Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3264
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 12th May 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely and straightforward 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.
I found from the net the etymology of ‘manifest’, the answer to the clue of 1d. It has come from the Latin word manifestus which means ‘plain’; mani coming from manū that denotes ‘the hand’ and festus that means ‘struck’ and so it literally indicates ‘struck with the hand’.
Seesaw, the answer to the clue of 22d, reminded me of my childhood days. There is a park by the name ‘Ladies Park’ just outside the locality where I was born and lived for half a century. It is accessible from two sides – one from the main road and the other from the locality. In those days, it used to be called ‘New Park’. There used to be two swings, two seesaws and two slides at one side of the park and sitting arrangements for people spread throughout at various spots inside the park. However, children and grown-ups used the other half of the park as field for mostly playing football. As I child, I enjoyed both the slides and seesaws, especially on holidays. Subsequently, the name of the park underwent a change. It became ‘Ladies Park’, though just in name. No area inside the park was exclusively meant for the ladies. I could not understand why the change occurred. But more than three decades later after that change, half of the park which served as playground for especially the small children and which accommodated the swings, seesaws and slides did really become a ‘Ladies and Children’s Park’. The authorities have really beautified the one half of the park that now serves as the recreation area for ladies and children with a lot of playthings for the kids that include the modern versions of the merry-go-round, swings, seesaws and slides. Both halves are fenced and having gates to enter the area meant for the ladies and children at one side and the area used as playground for grown-ups on the other side; a long, narrow strip of the remaining area in between having the two gates as entry or exit points by visitors. It is also a short cut for common travellers wishing to go to the other end from either side. Inside the park, there were also many trees in those days, though their numbers have continued to decline with the passage of time. When I was fourteen years old, I almost got rid of my habit of playing marbles with my neighbours inside our locality which was a regular affair for me after my school hours. I had begun to feel something different from inside. Those became the glorious days of my life that I cannot forget. It was LAFS for both of us. Back home from school, I would madly rush to ‘New Park’ at the other end that was opposite to the side of the swings, seesaws and slides and sit on a wooden bench that was affixed to a cemented ground, behind which stood a huge tree with full of ball shape yellow flowers that is known in Bengali as ‘kodom’; a picture of the flower being shown below. I discovered from the net that Neolamarckia cadamba is its botanical name, but there are also some English common names of its trees like burflower-tree and Leichhardt pine. The tree provided cool shade in hot summer. As it happened to be not yet play or recreation time, I would usually be there all alone but for a valid reason – expecting her arrival. She was then twelve. Her school used to be over a little later. Within five to ten minutes, she would be there, wearing a black ‘burqa’ and carrying a schoolbag. We would chat and enjoy each other’s company for at least an hour every time we met in that ‘New Park’.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a The promise I give you, great Scott! (2,4)
MY WORD: Double definition; the first referring to an undertaking or promise given by me reached from WORD (the promise) as referring to an undertaking or promise FROM ME (I give you) as denoting ‘given by me’, or, precisely, MY WORD that takes to the second denoting an exclamation of surprise or amazement, that can also be expressed as ‘Great Scott!’ that is a euphemistic interjection, expressing surprise, amazement or the like
4a Hurry and make breakfast? (8)
SCRAMBLE: Double verbal definition; the first meaning to move hurriedly and clumsily from or into a particular place or position and the second referring to cook eggs, especially for breakfast, by beating the white and yellow parts with a little liquid and then stirring them gently, while heating
9a Spot melted, it seems? (6)
NOTICE: The definition of a verb meaning to see, spot, discern or detect is obtained from NOT ICE (melted, it seems) as appearing melted and no longer frozen solid but reduced to a liquid form due to the action of heat
10a Fresh air, scene for hike (8)
