This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 23, 2010
Introduction
I worked on this puzzle while doing maintenance on my computer - taking advantage of the lengthy wait times required for the computer to repeatedly reboot or perform other seemingly endless tasks - which no doubt spoiled much of the enjoyment of the puzzle for me.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Solutions
OB - abbreviation 1 old boy: noun 1 Brit a former male pupil of a school.
Solway Firth - a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4382].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
10a Eye part of the maize cob, you'll hear (6)
As best as I can tell, this is meant to be a homophone (sounds like) clue. I know that the Brits are known to add aitches (or should that be h'aitches) to the beginning of some words and drop them from others. As well, they drop the letter R from the end of words and add it to others.
Apparently, EAR pronounced by a Brit comes out sounding something like ee-AH. Therefore, CORN EAR sounds like CORNEA.
24a Girl lives with boy (6)
The definition is "girl" for which the solution is ISABEL. The wordplay is IS (lives) + (with) ABEL (boy).
26a The first note from poetic song to her (6)
The definition is "her", with the clue calling for a girl's name as the solution. The girl is ODETTE and the wordplay is T (the first; i.e., the first letter of the word "the") + TE (note; as in do, re, mi, ...) following (from) ODE (poetic song). I think "from" signifies following as in the phrase "From the time I was a child ...". With this interpretation, the word "to" would seemingly be a link word joining the wordplay to the definition.
I also considered (and rejected) an alternative interpretation in which the words "from" and "to" might be used in combination to denote the idea of following.
Note that there appears to be a typo on Times for the Times, where the solution is shown as ODETTA - even though the explanation leads to the correct solution ODETTE.
19d Flier taking a route over rocky height? (7)
I may be mistaken (given that no one commented on this point on Times for the Times), but I thought that "route" meaning VIA was more than a bit iffy. Route is either a noun or a verb, while via is a preposition - so I fail to see how they can be equivalent.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010 (ST 4381)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 16, 2010
Introduction
I certainly found some of the wordplay in today's puzzle to be rather tricky - for example, 6d and 21d. However, I persevered and eventually succeeded in cracking all the clues.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
Chips - nickname for a carpenter.
guy1 - verb ridicule.
make a song and dance about something - colloq to make an unnecessary fuss about it.
Appearing in Solutions
animadversion - noun criticism or censure
appro - abbreviation Brit. informal approval
cock - noun 3 Brit. informal nonsense.
County Down - one of the six counties forming Northern Ireland
London EC Postcode Area - a group of postcode districts in central London, England which includes almost all of the City of London.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4381].
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
I certainly found some of the wordplay in today's puzzle to be rather tricky - for example, 6d and 21d. However, I persevered and eventually succeeded in cracking all the clues.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
Chips - nickname for a carpenter.
guy1 - verb ridicule.
make a song and dance about something - colloq to make an unnecessary fuss about it.
Appearing in Solutions
animadversion - noun criticism or censure
appro - abbreviation Brit. informal approval
cock - noun 3 Brit. informal nonsense.
County Down - one of the six counties forming Northern Ireland
London EC Postcode Area - a group of postcode districts in central London, England which includes almost all of the City of London.
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4381].
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010 (ST 4380)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 9, 2010
Introduction
For the most part, it was a relatively easy puzzle today. However, I did get stymied on one clue by failing to take into account some differences between British and North American pronunciation.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Solutions
beat - verb 8 move across (land) to raise game birds for shooting. DERIVATIVE beater noun.
British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) - a former British aircraft manufacturer; a predecessor company to British Aerospace (BAe)
desmid - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun Any of various green unicellular freshwater algae of the family Desmidiaceae, often forming chainlike colonies.
River Test - a river in Hampshire, England
solipsist - noun one who espouses solipsism, a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : an extreme egocentrist
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4380].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
9d Inner voice Hamlet blamed for cowardice (10)
The literary reference is to "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all", the 28th line in Hamlet's soliloquy that begins "To be or not to be – that is the question:".
