Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30695
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 17th August 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A pleasant and entertaining Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
Something said to make us smile, the word ‘cheese’, the answer to the clue of 9a, was not known to me until the age when I was in my mid-thirties. Those were the days when I liked to be in the company of one Mr. Suranjan Roy, an officer of the bank who at that time got transferred to the local head office where I was posted. I soon found him to be a person with tremendous knowledge, more particularly in sports, the English language and everything one would like to know about the United Kingdom. During our leisure, I would often go to him and spend some time with him. One day, in the midst of our conversation, he suddenly told me, “Rohomot, say cheese.” I wondered why I should say that just for nothing. I didn’t utter the word but instead stared at him. He then told me that he meant me to smile and then explained to me everything about the photographers and their habitual instructions to their clients, “Say cheese”. He is eight years elder to me. I don’t know how much he has learnt from me, but I am pretty sure I have acquired a vast knowledge from being in his company for long many years in the local head office of the bank. I found him to be one of the two persons whom I would regard as my friends, philosophers and guides. We are still friends and in touch with each other even after our retirement. Now, after solving this puzzle, I became inquisitive to know whether the photographers of other countries and speaking languages other than English do also have similar instructions for their clients who are posing for photographs in order to get the desired effect of shaping the mouth to produce a smile. So I took to the net and found out indeed, they are there. In Italian, it’s Di cheese meaning ‘Say Cheese’ in English and it’s the closest pronunciation to the English word ‘cheese’. Similarly, in Japan, In Japan, it’s Cheezu, that is ‘Cheese’. In Czech, it’s ‘Sýr’, pronounced ‘seer’ and meaning ‘cheese’ in English. In India, the word is Paneer, the Hindi word for ‘cheese’. But it’s not that it’s cheese everywhere. In Brazil, it’s Digam X meaning ‘Say X’ in English, where X is pronounced as ‘shees’. In Argentina and Colombia and in most Latin American countries, the word is ‘Whiskey’. In Denmark, it’s Sig appelsin’ meaning ‘Say orange’. In Croatia, the word is ptičica meaning ‘Little bird’. In Estonia, it’s Hernesupp meaning ‘Pea soup’. In France, it’s ouistiti meaning ‘marmoset’. In Bulgaria, it’s Zele meaning ‘Cabbage’. In Korea, it’s Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish. In Morocco, it’s Khbiz referring to ‘Bread’. All said, I would still argue in favour of the English word ‘cheese’ that it can bring out the best facial expression than any of the other words can. In the 19th century England, most people were expected to use a neutral facial expression when being photographed. The costly and time-consuming nature of early photography reinforced this behaviour. In the late 19th century, different aesthetic and behavioural norms required keeping the mouth small, which led to photographers using “say prunes”. Smiling became normal while being photographed in the 20th century, as the availability of cameras made photography a more common occurrence. Saying particular words was seen to help subjects have a particular smile, with ‘cheese’ being recorded in 1943 as a word that was said in English. As such, photographers would use the phrase “Say cheese” to encourage their customers to state the word while the photographer snapped the photo.
Leg stump, the answer to the clue of 10a, made me curious to know the minute details of the three stumps. In my life, I have never played football, cricket or hockey, though I have always loved to watch World Cup football matches. But sometimes, I have also watched cricket matches and am aware that stumping is one of the methods of dismissing a batsman. I am also aware that the leg stump is the stump on the on side of the wicket that is the same side of the batman’s legs while the off stump is the one on the off side of the wicket, that is the same side of the batsman’s bat. The names are relative for a right-handed batsman’s leg stump becomes the off stump when a left-handed player is the batsman. Stumps are significant in a game of cricket. I learnt that if the wicket is put down with the ball after it has gone past the batsman during a fair delivery, regardless of whether the ball made contact with the batsman’s body or bat, they are bowled. If the batsman is out of the ground, that is, no part of their body or bat is behind the popping crease, the line in front of the stumps, whilst attempting to take a run, they are run out. If the batsman is out of their ground and the wicket is put down by the wicket-keeper before attempting to take a run, they are stumped. If the wicket is put down by the batsman’s body, bat, including debris if it has broken, or any part of their clothing before attempting a run, they are hit wicket.
