ST 3290 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3290

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 10^th November 2024

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A tough though 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 feedback.

While solving the puzzle, I became inquisitive to know about the birth and culture of après-ski, the answer to the clue of 13a and so, after solving, took to the net. Après-ski literally translates from French to ‘after skiing’. Though we may credit the French for modern day celebrations after a day of skiing, the history of après-ski goes beyond the iconic French ski destinations like Chamonix. The fact is that après-ski, albeit probably called something else and toasted with a ‘skol’, truly began when skiing began, probably in Scandinavia. The earliest known reference to skiing harkins back to around 3,000-4,000 BC. Primitive carvings depict human figures walking on skis. One of the earliest carvings is at Rødøy in Norway’s Nordland, where a skier is holding a single pole while wearing skis of equal length. Sweden’s ‘Kalvträskskidan’ ski is dated to 3,300 BC and Norway’s ‘Vefsn Nordland’ ski to 3,200 BC. More than 20 well-preserved skis or ski fragments have been found in drained bogs in Norway. The very old Sami word for skiing, ‘čuoigat’ makes it clear Sami people of Northern Norway, Finland, Sweden and Lapland have skied for thousands of years. Arguably the most famous symbol of skiing is Ullr, famed in Norse mythology as the God of Snow, Patron Saint of Skiers, the son of Sif and stepson of Thor, the God of Thunder. Ullr is said to be an expert skater, skier and hunter who would glide around the world and cover the land with snow. He is the very God we send our prayers to prior to our ski trips to ensure perfect snow conditions. Today, Ullr is often toasted in après-ski celebrations, such as in Breckenridge, Colorado, as Viking-hatted skiers and snowboarders celebrate all things winter at the annual early December Ullr Fest. Thousands of years later, the modern day version of après-ski did indeed take off in France as commercial skiing became popular around the world in the 1950s. According to Oxford Living Dictionaries, après-ski is the social activities and entertainment following a day’s skiing. Après-ski now provides an umbrella term for popular activities once the ski day is done. Après-ski really has no rules or universal time, though it usually starts in late afternoon, about the time the lifts stop churning. There is no real dress code either. Après-ski customs vary from country to country and sometimes from resort to resort these days. In St. Anton, Austria, sing-alongs and 3:00 am dance parties are pumped by giant beers and Jägermeister shots. Among the most famous après-ski spots in the Alps is MooserWirt, which is rumoured to sell the most beer per square foot in Austria. The Krazy Kanguruh is known as the original home of après-ski in St Anton. Ishgl, Austria; Val d’Isère and Chamonix, France; Verbier, Switzerland and Cervinia, Italy are no slouches when the lifts close down. The top choices in the Alps, besides beer, include mulled wine, a spiced wine known as vin chaud in France and Glühwein in Austria. In Italy, there’s Bombardino, a warm winter cocktail made with eggnog and brandy and served hot with whipped cream and in Austria and Switzerland Jägermeister, which is a licorice liqueur. Canada has the Caesar, their version of a Bloody Mary, and Kokanee, a British Columbia lager. Lone Tree Cider Company’s hard cider is a popular refreshing choice in parts of Canada. US skiers and riders often celebrate the end of the ski day with Bloody Marys, craft beers and a toast of French bubbly, though pitchers of beer are often their first choice.

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Across

1a          Arrangement for meal in home location (5,7)
PLACE SETTING: The definition of a each person’s set of crockery, cutlery and glassware as used at a dining table is obtained from a charade of PLACE (home) as a dwelling or home and SETTING (location) as the location or place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place

9a          Daffodil, say, one of those needing the shade? (4)
BULB: Double nounal definition; the second referring to an electric light bulb which may need a lampshade that takes to the first being a root shaped like an onion that grows into a flower or plant, an example of which is a daffodil i.e. a yellow-flowered narcissus

10a        Potential for improvement finally, wearing glasses (9)
PROSPECTS: The definition of a noun meaning possibilities, potential or scope is reached from PRO (for) as the Latin root word for the preposition ‘for’ followed by the final or terminal letter (finally) of [IMPROVEMEN]T covered or surrounded by (wearing) SPECS (glasses) as an informal term for a pair of spectacles that is another word for eyeglasses

12a        Stop in popular Australian city (6)
HOBART: BAR (stop) as to stop, prevent or prohibit someone from doing something or from going somewhere placed inside (in) HOT (popular) as currently popular, fashionable or in demand takes to the definition of the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia

13a        A cub reporter briefly drinking after going downhill? (5-3)
APRÈS-SKI: A from the clue followed by PRESS KI[D] (cub reporter) as a cub reporter who is a young or inexperienced news reporter appearing in a brief form without its last letter (briefly) leads to the definition of an evening entertainment that includes drinking and other social activities as a period of relaxation following a day’s skiing that makes one go downhill

15a        Meat product all adore, flanks of meat cooked (10)
MORTADELLA: The definition of a type of light pink, smooth-textured Italian sausage containing pieces of fat, typically served in slices is reached from an anagram (cooked) of a combination ALL ADORE and the outside letters (flanks) of MeaT

16a        Rail transport shortening walk (4)
TRAM: The definition of a passenger vehicle powered by electricity conveyed by overhead cables and running on rails laid on a public road is arrived at from TRAM[P] (walk) as to walk heavily or noisily that appears cut short with the removal of its final letter (shortening)

18a        Position in market, I sensed, reversed (4)
SITE: The definition of a position or a place where a particular event or activity is occurring or has occurred is produced from part of or hidden inside (in) [MARK]ET, I S[ENSED] but coming from the other end (reversed) as a reversal in the across clue

20a        Liquid went, lost in area with clusters of stars? (10)
TINSELTOWN: An anagram (liquid) of WENT, LOST IN takes to the definition of the informal name for Hollywood, California, regarded as the focus of the American film industry and glamorous film stars

