Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3256
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 17th Mar 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely and pleasant puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and important feedback.
I was aware of ‘tsarina’, the answer to the clue of 8d, since my childhood. But now I became eager to know about its etymology and hence took to the net. I learnt that the word ‘tsarina’ is a borrowing from Italian that has come to the English language. The word means the wife or widow of a ‘tsar’, the title that is associated primarily with rulers of Russia, or a female monarch of Russia or an empress of several Eastern European countries. The actual word in the Russian language is ‘tsaritsa’. The earliest known use of the noun ‘tsarina’ is in the early 1700s. The term ‘tsar’, a form of the ancient Roman imperial title ‘caesar’, generated a series of derivatives in the Russian language, for example, ‘tsaritsa’ or ‘tsarina’ is the wife of a ‘tsar’. Similarly, ‘tsarevich’ refers to their son and ‘tsarevna’, their daughter. Finally, ‘tsesarevich’ is their eldest son and heir apparent. In later centuries, the title ‘tsarina’ came to exist as an unofficial informal use, a kind of ‘pet name’ for empresses, whether ruling queens or queen consorts. The most popular empress was Catherine the Great and the title ‘Mother dear tsaritsa’ was used only for her!
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Across
7a Bag snatched by wild thing, dark-haired girl (8)
BRUNETTE: NET (bag) as a bag or other contrivance of an open fabric, knotted into meshes, used for catching fish, butterflies etc taken inside (snatched) by BRUTE (wild thing) as any usually predatory wild beast considered undesirable leads to the definition of a woman or girl with brown or dark hair
9a Public school trouble! (6)
HARROW: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to distress, harass or trouble that takes to the first a noun referring to an English boys’ public school founded in 1572 at Harrow-on-the-Hill, a part of Harrow, a borough of northwest Greater London
10a Snapper arrived with tailless ray (6)
CAMERA: CAME (arrived) as a verb in the past tense denoting reached or arrived at a specified place and (with) all but the last letter (tailless) of RA[Y] guides to the definition of a usually portable device for taking photographs or snaps
11a Make flier? Don’t bother! (6,2)
FORGET IT: A charade of FORGE (make) as to make or shape a metal object by heating it in a fire or furnace and hammering it and TIT (flier) as a small songbird that searches acrobatically for insects among foliage and branches leads to the definition of an exclamation used to tell someone that something is not that important and not to worry or bother about it or as an emphatic way of saying no to a suggestion
12a Fool, man with piece of dialogue cut, his films were silent (7,7)
CHARLIE CHAPLIN: CHARLIE (fool) as an inefficient, ineffectual person or a fool followed by CHAP (man) as a colloquial term for a man or boy and (with) LIN[E] (piece of dialogue) as the words making up the dialogue of an actor’s part in a play or film that is devoid of its terminal or last letter (cut) unfolds the definition of the English comic actor, filmmaker and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film
15a Network, good and clear (4)
GRID: The definition of a network of power transmission lines or a network of lines for finding places on a map or for some other purpose is arrived at from a charade of G (good) as the abbreviation for good and RID (clear) as to clear something from impurities, blemishes, pollution etc
17a A girl in the wrong place (5)
AMISS: A combo of A from the clue and MISS (girl) as used as a form of polite address for a girl or a young woman takes to the definition of an adjective meaning not quite right or inappropriate or out of place
19a Flat in Stevenage (4)
EVEN: Part of or hidden inside (in) [ST]EVEN[AGE] guides to the definition of an adjective denoting flat and smooth
20a Flute changes a psalm remarkably, trilling finally coming in (9,5)
CHAMPAGNE GLASS: An anagram (remarkably) of CHANGES A PSALM having an insertion (coming in) of the final or ultimate letter (finally) of [TRILLIN]G leads to the definition of a stemware designed for champagne and other sparkling wines, an example of which can be flute that is a tall, narrow wine-glass
23a Debauched regent, as rank (8)
SERGEANT: An anagram (debauched) of REGENT, AS takes to the definition of a rank of non-commissioned officer in the army or air force, above corporal and below staff sergeant
25a Devastated when stuffing knocked out? (6)
GUTTED: Double verbal definition in the past tense; the first meaning devastated, wrecked, ravaged or destroyed completely the internal parts of a building or other structure and the second denoting removed the gut, i.e., the intestines and other internal organs from a fish or other animal before cooking it
27a Fly set to buzz about twice! (6)
TSETSE: An anagram (to buzz about) of SET that is repeated (twice) leads to the definition of a large biting fly of the African genus Glossina that transmits trypanosome parasites and causes sleeping sickness, nagana and other diseases
28a Little girl and niece played card game (8)