INCREASE: An anagram (fresh) of AIR SCENE guides to the definition of a verb meaning to hike or raise an amount in salary, wage, rent etc
12a Peter out for another duck, enraged initially (4)
FADE: The initial or starting letters (initially) of F[OR] A[NOTHER] D[UCK,] E[NRAGED] takes to the definition of a verb meaning to peter or die out, dwindle, evaporate or wane
13a Famous person in essence, LeBlanc (5)
CELEB: Part of or hidden inside (in) [ESSEN]CE, LEB[LANC] leads to the definition of the abbreviated slang term for celebrity meaning a person of distinction or fame
14a Gas on in this place (4)
HERE: A charade of HE (gas) as the chemical symbol of helium or a very light inert gas and RE (on) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘referring to’, ‘concerning’, ‘on’ or ‘about’ directs to the definition of an adverb denoting in, at or to this place
17a Leader of party stymied, great wishes cast aside (5,7)
STAGE WHISPER: The leading or first letter (leader) of P[ARTY] obstructed by getting inside (stymied) an anagram (cast) of GREAT WISHES takes to the definition of an audible utterance conventionally understood by the audience that is also called ‘aside’ or words spoken by an actor which the others present on the stage are supposed not to hear
20a Hero felt warm after spraying around deadly weapon (5-7)
FLAME-THROWER: An anagram (after spraying around) of HERO FELT WARM leads to the definition of a weapon of war that releases a powerful jet of burning liquid
23a Last word in line maybe, looking back (4)
AMEN: Part of or hidden inside (in) [LI]NE MA[YBE,] viewed from the other end (looking back) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of the last word, meaning ‘so let it be’, said especially at the end of a prayer
24a Old tax on a race course (5)
ASCOT: The definition of a town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead that is in Berkshire and most notable as the location for Ascot Racecourse, home of Britain’s most valuable race meeting is arrived at from SCOT (old tax) as a payment, especially a customary tax in old law preceded by or coming after (on) A from the clue
25a Popular image yours truly replicated (4)
MEME: The definition of an image, video, piece of text etc, typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations is reached from ME (yours truly) as the setter of this crossword referring to himself or as used by any other speaker referring to themselves that has been repeated (replicated)
28a Devil’s Island? (8)
TASMANIA: A cryptic definition of the name of the island state of Australia that is located 240 kilometres to the south of the Australian mainland where the Tasmanian devil, a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii of the family Dasyuridae, lives
29a Wear a flag on back of shirt (6)
ATTIRE: The definition of a verb meaning to put clothes on or to dress in formal or special clothing is arrived at from A from the clue and TIRE (flag) as to flag or become bored or wearied preceded by or coming after (on) the terminal or last letter (back) of [SHIR]T
30a Colleague in knockout, cry of pain suppressed (2-6)
CO-WORKER: The definition of a colleague or an associate that one works with is reached from CORKER (knockout) as an informal and humorous term for a person of thing that is especially good, attractive or funny having kept as secret or hidden (suppressed) OW (cry of pain) as an interjection used especially in response to sudden pain
31a Intelligent boy’s first with the correct answer (6)
BRIGHT: The definition of an adjective meaning exceptionally clever or talented is arrived at from the first or beginning letter (first) of B[OY] (boy’s) followed by (with) RIGHT (the correct answer) as referring to an answer written by a student that is accepted or taken to be accurate, correct or free from error by the teacher
Down
1d Plain piece provided, set to play (8)
MANIFEST: MAN (piece) as a piece used in playing chess, draughts etc. followed by IF (provided) as a conjunction denoting provided, assuming or in case and an anagram (to play) of SET guides to the definition of an adjective meaning obvious or plain or that is easily noticed or perceived
2d Bow out, as well as tie (8)
WITHDRAW: The definition of a verb meaning to bow out, retire gracefully or remove oneself from an obligation is obtained from a charade of WITH (as well as) as a preposition denoting as well as or in favourable comparison to and DRAW (tie) as to tie or finish a contest with neither side winning
3d Type of music, precious thing? (4)
ROCK: Double nounal definition; the first referring to a form of popular music characterised by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat and relatively simple phrase structure and the second a slang term for a large gem, especially a diamond that is a precious thing
