Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3262
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 28th Apr 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, friendly puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and significant comments.
Macedonia, the answer to the clue of 11a, took me down memory lane. I remembered having read about Alexander the Great who succeeded his father King Philip II to the throne of Macedonia in a history book entitled ‘The March of Time’ when I was in Class IV in Joseph Day School. This time, upon coming to know that Macedonia today includes parts of Balkan countries like Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia as also part of Greece, I wondered what happened to the Macedonia of history and took to the net to know more about the details of its geographical transformation the came with the passage of time. I learnt that Macedonia, also called Macedon, was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of archaic and classical Greece, that later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the Argead dynasty and followed by Antipatrid and Antigonid dynasties. It was centred on the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula and bordered by Paeonia to the north, Illyria to the northwest, Thessaly to the south, Epirus to the southwest and Thrace to the east. Before the fourth century BC, Macedonia was a small kingdom dominated by great city-states of Athens, Sparta and Thebes. Philip II subdued mainland Greece and Thracian Kingdom of Odrysia. He also defeated the old powers of Athens and Thebes. His son, Alexander the Great, accomplished his father’s objective of commanding the whole of Greece when he destroyed revolutionary Thebes. He also overthrew the Achaemenid Empire and conquered vast territory that stretched as far as the Indus River. His Macedonia, for a brief period, was the most powerful empire in the world. After his death in 323 BC, Macedonia remained a Greek cultural and political centre in the Mediterranean region for quite some time. Its decline began with the rise of Rome as the leading power in that region. The Third Macedonian War in 168 BC brought its end. A short-lived revival of the monarchy during the Fourth Macedonian War in 150-148 BC culminated with the establishment of the Roman province of Macedonia. In the second century AD, Macedonia covered approximately the area where it is considered to be today, but the northern regions of today’s Republic of North Macedonia were then not identified as Macedonian lands. Over the next eleven centuries, Macedonia’s location underwent significant changes. The Roman province of Macedonia consisted of what is today northern and central Greece, much of the Republic of North Macedonia and southeast Albania. In late Roman times, the provincial boundaries were reorganised to form the Diocese of Macedonia, consisting of most of modern mainland Greece right across the Aegean to include Crete, southern Albania, southwest Bulgaria and most of the Republic of North Macedonia. The Byzantine Empire carved out a province ‘Macedonia’ from the original Theme of Thrace. This region, which was ruled by the First Bulgarian Empire throughout the ninth and tenth centuries, was incorporated into the Byzantine Empire in 1018 as the Theme of Bulgaria. With the gradual conquest of southeastern Europe by the Ottomans in the late fourteenth century, the name of Macedonia disappeared as an administrative designation for several centuries and was rarely displayed on maps. The name was again revived to mean a distinct geographical region in the nineteenth century, defining the region bounded by Mount Olympus, the Pindus range, mounts Shar and Osogovo, the western Rhodopes, the lower course of the river Mesta and the Aegean Sea, developing roughly the same borders that it has today.
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Across
8a Bond takes drink after knock (7)
RAPPORT: The definition of a bond or relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people is arrived at from PORT (drink) as a strong, sweet, dark red, occasionally brown or white, fortified wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine preceded by or coming after (after) RAP (knock) as a quick light blow or knock
10a Substance found in beans for can, energy packed in (7)
PROTEIN: The definition of any of a large number of substances present in, inter alia cibum, beans is reached from PRO (for) as the Latin root word for the preposition ‘for’ followed by TIN (can) as a can or container for preserved foodstuffs having inside (packed in) E (energy) as the abbreviation for energy
11a Comedian on tour reaches a European region (9)
MACEDONIA: An anagram (on tour) of COMEDIAN meets (reaches) A from the clue, leading to the definition of a geographical and historical region that today includes parts of Balkan countries like Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia as also part of Greece
12a Post workers (5)
STAFF: Double nounal definition; the second referring to all the people working in or employed by a particular organisation that takes to the first referring to a vertical wooden post or plank in a building or other structure
13a Officer setting gears in motion (5)
SARGE: The definition of a colloquial term for a sergeant who is a police officer ranking below an inspector is arrived at from an anagram (in motion) of GEARS
14a Holiday island where military officer gets about (7)
MAJORCA: MAJOR (officer) as a military officer in rank between a captain and a lieutenant-colonel comes into contact with (gets) CA (about) as a written abbreviation of the Latin word circa meaning ‘about’ and that leads to the definition of the largest island of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean; the island being one of the key luxury holiday destinations
17a Final court pronouncement? (4,3,3,5)
GAME SET AND MATCH: A cryptic way of arriving at the definition of the final pronouncement by an umpire in a tennis court along with the name of the winner of the match that was played between two players or two pairs of players on the basis of four points winning a game, six games winning a set and two or three sets winning a match
19a Fail to get armies mobilised around capital in Haiti (7)
MISHEAR: The definition of a verb meaning to fail to get correctly or to misunderstand what is heard is reached from an anagram (mobilised) of ARMIES placed about (around) the capital letter (capital) in H[AITI]
21a Discovered near the ground (5)
EARTH: Part of or hidden inside (discovered) [N]EAR TH[E] guides to the definition of the solid matter of this planet or the ground on which people and animals move about
24a Spoil article that’s in colour (5)
TAINT: A (article) as one of the indefinite articles that’s placed inside (in) TINT (colour) as a colour that is softened or desaturated by the addition of white leads to the definition of a verb meaning to spoil, impair or blemish
