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