5d Changing bags at exchange (12)
CONVERSATION: CONVERSION (changing) as the act of changing from one use or function or purpose to another puts inside (bags) AT from the clue, leading to the definition of the exchange of thoughts and feelings by means of speech or sign language
6d Area covered by bulldozer carved up (4)
ACRE: Part of or hidden inside (covered by) [BULLDOZ]ER CA[RVED] seen moving upwards (up) as a reversal in the down clue takes to the definition of a unit of area equal to 4840 square yards or 4046.86 square metres
7d Supporters tossing cabers around (6)
BRACES: An anagram (tossing … around) of CABERS yields the definition of a pair of narrow straps that stretch from the front of the trousers over the shoulders to the back to hold them up or the plural of a support that steadies or strengthens something else
8d The Spanish flat number (6)
ELEVEN: A charade of EL (the Spanish) as the Spanish for masculine singular definite article ‘the’ and EVEN (flat) as flat and smooth guides to the definition of a cardinal number one more than ten
11d State when nephew gets his arm broken (3,9)
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The definition of the US state by area in New England and the fifth smallest by area is reached when NEPHEW alongwith (gets) HIS ARM as a combination is subject an anagram (broken)
15d My foot in cowboy boot (5)
WELLY: WELL (my) as an exclamation used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger, resignation or relief followed by the bottommost letter (foot) in [COWBO]Y in the down clue takes to the definition of either of a pair of long rubber boots, usually reaching almost up to the knee, that one wears to stop their feet getting wet
16d Card one will beat (5)
HEART: Double nounal definition; the second referring to the organ that pumps blood through the body and continues to beat until a person is no longer alive that takes to the first denoting one of a pack of cards that are used to play card games and bearing a red figure or pip of this shape
18d General tidying things up (8)
SWEEPING: Double definition; the first being an adjective denoting too general, especially of a statement taking no account of particular cases or exceptions and the second a verb in the continuous form meaning cleaning or tidying an area by brushing away dirt or litter with a broom
19d Gala showcasing cheese? Most fleeting (8)
BRIEFEST: The definition of an adjective in the superlative degree meaning of shortest duration or most fleeting is arrived at from FEST (gala) as a gathering or occasion characterised by a specified activity displaying for public view or on a trial basis (showcasing) BRIE (cheese) as a soft, cow’s milk cheese with a whitish rind and light yellow centre named after Brie, the French region from where it originated, that is, FEST displaying BRIE or, precisely, BRIE FEST
21d Sea cold, something hot further north? (6)
BALTIC: C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold preceded by or placed above in the down clue (further north) BALTI (something hot) as an Indian dish consisting of a type of curry served in a thin pressed-steel wok called a ‘balti bowl’ takes to the definition of a body of water in the cold region of northern Europe, bounded by Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany
22d 9 Across, now and then, something for the kids (6)
SEESAW: NOTICE (9 Across) as the answer to the clue of 9 Across that can also be represented by the word SEE in the present tense (now) and SAW in the past tense (then) yields the definition of a recreational device or a plaything on which two children alternately ride up and down while seated at opposite ends of a long plank balanced by a fulcrum at the middle
26d Evergreen bearing a light (4)
FAIR: FIR (evergreen) as any of various evergreen trees of the genus Abies, having linear flattened needles and erect cones with deciduous scales holding inside (bearing) A from the clue takes to the definition of an adjective meaning light in colour, especially blond or of light complexion
27d Leading actor in Betelgeuse, say? (4)
STAR: Double nounal definition; the first referring to a leading actor or actress or other well-known performer in a film and the second denoting any of a vast number of celestial objects that are visible in the clear sky as twinkling points of light, an example of which is Betelgeuse that is a red supergiant and second brightest star in the constellation of Orion
Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 17a, 28a, 29a, 30a, 1d, 5d, 15d, 19d, 21d and 22d; the topper being 22d. 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.
What a lovely story that is!
Thank you so much, MsGlad, for liking it.
I loved it too, and all your helpful comments. Did your LAFS have a happy ending?
