Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30377
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 12th Aug 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A very friendly and straightforward Saturday puzzle from Chalicea that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind reading and significant feedback.
The name ‘cheetah’, the answer to the clue of 16a, is derived from Hindi. I was aware of this since my childhood. But now I wanted to know in detail about its etymology and so visited the net. I learnt a lot about this fastest animal on land. The vernacular name ‘cheetah is derived from Hindustani Urdu چیتا and Hindi चीता, both pronounced cheetaa, the ‘t’ of which has the pronunciation of any Latin language. This in turn comes from Sanskrit चित्रय, pronounced chitraya meaning ‘variegated’, ‘adorned’ or ‘painted’. Zoologically, cheetah is called Acinonyx jubatus. The generic name probably derives from a combo of two Greek words, ἁκινητος pronounced akinitos meaning ‘unmoved’ or ‘motionless’, and ὄνυξ pronounced onyx meaning ‘nail’ or ‘hoof’. A likely translation is ‘immobile nails’, referring to the limited ability of the animal to retract its claws. The specific name jubatus is a Latin word meaning ‘crested’ or ‘having a mane’. In the past, the cheetah was often called ‘hunting leopard’, since it could be tamed and used for coursing. In 1777, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber described the cheetah based on a skin from the Cape of Good Hope and gave it the scientific name Felis jubatus. Joshua Brookes proposed the generic name Acinonyx in 1828. In 1917, Reginald Innes Pocock listed the cheetah in a subfamily of its own, Acinonychinae, due to its conspicuous morphological resemblance to the greyhound and noted deviation from typical felid features. In later taxonomic revisions, the cheetah was classified in Felinae, that is a subfamily of the family Felidae. Several specimens were described in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and some of them were proposed as subspecies. A leopard, with its spots and coat colour, is somewhat similar to a cheetah in appearance. But there are some differences between the two. A leopard is far bulkier, stronger and generally heavier than a cheetah. However, its strength cannot match the agility of the cheetah that has the need for speed, indicating that it is light and streamlined in its shape.
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Across
7a Ship overseas again, getting crew unlimited old wine (2-6)
RE-EXPORT: The definition of a verb meaning to ship again goods or commodities to a foreign country or countries, especially for trade or sale is arrived at from the inner letters or without the edges (unlimited) of [C]RE[W] followed by EX (old) as someone with whom a person was once associated in a relationship or marriage and PORT (wine) as a red or tawny fortified wine
8a Group of actors abandoned in extremes of emergency (6)
EQUITY: QUIT (abandoned) as a verb in the past tense meaning abandoned, deserted or moved out of a place placed inside (in) the outermost letters (extremes) of E[MERGENC]Y produces the definition of a trade union to which all professional actors must belong, especially in the United Kingdom, the United States and several other countries
9a Issue when sentence overturned (4)
EMIT: TIME (sentence) as the prison time ordered after conviction retracted or taken back (overturned) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a verb meaning to issue with authority, especially to put currency into circulation.
