DT 30767 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30767

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 9^th November 2024

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. An excellent, lovely and gentle Saturday puzzle from Cephas that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.

I got to learn several names of Grenada, the answer to the clue of 6d, after exploring the net. It is also called the ‘Island of Spice’ due to its production of nutmeg and mace crops. It was inhabited by the indigenous peoples from South America. The indigenous Arawak who once lived on the island before the arrival of the Europeans gave it the name Camajuya. Christopher Columbus sighted this island country in 1498 during his third voyage to the Americas and named it La Concepción in honour of the Virgin Mary. In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci travelled through the region with the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda and mapmaker Juan de la Cosa and is reported to have the island Mayo. Due to stiff resistance by the local residents, the Europeans met with continuous failure to colonise the island country until the year 1649 when the French could ultimately settle and colonise it that continued for more than a century. On 17 February 1763, Grenada was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris and their rule continued until 1974, except for a very brief takeover by the French between 1779 and 1783. Etymologically, the name of Grenada is obscure. It is, however, likely that Spanish sailors named the island for the Andalusian city of Granada. The name of Granada was recorded by Spanish maps in the 1520s and referred to the islands to the north as Los Granadillos or Little Granadas. To the French, it became La Grenade. The British renamed in Grenada when the island was ceded to them under the Treaty of Paris in 1763. On 3 March 1967, Grenada was granted full autonomy over its internal affairs as an Associated State and from 1958 to 1962, it was part of the Federation of the West Indies, a short-lived federation of the British West Indian colonies. Grenada got its independence on 7 February 1974 under the leadership of Eric Gairy, who became its first Prime Minister. In March 1979, the Marxist-Leninist New Jewel Movement overthrew Gairy’s government and established the People’s Revolutionary Government, headed by Maurice Bishop as the Prime Minister. Sadly, he was later arrested and executed by members of the People’s Revolutionary Government that was used to justify a US-led invasion in October 1983. Since then, the island has returned to a parliamentary representative democracy and has remained politically stable.

Post-mortem, the answer to the clue to 12d, has originated from Latin. ‘Mortem’ is a form of the word for death in Latin. There are also varied learning borrowings from Latin ‘mors’ meaning death, corpse or annihilation, from Proto-Italic ‘mortis’ and Proto-Indo-European ‘mértis’ denoting death and ‘mer-’ meaning to die. Some key Latin phrases use the Latin preposition ‘post’ meaning after or behind. Hence, the closest translation of the Latin ‘post-mortem’ comes to ‘after death’ in English.

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Across

1a          Amazingly nothing is as amazing (11)
ASTONISHING: An anagram (amazingly) of NOTHING IS AS guides to the definition of an adjective meaning very wonderful, surprising or amazing

7a          Where public transport can be brought to a halt? (3,4)
BUS STOP: A cryptic definition of a halting place for a public transport, an example of which is a bus, for passengers to board it or alight

8a          Saying name of dog held by lead (7)
PROVERB: ROVER (name of dog) as a generic name for a pet dog taken inside (held) by PB (lead) as the symbol for the chemical element lead takes to the definition of a short familiar saying expressing a supposed truth or moral lesson

10a        Lady’s learning about bad weather (8)
LORRAINE: The definition of a feminine given name derived from the name of the region of Lorraine in France as also the delicacy quiche that is a flan of plain pastry is reached from LORE (learning) as learning, especially of a special, traditional or out-of-the way miscellaneous kind, as in folklore placed around (about) RAIN (bad weather) as water that falls from the clouds as drops, often regarded as miserable, unpleasant weather making everything wet and dirty, causing transportation delays, making outdoor activities difficult etc

11a        Coming from an anagram tomorrow! (6)
MAÑANA: Appearing inside (coming) [FRO]M AN ANA[GRAM] takes to the definition of a noun and adverb meaning tomorrow or at an unspecified time in the future

13a        Face ring (4)
DIAL: Double definition; the first being a noun denoting the face of a clock or watch that is marked to show units of time or an informal term for a person’s face and the second a verb meaning to ring or use a telephone keypad to select and make a telephone call to a particular number

14a        Strangely, say tea with roué is relaxed (2,4,4)
AT YOUR EASE: An anagram (strangely) of a combo of SAY TEA and ROUÉ leads to the definition of a phrase meaning relaxed, for example, “I want you to be at your ease here, so please ask for anything that will make your stay more enjoyable.”

16a        Tangy cider ordered in town (6,4)
GARDEN CITY: An anagram (ordered) of TANGY CIDER takes to the definition of a model town, laid out with broad roads, trees, and much garden ground between the houses

18a        Spanish banker seen in outside broadcast (4)
EBRO: The definition of the name of a banker of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain, where banker is a whimsical description of a river that has banks, is extracted as part of or hidden inside (seen in) [OUTSID]E BRO[ADCAST]

21a        Record spread causing stoppage (3,3)
LOG JAM: A charade of LOG (record) as a regular or systematic record of incidents or observations or a record of a ship’s performance and experiences and JAM (spread) as to spread on bread with jam guides to the definition of any stoppage attributable to unusual activity

22a        Promise some witches of a set of books (8)
COVENANT: The definition of a verb meaning to promise solemnly and formally is obtained from COVEN (some witches) as a gathering of witches or a gang of thirteen witches having alongside (of) A from the clue and NT (set of books) as the abbreviation for New Testament that is the collection of books related to second part of the Christian Bible, consisting of writings about Christ and the Apostles after his death, and documents from the very first years of the Christian Church

