ST 3113

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3113

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 20 Jun 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. Once again, I have the pleasure of writing the full review of a Sunday puzzle for your kind perusal. Dada has given us a very enjoyable puzzle this time with some excellent clues.

While going through the word ‘cooler’ as part of the clue and ‘ice’ as part of the answer in 1d, I happened to discover from the net that ice is also a North American frozen mixture of fruit juice or of flavoured water and sugar while cooler is a North American long drink, especially a mixture of wine, fruit juice and soda water.

The answer ‘nana’ of 25d as a pet name for grandmother reminded me to add that here in India, a country of many languages, ‘nana’ is the word for maternal grandfather in the Hindi and Urdu languages. The Bengali-speaking Muslim community also refers to their maternal grandfather as ‘nana’ vis-à-vis the Bengali-speaking Hindu community who uses the term ‘dadu’ instead. And, finally, ‘nana’ is the word for maternal grandfather to the people of Urdu-speaking Pakistan and Bengali-speaking Bangladesh, too.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

8a    Further belligerent action entertained by US president (7)
FORWARD: WAR (belligerent action) embraced (entertained) by Gerald FORD (US president)

10a    Journalist consumed by endless lethargy, wreck (7)
TORPEDO: A two-letter abbreviation for editor ED (journalist) taken (consumed) by TORPO[R] (lethargy) without its last letter (endless)

11a    Train seen going off the rails, seriously (2,7)
IN EARNEST: An anagram (going off the rails) of TRAIN SEEN

12a    Piano: one for each musician (5)
PIPER: A charade of the one-letter abbreviation P (piano), the symbol of the Roman numeral I (one) and the three-letter preposition PER (for each)

13a    Push something fragile away from the edge? (3,2)
EGG ON: EGG (something fragile) followed by ON (away from the edge)

14a    Arrest American, part with shackles (7)
SUSPEND: To let go of something or SPEND (part with) secures or shuts in (shackles) the two-letter abbreviated adjective meaning belonging to the United States US (American)

17a    This promise kept by irascible fox (9,6)
CROSSWORD PUZZLE: A saying or expression of honour WORD (promise) contained (kept) by an adjective meaning angry, quick-tempered or CROSS (irascible) and a verb meaning to baffle, perplex or PUZZLE (fox)

19a    Semi-precious mineral that’s terrible put back in container (7)
PERIDOT: The adjective dreadful or DIRE (terrible) as a reversal (put back) inside (in) POT (container)

21a    Again supply weapons to attention-grabbing marines? (5)
REARM: Attention-grabbing marines, that is, the two-letter abbreviation for Royal Marines RM (marines) taking inside (grabbing) EAR (attention)+

24a    Newspaper perhaps, vital thing (5)
ORGAN: Double definition; the first referring to a means of communicating information or opinions while the second being a part of a body fitted for carrying on a natural or essential operation

26a    Three American points for this in gold leaf, I gathered (5,4)
FIELD GOAL: An anagram (gathered) of GOLD LEAF I, leading to the definition of a goal scored by a place kick, scoring three points, in American football

27a    Russian dynasty with country in range, dropping back (7)
ROMANOV: OMAN (country) placed inside (in) ROV[E] (range), with its last letter (back) leaving (dropping)

28a    Bird has fight after fight (7)
SPARROW: A noisy acrimonious quarrel or ROW (fight) placed after (after) a bout of making motions in boxing, during practice, without landing heavy blows or a dispute or SPAR (fight)

Down

1d    Where one could be at work, away from work cooler! (6)
OFFICE: A charade of OFF (away from work) and ICE (cooler)

2d    Opera gig playing musical exercise (8)
ARPEGGIO: An anagram (playing) of OPERA GIG, leading to the definition of a chord of which the notes are played or sung, especially as an exercise, not simultaneously, but in rapid ascending or descending progression, according to a set pattern

3d    Step in road when buggy backed (10)
PATRONISED: An anagram (when buggy) of STEP IN ROAD

4d    Articulate team in the US (9)
STATESIDE: A charade of STATE (articulate) and SIDE (team), arriving at the definition meaning belonging to or situated in the US, used particularly in reference to the States from elsewhere or from the geographically separate states of Alaska and Hawaii

5d    Suggestion about start of return journey (4)
TRIP: TIP (suggestion) around (about) the first letter (start) of R[E][T][U][R][N]

6d    Little food? That makes one cry (6)
WEEPIE: A charade of WEE (little) and PIE (food), leading to the definition of a highly sentimental or emotional film, play or book

7d    Stir Scottish dish (8)
PORRIDGE: Double definition; the first referring to a prison or a time spent in prison as a sentence and the second being the name of a thick sticky food, traditionally associated with Scotland, made from oats cooked in water or milk and eaten hot, especially for breakfast

9d    Action that may be reversed? (4)
DEED: A cryptic way of defining an act or a thing done by illustrating its palindromic feature

15d    Inform about a communist agreement that’s fair (6,4)
SQUARE DEAL: SQUEAL (inform) around (about) A from the clue and RED (communist), cryptically leading to the definition of an agreement that’s fair or a SQUARE (fair) DEAL (agreement)

16d    Single number? (5-4)
FORTY-FIVE: Two definitions – the most common form of the vinyl single with its play speed at 45 revolutions per minute and a number

17d    Spade perhaps gathering up most of box, food container? (8)
CUPBOARD: A playing card with black leaf-shaped pips as one of the four suits in a conventional pack of fifty-two playing cards or CARD (spade perhaps) collecting (gathering) from the clue UP as a whole and BO[X] with most of its letters (most of)

18d    Extremism very much on track under extreme characters in Zimbabwe (8)
ZEALOTRY: A LOT (very much) placed upon (on) a two-letter abbreviation for railway (RY / track) in the down clue and altogether coming below (under) the first and the last (extreme) characters in Z[I][M][B][A][B][W]E, leading to the definition of a noun meaning a fanatical and uncompromising pursuit of religious, political or other ideals

20d    Set up some semi-German system that’s ordered (6)
REGIME: In a reverse order (set up) in the down clue, part of or hidden inside (some) sEMI-GERman

22d    Country in West Africa, lake also mentioned initially turning up? (6)
MALAWI: The first letters of (initially) In West Africa Lake Also Mentioned in reverse order in the down clue (turning up)

23d    Glass fallen, smashed, though not entirely (4)
LENS: Hidden inside or part of (though not entirely) the words falLEN Smashed, leading to the definition of a piece of transparent matter with one or both surfaces curved to cause regular convergence or divergence of rays passing through it or a mechanical equivalent of the human lens on a camera, allowing the subject image to fall on the eye or the film plane

25d    Relative fool (4)
NANA: Double definition; the first being a pet name for one’s grandmother and the second being an informal term for a silly person, often as a general term of abuse

17a was undoubtedly the best of all clues of this puzzle, but there were also other clues that I liked – 8a, 10a, 12a, 13a, 19a, 28a, 4d, 6d, 9d, 15d, 16d and 18d. Thanks to Dada for the entertainment and to BD for the encouragement. Looking forward to being here again. Have a wonderful day.

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