Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum

Sunday, February 12, 2012 - ST 4468

2012-02-12T10:59:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4468
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, January 15, 2012
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4468]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, February 4, 2011

Introduction

After last week's severe challenge, it is a relief to return to a more normal exercise.

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.

10a   Type of guide for tourists (7)

Like Dave Perry, I failed to see the reference to a computer font and this term for a "guide for tourists" was also new for me (understandably so, as it seems to be chiefly a British expression). In Britain, a courier^[5] may be a person employed to guide and assist a group of tourists • he worked as a courier on a package holiday to Majorca.

11a   Spot a reversal in Tory psephology (4)

Although one really doesn't need to know this to solve the clue, psephology^[5] is the statistical study of elections and trends in voting.

19a   Wife smothering Jack in sugar leads to jocularity (7)

Again I found myself in the same boat as Dave Perry, never having heard of this type of sugar. Jaggery^[5] is a coarse dark brown sugar made in India by evaporation of the sap of palm trees.

20a   Free Y-fronts cut badly showing lots of cheek (10)

The fodder here is "free Y-fronts". "Cut" is an indicator to delete the final letter ("s") and "badly" is an anagram indicator. Y-fronts^[2] is a British term for men's or boys' underpants with [an inverted] Y-shaped front seam.

Briefs^[7] are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.

Briefs were first sold on January 19, 1935 by Coopers, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois. They dubbed the new undergarment the "Jockey" because it offered a similar degree of support as the jockstrap. In North America, "Jockey shorts" or "Jockeys" is often used as a generic term for men's briefs.

In the UK, briefs were first sold in 1938. In Britain, the term "jockeys" has not caught on and briefs are often referred to as "Y-fronts". The term derives from the inverted Y-shape formed by the seams at the front of the underpants which purports to allow easy access to the penis for urination. The colloquialism is used even when the fly opening may differ in style, and not actually form the shape of the inverted letter "Y" fly on Cooper Jockey brand briefs.

In Australia, briefs are referred to as "jocks", but should not be confused with jockstraps (more specifically used by athletes) which expose the buttocks. Australians generally use the word briefs to refer to the bikini-style underwear for men, which do not have the Y-front opening.

In the United States, a slang term for briefs is "tighty-whiteys" (with various spellings and inversions: "tidy-whities", "whitie-tighties", etc.). The exact origin of the term is unknown, but it has often been used as an epithet.

In recent years, a hybrid called boxer briefs has become popular. Like boxers, they have short legs, but like briefs, they are made of elastic, snug-fitting material. A shorter version of boxer briefs are called trunks.

25a   Leaders missing, check overdue copy (7)

The wordplay is {[L]IMIT (check) + [L]ATE (overdue)} where "leaders missing" indicates that the first letter of each word is to be deleted.

26a   A spot perhaps close to grass lands (7)

"A spot perhaps" indicates that a spot is an example of the word needed in the solution. A spot^[5] (short for spotlight^[5]) is a lamp projecting a narrow, intense beam of light directly on to a place or person, especially a performer on stage.

27a   Early star or moon will excite one (10,5)

Astronomer Royal^[7] is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. From 1675 until 1972 the Astronomer Royal was Director of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. After the separation of the two offices the position of Astronomer Royal has been largely honorary, though he remains available to advise the Sovereign on astronomical and related scientific matters, and the office is of great prestige.

3d   Truck turned over in American garden (4)

In Britain, as in North America, a dray^[5] may be a a low cart without fixed sides, used for carrying heavy loads. However, in Britain the term can also refer to any other vehicle (in particular, a truck) or sledge used to carry a heavy load.

In Britain, the word garden^[5] refers to the piece of ground adjoining a house, typically cultivated to provide a lawn and flowerbeds.

Note: In the U.K., the term garden is applied to what in North America would be called a yard. In North America, the term garden would generally be used in relation to the part of the yard used specifically to grow flowers or vegetables, and would exclude that part of the yard used as a lawn.

5d   Leaves from tea scattered during holidays (7)

In Britain, vac^[5] is an informal term for vacation.

6d   Charlie and Heather laughing quietly (9)

Ling^[5] is another name for the common heather of Eurasia.

13d   Black whole nuts are in Pavlova? (9)

Pavlova^[5] is a dessert consisting of a meringue base or shell filled with whipped cream and fruit, which was named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova^[5] .

14d   Trick issue for Jersey? (3,6)

The Jersey Royal^[7] (presumably referred to colloquially as simply a Jersey) is a cultivar of potato grown only in Jersey^[7] (a British Crown Dependency which is the largest of the Channel Islands).

16d   Preposterous hunt relay attacked (9)

"Preposterous" would have served admirably as an anagram indicator, but that is not the role assigned to it today. Instead, it plays the definition. "Attacked", which seems far less suited to the part, must stand in as the anagram indicator today.

23d   Herb, a serially chaotic character (5)

Basil Fawlty is a character played by comedian John Cleese in the British television series Fawlty Towers^[7]. For once, we have a British program that will be familiar to many Canadian viewers.

Key to Reference Sources:

^[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7] - Wikipedia
^[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, February 5, 2012 - ST 4467

2012-02-05T14:05:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4467
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, January 8, 2012
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4467]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, January 28, 2011

Introduction

I got off to a late start on tackling this puzzle. On top of that, I recalled reading comments at Times for the Times (in the posting for last week's puzzle) that remarked upon the very difficult nature of this week's puzzle. [Note: since the review at Times for the Times is not posted until one week following the date on which the puzzle is published in London, those who post comments will have already received the subsequent puzzle to the one on which they are commenting.] The warnings proved accurate, as this turned out to be one of the most difficult solving challenges that I've ever encountered. In fact, I was not able to complete the lower left-hand corner (and most of what I was able to solve was only achieved through the extensive use of virtually every electronic aid at my disposal) and had to rely on a couple of solutions from Times for the Times. In addition to those clues, there were also several instances where I had the correct solution but had little - or no - idea how to interpret the wordplay.

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.

1a   Theatre, with openings re-allocated, spoils engagements (10)

I did manage to get the correct solution - without completely understanding why. I guessed correctly that footlights^[10] might mean theatre in the sense of the acting profession or the stage (although Dave Perry suggests that it is a reference to the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club^[7], commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University.). I also recognized that "engagements" were FIGHTS and that "spoils" were LOOT. However, I wrongly thought that "openings" must somehow be signalling that an anagram (re-allocated) of LOOT is contained in FIGHTS. However, as Dave Perry explains, the correct interpretation is that the initial (opening) letters of LOOT and FIGHTS are exchanged (re-allocated).

21a   Stick around a day for race for digger drivers (8)

Despite having written down "__THURS_" on a list of possible solution patterns (together with "___SUNS_" and "___TUES_", the other days of the week that might have fit), I failed to find the solution. As I was to learn (with some prompting from Dave Perry), digger^[10] is archaic slang for an Australian or New Zealander, especially a soldier (often used as a term of address) and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000^[7] is an Australian touring car race. I did spend a fair bit of time trying to make DREDGERS work, thinking that they might be "digger drivers" (people who drive digging machines).

1d   Influence of pro limiting performer (6)

It took a bit of deliberation to come to terms with this clue. Oxford defines act^[5] as a performing group while Collins has act^[10] as those giving a performance - both of which tend to suggest that an act consists of more than one performer. However, I suppose a solo act would qualify (although the dictionary definitions don't seem to stretch quite far enough to include it).

2d   Very big author pens very big extract (6)

The definition is "extract" with the solution being OSMOSE (although having consulted several dictionaries, I am unable to find any clear support for this meaning).

The wordplay relies on a knowledge of British clothing labels. The sizes of clothing that North Americans would describe as plus-size^[7] (or often big and tall in the case of men's clothing) would be called outsize OS^[5] in Britain. As usual, the setter uses "author" as a reference to himself (or herself, as the case may be) intending for us to replace this in the solution with a first person pronoun (in this case ME). Thus the wordplay is OS (very big) + ME (author) containing (pens) OS (very big).

3d   Extended wrong land? (4-5-3)

I reverse engineered the wordplay after having found the solution based solely on the definition and numeration. When I think about it, perhaps reverse engineering is a fitting means to solve a reverse anagram clue (which this is). In a normal anagram clue, the clue would contain an anagram indicator and its fodder (the material on which the anagram indicator operates), while the solution contains the anagram result (the outcome of the anagram operation). In a reverse anagram clue, the placement of the pieces is reversed - with the anagram indicator and fodder being located in the solution and the anagram result in the clue. Such clues typically use some device (such as the question mark in this clue) as a signal to the solver that there is something a bit out of the ordinary about the clue. In the present example, the definition is "extended" with the solution being LONG-DRAWN-OUT. The latter part of the clue, "wrong land" is the outcome of an anagram operation (as signalled by the question mark) where the anagram indicator (out) and anagram fodder (LONG DRAWN) are found in the solution to the clue.

8d   Landlord fallen on hard times (4,4)

Mine host^[5] is a humorous (Oxford) or archaic (Dave Perry) way of referring to the landlord or landlady of a pub • mine host raised his glass of whisky.

11d   Committee representing everything in London? (7,5)

This is yet another case where I stumbled upon the correct solution without fully understanding why. The definition is "committee" with the solution being WORKING PARTY. As I discovered on Times for the Times, "everything in London" is what is left (_ondo_) after the outer letters of "London" are stripped off (I guess we are to consider that the outer letters form a container for the contents). Of course, "on" means WORKING (as in "the lights are on") and a "do" is a PARTY.

14d   Choice about way she produces paper (10)

A timely example of where BET means "choice" might be "If you don't know what to get her for Valentine's Day, roses are always a safe bet.".

16d   75% tip not exciting? It tends to be busy on a Saturday night (8)

According to Collins, the British expression clubland^[10] refers specifically to the area of London around St James's, which contains most of the famous London clubs. However, Oxford gives clubland^[5] a broader and more generalized meaning, (1) an area of a town or city with many nightclubs or (2) the world of nightclubs and nightclubbers.

19a   City attackers banter with United ace (6)

The surface reading of the clue is all about English football. "City" is Manchester City^[7] and "United" is Manchester United^[7] - two rival football clubs in the English Premier League that played an FA Cup Third Round Proper match on January 8, 2012 (the day that this puzzle was published in the UK - thus accounting for Dave Perry's observation in his review) with United defeating City by a score of 3-2. United subsequently lost 2-1 to Liverpool in a Fourth Round Proper match on January 28, 2012. "Attackers" are forwards.

On the other hand, the cryptic reading is a biblical reference to Joshua bringing down the walls of Jericho.

23d   Clubs given nothing extra, starting from lowest position in league (4)

I recognized that BLOC would fit, but did not bother to write it in as I could see no possible way to justify the wordplay or the definition (in part because I couldn't clearly determine just what part of the clue actually constituted the definition). The definition is "league" with the solution being BLOC. I suppose we do speak of a "bloc of nations" and, at one time, there was a "League of Nations". The wordplay is a reversal (starting from the lowest position) of {C (clubs; a suit in a deck of cards) + O (nothing) + LB (extra; a cricket term)}.

In Cricket, lb^[5] is the abbreviation for leg bye(s). A leg bye^[5] is defined as a run scored from a ball that has touched part of the batsman’s body (apart from the hand) without touching the bat, the batsman having made an attempt to hit it. A leg bye is one instance of an extra^[5], a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman.

Key to Reference Sources:

^[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7] - Wikipedia
^[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
^[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, January 29, 2012 - ST 4466

2012-01-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4466
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, January 1, 2012
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4466]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, January 21, 2012

Introduction

This puzzle seemed to be a bit less difficult than usual as I was able to complete it without the use of any electronic aids.

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.

1a Date girl at Uni - funny, earthy, with outstanding degree (7,3,5)

In cryptic crosswords, as is also apparently the case in Britain, uni^[5] is a common short form for university

9a Imagine foodie dropping starter without teaspoon (7)

I spent a bit of time in trying to make PRESUME fit here. It did match the two checking letters that I had managed to identify at the time. Of course, there was no way to make the wordplay work and it certainly handicapped me on 2d. Like Dave Perry, I was surprised to see t used as the abbreviation for teaspoon. I did check to see if it might be in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition and found that it is not.

Note: However, as Peter Biddlecombe (the Sunday Times Puzzles Editor) comments at Times for the Times, it is in Collins (although seemingly not in the online version): "t for teaspoon was a similar surprise but seems to come from a system where “tablespoon” is represented by T".

17a Squash taught as something to get you fit (5-2)

In his review, Dave Perry concludes that "'taught' must be UP" but isn't entirely sure why that should be the case. I wondered if it might be related somehow to the British usage of up^[5] to mean at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge • they were up at Cambridge about the same time. The rationale would be that if you are at university, presumably you are being taught.

Note: I am apparently mistaken. On the subject of UP meaning "taught", Peter Biddlecombe (the Sunday Times Puzzles Editor) comments at Times for the Times: "I was a bit surprised by this when editing but found that Collins has “taught”, followed by the example well up in Physics." [see up^[4]]

19a Forgive prisoner, having been cheated (7)

Do is British slang meaning to swindle • a thousand pounds for one set of photos—Jacqui had been done.

5d One staggering person clearing weeds goes outside texting "be back later" (7)

AFAIK*, BBL is text-speak for "be back later" (LOL**).

[*as far as I know / **laughing out loud]

6d   He casts Potter character on Isle (9)

Focus on Beatrix Potter (not Harry).

The Isle of Man^[5] is an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system; population 82,000 (est. 2009); capital, Douglas. The island was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.

14d   Parish church's front half moved stroller (9)

In the UK, a pushchair^[5] is a folding chair on wheels, in which a baby or young child can be pushed along. According to Oxford Dictionaries, stroller^[5] is the North American name for this item.

16d   Ordering a new flower (3,6)

In crosswordese, a flower is often a river (something that flows). In this case - continuing the North American theme - it is the Rio Grande^[5], a river which rises in the Rocky Mountains of SW Colorado and flows 3,030 km (1,880 miles) generally south-eastwards to the Gulf of Mexico, forming the US-Mexico frontier from El Paso to the sea.

18d   Elevated land with gold dish on top (7)

Au^[5] is the symbol for the chemical element gold.

Key to Reference Sources:

^[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7] - Wikipedia
^[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, January 22, 2012 - Error-Prone Sub

2012-01-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times Unknown
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Unknown
Link to Full Review Unknown
Times for the Times Review Written By Unknown
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, January 14, 2011*
Notes * I am assuming that this puzzle would have appeared in the Toronto Star on the customary date. However, I cannot be certain as no solution is posted on the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum website for that date.

Introduction

Normally, the puzzle published in the UK on December 18, 2011 would have appeared today. However, as the Sunday Times published a jumbo Christmas themed puzzle on that date, the puzzle we see today has been substituted in syndication. The same situation arose last year. At that time, the incredibly observant author of the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum recognized that the puzzle published in the Toronto Saturday Star on Saturday, January 22, 2011 (and in the Ottawa Citizen on Sunday, January 23, 2011) had been published in the Saturday Star on January 19, 2008. On this occasion, the puzzle appeared in Toronto only a day before it was published in Ottawa (rather than the customary eight days before) due to the Saturday Star reversing the order of publication of a couple of puzzles. Based upon the information gleaned from the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum, with some additional sleuthing I was then able to identify the puzzle as ST 4257 which was published in the Sunday Times on December 30, 2007. Suspecting that today's puzzle has similarly been resurrected from the archives, I attempted to identify it - but without success. It does share one feature with the substitute puzzle published last year - an error. Last year the error was in the wording of the clue, this year it is in the numeration (see below). In addition to this major error, I would say that the puzzle also contains one or two other (relatively minor) errors.

Errata in Today's Puzzle

There is an egregious error in the numeration for clue 8d which should read:

8d Surprised as I am to say this, not once did I excel (4,1,5,3)

Perhaps the wording of the clue is a very fitting admission by the puzzle editor!