PATIENCE: A combination of PAT (little girl) as the name of a girl and a short form of the name Patricia and an anagram (played) of NIECE takes to the definition of a card game played by one person, in which the cards may be laid out in various combinations as the player tries to use up the whole pack
Down
1d A song coming up — operatic piece (4)
ARIA: A from the clue and AIR (song) as a tune or short melodious song in an upward direction (coming up) as a reversal in the down clue guides to the definition of a song that is sung by only one person in an opera or oratoria
2d Passing appreciation for charm (6)
ENDEAR: A charade of END (passing) as denoting passing or a person’s death and EAR (appreciation) as an ability to recognise, appreciate and reproduce sounds, especially music or language guides to the definition of a verb denoting to attract, captivate or charm someone
3d Complaint when money box originally up-ended (4)
BEEF: A combo of FEE (money) as money paid as part of a special transaction and the origin or first letter (originally) of B[OX] in an upward direction (up-ended) as a reversal in the down clue guides to the definition of a noun, usually in plural, meaning a complaint or an argument or quarrel
4d Mountain guide in new phase touring capital of Romania (6)
SHERPA: The definition of one of an eastern Tibetan people living high on the south side of the Himalayas, renowned for their skills as mountaineers and guides is arrived at from an anagram (new) of PHASE going around (touring) the capital letter (capital) of R[omania] as in the clue
5d Traditionalist sad after withdrawal of Conservative from temporary peace agreement (4,4)
TRUE BLUE: BLUE (sad) as an informal adjective meaning melancholy, sad or depressed, especially of a person or mood placed after or preceded by (after) the removal (withdrawal) of C (Conservative) as the abbreviation for Conservative, a supporter or member of the Conservative Party from TRU[C]E (temporary peace agreement) as a temporary peace agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting takes to the definition of a person unswervingly faithful, especially to political party of blue persuasion, an example of which can be a traditionalist or a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
6d Not going anywhere without a proposal? (10)
MOTIONLESS: The definition of an adjective meaning stationary, absolutely still or not moving is reached from MOTION (a proposal) as a formal proposal put to a legislature or committee that is LESS (without) as not being there or is absent
8d Princess in a star, performing (7)
TSARINA: An anagram (performing) of IN A STAR leads to the definition of the wife or widow of a ‘tsar’, the title that was used by the Russian monarchs, an example of which is Princess Alexandra Feodorovna, who was born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, but became a ‘tsarina’ following her marriage to Nicholas II, the last reigning ‘tsar’ or emperor of Russia
13d Unlucky, that dairy product’s not spreadable! (4,6)
HARD CHEESE: The definition of a slang term of an interjection denoting bad luck is arrived at from CHEESE (dairy product) as a dairy product produced in a range of flavours, textures and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein that is HARD (not spreadable) as not soft or not capable of being spread
14d Stick Christmas lights in new grotto, first of all (5)
CLING: The definition of a verb meaning to adhere or to stick to something is arrived at from each of the first or initial letters (first of all) of C[HRISTMAS] L[IGHTS] I[N] N[EW] G[ROTTO]
16d Windy plain in which anything’s sheltered (8)
DRAUGHTY: DRY (plain) as plain or lacking embellishment having (in which) AUGHT (anything) as a pronoun meaning anything, all or everything is given shelter or taken inside (sheltered), taking to the definition of an adjective meaning cold and uncomfortable because of currents of cool air, especially of an enclosed space
18d Trick with void serial number (7)
SLEIGHT: The definition of an artful or juggling trick is obtained with S[ERIA]L from the clue that is empty or devoid of its inner letters (void) followed by EIGHT (number) as the cardinal number one above seven
21d A reply that’s confused actor (6)
PLAYER: A REPLY from the clue that’s subject to an anagram (confused) hands over the definition of an actor, especially in a film
22d Character, someone leasing property? (6)
LETTER: Double nounal definition; the first being a written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet and the second referring to a person who leases or lets another person their property, especially on hire
24d Some pretty petty sort! (4)
TYPE: Part of or hidden inside (some) [PRET]TY PE[TTY] guides to the definition of a noun denoting kind or sort or a category of people or things having common characteristics
26d Mark‘s call to dog having released lead (4)
ETCH: The definition of a verb meaning to mark a surface with a carved text or design is arrived at from [F]ETCH (call to dog) as used, as especially as a command to dogs to retrieve shot game or an object thrown etc having omitted or removed (released) the leading or initial letter F (lead)
Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 10a, 11a, 20a, 25a, 5d, 6d, 13d, 16d and 18d; the best of the lot being 11a. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Dada for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.
2*/4* ….
liked 27A ” Fly set to buzz about twice! (6)”