DT 30047 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30047

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 23^rd July 2022

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

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

Lee tide, the answer to the clue of 21a, is also known as leeward tide. I learnt from the net that it is dangerous for small boats.

I read about an artesian well, the answer to the clue of 1d, for the first time when I was in Class VII. I now brushed up my knowledge on it through the net. It is a well that taps into a confined aquifer. Under artesian pressure, water in the well rises above the top of the aquifer, but does not necessarily reach the land surface. A flowing artesian well is one that has been drilled into an aquifer where the pressure within the aquifer forces the groundwater to rise above the land surface naturally without using a pump. Flowing artesian wells can flow on an intermittent or continuous basis and originate from aquifers occurring in either unconsolidated materials such as sand and gravels or bedrock, at depths ranging from a few meters to several thousand meters. All flowing wells are artesian, but not all artesian wells are flowing wells.

Originally, ‘rumba’, the answer to the clue of 2d, was used as a synonym for ‘party’ in northern Cuba and by the late 19^th century, it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as ‘Cuba rumba’.

Clef, as part of the answer to the clue of 16d, is derived from the French clef meaning ‘key’. It is a musical notation used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical stave. I further learnt from the net that three clef symbols, namely, C-clef, F-clef and G-clef, are used in modern music notation. When these clefs are placed on a line, it fixes a reference note to that line. An F-clef fixes the F below middle C, a C-clef fixes middle C and a G-clef fixes the G above middle C. Theoretically, any clef may be placed on any line. With five lines on the stave and three clefs, there are fifteen possibilities for clef placement. Six of these are redundant because they result in an identical assignment of the notes to the lines. Thus, there are nine possible distinct clefs, all of which have been used historically. In modern music notation, the G-clef is most frequently seen as treble clef, placing G4 on the second line of the stave and the F-clef as bass clef, placing F3 on the fourth line. A C-clef on the third line and fourth line of the stave is known as alto clef and tenor clef respectively. The tenor clef is used for the viola da gamba and for upper ranges of bass-clef instruments such as the bassoon, cello, double bass, euphonium and tenor trombone.

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Across

1a    Shattered crash-test cars OK in this disadvantaged area (6,3,6)
ACROSS THE TRACKS: An anagram (shattered) of CRASH TEST CARS OK takes to the definition of a slum or other socially disadvantaged area aka the wrong side of the tracks

8a    In retrospect transfer person recording speeds, say (5)
TIMER: REMIT (transfer) as to transmit or send money in payment or as a gift in a looking back or backward view (retrospect) as a reversal in the across clue, arriving at the definition of a person, for example, operating like a device that measures or records the amount of time taken by a process or activity

9a    Record entry about fierce beast returning around start of summer (8)
REGISTER: A combo of the preposition RE (about) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘with reference to’, ‘concerning’ or ‘about’ and TIGER (fierce beast) as a large, fierce cat having a tawny coat with black stripes coming back (returning) as a reversal in the across clue having placed around (around) the beginning or starting letter (start) of S[UMMER], taking to the definition of a verb meaning to enter or record on an official list or directory

11a    Cleanser‘s bogus power over heart of pathogens (7)
SHAMPOO: SHAM (bogus) as an adjective meaning bogus, fake or spurious, P (power) as the symbol for power in physics, O (over) as the abbreviation for over or overs as denoted on cricket scorecards and the central or innermost letter (heart) of [PATH]O[GENS] lead to the definition of a cleansing agent, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for washing hair or a special liquid used for cleaning rugs, carpets etc

12a    Some treat in Torquay to use up profits, maybe (3,4)
EAT INTO: Part of or hidden inside (some) trEAT IN TOrquay guides to the definition of a phrasal verb meaning to take away or use up a large amount of resources over a certain period of time by any activity that could possibly lead to the erosion of profits

13a    Region circling northern sphere of action (5)
ARENA: AREA (region) as a region or part of a town, a country or the world going around (circling) N (northern) as the abbreviation for northern as in NI or Northern Ireland, arriving at the definition of any sphere or scene of struggle, debate, conflict, competition or action

15a    Small cry of grief mostly, before oddly terminable kangaroo court, say (4,5)
SHOW TRIAL: S (small) as the abbreviation for small, most of the letters (mostly) of HOW[L] (cry of grief) as a loud cry of pain, grief or anger placed in front of (before) the odd letters (oddly) of TeRmInAbLe take to the definition of an example of public trial held purely for propaganda, the charges often being false and the confession forcibly extracted

17a    Reserved comedian, essentially shy and strained (9)
WITHDRAWN: WIT (comedian) as a witty person, the essence or the innermost letter (essentially) of [S]H[Y] and DRAWN (strained) as an adjective meaning of a person looking strained from illness, exhaustion, anxiety or pain lead to the definition of an adjective meaning unusually reserved, introverted or shy

20a    Darkest time man on board reported (5)
NIGHT: KNIGHT (man on board) as a piece in the game of chess, represented by a horse’s head and neck serving as a homophone heard by the audience (reported) guides to the definition of the period of time from sunset to sunrise or the time of darkness 

21a    Part of fleet ideally finding helpful current? (3,4)
LEE TIDE: Part of or hidden inside (part of) fLEET IDEally guides to the definition of a tidal current running in the direction toward which the wind is blowing

23a    Rent trouble? That’s potentially destructive (7)
TORNADO: A charade of TORN (rent) as pulled something apart or to pieces with force and ADO (trouble) as a state of agitation or fuss, especially about something unimportant takes to the definition of a violent destructive whirling windstorm accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land