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted; "†" explicit in the clue

Across

1a RED SKY AT NIGHT - cryptic definition of a sunset (setting)

In North America, we are familiar with the bit of weather lore that begins "Red sky at night, sailor's delight ...". However, in Great Britain and Ireland, this saying is applied to a different occupation "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight ...". Thus "setting" refers to the setting of the sun and "animal welfare groups" are shepherds.

10a EMOL*|U|MENT~ - anagram (hidden [strange anagram indicator, methinks]) + (at) U (university) + MENT {sounds like (to hear) MEANT (†)}

Note: I use the dagger symbol "†" to indicate that a word has appeared explicitly in the clue.

11a OLIVE* - anagram (unfortunately) of I LOVE

Olive Oyl is the sweetheart of Popeye, the sailor man.

12a L|OUSE - L (left) + OUSE (flower [river])

In Crosswordese, a river is often referred to as a flower (something that flows). The River Ouse is a river in England.

13a DAM|NATION - DAM (barrier) + (erected by; put up beside) NATION (people)

14a NAISSANT* - anagram (evolution) of IS AN ANTS

Naissant is a term used in heraldry. In the words of the Oxford Dictionary of English it means "(of a charge, especially an animal) issuing from the middle of an ordinary, especially a fess"^[5]. Collins English Dictionary is somewhat less obtuse, defining it as "(of a beast) having only the forepart shown above a horizontal division of a shield"^[4]. While I may have missed some subtlety in the wordplay, the words "heralding", "beastly" and "division" in the clue clearly point us in this direction.

16a CO(MB)AT - MB (doctor) contained in (finding ... in) COAT (ulster)

Ulster, in addition to being a county in Northern Ireland, is also a type of coat. Note the (intentional) misdirection created by the capitalization of "Ulster".

In Britain, the degree required to practice medicine is a Bachelor of Medicine^[7] (MB, from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus), which is equivalent to a North American Doctor of Medicine (MD, from Latin Medicinae Doctor). The degree of Doctor of Medicine also exists in Britain, but it is an advanced degree pursued by those who wish to go into medical research. Physicians in Britain are still addressed as Dr. despite not having a doctoral degree.

19a VENI*|CE - anagram (exotic) of VINE + CE (English church; Church of England)

The sense of the clue ("Italian source of [wordplay]") is that, through executing the wordplay, one may construct the name of something (in this case, a place) that can be found in Italy.

20a   CAMSHAFT* - anagram (revolution) of {MACH (half of MACH~~ines~~) + FAST (†)}

22a   ROUGH DEAL - a spoonerism for "duff reel"

24a   EPSOM - an English town possessing a famous racecourse

25a   INTER - cryptic definition referring to committing a corpse to the grave (or, perhaps, a crypt)

26a   UNCERTAIN - anagram (new) of CAR IN TUNE

27a   PENNY-FARTHING - cryptic definition of an old-fashioned bicycle

Down

2d   ELOCUTION* - anagram (composed) of COOL TUNE I

3d   SOUSE - SO (this way; "I want it done just so") + (put to; placed adjacent to) USE (some purpose)

"Duck" is used in the sense of push or plunge (someone) under water.

4d Y(IELD*)IN|G -anagram of LIED contained in {Y (first Y~~ear~~) + IN (of) + G (power)}

I do not have a great deal of confidence in this solution and welcome any better suggestions. The anagram of LIED is pretty obvious and Y being the first letter of year also seems quite solid. "In" and "of" can be synonyms in the sense of 'from' or 'out of' (as "two in every eight" or "two of every eight"). I am guessing that the setter may be employing - in a scientifically inaccurate fashion - G^[5] to mean a unit of acceleration equal to that produced by the earth’s gravitational field (I was pinned to the floor by six Gs!).

5d TOTE|MS - TOTE (carry) + MS (documents; manuscript (abbreviation)}

MS or ms.^[2] (with the plural being MSS or mss.) is the abbreviation for manuscript^[2] (which is a a book or document written by hand). Thus, in order to be correct, it would seem that the clue should read
Poles carrying manuscript (in the singular).

6d   ISOLATORS - anagram (upsetting) of TO SAILORS

7d   H|A(IT)I - H (H~~oliday~~, start) + IT contained in (in ... accommodation) AI (first-class; looks like A1)

8d   WELL I NEVER DID - Yoda-speak for "I never did well" (I did not excel even once)

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, noted for the object-subject-verb syntax he employs when speaking. Well I never did!^[5] (or well I never!) is an informal exclamation expressing surprise or indignation (something that one might say when they are surprised). However, when interpreted as having come from the lips of Yoda, it would mean "I never did well". If the two parts of the clue were to be written in subject-verb-object format, they would become "I am surprised to say this" and "I did not excel even once".

See the section Errata in Today's Puzzle (above) for a discussion of the error in the numeration for this clue.

9d   REIN|STATEMENT - REIN (check) + STATEMENT (the financial summary)

15d   SACCHARIN* - anagram (trade) of IN CAR CASH

17d   BOATSWAIN - BOAT (craft) preceding (before) SWAIN (lover)

18d   CABLE CAR - cryptic definition of a a transport system, typically one delivering skiers to the top of a mountain, in which cabins are suspended on a continuous moving cable (line) driven by a motor at one end of the route

21d   RE-TURF - anagram (put out) of FRUit TReE {FRUIT TREE with TIE removed (off)}

23d   _UNTIE - aUNTIE (relative) with A removed (after A loss)

24d   EARTH* - anagram (breaking) of HEART

Key to Reference Sources:

^[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
^[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
^[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
^[4] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
^[5] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English)
^[6] - Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford American Dictionary)
^[7] - Wikipedia
^[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
^[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, January 15, 2012 - ST 4463

2012-01-15T23:17:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4463
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, December 11, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4463]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, January 7, 2011

Introduction

I got off to a quick start, but was soon brought to an abrupt standstill - needing lots of electronic help to finish the puzzle.

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.

12a   After a brandy of average quality Cameron breaks into song (1,4,7)

There is disagreement among dictionaries as to what is meant by the term fine when applied to brandy. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, it is "French brandy of high quality made from distilled wine rather than from pomace"^[5]. On the other hand, The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition lists it as "ordinary French brandy"^[1], Collins English Dictionary as "brandy of ordinary quality"^[4], and the Random House Unabridged Dictionary as "ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location"^[9]. Thus it would appear that Oxford is outnumbered three to one!

By the way, there is a small - yet fatal - error in the link to the James Bond reference at Times for the Times. The correct link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_(brandy).

"Cameron" may (or may not) be a reference to British Prime Minister David Cameron. "A Fine Romance"^[7] is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936. The song was written for the musical film, Swing Time, where it was co-introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It may be familiar to the Brits as a version sung by Judi Dench became the theme song of A Fine Romance^[7], a British television series starring Judi Dench and her husband Michael Williams.

20a   It's some job rigging this! (4)

I failed to notice the answer hiding in the clue and came up with SHIP as a solution. I was certainly on the right track, but this really messed me up at 20d.

24a   If done after onset of ailment, one sherry might make you lower (8)

"Lower" (as used in this clue) is one of those words which takes on a definition invented by cryptic crossword setters - and which have become, depending on your preference, a convention or a cliché. Here, lower means an animal which lows (i.e., a cow). This is similar to describing a river as either a flower (something that flows) or a banker (something that has banks).

1d   Display cycle on platform as a means of transport (8)

Dave Perry comments, "'Cycle' is an unusual way to clue a C". I did not find it standing alone in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition (presumably considered the bible for British crosswords), although it is found there as part of cps (cycles per second).

2d   American who enlisted to fight in mine and live in squalor (3,2)

Pig it^[5] is an informal expression meaning to crowd together with other people in disorderly or dirty conditions • he didn’t approve of the proposal to pig it in the studio.

4d   Baby starts to scream and pukes rusks over granny (5)

Sprog^[5] is British slang for (1) a baby or (2) a military recruit or trainee. As a verb, it means to have a baby. Rusk^[5] is a chiefly British term for a light, dry biscuit or piece of twice-baked bread, especially one prepared for use as baby food.

5d   Wanting a change L Cohen tours America and Egypt - he's so fickle (9)

Dave Perry observes, "Another slightly suspect method of cluing a single letter, E for Egypt this time. I'm not sure the Daily puzzle would get with that." This abbreviation is not to be found in the aforementioned Chambers. However, as E is the International Vehicle Registration code for Spain (España), there should have been no objection had "Egypt" been replaced by "Spain".

6d   What burlesque dancer will eventually have is class! (6)

It took a while for the penny to drop (if, in fact, that is what was being dropped) but when it did, I could not help but smile.

7d   Organ providing entertainment on the Sabbath for nearly two centuries (3,6,5)

Judging by Dave Perry's remarks, solvers in the UK may have found this clue far less cryptic than I think it would be for most North Americans. I thought perhaps the word organ might have a different meaning in Britain, but - as far as I can see - the British and American dictionaries attribute similar meanings to it. For example, the Oxford Dictionary of English defines organ^[5] as a newspaper or periodical which promotes the views of a political party or movement. This seems to suggest a closer linkage to a particular special interest group than I think most North American newspapers would admit to.

20d   Club, one featuring Latin dish (5)

Having entered SHIP at 20a, the only dish that I could fit in here was SALMI. I was to discover that I should have been tasting Pakistani cooking rather than French cuisine. Unfortunately, I was not even given a chance to catch my error, since BALTI was not included in the list of possible matches returned by my word finder application. Of course, I could not make the wordplay work.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, January 8, 2012 - ST 4462

2012-01-08T13:41:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4462
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, December 4, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4462]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, December 31, 2011

Introduction

As usual, there is some rather tricky wordplay in this puzzle

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.

1a   Sergeant mostly seen in fleece (4)

The Phil Silvers Show^[7] (originally titled You'll Never Get Rich) is a comedy television series which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko of the United States Army. Bilko and his men seemed to spend very little time actually performing their duties—Bilko in particular spent most of his time trying to wheedle money through various get-rich-quick scams and promotions, or to find ways to get others to do his work for him. His soldiers regularly helped Bilko with his schemes, but were just as often Bilko's "pigeons" ripe for the plucking.

13a   Nothing new, heroin user's blighted careers (8)

Career^[2] is used in the sense of a swift or headlong course.

17a   Outside broadcast display of emotion is repellent (7)

In Britain, an outside broadcast (abbreviation OB)^[5] is a radio or television programme that is recorded or broadcast live on location and not in a studio.

19a   Very Italian covering say, for spear made from wood (7)

The Italian word for "very" is assai^[8]. An assegai^[5] (or assagai) is a slender, iron-tipped, hardwood spear used chiefly by southern African peoples.

21a   What may be swotted in usual offices in a cold manner? (7)

In Britain, swot^[4] is a slang term meaning to cram (to study a subject intensively, as for an examination) as well as being a variant spelling of swat. The "usual offices^[5]" is a British euphemism for a loo^[5] (toilet). Thus, "what may be swotted (swatted) in usual offices" is A LOO FLY (a fly that is found in a loo).

24a   Labour, both sides of Atlantic backing secret plotters (5)

In the cryptic reading, "Labour" (abbreviation Lab.)^[5] refers to the British Labour Party. The surface reading, may be intended to refer to the "labour movement" in a more general sense (as it specifies "both sides of Atlantic"). In the cryptic reading, "both sides of Atlantic" indicates the first and last letters of AtlantiC.

27a   A letter opener (5)

I am not sure that I completely understand this clue. Alpha^[5] is a code word representing the letter A, used in radio communication as well as the first (opening) letter of the Greek alphabet. Perhaps a bit more of a stretch, alpha is also the first (opening) part of the word 'alphabet^[5]', the set of letters or symbols in a fixed order used to represent the basic set of speech sounds of a language.

28a   Comfortable place with standards? (3,2,5)

I had guessed that "standards" might refer to flags, and specifically to those that might have been flown during the War of the Roses^[7]. However, as Dave Perry points out, a standard^[5] is a shrub grafted on an erect stem and trained in tree form (usage example from Oxford Dictionaries: [as a modifier] a standard rose).

30a   Neat container of bay trees used at regular intervals (4)

Neat^[5] is an archaic term for a bovine animal and byre^[5] is a British name for a cowshed. Thus a "neat container" would be a BYRE. The wordplay indicates that we are to use a regular series of letters from the word sequence "BaY tReEs". Such a series could be either the even-numbered letters or (as is the case today) the odd-numbered letters.

1d   Associated with two parties, oil company worker adopts one (10)

The "oil company" is British Petroleum (BP) - of Gulf of Mexico infamy.

2d   Imaginatively, Rice contributes to this (5)

The clue refers to British lyricist Tim Rice^[7] who collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and The Wizard of Oz. The entire clue serves as the definition while the first part only of the clue constitutes the wordplay (thus the clue is a semi-& lit.). The solution is imaginatively hidden (indicated by "contributes") in "imaginativeLY RICe".

5d   Sterling Post Office lost, therefore experience needed (7)

As an adjective, sterling^[5] may mean excellent or valuable (which is how it is used in the surface reading). The cryptic reading, on the other hand, relies on the fact that sterling^[5] and pound^[5] (or pound sterling^[5]) both refer to the basic monetary unit of the UK. The definition is "experience" (which, as is sometimes the case in British puzzles, is placed in the middle of the clue). The word "needed" acts in a similar fashion to a link word - even though it does not appear between the wordplay ("Sterling post office lost, therefore") and definition ("experience"). The sense of the clue is that the solver needs to find a synonym for "experience" that also satisfies the wordplay.

9d   Good chums going round catch up immediately (4-4)

Slap-bang^[4] is an informal British expression meaning directly or immediately, equivalent to the North American expression slam-bang^[4].

18d   What can be found on mountain tops? THESE! (8)

I thought that I must have overlooked some exceedingly clever aspect of this clue. However, judging by Dave Perry's comments I didn't. It seems that the entire clue is a charade with "What can be found on mountain tops?" being SNOW and "THESE!" being CAPS with the whole clue serving as a definition of SNOWCAPS. I'm no more impressed than Dave Perry appears to be.

20d   Your setter's finished with leader of Opposition laying it on thick (7)

As usual, the phrase "your setter" calls for a first person pronoun. In this case, "your setter's finished" must be replaced by "I'm past" (IM PAST). Add to this the first letter (leader) of Opposition to get IMPASTO. Impasto^[5] is the process or technique of laying on paint or pigment thickly so that it stands out from a surface. In countries having a Westminster System of parliamentary government, the leader of the largest party not in government carries the title Leader of the Opposition^[7].

22d   Henry in cheap eatery gets something worth little (7)

In physics, the henry^[5] (abbreviation H) is 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. Caff^[5] is British slang for a café.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 25, 2011 - ST 4460

2011-12-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4460
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, November 20, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4460]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, December 17, 2011
Notes This puzzle was published in the Ottawa Citizen edition of Saturday, December 24, 2011

Introduction

Posted: January 8, 2012

This posting is rather tardy as I fell considerably behind in tending my blogs over the holiday period. Hopefully, my schedule will soon return to normal.

I am not really in a position to comment on the difficulty of this particular puzzle, as it was completed in dribs and drabs over a period of a couple of weeks. Judging by the comments on Times for the Times, the Brits did not seem to find it overly taxing. However, I must say that, in general, I feel that the level of difficulty of the Sunday London Times Crossword does seem to have increased recently.

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.

1a   Some corn needed initially to make bread? (4)

The phrase "needed initially" indicates the first (initial) letter of Need. "Bread" is used in the slang sense of money.

10a   Loss of reputation after cricketer follows beautiful woman without husband (8)

A "beautiful woman" might slangily be called a DISH, from which we must delete the H (without a Husband). W.G. Grace^[7] (1848 – 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, and who was important in the development of the sport.

