parsing it as "Stop /\ daughter following poet". Eventually, I realized that it parses as "Stop; daughter following /\ poet".

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, September 19, 2010 (ST 4394)

This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on August 15, 2010

Introduction

It has been a busy week and it has taken me nearly that long to find time to solve this puzzle and produce the blog. Here we find yet another puzzle that is marred by an error in a clue. In fact, there may even have been two errors when it appeared in the U.K. If so, one of them has been corrected in syndication.

Error in Today's Puzzle

I'm afraid that this section is becoming a regular feature of the blog.

6d An amendment alleged to fall within the law (9)

This clue should presumably read:

6d An amendment is alleged to fall within the law (9)

The definition is "to fall within the law" and the wordplay is an anagram (an amendment) of IS ALLEGED to produce the solution LEGALISED.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Appearing in Solutions

scarf² - noun 1 a joint connecting two pieces of timber or metal in which the ends are bevelled or notched so that they fit over or into each other

SP - abbreviation starting price, noun the final odds at the start of a horse race

training college - noun (in the UK) a college where people, typically prospective teachers, are trained

Links to Solutions

A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4394].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a Curriculum on track here? (8,7)

This is a cryptic definition for a TRAINING COLLEGE, a type of British educational institution. There is considerable discussion concerning this clue at Times for the Times. The general consensus is that "track" relates to a running track which is used for athletic training. However, one reader suggested that "track" might be a reference to railway trains.

26a Where letter-boxes might be fitted at home? (7)

I believe that the definition is "at home" for which the solution is INDOORS, with the wordplay being "where letter boxes might be fitted", which is IN DOORS.

This clue could almost be considered a double definition if not for the difference in numeration between the two results. Due to this difference, I think the clue must be considered to be a standard cryptic clue having a definition and wordplay. I would also say that the setter could equally well have chosen to make the numeration (7) or (2,5), with the two elements of the clue merely changing roles depending on which numeration is used.

Note: Do not be confused by the presentation of this clue in talbinho's review at Times for the Times, where he shows a breakdown of the wordplay (IN DOORS) rather than the solution (INDOORS). For most clues (in his blog on today's puzzle, at least), he shows either the solution or the solution followed by a breakdown of the wordplay (in the form "SOLUTION; wordplay"). However, in the case of a few clues (including this one), he gives only a breakdown of the wordplay. Another instance of this involving a very similar type of clue can be found at 8d where a breakdown of the wordplay (EVER GREEN) appears rather than the solution (EVERGREEN). Another example is at 5d where a breakdown of the wordplay is given as "CLIP + PER". This occurs in instances where the solution and the breakdown of the wordplay are so similar that it is undoubtly redundant to show both.

27a Vulnerability of French sword fight reduced - to a point (15)

The definition is "vulnerability" and the wordplay is DE (of French) + FENCE (sword fight) + LESS (reduced) + (to) NESS (a point).

I have to wonder if the word "fight" may have been inserted into the clue in syndication. In his review, talbinho struggles to justify "'sword' = FENCE" and none of the British readers correct him.

8d Always jealous, having no garden shed? (9)

I may have enjoyed this clue more than talbinho, who comments "the definition seems to be a dubiously-worded pun on 'shed' as in 'shedding leaves'". The setter warns us that there is something out of the ordinary (one might even say dubious) about the clue through the use of the question mark. The premise of this clue is that if one had evergreens in one's garden, no shedding would occur there. I must say that I did smile when the penny finally dropped. However, try convincing the owner of pine trees of the validity of the statement. These trees shed needles at a prodigious rate.

By the way, as used in Britain, the word garden is somewhat akin to the word yard in North America, meaning "an area of land, usually one adjoining a house, where grass, trees, ornamental plants, fruit, vegetables, etc, are grown". While in North America, the term garden would generally refer strictly to the flower beds and vegetable plots around a home, in Britain the term would also encompass the lawn. In Britain, the word yard would mean "a piece of uncultivated ground adjoining a building, typically one enclosed by walls or other buildings". In North America, the land around a home would be called a yard, irrespective of whether it is cultivated or enclosed.

The British usage of garden and the North American usage of yard are probably not entirely synonymous. A British garden includes only the "cultivated" areas of land around a house, whereas the North American concept of yard includes all land surrounding a house, including flower beds, vegetable plots, lawns, trees, driveways, areas occupied by outbuildings, etc. However, they are close enough in meaning (at least in the eyes of some British setters) that I have seen the word yard clued as "American garden" in British puzzles.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, September 12, 2010 (ST 4393)

This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on August 8, 2010

Introduction

I found today's puzzle a bit on the difficult side - one that required liberal use of my Tool Chest and one on which I found myself pursuing several false leads and venturing down a fair number of dead end streets.

Error in Today's Puzzle

There is an error in today's puzzle (confirmed by the setter) in the following clue:

3d Finished second, then first (4)

The clue should have read:

3d Finish second, then first (4)

The definition is "finish" and the wordplay is S (second) + (then) TOP (first) giving us STOP.

Before discovering (at Times for the Times) the existence of this error, I tried valiantly to produce a credible explanation for "finished" being the definition and thought that I just might have succeeded. I supposed that stop might mean finished, as in the use of the word STOP in telegram style writing in place of periods at the end of sentences (indicating that the sentence was finished). Note: although modern Morse code contains symbols for punctuation, I suspect that these may be later additions to the code which did not exist in the early days of the telegraph, thereby explaining the use of the word "stop" to represent a period.

