DT 30221 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30221

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 11^th Feb 2023

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

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

I wanted to know more about caparison, the answer to the clue of 9a, and so took to the net. I learnt that the word is derived from the Latin caparo, that means a cape. In the Middle Ages, caparisons were part of the horse armour known as barding, which was worn during battle and tournaments. In the twelfth century in response to conditions of campaigning in the Crusades, where local armies employed archers, both on foot and horse, in large quantities. The covering might not completely protect the horse against the arrows but it could deflect and lessen their damage. Nettipattam is a term in Malayalam that is often translated as an elephant caparison. It is a distinctive golden head covering and does not cover the body, as in a horse caparison. People decorate elephants in great numbers in the Indian state of Kerala during temple festivals.

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Across

1a    Only definite object that’s exactly what is needed (4,3,5)
JUST THE THING: A charade of JUST (only) as an adverb meaning only or merely, THE (definite) as the definite article and THING (object) as an inanimate material object as distinct from a living sentient being guides to the definition of a phrase meaning exactly what is most ideal, desired or needed in a particular moment or situation

9a    Swindle over a capital cover for horse (9)
CAPARISON: CON (swindle) as to swindle, trick or persuade by dishonest means is placed around (over) a combo of A from the clue and PARIS (capital) as the capital city of France, taking to the definition of an ornamented covering for a horse, especially a rich cloth laid over a warhorse

10a    Upset endlessly richer German state (5)
REICH: An anagram (upset) of RICHE[R] that is devoid of its terminal or ending letter (endlessly) leads to the definition of the German state or Germany as an empire in different periods of time

11a    Needle student, American, going after somewhere dirty (6)
STYLUS: A combo of L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver and US (American) as the adjectival abbreviation for the United States or belonging to the United States is preceded by or following (going after) STY (somewhere dirty) as any extremely filthy place or abode, arriving at the definition of a durable needle for replaying a disc recording

12a    Went round town perhaps (8)
BYPASSED: A cryptic definition of a verb in the past tense meaning went round and beyond an obstruction or congested place that is typical of a town by a road, route or passage that assists in diverting traffic from its centre

13a    Fearful of a loud attack (6)
AFRAID: A combo of A from the clue, F (loud) as the abbreviation of the adjective forte, a musical term meaning loud and RAID (attack) as a rapid surprise attack on an enemy by troops, aircraft or other armed forces takes to the definition of an adjective meaning struck with fear or fearful of someone or something

15a    Typewriter’s essential control panel (8)
KEYBOARD: The definition of a complete set of keys, usually hand-operated, as on a typewriter is arrived at from KEY (essential) meaning vital, essential or crucial and BOARD (control panel) as a panel containing switches, dial and other equipment for regulating electrical devices, lights etc that form the wordplay as also part of the definition

18a    She lived to sort out tangle (8)
DISHEVEL: An anagram (to sort out) of SHE LIVED guides to the definition of a verb meaning to cause hair, clothing etc to become disarrayed and untidy, as by pulling or loosening

19a     Look! Bad smell in summerhouse (6)
GAZEBO: A charade of GAZE (look) as to look fixedly or long and steadily, especially in admiration or abstraction and BO (bad smell) as an informal abbreviation for body odour guides to the definition of a summerhouse or other small structure giving a commanding view of the landscape

21a    Wavering, likely to survive crossing a river (8)
VARIABLE: VIABLE (likely to survive) as an adjective meaning capable of living, surviving, germinating or hatching going or extending across (crossing) a combination of A from the clue and R (river) as the written abbreviation for River, used especially on maps, taking to the definition of an adjective meaning tending or liable to change or vary

23a    Shrewd having statue rebuilt (6)
ASTUTE: An anagram (rebuilt) of STATUE leads to the definition of an adjective meaning having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage

26a    Criminal sent to catch another one, so it is said (5)
THIEF: The definition of a person who steals another person’s property, especially by stealth and without using force or threat of violence is arrived at from the proverb or saying (so it is said) ‘to set a thief to catch a thief’ (criminal sent to catch another one)

27a    Took what is left (9)
INHERITED: A cryptic definition of a verb in the past tense denoting received what was left with a situation or object from a predecessor or former owner or money, property or title as an heir at the death of the previous holder

28a    Speed at which one can give and receive money (8,4)
EXCHANGE RATE: A cryptic definition of the value of one currency for the purpose of conversion to that of another is arrived at from EXCHANGE (at which one can give and receive money) as the financial market where money in the form of different currencies is bought and sold and RATE (speed) as the speed with which something moves or happens