11a Being drunk with Germans do I scoff like a 28? (10)

Here "28" is a cross-reference to clue 28d (we know that it must be 28d as there is no 28a in this puzzle). Substitute the solution to 28d in place of "28" to get the full clue "Being drunk with Germans do I scoff like a pig?".

14a First third of fabric removed for cloak (4)

Both "cloak" and the solution MASK are used as verbs in a figurative sense.

17a   One slow to learn finally eliminated with an innovative dancer (6)

Isadora Duncan^[7] (1877 — 1927) was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life. She performed to acclaim throughout Europe.

30a Old Master has year in Indian Territory (4)

Francisco Goya^[7] (1746 – 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goa^[7], a state located in South West India, is that country's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population.

3d Jade knight with silver as base (3)

Archaic meanings of jade^[5] are (1) a bad-tempered or disreputable woman or (2) an old or worn-out horse. Take your pick as to which one the setter intended.

6d Butcher perhaps bearing a small present (9)

The definition is "Butcher perhaps" with Butcher referring to "one of the fictional families in the BBC soap opera Eastenders^[7]" (thanks to Dave Perry for that info). I don't feel too bad at not understanding that - from reading the comments on Times for the Times, it seems that several of the Brits were equally in the dark. The wordplay is E ([compass] bearing) + A (explicit in the clue) + S (small) + TENDER (present; as a verb). I did get the solution based on the wordplay and (perhaps incorrectly) supposed that the East End might be the area of London where butcher shops or slaughterhouses were concentrated.

The East End^[7] is an area of London, England, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Use of the term East End in a pejorative sense began in the late 19th century, as the expansion of the population of London led to extreme overcrowding throughout the area and a concentration of poor people and immigrants. The East End became synonymous with poverty, overcrowding, disease and criminality. Despite improvements such as the Canary Wharf development, improved infrastructure, and the Olympic Park, some parts continue to contain some of the worst poverty in Britain.

7d   A large travelling bag for brunch? (11)

Dave Perry's reference to "DbE" means 'definition by example'.

8d   One function hosted by Northern Ireland at a city (7)

A cosine (abbreviation cos) is a trigonometric function.

12d   Person taking risks for a rise, but after initial deduction remuneration is poor (11)

North Americans will likely fail to fully appreciate this clue. In Britain, an increase in pay is called a rise (rather than a raise, as it is known in North America). In the wordplay, "after initial deduction" indicates that we are to delete the first letter of "remuneration" and "is poor" indicates that we form an anagram of the remainder. Thus the first part "person taking risks for a rise" could be read as either someone taking chances in hopes of getting a salary increase or a cryptic definition of a mountaineer.

16d   Colour telly and Wii Henry broke (4-5)

For Brits, the surface reading would refer to a colour television set and a Wii game console. In physics, the henry^[5] (abbreviation H) is 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.

19d   The Spectator's solution is nonesense too (7)

The Spectator^[7] is a weekly British current affairs magazine.

21d   After end of season Surrey built new facility for learners (7)

Surrey^[7] is a county in the South East of England, and one of the home counties^[5] (as the counties surrounding London are called). The surface reading may actually be a reference to the Surrey County Cricket Club^[7], a professional cricket club based in Surrey.

26d   Bloomers on line blowing around in field (3)

Bloomers^[5], in addition to being flowers, are women’s loose-fitting knee-length knickers (panties), considered old-fashioned.

28d   Unforged metal regularly used when making springs (3)

The definition is "unforged metal" with the solution being PIG. A pig^[4] is a mass of metal, such as iron, copper, or lead, cast into a simple shape for ease of storing or transportation. The wordplay tells us that the letters in the solution also constitute the even-numbered letters in (regularly used when making) "springs" (sPrInGs). As "regularly" could indicate either the 'even-numbered' or 'odd-numbered' letters (since either of these is a regular series), we are left to chose the one that fits the circumstances.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 18, 2011 - ST 4459

2011-12-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4459
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, November 13, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4459]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, December 10, 2011^*
Notes ^* As no solution is posted at the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum site (as of the time of writing), I can only assume that this puzzle appeared in the Saturday Star in accordance with the normal publication schedule.

Introduction

The difficulty level was fairly typical of a Sunday Times puzzle, heightened somewhat by a few new (to me) British expressions.

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.

1a   Employees in one section "The Week" magazine? (3,7)

THE WEEK^[7] is a British weekly news magazine, first published in 1995, which also has American and Australian editions. It is also the name of a defunct Canadian publication which was in existence from 1883-1896. The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition defines Man Friday (plural Man Fridays), which it spells with the first word in upper case, as a factotum or servile attendant while the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, which spells the term as man Friday (plural man Fridays) with the first word in lower case, has it as either (1) a faithful or devoted manservant or male assistant or (2) a junior male worker given various duties, especially in an office. The American Heritage Dictionary also spells it as man Friday, but with the plural being either men Friday or men Fridays.

7a   Extra score (4)

Score is used in the sense of to cut. Gash^[3] is (seemingly British) slang for surplus to requirements; unnecessary, extra, or spare.

11a   Pressure one found in Diplomacy recalled another game (6)

Diplomacy^[7] is a strategic board game. Tipcat^[9] is "another game" - apparently one played in days gone by - in which a short piece of wood, tapered at both ends, is struck lightly at one end with a bat, causing the wood to spring into the air so that it can be batted for a distance.

17a   RPO is involved with theatrics from here? (9,3)

RPO^[5] is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

20a   Book on English party: discuss at length (8)

According to Chambers, the abbreviation for "book" is b^[1].

22a   Second plate is fashionable (6)

Mo^[5] is an informal, chiefly British term meaning a short period of time • hang on a mo!

4d   Hopeless writer's shown up in appeal (5)

Appeal here denoting sex appeal or 'it' (pronoun, sense 8)^[5].

7d   End with mean scoring ratio (4,7)

Goal average^[5] is a soccer term denoting the ratio of the numbers of goals scored for and against a team in a series of matches, sometimes used in deciding the team’s position in a table (table is a British term which appears to be equivalent to standings) • the first club to win the league on goal average.

8d   No lager's served up in such clothing (4-2)

Pils^[5] is a type of lager beer similar to Pilsner. The wordplay is a reversal (is served up [it being a down clue]) of {NO (from the clue) + PILS (lager)}. Note that the S in the solution comes from Pils and not the 's on the end of lager (which is a contraction for is in the cryptic reading as well as the surface reading).

12d   A firm tummy (11)

I likely only got this as I recalled having seen it before or, as Dave Perry suggests, it is "an old chestnut". Corporation^[5] is a dated, humorous term for a paunch.

18d   Printing mistake is dumb, keeping a bishop up (7)

If you solved the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword which was published in the National Post on Friday, it should be fresh in your mind that Right Reverend (abbreviation RR)^[5] is a title given to a bishop, especially in the Anglican Church.

24d   Scottish resort? Yes, right (3)

Ayr^[7] is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. During the 19th and 20th centuries Ayr became a popular holiday resort. This was due to its fine sandy beach and its popularity was increased by the building of a rail link to Glasgow in 1840.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 11, 2011 - ST 4458

2011-12-11T13:12:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4458
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, November 6, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4458]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, December 3, 2011^*
Notes ^* As no solution is posted at the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum site (as of the time of writing), I can only assume that this puzzle appeared in the Saturday Star in accordance with the normal schedule.

Introduction

I found this to be a rather challenging puzzle and my electronic assistants were called into action early and often. I was also in the dark on parts of the wordplay in a couple clues until I read Dave Perry's review.

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.

1a   Emulate Mrs Clinton and fall short of total success? (8)

The clue is a reference to an episode that occurred during the 2008 US election campaign. Presidential candidate (and former First Lady) Hillary Clinton admitted in late March that her repeated campaign statements about having been under hostile fire from snipers during a 1996 visit to U.S. troops at Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia-Herzegovina were not true.

6a Who boasts a disturbed heart? (6)

I think this must be seen as a semi & lit. (semi-all-in-one) clue? The wordplay is clearly "boasts a disturbed heart". The entire clue could serve as the definition, in which case it would be a semi & lit. clue. The only alternative would appear to be for the single word "who" to be the definition - which seems to be a bit inadequate for the job.

9a   Hook - and its double shape, of course (6)

Hook^[3][4][5] is used in the sense of to steal (a new meaning for me, but one that I did find it in both British and American dictionaries - although Oxford describes this usage as archaic). S comes from "its double shape", i.e., the letter S from the word "its" (presumably because the shape of an S is a double curve). NATCH is slang for 'naturally' which Dave Perry characterizes as Shakespearean.

13a   Old river with extremely fertile fish (4)

Here, "extremely fertile" means to use the letters found on the extremities of the word "fertile" - i.e., F~~ertil~~E. The orfe^[5] (also called the ide) is a silvery freshwater fish of the carp family, which is fished commercially in eastern Europe.

14a   Sacred text journalist found in museum (4)

The Veda^[5] is any or all of the most ancient sacred writings of Hinduism. The Victoria and Albert Museum^[7] (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design. Thus the wordplay is ED (journalist; editor) contained in (found in) {V + A (V&A)}.

15a   Officer, not dated soldier? (10)

There is a maxim associated with cryptic crosswords that one ignores the punctuation. Of course, there is a caveat (which I failed to invoke) that one must ignore the maxim when required. In this clue, the comma plays a key role with the wordplay being COMMA (,) + ND (not dated) + ANT (worker). The abbreviation n.d. (no date)^[5] is apparently one that is used especially in bibliographies.

19a   Miss World finalist found behind topless joint (4)

The term "lift and separate" used by Dave Perry in his review is a favourite among British commentators on cryptic crosswords. It alludes to a situation where a word or phrase in the surface reading of a clue must be split into two components playing differing roles in the cryptic reading. Here, in the phrase "Miss World", the first word (miss) is the definition and the second word (world) must be combined with the following word to produce "world finalist" (signifying D, the final letter of "world"). In other words, the phrase "Miss World" (which, on the surface, would appear to be a single unit) must be 'lifted and separated'. The expression 'lift and separate' is one that has long been associated with brassieres (and I suspect that Dave Perry's use of it in relation to this clue is likely no mere coincidence).

24a   Blessed on river of Wales (8)

This clue is overflowing with British references. Brian Blessed^[7] is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice. The River Cam^[7] is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England (there are also a couple of other rivers by the same name in England). Cambrian^[5] means Welsh (i.e., 'of Wales').

25a   It helps to make weather balloon like rocket, for example (6)

Rocket^[5] is the British name for arugula^[5].

27a On the pull? It's infuriating (3,3)

In British slang, pull means an attempt to attract someone sexually (an eligible bachelor on the pull). So "on the pull" has a very similar meaning to "on the make"^[5]. However, that is a bit of a red herring (or misdirection) in this clue. The definition alludes to the expression a red rag to a bull^[5] meaning an object, utterance, or act which is certain to provoke someone. The wordplay is RE (on [the subject of]) + DRAG (the pull).

3d   One drinks shorts regularly (3)

In Britain, a short^[5] is a drink of spirits served in a small measure. In this definition, measure might be intended to mean "a standard quantity or amount" but I think it might well mean "a container of standard capacity used for taking fixed amounts of a substance (gifts have included silver measures from a whisky company)". I had thought that maybe short was just the British term for shot^[5] (a small drink of spirits). However, it would seem that the term shot is also used in the UK. I suspect that the difference may be that a short is a small but well-defined quantity of spirits while a shot is a small but imprecise amount.

8d   Steel traps as it were on marshland (7)

I have to admit that, despite finding the correct solution, I had to rely on Dave Perry to explain the first part of the wordplay. I certainly knew that FEN meant marshland, which gave me the second part of the solution. Dave Perry attributes the expression fit up to "American cop shows". However, it is not an expression with which I am familiar and Oxford and Collins state that fit up^[4] or fit-up^[5] is British slang meaning frame-up (which is what I would expect it to be called in North America). Thus, 'fits up' (traps) indicates a reversal (up [in a down clue]) of FITS or STIF which gives us the first part of the solution STIFFEN.

12d   Old court giving 8 caution? (4,7)

The Star Chamber^[5] was an English court of civil and criminal jurisdiction that developed in the late 15th century, trying especially those cases affecting the interests of the Crown. It was noted for its arbitrary and oppressive judgements and was abolished in 1641. The "8" in the clue is a cross reference to 8d and indicates that we need a synonym for the solution to that clue. Thus the wordplay is STARCH (stiffen; the solution to 8d) + AMBER (caution; an amber traffic light is a caution signal).

18d   Puts pants on mature dwarf? (7)

Pants^[5] is British slang for rubbish or nonsense (he thought we were going to be absolute pants). Here it plays the role of an anagram indicator.

20d   Passage over court (7)

Passage^[5] is used in the sense of a short extract from a book or other printed material. Over and extra are likely used in the sense of 'to spare' (i.e., more than necessary). Thus if you needed five points to win a competition and you scored eight, you would have three points to spare (or three points extra) or be three points over. [While this example almost works, I am sure there must be more appropriate ones.] The equality between the two words almost seems to be more apparent when over- used as a prefix, with an overcoat being an extra coat.

23d   Starts to rail against new council housing estate (5)

While North Americans would probably not apply the term estate^[4] to a ranch, the definition (a large piece of landed property, especially in the country) may technically fit. In the UK, an estate may also mean a large area of property development, especially of new houses or (trading estate) of factories. "Council housing"^[5] refers to government subsidized housing. The wordplay directs us to use the starting letters of (starts to) "Rail Against New Council Housing".

26d   Like a recruit with supporting soldiers (3)

The soldiers are the Royal Artillery (RA)^[7]. The wordplay is W (with) following (supporting) RA. RA is considered to be supported by W because (in a down clue) RA is written on top of W. Of course, this bit of wordplay does not work in an across clue.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, December 4, 2011 - ST 4457

2011-12-04T10:36:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4457
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, October 30, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4457]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, November 26, 2011

Introduction

This puzzle had a very high quotient of unfamiliar words, words with unfamiliar meanings, and Briticisms. However, I did manage to complete it – with a lot of help from my electronic aids.

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.

5a   Slightly crazy and spiteful after school (6)

Scatty ^[5] is an informal British expression meaning absent-minded and disorganized. It originated as an abbreviation of scatterbrained. Like many of the Brits, I wondered about S being an abbreviation for "school". However, one visitor to Times for the Times reports finding it in Collins (presumably the print version as I did not find it in the online version).

9a   Phone left out by prison for avid collector (5-4)

Blower ^[5] is an informal British term for a phone. Bird ^[4] is British slang for a prison or a term in prison (shortened from birdlime, rhyming slang for time). A bowerbird^[5] (in addition to Oxford, Chambers^[2] and Collins^[4^] also spell the word without a hyphen) is a strong-billed Australasian bird, noted for the male’s habit of constructing an elaborate run or bower adorned with feathers, shells, and other objects to attract the female for courtship.

11a   Small and dainty starters of mince, gnocchi and onions (6)

In this clue, one might be tempted to interpret "starters" (being plural) as calling for one starting letter from each of the three words. However, the plural actually indicates that we need to take two starting letters (from each word). Mignon^[2] (a word adopted into English from French) means small and dainty.

16a   Taking top off fish basket reveals this part of angler's kit (4)

Although kit^[3] meaning a set of articles or implements used for a specific purpose is found in The American Heritage Dictionary, I think a North American would be more apt to use the word gear rather than kit.

18a   Cut and scratch from a vegetable (4)

In golf, a scratch golfer is one with no handicap. I have only ever seen this word used as an adjective. However, British dictionaries list it as a noun as well as an adjective. As a noun, scratch^[5] means a handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course (with the usage example being "he plays off scratch in University golf"). In his review, Dave Perry also uses the expression "off scratch" as well as "off par". I suspect that this use ("off scratch" and "off par") may be particularly British. I am guessing that the term scratch may have been adopted into golf from racing where scratch is "the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or advantage" and a such a competitor is said to run "off scratch" (rather than, presumably, starting from a point closer to the finish line).