23d Greek character said to be employed to raise birds (4)
Despite recognizing that we are looking for a letter from the Greek alphabet and that "said" is a homophone (sounds like) indicator, I was not able to completely fathom the wordplay. I did consider the possibility that "raise" might be a reversal indicator in this down clue - but that proved not to be the case.
The clue relies on two distinct characteristics of British speech. The first is the British pronunciation of the word "beta" which sounds like bee·ta (compared to the North American pronunciation BAY·ta). You can listen to these two pronunciations here (just click on the British and American flag icons at the top of the entry).
The second characteristic is the British propensity to not pronounce the final R in words, or rather, to pronounce ER as A. Thus the word "beater" is also pronounced bee·ta. We see a clue like this from time to time in British puzzles and I have yet to learn to recognize them. Perhaps those living in the Boston area fared betta'.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
For the most part, it was a relatively easy puzzle today. However, I did get stymied on one clue by failing to take into account some differences between British and North American pronunciation.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Solutions
beat - verb 8 move across (land) to raise game birds for shooting. DERIVATIVE beater noun.
British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) - a former British aircraft manufacturer; a predecessor company to British Aerospace (BAe)
desmid - [American Heritage Dictionary] noun Any of various green unicellular freshwater algae of the family Desmidiaceae, often forming chainlike colonies.
River Test - a river in Hampshire, England
solipsist - noun one who espouses solipsism, a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : an extreme egocentrist
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4380].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
9d Inner voice Hamlet blamed for cowardice (10)
The literary reference is to "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all", the 28th line in Hamlet's soliloquy that begins "To be or not to be – that is the question:".
23d Greek character said to be employed to raise birds (4)
Despite recognizing that we are looking for a letter from the Greek alphabet and that "said" is a homophone (sounds like) indicator, I was not able to completely fathom the wordplay. I did consider the possibility that "raise" might be a reversal indicator in this down clue - but that proved not to be the case.
The clue relies on two distinct characteristics of British speech. The first is the British pronunciation of the word "beta" which sounds like bee·ta (compared to the North American pronunciation BAY·ta). You can listen to these two pronunciations here (just click on the British and American flag icons at the top of the entry).
The second characteristic is the British propensity to not pronounce the final R in words, or rather, to pronounce ER as A. Thus the word "beater" is also pronounced bee·ta. We see a clue like this from time to time in British puzzles and I have yet to learn to recognize them. Perhaps those living in the Boston area fared betta'.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010 (ST 4379)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on May 2, 2010
Introduction
I found today's puzzle to be not too difficult, and was able to complete almost all of it before hauling out the Tool Chest. However, I did miss the wordplay on one clue.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
do1 - verb 14 colloq to cheat someone
rum - adjective Brit. informal, dated odd; peculiar
Appearing in Solutions
banshee - noun (in Irish legend) a female spirit whose wailing warns of a death in a house
boloney - alternate spelling of baloney
cakehole - noun Brit. informal a person’s mouth
ice tea - according to Wikipedia, a corruption of iced tea
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4379].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
14a ... and one at church leaves cold drink (3,3)
Judging by talbinho's comments, the ellipsis was missing from the puzzle published in the online version of The Sunday London Times. The inclusion of the ellipsis is meant to indicate that clues 13a and 14a are linked. I thought perhaps that the pronoun "one" was referring back to the previous clue, and that the second clue therefore should be interpreted as either "a Conservative at church ..." or even possibly as "an Archdeacon at church ...". However, I think that neither of these postulates is true. The two clues would appear to stand alone without any additional information provided by linking them. The only connection that I can see between them is that the first clue mentions "Archdeacon" and the second mentions "church", and that mere fact alone must have seemed sufficient in the mind of the setter to create a link between the clues.
On the other hand, perhaps the ellipsis in 14a is alluding to the fact that it is a charade type clue (the solution to 13a being CHARADES)!
1d This classification protects mole finally threatened (3-6)
Although I managed to obtain the correct solution, the wordplay eluded me as I missed seeing the anagram.
