DT 30113 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30113

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 8^th Oct 2022

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

Greetings from Kolkata. Once again, a friendly and straightforward Saturday puzzle from Cephas that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and important feedback.

I wanted to know more about Majorca, the answer to the clue of 18a and thus toured the net to update myself. I found out that Majorca is also known by another name, Mallorca. Mallorca is the Spanish spelling of the island, while Majorca is quite a popular spelling in English and several other languages. Obviously, officially the name of the island and technically the correct spelling is Mallorca. Both Mallorca and Majorca are pronounced as ‘mayorka’ so there is no difference in the pronunciation between the two. Mallorca is the largest island in the Balearic Islands which have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983 and located in the Mediterranean. Palma is not only the capital of Mallorca, but also of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: one being Cabrera at the southeast of Palma and another Dragonera at its west. The island is an extremely celebrated destination, with most of the tourists coming from the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. The international airport, Palma de Mallorca, is one of the busiest in Spain. The anthem of Mallorca is ‘La Balanguera’ that is based on a poem by Joan Alcover i Maspons about a children’s song from ancient Mallorca.

Again, the net enlightened me further on Iberia, the answer to the clue of 22d. It is the Iberian Peninsula that is commonly known as Iberia. Thus, Iberia is a peninsula that is located in southwestern Europe, defining the westernmost edge of Eurasia. It is principally divided by Spain and Portugal, comprising most of their territory, as also a small area of Southern France, Andorra and Gibraltar. With an area of approximately 5,83,254 square kilometres and a population of 53 million, it is the second largest European peninsula by area, after the Scandinavian Peninsula.

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Across

8a    Fuss having tea reportedly by ditch (8)
BROUHAHA: BREW (tea) as a cup or mug of tea serving as a homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) followed by (by) HA-HA (ditch) as a ditch or vertical drop often containing a fence as between a garden and surrounding parkland, forming a barrier without interrupting the view, leading to the definition of a noun meaning fuss, excitement, clamour or an instance of this

9a    Hard lump of dripping (6)
ICICLE: A cryptic definition of a hard lump or a compact pendent mass of ice that is formed by the freezing of dripping water

10a    Harry to keep on complaining (3)
NAG: Double verbal definition; the first meaning to harass someone constantly to do something that they are averse to and the second meaning to find fault with or keep complaining to someone

11a    Mineral from mound cur removed (8)
CORUNDUM: MOUND CUR as moved again or re-moved or subject to an anagram (removed), guiding to the definition of a mineral consisting of alumina, used as an abrasive and having varieties that include sapphire, ruby and emery

12a    The lady’s included too much at a higher temperature (6)
HOTTER: HER (the lady’s) as belonging to or associated with a female person previously mentioned or easily identified took inside (included) OTT (too much) as an colloquial abbreviation for an adjective over-the-top meaning excessive or exaggerated, arriving at the definition of an adjective in the comparative degree meaning having a higher degree of heat or a higher temperature

13a    Went along after another all the way and completed the stroke (8,7)
FOLLOWED THROUGH: A charade of FOLLOWED (went along after another) as a verb in the past tense meaning went after or behind or pursued and THROUGH (all the way) as an adverb meaning from one end or side to the other or all the way guides to the definition of a phrasal verb in the past tense meaning continued an action or task to its conclusion or sported to complete a stroke or shot by continuing the movement to the end of its arc

15a    Underneath bed in part of play (7)
SUBPLOT: A charade of SUB- (underneath) as a prefix meaning at the bottom of or underneath and PLOT (bed) as a small piece of ground marked out for a purpose such as gardening takes to the definition of a subsidiary plot coinciding with the main action in a play or story

18a    Officer with tailless pussy on island (7)
MAJORCA: MAJOR (officer) as an officer in rank between a captain and lieutenant-colonel followed by (with) CA[T] (pussy) as a small domesticated carnivorous mammal with soft fur having no end or tail or the last letter, a short snout and retractable claws, guiding to the definition of the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean

21a    Too much for boss of boat race crew? (3,4,3,5)
ONE OVER THE EIGHT: The definition of a colloquial phrase meaning one alcoholic drink too many is cryptically arrived at from one who is in charge or control of (boss) or ONE OVER an eight-oared rowing boat or its crew (boat race crew) or THE EIGHT

24a    Mistakes in time deserter included (6)
ERRATA: Inside (in) ERA (time) as a long and distinct period of history or a main division of geological time, RAT (deserter) as a renegade or turncoat is taken inside (included), leading to the definition of errors in writing or printing, especially noted in a list in a book

25a    Humbug or fudge (8)
NONSENSE: Double definition; the first being a noun referring to spoken or written words that have no meaning or make no sense and the second as an interjection used to show strong disagreement

26a    Punishment with nothing getting in the way (3)
ROD: O (nothing) as nought or nothing going inside (getting in) RD (the way) as the abbreviation for Road as in addresses denoting a way of approach, arriving at the definition of punishment or chastisement or the use of a stick as punishment

