Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times
ST 4573
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Date of Publication in The Sunday Times
Sunday, January 19, 2014
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Setter
Tim Moorey | |
Link to Full Review
Times for the Times [ST 4573]
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Times for the Times Review Written By
Dave Perry
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Dave Perry's Solving Time
★★★★
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Date of Publication in the Toronto Star
Saturday, February 8, 2014
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Date of Publication in The Vancouver Sun
Saturday, February 15, 2014[Note 2]
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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 Times for the Times
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Times for the Times
█ - yet to be solved
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Notes
[1] This puzzle appears on the Sunday puzzles pages in the Saturday, February 15, 2014 edition of the Ottawa Citizen.
[2] Due to the paywall that has been erected on its web site, I am no longer able to verify the puzzle that is published in The Vancouver Sun. |
Introduction
I found today's puzzle to be a good — but certainly not daunting — challenge. Now, if only I had been better briefed on French opera ...Notes 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. The underlined portion of the clue is the definition.
Across
1a Not entirely sure this fellow fitted for clubbing – not with it! (7,5)
This is an & lit. (all-in-one) clue. In accordance with one reading, the entire clue is the definition, while under a different interpretation, it constitutes the wordplay.
The clue parses as an anagram (for clubbing; getting beaten into shape?) of {SUR_ (not entirely SUR[
In the surface reading, clubbing[5] denotes going out to nightclubs ⇒
she enjoys going clubbing in Oxford.
8a Back packs fail to be more immediately available (7)
9a Star is able to get work (7)
Canopus[5] is the second-brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the constellation Carina. It is a supergiant, visible only to observers in the southern hemisphere.
In music, an opus[5] is a separate composition or set of compositions.
11a No room for French opera in city over there (4)
It is obvious that my knowledge of geography surpasses my familiarity with opera. I had little trouble identifying the French city, but the French opera failed to leap to mind.
Caen[5] is an industrial city and river port in Normandy in northern France, on the River Orne, capital of the region of Basse-Normandie; population 113,249 (2006).
Carmen[7] is an opera by the French composer Georges Bizet (1838–1875). The opera was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, on 3 March 1875, and at first was not particularly successful. Its initial run extended to 36 performances, before the conclusion of which Bizet died suddenly, and thus knew nothing of the opera's later celebrity.
12a Blonde vacuous type bores US agent (4-6)
In the US. a Fed[5] is a federal agent or official, especially a member of the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] ⇒
I don’t think he has any friends since he grassed to the Feds.
I have to say that the usage example above is a bit bizarre — certainly not a statement that one would expect to hear from a US hood. Grass[5] is British slang meaning to inform the police of someone’s criminal activities or plans ⇒
someone had grassed on the thieves. This expression may derive from rhyming slang (grasshopper = copper).
13a Mix-up, for example remains of 19 (7)
... "remains" is an ANAGRAM of "seminars" ([the solution to clue] 19).
15a Thought about lives being wasted (7)
18a Ministry studies the latest stuff at home (3,4)
In the UK, MOD[5] stands for Ministry of Defence.
Con[5] is an archaic term meaning to study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing) ⇒
the girls conned their pages with a great show of industry.
In Britain. the term mod cons[5] refers to the amenities and appliances characteristic of a well-equipped modern house that contribute to an easier and more comfortable way of life ⇒
the property has all mod cons. Presumably, it is an shortened version of modern conveniences.
20a Cameron could be refreshed here? (7)
The is likely intended to be a reference to David Cameron[5], a British Conservative politician who has been Prime Minister of the UK since 2010 (in coalition with the Liberal Democrats).
Menorca[5] is the Spanish name for Minorca[5], the most easterly and second-largest of the Balearic Islands [an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain]; population 92,434 (2008); capital, Mahón.
21a What's furthest down
flask in bag? (10)
"Bag" is used as a verb meaning to capture.
23a Endless platform for men (4)
25a One aquatic bird pecked another (7)
26a Great worry about very short time surrounded by ... (7)
In the UK, mo[5] [abbreviation for moment] is an informal term for a short period of time ⇒
hang on a mo!.
27a ... narrow-minded attitude? It's Americans at fault (12)
It took quite a while to realize that my first attempt, CARTESIANISM[10], was incorrect.
Down
1d Employee who shouldn't be in the limelight? (9)
2d Not appropriate to drop female in one (4)
3d Colt perhaps and mare gambolling under a tree (7)
4d Not harming the environment in Scottish ridge shows good behaviour (7)
In Scottish and Irish dialects, a drum[5] is a long, narrow hill, especially one separating two parallel valleys.
5d Entourage in hot French town working (7-2)
Contrary to the indication in the review at Times for the Times, this is a charade and not a container type clue. The wordplay is H (hot) + ANGERS (French town) + ON (working).
Angers[5] is a town in western France, capital of the former province of Anjou; population 156,965 (2006).
6d Quick attack capturing pawn (5)
In chess, P[10] is the symbol for pawn.
7d Roma clip spoilt broadcast (8)
Roma[10] is another name for Gypsy.
10d The German turned up in blue (3)
In German, das[8] is one of several variants of the definite article.
14d Famous politician involved with lover's toe (9)
This clue could refer to either of two former US presidents (one from either major party):
- Franklin D. Roosevelt[5] (1882–1945) was an American Democratic statesman, 32nd President of the US 1933–45; full name Franklin Delano Roosevelt; known as FDR. His New Deal of 1933 helped to lift the US out of the Great Depression, and he played an important part in Allied policy during the Second World War. In 1940 he became the first American President to be elected for a third term in office and he subsequently secured a fourth term.
- Theodore Roosevelt[5] (1858–1919) was an American Republican statesman, 26th President of the US 1901-9; known as Teddy Roosevelt. He was noted for his antitrust laws and successfully engineered the American bid to build the Panama Canal (1904–14). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
16d Huge flans served up – that's the plan (9)
17d Game plans on the radio (8)
In the UK, the board game chequers[10] [spelled checkers in the US] also goes by the name draughts[10].
19d Meeting house not available, right? (7)
20d Mum's blemish needs a cosmetic (7)
In the cryptic reading, the 's is to be interpreted as a contraction for has, making the wordplay MA (mum) + ('s; has) SCAR (blemish) + (needs) A (from the clue).
21d Roll up for the essential part (3)
22d Tax once levied on fruit? It helped to some extent (5)
A tithe[5] is one tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy.
24d Centres supposing that holding company held up (4)
Key to Reference Sources:Signing off for this week — Falcon
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
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