DT 30779 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30779

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 23^rd November 2024

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A pleasant and straightforward Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.

I learnt from the net that glass eye, the answer to the clue of 18a, though often referred to as such, the ocular prosthesis roughly takes the shape of a convex shell and is made of medical grade plastic acrylist. A few ocular prostheses today are made of cryolite glass.

I wanted to know the etymology of dodo, the answer to the clue of 19a. Wikipedia says that the etymology of the word dodo is unclear. Some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoor for ‘sluggard’, but it is more probably related to dodaars, which means either ‘fat-arse’ or ‘knot-arse’, referring to the knot of feathers on the hind end. The first record of the word dodaars is found in Captain Willem Van West-Zanen’s journal in 1602. The English writer, Sir Thomas Herbert, was the first to use the word dodo in print in his 1634 travelogue claiming it was referred to as such by the Portuguese, who had visited Mauritius in 1507. Another Englishman, Emmanuel Altham, had used the word in a 1628 letter in which he also claimed its origin was Portuguese. The name dodar was introduced into English at the same time as dodo, but was only used until the 18^th century. Interestingly, the Portuguese never mentioned anything about the bird. Nevertheless, some sources still state that the word dodo derives from the Portuguese word doudo, currently doido, meaning insane, fool or crazy. It has also been suggested that dodo was an onomatopoeic approximation of the bird’s call, a two-note pigeon-like sound resembling ‘doo-doo’. The early scientists have variously declared the dodo as a small ostrict, a rail, an albatross or a vulture. In 1842, Johannes Theodor Reinhardt, a Danish zoologist proposed that dodos were ground pigeons, a view that was ridiculed by many. However, later English naturalists supported it and Hugh Edwin Strickland and Alexander Gordon Melville attempted to separate myth from reality in their 1848 monograph The Dodo and its Kindred. They established that the dodo was anatomically similar to pigeons in many features. They pointed to the very short keratinous portion of the beak, with its long, slender, naked basal part. Other pigeons also have bare skin around their eyes, almost reaching their beak, as in dodos. However, the dodo differed from other pigeons mainly in the small size of the wings and the large size of the beak in proportion to the rest of the cranium.

Peregrine falcon, the answer to the clue of 5d, is a species of falcon, Falco peregrinus, so named because it was captured in flight and not taken from the nest, so says the BRB.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a          Capable Conservative means to apply pressure (6)
CLEVER: The definition of an adjective meaning intelligent, talented or capable or having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a higher degree is fetched from a charade of C (Conservative) as the abbreviation for Conservative, a supporter or member of the Conservative Party and LEVER (means to apply pressure) as a means of exerting pressure in order to accomplish something

5a          Observe law coming into force (8)
PRACTISE: The definition of a verb meaning to observe or follow habitually or customarily is got from ACT (law) as a written law passed by Parliament, Congress etc getting inside (coming into) PRISE (force) as to force, especially up, out or open, with a lever

9a          Nadal’s grit forged where brutal conflict played out (10)
STALINGRAD: An anagram (forged) of NADAL’S GRIT guides to the definition of the erstwhile city of the Soviet Union, now known as Volgograd, where the bloodiest and fiercest battle of the entirety of World War II took place that was regarded as the single largest and costliest urban battle in military history

10a        Is it Campbell in depressed Scottish area? (4)
GLEN: Double nounal definition; the second being a Scottish term for a piece of depressed, sunken or low land that takes to the first denoting the first name of the American country singer, guitarist, songwriter and actor whose full name was Glen Travis Campbell

11a        Tory lord, grand, protesting angrily do we hear? (8)
GRAYLING: The definition of the Tory Member of the House of Lords who served as the Secretary of State from 2012 to 2015 is reached from G (grand) as a slangy shorthand for grand, a term used to mean a thousand dollars or as an abbreviation for Grand as GM in Grand Master or as GP in Grand Prix and a homophone heard by the audience (do we hear?) of RAILING (protesting angrily)

12a        Artist in small restaurant for flask of wine … (6)
CARAFE: RA (artist) as the abbreviation for Royal Academician, denoting a practising artist of the Royal Academy of Arts put inside (in) CAFÉ (small restaurant) as a small restaurant selling light meals and drinks leads to the definition of an open-topped glass flask used for serving wine or water in a restaurant

13a        … like it knocked back? (4)
ASTI: AS (like) as a conjunction meaning denoting ‘as’ that is used to indicate by comparison the way that something happens or is done followed by IT coming from the opposite side (knocked back) as a reversal in the across clue takes to the definition of a light sparkling white wine from the Asti region of Italy

15a        Mingle in Session Nine (8)
INTERMIX: The definition of a verb meaning to mingle, amalgamate or unify is arrived at from IN from the clue, TERM (session) as referring to a session or the time during which school holds classes and IX (nine) as the Roman numeral for nine

18a        Good girl with detective a real looker? Hardly (5,3)
GLASS EYE: G (good) as the abbreviation for good, LASS (girl) as a girl or young woman and (with) EYE (detective) as an informal term for a detective, especially a private investigator in a charade takes to the definition of an artificial eye fashioned of glass

19a        Two parties: one absolutely dead? (4)
DODO: DO as an informal term for a party or other social event is repeated i.e. DO and DO (two parties) as the cryptic formation of two parties that leads to the definition of a large flightless bird, Raphus cucullatus, with a hooked beak that inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean until it became extinct in the late 1600s that gave to the formation of the phrase ‘as dead as a dodo’ meaning one absolutely dead or irretrievably defunct or out of date