5d Drunk man goes to leading expert in private (8)
The wordplay seems to be {SOT (drunk) + ERIC (man)} attached to (goes to; in this case, following) E (leading expert; i.e., the initial letter in the word "expert") which makes E + SOT + ERIC or ESOTERIC. The definition must therefore be "in private" (or merely "private", if "in" is considered to be a link word between the wordplay and the definition). Chambers has esoteric meaning "understood only by those few people who have the necessary special knowledge; secret or mysterious" and private as "kept secret from others; confidential". Methinks there is a difference between esoteric and confidential, but who am I to quibble with the setter.
On the other hand, if I were to plant my tongue firmly in my cheek, I might suggest that this is an &lit. (all in one) clue with the reading of the full clue providing a definition by example of the term "esoteric".
12d Fast winger starts to order some truffles with lots of bread (7)
This winger may be fast, but it definitely won't fly.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
I found today's puzzle to be not too difficult, and was able to complete almost all of it before hauling out the Tool Chest. However, I did miss the wordplay on one clue.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
do1 - verb 14 colloq to cheat someone
rum - adjective Brit. informal, dated odd; peculiar
Appearing in Solutions
banshee - noun (in Irish legend) a female spirit whose wailing warns of a death in a house
boloney - alternate spelling of baloney
cakehole - noun Brit. informal a person’s mouth
ice tea - according to Wikipedia, a corruption of iced tea
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4379].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
14a ... and one at church leaves cold drink (3,3)
Judging by talbinho's comments, the ellipsis was missing from the puzzle published in the online version of The Sunday London Times. The inclusion of the ellipsis is meant to indicate that clues 13a and 14a are linked. I thought perhaps that the pronoun "one" was referring back to the previous clue, and that the second clue therefore should be interpreted as either "a Conservative at church ..." or even possibly as "an Archdeacon at church ...". However, I think that neither of these postulates is true. The two clues would appear to stand alone without any additional information provided by linking them. The only connection that I can see between them is that the first clue mentions "Archdeacon" and the second mentions "church", and that mere fact alone must have seemed sufficient in the mind of the setter to create a link between the clues.
On the other hand, perhaps the ellipsis in 14a is alluding to the fact that it is a charade type clue (the solution to 13a being CHARADES)!
1d This classification protects mole finally threatened (3-6)
Although I managed to obtain the correct solution, the wordplay eluded me as I missed seeing the anagram.
5d Drunk man goes to leading expert in private (8)
The wordplay seems to be {SOT (drunk) + ERIC (man)} attached to (goes to; in this case, following) E (leading expert; i.e., the initial letter in the word "expert") which makes E + SOT + ERIC or ESOTERIC. The definition must therefore be "in private" (or merely "private", if "in" is considered to be a link word between the wordplay and the definition). Chambers has esoteric meaning "understood only by those few people who have the necessary special knowledge; secret or mysterious" and private as "kept secret from others; confidential". Methinks there is a difference between esoteric and confidential, but who am I to quibble with the setter.
On the other hand, if I were to plant my tongue firmly in my cheek, I might suggest that this is an &lit. (all in one) clue with the reading of the full clue providing a definition by example of the term "esoteric".
12d Fast winger starts to order some truffles with lots of bread (7)
This winger may be fast, but it definitely won't fly.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010 (ST 4378)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on April 25, 2010
Introduction
A bit of a tricky puzzle today with a lot of obscure terms - many of them British, but seemingly not all. I completed the puzzle but needed talbinho to explain the wordplay in 10a.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
electrics - likely British plural noun 1 electrical appliances. 2 colloq wiring.
Appearing in Solutions
chappal - noun South Asia sandal: a leather sandal with a single strap attached at the sides and passing between the first two toes
cramp ring - a ring formerly supposed to have virtue in averting or curing cramp, as having been consecrated by one of the kings of England on Good Friday
glue ear - U.K. complaint affecting children's hearing: a condition affecting young children that results from poor drainage of the middle ear.
