Sunday, December 25, 2011 - ST 4460

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

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

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., FertilE. 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

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

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 a type of popular novel, set in middle England and populated by the middle classes of the 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

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

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 Season). 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

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

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

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