Sunday, June 24, 2012 - ST 4487

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4487
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 27, 2012
Setter Jeff Pearce
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4487]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, June 16, 2012
Date of Publication in the Vancouver Sun Saturday, June 23, 2012

Introduction

I was away for the weekend and am just now catching up on puzzles and blogs. I needed to use my full arsenal of electronic aids to complete this puzzle which is well-laced with Briticisms.

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.

6a   Game at gym in the country (4)

The "game" is rugby union (RU^[5]) and "gym" is not a place, but an activity – physical education (PE^[5]).

10a   Naturalists playing twister outside church (9)

In Britain, a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds is known as a twitcher^[5].

12a   One might con ref and finally get reward after acting up (6,7)

In soccer and [field] hockey, a centre forward^[5] is an attacker who plays in the middle of the field. [In Britain, field hockey is called hockey and hockey is called ice hockey.]

14a   Servant's fee, paid in advance (8)

The two parts to this double definition are "servant" and "fee, paid in advance". In the cryptic analysis of the clue, the 's is interpreted as a contraction of is and serves as a linkword between the two definitions. A retainer^[5] is a servant, especially one who has worked for a person or family for a long time as well as being a fee paid in advance to someone, especially a barrister, in order to secure their services for use when required.

15a   Way of doing drug and endless rum (6)

Rum^[5] is a dated British term meaning odd or peculiar.

17a   Goon character often spotted cake (6)

T.F. Eccles^[7] (T.F. for "The Famous") is the name of a comedy character, created and performed by Spike Milligan, from the 1950s United Kingdom radio comedy series The Goon Show. Although Eccles was one of the show's secondary characters, he apparently did appear on the show fairly "often". An Eccles cake^[7] is a small, round cake filled with currants and made from flaky pastry with butter, which is sometimes topped with demerara sugar (the currants giving it a "spotted" appearance).

19a   Traverse part of East End for a weapon (8)

Bow^[7] is an area of London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located 4.6 miles (7.4 km) east of Charing Cross^[7] (considered to be the centre of London), and is a part of the East End.

21a   Hunt, say, a hare and reptile to be cooked with hint of parsley (3-10)

William Holman Hunt^[7] (1827 – 1910) was an English painter, and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood^[5] (a group of English 19th-century artists who consciously sought to emulate the simplicity and sincerity of the work of Italian artists from before the time of Raphael).

24a   Together with the enemy, make amends for a crime (2,3,4)

The definition is "together". The comma is crucial, as it indicates that the order of the wordplay is inverted (just as "After dinner, I read the paper" is an inverted way of saying "I read the paper after dinner"). Thus TIME (the enemy) comes last, preceded by ATONE (make amends for a crime). The "for a crime" bit may be seen to be superfluous but it does notably enhance the smoothness of the surface reading. The solution is AT ONE TIME (together).

In cryptic crosswords, we often find that time is the enemy, expressed by Irish poet William Butler Yeats as "The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time" meaning that innocence and beauty are each subject to the ravages of time. I have also discovered that time may be the enemy of bloggers – to which the lateness of this posting will attest.

1d   Fly drunk, and finally heave (4)

Cut^[4] is a British slang word for drunk (in Canada, I've often heard of someone being half-cut, but never cut). Heave^[3,4] is to gag or vomit (on either side of the Atlantic). I interpreted fly^[5]to be an informal British term meaning knowing and clever • she’s fly enough not to get tricked out of it. This works if cute^[3,4] is used in the sense of clever or shrewd (rather than pretty or dainty), although Oxford Dictionaries characterises this sense of the word as being North American^[5].

However, Dave Perry chooses to interpret the clue differently, pointing to a North American meaning of the word fly^[5] – fashionably attractive and impressive • a fly dude. He refers in particular to "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", a 1998 song by the American punk rock band The Offspring. It includes the lyrics "all the girls say I'm pretty fly - for a white guy" with fly meaning well dressed or smart in appearance. Personally, I'm not sure that I would necessarily equate a fly dude with a cute chick.

