DT 29862

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29862

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 18^th Dec 2021

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A slightly tougher Saturday puzzle from Cephas that I still enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and noteworthy comment.

The ‘love-in-idleness’ flower, otherwise known as ‘pansy’ that appears in the clue of 19a, is so called because love is created while a person is in a state of repose or in a spell of laze. This reminded me of a story that I read during my glorious days of childhood in Joseph Day School when I was seven years old and studying in Class II. More nostalgic memories crept in. I reminisced having read the event of the love potion used by Puck, the fairy in a very abridged version of the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ of Shakespeare in Radiant Reader which had a lot of very short stories for children. I could not recall having come across the names of Oberon or Titania in that book which I presumed must have been there, but I distinctly remembered, other than Puck and Bottom with the head of an ass, four names such as Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed appearing together therein. I also remembered Mrs. D. Crusoe, our class teacher, passing away due to illness the same year. Just five years back, while doing my master’s in English, I studied the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in detail. In Act 2, Scene 1, Oberon confessed that he saw Cupid’s arrow falling upon a little western flower which used to be as white as milk. But it had turned purple from being wounded by the arrow of love and the maidens called it ‘love-in-idleness’. I now gathered from the net that pansy as the name for several species of violet is a type of large-flowered hybrid plant cultivated as a garden flower and is derived by hybridisation from several species in the section Melanium of the genus Viola, particularly the European Johnny-jump-up or Viola tricolour and a wildflower of Europe and western Asia called the ‘heart’s-ease’. The name ‘pansy’ was derived from the French word pensée meaning ‘thought’ and imported into English in the mid-15^th century as the flower that symbolised remembrance and the name Viola was given to it. The name ‘love-in-idleness’ was meant to imply the image of a lover who had no work other than to be indulged in deep thought of his beloved. The name ‘heart’s-ease’ came from St. Euphrasia, whose name in Greek signified cheerfulness of mind. The name ‘humble violet’ was given to the woman who refused marriage and became a nun that was considered a pattern of humility.

From the net, I also learnt that ‘in spades’, the answer to the clue of 5d, is an idiom having a reference to the suit in a deck of cards. There are four suits in a modern deck of cards, namely, spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. Spades is the highest ranking suit in the game of bridge, a popular card game in the 1920s. The expression ‘in spades’ meaning abundance, having more than enough, a large quantity or to a large degree came into use in the United States during this time.

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Across

4a    Air dozen composed in very dry area (4,4)
ARID ZONE: An anagram (composed) of AIR DOZEN takes to the ecological definition of a dry region of latitude 15°-30° North and South in which is rainfall is so low that only desert and semi-desert vegetation occur

8a    Bishop takes turn to include current film (1-5)
B-MOVIE: B (bishop) as the abbreviation for bishop in chess notation receives (takes) MOVE (turn) as a player’s turn to change the position of a piece in chess to embrace (include) I (current) as the symbol for electric current in physics, leading to the definition of a movie of lesser importance

9a    Scandal, C grade is awful (8)
DISGRACE: An anagram (awful) of C GRADE IS guides to the definition of a loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonourable action

10a    Texts left one terribly bitter (8)
LIBRETTI: L (left) as the abbreviation for left and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one is followed by an anagram (terribly) of BITTER, arriving at the definition of the texts or books of words of an opera, oratorio or ballet

11a    American destined to flourish (6)
ABOUND: A (American) as the abbreviation for American and BOUND (destined) as destined or on the way to have a specified experience in a charade, taking to the definition of a verb meaning to be prosperous or rich in something or to exist in great plenty

12a    Like Don is extravagantly chivalrous (8)
QUIXOTIC: Double definition of adjectives; the first meaning like Don Quixote, the character of the romance of Miguel de Cervantes who goes on quests to prove himself worthy of being a knight that leads to the second meaning extravagantly romantic in ideals or chivalrous in action

13a    Love writer with reserve that’s simple to understand (4,4)
OPEN BOOK: A charade of O (love) as the score for zero in tennis, PEN (writer) as an instrument used for writing and (with) BOOK (reserve) as to make a reservation in advance, leading to the definition of anything that can be interpreted without difficulty

16a    Higher part of course not going with the flow? (8)
UPSTREAM: UP (higher) as on or at a higher position or level and STREAM (part of course) as any of the sections formed when students within a grade level are grouped as according to their abilities in a charade, arriving at the definition of an adjective meaning further up the stream or going against the current

19a    There is love in this for Pansy (8)
IDLENESS: [LOVE-IN-]IDLENESS as another name given to the pansy flower because love is created while the person is in a spell of laze or a state of repose leads to the definition of the missing third word of the three-worded synonym

21a    Steeplechaser‘s sweater? (6)
JUMPER: Double definition-; the first being an athlete who competes in a race around a track featuring hurdles, barriers and water pits as jumps that leads to the second referring to a knitted upper garment called a pullover or a sweater, originally one loose at the waist

23a    Like a slow-moving creature going like a bullet? (8)
SLUGGISH: SLUG (bullet) as a bullet, especially a lead one is cryptically constructed as an adjective meaning ‘like a bullet’ or ‘like a slug’, leading to the definition of an adjective meaning slow-moving, slothful or inactive like a SLUG (creature) as a heavy, lazy person or a tough-skinned terrestrial mollusc with a rudimentary shell or none at all