iron pan - Geology a hard layer of precipitated iron salts often found below the surface of sands and gravels
mouth harp - South Midland and Southern U.S. noun harmonica; also called mouth organ
pea-souper - noun Brit. a very thick yellowish fog
RA - abbreviation 4 Royal Artillery
RAF - abbreviation Royal Air Force
TT - abbreviation 2 Tourist Trophy: noun an award given to the winner of the motorcycle races that are held annually on the Isle of Man
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4378].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
9a Join listener - on this condition (4,3)
I had never heard the expression glue ear. Judging from dictionary entries (it appears only in U.K. dictionaries or is designated as U.K. usage), it would seem to be strictly a British term:
10a Lotteries force me to return (7)
Oh, why is it that we can sometimes scale mountains, yet stumble over molehills? Although I saw that the second part of the solution was a reversal of SELF, I think that I must have gotten hung up on thinking that the first part was also a reversal. As a result, I was unable to see where RAF came from or what it had to do with force until I read talbinho's explanation. Surely, my body will be black and blue for days from the self-inflicted kicks.
15a A luxury car trapped by outgoing tide, briefly remained (7)
I am not overly enamoured with "outgoing" as an anagram indicator; methinks it would be better suited to be a reversal indicator.
2d Music-maker opening hotel, a ruined pub initially (5,4)
Mouth harp (or merely harp), meaning harmonica or mouth organ, is a term used regionally in midland (Indiana, Ohio and Illinois) and southern U.S. states. A possibly-related regional U.S. name for a harmonica is harpoon, which brings to mind:
6d Self-help facility agency accepted after electrics installed (9)
What a ghastly clue. It not only has an awkward surface reading and convoluted wordplay, with a Briticism thrown in, but I can find no justification for one substitution. The definition is "self-help facility" for which the solution is CAFETERIA. The wordplay in this Babushka doll style clue is CIA (agency) containing (accepted) {AFTER containing (installed) E (electrics)} or C(AF(E)TER)IA. Electrics is a British expression meaning either electrical appliances or wiring. As for the substitution of E for "electrics", the stock answer is likely "It can be found in [the unabridged version of] Chambers", although it does not appear in the online version of Chambers which shows it as an abbreviation for electron, electronic, and electromotive force. Even if it were a recognized abbreviation for electric, I think that it would be a bit of a stretch to extend that to electrics in the sense implied by the clue. On this point, I see that my thinking appears to be well aligned with that of talbinho and others at Times for the Times.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
A bit of a tricky puzzle today with a lot of obscure terms - many of them British, but seemingly not all. I completed the puzzle but needed talbinho to explain the wordplay in 10a.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Clues
electrics - likely British plural noun 1 electrical appliances. 2 colloq wiring.
Appearing in Solutions
chappal - noun South Asia sandal: a leather sandal with a single strap attached at the sides and passing between the first two toes
cramp ring - a ring formerly supposed to have virtue in averting or curing cramp, as having been consecrated by one of the kings of England on Good Friday
glue ear - U.K. complaint affecting children's hearing: a condition affecting young children that results from poor drainage of the middle ear.
iron pan - Geology a hard layer of precipitated iron salts often found below the surface of sands and gravels
mouth harp - South Midland and Southern U.S. noun harmonica; also called mouth organ
pea-souper - noun Brit. a very thick yellowish fog
RA - abbreviation 4 Royal Artillery
RAF - abbreviation Royal Air Force
TT - abbreviation 2 Tourist Trophy: noun an award given to the winner of the motorcycle races that are held annually on the Isle of Man
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4378].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
9a Join listener - on this condition (4,3)
I had never heard the expression glue ear. Judging from dictionary entries (it appears only in U.K. dictionaries or is designated as U.K. usage), it would seem to be strictly a British term:
- [Cambridge] - noun A medical condition which is common in children, in which the middle part of the ear becomes filled with a liquid which prevents them from hearing correctly. Over half of all children in Britain get glue ear at some time before they are 16, and it can lead to permanent hearing loss.
- [Chambers] - noun deafness and discharge from the ear caused by a build-up of fluid in the middle ear.
- [Collins] - noun accumulation of fluid in the middle ear in children, caused by infection and sometimes resulting in deafness
- [Encarta] - noun U.K. complaint affecting children's hearing: a condition affecting young children that results from poor drainage of the middle ear. It is a common cause of impaired hearing during early years, sometimes leading to educational disadvantage if untreated.
- [Oxford] - noun blocking of the Eustachian tube by mucus, occurring especially in children and causing impaired hearing.