21a   Chief Constable, say, is a social reformer (8)

I failed to decipher the wordplay here, mistakenly thinking that "say" might be a homophone (sounds like) indicator. Chartists^[5] were adherents of Chartism, a UK parliamentary reform movement of 1837–48, the principles of which were set out in a manifesto called The People’s Charter and called for universal suffrage for men, equal electoral districts, voting by secret ballot, abolition of property qualifications for MPs, and annual general elections. John Constable^[5] (1776–1837) was an English painter. Finally, Ch. as an abbreviation for Chief is found in The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition.

22a   Conservative took cover behind yellow plant (6)

In heraldry, or^[5] is yellow or gold as a tincture^[5] [any of the conventional colours (including the metals and stains, and often the furs) used in coats of arms].

24a   Immediately like the other set of clues (4)

"Immediately" means down^[5] in the sense (with reference to partial payment of a sum of money) made initially or on the spot ("pay £5 down and the rest at the end of the month").

26a   Academic tours a new food shop for some salad leaves (9)

In Britain, a don^[5] is a university teacher, especially a senior member of a college at Oxford or Cambridge.

28a   Skilful poise adopted in river – right on time (6)

The poise^[5] (abbreviation P^[5]) is a unit of dynamic viscosity, such that a tangential force of one dyne per square centimetre causes a velocity change one centimetre per second between two parallel planes separated by one centimetre in a liquid [and a term which is new to me].

1d   Novice with puppet is a great hit (6,5)

In Britain, rabbit^[4] is an informal term for a novice or poor performer at a game or sport. Punch^[5] is a grotesque, hook-nosed humpbacked buffoon, the chief male character of the Punch and Judy puppet show. A rabbit punch^[4] is a sharp blow to the back of the neck that can cause loss of consciousness or even death.

3d   Limitless claret, say, for ancient king (5)

Edwin^[7] (c. 586 – 632/633) was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. [Note: Contrary to the statement in Dave Perry's review, Edwin was king in the 7th century AD.] Claret^[5] is a red wine from Bordeaux, or wine of a similar character made elsewhere.

4d   Poor tenor – he'd a lamentable song (8)

A threnode (or threnody)^[5] is a song or ode of lamentation, especially for a person's death.

5d   Holy man taking a learned theologian into a quiet university (6)

A saddhu (or sadhu)^[5] is a nomadic Hindu holy man, living an austere life and existing on charity. Sh (or shh)^[5] is an exclamation used to call for silence. DD^[5] is the abbreviation for Doctor of Divinity.

6d   Plant adorns oar at sea (6,3)

Aaron's rod^[4] is a widespread Eurasian scrophulariaceous plant, Verbascum thapsus, having woolly leaves and tall erect spikes of yellow flowers.

13d   Topping official making you late for work (11)

A cryptic definition of an official whose job (for work) is to make you late (by topping you just above the shoulders).

17d   Obese lot struggling being out of practice (8)

In the phrase "out of practice", the word practice^[4] is used with the meaning 'a usual or customary action or proceeding' rather than its usual sense of 'the condition of having mastery of a skill or activity through repetition'.

23d   Councillor and one politician wave (5)

Cr^[5] is the abbreviation for Councillor.

25d   Topless yob's unconscious (3)

Yob^[5] is British slang for a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth. It is back slang (slang in which words are spoken as though they were spelled backwards) for boy.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 27, 2011 - ST 4456

2011-11-27T13:16:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4456
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, October 23, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4456]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, November 19, 2011

Introduction

I found some of the wordplay today to be quite tricky. I needed to dip into my Tool Chest early and often for assistance.

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.

7a   What's behind bar? Tango (4)

Tango^[7] is a carbonated soft drink sold primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as Sweden, Norway and Hungary. In the cryptic reading, "bar" means 'but' (as in "all but one were successful") and "tango^[5] " is a code word representing the letter T, used in radio communication.

9a   Even British Airways facing cut (8)

Of course the solution is BALANCED (not BALANCING, as shown in Dave Perry's review). [At least I'm not the only blogger to occasionally make a typo].

10a   Haggard tart heads off for her older relative? (6)

I initially thought that this clue might contain a reference to British novelist H. Rider Haggard^[7] . If so, it would be a bit of planned (or unplanned) misdirection by the setter.

11a   Woody entrance to field initially sunken (6)

For me, this was the last clue to be solved. I was quite positive that there must be an F involved in the solution, but was unsure whether it was being clued by "entrance to field" or "field initially". As it turns out, it is the former. The wordplay is F {entrance to field initially; i.e., the first letter of (entrance to) "field" is placed first (initially)} + ALLEN (Woody; i.e., American filmmaker Woody Allen^[7] ). To understand the intent of the clue, we must mentally insert a pause in the cryptic reading of the wordplay "Woody, entrance to field initially".

17a   Fools train having drunk gallons, left to drop (7,5)

In his review, Dave Perry says "I'm not quite sure why 'train' = STRING". Lest any readers be similarly perplexed, train^[5] may mean 'a series of connected events or thoughts' which is similar to string^[5] in the sense of 'a sequence of similar items or events'.

20a   Ford's blooming strike off (5,3)

The definition is "strike off" with the solution being CROSS OUT. I believe the wordplay is CROSS (ford; as "to ford a river") + (has; where, in the cryptic reading, the 's is interpreted as "has") OUT (blooming; as in "It must be spring, the dandelions are out").

21a   Being excessively close to Washington restricts a North American city (6)

I certainly hope that no local reader failed to solve this clue. I wonder - should we take this clue to be a bit of political commentary?

22a   Home Alone? Boots may be holding it (6)

Home Alone^[7] is a 1990 American comedy film about an eight-year-old boy, played by Macaulay Culkin, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation. Boots^[7] is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets (primary business streets) throughout the country. As an alternative - and, in my opinion, less likely - interpretation, a boot^[5] is the trunk of a car in the UK.

26a   Subject of talk: northern hollows and heights (3,7)

The Mendip Hills^[7] (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England.

2d   An amusing situation repeatedly found in popular British novels (3,5)

I initially suspected that "an amusing situation" might be 'a gag'. However, I eventually came to the realization that it is 'a gas'. The "popular British novels" are Aga sagas. An Aga saga is atype of popular novel, set in middle England and populated by the middle classes ofthe sort that typically own Aga cookers. Agas are kitchen ranges, often very large and expensive, that are seen as epitomizing the prosperous and cosy middle-class English country lifestyle. [read more^[7]]

4d   A nut's what might be said to be under the bed (5)

I recall a tour guide in Texas explaining that the "proper" pronunciation for the name of the nut is puh-KAWN, not PEE-can, explaining that a PEE CAN was what his father used to carry in the car on long family trips to cut down on the number of pit stops.

6d   Doctor Who's after run of publicity from these? (4,5)

I wondered where the O came from, but o' is a short form for 'of' (as in o'clock). Doctor Who^[7] is a British science fiction television programme which should be familiar to most readers on this side of the Atlantic due to its widespread distribution in North America.

8d   Chicken pieces smelling bad in vans of Tesco and Sainsbury (6)

Tesco^[7] and Sainsbury^[7] are respectively the largest and third largest grocery retailers in the UK.

12d   Up-to-date position from selectors at ground (6,5)

"Up-to-date position" is LATEST SCORE. I guess "position" might be considered to equate to 'score' with "how well did you score in the competition?" having a similar meaning to "what was your position in the final standings?". The wordplay is an anagram (ground; as a verb) of SELECTORS AT.

18d   Yahoo's that corrupted on a test (2,5)

If you look very carefully at the surface reading, it makes little sense. You can read it as either "Yahoo is that corrupted on a test" or "Yahoo has that corrupted on a test", neither of which have much meaning. However, I only noticed this when I tried to parse the clue. I think the brain may subconsciously adjust the words to produce the more meaningful "Yahoo that's corrupted on a test". In the cryptic reading, the definition is "Yahoo has that" with the wordplay being an anagram (corrupted) of ON A TEST. Yes, a Yahoo has no taste.

21d   Individual cases I caught being delayed (2,3)

The definition is "being delayed" and the wordplay is ONE (individual) containing (cases; as a verb) {I + C (caught; an abbreviation appearing on scorecards in cricket)}.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 20, 2011 - ST 4455

2011-11-20T20:36:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4455
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, October 16, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4455]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, November 12, 2011

Introduction

Although I completed the puzzle, I got 3d solely from the definition and 26a seemed to be the only conceivable word which matched the checking letters. In both cases, I needed Dave Perry's explanation to understand the wordplay.

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.

1a   Very high liquid content in this food (4)

The well-hidden wordplay is SO (very) + UP (high).

3a Poor, but thought to satisfy according to Spooner (6-4)

The wordplay alludes to a Spoonerism, a verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect, as in the sentence "you have hissed the mystery lectures" [named after the Reverend W. A. Spooner (1844–1930), an English scholar who reputedly made such errors in speaking].

10a Dance outfit - a party's on (8)

In the surface reading, the 's is a contraction of is. However, in the cryptic analysis, it must be read as a contraction of has and is a charade indicator. Thus the wordplay is RIG (outfit) + A (explicit in the clue) + DO (party) + (has) ON (explicit in the clue).

26a   Great cup of tea's gulped down (10)

Once again, the 's takes on different meanings in the surface and cryptic readings. In the wordplay, we have THING (cup of tea) containing (has gulped) UNDER (down). Dave Perry explains why "cup of tea" becomes THING. I missed the wordplay in this clue myself. The best stab that I could make is the "thundering tea" which is a part of the "three cups of tea" served to guests by the Bai people of China.

3d My round swallowed by pub's dog (5)

In Britain, coo^[5] is an informal exclamation used to express surprise (‘Coo, ain’t it high!’ Mary squeaked) and public house is the formal term for pub.

5d   Went thick as did smoke - extremely dismal in there (7)

The definition is "went thick" with the solution being CURDLED. As I see it, the wordplay is CURED (did smoke) containing (in there) DL (extremely dismal; i.e., the extreme [outer] letters of DismaL) with the word "as" serving as a link word between the definition and wordplay.

References:
^[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)

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 13, 2011 - ST 4454

2011-11-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4454
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, October 9, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4454]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, November 5, 2011

Introduction

I must have been off my form today, as I found this puzzle more than a little difficult and needed lots of assistance from my electronic aids to complete it. After the struggle that I endured, it was rather disheartening to read Dave Perry's comments regarding how easy he found it to be.

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.

1a   Quietly made call holding a knife (6)

A parang is a Malayan machete. The P comes from p (abbreviation for pianissimo) which, as a musical notation, means 'quietly'.

5a   An Athenian with an unknown element (8)

The letter y (as well as x and z) are commonly used to represent unknown quantities in algebraic notation.

11a   When abroad, one business looking strange (4)

Un is the French word for "one" (therefore, one when abroad). Unco is a Scots word meaning unusual or remarkable.

20a   What binds religious chaps at front of temple (6)

Presumably, "religious chaps" are 'Church of England men' or CE MEN.

22a   Batter fish first - then start to season tripe (10)

The definition is "tripe". The wordplay is WALLOP (batter) with COD (fish) [at the] first followed by (then) S (start to S~~eason~~). From the wordplay alone, the placement of the S is a bit ambiguous - but only one placement produces a viable solution.

24a   Clobber Royal gong (4)

In Britain, clobber is slang for personal belongings, such as clothes and accessories (a robe, for example) and gong is slang for a medal (perhaps the insignia of an Officer of the Order of the British Empire or OBE).

26a   Runner without a drink in Tokyo (4)

The definition is "drink in Tokyo" with the solution being SAKI (an alternative spelling of sake). I thought the wordplay was indicating that one must remove the letter A (without A) from the name of a runner to obtain the solution. This led to a fruitless search for an athlete named Asaki, Sakai or Sakia. It turns out that the runner is a ski which must be placed outside of (without) the letter A.

30a   Hold mariner with dodgy vision (6)

A 'nelson' is a type of wrestling hold. In the Battle of Copenhagen, British Admiral Horatio Nelson (who had been blinded in one eye in a previous engagement), when advised that the signal to withdraw had been given, raised his telescope to his blind eye and, saying "I really do not see the signal", fought on.

3d   Desperate Dan's very game etc (3,2,2)

Desperate Dan is a character in a British comic book.

5d   Display caviare evenly (3)

We need to use the even letters of "caviare" to form a word meaning "display". Caviare is an alternative spelling of caviar.

6d   At centre of bank you can see its first flower (5)

This is a rather tricky clue. Here "flower" (which happens to be the definition) is used in the cryptic crossword sense of 'something that flows' (in other words, a river). The wordplay tells that "at the centre of" TIER (bank; as a bank of seats), we must place B (its first; i.e., the first letter of 'bank'). The solution is TIBER, the river on which Rome stands.

7d   Idiot holding Laurel's horse (7)

Laurel is Stan Laurel of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. In the UK, a stupid or gullible person might be referred to as a mug.

8d   Where finally, Gordon Brown has rather short tenure? (6,3)

N (the final letter of "Gordon") + UMBER (brown) + TEN (short tenure) gives us NUMBER TEN, a reference to 10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", which is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown is a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, serving from 2007 to 2010.

13d   Soft soap and cloth (7)

Flannel is a British expression meaning to flatter in order to mislead.

15d   Alternative practitioner in course about Principle of Organon (9)

Organon is a system of logical or scientific rules, especially that of Aristotle.

19d   Band I note is a possible accompaniment to 26 (7)

The number "26" is a cross-reference to clue 26a. The solution to the current clue, SASHIMI (a Japanese dish of thin fillets of raw fish), is a possible accompaniment to the solution to 26a, SAKI (a Japanese liquor made from fermented rice). In music, mi is the third note of a major scale (doh, re, mi, ...).

23d   Pointless request to umpire is to cause dismay (5)

In cricket, an appeal is a call on the umpire (by the bowler or fielders) to declare a batsman out, traditionally with a shout of ‘How’s that?’. If we remove the cardinal point E (east) from APPEAL, we are left with APPAL.

25d   Irish rock star carries German drum (5)

Bono is the lead vocalist for the Irish rock band U2.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, November 6, 2011 - ST 4453

2011-11-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4453
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, October 2, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4453]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, October 29, 2011

Introduction

This puzzle definitely seems to have a degree of difficulty that exceeds what we usually get. I eventually was able to complete it - but only through extensive use of electronic aids and a good deal of reverse engineering.

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.

10a   From whom Sun magazine unopened is ordered in Gloucestershire town (9)

Newent⁷ is a small market town in Gloucestershire, England. I had initially put Newmarket in here, as I found through a Google search that there is a town of that name in Gloucestershire, albeit one that is apparently even more obscure than Newent. I only realized my error when I solved 4d.

Dave Perry makes a comment concerning " 'is ordered' apparently doing nothing". I don't think it is necessarily "doing nothing" but it is seemingly incongruously situated in the middle of the wordplay. I would say the intended sense is "From whom is ordered Sun magazine unopened in Gloucestershire town" or, only slightly more eloquently, "From whom one would order Sun magazine unopened in Gloucestershire town". All in all, a clue with quite an ugly surface reading.

12a   Absolute English fool (5)

A fool⁴ is a British dessert made from a purée of fruit with cream or custard.

13a   Fellow close to the Queen concerning escort (8)

Dave Perry saw the wordplay as CHAP (fellow) + thE (close to the; i.e., closing letter of 'the') + R (Queen; regina) + ON (concerning). I interpreted it a bit differently, as CHAP (fellow) + (close to; i.e., near or beside) ER (the Queen; Elizabetha Regina) + ON (concerning). Which just goes to prove that all roads lead to Rome.