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Across
1a Clean energy for listless person (4)
MOPE: A charade of MOP (clean) as to wipe, clean or remove with a cleaning instrument consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle and E (energy) as the symbol for energy as a quantitative property in physics takes to the definition of a listless or aimless person, especially from being sad
3a Some ABBA wannabes backing Prince (5)
NAWAB: Part of or hidden inside [AB]BA WAN[NABES] and coming from the opposite side (backing) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a Muslim prince or noble
6a Evil personality in cloak we’re told (4)
HYDE: The definition of the name given to the evil personality in a person with two-sided personality; the good side being called ‘Jekyll’ that has originated from the 1886 Gothic horror novella, ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ written by the Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson is obtained from a homophone heard by the audience (we’re told) of HIDE (cloak) as to cover or cloak something in secrecy
8a Senior academic somehow errs with figures — oops! (6,9)
REGIUS PROFESSOR: An anagram (somehow) of a combination of ERRS and (with) FIGURES — OOPS results in the definition of the holder of a British professorship whose chair was founded by Henry VIII or, in Scotland, by the Crown
9a Something said to make us smile? (6)
CHEESE: A cryptic definition of the word said to make us smile; “Say CHEESE!” as especially instructed by photographers to their subject or subjects to smile with their lips apart and teeth showing so as to arrive at the best results
10a Bowler’s on target? (3,5)
LEG STUMP: A cryptic definition of the wooden leg or stick called stump that is on the ‘on’ side of the wicket i.e. the same side as the batsman’s legs and closest to the batsman’s body at the normal guard position and one of the three stumps forming, with the bails, a wicket in cricket that is the target object of a bowler when attempting to bowl and dismiss the batsman and a defending object of a batsman when attempting to be not out
11a Symbolic form strangely apt in revised Homer (8)
METAPHOR: The definition of a noun referring to a symbolic form or a symbol or something used or regarded as being used to represent something else is obtained from an anagram (strangely) of APT placed inside (in) another anagram (revised) of HOMER
13a Hot dog Dorothy loved entirely (2,4)
IN TOTO: A charade of IN (hot) as an adjective meaning hot, popular or fashionable and TOTO (dog Dorothy loved) as the name of the small, black dog with fuzzy, curly hair and bright black eyes whom Dorothy, a little Kansas girl, took to the beautiful land of Oz in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, a children’s fantasy novel of Lyman Frank Baum takes to the definition of a Latin phrase meaning totally, entirely or completely
15a Crack English force entering castle (6)
EFFORT: The definition of a crack or a usually brief attempt is reached from E (English) as the abbreviation for English followed by F (force) as the symbol for force in physics getting inside (entering) FORT (castle) as an embattled castle or a fortified defensive structure
17a Pitch not black when it’s this? (8)
FLOODLIT: A cryptic definition of an adjective meaning illuminated with floodlights, especially a stadium with a ground for playing cricket matches making the pitch appear clearly visible (pitch not black) deduced from the contra-adjective ‘pitch-black’ denoting as black as pitch or of any place, in total darkness with no light at all
19a Snobbish boss? (8)
SUPERIOR: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a boss, senior, principal or chief that takes to the first an adjective meaning pretentious, supercilious or snobbish
21a Fertile moral tale needs no introduction (6)
ARABLE: The definition of an adjective meaning productive, fertile, tillable or cultivable is arrived at from [P]ARABLE (moral tale) as a simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson and often with animal characters that does not need its introductory or first letter (needs no introduction)
22a Contest in which all runners finish tied? (5-6, 4)
THREE-LEGGED RACE: A cryptic definition of a race, expected to run without falling over, by pairs of runners, each with a leg tied to his or her partner’s adjacent one
23a Flood receding — that’s correct (4)
EDIT: TIDE (flood) as the flood or the rise of the tide or the condition of abnormally great flow in a river that is drawing back (receding) as a reversal in the across clue that produces the definition of a verb meaning to correct and improve a piece of text etc ready for publication
24a Old mug one fills in watering-hole (5)
OASIS: O (old) as the abbreviation for old as OT in Old Testament followed by ASS (mug) as a colloquial term for a fool or a stupid fellow, an example of which is mug that is another colloquial term referring to a simpleton or an easy dupe having inside (fills in) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one leads to the definition of a watering hole, a spring or a fertile spot or tract in a sandy desert
25a Seen? The writer had to be heard! (4)
EYED: The definition of a verb in the participle form meaning looked at, watched closely or seen is reached from a homophone (to be heard) of I’D that serves as a contraction for ‘I had’ where ‘I’ refers to the writer or setter of this puzzle