10a Lotteries force me to return (7)
Oh, why is it that we can sometimes scale mountains, yet stumble over molehills? Although I saw that the second part of the solution was a reversal of SELF, I think that I must have gotten hung up on thinking that the first part was also a reversal. As a result, I was unable to see where RAF came from or what it had to do with force until I read talbinho's explanation. Surely, my body will be black and blue for days from the self-inflicted kicks.
15a A luxury car trapped by outgoing tide, briefly remained (7)
I am not overly enamoured with "outgoing" as an anagram indicator; methinks it would be better suited to be a reversal indicator.
2d Music-maker opening hotel, a ruined pub initially (5,4)
Mouth harp (or merely harp), meaning harmonica or mouth organ, is a term used regionally in midland (Indiana, Ohio and Illinois) and southern U.S. states. A possibly-related regional U.S. name for a harmonica is harpoon, which brings to mind:
6d Self-help facility agency accepted after electrics installed (9)
What a ghastly clue. It not only has an awkward surface reading and convoluted wordplay, with a Briticism thrown in, but I can find no justification for one substitution. The definition is "self-help facility" for which the solution is CAFETERIA. The wordplay in this Babushka doll style clue is CIA (agency) containing (accepted) {AFTER containing (installed) E (electrics)} or C(AF(E)TER)IA. Electrics is a British expression meaning either electrical appliances or wiring. As for the substitution of E for "electrics", the stock answer is likely "It can be found in [the unabridged version of] Chambers", although it does not appear in the online version of Chambers which shows it as an abbreviation for electron, electronic, and electromotive force. Even if it were a recognized abbreviation for electric, I think that it would be a bit of a stretch to extend that to electrics in the sense implied by the clue. On this point, I see that my thinking appears to be well aligned with that of talbinho and others at Times for the Times.
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010 (ST 4377)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on April 18, 2010
Introduction
It is quite an enjoyable puzzle today, perhaps a little bit easier than the norm. I still have to marvel at the Brits who seem able to solve these puzzles in 5 or 6 minutes.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Solutions
William Butterfield - British architect
courgette - [American Heritage® Dictionary] noun Chiefly British A zucchini
Old Ironsides - nickname for Oliver Cromwell, who served as an army commander in the English Civil War
manes or Manes - [American Heritage® Dictionary] plural noun 1. The spirits of the dead, regarded as minor supernatural powers in ancient Roman religion
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 7377] (a bit difficult to find as it was posted one day earlier than usual).
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
22d She's terrified - this chemical has been swallowed (5)
As British setters do not subscribe to the American convention that definitions must be placed at either the beginning or end of the clue, we sometimes see instances in British puzzles, such as this clue, where the definition (this chemical) is found in the middle of the clue. The clue tells us that the solution to the clue is the name of "this chemical" which can be found hidden (has been swallowed) in the phrase "she's terrified".
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
It is quite an enjoyable puzzle today, perhaps a little bit easier than the norm. I still have to marvel at the Brits who seem able to solve these puzzles in 5 or 6 minutes.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Appearing in Solutions
William Butterfield - British architect
courgette - [American Heritage® Dictionary] noun Chiefly British A zucchini
Old Ironsides - nickname for Oliver Cromwell, who served as an army commander in the English Civil War
manes or Manes - [American Heritage® Dictionary] plural noun 1. The spirits of the dead, regarded as minor supernatural powers in ancient Roman religion
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 7377] (a bit difficult to find as it was posted one day earlier than usual).
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
22d She's terrified - this chemical has been swallowed (5)
As British setters do not subscribe to the American convention that definitions must be placed at either the beginning or end of the clue, we sometimes see instances in British puzzles, such as this clue, where the definition (this chemical) is found in the middle of the clue. The clue tells us that the solution to the clue is the name of "this chemical" which can be found hidden (has been swallowed) in the phrase "she's terrified".