21a   Merchant's an actor (7)

Perhaps I am being a bit picky, but I would say that Dave Perry has a superfluous apostrophe in his solution. To my mind, the solution is SELLERS (from actor Peter Sellers) and the wordplay is SELLER (merchant) + S ('s).

27a   First and second behind Charles perhaps half obscured (5)

Charles, of course, is Prince Charles, heir to the British throne. Mo² is British slang meaning a short while or a moment.

6d   "Dog" is term of abuse - so is this (5)

I only understood the wordplay here after reading Dave Perry's review. It is CUR (dog) + S ("is" must be replaced by "'s" [apostrophe + s] which then gives us the S) + E (term of abuse; i.e., the terminal letter of "abuse").

7d   TV presenter over a long period of time in northern city (9)

In the UK, a television host or news anchor is called a presenter.

8d   Jack to some extent despatched bugs (4)

Again, despite having found the correct solution, I needed Dave Perry's assistance to comprehend the wordplay. I mistakenly supposed that "Jack" referred to 'tar' (sailor) and that "Jack to some extent" was therefore TA ("tar" with the final letter deleted). Of course, my attempts to explain the PS lead to nothing but dead ends.

16d   Dad never gets it as Inter play in friendly (9)

Only die-hard soccer fans likely got the surface meaning of this clue. Football Club Internazionale Milano⁷, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. Friendly⁵ is a British term (which I believe is also used in Canada in reference to games such as soccer and rugby) meaning a game or match that does not form part of a serious competition. Maty⁵ (usually spelled matey) is British slang meaning familiar and friendly or sociable.

20d   For example, bit of pranking in quiet interval (3-4)

Prank⁴, as a verb, means to dress or decorate showily or gaudily or to make an ostentatious display.

21d   Time to drop lies in charges (7)

When Dave Perry says "STORIES (lies) with the T dropped", he is not indicating that the T is deleted. Rather, he means that it drops to a lower rank, from second place in STORIES (lies) to fourth place in SORTIES (charges; i.e., attacks).

References:
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 Online (Oxford Dictionary of English)
⁶ - Oxford Dictionaries Online (Oxford American Dictionary)
⁷ - Wikipedia

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 30, 2011 - ST 4452

2011-10-30T11:05:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4452
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, September 25, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4452]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, October 22, 2011

Introduction

Dave Perry says he found this "slightly on the hard side of medium". As for myself, it was definitely several notches of difficulty beyond that. I was only able to solve about six clues before being forced to call in reinforcements from my Tool Chest. With their assistance, I did complete the puzzle - but with question marks beside at least half a dozen clues where I did not comprehend the wordplay. A bit of further contemplation and I managed to get the number of question marks down to three (12a, 15a, and 26a) before visiting Times for the Times. I can stomach failing to decipher 15a, but missing the other two is unforgivable.

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.

11a   Bullfighter's trouble with entrance, you might say (7)

In this clue, "you might say" is a homophone (sounds like) indicator. I quickly realized that it applied to 'dor' sounding like 'door'. However, I was slow to recognize that it actually applies to the entire solution. The clue relies on the soft R sound in British spoken English where "matter" is pronounced "mattah" so "matter door" would sound (when pronounced by a Brit) like 'mata dor'. This is one of those homophone clues that doesn't travel well across the Atlantic. Then again, since there are apparently more than 50 regional dialects in Great Britain, we often see screams of protest from parts of the UK that these clues don't work.

15a   Looks jolly basic, this runway (8)

I got the solution (AIRSTRIP) from the definition ("runway"). I can see that "looks" could mean 'airs' ("she displayed a look of confidence"). While not fully clearing up my confusion, Dave Perry's explanation put me on a more fruitful track. In Britain, a jolly (Collins English Dictionary, noun 2.) is a trip, especially one made for pleasure by a public official or committee at public expense. Now, that would seem to leave just the word "basic" unaccounted for.

7d   Baby's temperature taken by stranger, about 50 (7)

I initially thought that "taken by" might be a containment indicator. However, it eventually dawned on me that it is being used here as a charade indicator. While the former seems more logical to me, one must bow to the choice of the setter.

19d   Painter puts in call for tyres (7)

Tyre is the British spelling of tire (in the sense of an automobile part). In the solution, RA is a postnominal meaning Royal Academician and denotes membership in the Royal Academy of the Arts.

22d   Witness said "How are you?" (6)

This is another homophone clue (indicated by "said"). A "witness" is a 'watcher' which (taking into consideration the soft British R as well as the British pronunciation of A) would end up sounding like 'wotcha'. Wotcha is also an informal British exclamation used as a friendly or humorous greeting.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 23, 2011 - ST 4451

2011-10-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4451
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, September 18, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4451]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, October 15, 2011

Introduction

The Brits seem to have found this puzzle to be rather easy. For me, not so much. I spent more time in the lower left-hand corner (and needed more help from my electronic assistants) than in the entire remainder of the puzzle.

Notes on Today's Puzzle

9a The general test of admissibility in British cryptic crosswords is "Does it appear in Chambers" meaning The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition. Well, let me assure you that OU as an abbreviation for "Oxford University" does pass that test. It also appears at Search Chambers (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary) and TheFreeDictionary (Collins English Dictionary). Ironically, it is not found at Oxford Dictionaries (Oxford Dictionary of English) - perhaps in an effort to appear unpretentious!

10a   In rugby, a prop (also known as a prop forward) is a forward at either end of the front row of a scrum.

12a   In Britain, the abbreviation Con. following the name of a Member of Parliament indicates that he or she is a member of the Conservative Party.

13a   Apparently E is the abbreviation for Egyptian, despite the fact that it would seem to fail the Chambers Test (see note for 9a).

14a   At one time, apparently, in Britain it was customary for misbehaving students to be given six of the best, a caning as a punishment, traditionally with six strokes of the cane.

21a   A chaffinch is a Eurasian and North African finch, typically with a bluish top to the head and dark wings and tail. Chaff is light-hearted joking or banter. Although a new term to me, it would seem not to be specifically British.

23a   In cricket, an extra is a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batsman. Thus, I suppose it would be considered a "run over" - a run above and beyond the regular runs.

24a   Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938 which holds the official world speed record for steam locomotives. A gin (also gin trap) is a trap for catching birds or small mammals. This would seem to be a British name for what, in North America, is called a leghold (or foothold) trap.

25a   Returning to the cricket theme, the covers is an area of the field consisting of cover point and extra cover. Cover point (also known simply as cover) is a fielding position (or a player at this position) a little in front of the batsman on the off side and halfway to the boundary. Extra cover is a fielding position (or a player at this position) between cover point and mid-off but further from the wicket. Mid-off is a fielding position (or player at this position) on the off side near the bowler. While leg can be another name for the on side of the field, that is presumably not the case here as (by definition) leg (on side) can't be in the covers (which is on the off side).

26a   In British sports parlance, a sitter is an easy catch or shot.

27a   Agar-agar is another name for agar, a gelatinous substance obtained from certain red seaweeds and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods.

1d To the best of my recollection, court is usually considered to mean a roadway (a short street, sometimes closed at one end [Collins English Dictionary]) which is often abbreviated Ct. on street signs. However, I note that Chambers does have two entries, the first being "Ct abbrev: Court (in addresses, etc.)" and the second "ct abbrev: ... court". So perhaps ct can also be an abbreviation for court in a sense other than a roadway - for instance, a court of law.

3d   San Marino is a republic forming a small enclave in Italy, near Rimini; population 30,200 (est. 2009); official language, Italian; capital, the town of San Marino. It is perhaps Europe’s oldest state, claiming to have been independent almost continuously since its foundation in the 4th century.

15d   The puzzle, of course, uses the British spelling enameller rather than the American spelling enameler for this practitioner in a branch of ceramics. The monarch referred to in the clue is Queen Elizabeth, whose royal monogram is ER (for Elizabetha Regina).

19a   This rock star is well-known on both sides of the Atlantic, being English musician Sting (born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner). Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist of the rock band The Police. We also have yet another cricket reference here in runs (abbreviation R). Since we are currently in the midst of the World Series, North Americans might like to think that this could be a reference to baseball - but that wouldn't pass the Chambers Test (see note for 9a)..

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 16, 2011 - ST 4450

2011-10-16T13:35:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4450
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, September 11, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4450]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, October 8, 2011

Introduction

I was able to complete this puzzle, but only with very substantial assistance from the electronic assistants in my Tool Chest. I was beginning to fear that my mind had become rusty during my recent time away, so I was relieved to see that Dave Perry also struggled with the puzzle.

Vocabulary in Today's Puzzle

Appearing in Clues

In cricket, the on (or on side) [4a] is the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch ) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball. It is also known as the leg or leg side.

As usual, The Queen [9a] is abbreviated ER (Elizabetha Regina), Tory [10a] as Con. (Conservative) and Rector [15d] as R (the latter from The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition).

[The] White Horse Inn [11a] is an operetta or musical comedy - set in the picturesque Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria - about the head waiter of the White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang who is desperately in love with the owner of the inn, a resolute young woman who at first only has eyes for one of her regular guests. The show enjoyed huge success around the world in the 1930s, with long runs in cities like London, Paris, Vienna, Munich and New York and was filmed several times. The White Horse Tavern or White Horse Inn is also the name of an establishment in Cambridge [England] which was in the 16th century the meeting place for English Protestant reformers who discussed Lutheran ideas.

Berks. [12a] is the abbreviation for Berkshire, a county of southern England, west of London. Berk is also British slang for a stupid person.

A haar [13a] is a cold sea fog on the east coast of England or Scotland.

Appearing in Solutions

Varese [8a] is a town in Lombardy, northern Italy - located a bit north of Milan.

An imaret [11a] is an inn or hostel for pilgrims in Turkey. Here ti is (in tonic sol-fa) the North American name for the seventh note of a major scale. Surprisingly, there were no cries of outrage from those in the UK, where the name of this note is spelled te (according to the Oxford Dictionary of English).

Anton Chekhov [16a] (1860–1904) was a Russian dramatist and short-story writer whose work, portraying upper-class life in pre-revolutionary Russia with a blend of naturalism and symbolism, had a considerable influence on 20th-century drama. His most notable plays include The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1900), The Three Sisters (1901), and The Cherry Orchard (1904).

Hang it [21a] is a mild oath (likely a euphemism for damn it). Han is the dominant ethnic group in China and git is British slang for an unpleasant or contemptible person.

Eurostar is the trademark for the high-speed passenger rail service that links London with various European cities via the Channel Tunnel.

A cooee [25a] is a call used to attract attention, especially (originally) a long loud high-pitched call on two notes used in the Australian bush. As a verb, it means to utter this call.

Gone west [26a] is a British expression indicating that someone or something has been killed or lost or has met with disaster. This phrase has an almost totally opposite connotation to that of the famous advice by American author Horace Greeley to "Go West, young man".

A leman [3d] is an archaic term for an illicit lover, especially a mistress.

Vita Sackville-West [5d] (1892 – 1962) was an English writer who, despite a strong marriage (she and her husband Harold Nicolson were both bisexual), had affairs with numerous women, including novelist Virginia Woolf. In his review, Dave Perry refers to Vita and Virginia, a two-woman play, created by Eileen Atkins, based on the letters between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West.

RAC Limited is a breakdown company (a firm providing roadside assistance to motorists) in the United Kingdom supplying products and services for motorists. Initially formed as the "Associate Section" of the Royal Automobile Club, it was incorporated as R.A.C. Motoring Services Ltd. in 1978. It was then sold by the members of the Royal Automobile Club to Lex Service Plc in 1999, which subsequently renamed itself RAC Plc (public limited company). In 2005, RAC Plc was bought by Aviva and delisted from the stock exchange (thereby becoming a private limited company).

W. G. Grace [22d] (1848 – 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time.

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.

8a   Some Milanese rave about an Italian city (6)

The Italian city of VARESE is hidden (some) and reversed (about) in the phrase MilanESE RAVe.

11a   Recall note covering for example, White Horse Inn? (6)

IMARET (a Turkish inn) is formed from a reversal (recall) of TI (note) containing (covering) MARE (for example, white horse). Generally, examples are specific instances of a more general category. Therefore, saying that a white horse is an example of a mare hardly sounds right. But then again, saying that a mare is an example of a white horse sounds nearly as bad.

25a   Old head of English in school called to attract attention (6)

Here the wordplay is {O (old) + E (head of English; i.e., first letter of English)} contained in (in) COED (school) producing COOEED (called to attract attention). In Britain, unlike North America (where a coed is a female student at a co-educational institution), coed is a shortened form of the adjective co-educational. It is often the case in Britain that adjectives are used as nouns. Thus, a co-ed school is simply called a co-ed in the same way that an Indian restaurant would simply be referred to as an Indian. On my recent trip, I found this tendency to exist in Ireland as well. I discovered that a stud farm there is known simply as a stud. Of course, I could not resist bringing back a souvenir shirt emblazoned with "Irish National Stud".

1d   Clubs prompt with booze (7)

The wordplay is {C (clubs; one of the four suits in a deck of cards) + AROUSE (prompt)} to form CAROUSE (booze; used as a verb). Collins English Dictionary gives, as one definition of arouse, to evoke or elicit a reaction or response (which better seems to fit the clue than definitions that I found in American dictionaries).

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 9, 2011 - ST 4449

2011-10-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4449 (Forecast)
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, September 4, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4449]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, October 1, 2011 (Forecast)

Introduction

I am currently on vacation, so today's blog has been prepared in advance and is necessarily rather abbreviated. It contains a few brief facts about the puzzle that I expect to appear on this date together with a link to the review at Times for the Times.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, October 2, 2011 - ST 4448

2011-10-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4448 (Forecast)
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, August 28, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4448]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, September 24, 2011 (Forecast)

Sunday, September 25, 2011 - ST 4447

2011-09-25T20:01:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4447
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, August 21, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4447]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, September 17, 2011
Link to Solution at Saturday Star Cryptic Forum Saturday Star Cryptic Forum [ST 4447]

Introduction

I am in the midst of preparing to leave on vacation, so today's blog is necessarily rather abbreviated. During my absence, postings will be of a similar abbreviated nature containing brief facts about the puzzle with a link to the review at Times for the Times. I have also included a link to the solution posted at the Saturday Star Cryptic Forum.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, September 18, 2011 - ST 4446

2011-09-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4446
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, August 14, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4446]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, September 10, 2011

Introduction

This puzzle is a strange mix of rather easy clues mixed with several very difficult (or obscure) ones. I needed to study up on linguistics to solve 13d and take a refresher course in physics for 19d (after incorrectly guessing LUMIENT - only to discover that this word has yet to be invented). The 14-letter word at 15a was also a revelation to me. I almost got it correct - interchanging the first "I" and the "E". Perhaps this word is more common in the U.K., given that the usage example in Oxford is "the valetudinarian English". As for 23a, I was even more in the dark than Dave Perry concerning the wordplay, overlooking the fact that the first letter of "university" is the symbol for the element in question (it seems that I should have brushed up on chemistry as well). Finally, having failed to recognize (more correctly, never having heard of) the British composer and conductor in 19d, I may need some music lessons.

Today's Glossary

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

[An asterisk beside an entry merely indicates that it has been taken it from a Cumulative Glossary of entries which have previously appeared, in either this blog or its companion blog, the National Post Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Solutions

collocation - noun 1 Linguistics [a] the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance: the words have a similar range of collocation [b] a pair or group of words that are habitually juxtaposed: ‘strong tea’ and ‘heavy drinker’ are typical English collocations

dis - noun informal speak disrespectfully to or criticize: [i] I don’t like her dissing my friends; [ii] a campaign of forum postings and emails dissing the company; [iii] maybe you should stop dissing psychics and discover that part of yourself [Origin: (1980s) abbreviation of disrespect]

Dis - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 1. (Also called Orcus or Pluto) the Roman god of the underworld.

il - Italian the

lambert - noun a former unit of luminance, equal to the emission or reflection of one lumen per square centimetre.