3d   Popular prisoner with opinion on judge is rude (13)

The wordplay is IN (popular) + CON (prisoner) + (with) SIDE (opinion) + (on) RATE (judge). Thus we have one implicit charade indicator and two explicit ones ("with" and "on"). Side is used in the sense of the position, interests, or attitude of one person or group, especially when regarded as being in opposition to another or others • I would have loved to have heard his side of the argument.

4d   Legal clerks upset heavyweight group of stars (8)

In current British usage, notary^[4] is another term for a notary public^[4] (a public official, usually a solicitor, who is legally authorized to administer oaths, attest and certify certain documents, etc.). However, at one time the word denoted a clerk licensed to prepare legal documents.

5d   Raffles, say, article about one fellow (5)

Arthur J. Raffles^[7] is a character created in the 1890s by E. W. Hornung, a brother-in-law to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Raffles is, in many ways, a deliberate inversion of Holmes — he is a "gentleman thief," living in the Albany, a prestigious address in London, playing cricket for the Gentlemen of England and supporting himself by carrying out ingenious burglaries.

7d   Rubbish containing earth and trees (7)

The solution to this clue seems to have a bit different meaning on this side of the Atlantic. According to the British dictionaries, eyewash^[4] is an informal term for nonsense or rubbish. The American Heritage Dictionary defines eyewash^[3] as actions or remarks intended to conceal the facts of a situation [i.e., nonsense with a purpose].

8d   United start to play against blue team initially in a crazy way (6-4)

The wordplay is U (united) + P (start to Play) + (against) {SIDE (team) before (initially) DOWN (blue)}.

11d   Reprimand one falling over soft shoe (6,7)

In Britain, a carpet slipper^[5] is a soft slipper whose upper part is made of wool or thick cloth (resembling carpeting^[4]). In the UK, carpet^[5] means to reprimand severely • the Chancellor of the Exchequer carpeted the bank bosses.

13d   Author keeping pressure on brilliant environmentalists (10)

Graham Greene^[7] (1904 – 1991) was an English author, playwright and literary critic. Greenpeace^[7] is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Greenpeace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the early 1970s.

18d   A revolutionary source for a smoke (7)

Ernesto "Che" Guevara^[7] (1928 – 1967), commonly known as El Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist who was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution.

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, June 17, 2012 - ST 4486

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4486
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 20, 2012
Setter Tim Moorey
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4486]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, June 9, 2012
Date of Publication in the Vancouver Sun Saturday, June 16, 2012

Introduction

I'm afraid that the review for this puzzle is not only very late, but also very abbreviated. Other demands on my time have prevented me from composing a the normal review.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, June 10, 2012 - ST 4485

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4485
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 13, 2012
Setter Dean Mayer (Anax)
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4485]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, June 2, 2012
Date of Publication in the Vancouver Sun Saturday, June 9, 2012

Introduction

Today Anax has served up the usual enjoyable fare, although this is perhaps a bit less challenging than he can sometimes 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   Piece of film about a hard Islamic leader (6)

H^[5] is the abbreviation for hard, as used in describing grades of pencil lead • a 2H pencil.

9a   An attempt by rodent to bite something like feline pet (6,3)

"Something like" is used in the sense of approximately • the year of his birth was something like 1913.

12a   Second to last in slower car (5)

In the UK, mo^[5] is an informal term for a short period of time (hang on a mo!) [abbreviation of moment]. Motor^[5] is an informal British term for a car • we drove out in my motor.

13a   Disreputable pub owner has been in flat (9)

Especially in Ireland, Scotland and South Africa, a shebeen^[5] is an unlicensed establishment or private house selling alcohol and typically regarded as slightly disreputable. A shebeener is a proprietor of such an establishment.

14a   Volunteers panic about it. I panic? Yes, briefly (11,4)

In the UK, the Territorial Army (TA)^[5] is a volunteer force locally organized to provide a reserve of trained and disciplined manpower for use in an emergency.