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010 (ST 4376)
This puzzle was originally published in The Sunday London Times on April 11, 2010
Introduction
It was a rather challenging puzzle today, if you ask me. There were a few Briticisms and several quite obscure terms (at least to me). There were also some nice plays on words, a type of clue that I rather enjoy - especially when I can solve them. I did guess at a couple of solutions, anticipating that talbinho's explanation would clarify the wordplay. Alas, I was still puzzled on at least one clue after reading his review.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Used in clues:
George - noun airmen's slang the automatic pilot of an aircraft
Used in solutions:
Ascensiontide - the ten days from Ascension Day to the day before Whit Sunday
barathea - noun a fine woollen cloth
The Eros Statue - the popular (though erroneous) name for the Shaftesbury memorial, a monument in Piccadilly Circus, London, England (the statue actually portrays the twin brother of Eros, Anteros)
geyser - noun 2 Brit. a gas-fired water heater
maestoso - adverb & adjective Music in a majestic and stately manner
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4376].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
1a Cable a curate, distraught about a test result (13)
I am familiar with baccalaureate being "an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies". In the U.S., the term can also mean "a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies", while it may be known to those in some parts of the world (including the U.K.) as "an internationally recognized programme of study, comprising different subjects, offered as an alternative to a course of A levels in Britain". An A level (in full Advanced level) is "an examination in a single subject in England, Wales and N Ireland for which school and college students study until about the age of 18". Oxford gives one meaning of baccalaureate as "an examination qualifying candidates for higher education".
11a Picasso's intimate address (5)
This is either a very trivial clue or else one that has gone completely over my head. Surely there is more to it than merely a suggestion that Senor Picasso's intimates (close friends) address him as Pablo.
13a Small trendy gardens in America where British queens spent formative years (9)
To a Brit, the phrase "gardens in America" would signify "yards". In North America, we refer to the property surrounding our home as a yard, whether or not it is enclosed and/or cultivated. In Britain, a yard is "a piece of uncultivated enclosed ground adjoining a building". Thus we see that the key characteristics distinguishing a yard in Britain are that it is enclosed and uncultivated. In Britain, "a piece of ground adjoining a house, typically cultivated to provide a lawn and flowerbeds" is known as a garden. That seems to leave open the question of what the Brits would call a piece of ground that is unenclosed and uncultivated.
Thus what we in North America call a yard, in Britain would be called either a yard (if enclosed and uncultivated) or a garden (if cultivated). In North America, the term garden (in this context) would generally be used only to describe that part of the property used for flower beds (flower garden) or vegetable plots (vegetable garden). A North American would therefore commonly use the phrase "lawn and garden" to describe the totality of their property, while such a phrase would likely be seen to be redundant to a Brit, who could sum up the same idea in the single word "garden".
19a They're set to return. Plunging in river? (6)
I have to admit that it took a lot of pondering to decipher this clue. The sense of the clue is "They (the animals named in the solution) are a reversal of (return) SET TO containing (plunging in) R (river)". For effect, the setter has inverted the normal order of words and omitted punctuation (which the solver must insert). Thus the phrase "plunging in river" must be read as "plunging in, river" meaning "river plunging in". The entire wordplay then can be reduced to "OTTES with R plunging in" or OTTERS.
24a Psychological probe reveals Latin-American (5)
The term Cholo is new to me. Although the word was originally used as an ethnic slur, it seems to have taken on a variety of meanings in the U.S. and a number of countries throughout Latin America during different periods of history. As sometimes happens with pejorative words, "the term Cholo was turned on its head and used as a symbol of pride in the context of the ethnic power movements of the 1960s". It would seem that the word may or may not be seen as offensive, depending on the audience and the context in which it is used. It does seem to be a word carrying a lot of baggage - one which is likely to offend some, I am sure.
25a Wrong name on drug, medicine to get you going (5)
My initial thought was that the solution might be tonic. However, this medicine will get you going in a different way - giving you the trots.
23d Dare say the Americans believe it (5)
I dare say that we North Americans use the word guess differently (in one sense) than the Brits. Oxford says that I guess means "informal,chiefly N. Amer. I suppose", while Collins gives one meaning of guess as "Informal chiefly US and Canadian to believe, think, or suppose (something) I guess I'll go now".
