ST 3272 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3272

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 7^th July 2024

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely, entertaining 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.

Bottle, the answer to the clue of 1a, serves as the carrier of message in the main as one of the definitions.  A ‘message in a bottle’, abbreviated as MIB, is a form of communication in which a message is sealed in a container, typically a bottle, and released into a conveyance medium, typically a body of water. I learnt from the net that messages in bottles have been used to send distress messages; in crowd-sourced scientific studies of ocean currents; as memorial tributes; to send deceased loved ones’ ashes on a final journey; to convey expedition reports; and to carry letters or reports from those believing themselves to be doomed. Invitations to prospective pen pals and letters to actual or imagined love interests have also been sent as messages in bottles. The lore surrounding messages in bottles has often been of a romantic or poetic nature. The use of the phrase has also expanded to include metaphorical uses or uses beyond its traditional meaning as bottled messages released into oceans. The phrase has been applied to plaques on craft launched into outer space, interstellar radio messages, stationary time capsules, balloon mail and containers storing medical information for use by emergency medical personnel.

Star sign, the answer to the clue of 10a, was also the answer to the clue of 18a of yesterday’s DT. During my early childhood, I used to gaze at the stars because they looked much more dazzling than they look now. I was born and brought up in the heart of Calcutta (now Kolkata), but the locality where we stayed looked almost like a village in those days. Barring five to six two-storey buildings which had electricity, almost all the houses were one-storied with red tiles or curly tins on the top and people used oil lamps to light their rooms. After the sunset, the whole locality looked dark most of the nights, but appeared very serenely beautiful on a full moonlit night when the silver light of the moon bathed it with an ethereal glow. The elders would narrate some stories and the children obediently listened to them with wonder. But I was also fascinated by the stars. They looked much bigger than they look now, more particularly because of darkness. When I grew up, I delved deeper into astronomy and after I became a member of The British Library, I studied many books with honest interest on the subjects of astronomy and medicine. With time, I gained some knowledge on astrology, too. The star signs in the firmament symbolising different objects were compiled to be twelve in number and they came to be known as the signs of the zodiac, a term referring to a belt around the sky extending 9° on either side of the ecliptic, the Sun’s apparent annual path, which contains the twelve constellations or astrological signs. The twelve zodiac signs are Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. Again this time, I have a question for the readers. Which country has the names of the twelve months of the year based on the twelve zodiac signs?

I was perplexed by the word ‘on’, part of the wordplay to the clue of 29a, and for a while I thought that had the clue been a down clue, I would have felt comfortable to place the first word ‘on’ or upon the second word or that the first word was placed before the second; whereas for the across clue, ‘on’ would have me place the first word after the second; and finally, rather unconvincingly, I had to write the word ‘before’ in the review to corroborate with the placement of the first word before the second.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a          Nerve, carrier of message in the main? (6)
BOTTLE: Double nounal definition; the first being a slang term for nerve, will or courage, especially in the phrase ‘to lose one’s battle’ meaning to lose one’s nerve or courage and the second referring to a glass or plastic container with a narrow neck, used in a sealed condition as a safe carrier to carry distress or secret messages, seeking for help, typically as ‘message in a bottle’ when thrown in a body of water like the main or sea

4a          One or two photographs? (8)
SNAPSHOT: A cryptic definition of an informal photograph taken quickly, typically with a small handheld camera is arrived at from one or two photographs that can be split up to mean one photograph or two photographs; wherein SNAP and SHOT each refers to one photograph or SNAP and SHOT together refer to as two photographs

9a          Monarchy never welcomes king (6)
NORWAY: The definition of is arrived at from NO WAY (never) as an adverb meaning no way or on no account receives or takes in (welcomes) R (king) as the abbreviation for rex, the Latin word for king guides to the definition of a Nordic country in Northern Europe, situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula that is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

