DT 30257 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30257

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 25^th Mar 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A friendly and very straightforward Saturday puzzle from Chalicea that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and valuable comments.

‘Kneads’, the homophonic wordplay to the clue of 10a, took me to my childhood days. There were several bakeries in our neighbourhood where the workers at each place were much more accustomed with a strange but quick method of kneading the bread dough. In order to save both time and hard labour, they never kneaded it in the usual way of pressing and stretching with the heel of their hand until it was smooth and elastic. Rather they did so using their feet! A huge quantity of ground wheat or flour placed upon a widespread rectangular surface of a large utensil made of tin would be mixed with water so that the dough could be prepared quickly and with less effort. This dough would then be baked into bread for human consumption. I am not sure whether or not they cleaned their feet properly with soap and water, but their perspiration at work during the summer days would easily get mixed with the dough spread below and I myself am a witness to it. I was then a very small child and had no idea about the unhygienic aspect of their action. Years rolled by and, incidentally, I did not pay further attention to their acts. I am not aware even when the bakeries switched over to the bread machine. I now searched the net and learnt that in some parts of the globe, people are still using their feet to prepare the dough.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Sign of nerves as goat moves quickly (11)
BUTTERFLIES: The definition of an informal noun denoting tremors in the stomach region due to nervousness is arrived at from a charade of BUTTER (goat) as a goat or any animal that butts or strikes with the head and FLIES (moves quickly) as moves swiftly or passes quickly

7a    Moves involving kings and their traditional homes? (7)

CASTLES: Double definition; the first being a verb in the third person singular form meaning moves the king two squares towards the castle and places the castle on the square the king has passed over, as in chess and the second referring to large buildings fortified against attacked by enemies and serving as huge, grand homes for kings and their families

8a    About to become weary, daughter went to bed (7)
RETIRED: A charade of the preposition RE (about) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘with reference to’, ‘regarding’ or ‘about’ and TIRE (to become weary) as to have one’s energy, interest or patience exhausted or worn down and D (daughter) as the genealogical abbreviation for daughter takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning went into seclusion or to bed

10a    Requires massages, we’re told (5)
NEEDS: KNEADS (massages) as massages or squeezes with the hand serving as a homophone heard by the audience (we’re told) guides to the verb in the third person singular form meaning requires something because it is essential or very important rather than just desirable

11a    Financial management of company stopping incomes fluctuating (9)
ECONOMICS: The definition of a noun meaning financial position and management is arrived at from CO (company) as the abbreviation for Company interrupting or coming inside (stopping) INCOMES from the clue that has been subject to an anagram (fluctuating)

12a    Happening immediately, some run-ins tantalise (7)
INSTANT: Part of or hidden inside (some) [RUN-]INS TANT[ALISE] guides to the definition of an adjective denoting happening or coming immediately

14a    Small cat, mostly unknown, simple finally to embrace (7)
SQUEEZE: S (small) as the abbreviation for small, QUEE[N] (cat) as an adult female cat having retained most of the letters (mostly), Z (unknown) as a variable, unknown or yet to be ascertained quantity or factor as used in mathematics, especially in algebra and the final or last letter (finally) of [SIMPL]E give rise to the definition of a verb meaning to embrace or grasp tightly

15a    Former Conservative employs attempts to justify actions (7)
EXCUSES: EX (former) as a prefix indicating of a person no longer what they were but still living, C (Conservative) as the abbreviation for Conservative and USES (employs) as utilises or makes use of something in a charade altogether, taking to the definition of a verb in the third person singular form meaning seeks to explain or justify actions of a person or persons

18a    Negotiated walk involving time and energy (7)
TREATED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning negotiated terms with someone, especially an opponent is arrived at from TREAD (walk) as to walk in a specified way including or taking in (involving) a combo of T (time) as the symbol for time in physics and E (energy) as the symbol for energy as a quantitative property in physics

20a    Man-made lake‘s river rose disastrously (9)
RESERVOIR: An anagram (disastrously) of RIVER ROSE gives rise to the definition of an artificial lake where water is stored so that it can be supplied to the houses in an area

21a    Gloat before new award (5)
CROWN: CROW (gloat) as to express great pride or triumph, especially in a tone of gloating satisfaction is placed before N (new) as the abbreviation for new as NT in New Testament in the across clue, taking to the definition of an award or distinction gained by a victory or achievement, especially in sport

22a    Spotted hugging large student, admitted the truth, say (7)
SPILLED: SPIED (spotted) as discerned or made out, especially by careful observation is embracing or going round (hugging) a combo of L (large) as one of the various sizes of shirt or other clothing and another L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver, arriving at the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning made known or revealed confidential information to someone through an example of admitting the truth

23a    Performers in Dire Straits? (7)
ARTISTS: An anagram (dire) of STRAITS guides to the definition of skilled performers, especially painters, sculptors or musical or theatrical entertainers