Signing off for this week - Falcon
Introduction
It was a rather challenging puzzle today, if you ask me. There were a few Briticisms and several quite obscure terms (at least to me). There were also some nice plays on words, a type of clue that I rather enjoy - especially when I can solve them. I did guess at a couple of solutions, anticipating that talbinho's explanation would clarify the wordplay. Alas, I was still puzzled on at least one clue after reading his review.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
Used in clues:
George - noun airmen's slang the automatic pilot of an aircraft
Used in solutions:
Ascensiontide - the ten days from Ascension Day to the day before Whit Sunday
barathea - noun a fine woollen cloth
The Eros Statue - the popular (though erroneous) name for the Shaftesbury memorial, a monument in Piccadilly Circus, London, England (the statue actually portrays the twin brother of Eros, Anteros)
geyser - noun 2 Brit. a gas-fired water heater
maestoso - adverb & adjective Music in a majestic and stately manner
Links to Solutions
A review of today's puzzle by talbinho can be found at Times for the Times [ST 4376].
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
1a Cable a curate, distraught about a test result (13)
I am familiar with baccalaureate being "an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies". In the U.S., the term can also mean "a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies", while it may be known to those in some parts of the world (including the U.K.) as "an internationally recognized programme of study, comprising different subjects, offered as an alternative to a course of A levels in Britain". An A level (in full Advanced level) is "an examination in a single subject in England, Wales and N Ireland for which school and college students study until about the age of 18". Oxford gives one meaning of baccalaureate as "an examination qualifying candidates for higher education".
11a Picasso's intimate address (5)
This is either a very trivial clue or else one that has gone completely over my head. Surely there is more to it than merely a suggestion that Senor Picasso's intimates (close friends) address him as Pablo.
13a Small trendy gardens in America where British queens spent formative years (9)
To a Brit, the phrase "gardens in America" would signify "yards". In North America, we refer to the property surrounding our home as a yard, whether or not it is enclosed and/or cultivated. In Britain, a yard is "a piece of uncultivated enclosed ground adjoining a building". Thus we see that the key characteristics distinguishing a yard in Britain are that it is enclosed and uncultivated. In Britain, "a piece of ground adjoining a house, typically cultivated to provide a lawn and flowerbeds" is known as a garden. That seems to leave open the question of what the Brits would call a piece of ground that is unenclosed and uncultivated.
Thus what we in North America call a yard, in Britain would be called either a yard (if enclosed and uncultivated) or a garden (if cultivated). In North America, the term garden (in this context) would generally be used only to describe that part of the property used for flower beds (flower garden) or vegetable plots (vegetable garden). A North American would therefore commonly use the phrase "lawn and garden" to describe the totality of their property, while such a phrase would likely be seen to be redundant to a Brit, who could sum up the same idea in the single word "garden".
19a They're set to return. Plunging in river? (6)
I have to admit that it took a lot of pondering to decipher this clue. The sense of the clue is "They (the animals named in the solution) are a reversal of (return) SET TO containing (plunging in) R (river)". For effect, the setter has inverted the normal order of words and omitted punctuation (which the solver must insert). Thus the phrase "plunging in river" must be read as "plunging in, river" meaning "river plunging in". The entire wordplay then can be reduced to "OTTES with R plunging in" or OTTERS.
24a Psychological probe reveals Latin-American (5)
The term Cholo is new to me. Although the word was originally used as an ethnic slur, it seems to have taken on a variety of meanings in the U.S. and a number of countries throughout Latin America during different periods of history. As sometimes happens with pejorative words, "the term Cholo was turned on its head and used as a symbol of pride in the context of the ethnic power movements of the 1960s". It would seem that the word may or may not be seen as offensive, depending on the audience and the context in which it is used. It does seem to be a word carrying a lot of baggage - one which is likely to offend some, I am sure.
25a Wrong name on drug, medicine to get you going (5)
My initial thought was that the solution might be tonic. However, this medicine will get you going in a different way - giving you the trots.
23d Dare say the Americans believe it (5)
I dare say that we North Americans use the word guess differently (in one sense) than the Brits. Oxford says that I guess means "informal,
Signing off for this week - Falcon
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