10a        String as tight for archer, say? (4,4)
STAR SIGN: An anagram (tight) of STRING AS takes to the definition of one of the twelve signs of the zodiac that serve as symbol representatives of the twelve planetary houses of different names, an example of which is Sagittarius that is represented by a symbol of bow and arrow, also known as the Archer

12a        Certain character, though only a little creep! (4)
INCH: Part of or hidden inside (though only a little) [CERTA]IN CH[ARACTER] leads to the definition of a verb meaning to move along slowly and carefully

13a        Pull and twist tail of cat, like a 22 Down? (5)
TWEAK: The definition of a verb meaning to twist and pull something sharply is reached from the terminal or last letter (tail) of [CA]T followed by WEAK (like a 22 Down) as suggesting the characteristic feature similar to a baby cat as in 22d that cannot be strong at that age

14a        By the sound of it, what will be will be for gala (4)
FETE: A homophone (by the sound of it) of FATE (what will be will be) as the destiny or the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do takes to the definition of a public function, typically held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity, including entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments

17a        General drift in court process, harrowing (5-7)
HEART-RENDING: TREND (general drift) as a general drift or direction in which something is developing or placed inside (in) HEARING (court process) as a process of listening to evidence in a court of law, especially a trial before a judge without a jury guides to the definition of an adjective meaning harrowing or causing great sadness or distress

20a        Sport that’s boring, down as exciting! (12)
SNOWBOARDING: The definition of the sport or pastime of sliding downhill on a snowboard that resembles a wide ski, to which both feet are secured and that one rides in an upright position is reached from an anagram (exciting) of BORING, DOWN AS

23a        Sterling in question in Europe, ignored ultimately (4)
QUID: The definition of the informal term for a one pound sterling is obtained from QUI (question) as the word for the question ‘who’ in French that is a European language followed by the ultimate or final letter (ultimately) of [IGNORE]D

24a        Glass for the blower? (5)
FLUTE: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a musical instrument in the shape of a tube that is held out to the side and played by blowing across a hole near one end that takes to the first denoting a tall, narrow wine glass

25a        Reversible sharp objects act like scissors (4)
SNIP: PINS (sharp objects) as the plural of a short, straight, stiff piece of wire with a blunt head and a sharp point, used especially for fastening coming from the other end (reversible) as a reversal in the across clue leads to the definition of a verb meaning to cut or cut off with or as if with shears or scissors

28a        Big rock in road, site appearing rocky? (8)
ASTERIOD: An anagram (appearing rocky) of ROAD, SITE produces the definition of a very large rock that goes around the sun like a planet

29a        Large prawns, pickle on one (6)
SCAMPI: The definition of large prawns that are usually fried and eaten is reached from a charade of SCAMP (pickle) as an informal term for a pickle or a person, especially a child, who is mischievous in a likeable or amusing way preceded by (on) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one

30a        Lovely bit of broth, and so meaty (8)
HANDSOME: The definition of an adjective meaning good-looking, attractive, beautiful or lovely is arrived at from part of or hidden inside (bit of) [BROT]H, AND SO ME[ATY]

31a        Write name on flag (6)
PENNON: PEN (write) as to write, indite or commit to paper, N (name) as the abbreviation for name and ON from the clue take to the definition of a long, narrow flag or streamer attached to a lance

Down

1d          Tea party dispute? (3,5)
BUN FIGHT: Double nounal definition; the first being an slang term for a tea party or an impressive or important party or other social event and the second referring to a petty squabble or argument

2d          Snake or cat with nut that’s cracked (8)
TURNCOAT: The definition of a person who deserts one party or cause in order to join an opposing one, an example of which can be a snake or a treacherous or deceitful person is got from an anagram (cracked) of a combo of OR CAT and (with) NUT

3d          Metal wire (4)
LEAD: Double nounal definition; the second being a wire that conveys electric current from a source to an appliance or that connects two points of a circuit together that guides to the first referring to a soft, heavy, ductile bluish-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 82