10a Taking legal action in favour of yielding, we hear (10)
PROCEEDING: The definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning starting a lawsuit against someone is deduced from PRO (in favour of) as a preposition meaning ‘in favour of’ and a homophone (we hear) of CEDING (yielding) as giving up power or territory
11a Entertained kinky dames going round university (6)
AMUSED: An anagram (kinky) of DAMES encircling (going round) U (university) as the abbreviation for university takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning entertained or provided interesting and enjoyable occupation for someone
13a Methodically examine rough lane, say (7)
ANALYSE: An anagram (rough) of LANE, SAY guides to the definition of a verb meaning to examine something methodically and in detail, typically in order to explain and interpret it
14a Fashionable small cross put back within building (7)
INDOORS: IN (fashionable) as currently fashionable or trendy followed by a combo of S (small) as the abbreviation for small and ROOD (cross) as a crucifix or cross, especially one set on a beam or screen at the entrance to the chancel of a church returning (put back) as a reversal in the across clue takes to the definition of an adverb meaning into or within a building
16a Fast mover that sounds like a swindler (7)
CHEETAH: The definition of the fastest land animal belonging to the cat family and having long legs, a spotted coat and claws that cannot be retracted is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (that sounds like) of CHEATER (a swindler) as a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage
19a Brief stay of offspring including day in Paris (7)
SOJOURN: SON (offspring) as a male child or offspring taking inside (including) JOUR (day in Paris) as the French word for ‘day’ that is obviously heard in Paris, the French capital takes to the definition of a noun referring to a temporary or brief stay
20a Some deficit if youths adopt customs of urban folk (6)
CITIFY: Part of or hidden inside (some) [DEFI]CIT IF Y[OUTHS] leads to the definition of a verb meaning to cause to conform to or adopt the customs, habits or dress of city people
21a Sadly his mad idol is primly fastidious (3-7)
OLD-MAIDISH: An anagram (sadly) of HIS MAD IDOL guides to the definition of an adjective meaning primly fastidious or like the conventional old maid
22a Hide singular relationship (4)
SKIN: The definition of a hide or the natural outer covering of tissue of a person or an animal is arrived at from a charade of S (singular) as the abbreviation for singular and KIN (relationship) as family relationship or a person’s relatives collectively
23a Piece of cake that might produce wind (6)
BREEZE: Double nounal definition; the first being an informal term for a thing that is easy to do or accomplish and the second referring to a gentle or light wind
24a Freakishly rattier, I provoke annoyance (8)
IRRITATE: An anagram (freakishly) of RATTIER I guides to the definition of a verb meaning to make someone impatient, angry or annoyed
Down
1d Worker on a ship — main course is his responsibility (8)
HELMSMAN: A cryptic definition of a person who steers a ship or boat and whose duty or responsibility is to pilot the ship towards the correct direction or course in the main, that is the high sea
2d Go and live without missus, finally (4)
EXIT: The definition of a verb meaning to go out of or leave a place is fetched from EXI[S]T (live) as to live, especially under adverse conditions that is not having (without) the final or last letter (finally) of [MISSU]S
3d Came first and halted — not second! (6)
TOPPED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning secured the highest place or rank in a list, poll, league or exam is arrived at from [S]TOPPED (halted) as ceased to happen or came to an end, especially of an event, action or process that is devoid of (not) S (second) as the abbreviation for second denoting the basic unit of time
4d Turk‘s place to put feet up? (7)
OTTOMAN: Double nounal definition; the second being a low, padded stool that one can rest their feet on when sitting in a chair that leads to the first referring to a Turk of Turkey or a member of a Turkish dynasty founded by Osman I that ruled the Ottoman Empire
5d In chaos use standby glad rags (6,4)
SUNDAY BEST: An anagram (in chaos) of USE STANDBY directs to the definition of a person’s best clothes, which is especially worn to church on Sundays or other special occasions
6d Attitude of holy person with a northern church (6)
STANCE: The definition of the attitude of a person or organisation towards something is arrived at from ST (holy person) as the abbreviation for Saint or saint who is a sanctimonious or holy person followed by (with) A from the clue, N (northern) as the abbreviation for Northern as NI in Northern Ireland and CE (church) as the abbreviation for the Church of England
8d Reportedly I whip one in front of pupils? (7)
