Sunday, April 24, 2011 (ST 4425)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4425
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, March 20, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4425]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, April 16, 2011

Introduction

While today's puzzle was not overly difficult, it had a fair smattering of British references. Fortunately, I was familiar with many of them - otherwise, I am sure the puzzle would have been considerably more challenging.

Today's Glossary

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

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

Appearing in Clues

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

Cornwall - a county occupying the extreme south-western peninsula of England; county town, Truro.

Nottingham - a city in east central England, the county town of Nottinghamshire; population 237,600 (est. 2009).

Appearing in Solutions

Andrew Bonar Law (1858 – 1923) - British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister who, having been born in the colony (now Canadian province) of New Brunswick, is the only British Prime Minister to have been born outside the British Isles. He was also the shortest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, spending 211 days in office.

curate's egg - noun British a thing that is partly good and partly bad: this book is a bit of a curate's egg
[origin: (early 20th century) from a cartoon in Punch (1895) depicting a meek curate who, given a stale egg at the bishop's table, assures his host that ‘parts of it are excellent’]

a dog's dinner (or breakfast) - phrase British informal a poor piece of work ; a mess: we made a real dog's breakfast of it

Elia - pseudonym of English essayist Charles Lamb (1775 – 1834)

Emma, Lady Hamilton (1765 – 1815) - mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of painter George Romney.

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

lobelia - noun a chiefly tropical or subtropical plant of the bellflower family, in particular an annual widely grown as a bedding plant. Some kinds are aquatic, and some grow as thick-trunked shrubs or trees on African mountains. Genus Lobelia, family Campanulaceae: many species, including the popular blue-flowered L. erinus

Lord North (Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, 1732 – 1792) -  Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782 who led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence.

Sherwood Forest - a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood.

tat¹ - noun British colloquial rubbish or junk

tile - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 5 British, old-fashioned slang a hat

Worcestershire - a county of west central England, part of Hereford and Worcester between 1974 and 1998

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

23a   Man at 6 frequently up in the air (5)

Here, "man at 6" is a cross reference to clue 6d. Thus, making the appropriate substitution, the current clue becomes "Gangster frequently up in the air (5)".

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, April 17, 2011 (ST 4424)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4424
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, March 13, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4424]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, April 9, 2011

Introduction

This posting is rather delayed - but better late than never, n'est-ce pas?

Today's Glossary

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

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

Appearing in Clues

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

neat - noun archaic a bovine animal; cattle

ro-ro - abbreviation British roll-on roll-off

Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels. This is in contrast to lo-lo (lift on-lift off) vessels which use a crane to load and unload cargo.

Appearing in Solutions

box room - noun British a very small room used for storage or as a bedroom

Fe - symbol the chemical element iron

inner - [2^nd & 3^rd entries] noun (in archery and shooting) a division of the target next to the bullseye; a shot that strikes the inner

*international - noun 1 British

• a game or contest between teams representing different countries in a sport
• a player who has taken part in an international game or contest

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

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

*MB - abbreviation Bachelor of Medicine [from Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus], the professional degree held by medical practitioners in Britain [equivalent to a North American MD (Medical Doctor, from Latin Medicinae Doctor]

the roaring forties - stormy ocean tracts between latitudes 40 ° and 50 ° south

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

12a   Rains get ro-ro if off course here! (7,7)

This is a semi & lit. clue where, in the surface reading, "rains" is a reference to rain storms and ro-ro to roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels (see Today's Glossary). The entire clue can be interpreted to be a definition of the ROARING FORTIES, stormy ocean tracts between latitudes 40 ° and 50 ° south. The wordplay is an anagram (off course) of RAINS GET RORO IF. I would say that the word "here" is a placeholder for the solution, thus making the clue a semi & lit., rather than a true & lit.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, April 10, 2011 (ST 4423)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4423
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, March 6, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4423]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, April 2, 2011

Introduction

A bit of research was needed to complete this puzzle, especially to track down the cricket term at 19a - a word that some may well consider to be an ethnic slur.