21a        Put pole in punt for renowned cycle maker (6)
WAGNER: Place (put) N (pole) as representing the north pole of a magnet inside (in) WAGER (punt) as a bet, stake, gamble or punt to arrive at the definition of Wilhelm Richard WAGNER, the German composer, theatre director, essayist and conductor, who was famous for his creation of the four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen i.e. The Ring of the Nibelung, or simply The Ring

23a        Mike leaving fraternity residence for pub? (8)
ALEHOUSE: M (Mike) as the letter represented by Mike in the NATO phonetic alphabet coming out of (leaving) [M]ALE HOUSE (fraternity residence) as referring to a house used as a residence by a chapter of a fraternity that leads to the definition of an informal term for a pub or a tavern where ale or beer is sold

25a        Life-changing information stored here? (4)
FILE: An anagram (changing) of LIFE guides to the definition of a container in a computer system for storing information

26a        The early leader whatever the compiler says? (4-6)
PACE-SETTER: The definition of a leader or a person or group that serves as a model to be imitated or followed or a pacemaker as a figurative term for a person who sets the pace in a race is reached from a charade of PACE (whatever) as a preposition used to express polite or ironically polite disagreement to anything that someone says and SETTER (the compiler) as referring to the compiler of this crossword puzzle

27a        Start for Bukayo, inside left, yet to lose (8)
UNBEATEN: The starting or initial letter (start) for B[UKAYO] placed in (inside) UNEATEN (left) as an adjective denoting left or not having been consumed, especially of food takes to the definition of an adjective meaning not defeated or conquered or yet to be defeated

28a        Number of Premier League teams score? (6)
TWENTY: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a cardinal number one more than nineteen, an example of which is score that is a group or set of twenty that takes to the first representing the total number of teams accommodated in the Premier League that is the top tier of England’s football pyramid

Down

2d          Dead right, but not right now? (5)
LATER: LATE (dead) as an adjective meaning no longer alive and R (right) as the abbreviation for right in a charade takes to the definition of an adverb meaning afterwards or subsequently but not right now

3d          See 16 Down

4d          Was plain-clothes police supremo bad? (6)
RANCID: RAN CID (was plain-clothes police supremo) as a verb in the past tense meaning ‘was the head of the Criminal Investigation Department’ i.e. the part of a UK police force that does not wear uniforms and is responsible for discovering who has committed crimes, as referring to an ex-police supremo that leads to the definition of an adjective meaning rank in smell or taste, as of butter or oil that is going bad

5d          Green in place for playing birdie? (9,6)
PEREGRINE FALCON: An anagram (playing) of GREEN IN PLACE FOR guides to the definition of a swift-flying bird of prey, Falco peregrinus, having grey and white plumage

6d          Reject ruling? (8)
ABDICATE: A cryptic definition of a verb meaning to renounce one’s throne, i.e. to reject the opportunity to rule, especially of a monarch or a prince and would-be monarch

7d          Mr Woods in row about golf? (5)
TIGER: The definition of the nickname of Eldrick Tont Woods, the celebrated American professional golfer who holds numerous golf records is obtained from TIER (row) as a row or layer of something that has other layers above or below it placed around (about) G (golf) as the letter represented by Golf in the NATO phonetic alphabet

8d          For hero in 21 see if grid should change (9)
SIEGFRIED: To arrive at the definition of the name of the opera, the third part of the Ring cycle of Wagner, based on the warrior hero of the Nibelungenlied in German mythology, who takes possession of the accursed treasure of the Nibelungs by slaying the dragon that guards it is subject to an anagram (should change) of SEE IF GRID

14d        Rescue from Tank One found in drawing room (9)
SALVATION: The definition of a noun meaning rescue or deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ is arrived at from a combo of VAT (tank) as a large vessel or tank, especially for fermentation, dyeing or tanning and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one noticed inside (found in) SALON (drawing room) as a drawing room or a reception room

16d and 3 Down              Poor folk in adversity here denied name in 21 song (4,2,3,9)
RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES: An anagram (poor) of FOLK I[N] ADVERSITY HERE not including (denied) N (name) as the abbreviation for name takes to the definition of the popular name of the prelude to the first scene of the third and last act of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas of Wagner that make up Der Ring des Nibelungen or the Ring cycle

17d        Fiat lacking finish? Mine’s falling apart! (8)
DECREPIT: DECRE[E] (fiat) as a formal and authoritative order having the force of law, an example of which is a fiat that is a short order or warrant of a judge for making out or allowing processes, letters-patent etc that is devoid of its finishing or last letter (lacking finish) followed by PIT (mine) as a coal mine or an area of land from which a natural substance is taken by digging takes to the definition of an adjective meaning falling apart, crumbling or worn out or ruined because of age or neglect

20d        Debt is restructured for small home (6)
BEDSIT: An anagram (restructured) of DEBT IS guides to the definition of the shortened version of a bed-sitting-room that refers to a combined bedroom and sitting-room, for example, in lodgings, serving as a one-room apartment

22d        Family member from east entering French city (5)
NIECE: The definition of the daughter of one’s brother or sister or of one’s brother-in-law or sister-in-law is produced from E (east) as the abbreviation for east getting inside (entering) NICE (French city) as the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast

24d        Ambassador seen in group in paper (5)
SHEET: HE (ambassador) as the abbreviation for His or Her Excellency used to address an ambassador who is the ranking government representative stationed in a foreign country or its capital that is otherwise used to address a head of state noticed inside (seen in) SET (group) as a group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together takes to the definition of a rectangular piece of paper, especially one of a standard size produced commercially and used for writing and printing on

Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 11a, 18a, 19a, 21a, 27a, 28a, 2d, 4d, 5d and 6d; 4d being the topper. 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.