5d          Securing devices, the ropes? (4,3,5)
NUTS AND BOLTS: Double nounal definition; the first being fastening or securing devices; nuts being fasteners with threaded holes that secure to bolts and together hold parts and the second denoting the basic practical aspects or details about a particular thing, rather than theories or ideas about it

6d          Hole in sweater opened up (4)
PORE: The definition of a very small hole in the skin of people or other animals or a similar hole on the surface of plants or rocks is obtained from part of or hidden inside (in) [SWEAT]ER OP[ENED] seen going upwards (up) as a reversal in the down clue

7d          Young animal barking here, provided kennelled (6)
HEIFER: The definition of a young cow, especially one that has not yet given birth to a calf is arrived at from an anagram (barking) of HERE having sheltered or taken in (kennelled) IF (provided) as a conjunction denoting provided, assuming or in case

8d          Singer picked up for a few 23 Across (6)
TENNER: A homophone as detected or received by the audience (picked up) of TENOR (singer) as the adult male voice intermediate between baritone and alto leads to the definition of a colloquial term for a ten-pound note, i.e. ten times worth the value of 23a

11d        Bloomer in document penned by Mae West, I gathered (5,7)
SWEET WILLIAM: The definition of a flowering plant of genus Dianthus widely grown for its clusters of fragrant, small, red, white and pink flowers is arrived at from WILL (document) as a written document that allows individuals to direct the way their inheritance would be maintained and divided after their demise confined or enclosed (penned) by an anagram (gathered) of MAE WEST, I

15d        Operation hurt (5)
STING: Double definition; the first being a noun referring to a carefully planned operation, typically one involving deception and the second a verb meaning to prick, hurt or wound with a sharp-pointed, often venom-bearing organ

16d        Criminal nears trap (5)
SNARE: An anagram (criminal) of NEARS guides to the definition of a trap for catching birds or mammals, typically one having a noose of wire or cord

18d        Pub in the morning feeds criminal something spicy (8)
CINNAMON: A combo of INN (pub) as a pub, typically one in the country, in some case providing accommodation and AM (in the morning) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase ante meridiem meaning before noon, that is, in the morning gets in (feeds) CON (criminal) as an informal term for a convict who is a person found guilty of a criminal offence and serving a sentence of imprisonment takes to the definition of the tan to dark brown inner bark of a tropical tree, usually available in the form of powder or a rolled piece of bark, having a somewhat sweet and spicy taste and used in cooking for flavouring food

19d        African party on the borders up for tucking into freshly made tagine (8)
EGYPTIAN: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Egypt that is in Africa and therefore an African too is got from the outermost letters (on the borders) of P[ART]Y taken upwards (up) as a reversal in the down clue and inserted (for tucking) into an anagram (freshly made) of TAGINE

21d        Smash in racket sport? (6)
SQUASH: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a racket-and-ball sport played in which two players for singles or four players for doubles use rackets to hit a small, hollow, soft rubber ball against the walls of a closed court that takes to the first a verb meaning to crush or squeeze something with force so that it becomes flat, soft or out of shape

22d        Clothes on figure, young Tom? (6)
KITTEN: KIT (clothes) as an informal term for clothing in general placed upon (on) TEN (figure) as the cardinal number one more than nine in the down clue guides to the definition of a young cat or the baby of the domestic cat, the male of which is also known by the name Tom

26d        Plant teacher and I dug up (4)
IRIS: A combo of SIR (teacher) as used for talking to male teacher and I from the clue taken upwards (dug up) as reversals in the down clue leads to the definition of a tall plant that has blue, yellow or white flowers and long, narrow leaves

27d        A heart without love for some land (4)
ACRE: A from the clue followed by C[O]RE (heart) as the heart or the central or innermost or most essential part of something devoid of (without) O (love) as the score of zero in a game of tennis yields the definition of a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards or 0.405 hectare

The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 1a, 9a, 13a, 17a, 1d, 5d, 7d, 11d and 18d; 1a being the best of the lot. 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.