Thank you so much, jan, for liking the review. Sadly, our LAFS did not have a happy ending. It lasted for around a year as her family shifted to a different place within the city. What remained with both of us were a lot of LLs (abbreviation used by me since my teenage days) which we used to exchange often at the parting time of our meetings. I was grief-stricken and shattered. Nobody in the maternal household supported or helped me on this issue. I even left my maternal grandmother with whom I was staying since childhood and went to stay with my paternal grandmother. However, I continued going to school from there and tried my best not to hamper my studies. But I could not stay there for long. Within two months, I came back to my maternal grandmother as I had discovered that my father was going to get me engaged to a girl of his choice and I was, of course, not at all happy about that idea. My maternal grandmother was also very happy to see me back home. But that did not stop me to frantically search for the one with whom I was truly, madly, deeply in love. It took me some months to locate her new address, albeit with the help of one neighbour. At first, I was not aware of the location and she used to pass on my messages to her and bring her messages to me, but those were verbal only. But, later on, when I insisted her to show me the place where she stayed, she stopped passing on our messages, but gave me the address. It was a very big building with many flats inside it and although I managed to find out her exact residence inside the premises, I did not meet anybody but waited for an opportune moment. By that time, one of my maternal uncles had also decided to help me. He told me that if we went there on the day of the Eid-al-Fitr, the family would surely welcome us on the day of the festival. So I had to wait for some months. But he did keep his promise. On the day of Eid-al-Fitr, we went there and her family really welcomed us and treated us with festival food. Although we saw each other, she was told to go to another room as their family, like ours, was conservative. There was a lot of discussion between my uncle and her father that included the environment of the new place and several other topics but barring anything about us, which made me sad. After we returned, he told me that it was the first meeting and that’s why he avoided talking on that issue, but since they had welcomed us and expressed their happiness, he would personally go and talk to them about it after some days. I waited for a pretty long time, but did not ask him further. One day, I went there alone. They welcomed me inside. Although we saw each other again, her mother told her to go to another room. Her mother looked at me for some time. Very gently, she said to me, “Dilip, it will be better if you don’t come here ever again.” I felt extremely hurt and told her I would never come there again. As I was returning, I saw her again and we looked at each other. There was an expression of sadness on her face. I thought that it was the last time I was seeing her, but that wasn’t. Back home, I told my maternal aunt about it. She told me that my uncle had also been there some weeks ago, but was told by the family that they did not agree to the marriage proposal.
You’ve written, “I thought that it was the last time, but that wasn’t.” Did you meet her again and was the meeting a revival of your love? One more question, “Why did her mother call you Dilip?”
I’ll answer your second question first, Sudipta Ghorai. My classmates and colleagues know me by my actual name that is Rahmat Ali, but the majority know me by the name Dilip. I was born in January 1960. I heard from my elders that even before I was a year old, I had suffered from typhoid. My maternal uncle took me to a family physician who asked him what my name was. He replied that no name had yet been given. Then the physician told him that Dilip Kumar was the name on everyone’s lips, so let’s call him Dilip. And so I became Dilip forever. The physician actually meant Dilip Kumar who was already an established actor and his film ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ of that year was a superhit and the highest-grossing film until then. To my very big maternal and paternal family members including distant relatives, the thousands of people of the locality where I was born and brought up and most of my friends, I am Dilip even to this day and very few among them know me by my actual name. All my three sisters, younger cousins and other relatives and many of those younger to me living in that locality call me Dada, meaning elder brother. Nandlal was another name given to me by a lady in the locality whose name was Aasa Bibi and who loved me like a son. She used to come to our house quite often. I also liked her as I liked my own mother and used to call her Aasa Maa. She called me Nandlal for quite some years, based on the famous song ‘Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal Chher Gayo Re’ of Mughal-e-Azam. As a child, I would sit on her lap and she would fondle me like my very own mother. Sitting on her lap, I used to enjoy her many songs that she sang for me and overall used to feel very happy being in her company. I remember all this because this continued even when I was three to four years old. She showered me with all the motherly love and affection throughout her life until her demise in 1981. The last name that I got for myself was from my paternal family that did not last long as it was rejected by my maternal household where I started staying with my maternal grandmother from a very early age. That name was Aurangzeb, after the Mughal emperor. Although I don’t remember anybody calling me by this name at any point of time, I have reason to believe that this name was really given to me.