15a   Those emptied into 10 processed crude (15)

The  "10" in the clue is a cross reference to clue 10d (which, being the only entry originating from square 10 in the grid, needs no further elaboration). Plugging in the solution to 10d, we get:

• Those emptied into CUSTODIANSHIP processed crude (15)

The definition is "crude" and the wordplay is TE (those emptied; i.e., what remains of "T(hos)E" after the inner letters are deleted) contained in (into) an anagram (processed) of CUSTODIANSHIP to produce UNSOPHISTICATED..

Like Dave Perry, I also found the solution to this clue first (from the definition and checking letters) and used the result in solving 10d.

19a   Man chasing author had artistic style (5)

It is a common cryptic crossword device for the creator of the puzzle to use terms such as setter, compiler, author, writer, this person, or (as today) author to refer to himself or herself. To solve the clue, one must substitute a first person pronoun (I or me) for whichever of these terms is found in the clue. Today, we must actually replace the phrase "author had" by "I'd".

The Isle of Man (abbreviation IOM)^[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. 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.

19a   With failing power, destroyed here! (5)

I got the correct solution without understanding why – at least until I had read Dave Perry's explanation.

One of the problems with solving a puzzle over several sessions is that the solutions to other clues in the puzzle are not necessarily fresh in one's mind. Thus, I failed to recognize that DESTROYED is the solution to clue 8d (or, simply, clue 8 seeing that there is only one entry originating from square 8).

The latter part of the clue "destroyed here!" indicates that the solution to the present clue is the location where the word "destroyed" is to be found in the grid.

22a   She denies unseemly caution (9)

Like Dave Perry, I thought that heediness^[1] sounded like a made-up word. However, it is to be found in my copy of The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition - if nowhere else.

23a   Writing about soldier taking blame for snapping hazards? (8)

A mantrap^[5] is a trap for catching people, especially trespassers or poachers. I was only familiar with mantrap^[3] as a slang term meaning a woman considered dangerously seductive and scheming.

24a   Party girl meets boring snooker player (6)

A hen party is a party at which only women are present. Stephen Hendry^[7] is a retired Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He won the World Championship a record seven times.

1d   One yawns in church in part of Mass (5)

I had no difficulty accepting "in part of" as a slightly slangy way of saying "playing the part of" or "(appearing) as".

7d   It turns priest into evil-doer (7)

The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition does list P^[1] as the abbreviation for priest.

10d   Keeping studio busy, plugging headphones in. (13)

Cans^[4] is a slang term (apparently British) for headphones.

The definition is "keeping" and the wordplay is an anagram (busy) of STUDIO contained in (plugging) {CANS (headphones) + HIP (in)} to give CUSTODIANSHIP (plug^[5] meaning to insert something into an opening so as to fill it).

14d   Side containing right subs excited a supporter (5,4)

I did not find truss beam in the dictionary. However, a truss^[2] is a framework, e.g. of wooden or metal beams, that supports a roof, bridge, etc. Therefore, a truss beam would seem to be a component of a supporter, rather than a supporter in and of itself. I did find the expression trussed beam that is defined as a beam which is stiffened by a system of braces constituting a truss of which the beam is a chord.

17d   Last batsmen manage to stay out of trouble (4,3)

In cricket, the end of the batting order (with the weakest batsmen) is called the tail end^[5] or the tail^[5] • McDermott worked his way through the tail, finishing with ten wickets.

The definition is "last batsmen" and the wordplay is TEND (manage) containing (to stay out of) AIL (trouble) to give TAIL END.

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, June 3, 2012 - ST 4484

Puzzle at a Glance

Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4484
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, May 6, 2012
Setter Jeff Pearce
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4484]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, May 26, 2012
Date of Publication in the Vancouver Sun Saturday, June 2, 2012

Introduction

The setter managed to trip me up twice with the same device – the use of AND which is found in both 10a and 16d.

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   Construction worker moans about a few pounds put on (10)

The wordplay seems to suggest that the elements of this charade should be in the reverse order; i.e., an anagram (about) of MOANS followed by (put on) STONE (a few pounds). However, the clue seems to have been composed by Yoda, so find just the reverse is the case, you will.