23a        Rector I suspect smuggling in hydrogen gas (8)
RHETORIC: An anagram (suspect) of RECTOR I taking inside (smuggling in) H (hydrogen) as the symbol for hydrogen in chemistry guides to the definition of a noun meaning pompous or pretentious talk, an example of which is gas that is idle or boastful talk

24a        Price-fixing group spilling claret (6)
CARTEL: The definition of a group of firms within an industry who collude against competition to regulate prices and output to their advantage is got from an anagram (spilling) of CLARET

26a        Emotionally fragile type – a drifter? (9)
SNOWFLAKE: Double nounal definition; the second being a feathery clump of snow crystals whose fragments become drifting snow particles if they are small enough to be blown off by wind that takes to the first an insulting way of referring to someone who is considered by some people to be too easily upset and offended or emotionally fragile type

27a        Press in rush, forgetting leader (4)
URGE: The definition of a verb meaning to press, push or hasten the course, activities etc is reached from [S]URGE (rush) as a rush or sudden large increase in something that has previous been steady or has only increased or developed slowly ignoring or not taking into account (forgetting) the leading or first letter (leader)

28a        Firebrand, Russian business perhaps on trial, originally (12)
TROUBLEMAKER: The definition of someone who disturbs the peace and incites others to do so, like a firebrand or a person who stirs up trouble is derived from ROUBLE MAKER (Russian business perhaps) as possibly referring to a Russian business house or a company generating income in rouble that is the standard monetary unit of Russia preceded by (on) the originating or first letter (original) of T[RIAL] in the across clue

Down

2d          African ending in Portugal, describing that area? (8)
LIBERIAN: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Liberia that is in the Africa is arrived at from the ending or terminal letter (ending) in [PORTUGA]L followed by IBERIAN (describing that area) as the adjectival description of the area that Portugal is part of

3d          Horn for example, top note (4)
CAPE: The definition of a headland or promontory, an example of which is Horn, referring to Cape Horn that is a southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile and is located on the small Hornos Island is fetched from a charade of CAP (top) as a kind of soft, flat hat, typically with a peak, an example of which is a top and E (note) as the third note or sound of the natural diatonic scale in music

4d          Southern European punched by weed gets shiner (4,6)
SHOE POLISH: S (southern) as the abbreviation for southern and POLISH (European) as a native or inhabitant of Poland that is in Europe intervened by coming inside (punched by) HOE (weed) as to weed, cultivate or thin a crop guides to the definition of a substance used to produce a shiny protective surface on footwear

5d          Agent on vessel lifted hat (6)
TOPPER: REP (agent) as a secret agent employed to watch others or to collect information, especially of a military nature placed upon (on) POT (vessel) as a rounded or cylindrical container, typically of metal, used for cooking taken upwards (lifted) as a reversal in the down clue takes to the definition of an informal term for a top hat

6d          New coin is right, one of a set? (7)
INCISOR: An anagram (new) of COIN IS followed by R (right) as the abbreviation for right provides the definition of one of the sharp teeth at the front of the mouth having a flat edge designed for shearing or cutting

7d          Succeed – as might gala? (2,10)
GO SWIMMINGLY: The definition of an adverbial phrase meaning to succeed or to have everything happening in a satisfactory way and without any problems is cryptically arrived at from a gala that is a sporting occasion involving competitions in several events, one of which might be swimming

8d          Song with less feeling? (6)
NUMBER: The definition of a song, especially one of several in a performance is got from NUMB-ER (less feeling) as an adjective meaning deprived of sensation or feeling composed cryptically to form its comparative degree

11d        Rioting met with hysterics, reaction sought from that? (9,3)
CHEMISTRY SET: An anagram (rioting) of a combo of MET and (with) HYSTERICS guides to the definition of a set of equipment that a school student uses to learn about chemistry and chemical reactions by doing simple experiments

14d        Just one friend has run off earlier (10)
LEGITIMATE: A combo of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and MATE (friend) as an informal term for a friend or companion preceded by (has … earlier) LEG IT (run off) as an informal phrase meaning to run away or walk quickly, usually to escape from something that takes to the definition of an adjective meaning just or conforming to the law and to rules

17d        Meadows viewed in utter joy (8)
PLEASURE: LEAS (meadows) as the plural of a meadow or a tract of open ground, especially grassland seen inside (viewed in) PURE (utter) as an adjective denoting sheer or utter and used for emphasis guides to the definition of a noun meaning joy, happiness or delight

19d        Musical device in room, let out (7)
TREMOLO: The definition of a mechanical device in a musical organ by which a tremulous effect is produced is derived from an anagram (out) of ROOM LET

21d        Electrical failure shown by inaccurate time (6)
OUTAGE: The definition of an interruption or failure in the supply of power, especially electricity is reached from a charade of OUT (inaccurate) as an adjective meaning mistaken, inaccurate or in error and AGE (time) as the time of life reached or of being old

22d        Felon has great discussion (6)
CONFAB: A charade of CON (felon) as an informal term for a convict or a person guilty of criminal offence and serving a sentence of imprisonment, similar to a felon or a person who has committed an act of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment and (has) FAB (great) as an informal adjective denoting fabulous, wonderful or something great leads to the definition of a colloquial term for confabulation referring to a chat or an informal private conversation or discussion

25d        Cheese served in buffet, appealing (4)
FETA: The definition of a crumbly white low-fat cheese, traditionally made from goat’s or ewe’s milk but now sometimes with cow’s milk is found as part of or hiding inside (served in) [BUF]FET, A[PPEALING]

The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 13a, 20a, 26a, 28a, 4d, 7d, 14d and 22d; 28a 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.