DT 29981

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29981

A full review by Rahmat Ali

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 7^th May 2022

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A pretty straightforward Saturday puzzle from Chalicea that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and important feedback.

Scissors as the answer to the clue of 10a made me nostalgic and I remembered that it was in Class Nursery when I first saw a pair of scissors that was used by our class teacher to make two types of handicrafts to be given as consolatory prizes to all the students at the end of the session before the winter holidays. We students being too small were not involved in the making and it was entirely the solitary effort of the class teacher to complete the assignment given to her by the principal. One item was a small paper glass filled with sand with small plants, having colourful flowers and lovely green leaves, made out of coloured paper, implanted in it and another was a song record made out of burnt clay and painted black on both sides. Other than those two items, I also got a small book on a visit to the zoo as my prize for general proficiency. Again, I remembered that it was in Class IV when I first used a pair of scissors myself while trying to make a table mat in our handwork class as per the instructions of our class teacher. I was fascinated at the sight of the square wooden frame that had nails half-fixed in it and at equidistant to one another that was required by each one of us to make the mat. Each of us finally got the mats we made, but not the wooden frames that belonged to the school and were meant to be used by the next batch the following year. I was so much impressed by the outcome that I tried to make a similar wooden frame at home and was successful. Then I made use of different colours of thread to prepare several table mats for our home. Soon, relatives and neighbours started flocking in with their different-coloured threads wound on spools and it gave me immense pleasure even at that tender age of nine to make for each one of them the most of all cherished articles of that time in our neighbourhood – the table mats! And, of course, without taking anything in return. I used to observe my mother time and again making different colours of flowers through stitching and embroidering by hand on covers of pillow and handkerchiefs, that also involved the use of scissors. I decided to try my hand at it when I was in Class VIII. History repeated itself and I was again successful at my very first attempt. Soon, many relatives and neighbours started coming to me each with a white handkerchief and I embroidered a rose flower with two leaves for each one of them.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Look: a little vegetable in spring! (10)
APPEARANCE: A from the clue followed by PEA (vegetable) as a spherical green seed that is eaten as a vegetable or as a pulse when dried placed inside (in) PRANCE (spring) as an act or instance of springing from the hind legs or move by so doing, culminating in the definition of a noun meaning outward look or aspect

6a    Announce delivery of mail (4)
POST: Double definitions; the first being a verb meaning to announce or publish something, especially a financial result and the second a noun meaning a single collection or delivery of mail

8a    Imaginative chapter concerning Evita returning (8)
CREATIVE: C (chapter) as the abbreviation for chapter, the preposition RE (concerning) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘with reference to’, ‘concerning’ or ‘about’ and EVITA coming back (returning) as a reversal in the across clue, leading to the definition of an adjective meaning having good imagination or original ideas

9a    Supply with power? (6)
ENABLE: A cryptic way of arriving at the definition of a verb meaning to give someone the power, strength and authority to do something from EN- (supply with) as a prefix used to form verbs denoting to provide or supply with and ABLE (power) as an adjective meaning having the power, skill, means or opportunity to do something

10a    Is cross about second source of cuts (8)
SCISSORS: An anagram (about) IS CROSS is followed by the symbol S (second) as the basic unit of time, guiding to the definition of an instrument used for cutting cloth, paper and other material

11a    Agreement to deal with enemy ultimately (6)
TREATY: TREAT (to deal with) as a verb meaning to behave towards or deal with someone in a certain way and the ultimate or last letter (ultimately) of [ENEM]Y lead to the definition of a noun meaning a formal agreement between two or more states in reference to peace, alliance, commerce or other international relations

12a    Enthusiastic about piebald horse failing to start (4)
INTO: [P]INTO (piebald horse) as horse with primarily black splotches on a white background without having P or the starting letter (failing to start), taking to the definition of an informal preposition referring of a person taking a lively and active interest in something

14a    Try daughter with garment not right for Nike? (7)
GODDESS: GO (try) as an attempt or trial at something, D (daughter) as the genealogical abbreviation for daughter followed by (with) D[R]ESS (garment) as a one-piece garment worn by women and girls that covers the body and extends down over the legs without having (not) the letter R (right) as the abbreviation for right, arriving at the definition of the Greek goddess of victory

18a    Good unfinished narrow road in close country (7)
ENGLAND: A combo of G (good) as the abbreviation for good and LAN[E] (narrow road) as the narrow road that is devoid of the finishing letter (unfinished) is put inside (in) END (close) as a final part of something, arriving at the definition of the name of the country that is part of the United Kingdom

20a    Reportedly ring for cover? (4)
PEEL: PEAL (ring) as a verb meaning of a bell or bells to ring loudly heard as a homophone by the audience (reportedly), taking to the definition of a noun meaning the outer covering or rind of a fruit or vegetable

23a    Bitterly cold truck transporting ice essentially (6)
ARCTIC: ARTIC (truck) as the colloquial shortened version of ‘articulated lorry’ that is made easier to manoeuvre by having its front section flexibly attached to the rear end so that it can move at an angle to it having inside or carrying (transporting) the essential or innermost letter (essentially) of [I]C[E], arriving at the definition of an adjective meaning of a polar region that is located at the northernmost part of Earth or of weather conditions as intensely cold