Down

1d    Joseph gave part to a lady (7)
JOCASTA: JO (Joseph) as a diminutive form for, inter alios, Joseph, CAST (gave part to) as assigned a part in a play, film or other production to an actor and A from the clue lead to the definition of the name of the lady of Greek mythology who was the mother and wife of Oedipus and whose name meant ‘shining moon’

2d    In sauce finds twopence thoroughly wet? (5)
SOPPY: Inside (in) SOY (sauce) as a dark, salty sauce made from fermented soy beans and white flour one notices (finds) PP (twopence) as cryptically representing tuppence or twopenny where P is the abbreviation for new penny or new pence, taking to the definition of an adjective meaning drenched or thoroughly wet

3d    Out with squire changing colour (9)
TURQUOISE: An anagram (changing) of OUT and (with) SQUIRE guides to the definition of a greenish-blue or a bluish-green colour

4d    Needing little effort in the asylum (4)
EASY: Part of or hidden inside (in) [TH]E ASY[LUM] guides to the definition of an adjective meaning requiring no great effort

5d    Melon‘s sweet moisture early in the morning (8)
HONEYDEW: A charade of HONEY (sweet) as a sweet, thick fluid elaborated by bees from the nectar of flowers and DEW (moisture early in the morning) as moisture deposited from the air on cooling, especially at night, in minute specks upon the surface of objects or what gets one’s feet wet when one walks across the grass on a summer morning guides to the definition of a sweet-flavoured melon of a variety with smooth green or orange rind

6d    And not mother but another lady (5)
NORMA: A charade of NOR (and not) as a conjunction meaning ‘and not’ and MA (mother) as a childish contraction for mamma or mother guides to the definition of a female given name of Germanic and Romance origin

7d    Issue dad fights to stop (8)
DISSUADE: An anagram (fights) of ISSUE DAD guides to the definition of a verb meaning to persuade someone not to take a particular course of action

8d    Had, in second edition, been hatched? (6)
SHADED: HAD from the clue is placed in between (in) the symbol S (second) as the basic unit of time and ED (edition) as the abbreviation for edition, arriving at the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning darkened or coloured an illustration or diagram with parallel pencil lines or a block of colour

14d    Hold back remaining drops (8)
RESTRAIN: A charade of REST (remaining) as all others or the remaining people or things and RAIN (drops) as drops of water falling from the clouds guides to the definition of a verb meaning to hold back or prevent someone or something from doing something

16d    Regularly heard in club restaurant (9)
BRASSERIE: The regular or even letters (regularly) of hEaRd is placed inside (in) BRASSIE (club) as an old golf club with a long shaft used to hit long shots, arriving at the definition of a small restaurant or a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals

17d    Spring approaching? Nearly (4-4)
WELL-NIGH: A charade of WELL (spring) as a mineral spring and NIGH (approaching) as near or approaching in place, time or relationship takes to the definition of an adverb meaning almost or nearly

18d    Commit to remove ballot? (6)
DEVOTE: A charade of DE- (to remove) as a prefix used to add the meaning to remove or reduce to a noun or verb and VOTE (ballot) as a means by which a choice between two or more candidates is expressed, such as a ballot leads to the definition of a verb meaning to focus one’s efforts or commit oneself entirely for, on or to a certain matter

20d    Too late when the field changes? (7)
OVERDUE: The definition of an adjective meaning behind time for arrival or still unpaid after the timing it is due is cryptically arrived from OVER DUE (when the field changes) as the indication that a different member of the fielding team is given the ball to bowl the next over from the opposite end of the pitch and the batsmen do not change ends, but the roles of striker and non-striker swap after each other

22d    Attach if fax is misdirected (5)
AFFIX: The definition of a verb meaning to attach physically or to attach in any way is arrived at when IF FAX is subject to an anagram (misdirected)

24d    Extreme result Raymond includes (5)
ULTRA: Part of or hidden inside (includes) [RES]ULT RA[YMOND] guides to the definition of an adjective meaning extreme or immoderate, especially in royalism, fashion, religious or political opinion

25d    Feature most of porcelain articles (4)
CHIN: Most of the letters (most) from (of) CHIN[A] (porcelain articles) as vitreous porcelain wares like dishes, vases or ornaments for domestic use brought from China in the 16^th century or articles of any Western imitation or version of Chinese porcelain takes to the definition of the lower portion of the face lying below the lower lip and including the prominence of the lower jaw

The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 1a, 9a, 13a, 19a, 28a, 2d, 8d, 16d, 17d and 20d; the best of the lot being 28a. Many thanks to BD for the encouragement, to Cephas for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.