EYELASH: A homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of I from the clue that represents the first person singular pronoun followed by LASH (whip) as to strike or beat with a whip or stick guides to the definition of any of the short curved hairs growing from the edges of the eyelids and placed in front of pupils of the eyes
12d Point out top equestrian (10)
SHOWJUMPER: A charade of SHOW (point out) as to point out or direct someone’s attention to something and JUMPER (top) as a knitted garment typically with long sleeves, worn over the upper body takes to the definition of one among many persons competing as a team in a horse race over a course equipped with obstacles to be jumped, especially artificial hedges, ditches, water jumps etc
15d Typical golfer, out in enormous trousers (7)
ROUTINE: Part of or hidden inside (trousers) [GOLFE]R, OUT IN E[NORMOUS] guides to the definition of an adjective meaning performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason
17d Strikes a fine French officer with this, ignoring greeting (8)
AFFLICTS: The definition of a verb in the third person singular form meaning strikes, causes pain to or affects adversely is arrived at from A from the clue, F (fine) as the abbreviation for fine as on lead pencils, FLIC (French officer) as a slang word for a policeman in France and (with) T[HI]S from the clue that has HI (greeting) as an interjection used as a friendly greeting subject to not being taken into consideration (ignoring)
18d Discourteous military, maybe? (7)
UNCIVIL: The definition of an adjective meaning discourteous, unseemly or impolite is cryptically arrived at from another adjective describing the military as relating to or belonging to the armed forces and not relating to the ordinary people or civilians of a country, that is NOT CIVIL, or UN-CIVIL
19d Regular payment sadly used up on railway (6)
SALARY: ALAS (sadly) as an interjection expressing grief or misfortune is going upwards (used up) as a reversal placed upon (on) RY (railway) as the abbreviation for Railway in the down clue, arriving at the definition of a periodical payment for one’s labour
20d Stick high explosive in innermost part (6)
COHERE: HE (high explosive) as the abbreviation for High Explosive placed inside (in) CORE (innermost part) as the innermost or most essential part of something leads to the definition of a verb meaning to stick or hold together
22d Glut of Malaysian food? (4)
SATE: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a Malaysian dish of marinated meat barbecued on skewers that takes to the first a verb meaning to glut or satisfy fully
The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 16a, 19a, 23a,4d, 8d, 12d, 15d, 17d and 20d; 23a being the clear topper. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Chalicea for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.
Thank you, Rahmat Ali, for that wonderfully detailed series of explanations. Your opening text on the Cheetah was fascinating.
I agree. A very interesting discourse on the cheetah, as always, I’ve learnt so much from your reviews.
Thank you once again, Merusa, for liking my review.
Thank you once again, Chalicea, for your kind words of appreciation. I have always enjoyed solving your crosswords.
Thanks Rahmat Ali and Chalicea. I found this quite a tough solve – couldn’t quite finish unfortunately (undone by INDOORS/PROCEEDING) – but an enjoyable challenge all the same. Didn’t realise glut could be used as a verb so learned something there as well.
Thank you once again, Adam, for liking my review.
3*/5* …
liked 11A “Entertained kinky dames going round university (6)”
I was reminded of this puzzle when I read that Lorna Rose Treen had been voted winner of the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe best joke competition with: “I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.”
Many thanks, Rahmat Ali for the blog and particularly for the amazingly informative intro about cheetahs.
It’s been over 60 years since I learned about them, principally via the children’s book, KPO the Leopard by René Guillot, about an orphaned leopard cub adopted by a tribe of cheetahs in Sub-Saharan Africa. I learnt 3 things – they don’t have retractable claws, and they lived not far from two deserts – the ‘reg’ and the ‘erg’, stony and sandy respectively.
Around the same time – mid 50s – my father spent 6 months on assignment in Bombay (where I was born some yeas earlier), and we lived in a company house next to the Maharaja of Baroda’s Palace on Malabar Hill. Occasionally we would see a lady wandering the grounds with a cheetah on a leash. We assume it was the Maharani, though not sure which one. Apparently, the Gaekwods, Maharajas of Baroda had used cheetahs extensively as hunting animals for many years from the late 19th century. Cheetahs are said to have died out in India some 70 years ago, so the one we saw was perhaps one of the last surviving pets.