24a    Gather, taking walk around South London area (8)
ASSEMBLE: The definition of a verb meaning to gather together in one place for a common purpose is arrived by taking AMBLE (walk) as a walk at a slow, relaxed pace, especially for pleasure surrounding (around) a combo of S (South) as the abbreviation for South and SE (London area) as the abbreviation for South-East that was one of the five sub-regions of London from 2008 to 2011

25a    Cunningly stifle the very thing (6)
ITSELF: An anagram (cunningly) of STIFLE guides to the definition of a pronoun used to emphasise a particular thing or animal already mentioned

26a    Most clamorous one interrupting most prying (8)
NOISIEST: I (one) as the Roman numeral for one breaking the continuity (interrupting) of NOSIEST (most prying) as an adjective meaning showing too much curiosity about other people’s affairs in its superlative degree form, bringing to the definition of another adjective meaning given to making a lot of clamour or loud noise, also in its superlative degree form

27a    Items stored by Arsenal members (4)
ARMS: Double definition; the first being a noun referring to a collection of weapons and military equipment that is stored in an armoury and the second also a noun denoting the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand

28a    Famous rebel acted badly (10)
CELEBRATED: An anagram (badly) of REBEL ACTED leads to the definition of an adjective meaning great admired or renowned

Down

1d    Charging account supported by United States in heart of Belgium (8)
ACCUSING: ACC (account) as the abbreviation for account is followed (supported) by US (United States) as the abbreviation for United States, IN from the clue and the central or middle letter (heart) of [BEL]G[IUM], arriving at the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning charging someone with an offence or crime

2d    Lyrical American horror writer getting credit mostly (6)
POETIC: Edgar Allan POE (American horror writer) as American writer, poet, editor and literary critic who, besides poetry, is best known for his short stories, particularly his tales of horror followed by (getting) the most letters (mostly) of TIC[K] (credit) as a slang term for credit or delayed payment, especially in the phrase ‘on tick’, leading to the definition of an adjective meaning poetic, effusive or romantic

3d    Section of part is tough for performer (6)
ARTIST: Part of or hidden inside (section) of pART IS Tough guides to the definition of a person who practises or performs any of the creative arts, such as a sculpting, film-making, acting or dancing

4d    Publicise something; inform about overturned chopped tree (9)
ADVERTISE: ADVISE (inform) as to inform someone about a fact or situation in a formal or official way is placed around (about) TRE[E] having its size reduced with the removal of the last letter (chopped) and turned upside down (overturned) as a reversal in the down clue, bringing a definition of a verb meaning to publicise information about something

5d    Something small that’s charged? (8)
ELECTRON: A cryptic way of arriving at the definition of an elementary particle, having no known component or substructure, that is found in an atom and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids from a stable subatomic particle (something small) that’s charged with negative electricity (charged)

6d    Gymnastics expert almost satisfied and calm (8)
PEACEFUL: PE (gymnastics) as the abbreviation for physical education that involves the physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance as in gymnastics, ACE (expert) as a person who excels at a particular sport or other activity and most of the letters (almost) of FUL[L] (satisfied) as having eaten to one’s limits or satisfaction, arriving at the definition of an adjective meaning tranquil or free from disturbance

7d    Your aim: correct this! (8)
SOLUTION: A cryptic way of getting to the definition of the correct answer to a puzzle from the hint that the clue provides that as solvers your intention (aim) is to write the answer (correct) to the clue of the puzzle (this) by working it out or solving it

13d    Select broken and occasionally complex instrument (9)
TELESCOPE: An anagram (broken) of SELECT is followed by (and) the occasional or alternate letters (occasionally) of cOmPlEx, taking to the definition of an optical instrument for viewing objects at a distance

15d    Person running business peeled waterproof off (8)
OPERATOR: An anagram (off) of [W]ATERPROO[F] having the outermost letters or outer covering removed (peeled) guides to the definition of a person who owns or manages a business

16d    Calamity as schoolma’am sacrifices millions for diamonds (8)
DISTRESS: [M]ISTRESS (schoolma’am) as a woman teacher, especially in a school gives up (sacrifices) M (millions) as the abbreviation for millions for D (diamonds) as the single letter for diamonds in a pack of cards, arriving at the definition of a situation in which one is suffering or in great danger and therefore in urgent need of help

17d    Clearly defined brief theorising whenever in command (8)
SPECIFIC: A charade of SPEC[ULATION] (theorising) as the forming of a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence in its abbreviated form (brief), IF (whenever) as a conjunction meaning every time or whenever and IC (in command) as an abbreviation for ‘in command’ as in the military, leading to the definition of an adjective meaning clearly defined, precise or identified

19d    Managed, having been shown the way (8)
DIRECTED: Double definition; the first being a verb meaning managed, governed or controlled the operations of something and the second again a verb referring to someone having been told or shown how to get somewhere

21d    Inferior bibles sermoniser purchases (6)
LESSER: The definition of an adjective meaning lower in rank, status or quality is arrived at from bibLES SERmoniser who picks something up (purchases) that was the hidden part

22d    Dreamy sailor roused to ecstasy (6)
ABSENT: A charade of AB (sailor) as the abbreviation for able-bodied seaman and SENT (roused to ecstasy) as sent or put someone to ecstasy as in jazz guides to the definition of an adjective meaning showing that someone is not paying attention to what is being said or done

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 12a, 14a, 18a, 23a, 25a, 26a, 1d, 2d, 3d, 4d, 6d, 7d, 13d and 22d. Thanks to Chalicea for the lovely entertainment and to BD for the encouragement. Would take delight in being here again. Have a nice day.