24a    Pre-eminent male, remaining, elderly relative (11)
GRANDMOTHER: A charade of GRAND (pre-eminent) as pre-eminent or very distinguished in some way, M (male) as the abbreviation for male and OTHER (remaining) as the rest or the remaining ones leads to the definition of an elderly relative who might be a father’s or mother’s mother

Down

1d    Hampers request to enter into wagers (7)
BASKETS: The definition of containers made of pieces of thin veneer, used for packing berries, vegetables etc. is arrived at from ASK (request) as to make a request for something to go inside (enter into) BETS (wagers) as the plural of something that is laid, stalked or pledged typically between two parties on the outcome of a contest or a contingent issue

2d    Every now and then, they’ll list orders (5)
TELLS: The regular or odd letters (every now and then) of ThEy’Ll LiSt take to the definition of a verb in the third person singular form meaning orders, directs or instructs someone to do something

3d    Most convenient siesta, half abandoned in orient (7)
EASIEST: SIE[STA] having three of the six letters removed (half abandoned) is placed inside EAST (orient) as referring to the part of the world lying to the east of Europe or countries of the East or simply the East, taking to the definition of a superlative adjective meaning most trouble-free or convenient

4d    Extremely angry, hide statements of debts (7)
FURIOUS: The definition of an adjective meaning enraged or extremely angry is arrived at from a charade of FUR (hide) as the hair-covered skin of an animal, removed from its body and IOUS (statement of debts) as the plural version of IOU referring to a signed document acknowledging a debt of money to a specified person and representing the pronunciation of ‘I owe you’

5d    Establish warped doctrine university admitted (9)
INTRODUCE: An anagram (warped) of DOCTRINE having taken in (admitted) U (university) as the abbreviation for university guides to the definition of a verb meaning to bring in or establish something, especially a product, measure or concept into use or operation for the first time

6d    Certain to carry six volts, stay the course (7)
SURVIVE: SURE (certain) as certain, assured or confident beyond doubt to take inside (carry) a combo of VI (six) as the Roman numeral for six and V (volts) as the abbreviation for volts, leading to the definition of a verb meaning to manage to keep going in difficult circumstances

7d    Units in church books I encountered with reserve (11)
CENTIMETRES: The definition of the plural of the metric unit of length, equal to one hundredth of a metre is arrived at from CE (church) as the abbreviation for the Church of England followed by NT (books) as the abbreviation for New Testament that is the second part of the Christian Bible, consisting of writings about Christ and the Apostles after his death, I from the clue, MET (encountered) as happened to come into the presence or company of someone or encountered in conflict or battle and (with) RES (reserve) as an abbreviation for reserve

9d    Come down on workers and their offspring? (11)
DESCENDANTS: DESCEND (come down) as to move from a higher to a lower place or to come or go down is placed upon (on) ANTS (workers) as social insects working together in groups in the down clue, taking to the definition of the plural form of a person who descends, that is offspring from an ancestor

13d    A lake in an alpine country or a large island state (9)
AUSTRALIA: A combo of A from the clue and L (lake) as the abbreviation for lake is placed inside (in) AUSTRIA (an alpine country) as a landlocked country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps, guiding to the definition of a sovereign country and the largest country by area in Oceania comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands

16d    Estimating expenses of tonics mixed with gin, principally (7)
COSTING: An anagram (mixed) of TONICS and (with) the principal or first letter (principally) of G[IN] guides to the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning estimating the price or expense of something

17d    Rebuked Sun’s first cool journalist (7)
SCOLDED: S[UN’S] starting or first letter (first) is followed by COLD (cool) as indifferent or unconcerned and ED (journalist) as the abbreviation for editor being in charge of the final content of a journal or a newspaper or magazine, taking to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning rebuked someone angrily

18d    Rent difficulty causing a storm (7)
TORNADO: A charade of TORN (rent) as a verb in its past participle form meaning made a hole, rent etc by tearing or drawn apart or separated with violence and ADO (difficulty) as a noun meaning trouble or difficulty guides to the definition of a violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of extremely low pressure, usually characterised by a dark funnel-shaped cloud causing damage along its path

19d    Appropriate clothing? Not quite (7)
TROUSER: TROUSER[S] (clothing) is devoid of its last letter or not having all the letters (not quite), arriving at the definition of an informal verb meaning to pocket or appropriate money etc

21d    Understand some of polemic at church (5)
CATCH: Part of or hidden inside (some of) [POLEMI]C AT CH[URCH] guides to the definition of a verb meaning to hear, understand or comprehend something said, especially with effort

The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 1a, 7a, 14a, 15a, 23a, 24a, 6d, 7d and 9d; 1a being the best of the lot. Thanks to BD for the encouragement, to Chalicea for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.