Today's Glossary

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

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

Appearing in Clues

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

nob¹ - noun British informal a person of wealth or high social position

Appearing in Solutions

Arms and the Man - a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's Aeneid in Latin: "Arma virumque cano" (Of arms and the man I sing).

*CH - abbreviation  [1^st entry] (in the UK) Companion of Honour

china - noun 2 British informal a friend. [from rhyming slang china plate ‘mate’]

Chinaman (or chinaman) - noun 2 Cricket a ball that spins from off to leg, bowled by a left-handed bowler to a right-handed batsman

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

fosterling - noun chiefly archaic a child who is fostered or adopted

ling² - noun the common heather of Eurasia

toad-in-the-hole - noun British a dish consisting of sausages baked in batter

toff - noun British informal derogatory a rich or upper-class person

twee - adjective British excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental: although the film‘s a bit twee, it’s watchable

W - abbreviation weak (apparently from the field of particle physics)
 
Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

1d   Sally Black protects small son (4)

A search for Sally Black turned up a couple of rather unlikely candidates - either a person or persons who worked behind the scenes on a number of television and motion picture productions or the winner of the 1880 California Derby (wearing the saddle, not in it).

In fact, the name is a bit of misdirection. The definition is "sally" in the sense of  'a witty or lively remark, especially one made as an attack or as a diversion in an argument; a retort' for which the solution is JEST. The wordplay is JET (black) containing S (small [part of] son; i.e., first letter of "son"). Since S is frequently seen in puzzles as an abbreviation for either "small" or "son", using "small son" to clue S is sort of a 'belt and suspenders' approach (or 'belt and braces' to the Brits).

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, April 3, 2011 (ST 4422)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4422
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, February 27, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4422]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, March 26, 2011

Introduction

For a while, I was beginning to feel that I would not be able to complete this puzzle. However, with extensive assistance from my electronic friends I was able to prevail in the end. As usual, there are several British references in the puzzle - with at least one or two of them being quite obscure.

Today's Glossary

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

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

Appearing in Clues

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

daily - noun informal 2 (also daily help) British dated a woman who is employed to clean someone else's house each day

jolly - [Collins English Dictionary] noun 3. Brit slang a Royal Marine

Royal Marines - a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances

Appearing in Solutions

accelerando - Music adverb & adjective (especially as a direction) with a gradual increase of speed

• noun an accelerando passage

ASBO - noun British a court order which can be obtained by local authorities in order to restrict the behaviour of a person likely to cause harm or distress to the public [Origin: abbreviation of antisocial behaviour order]

char² - British informal a charwoman

*local - noun British informal a pub convenient to a person's home: a pint in the local

pants - plural noun 3 British informal rubbish; nonsense: he thought we were going to be absolute pants

RM - abbreviation [3^rd entry] (in the UK) Royal Marines

Royal Marines - a British armed service (part of the Royal Navy) founded in 1664, trained for service at sea, or on land under specific circumstances

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

17d   Who may be working in Dover and Tees? (9)

Most people will likely recognize Dover, a port on the English channel - renowned for its white chalk cliffs. Tees, on the other hand, may be a less familiar British port - in fact, it may well not exist. There is, however, a River Tees in northern England.

22d   What's quickly seen in recurrent spare capacity (5)

In my case, the solution was not seen very quickly at all. However, I did eventually detect it lurking there reversed (as indicated by "recurrent") in the clue.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, March 27, 2011 (ST 4421)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4421
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, February 20, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4421]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, March 19, 2011

Introduction

The electronic aids in my Tool Chest saw heavy action today, as I found this puzzle to be quite challenging.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the National Post Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues

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

Courage - in the U.K., a brand of beer brewed by Courage Brewery.

Sir Jacob Epstein (1880–1959) – American-born British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture.

Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold) - first of the four operas comprising Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)

sauce - noun 3 informal, chiefly British impertinence; cheek

tinnie - (alternative spelling of tinny) noun 1 Australian /NZ informal a can of beer

Appearing in Solutions

Dr William Gilbert ("WG") Grace (1848–1915) – English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having especial significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport

patchouli - noun 1 an aromatic oil obtained from a SE Asian shrub, which is used in perfumery, insecticides, and medicine 2 the strongly scented shrub of the mint family from which patchouli is obtained. Pogostemon cablin, family Labiatae

Pork pie (or Porkie pie, often shortened to porkie) - Cockney rhyming slang term for 'lie'

put up - (put someone up) phrase 2 propose someone for election or adoption: the party had put up a candidate in each constituency

Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936) – Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral Roman trilogy: Fontane di Roma - "Fountains of Rome"; Pini di Roma - "Pines of Rome"; and Feste Romane - "Roman Festivals".

start - noun 2 a sudden movement of surprise or alarm

HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs (informally "The scrubs") - a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England.

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

26a   Arrogant type appearing in court and causing a disturbance (7)

I didn't fully get the wordplay in this clue and Dave Perry does not give a detailed explanation. The definition is "arrogant type" for which the solution is UPSTART. The wordplay would seem to be UP (appearing in court; i.e., up on charges) + START (causing a disturbance). On further reflection, I have to conclude that start is used in the sense of 'a sudden movement of surprise or alarm'.

2d   Changed key before end of Rhinegold (7)

Sitting here at my keyboard, I can't believe that I missed the wordplay here - with the solution literally staring me right in the face. The definition is "changed", with the solution being ALTERED. The wordplay is ALT (key on a computer keyboard) + ERE (before) + D {ending letter in (Rhinegol)D}. I presume that "Rhinegold" is an anglicized version of Das Rheingold (an opera by Richard Wagner). However, it might possibly be a reference to the British publisher Rhinegold Publishing.

6d   Angry male present? (3,2)

There were a few negative comments regarding this clue on Times for the Times. Personally, I thought it was fine, although I only managed to decipher the wordplay when I took a second look after completing the puzzle. The definition is "male" with the solution being HET UP. The first step in deciphering the wordplay is to replace "present" with 'put up' - as in to 'put up candidates for election' (a timely example in Canada, with an election having just been called) or, as Dave Perry suggests, to 'to put up a defence'. The wordplay then becomes 'male put up' which can be decoded as HE (male) + TUP {a reversal (up, this being a down clue) of PUT}.

21d   This snack is an East End invention (4,3)

A cockney is a native of East London (i.e., of the East End). Cockney rhyming slang for a 'lie' (invention) is PORK PIE.

24d   Try tinnie at the front - it's Courage (5)

I believe in the surface reading that "tinnie" is Australian/New Zealand slang for a can of beer and "Courage" is a brand of British beer. Although not at all difficult, I admit that I didn't figure out the wordplay until I read Dave Perry's review. It is HEAR (try; as a court case) + T {the front letter of T(innie)} giving HEART (courage).

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, March 20, 2011 (ST 4420)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4420
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, February 13, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4420]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, March 12, 2011

Introduction

Unlike Dave Perry, I did not romp through most of this puzzle. There are a number of quite obscure words and a couple of British references in this puzzle that were certainly new to me. While I did manage to work out most of them from the wordplay,  I did not understand the wordplay at 24a until I read Dave Perry's review. And, of course, I would have finished much sooner if I hadn't dallied so long at the Windmill Theatre.

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the National Post Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues

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

Harrogate (or Harrogate Spa) - a spa town in North Yorkshire, England.

Remploy Ltd - a government owned company in the United Kingdom which provides employment and employment placement services for disabled people.

Appearing in Solutions

amaranthine - [American Heritage Dictionary] adjective 2. Eternally beautiful and unfading; everlasting.

autodidact - noun a self-taught person

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

sati (also suttee) - noun the former Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself on to her husband's funeral pyre

Tantalus - Greek Mythology a Lydian king, son of Zeus and father of Pelops. For his crimes (which included killing Pelops) he was punished by being provided with fruit and water which receded when he reached for them. His name is the origin of the word tantalize.

touraco (alternative spelling of turaco) - noun a fruit-eating African bird with brightly coloured plumage, a prominent crest, and a long tail. Family Musophagidae (the turaco family): three genera, especially Musophaga and Tauraco, and several species. The turaco family also includes the go-away birds and plantain-eaters.

