Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3292
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 24th November 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A tough yet entertaining puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.
I had in mind that cinema, the answer to the clue of 10a, must have come from Italian, so after completing the puzzle, I took to the net to learn that the word was borrowed from French cinéma, clipping of cinématographe, a term coined by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s, that eventually came from ancient Greek κίνημα, pronounced kínēmá and meaning movement and γράφω, pronounced gráphō and meaning writing or record.
Xhosa, part of the wordplay to the clue of 11a, is pronounced as kohsǝ. It is an agglutinative tonal Nguni language categorise under Bantu linguistic classification and indigenous to Southern Africa and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. From the net, I gathered that Xhosa is spoken as a first language by approximately 8 million people and as a second language in South Africa, particularly in Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng and in parts of Zimbabwe and Lesotho. The people who speak this language are called the Xhosa-speaking people or, simply, the Xhosa people. These people are a Bantu ethnic group native to South Africa. The modern Xhosa people are actually the descendants of the ancestors of the Nguni people, a stock of Bantu.
So long, the answer to the clue of 26a is a colloquial phrase, possibly originating from Arabic salaam, meaning peace and used as a word of farewell, so says the BRB.
In the present era, an atlas, the answer to the clue of 13d, is a book of maps, but Atlas, in the pristine era, was the name of the Titan who for his role in the revolt of the Titans against the gods was forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders. From the net, I learnt that the word, originally denoting a person who supported a great burden, came to English via Latin from Greek in the late 16th century. It was no wonder that the picture of Atlas appeared at the front of early atlases!
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
7a Officer still tailing criminal (9)
CONSTABLE: The definition of a police officer is arrived at from STABLE (still) as an adjective meaning not moving following or preceded by (tailing) 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
8a Recovery in tennis sequence (5)
RALLY: Double nounal definition; the second being a series of to-and-fro strokes in deciding a point, as in tennis that takes to the first denoting a temporary or partial recovery from an illness etc
10a Mace sprayed around in flicks (6)
CINEMA: An anagram (sprayed around) of MACE placed about (around) IN from the clue takes to the definition of motion pictures collectively, an example of which is flicks that refers to the cinema
78
11a Extract read in Xhosa, then I analyse Greek (8)
ATHENIAN: Part of or hidden inside (extract read in) [XHOS]A, THEN I AN[ALYSE] brings the definition of a native or citizen of Athens that is in Greece and hence Greek
12a Travel with princess, lady exposed (6)
GODIVA: A charade of GO (travel) as to travel or move from one place to another and (with) DIVA (princess) as a great female singer, especially an operatic prima donna, an example of which is a princess i.e. a woman who is pre-eminent in her field or class leads to the definition of an Anglo-Saxon woman, better known as Lady Godiva, who was an earl’s wife and who supposedly rode naked through her town of Coventry to save the people from an oppressive tax
14a Energy in short used, rest (6)
OTHERS: E (energy) as the abbreviation for energy placed inside (in) an anagram (used) of SHORT guides to the definition of a pronoun indicating the remaining ones or the rest
16a Affectionate type (4)
KIND: Double definition; the first being an adjective meaning affectionate or having or showing a friendly, generous and considerate nature and the second a noun denoting a type of thing or person
17a Idiotic – like a window ledge? (5)
SILLY: The definition of an adjective meaning idiotic, foolish or stupid is obtained from SILL-Y, an adjective formed cryptically from as (like) a SILL (window ledge) as a window ledge or a flat, horizontal piece, usually of wood, forming the base of the frame of a window, i.e. as a SILL, or precisely SILLY
18a Equitable, at a push (4)
JUST: Double definition; the first being an adjective meaning equitable or fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience and the second an adverbial phrase meaning with difficulty or at a push
19a Powder and rock on the beach? (6)
ASHORE: A charade of ASH (powder) as the soft grey or black powder that is left after a substance, especially tobacco, coal or wood, has burned and ORE (rock) as a rock that contains minerals like iron, gold or lead guides to the definition of an adverb meaning on the beach or on the shore
21a Second drink, well hot! (6)
STEAMY: A charade of S (second) as the abbreviation for second, TEA (drink) as a drink made with boiling water and the dried leaves of the tea bush and MY (well) as an interjection used for expressing surprise leads to the definition of an adjective denoting hot and humid
24a Bar pulled back round say, flatter (6,2)
BUTTER UP: PUB (bar) as a bar or tavern bringing from the other end (pulled back) as a reversal in the across clue placed about (round) UTTER (say) as a verb meaning to state, say or tell leads to the definition of a verb meaning to praise or flatter excessively
26a Vale very extensive (2,4)