25a    Rum and Asti I mixed in dessert (8)
TIRAMISU: An anagram (mixed) of RUM and ASTI I guides to the definition of an Italian dessert consisting of layers of sponge cake soaked in coffee and brandy or liqueur with powdered chocolate and mascarpone cheese

26a    Strip of wood India put together for their police baton (5)
LATHI: A charade of LATH (strip of wood) as a thin flat strip of wood, especially one of a series forming a foundation for the plaster of a wall and I (India) as the letter represented by India in the NATO phonetic alphabet combined (put together) to arrive at the definition of a long, heavy iron-bound bamboo stick used as a weapon, especially by police in India

27a    Potato father had mashed instantly (2,3,4,2,1,3)
AT THE DROP OF A HAT: An anagram (mashed) of POTATO FATHER HAD leads to the definition of an idiom meaning immediately or without delay or hesitation

Down

1d    Cunningly we reinstall a source of water (8,4)
ARTESIAN WELL: An anagram (cunningly) of WE REINSTALL A guides to the definition of a well drilled deep into an aquifer through which water is forced upward under pressure to reach the ground surface

2d    Turning up in cab, murder dance! (5)
RUMBA: Part of or hidden inside (in) cAB MURder that is going upwards (turning up) as a reversal in the down clue takes to the definition of a rhythmic dance with Spanish and African elements, originating in Cuba

3d    Dumping ground, aim of metrication fanatics? (9)
SCRAPYARD: The definition of a place where scrap is collected before being recycled or discarded from is cryptically arrived at from SCRAP YARD (aim of metrication fanatics) as the endeavours of the adherents of metrication or metrification to scrap the yard or the British imperial system of measurement and replace it with the metre or the metric system of measurement that originated in France

4d    Mischievous brats ultimately admit mistakes (7)
TERRORS: The ultimate or final letter (ultimately) of [ADMI]T followed by ERRORS (mistakes) as blunders or inaccuracies take to the definition of persons, especially children, who cause trouble or annoyance

5d    Artist and composer ignoring a writer from Italy (2,5)
EL GRECO: Sir Edward William ELG[A]R (English composer) as the English composer who has been described as the first one to take the gramophone seriously omitting (ignoring) A as of the clue and Umberto ECO (writer from Italy) as the Italian literary critic, novelist and semiotician, best known for his novel Il nome della rosa lead to the definition of the nickname of a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the ‘Spanish Renaissance’, whose real name was Doménikos Theotokópoulos

6d    With one being admitted, pause exam (5)
RESIT: Having (with) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one being taken inside (admitted) REST (pause) as to cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep or recover strength take to the definition of an examination that is resat or taken again

7d    Caught skinny rat washing (9)
CLEANSING: A charade of C (caught) as the abbreviation for caught by as in cricket, LEAN (skinny) as thin, especially healthily so or having no superfluous fat, SING (rat) as rat on or inform on someone take to the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning making something, especially the skin, thoroughly clean

10d    Surprising solicitation for one promoting alliances (12)
COALITIONIST: An anagram (surprising) of SOLICITATION guides to the definition of someone who promotes an alliance, especially a temporary one, of people, factions, parties or nations

14d    Sorted out exit terms for hardliner (9)
EXTREMIST: An anagram (sorted out) of EXIT TERMS guides to the definition of a person who holds extreme political or religious views, especially one who advocates illegal, violent or other extreme action

16d    Musical character left cycling round upset old hag (5,4)
TENOR CLEF: An anagram (cyling) of LEFT is placed around CRONE (old hag) as an old ugly woman arranged or set upwards (upset) as a reversal in the down clue take to the definition of a musical symbol that places the middle C on the second-highest line of the stave and is used chiefly for cello and bassoon music

18d    A row about English student’s workroom (7)
ATELIER: A from the clue followed by TIER (row) as a row or layer of something that has other layers above or below it put around (about) a combo of E (English) as the abbreviation for English and L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver guide to the definition of a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer

19d    Type of contract US Democrats would appreciate? (2-5)
NO-TRUMP: The definition of a version of contract bridge in which no suit is designated as trump for the duration of the hand is cryptically arrived at from one of the two major political parties (US Democrats) not favouring the Republican candidate, Donald Trump by raising slogans of NO TRUMP but would obviously be going to vote for a Democrat candidate (would appreciate)

22d    Enraged sea dog beheaded (5)
IRATE: [P]IRATE (sea dog) as a noun meaning a person who attacks and robs ships at sea is devoid of its head (beheaded) or the topmost letter in the down clue, guiding to the definition of an adjective meaning feeling or characterized by great anger

24d    Kind of bomb in letter people drop (5)
AITCH: Double definition; the second being the name for the letter H which people of certain dialects drop or fail to pronounce if it is the initial letter of any word that leads to the first referring to a type of bomb as represented by its shorter version vis-à-vis the longer one or the hydrogen bomb that is an immensely powerful bomb whose destructive power comes from the rapid release of energy during the nuclear fusion of isotopes of hydrogen, viz deuterium and tritium, using an atom bomb as a trigger.

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 17a, 23a, 25a, 27a, 1d, 3d, 4d, 5d, 7d, 18d and 19d; 3d being the best of the lot. Tonnes of thanks to Chalicea for the entertainment, to BD for the encouragement and to Gazza for the assistance. Would love to be here again. Have a nice day.