Windmill Theatre (later The Windmill International) - a variety and revue theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, England famous for its nude tableaux vivants.

Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move. The approach thus marries the art forms of the stage with those of painting/photography, and as such it has been of interest to modern photographers. The most recent hey-day of the tableau vivant was the 19th century with virtually nude tableaux vivants or "poses plastiques" providing a form of erotic entertainment.

In his review, Dave Perry provides a link to a fascinating history of the Windmill Theatre (extensively illustrated with pictures that are definitely worthwhile checking out).

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the full review at Times for the Times, to which a link is provided in the table above.

24a   Ridicule wife's sacrifice, wanting progress (8)

The definition is "ridicule" for which the solution is SATIRISE. The wordplay is SATI (wife's sacrifice; Hindu practice of a widow throwing herself on to her husband's funeral pyre) + (wanting) RISE (progress). Here "wanting" seems to want to be a charade indicator.

28a   Feeling apprehensive about Oxford, finally gaining scholarship (8)

The definition is "feeling apprehensive about", with the solution being DREADING. The wordplay is D (Oxford finally; i.e., the final letter in "Oxford") + READING (gaining scholarship). In Britain, reading means to attend university, thereby 'becoming educated' or, in other words, "gaining scholarship". The surface reading of the clue is designed to make us think of a financial award, but we must see past this to find the cryptic meaning.

3d   Blunder admitted by teacher rarely (3)

The definition is "blunder" and the solution is hidden in (admitted by) teachER Rarely.

Signing off for this week - Falcon

Sunday, March 13, 2011 (ST 4419)

Puzzle at a Glance
Puzzle Number in The Sunday Times ST 4419
Date of Publication in The Sunday Times Sunday, February 6, 2011
Link to Full Review Times for the Times [ST 4419]
Times for the Times Review Written By Dave Perry
Date of Publication in the Toronto Star Saturday, March 5, 2011

Introduction

I found this to be probably the most difficult puzzle that I have run into in a very long time. I needed copious amounts of aid from my electronic assistants - and still finished without understanding the wordplay in 14a. As it turns out, the clue relies on an apparently common British expression meaning 'extremely drunk' - but one that I am totally unfamiliar with, as I dare say are most North Americans.

In his review, Dave Perry wonders (in regard to 20a) "how well does [the expression "boring old farts"] transfer abroad?". Actually, very well, as this is quite a common expression in North America. However, I can't say the same for several other British expressions, such as bladdered (to which I have alluded above) as well as elevenses, outsize (OS),  charlie (which I did discover should not be confused with charlies), and especially carcase (a spelling that apparently does not exist outside the U.K.).

Today's Errata

One thing that seems to have transferred abroad quite well is the obvious spelling error in 3d:

• 3d   One Cathoilic in event remains (7)

Today's Glossary

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

[Items marked with an asterisk are from a Cumulative Glossary of entries appearing, since the beginning of this year, in either this blog or its companion blog, the National Post Cryptic Crossword Forum.]

Appearing in Clues

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

daily - noun informal 2 (also daily help) British dated a woman who is employed to clean someone else's house each day

flipping - adjective [attributive] British informal used for emphasis or to express mild annoyance: are you out of your flipping mind?; [as submodifier] it's flipping cold today

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

Mayo¹ - a county in the Republic of Ireland, in the north-west in the province of Connacht; county town, Castlebar

Appearing in Solutions

bladdered - adjective British informal extremely drunk

char² - noun 1 British informal a charwoman

charlie - noun 1 British informal a fool

Chinook - noun 1 a member of an American Indian people originally inhabiting the region around the Columbia River in Oregon

*eleven - cardinal number [6^th entry] a sports team of eleven players: at cricket I played in the first eleven

elevenses -plural noun British informal a short break for light refreshments, usually with tea or coffee, taken at about eleven o'clock in the morning

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

OS - abbreviation (as a size of clothing) outsize, the British term equivalent to the North American terms plus size (for women's clothing) and big and tall (for men's clothing).

rot - noun 3 informal, chiefly British nonsense; rubbish: don't talk rot; [as exclamation]‘Rot!’ she said with vehemence

Signing off for this week - Falcon