Constant Lambert - (1905 – 1951), British composer and conductor.

*lo - exclamation archaic used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event: and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them

love - noun 4 (in tennis, squash, and some other sports) a score of zero; nil: love fifteen [apparently from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money); folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero]

*M² - [1^st entry] abbreviation Cricket (on scorecards) maiden, noun 2 (also maiden over) an over in which no runs are scored.

moot - verb 2 intransitive to dispute or plead, especially as a form of academic exercise.

OT - abbreviation [3^rd entry] Old Testament [cryptic crossword convention books]

Educating Rita - a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell which premiered in 1980. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University lecturer. The play follows the relationship between a young Liverpudlian working-class hairdresser and a middle-aged university lecturer, during the course of a year. The play was adapted by Russell for a 1983 film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters, directed by Lewis Gilbert.

tent² - noun a deep red sweet wine chiefly from Spain, used especially as sacramental wine.

U² - symbol the chemical element uranium.

*(River) Ure - a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 119km long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse

[Walt] Whitman - (1819–92), American poet. In 1855 he published the free verse collection Leaves of Grass, incorporating ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ and ‘Song of Myself’; eight further editions followed in Whitman’s lifetime.

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.

23d What this person does sometimes in a card game sets a pattern (5)

The definition is "pattern" with the solution being IDEAL. The wordplay is "what this person does sometimes in a card game". Here "this person" is the setter of the puzzle referring to himself (or herself) and needs to be replaced by 'I'. This usage is similar to a journalist referring to himself or herself in a newspaper article as "this writer". Thus, "what I do sometimes in a card game" is "I deal". The word "sets" acts as a link word between the wordplay and the definition. Similarly, when words such as "setter" or "compiler" appear in clues, one must replace them with a first person pronoun such as "I" or "me", depending on the particular situation.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, September 11, 2011 - ST 4445

2011-09-11T22:48:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4445
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, August 7, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4445]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, September 3, 2011

Introduction

On the whole, the puzzle did not seem overly difficult, but there are a few tricky clues. I needed Dave Perry to explain the wordplay at 22d where the name of the British middle distance runner does not ring a bell, although I do recall the other two members of the trio mentioned in the Wikipedia entry cited below.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

Meanings listed in this section may reflect how the word is used in the surface reading of the clue. Of course, that meaning may be contributing to the misdirection that the setter is attempting to create.

*leg - noun 5 (also leg side, on or on side) Cricket the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball. The opposite of off.

neat² - noun archaic [a] a bovine animal. [b] [mass noun] cattle.

organ - noun 4 a newspaper or periodical which promotes the views of a political party or movement: he repositioned the journal as a leading organ of neoconservatism

pong - noun British informal a strong, unpleasant smell: corked wine has a powerful pong

Domenico Scarlatti - (1685 – 1757), Italian composer who today is known almost exclusively for his 555 keyboard sonatas mostly written for the harpsichord or the earliest pianofortes. According to Wikipedia, "[By 1709] Scarlatti was already an eminent harpsichordist: there is a story of a trial of skill with George Frideric Handel at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni in Rome where he was judged possibly superior to Handel on that instrument, although inferior on the organ."

Appearing in Solutions

Steve Cram - British retired athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s.

crambo - noun a game in which a player gives a word or line of verse to which each of the other players must find a rhyme.

hook - noun 4 [2^nd entry] Cricket a stroke made to the on side with a horizontal or slightly upward swing of the bat at shoulder height.

on - (also on side) noun Cricket the leg side (or, simply, leg) [see definition for leg in Appearing in Clues section above]

mock turtle soup - noun imitation turtle soup made from a calf’s head.

Edvard Munch - (1863–1944), Norwegian painter and engraver. He infused his subjects with an intense emotionalism, exploring the use of vivid colour and linear distortion to express feelings about life and death. Notable works: the Frieze of Life sequence, incorporating The Scream (1893).

Quentin Tarantino - American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor.

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.

27a Traditional dancing venue for a day? Stick with it! (7)

According to Wikipedia, a maypole is "a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, particularly on May Day, or Pentecost (Whitsun) although in some countries it is instead erected at Midsummer. In some cases the maypole is a permanent feature that is only utilised during the festival, although in other cases it is erected specifically for the purpose before being taken down again." Since people traditionally dance around the maypole during these festivals, it is a "traditional dancing venue for a day" (in Britain, the festival seems to occur on a single day, May 1 or May Day). But what about the rest of the clue ("Stick with it!"). Well "stick" is certainly a reference to the maypole, and since the maypole is reputed by some to be a phallic symbol, the "it!" may be intended to mean "sex appeal". This would make the maypole a stick with sex appeal.

it¹ - pronoun 8 (usually ‘it’) informal sexual intercourse or sex appeal

22d Athlete's natural pong coming after game (6)

The definition is "game" and we are looking for CRAMBO (a game that I had never heard of). The wordplay is a charade of CRAM (athlete) and BO (pong). Steve Cram is a retired British middle distance runner and pong is British slang for an unpleasant smell - such as body odour (BO).

24d Pirate's powerful shots to side of leg (5)

This is a double definition, with one definition being "pirate" for which the solution is HOOK, the pirate captain from Peter Pan. The second definition is "powerful shots to the side of the leg". Here "to the side of the leg" means the 'leg side' (also called the 'on side') of a cricket field. In cricket, a hook is a "powerful shot" to the "on side" (or "leg side") of the field.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, August 28, 2011 - ST 4443

2011-08-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4443
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, July 24, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4443]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, August 20, 2011

Introduction

I certainly seem to have found this puzzle much more of a challenge than the Brits did. There are a fair number of British references - including a disputed flyspeck of a rock in the Atlantic Ocean (apparently Britain's equivalent to Hans Island).

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

Ascot Racecourse - a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle.

The centrepiece of Ascot’s year, Royal Ascot (held in June) is one of Europe's most famous race meetings, and dates back to 1711. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. There are 3 enclosures attended by guests on Royal Ascot week - with the Royal Enclosure being the most prestigious. The dress code for the Royal Enclosure is strictly enforced. For women, only a day dress with a hat or fascinator is acceptable, with rules applying to the length of the dress. In addition, women must not show bare midriffs or shoulders. For men, black or grey morning dress with top hat is required.

domestic - noun 1 (also domestic worker or domestic help) a person who is paid to help with cleaning and other menial tasks in a person’s home.

Appearing in Solutions

*AB² - abbreviation [1^st entry] able seaman, noun a rank of sailor in the Royal Navy above ordinary seaman and below leading seaman

abradant - [American Heritage Dictionary] adjective abrasive

Angers - a town in western France, capital of the former province of Anjou

banger - noun British informal 1 a sausage: bangers and mash

charwoman - noun British dated a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office.

ff - abbeviation Music fortissimo, adverb & adjective (especially as a direction) very loud or loudly: the movement ends with a fortissimo coda

H² - abbreviation [1^st entry] hard (used in describing grades of pencil lead): a 2H pencil

Ir. - abbreviation 1 Ireland. 2 Irish.

lowlander - [an inhabitant of] the Lowlands, the region of Scotland lying south and east of the Highlands

[Battle of] Naseby - a major battle of the English Civil War, which took place in 1645 near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Royalist army of Prince Rupert and King Charles I was decisively defeated by the New Model Army under General Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.

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

Royal Academy of the Arts (also Royal Academy) - an institution established in London in 1768, whose purpose was to cultivate painting, sculpture, and architecture in Britain.

*read - verb 5 chiefly British study (an academic subject) at a university: I'm reading English at Cambridge; [no object] he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

Rockall - an extremely small, uninhabited, remote rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. It gives its name to one of the sea areas named in the shipping forecast provided by the British Meteorological Office.

Rockall - an uninhabited British island in the N Atlantic, 354 km (220 miles) W of the Outer Hebrides. Area: 0.07 ha (0.18 acres) [102 feet long x 83 feet wide]

rune - noun 1 [1^st entry] a letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet, related to the Roman alphabet: [i] long ago, a rune had been carved in the centre of the stone, [ii] the pommel and guard are embellished with runes

sett (also set) - noun 1 the earth or burrow of a badger.

sword of Damocles - phrase used to refer to an extremely precarious situation.

Damocles - a legendary courtier who extravagantly praised the happiness of Dionysius I, ruler of Syracuse. To show him how precarious this happiness was , Dionysius seated him at a banquet with a sword hung by a single hair over his head.

*up - adverb 4 [2^nd entry] British at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge: they were up at Cambridge about the same time

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 Eric it could be in the tall grass (4,4)

The wordplay here is a reverse anagram. In a regular anagram type clue, the clue contains an anagram indicator and fodder (the letters on which the anagram indicator operates) and the answer to the anagram is found in the solution to the clue. In a reverse anagram, the answer to the anagram is part of the clue and the anagram indicator and fodder are contained in the solution to the clue.

In case at hand, the definition is "tall grass" with the solution being WILD RICE. "Eric" could be an anagram of RICE - which might be clued in a cryptic crossword as "wild rice". Thus the answer to the anagram (Eric) is found in the clue and the anagram itself (wild rice) is contained in the solution - in fact, in this case, it constitutes the entire solution.

29a Birds in at least three quarrels? (8)

Whether by coincidence - or not - there seems to be a major bit of misdirection present here. I quickly recognized that "quarrels" might be ARROWS (see definition below), but then was at a loss to explain the remainder of the wordplay. As Dave Perry explains, the definition is "quarrels" with the solution being SPARROWS. The wordplay is SPAR (quarrel) + ROWS (at least two more quarrels). It seems that ARROWS play no part in it!

quarrel² - noun historical a short, heavy square-headed arrow or bolt used in a crossbow or arbalest.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, August 21, 2011 - ST 4442

2011-08-21T12:09:00.001-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4442
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, July 17, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4442]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, August 13, 2011

Introduction

I needed a bit of electronic help to complete this puzzle. The clues that caused me grief were also among those mentioned as being troublesome by some of the Brits writing at Times for the Times. These were primarily those located in the northeast quadrant as well as the phrase (new to me) at 20d/17a.

Today's Errata

15a One leaves Tia Maria with German to be shaken up for a cocktail (9)

It would appear that "German" may have accidentally infiltrated this clue from the following one. I would think that the clue was intended to read:

15a One leaves Tia Maria with Greek to be shaken up for a cocktail (9)

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

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

chippy - noun informal 2 British a carpenter.

Appearing in Solutions

autobahn - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun An expressway in Germany and German-speaking countries.

batwoman - noun a female attendant or cleaner serving an officer in the British services.

David Beckham - English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C. Milan, as well as the England national team, for whom he holds the all-time appearance record for an outfield player.

Cerberus - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 1. Greek mythology a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance to Hades; a sop to Cerberus a bribe or something given to propitiate a potential source of danger or problems.

Gr. - abbreviation Greek.

Great Seal - a seal used for the authentication of state documents of the highest importance. That of the UK is held by the Lord Chancellor and that of the US by the Secretary of State.

Mohican¹ (North American Mohawk) - noun a hairstyle with the head shaved except for a strip of hair from the middle of the forehead to the back of the neck, typically stiffened to stand erect or in spikes. [Origin: (1960s) erroneously associated with the American Indian people (see Huron)]

tallith - noun a fringed shawl traditionally worn by Jewish men at prayer.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

25a Left in charge of small architectural feature (7)

The wordplay is PORT (left) + IC (in charge) + O (of small; i.e., a cryptic way of saying the first letter of the word "Of").

27a Aida, for example - extremely tiresome work (7)

The wordplay is OPERA (Aida, for example) + TE (extremely tiresome; i.e., a cryptic way of saying the first and last letters of the word "TiresomE").

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, August 14, 2011 - ST 4441

2011-08-14T23:59:00.154-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4441
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, July 10, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4441]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, August 6, 2011

Introduction

I did not finish this puzzle on the day it was published and came back to it a week later, getting the solutions to a few more clues. However, I eventually threw in the towel with four interlocking clues in the northeast quadrant (3a, 13a, 4d, and 5d) remaining unsolved. It did not help that - like Dave Perry - I had entered the wrong anagram for TASER at 6d (STARES rather than TEARS). It did sooth my wounded ego a bit to see that Dave Perry rated this to be the most difficult puzzle he has seen since he started writing the blog at Times for the Times.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

cove² - noun British informal, dated a man: he is a perfectly amiable cove

*porter¹ - noun 2 dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature [originally made as a drink for porters]

punter [1^st entry] - noun 1 informal, chiefly British a person who gambles, places a bet, or makes a risky investment.

valve - noun 1 [2^nd entry] British short for thermionic valve, noun Electronics a device giving a flow of thermionic electrons in one direction, used especially in the rectification of a current and in radio reception [North American tube or thermionic tube]

Appearing in Solutions

*b. - abbreviation 2 cricket bowled.

barbel - noun 1 a fleshy filament growing from the mouth or snout of a fish. 2 a large European freshwater fish of the carp family, which has barbels hanging from the mouth [Barbus barbus, family Cyprinidae]. 3 [with modifier] an African marine or freshwater fish with barbels round the mouth [Species in several families, including Tachysurus feliceps (family Aniidae), of southern African coasts and estuaries].

Burlesque - a seemingly little-known play written by obscure playwrights George Manker Watters and Arthur Hopkins which had two theatrical runs - the first in 1927 and the second from December 1946 to January 1948.

crayon - noun a pencil or stick of coloured chalk or wax, used for drawing. [Note: To my way of thinking, a crayon is a stick of coloured wax, and would include neither a piece of chalk nor a pencil. However, it would appear that this distinction is not accepted universally.]

*it² - noun British informal, dated Italian vermouth: he poured a gin and it

mews - noun British a row or street of houses or flats that have been converted from stables or built to look like former stables: an eighteenth-century mews

p - [4^th entry] abbreviation Music piano², (especially as a direction) adjective soft, adverb softly

pit - noun 9 (the pit) literary hell

quite - exclamation (also quite so) expressing agreement with or understanding of a remark or statement: [First speaker] ‘I don’t want to talk about that now.’ [Second speaker] ‘Quite'

requite - verb formal [a] make appropriate return for (a favour, service , or wrongdoing): they are quick to requite a kindness [b] return a favour to (someone): to win enough to requite my friends [c] respond to (love or affection): she did not requite his love

tetrode - [The American Heritage Science Dictionary] A four-element electron tube containing an anode, cathode, control grid, and additional electrode called the screen. They function in the same manner as triode, but are more effective at higher frequencies due to the effect of the screen.

turn - noun [2^nd entry] a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession: a comic turn

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.

10a   Broadway show band's opening surely almost arranged? Yes, take it away! (9)

The definition is "Broadway show" for which the solution seems to be the 1927 show BURLESQUE (which was restaged in 1946 for a run of just over a year) - and not the 2010 musical film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. The wordplay is B (band's opening; i.e., the opening letter of "band") + an anagram (arranged) of SUREL (surely almost; i.e., almost all of "surely") + QUE {QUITE (yes) with IT deleted (take it away)}.

By the way, the Brits seemed to think that burlesque is merely a reference to the genre rather than the 1927 play.

9d   Do think sea cooler (4,4)

The definition is "cooler" (noun) with the solution being HEAT SINK. The wordplay is an anagram (do) of THINK SEA. Here "do" is used in the sense of 'arrange' as in the expression 'It takes her twenty minutes just to do her hair every morning'.