26a Spend a lot, throwing pound into stream (6,3)
SPLASH OUT: Pushing (throwing) LASH (pound) as to beat forcefully against something, especially of wind or water inside (into) SPOUT (stream) as a stream of liquid issuing from somewhere with great force takes to the definition of a colloquial phrase meaning to spend a lot of money on something
27a Figure name on a medal abbreviated (7)
NONAGON: The definition of a nine-sided geometrical figure is obtained from N (name) as the abbreviation for name followed by ON and A from the clues and GON[G] (medal) as a slang term for a medal, especially a military one that is shortened with the removal of its last letter (abbreviated)
28a Pupil producing rubbish say in exercise (7)
PROTÉGÉ: A combo of ROT (rubbish) as nonsense or gibberish and EG (say) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ or ‘say’ put inside (in) PE (exercise) as the abbreviation for physical education that is taught in schools takes to the definition of a pupil or ward
Down
1d Evidence of eaten muffin perhaps, 3 Down! (6)
CRUMBS: Double definition; the first referring to small fragments that one is left with on the plate or dining table after having consumed some pieces of bread, cake, biscuit or perhaps muffin as the bits being too small to eat and the second an interjection used to express surprise, dismay etc
2d Full range, power within cult strange (8)
SPECTRUM: The definition of the range of colour produced by a prism or diffraction grating is reached from P (power) as the symbol for power in physics placed inside (within) SECT (cult) as a cult or a group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs from those of a larger group to which they belong followed by RUM (strange) as a slang term for an adjective meaning odd, strange or queer
3d Well has slippery moss on edge (8,2)
GOODNESS ME: An anagram (slipper) of MOSS ON EDGE guides to the definition of a mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance or exasperation
4d Herb attaches weapon to a bomb (9)
SPEARMINT: The definition of an aromatic herb, Menthaspicata, of the mint family, with lance-shaped leaves used for flavouring is arrived at by linking (attaches) SPEAR (weapon) as a weapon consisting of a long shaft with a sharply pointed end to a MINT (bomb) as an informal term for a large sum of money
5d Ghost endlessly upset — oh dear! (4)
OOPS: SPOO[K] (ghost) as an informal term for a ghost devoid of its ending or terminal letter (endlessly) seen going upwards (upset) as a reversal in the down clue takes to the definition of an exclamation drawing attention to or apologising for, etc, a mistake
6d Service has seller put out (6)
REPAIR: The definition of a verb meaning to service or restore something damaged, faulty or worn to a good condition is obtained from a charade of REP (seller) as referring to a sales representative and AIR (put out) as to put out or to prepare and issue for public distribution or sale
7d Quickly — like lightning? (2,1,5)
IN A FLASH: Double phrasal definition; the first meaning immediately or very quickly and the second denoting like lightning or like greased lightning that happens extremely quickly
9d Large amount of beer served with a fish (4)
TUNA: TUN (large amount of beer) as a measure of liquid capacity, usually equivalent to 216 gallons of beer followed by (served with) A from the clue leads to the definition of any large scombridoid marine fish of the genus Thunnus
15d The preserve of improvising musicians? (3,7)
JAM SESSION: The definition of a relatively informal musical activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised songs and chord progressions i.e. play together without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements cryptically alludes to JAM (preserve) as the preserve made from whole fruit boiled to a pulp with sugar and SESSION (improvising musicians) as referring to a meeting or gathering of a group of musicians to record in a studio
16d Pater surprisingly delighted now (2,7)
AT PRESENT: An anagram (surprisingly) of PATER followed by SENT (delighted) as an informal verb in the past tense meaning delighted, excited or roused someone to ecstasy guides to the definition of a phrase meaning at the moment, now or right now
17d First of girls one’s met when dancing — Ruby or Beryl? (8)
GEMSTONE: The first or initial letter (first) of G[IRLS] followed by an anagram (when dancing) of ONE’S MET guides to the definition of any precious stone, especially when cut, such as ruby that is a precious stone consisting of corundum in colour varieties varying from deep crimson or purpose to pale rose or beryl that is another precious stone occurring in hexagonal crystals in pale green, blue or yellow, of which emerald and aquamarine are varieties
18d Minister on track after upping business earnings (8)
TURNOVER: A combo of REV (minister) as a usually-written title prefixed in place of Reverend or a minister or member of the clergy, ON from the clue and RUT (track) as a long, deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles after taking upwards (upping) as a reversal in the down clue leads to the definition of the money value of total sales over a period or the amount of business that a firm, a company or an organisation does in a period of time
20d Hotel in blue, certainly not well-built (6)
SKINNY: INN (hotel) as a pub or small hotel providing food and accommodation placed inside (in) SKY (blue) as a shade or blue colour or literary the blue or light blue, referring to the colour of the sky guides to the definition of an adjective meaning having very little bodily flesh or fat, often unattractively and, therefore, certainly not well-built
22d Milliner in break removing topper (6)
HATTER: The definition of a person involved in the job of making, selling, cleaning or repairing hats, an example of which can be a milliner who designs, makes, trims or sells women’s hats is got from [S]HATTER (break) as to dash or break something to pieces with the topmost letter (topper) in the down clue being taken out (removing)
23d Prune in cold sauce (4)
CLIP: The definition of a verb meaning to cut short or trim is obtained from a charade of C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold and LIP (sauce) as an informal term for insolent or impertinent talk
25d Country leaving? (4)
TOGO: The definition of a country in West Africa that is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the south is reached from TO GO (leaving) as leaving or resigning from a post, for example, “The manager tried to persuade the newcomer not to go.”
Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 10a, 17a, 27a, 3d, 5d, 15d, 18d, 20d and 23d; the topper being 17a. 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 wonderful day.
3*/4* ….
liked 17A “Final court pronouncement (4,3,3,5)”