Now coming to your first question. Her mother also loved me like a son. Whenever I went to their house in our locality, she would give me biscuits and tell her daughter to prepare tea for me which she always did. But, in their new place, when I went to visit them for the second time, that time not with my uncle, she told me, “Dilip, it will be better if you don’t come here ever again.” I felt very hurt, but instantly told her that I would never come there again. I saw my beloved and thought that it was the last time I was seeing her, but that wasn’t. Although fate had been cruel to us, I deed meet her many times later in life. At that time, I was fifteen years old, but I resolved never to go there again. And I kept my word. A year ago, the day in the afternoon when they had left the locality for their new place of stay, I had cried a lot in my room. Again that night, I had cried on my bed. The next night I had cried and this had continued regularly for a very long time. When I went with my uncle to their new house, I felt a ray of hope. I was sure that happy days were returning. But that day, when her mother told me not to come again, my hope was dashed. Sometimes at night, I would weep and feel very sad. And I wept for her for ten long years. The day my maternal grandmother died, I was then twenty-five years old. That day, I cried a lot for my grandmother because I was also deeply attached to her as I had stayed with her throughout my life and she had cared for me and raised me. That was also the day when I stopped weeping for my beloved. I remembered my grandmother and was sad for long many years. Now recollecting the different times in life when I met or saw my beloved, I remember when, at the age of sixteen, I once saw my beloved walking on the road along with a female companion who was a relative, not known to me then. I started following them and was very close behind them. As they were chatting while walking, she once saw me but didn’t say anything to me and kept on walking. I remembered that I had told her mother that I would never come to their house again, so I stopped following her and changed my path. Around two years later, she was married to someone arranged by her family and went to live with him in another state where he had his residence. Even the day she was getting married, I was aware of it. It was then the saddest day of my life. Around three years later, I got a job in a bank through a competitive exam. Six years to the job, one day, I happened to meet her younger brother who had come to the bank. We were happy to see each other. He invited me to their house. But I told him I could not do that as I had promised his mother never to go there. So he went away. But one day, surprisingly, he again turned up there and told me that his mother had herself called me. So I went to their house. She was very happy to see me as a very established person and told me to come whenever I felt like. So I visited her many times and even her son, with whom I befriended, came to our house several times. A few years later, they invited our family to their son’s marriage. We went there. As I was close to the venue, my heart started beating very fast. I was longing to see her again. At last I saw her. Yes, I saw her but after so many years. I would have loved to talk to her, but as there were so many people in the function, I did not think it right to do so. But my sisters talked to her and her parents. A few months later, I invited them to my marriage. All of them arrived. But she was the one who did not come as she was residing in a different state with her husband and children. However, a few years later we did meet. She had come to meet her parents and stayed there for some time. When I visited her relatives, I saw her in their household. We talked with each other in the presence of the other members of the family. One day, she expressed her desire to meet my wife and children. So we both started walking from their relative’s house to our house. At one place on the narrow path, there was a ditch filled with muddy water and I wanted to hold her hand and help her avoid getting slipped. Smilingly, she refused and managed to overcome the hurdle herself. But I am happy she did the right thing. I had never touched her before. Ours was a conservative world. She met my wife and saw my children and chatted with everybody. After some time, she felt tired and wanted to rest. So, we told her to sleep on our bed. She slept for around two hours. Later, in the evening, I took her back to her relative’s house. After some days, she was back with her husband and children who lived in another state. Some two to three years later, her father expired. I went to the house before the funeral. She came with a lamp and with its light, showed me her father’s face. Though it was the last time to see her father’s face, little did I know then that that was the last time I was seeing her. Around thirteen years later, when I was posted by the bank in a very far-off place, one evening I got a call that she had expired in a hospital in another state that was very far-off from her actual state of residence. I was shocked and immediately began to weep. That night I did’t eat. I was only reminiscing our glorious days of love under the shade of the burflower tree. I can never forget my first love.
3*/4* …..
liked 12A “Peter out for another duck, enraged initially (4)”