26d   Cries from cat heard in converted stables (4)

As Dave Perry's comment seems to make absolutely no sense in the context of this clue, I can only guess that a different clue has been substituted in the syndicated version of the puzzle from that which appeared in the U.K. The clue in the U.K. must have involved a play on the homophone pair of MEWS and MUSE. The version of the clue seen here is merely a (very poor) double definition with "cries from cat" and "converted stables" both being definitions of MEWS. In this case, the word "heard" would appear to be totally superfluous, as "Cries from cat in converted stables" would seem to stand on its own. Perhaps the original clue was something along the lines of "Cries of cat heard from Greek goddess" in which the solution would be MEWS (cries of cat) and the wordplay would be sounds like (heard from) MUSE (Greek goddess).

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, August 7, 2011 - ST 4440

2011-08-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4440
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, July 3, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4440]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, July 30, 2011

Introduction

I found the puzzle to be a tad easier than some that we have seen lately. There were a few new expressions but I was able to figure them out from the wordplay. One bit of wordplay did elude me (26a) where I tried vainly to insert one of the four cardinal points of the compass into ACTOR (which I thought might qualify as an "active person"). Eventually, I resorted to my electronic aids which revealed that only a single candidate matched the checking letters.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

Chinese - noun 2 [a] a native or inhabitant of China, or a person of Chinese descent. [b] British informal a Chinese meal. [c] British informal a Chinese restaurant.

Appearing in Solutions

curé - noun a parish priest in a French-speaking country.

*ER - abbreviation Queen Elizabeth. [from Latin Elizabetha Regina]

G-man - 1 US informal an FBI agent. [Origin: (1930s) probably an abbreviation of Government man]

OK! - British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news.

pleasure garden - a garden that is opened to the public for recreation. They are differentiated from other public gardens by containing entertainments in addition to the planting; for example, concert halls or bandstands, rides, zoos or menageries.

Purim - noun a lesser Jewish festival held in spring (on the 14th or 15th day of Adar) to commemorate the defeat of Haman's plot to massacre the Jews as recorded in the book of Esther.

purism - noun 1 scrupulous or exaggerated observance of or insistence on traditional rules or structures, especially in language or style. 2 (Purism) an early 20th -century artistic style and movement founded by Le Corbusier and the French painter Amédée Ozenfant (1886–1966) and emphasizing purity of geometric form . It arose out of a rejection of cubism and was characterized by a return to the representation of recognizable objects.

ranker¹ - noun 1 chiefly British [a] a soldier in the ranks; a private. [b] a commissioned officer who has been in the ranks.

S² - abbreviation [1^st entry] (chiefly in Catholic use) Saint: S Ignatius Loyola

yuan - noun (plural same) the basic monetary unit of China, equal to 10 jiao or 100 fen.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, July 31, 2011 - ST 4439

2011-07-31T23:30:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4439
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, June 26, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4439]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, July 23, 2011

Introduction

I seem to have found this puzzle to be much more difficult than did Dave Perry. There is definitely some pretty tricky wordplay present today. The implements in my Tool Chest got a good workout today. In checking my solution, I discovered that I had one of them incorrect (16a).

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Solutions

awn - noun 1 Botany in some grasses, eg barley: a small stiff bristle projecting from the lemma or glumes.

chop-chop [or chop chop] - [likely British] adverb & exclamation quickly; quick: ‘Two pints, chop-chop,’ Jimmy called [Origin: (mid 19th century) pidgin English, based on Chinese dialect kuaì-kuaì.}

cod² - verb play a joke or trick on (someone): he was definitely codding them

codswallop - noun British informal nonsense.

dyke² - noun 2 a ditch or watercourse.

Before encountering this meaning of dyke in British cryptic crosswords, I had always understood the word to mean only "a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea". This led me to suspect that its meaning as a ditch might be a Briticism. However, this meaning does appear in American as well as British dictionaries without mention of it being specifically British. Since I have never seen it used in this sense outside of British cryptic crossword puzzles, it may be used in this sense more commonly in Britain than in North America - or perhaps it is found only in Crosswordland!

estate - noun 1 [2^nd entry] British an area of land and modern buildings developed for residential, industrial, or commercial purposes.

hellebore - noun [a] a poisonous winter-flowering Eurasian plant of the buttercup family, typically having coarse divided leaves and large white, green, or purplish flowers [Genus Helleborus, family Ranunculaceae: several species, including the Christmas rose] [b] a false helleborine.

Joseph Heller (1923 – 1999) - American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright. His best known work is Catch-22, a novel about American servicemen during World War II. The title of this work entered the English lexicon to refer to absurd, no-win choices, particularly in situations in which the desired outcome of the choice is an impossibility, and regardless of choice, the same negative outcome is a certainty.

*lo - exclamation archaic used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event: and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them

*para¹ - noun informal 1 a paratrooper

speedwell - noun a small creeping herbaceous plant of north temperate regions, with small blue or pink flowers. [Genus Veronica, family Scrophulariaceae: several species, including the germander speedwell]

steak pie - a traditional meat pie served in Britain.

A steak pie is made from stewing steak and beef gravy, enclosed in a pastry shell. Sometimes mixed vegetables are included in the filling. Steak pie is subtly different from Steak and kidney pie. In Ireland Guinness Stout is commonly added along with bacon and onions, and the result is commonly referred to as a Steak and Guinness Pie (or Guinness Pie for short). A Steak and Ale pie is a similar creation, popular in British pubs, using one of a variety of ales in place of the Guinness. The dish is often served with "steak chips" (thickly sliced potatoes fried, sometimes fried in beef dripping). Steak Pies are also available from chip shops, served with normal chips, referred to in Scotland as a steak pie supper.

sting - verb 1 [4^th entry] (sting someone into) provoke someone to do (something) by causing annoyance or offence: he was stung into action by an article in the paper

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.

16a   Stingy character's wise saying about a penny (4)

I missed badly on this tricky clue. The best I could do was put in WISE (drawn from the old adage "Penny wise, pound foolish"). The correct solution is WASP (a stingy character; i.e., something that stings - rather than the miserly person to whom the setter attempts to misdirect us).

As for the wordplay, even there my first attempt to explain it proved faulty. I initially supposed it went WAS (wise saying; i.e., sounds like "wise" - or, at least, I presumed it must in the U.K.) next to (about) P (a penny). But, no, it seems that this is not at all correct. The wordplay is WAS {a reversal (about) of SAW (wise saying)} + P (a penny).

2d   In bed I grow weary after reading most of US novelist (9)

The definition is "In bed I grow" which indicates a plant found in a garden (bed). The wordplay is BORE (weary) after HELLE

3d   Sprite gets 6 out of 9 (5)

The definition is "sprite" with the solution being PIXIE. In the clue, "6" is a cross-reference to 6d (PIE) and "9" needs to be interpreted as the Roman numeral IX. Making these substitutions, the clue becomes:

Sprite gets PIE out of IX (5)

Thus "gets" seems to serve as a [somewhat tenuous] link word between the definition (sprite) and the wordplay (PIE out of IX). The wordplay would appear to be PIE containing (out[side] of) IX.

7d Cow, perhaps, eating grassy bristles at front of meadow - this will help stop that! (4,5)

Despite what the clue says, this cow (LOWER) is eating (containing) only a single grassy bristle (AWN) at front of meadow (M). The solution, LAWN MOWER, will help stop that by eliminating the stalks of grass supporting the awns.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, July 24, 2011 - ST 4438

2011-07-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4438
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, June 19, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4438]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, July 16, 2011

Introduction

I found this puzzle to be a bit more difficult than usual and needed electronic help to solve the last three clues (2d, 25a, and 26a). On the first, I often have difficulty when the clue calls for a random name and I never got past thinking of tenor in its musical sense.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

keep - noun 3 the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.

Appearing in Solutions

Dogs of war - a phrase from Act 3, Scene 1, line 273 of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war".

Stockton-on-Tees - a market town in North East England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority area and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. ... Stockton Castle is first referred to in 1376. It was captured by the Scots in 1644 and was occupied by them until 1646, but was destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell at the end of the Civil War. There is now a shopping centre, called the Castlegate Centre, where the original castle stood.

stay² - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun 2. A strip of bone, plastic, or metal, used to stiffen a garment or part, such as a corset or shirt collar. 3. stays A corset.

Weston-super-Mare - a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, 18 miles (29 km) south west of Bristol.

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.

25a Yen to drop old-fashioned underwear is leading to arrest (6)

I hate this clue construction in which (as I interpret it) there is an implied 'from' to make the clue read "Yen to drop [from] old-fashioned underwear is leading to arrest". The "old-fashioned underwear" is STAYS (a type of corset) from which we drop Y (yen) and then add IS (included in the clue) to get (leading to) STASIS (arrest). I was familiar with a stay being a strip of bone to stiffen a corset but did not know that a stays is a corset.

5d Idiot crowding round interior of broken convertible? (6-2)

I looked in vain for a definition here, finally concluding that the clue must be intended to be a & lit. This supposition is confirmed by the banter on Times for the Times. The entire clue serves as the definition, describing someone who seems to be brazenly gawking at an automobile accident, for which the solution is LOOKER-ON. The entire clue (read another way) also serves as the wordplay, and is LOON (idiot) containing (crowding round) {an anagram (convertible) of the "interior [letters] of bROKEn"}.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, July 17, 2011 - ST 4437

2011-07-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4437
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, June 12, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4437]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, July 9, 2011

Introduction

There is some tricky wordplay in today's puzzle. However, having plenty of time and no access to my Tool Chest, I eventually worked my way through it. A couple of the solutions were new words to me, but I was able to work them out from the wordplay.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

dress - verb 3 [7^th subentry] arrange or style (hair).

jolly - noun 3. British slang a Royal Marine

soldier - noun 3 British informal a strip of bread or toast, used for dipping into a soft-boiled egg.

Appearing in Solutions

ANC - abbreviation African National Congress.

Asti - noun 1 a white wine from the Italian province of Asti and neighbouring parts of Piedmont. 2 a light sparkling wine from the Asti region.

atrium - noun (plural atria or atriums) 1 [1^st entry] Architecture an open-roofed entrance hall or central court in an ancient Roman house.

beef tea - noun British a drink made from stewed extract of beef, used as nourishment for invalids.

char - noun British informal a charwoman.

copper-bottomed - adjective British thoroughly reliable; certain not to fail: a copper-bottomed guarantee [from earlier usage referring to the copper sheathing of the bottom of a ship]

*EC (Eastern Central) postcode area (also known as the London EC postcode area) - a group of postcode districts in central London, England which includes almost all of the City of London and parts of several other London Boroughs.

*ER - abbreviation Queen Elizabeth. [from Latin Elizabetha Regina] [Note: She is Head of State for the United Kingdom, as well as for Canada and many other Commonwealth countries.]

largo - Music adverb & adjective (especially as a direction) in a slow tempo and dignified in style. noun a passage, movement, or composition marked to be performed in this way.

LEM - abbreviation lunar excursion module.

lunar module - noun a small craft used for travelling between the moon's surface and an orbiting spacecraft ( formerly known as lunar excursion module or LEM).

RM - abbreviation [3^rd entry] (in the UK) Royal Marines, a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances.

Sir Roy Colin Strong FRSL - English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer. He has been director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

*U³ - adjective British informal (of language or social behaviour) characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes: U manners. [consequently superior]

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, July 10, 2011 - ST 4436

2011-07-10T21:44:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4436
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, June 5, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4436]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, July 2, 2011

Introduction

It is a rather challenging puzzle today. As I had lots of time, I was able to solve most of it - with some help from my Tool Chest on the last few clues. However, even with my electronic aids, I failed to find the solution to 11d and needed to get the solution from Dave Perry's review.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

abstract - verb 2 (usually abstract something from) [a] extract or remove (something): applications to abstract more water from streams [b] used euphemistically to indicate that someone has stolen something: his pockets contained all he had been able to abstract from the flat

Francis Bacon (1909 – 1992) - Anglo-Irish figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery.

wind someone up - 1 British informal tease or irritate someone: she's only winding me up

Appearing in Solutions

Tracey Emin - an English artist and part of the group known as Britartists or YBAs (Young British Artists).

Highlights of her work include Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, a tent appliquéd with names, exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and My Bed (shown at right), an installation at the Tate Gallery consisting of her own unmade dirty bed with used condoms and blood-stained underwear.

*ER - abbreviation Queen Elizabeth. [from Latin Elizabetha Regina]

keel² - noun British a flat-bottomed boat of a kind formerly used on the Rivers Tyne and Wear for loading ships carrying coal.

Frederic William Maitland (1850 – 1906) - English jurist and historian, generally regarded as the modern father of English legal history.

pint - noun [2^nd entry] British informal a pint of beer: we'll probably go for a pint on the way home

roulade - noun 2 a florid passage of runs in classical music for a solo virtuoso, especially one sung to one syllable.

water rat - noun British another term for water vole, a large semiaquatic vole which excavates burrows in the banks of rivers [Genera Arvicola and Microtus, family Muridae: three species, in particular the European water vole (A. terrestris) and the American water vole (M. richardsoni)].

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, July 3, 2011 - ST 4435

2011-07-03T23:57:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4435
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 29, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4435]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, June 26, 2011

Introduction

I would think that this is by far the most difficult puzzle we have seen in a long time. I can usually complete a puzzle with help from a range of puzzle solving aids. However, not today - I threw in the towel with three clues remaining unsolved and sought guidance from Dave Perry's review at Times for the Times. It was somewhat of a relief to find that he also found the puzzle to be much more difficult than usual. The clues that I had difficulty with were interlinked in the northwest quadrant - 1a, 1d, and 3d. I also had a couple instances where I had written in a solution but did not understand the wordplay. One of these instances was 20d, while the other was 16d where I had made the same error as Dave Perry.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

premiership - noun 2 (the Premiership) the top division of professional soccer in England.

presenter - noun British a person who introduces and appears in a television or radio programme.

Appearing in Solutions

autocar - noun archaic a motor vehicle.

[be] set fair - phrase British (of the weather) be fine and likely to stay fine for a time.

grab bag - noun North American [a] a lucky dip [see below] in which wrapped items are chosen by people at random. [b] an assortment of items in a sealed bag which one buys or is given without knowing what the contents are.

lucky dip - noun British [a] a game in which small prizes are concealed in a container and chosen at random by participants. [b] a process of choosing or deciding something purely at random.

hetaera - noun a courtesan or mistress, especially an educated one in ancient Greece.

pot¹ - verb 3 Billiards & Snooker strike (a ball) into a pocket: he failed to pot a red at close range

potty² - adjective informal, chiefly British 1 [a] mad; crazy: he's driving me potty [b] [predicative] extremely enthusiastic about or fond of someone or something: she's potty about you

Spur - a player on the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

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   Presenter's screen captures hit from the east (7)

I must admit that I fell for the misdirection in this clue. In Britain, "a person who introduces and appears in a television or radio programme" is known as a presenter. But that is not the meaning - at least in the cryptic reading - in this clue. Here presenter means a person who gives something - for example, perhaps a benefactor who gives a valuable piece of art to a museum (i.e., a DONATOR). Furthermore, screen is not a television screen as the surface reading might infer. Rather, it is a DOOR - presumably short for screen door. Finally, "hit from the east" indicates a reversal (from the east) of TAN (hit).

1d   Damper device - put in pocket (7)

Even though DASHPOT was included in a list of words that match the checking letters, I failed to recognize it as the solution. A dashpot is a device for damping vibrations in which a vibrating part is attached to a piston moving in a liquid-filled cylinder. The wordplay is DASH (-) + POT (put in pocket). I failed to realize that the punctuation formed part of the wordplay and I also missed the billiards reference.

15d   A softened composition? No good for one such (5-4)

Dave Perry comments in his review "I'm not sure this really works as a semi-&lit. Being stone-deaf doesn't really have anything to do with being hard." However, a "softened [musical] composition" would be played less loudly (not less hard), and this would definitely not benefit one who is STONE DEAF. [I note that a visitor to Times for the Times has left a similar comment].