Down
1d Others arrived to receive British comedian (9)
MORECAMBE: MORE CAME (others arrived) as referring to others or the additional or extra people who arrived to have inside (receive) B (British) as an abbreviation for British, leading to the definition of the stage name of the English comedian John Eric Bartholomew, i.e. Eric MORECAMBE, who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise
2d Stain puts Feds in Hell (7)
PIGMENT: The definition of a noun meaning stain, dye or tint is obtained from G-MEN (Feds) as agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States put inside (in) PIT (Hell) as referring to hell or its lowest depths
3d Sunshine altered temperature in shelter (6,3)
NISSEN HUT: An anagram (altered) of SUNSHINE followed by T (temperature) as the symbol for temperature as in physics guides to the definition of a semi-cylindrical corrugurated-iron hut designed by Canadian-American-British engineer Peter Normal Nissen, originally for military use, especially as barracks
4d Wife to accompany barrel-shaped singer? (7)
WARBLER: W (wife) as the genealogical abbreviation for wife to go together with (accompany) an anagram (shaped) of BARREL takes to the definition of a singer who adds embellishments to the song
5d Obscure iron wheels in Slough (5)
BEFOG: The definition of a verb meaning to cover or obscure is reached from FE (iron) as the symbol for iron in chemistry abbreviated from ferrum, the Latin word meaning iron whirls, spins or turns around (wheels) as a reversal in the down clue placed inside (in) BOG (Slough) as a marsh or a tract of wet land
6d Angry holding pose, thought twice (9)
HESITATED: HEATED (angry) as an adjective meaning angry, agitated or impassioned keeping inside (holding) SIT (pose) as to pose for an artist or photographer takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning thought twice or was reluctant or unwilling to do something or take a decision
7d Step on it when coming home? (7)
DOORMAT: The definition of a mat placed outside an exterior door to enable one coming from outdoors to step on it and to wipe one’s shoes on it so to remove dirt, if any, before entering a house, room etc is cryptically arrived at from the idiomatic phrase ‘step on it’ meaning to put one’s foot down harder on the accelerator so that the speed of the vehicle is greatly increased i.e. to drive fast to get home
12d Compensation agreed, settled around November (9)
ATONEMENT: The definition of a compensation for a wrong or any wrongdoing is got from AT ONE (agreed) as a phrasal adjective meaning agreed, reconciled or of one mind, followed by MET (settled) as a verb in the past tense meaning paid, settled or cleared dues placed about (around) N (November) as the letter represented by November in the NATO phonetic alphabet
13d Besotted admirers terribly isolated without Romeo (9)
IDOLATERS: The definition of besotted admirers or those who blindly or excessively admire or adore someone is arrived at from an anagram (terribly) of ISOLATED surrounded by or placed around (without) R (Romeo) as the letter represented by Romeo in the NATO phonetic alphabet
14d Recovering new idea in Bond initially ignored (2,3,4)
ON THE MEND: A combo of N (new) as the abbreviation for new and THEME (idea) as an implicit or recurrent idea placed inside (in) [B]OND from the clue that is having its initial or beginning letter (initially) not taken into consideration or removed (ignored) leads to the definition of an idiom denoting getting better after an illness or injury or recovering one’s health
16d Cast after virus looking rosy (7)
FLUSHED: SHED (cast) as a verb meaning to cast, throw or send out light preceded by or coming after (after) FLU (virus) as a shortened form for influenza that is a highly contagious virus infection takes to the definition of an adjective meaning blushing or temporary showing a rosy colour, especially in the cheeks
17d Scavenges at great length? (7)
FORAGES: The definition of a verb in the present tense third person singular form meaning conducts a search or rummages about for what one wants or scavenges i.e. searches through a place or container for useful item is arrived at from FOR AGES (at great length) as denoting at great length, for a long duration or for a long period of time
18d Book place — sign on line (7)
LIBRARY: The definition of a place in which books and other literary materials are kept for reading thereat or lending is reached from LIBRA (sign) as the seventh sign of the zodiac placed upon (on) RY (line) as the abbreviation for Railway that is the line of track providing a runway facilitating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight in the down clue
20d Current despondency endless in White House (5)
IGLOO: I (current) as the symbol for electric current in physics followed by GLOO[M] (despondency) as a state of melancholy, depression or despondency that is devoid of its end or last letter (endless) brings the definition of a dome-shaped house made of blocks of hard snow, especially as built by the Eskimo people, that of course looks white because of the colour of the snow
The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 9a, 10a, 13a, 17a, 22a, 1d, 5d, 7d, 18d and 20d; 9a being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to NYDK for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.
3*/4* ….
liked 7D “Step on it when coming home? (7)”