24a        Edible fat that might be rubbed into one’s hands? (4,3)
PALM OIL: The definition of an oil or fat obtained from the pulp of the fruit of palms, especially of the oil-palm, is cryptically deduced from OIL (edible fat) that might be rubbed into one’s PALMS (hands) as plural of the inner surface of the hand between wrist and fingers, that is OIL rubbed into PALMS, or PALMS’ OIL, or precisely PALM OIL

25a        Other people will accept blame for this treatment (7)
THERAPY: THEY (other people) as a subjective pronoun referring to people other than the speaker and listener(s) will take in (accept) RAP (blame) as censure or blame so as to come to the definition of the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitative or curative process

26a        The last place one would expect to go at the end of a flight? (3,8)
AIR TERMINAL: A cryptic definition of a terminus or the last place from which passengers are conveyed from an airport after they arrive at the end of their air travel or flight

Down

1d          Country, alas, not in continental area (7)
AUSTRIA: The definition of a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps and consisting of a federation of nine states, one of which is its capital Vienna, is reached from ALAS of the clue removed from or not included in (not in) AUSTR[ALAS]IA (continental area) as a continental region comprising Australia, New Zealand and neighbouring islands in the South Pacific

2d          Italian repeatedly sent up an artist (6)
TITIAN: A combination of IT (Italian) as the abbreviation for Italian and IT (repeatedly) as the same that is repeated once more taken upwards (sent up) as a reversal in the down clue followed by AN from the clue takes to the definition of the celebrated English name of Tiziano Vecellio, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting

3d          Tot with friar perhaps getting cosmetic surgery (3,3,4)
NIP AND TUCK: NIP (tot) as a small quantity of liquor or spirits, an example of which is tot or a small amount, especially of liquor or any drink, AND (with) as together with or along with TUCK (friar perhaps) as probably referring to the legendary jolly Friar Tuck who joined Robin Hood’s band and aided their exploits takes to the definition of a cosmetic surgical procedure in which skin and usually fat are removed and muscle is sometimes tightened to create a slimmer or more youthful appearance

4d          Clan determined to seize power (4)
SEPT: The definition of a noun meaning a clan or a division of a tribe is arrived at from SET (determined) as an adjective meaning intent, resolute or determined to take into custody or to take inside (seize) P (power) as the symbol for power in physics

5d          I do, with the French, attempt extreme form of worship (8)
IDOLATRY: A combo of I DO from the clue together with (with) LA (the French) as the definite article ‘the’ in French language used with singular, feminine words and TRY (attempt) as to attempt or make an effort to do or accomplish something guides to the definition of the worship of cult images or idols as though they are deities, an act said to be the ultimate expression of unfaithfulness to God that calls for severe divine punishment, according to the Bible

6d          Pineapple mostly found on a Caribbean island (7)
GRENADA: GRENAD[E] (pineapple) as a small bomb thrown by hand or shot from a rifle also known as pineapple as a military slang with most of the letters (mostly) placed upon (on) A in the down clue leads to the definition of one of the island countries of the subregion in the middle of the Americas centred around the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean

7d          Speed shown by particular canine that collects the papers? (7,4)
BULLDOG CLIP: CLIP (speed) as an informal term for speed seen alongside or coming after (shown by) BULLDOG (particular canine) as a dog of a breed originally developed in England particularly for bullbaiting and having a short stocky body, large head and strong square jaws with dewlaps guides to the definition of a clip with a spring used for holding papers etc together or to a board

9d          By law, mother somehow could be culpable (11)
BLAMEWORTHY: An anagram (somehow) of BY LAW, MOTHER guides to the definition of an adjective meaning culpable or deserving blame or censure

12d        Stiff examination? (4-6)
POST-MORTEM: The definition of an examination to determine the cause of death that is also known as an autopsy or post-mortem examination is cryptically arrived from stiff (dead) examination

15d        Soundly beat second-rate and ultimately ineffective political party (8)
BELABOUR: The definition of a verb meaning to assail verbally or to beat soundly is deduced from B (second-rate) as something of a second class or order or the second best or second highest in quality or rate followed by (and) the ultimate or last letter (ultimately) of [INEFFECTIV]E and LABOUR (political party) as a party in the United Kingdom that sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum and that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists

17d        First-class beer served up – that’s needed for special occasions (7)
REGALIA: A combo of AI (first-class) as first-rate, first-class or excellent and LAGER (beer) as a light beer traditionally matured for up to six months before use taking an upward direction (served up) as a reversal in the down clue leads to the definition of jewellery and other paraphernalia that are needed for or worn by a sovereign on state occasions

19d        Notice during quarrel, one bores (7)
BRADAWL: AD (notice) as a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service or event seen inside (during) BRAWL (quarrel) as a rough or noisy fight or quarrel          takes to the definition of a small boring tool

20d        It flows at all times between two poles (6)
SEVERN: The definition of the name of the longest river that flows in Great Britain is arrived at from EVER (at all times) as an adverb meaning always or at all times placed in the midst of (between) S and N (two poles) as the letters respectively representing the south pole and north pole of a magnet as its two ends

23d        Reportedly took off chimney (4)
FLUE: A homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of FLEW (took off) as a verb in the past tense meaning became airborne or took to the air, especially of an aircraft or bird guides to the definition of a small chimney or pipe for conveying hot air, smoke, flame etc

Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 1a, 8a, 11a, 21a, 22a, 25a, 3d, 7d, 9d, 12d, 19d and 20d; 12d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Cephas for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.