20d   With which some can become so entangled (6)

The definition is "entangled" for which the solution is MESHED. The wordplay indicates that we must identify a means of converting "some" into "so". Well, "some" with 'me shed' would produce "so".

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, June 26, 2011 (ST 4434)

2011-06-26T10:38:00.001-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4434
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 22, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4434]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, June 18, 2011

Introduction

This is certainly among the easiest Sunday Times puzzles I have seen, although there are one or two British expressions that create an added bit of challenge on this side of the Atlantic.

By the way, the acronym DBE - which appears in the review at Times for the Times - means 'definition by example'.

Today's Errata

There does appear to be a fairly obvious typo in 20d (unless it is yet another Briticism!) which may be specific to the syndicated version of the puzzle as it is not mentioned on Times for the Times (or perhaps it is just too trivial to bear mention).

20d What old shoes may be, we hear - gor rid of in charity shop? (6)

I would presume that the clue should read 'got' in place of "gor".

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

worker - noun 3 a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.

Appearing in Solutions

Dololmite Mountains (also the Dolomites) - a range of the Alps in northern Italy, so named because the characteristic rock of the region is dolomitic limestone.

hallo - [seemingly chiefly British] variant spelling of hello

Ir. - abbreviation 1 Ireland. 2 Irish.

keep your hair on! - phrase British informal used to urge someone not to panic or lose their temper.

laird - noun (in Scotland) a person who owns a large estate.

mousetrap - noun [2^nd entry] (also mousetrap cheese) British informal cheese of poor quality.

*U³ - adjective British informal (of language or social behaviour) characteristic of or appropriate to the upper social classes: U manners. [consequently superior]

Ur - an ancient Sumerian city formerly on the Euphrates, in southern Iraq. It was one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, dating from the 4th millennium bc , and reached its zenith in the late 3rd millennium bc .

vac - noun British 1 informal term for vacation 2 informal term for vacuum cleaner

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.

16d Shopkeepers smartened up (9)

The definition is "shopkeepers" with the solution being TRADESMEN which is an anagram (up) of SMARTENED. In his review, Dave Perry comments "I'm really not sure about 'up' as an anagrind". I would suggest that it might be used in the following sense:

up - adverb 5 [1^st entry] into the desired or a proper condition: the government agreed to set up a committee of inquiry

Therefore, I deduced that the phrase "smartened up" would mean 'smartened into the desired or proper condition' - making up not a bad anagrind at all.

However, I note that this is not the explanation given by Peter Biddlecombe (puzzle editor for The Sunday Times) in a comment at Times for the Times.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, June 5, 2011 (ST 4431)

2011-06-05T11:08:00.002-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4431
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 1, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4431]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, May 28, 2011

Introduction

It is a fairly typical Sunday Times crossword today, with a liberal sprinkling of Briticisms, several anachronisms, a few obscurities, and an error in one clue. I completed most of it without electronic assistance, but eventually resorted to my Tool Chest with four clues remaining. As it turned out, these were not necessarily the most difficult clues in the puzzle - just clues for which I seemed to have a mental block.

Today's Errata

1a Ensure article attached to peg is collected by sentry (10)

As usual, an error which apparently appeared in both the printed and online versions of the puzzle in The Sunday Times gets replicated in the syndicated version of the puzzle. According to Dave Perry's review, the error did get fixed in the online version in the U.K. - but obviously not in the version shipped overseas. The clue should read:

1a Ensured article attached to peg is collected by sentry (10)

with the initial word being "ensured" rather than "ensure".

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

castle - noun [3^rd entry] Chess, informal old-fashioned term for rook.

*Isle of Man - an island in the Irish Sea which is a British Crown dependency having home rule, with its own legislature (the Tynwald) and judicial system; population 82,000 (est. 2009); capital, Douglas. The island was part of the Norse kingdom of the Hebrides in the Middle Ages, passing into Scottish hands in 1266 for a time, until the English gained control in the early 15th century. Its ancient language, Manx, is still occasionally used for ceremonial purposes.

*pound¹ - noun 2 (also pound sterling) (plural pounds sterling) the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence.

see² - noun the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop.

Appearing in Solutions

cad - [Collins English Dictionary] noun British informal, old-fashioned a man who does not behave in a gentlemanly manner towards others.

dacoit - noun (in India or Burma (Myanmar) ) a member of a band of armed robbers.

eight - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 6. Rowing a. a racing shell propelled by eight oarsmen. b. the crew of such a shell.

(have) one over the eight - phrase British informal have one drink too many. [probably from the assumption that the average person can drink eight pints of beer without getting drunk]

*(Diocese of) Ely - a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely.

fantail - noun 2 (also fantail pigeon) a domestic pigeon of a broad-tailed variety.

*L² - abbreviation [5^th entry] British (on a motor vehicle) learner driver.

*L or l - U.K. money pounds [Latin librae]

line-out - noun 1 Rugby [a.] a formation of parallel lines of opposing forwards at right angles to the touchline when the ball is thrown in. [b.] an occasion when the ball is thrown in to a line-out.

petard - noun historical [a.] a small bomb made of a metal or wooden box filled with powder, used to blast down a door or to make a hole in a wall. [b.] a kind of firework that explodes with a sharp report.

R² - abbreviation [12^th entry] rook (in recording moves in chess): 21.Rh4

skat - noun a three-handed trick-taking card game with bidding, originating in Germany.

slip¹ - noun 4 Cricket [a.] a fielding position (often one of two or more in an arc) close behind the batsman on the off side, for catching balls edged by the batsman: he was caught in the slips for 32; King is at first slip [b.] a fielder at slip.

(Tiny) Tim (full name "Timothy Cratchit") - a fictional character in the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In the story, Tiny Tim is known for the statement, "God bless us, every one!" which he offers as a blessing at Christmas dinner. Dickens repeats the phrase at the end of the story.

trouser - verb [with object] British informal receive or take (something, especially money) for oneself; pocket: they claimed that he had trousered a £2 million advance

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.

18a   Mistake having one fielder close to the wicket? (4-2)

The definition is "mistake" with the solution being SLIP-UP. The wordplay seems to be SLIP (one fielder) + UP (close to wicket). Admittedly, this use of the word 'up' is a guess on my part. However, The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition gives one definition of up as "towards a centre (such as a capital, great town, or university)". Therefore, it would seem to be not be much of a stretch to suppose that a cricket fielder positioned close to the wicket might be described as playing 'up' - just as a baseball fielder is described as playing either 'in' (positioned closer to home plate) or 'out' (further from home plate). An even better example is [North American] football, where a player might play 'up' (toward the line of scrimmage) or 'back' (away from the the line of scrimmage).

21a   One has no fancy ideas about joining the top celebs (7)

The definition may merely be "one has no fancy ideas" or - should one deem this to be a semi-&lit. clue - it may be the entire clue. The solution, in either case, is REALIST with the wordplay being RE (about) + (joining) A-LIST (the top celebs).

22a   Bank in free fall (4)

The definition is "bank" with the solution REEF being hidden in (in) fREE Fall.

3d   Speed of old car - not the maximum speed (4)

The definition is "speed" (the first instance of the word in the clue) for which the solution is RATE. The wordplay is CRATE (old car) with the C deleted (not the maximum speed). I was trying to relate the C to highway speeds, with C being the Roman numeral for 100. However, the maximum road speed in the United Kingdom is 70 miles per hour (113 kilometres per hour), which hardly works. I learned from Dave Perry's review that a much faster speed is called for - the speed of light.

14d   Neil perhaps in formation on sports field (4-3)

The definition is "formation on sports field" having the solution LINE-OUT (a rugby formation). The wordplay "Neil perhaps" is an instance of reverse wordplay. "Neil" could be (perhaps) an anagram of LINE, which would commonly be clued in a cryptic crossword clue as 'line out' - an anagram (out) of LINE.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, May 29, 2011 (ST 4430)

2011-05-29T20:26:00.002-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4430
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, April 24, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4430]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, May 21, 2011

Introduction

I found today's puzzle to be very difficult, although I did persevere and eventually I succeeded in completing it. However, my newspaper was covered with question marks where I was not able to fully decipher the clues. In many cases, I was able to see part of the wordplay but could not formulate the complete picture. Among the bits of wordplay that I missed were getting to the French word for friend via Cockney rhyming slang in 12a, the "drama queen's last part" in 11a, and the invented definition for "polish" at 6d. I note that there is more than the normal chatter on Times for the Times concerning this puzzle. It seems that the Brits found several of the clues to be more than a little contentious.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

aluminium - British name for the chemical element known in North America as aluminum.

arcade - noun 1 [a] a covered passage with arches along one or both sides. [b] a covered walk with shops along one or both sides.

Armagnac - a type of brandy traditionally made in Aquitaine in SW France.

The Scotland Office - a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs. It is distinct entity within the Ministry of Justice.

Appearing in Solutions

Al - symbol the chemical element aluminium [North American aluminum].

As - symbol the chemical element arsenic.

carry-on - noun [usually in singular] British informal [a] a display of excitement or fuss over an unimportant matter: I never saw such a carry-on! [b] (also carryings-on) questionable behaviour, typically involving sexual impropriety: the sort of carry-on that goes on behind the chintz curtains of suburbia

grenadine² - noun dress fabric of loosely woven silk or silk and wool.

Horatio Nelson - Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte (1758–1805), British admiral. Nelson became a national hero as a result of his victories at sea in the Napoleonic Wars, especially the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was mortally wounded.

No² - noun variant spelling of Noh, traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from Shinto rites.

Perrier (also Perrier water) - noun trademark an effervescent natural mineral water sold as a drink.[origin: from the name of a spring at Vergèze, France, from which this water comes]

po - noun British informal a chamber pot. [Note: despite Oxford's designation of this as a British term, Dave Perry claims it to be Australian.]

Bertrand Russell - 3rd Earl Russell (1872–1970), British philosopher, mathematician, and social reformer; full name Bertrand Arthur William Russell. In Principia Mathematica (1910–13) he and A. N. Whitehead attempted to express all of mathematics in formal logic terms . He expounded logical atomism in Our Knowledge of the External World (1914) and neutral monism in The Analysis of Mind (1921). A conscientious objector during the First World War, he also campaigned for women's suffrage and against nuclear arms. Nobel Prize for Literature (1950).

tapster - noun archaic a person who draws and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar.

taster - noun 2 British a small quantity or brief experience of something, intended as a sample: the song is a taster for the band's new LP

tat² - noun British informal tasteless or shoddy clothes, jewellery, or ornaments: the place was decorated with all manner of gaudy tat

ute - noun Australian /NZ informal a utility vehicle; a pickup.

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   As the chemist sees it? (7)

As it stands, the surface reading of this clue sounds incomplete to my ear. For it to make sense to me, the clue would need to read either "As as the chemist sees it?" or "As seen by the chemist."

26a   Philosopher's trick to pen school lines (7)

The setter clearly intends for us to use S as an abbreviation for "school". However, I failed to find this meaning given in any of several dictionaries that I consulted including the "big red Chambers" (The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition).

27a   See cod I battered with it! (7)

It took me awhile to fully comprehend the subtleties of this clue - and although it is a bit difficult to explain clearly., I will do my best.

The word "it" is a pronoun standing in for "see" and serves as part of the anagrist (anagram fodder). As Dave Perry expresses it, "'See' is doing double duty here as the definition and part of the anagrist, but it's clearly indicated so that's fine." The definition is the explicit "See" at the beginning of the clue for which the solution is DIOCESE (see, meaning "the place in which a cathedral church stands, identified as the seat of authority of a bishop or archbishop"). The wordplay is an anagram (battered) of COD I SEE. Note that the wordplay uses the implicit SEE represented by the pronoun "it", in which the sense of the clue is "COD I mixed with (battered with) SEE" ("it" having been replaced by SEE).

2d   Basic part of electric heater's aluminium (9)

If I had parsed this clue correctly I would not have had a question mark beside it. The definition is "basic" for which the solution is ELEMENTAL. The wordplay is ELEMENT (part of electric heater) + ('s; i.e., has) AL ([chemical symbol for] aluminium [or aluminum, if you prefer]).

6d   Polish device for carrying the sick? (9)

Here "a polish device" mischievously means "a device constructed from poles". This is in the same vein as a river being described in a cryptic crossword clue as a "flower" (something which flows) or a "banker" (something which has banks).

My initial thought was that the connection between 'stretch' and "polish" might have something to do with 'stretching the truth'. I even discovered the following definition:

stretcher - noun 5 archaic , informal an exaggeration or lie.

I eventually had to abandon this line of thinking as I could not construct a plausible explanation based on it.

My next discovery (via an internet search) was that there is a substance used for treating leather shoes to stretch them (appropriately called a 'stretcher') which is sometimes added to shoe polish so that shoes can be both stretched and polished in a single application. Oh, what hoops setters sometimes have us jumping through!

16d It's a pleasure to see absence of rubbish at the arcade - no hint of muck (3,2,3)

The definition is "it's a pleasure" for which the solution is NOT AT ALL. The wordplay is NO TAT (absence of rubbish; 'tat' being British slang for tasteless or shoddy goods) + (at) mALL {MALL (the arcade) with the first letter deleted (no hint of muck; i.e., no first letter of M~~uck~~)}. I infer that the term "arcade" would be commonly understood in Britain to mean a 'shopping arcade' whereas in North American we would probably be a bit more likely to use the full name (in order to distinguish it from merely a covered walkway or some other type of arcade, such as an amusement arcade).

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, May 22, 2011 (ST 4429)

2011-05-22T20:48:00.000-04:00

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4429
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, April 17, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4429]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, May 14, 2011

Introduction

Today, the setter gives us a bit of potty training. Although I completed the puzzle fairly rapidly, I did have a few points that I needed to check at Times for the Times. From Dave Perry's review, I discovered that I had missed a key element of the wordplay in 1a (the need to split Luther from King) and had a mistake at 10a (having entered SCATTERING instead of SMATTERING - thereby making the wordplay incomprehensible). I must say that I do not see in what sense "races" qualifies as an anagram indicator at 4d. However it may well be valid, as Dave Perry - although mentioning that he initially "failed to see 'races' as an anagrind" - doesn't object to its use.

Today's Glossary

Appearing in Clues

hack (someone) off - phrase informal annoy or infuriate (someone): it really hacks me off when they whine about what a poor job we're doing

hare and hounds - noun a game, especially a paperchase, in which a group of people chase another person or group across the countryside.

Appearing in Solutions

aller - verb French to go

gin² - noun 3 (also gin trap) a trap for catching birds or small mammals.

paperchase - noun 1 British a cross-country race in which the runners follow a trail marked by torn-up paper. [Note: Oxford and Chambers disagree on the spelling, with Oxford stipulating paperchase while Chambers opts for paper chase.]

*read - verb 5 chiefly British study (an academic subject) at a university: I'm reading English at Cambridge; [no object] he went to Manchester to read for a BA in Economics.

wee² - informal, chiefly British noun [usually in singular][a] an act of urinating. [b] urine. verb urinate.

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 One trap in test of derivation (8)

Knowing that a gin is a type of "trap" and that an oral is a kind of "test" allowed me to solve this clue from the wordplay alone. However, I do not understand the definition where "of derivation" would appear to be intended to mean ORIGINAL. To my mind, an original might be a "source of derivation". Perhaps there is something missing in the clue - or in my understanding.

7d Close finish (9)

Like Dave Perry, my first thought was that the two definitions here are essentially the same. However, perhaps the setter intended "finish" to mean "kill, destroy, or comprehensively defeat" - which might satisfy those who adhere to the seemingly widely-held belief that there is a convention stating that the two definitions in a double definition clue must be different (a proposition which Peter Biddlecombe, puzzles editor for The Sunday Times, questions in a comment on Times for the Times).

Signing off for this week - Falcon