24a    Runner at risk we removed (5-3)
WATER-SKI: AT RISK WE displaced or moved again (removed) as an anagram, taking to the definition of a water-planing ski that is a long narrow runner of wood or metal, fastened to the foot, used in the sport of being towed at speed on skis behind a motorboat

25a    Sentry stopped short holding it, stringed instrument (6)
GUITAR: GUAR[D] (sentry) as a person or contingent stationed to keep watch with its last letter removed (stopped short) and keeping inside (holding) IT from the clue, leading to the definition of a fretted musical instrument, now six-stringed with a waisted body, like the lute, but flat-backed

26a    Poet‘s game reportedly working (8)
TENNYSON: TENNIS (game) as a game in which two or four players strike a ball with rackets over a net stretched across a court serving as a homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) followed by ON (working) as functioning or operating, arriving at the definition of the name of the poet who wrote The Lady of Shalott and Ulysses and who was Poet Laureate during much of Victoria’s reign in the nineteenth century

Down

1d    Large volume of transport (7)
OMNIBUS: Double definition; the first being a volume containing several books previously published separately and the second referring to a horse-drawn vehicle for carrying a considered number of passengers of the general public

2d    About to come back once in the open and try too hard (9)
OVEREXERT: A combination of RE (about) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘with reference to’ or ‘regarding’ to bounce back (come back) as a reversal and EX (once) as a prefix indicating former but still living is placed inside (in) OVERT (the open) as something that is out in the open, taking to the definition meaning engage in too much or too strenuous exertion

3d    Order to go away and play one’s drum? (4,2)
BEAT IT: Double definition; the second being the response to how to play one’s drum that leads to the first being a grammatical mood that is imperative or expressive of command ‘Go away!’

4d    Body having check on percentage paid (5,10)
AUDIT COMMISSION: AUDIT (check) as a check or examination is placed upon (on) COMMISSION (percentage paid) as a percentage paid to an agent, leading to the definition of the body responsible for the auditing of local authorities and National Health Service bodies in England and Wales that closed on 31^st March 2015

5d    Suitably to a great extent? (2,6)
IN SPADES: Suitably as an adverb meaning to a degree or extent that is acceptable or right in a particular situation or, cryptically, suit-ably or worthy of being a suit of the highest ranking takes to the definition of an idiom meaning to a very high degree

6d    Bishop in animal park finds fox (5)
ZORRO: RR (bishop) as the abbreviation of Right Reverend who is a bishop or a retired archbishop is placed inside (in) ZOO (animal park) as an establishment which maintains a collection of wild animals, typically in a park or gardens for display to the public, leading to the definition of a doglike fox found in the forests and savannah of South America; the term itself being the Spanish word for ‘fox’

7d    Bottle party? Impossible! (2,3,2)
NO CAN DO: A cryptic way of arriving at the definition of a phrase used in speech to say that one cannot do something that he or she has been asked or told to do from NO (Bottle party?) as a negative reply to the question as a whole and CAN (bottle) as a container and DO (party) as an informal term for a party or other social event in parts

14d    Converted, having come into existence a second time (4-5)
BORN-AGAIN: BORN (having come into existence) as existing as a result of birth and AGAIN (a second time) as once more in a charade, leading to the definition of an adjective meaning newly converted to and very enthusiastic about an idea or cause or having received new spiritual life

15d    Fed up, sorts out and thaws out (8)
DEFROSTS: FED is going upwards (up) as a reversal in the down clue followed by an anagram (out) of SORTS, taking to the definition to a verb meaning removes frost or ice from the frozen food before cooking

17d    Down mature fruit first (7)
PLUMAGE: AGE (mature) as grow old or develop the characteristics of old age preceded by or following (first) PLUM (fruit) as an oval drupe or stone-fruit with juicy, sweet-tasting yellowish flesh and typically a purple skin when ripe, leading to the definition of a bird’s feathers collectively

18d    Having a second drink in pub in an accustomed way (2,5)
AS USUAL: A from the clue is followed by S (second) as the abbreviation for second and USUAL (drink in pub) as the drink one habitually prefers in a pub, arriving at the definition of a phrase meaning in a way that often happens and is expected

20d    A Parisian in theatre box finding room (6)
LOUNGE: UN (a Parisian) as the French term for the masculine indefinite article ‘a’, as spoken by the people in Paris is placed inside (in) LOGE (theatre box) as a private box or enclosure in a theatre or opera house, taking to the definition of a room in a private building for sitting or waiting, often providing refreshment facilities

22d    Groom occasionally cries entering enclosure (5)
PREEN: The alternate letters (occasionally) of cRiEs are going inside (entering) PEN (enclosure) as a small enclosure, especially for animals, leading to the definition of a verb meaning to groom oneself especially with evident vanity or to devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one’s appearance

Some of the clues of this pangrammatic puzzle that I liked were 10a, 11a, 12a, 21a, 23a, 26a, 2d, 3d, 6d, 7d, 15d, 17d and 18d, with 21a topping the list. Many thanks to Cephas for the enjoyable moments and to BD for the encouragement. Looking forward to writing more reviews on the Saturday puzzles next year. Have a lovely and joyous day. Finally, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas Eve followed by Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2022.

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