SO LONG: The definition of a phrase used as an interjection used to express good-bye or farewell, an example of which is vale, another interjection meaning farewell addressed to a person or a group of persons is reached from a charade of SO (very) as an adverb meaning to such a great extent and LONG (extensive) as extensive or measure a great distance from end to end, that can also be taken as a second definition meaning very extensive or too great in measurement
27a Bowl, when inside container (5)
BASIN: The definition of a bowl for washing, typically attached to a wall and having taps connected to a water supply is arrived at from AS (when) as an adverb expressing while or when placed inside (inside) BIN (container) as a container for rubbish or for storing and displaying goods
28a Country importing fish labouring here and there? (9)
FREELANCE: FRANCE (country) as a country located primarily in Western Europe and having Paris as its capital bringing in (importing) EEL (fish) as a snake-like fish with a slender elongated body and poorly developed fins brings the definition of an adjective meaning working independently on usually short-term assignments from different locations
Down
1d Note, that has a restorative effect (5)
TONIC: Double definition; the second referring to a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigour or well-being that takes to the first denoting the first note in a scale which, in conventional harmony, provides the keynote of a piece of music
2d Rocky road, site for huge rock! (8)
ASTEROID: An anagram (rocky) of ROAD, SITE guides to the definition of any of numerous celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun, the largest being as large as 280 km in diameter
3d Middle Eastern country holds Territorial Army up (6)
QATARI: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Qatar is fetched from IRAQ (country) as a country in Western Asia keeping inside (holds) TA (Territorial Army) as the abbreviation for Territorial Army, both seen going upwards, as reversals in the down clue
4d Jumper a pixie pulled up (4)
FLEA: The definition of a small wingless jumping insect which feeds on the blood of mammals and birds is reached from a combo of A from the clue and ELF (pixie) as a small, often mischievous fairy, an example of which is pixie or a small fairy taken upwards (pulled up) as reversals in the down clue
5d Meal passed round a boat (6)
LAUNCH: LUNCH (meal) as a meal eaten at midday place about (passed round) A from the clue takes to the definition of a large, open motorboat
6d Millstone roughing up brass a lot (9)
ALBATROSS: The definition of a metaphorical term for a psychological burden, most often associated with guilt or shame, that feels like a curse, an example of which is a millstone that is a figurative term for a very heavy burden is got from an anagram (roughing up) of BRASS A LOT
9d Lid on putrid garbage – yuk! (6)
PHOOEY: The cover or topmost letter in the down clue (lid) as noticed in (on) P[UTRID] followed by HOOEY (garbage) as a slang term for nonsense or garbage takes to the definition of an exclamation of contempt, scorn, disbelief etc, an example of which is yuk or yuck that is an expression of extreme distaste or disgust
13d A sailor flipped over geographical reference (5)
ATLAS: A from the clue followed by SALT (sailor) as an informal term for a sailor, especially an experienced one turned upside down (flipped over) as a reversal in the down clue, guiding to the definition of a book of maps, plates or the like and a geographical dictionary
15d Signal, high-pitched sound, insignificant type (9)
PIPSQUEAK: A charade of PIP (signal) as a short, high-pitched radio signal and SQUEAK (high-pitched sound) as a short, high-pitched sound or cry, such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge takes to the definition of a person or thing that is insignificant or contemptible
17d Vulgar shaman’s head whacked (6)
SWEARY: The definition of an adjective meaning containing or using offensive or obscene language is reached from the first or topmost letter in the down clue (head) of S[HAMAN] (shaman’s) followed by WEARY (whacked) as exhausted, whacked or very tired
18d Skip something heavy for a starter? (4,4)
JUMP LEAD: A charade of JUMP (skip) as to leave hastily, pass over or skip and LEAD (something heavy) as used figuratively as a symbol of something heavy produces the definition of one of the two cables that are used to start a car when it has no power in its battery
20d Earn a bit on tours (6)
OBTAIN: The definition of a verb meaning to achieve, acquire, gainor earn is arrived at from A BIT ON that is subject to an anagram (tours)
22d Apple cut by son for religious festival (6)
EASTER: EATER (apple) as an informal term for an eating apple interrupted by getting inside (cut) by S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son guides to the definition of the most important festival of the Christian Church, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ
23d Fine after offence initially suspended (2,3)
ON ICE: NICE (fine) as subtle, delicate or fine placed after the initial or first letter (initially) of O[FFENCE] yields the definition of a phrase meaning suspended or held in reserve for future consideration, especially of a plan or proposal
25d Drink left on ship (4)
PORT: Double nounal definition; the second referring to the larboard or left side of a ship that takes to the first denoting a strong, sweet, dark red, occasionally brown or white, fortified wine, originally from Portugal, typically drunk as a dessert wine
The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 7a, 12a, 17a, 19a, 26a, 28a, 3d, 9d, 13d, 15d and 18d; 19a being the topper. 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 pleasant day.
4*/3* ….
liked 26A “Vale very extensive (2,4)”