27a    Uproar in place to retire: left before morning (6)
BEDLAM: A charade of BED (place to retire) as the place to settle down to sleep or rest for the night, L (left) as the abbreviation for left and AM (before morning) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase ante meridiem meaning before noon, that is, in the morning takes to the definition of a madhouse or a scene of uproar and confusion

28a    In part of church, finally buried genius? (8)
INSPIRED: IN from the clue followed by SPIRE (part of church) as a tall slender architectural structure tapering to a point especially on the top of a church and the last or final letter (finally) of [BURIE]D lead to the definition of an adjective meaning of extraordinary quality, as if arising from some external creative impulse or actuated or directed by divine influence

Down

1d    A South American city so songlike (6)
ARIOSO: A from the clue, RIO (South American city) as the shortened name for Rio de Janeiro as the second-most populous city in Brazil that is in South America and SO from the clue lead to the definition of an adjective and adverb as in music meaning in the melodious manner of an aria or between aria and recitative

2d    Common to both Greek character and you in Paris taking nearly everything (6)
MUTUAL: A charade of MU (Greek character) as the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet and TU (you) as an informal, singular term for ‘you’ in the French language (in Paris) or as they say in Paris is followed by (taking) almost all the letters (nearly) of AL[L] (everything) as everything or the totality of things, arriving at the definition of an adjective meaning held in common by two or more parties

3d    So many landowners (nameless) arranged surrender (3,4,4,4)
LAY DOWN ONE’S ARMS: An anagram (arranged) of SO MA[N]Y LANDOWNERS without an N (nameless) as the abbreviation for name that has been excluded or made less, arriving at the definition of a verb meaning to submit or surrender

4d    Guy manufactured synthetic (3-4)
MAN-MADE: MAN (guy) as an adult male human being and MADE (manufactured) as formed or constructed something by putting parts together or combining substances in a charade that guides to the definition of an adjective meaning artificial or scientific, especially of fibre, fabric etc

5d    Surprisingly heightens saddle, getting vertigo (5-10)
LIGHT-HEADEDNESS: An anagram (surprisingly) of HEIGHTENS SADDLE guides to the definition of giddiness or dizziness in the head or feeling as if one might faint or falsely sensing that one’s surroundings are moving or spinning when in reality they are still

6d    Very strange riotous person who is highly skilled (8)
VIRTUOSO: V (very) as the abbreviation for very followed by an anagram (strange) of RIOTOUS takes to the definition of a musician or other artist of the highest technical skill

7d    Reacting in rash fashion? (8)
ALLERGIC: The definition of an adjective meaning reacting in an abnormally sensitive manner, especially of the body is cryptically arrived at from the way one reacts without careful consideration of the possible consequences after rash or an area of redness and spots on skin appears especially as a result of allergy or illness

14d    Student Jack’s room (3)
LAB: A charade of L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver and AB (Jack) as the abbreviation for able-bodied seaman who is an ordinary sailor, especially one in the merchant navy and trained in certain skills takes to the definition of a familiar contraction of laboratory or a room or building equipped for scientific experiments, research or teaching or for the manufacture of drugs or chemicals

16d    Weakened the spirit (8)
UNNERVED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning made someone lose courage or confidence or deprived of nerve, strength or vigour is cryptically arrived at from UN- as a prefix indicating a reversal of process, removal or deprivation and NERVED as braced oneself mentally with steadiness and spirit to face a demanding situation

17d    Likely to be on the cards (8)
PROBABLE: Double adjectival definition; the first meaning likely to happen or be true but not certain that leads to the second denoting very likely or certain to happen, occur or take place or something that is destined to come

19d    Fix the match
gear (3)
RIG: Double definition; the first being a verb meaning to manipulate unscrupulously or dishonestly, especially a match in sports or votes in election that leads to the second a noun referring to a person’s costume, outfit or style of dress

20d    Substitute comes in last and interrupts (5-2)
STAND-IN: Part of or hidden inside (comes in) of [LA]ST AND IN[TERRUPTS] guides to the definition of a substitute or a person who stands in for another, especially in a match or performance

22d    Son leaves part of Russia for part of Europe (6)
IBERIA: S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son comes out of (leaves) [S]IBERIA (part of Russia) as an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, arriving at the definition of the area of land that consists of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar and part of France

23d    Rush experiences with half-hearted youth (6)
HASTEN: HAS (experiences) as a verb meaning experiences or undergoes when referring to a third person singular having (with) E as one of the two inner letters represented as EE (half-hearted) in TE[E]N (youth) as a young person from thirteen to nineteen years old inclusive, guiding to the definition of a verb meaning to move with urgent haste

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 8a, 9a, 13a, 21a, 25a, 6d, 7d and 22d; 8a being the best of the lot. Many thanks to Cephas for the entertainment, to BD for the encouragement and to Gazza for the assistance. Would love to be here again. Have a nice day.