A stone^[5] is a British unit of weight equal to 14 lb.

10a   Green form of transport is what's used in central Guatemala? (6)

The question mark signals that there is something a bit out of the ordinary about this clue. If you look closely, the "central" part of "GuaTEMala" is T AND EM. A tandem is a bicycle built for two, and any bicycle is considered to be a "green form of transport".

15a   It's not odd to follow the Spanish cardinal (6)

El^[8] is a Spanish definite article meaning 'the'.

17a   New cheaper Pilsner could be something struggling writer might resort to (6,9)

"New" is not an anagram indicator here; rather, the abbreviation for "new" forms part of the anagram fodder.

22a   Spot rear of sailor in a French vessel (3)

Un is a French indefinite article meaning 'a'.

Dave Perry comments "'Spot' appears redundant to the wordplay". I would submit that "spot" in the cryptic reading is to be interpreted as meaning 'to position'. Thus the clue is saying, in effect, position rear of sailor in a French [to get] vessel. Therefore, the word does not seem at all redundant.

23a   Industrial action leads to girls on strike losing other work (2-4)

"Leads to" instructs us  to use the leading letters of all the remaining words in the clue.

29a   Some exercise with 14 – this may help you get up (10)

The number "14" is a cross-reference to clue 14a and indicates that the solution to that clue must be inserted into the current clue. After doing so, the full clue is seen to be:

• Some exercise with run – this may help you get up (10)

The definition is "this may help you get up" and the wordplay is a charade of STEP (some exercise) + (with) LADDER (run) giving STEPLADDER as the solution.

In the UK, a ladder^[5] is a vertical strip of unravelled fabric in tights or stockings • one of Sally’s stockings developed a ladder.

3d   Swimmer one caught leaving calm creek distressed (8)

On cricket scorecards, the abbreviation c^[5] indicates caught (by) • ME Waugh c Lara b Walsh 19.

4d   Shake up new lotto arrangement to make it silly (4,2,3,6)

Collins English Dictionary includes feeble-minded among its entries for silly^[5].

7d   Haggard's book about old Oxford, perhaps (4)

She^[7], subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by H. Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books of all time. Extraordinarily popular upon its release, She has never been out of print.

16d   Museum finally expel destructive member of the public (6)

I solved this under the assumption that somewhere there is a Vanda Museum. This was close, but not quite a bull's-eye. The museum is the V AND A (or Victoria and Albert).

London's Victoria and Albert Museum^[7] (often abbreviated as the V&A), is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, it was founded in 1852, and has since grown to cover 12.5 acres  and 145 galleries.

13d   Note about substance need used to make cheese (6)

"Note" refers to a banknote – one having a value of ten pounds in the UK, or ten dollars in North America.

18d   Possum put bell on dog (8)

The ringtail^[3,4] in question is an Australian possum and not the raccoonlike mammal (Bassariscus astutus) found in the southwest United States.

20d   Request made to umpire after a soft sound of thunder (6)

In cricket, an appeal^[5] is a shout of ‘How’s that?’ or a similar call by a bowler or fielder to an umpire to declare a batsman out.

Piano^[3,5] (abbreviation p^[5]), is a musical direction meaning either soft or quiet (as an adjective) or softly or quietly (as an adverb).

21d   Goodies are touring during dry season initially (6)

Teetotal (abbreviation TT)^[5] is an adjective meaning choosing or characterized by abstinence from alcohol • a teetotal lifestyle.

24d   Placed saw on radio (5)

"On radio" is a homophone indicator. We need a synonym for "placed" that sounds like a word meaning "saw". Thus the solution is SITED (placed) which sounds like SIGHTED.

26d   Bloomer – perhaps made by large yob (4)

The clue relies on two different British meanings for bloomer. In the surface reading, bloomer^[5] is dated slang meaning a serious or stupid mistake • he never committed a bloomer. As for the definition, bloomer^[5] is a large loaf [of bread] with diagonal slashes on a rounded top.

Yob^[5] (back slang for boy), is an informal British term for a rude, noisy, and aggressive youth.

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