In pursuing this idea, I discovered that the word period (meaning a punctuation mark) is chiefly a Scottish and North American usage. In England, this punctuation mark is (apparently, at least for the most part) referred to as a full stop, or just stop for short. According to Chambers:

full stop - noun a punctuation mark (.) used to indicate the end of a sentence or to mark an abbreviation. Also (especially Scottish and N Amer) called period.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

Appearing in Solutions

cor - exclamation British informal expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm: Cor! That‘s a beautiful black eye you’ve got!

ER -abbreviation Queen Elizabeth [from Latin Elizabetha Regina]

henry - (abbreviation: H) noun Physics the SI unit of inductance, equal to an electromotive force of one volt in a closed circuit with a uniform rate of change of current of one ampere per second

OR - abbreviation Military, British other ranks (as opposed to commissioned officers)

stop - noun 1 British dated a punctuation mark, especially a full stop

full stop - noun British a punctuation mark (. ) used at the end of a sentence or an abbreviation

Templar - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 2. (Law) (sometimes not capital) British a lawyer, especially a barrister, who lives or has chambers in the Inner or Middle Temple in London

ton² - noun [mass noun] fashionable style or distinction: riches and fame were no guarantee of a ticket — one had to have ton; Origin: French, from Latin tonus (see tone)

ton² - 3. donner le ton: French phrase meaning "to set the tone" or "to set the fashion"

traveller - noun (usually Traveller) British a Gypsy or other nomadic person

Links to Solutions

A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4393].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1a English monarch gentle here, surrounded by prize people in top seats (5,2,3,5)

The definition is "people in top seats" who are PEERS OF THE REALM, those who occupy seats in the House of Lords (the Upper Chamber in the British Parliament). The wordplay is {E (English) + ER (Elizabetha Regina; or Queen Elizabeth) + SOFT (gentle) + HERE} contained in (surrounded by) PALM (prize). I suppose the palm being referred to here is the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival.

9a My! French fashion reaches a town in Italy! (7)

The definition is "town in Italy" and the wordplay is COR (my) + TON (French fashion) + (reaches) A. The town we are searching for is Cortona. Although, I have heard of the Italian towns of Ortona and Cortina (well, actually Cortina d'Ampezzo), this community is new to me. Cor is a British exclamation expressing surprise, excitement, admiration, or alarm - you can decide which one most appropriately fits today's clue.

15a It's ridiculous, that's plain to see - there must be change at the outset (7)

As the clue tells us, "It [the solution] is [a word meaning] ridulous" which turns out to be RISIBLE. The wordplay is VISIBLE (plain to see) with a change in the first letter (at the outset). In other words, we must change the V in VISIBLE to an R to produce RISIBLE.

17a Carriages in Australia - territory to the West (7)

These carriages transported me down one of several dead end streets on which I travelled today. A victoria is a type of carriage and Victoria is also the name of a state in Australia. Unfortunately, as a candidate solution, it also has three strikes against it. First, it contains the wrong number of letters; second, the state is located in the southeastern part of Australia, rather than the western part; and third, for this interpretation to work, both the definition (carriages) and the solution would probably need to be in the singular. Perhaps a clue somewhat along the lines of "Carriage in Australia - territory to the Southeast (8)" might lead to the solution VICTORIA.

Having struck out with Victoria, I eventually determined that we are looking for different carriages, LANDAUS. The wordplay is AUS (Australia) preceded by (to the West; i.e., to the left) LAND (territory).

27a Response making engagement impossible after you've given someone a ring? (8,7)

The setter creates a surface reading designed to make us look for a response along the lines of "My dear man, I cannot marry you for my heart belongs to another". However, in reality, the response we are seeking is a more mundane "The number you have dialed is no longer in service".

5d Henry wants port, but mother's denied the little beast (7)

The definition is "the little beast" and the wordplay is H (henry; SI unit of inductance) + AMSTER {AMSTERDAM (port) having deleted (is denied) DAM (mother)} which results in the solution HAMSTER.

14d Narrator full of endless jabber - would you believe his tales? (9)

This is a cryptic definition in the form of a partial & lit. clue. The clue as a whole describes a Traveller, a British term for a Gypsy. Imbedded in the clue is the following wordplay: TELLER (narrator) containing (full of) RAV (endless jabber; i.e., RAVE with the last letter deleted).

This clue reminds me of a personal encounter that I had with just such a person when I pulled into a scenic lookoff in Ireland. I was immediately approached by a woman with a tale of woe in which one misfortune after another eventually led to catastrophe (much like a Thomas Hardy novel). In brief, as I recall, it involved a long journey with sick children in an unreliable car that was nearly out of gas (petrol) to visit a dying relative. Taking pity on her in her miserable condition, I charitably handed over a small sum of money (enough to enable her to purchase sufficient gas to get her to her destination). That prompted yet another chapter in the saga, even more heart-wrenching than the first. However, starting to become suspicious, I declined to advance any further funds. As I enjoyed the scenic view and took a few photographs, I also observed as she attempted to pull the same scam on every other tourist upon their arrival.

23d It's taking minimal time with language (5)

This would appear to be an & lit. clue. The wordplay is T (minimal time; i.e., the first letter of the word "time") + ERSE (language). Read as a whole, the clue is equivalent to saying "It [the solution] is [a word meaning] taking minimal time with language" (similar to the wording in 15a). At first I thought that the phrase "taking minimal time with language" would need to define a noun (TERSENESS). However, I have eventually (and somewhat falteringly) accepted that it might also define an adjective (TERSE).

Signing off for this week - Falcon