Bombay’s Baroda Palace was demolished in 1960, and I can no longer find it on Google maps. The place I most remember in India is the Alipore suburb of Calcutta, where we had a large house set back from Alipore road, a bit south of the Zoo and the Command Hospital. I remember the Zoo, (not the cheetahs!) but the command hospital was only built there in 1968. I suspect that I can no longer find all of the bits I remember, mainly the neighboring houses, as they must have been redeveloped too.
For what it’s worth my father had a long association with Calcutta (Alipore was in the 50s) as he was in the Bengal team that won their first Ranji Cricket Trophy in 1938/9. However between then and the 1950s he had a spell in the Army, went to Bombay to have me, and then to Madras where my brother was born. And I also remember playing with a large duck in New Delhi!
My brother and I have earnestly wanted to revisit India and the places we once knew, Kolkata, Alipore, Tollygunge, Mumbai, Chennai, etc., but unfortunately, our various health and family problems have put paid to that.
By the way, congratulations on reaching the moon! (In search of Platinum, perhaps?)
Thanks again for your informative blogs. And of course thanks to Chalicea for this lovely puzzle.
Just to add that my father went to India in 1927, and we finally left in 1959.
Thank you so much, Lurker no more, for liking my reviews and particularly for felicitating us on reaching the moon’s south pole, the first of its kind. I am fascinated by your childhood memory when you and your family were here in India. You remember playing with a large duck in New Delhi. As a matter of fact, I also played with ducks in my childhood. I used to stay with my mother’s mother, my grandmother in her small room that had a kitchen area adjacent to it separated by a wall. Below the bed stayed the hens and the ducks which my grandmother kept. I was extremely fond of the birds. I remember once a brooding hen who was sitting on nine eggs suddenly left those eggs on the ninth day and started making weird noises standing on the floor. When I got down from the bed to see what was happening, I witnessed that just within a few seconds she collapsed and died. My grandmother told me to throw both the dead hen and the eggs in the garbage bin put up by the municipal corporation in our locality. However, thinking of doing some experiments with the eggs, I dropped only the dead hen inside the garbage bin. Back inside the room, I took some rags and covered the eggs that were already placed upon a thick rag. I was actually guessing that chicken would ultimately hatch out from the eggs. And exactly that happened. Ten days into the experiment, one morning I heard some noises and lifted the rags up. I could not believe my eyes! One chick had already come out and there were efforts by the other ones to hatch out. Finally, all the nine chicken were out. But the glad tidings did not last long. Perhaps most of them were very weak and so, one by one, they began to die. Yet there was a survival of the fittest. One cock managed to survive and grew up healthily with an extraordinary feature of having very long legs. He always looked angry and would notoriously vent up his anger on other cocks by entering into serious fights with them or chasing them off from his selected domain. Next, it gave me immense pleasure to read that your father was in the Bengal team that won their first Ranji Cricket Trophy in 1938/9 and he also had a spell in the army. You also remember so vividly about the Alipore suburb of Calcutta, the Command Hospital and the Zoo. Alipore is no longer a suburb of the city that is now divided into seven zones based on the cost value of the property and Alipore comes under Zone A, the costliest and most prime location of the city. You must have remembered the Imperial Library that was situated just beside the zoo and that got its name changed to National Library in 1953. The city Chennai that you have mentioned was known as Madras when you all were here. Also, Calcutta and Bombay have undergone a change in their names as Kolkata and Mumbai respectively. Interestingly, there are small cities or towns called Calcutta, Bombay and Madras still somewhere on this earth! All three are in the United States of America! I further read that you all left India in 1959. I would like to add that I was born the very next year in 1960. Regarding the sorry state of cheetah, our country has started the Project Cheetah and imported a few cheetahs from Namibia which is in the African continent and it is hoped and expected that very soon we will be having a comfortable figure of cheetahs in our country. Lastly, I feel sorry to learn that both you and your brother would not be able to revisit India due to various health and family problems and so I pray to the Almighty to restore you both to sound and robust health so that your dream could be fulfilled.