ST 3295 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3295

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 15^th December 2024

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, straightforward puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and precious feedback.

I learnt from the net that the exact origin of the phrase ‘hopping mad’, the answer to the clue of 10a, is uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. In this context, the word ‘hopping’ suggests a state of agitation or liveliness and is used as a metaphor to describe the intense fury or rage that causes one to feel restless or as they were physically hopping. It can be used in various situations such as in heated arguments or debates, in personal squabbles or disputes or when people feel that their boundaries have been crossed.

Consummate, the answer to the clue of 23a, was known to me when I was fourteen years old and studying in Class IX.

Again, I wanted to know about the etymology of acrobat, the answer to the clue of 26a, and got to know from the net that the word had come from French acrobate denoting tightrope-walker and directly from a Latinised form of Greek akrobatēs meaning a rope dancer or a gymnastic performer that is related to akrobatos, that is going on tip-toe or climbing up high, from akros, that is topmost, at the point end.

I was neither aware of moon, the answer to the clue of 24d, as a verb, nor of flash, one of the two definitions.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

7a          Watch what someone says when first of ladies paired off (3-4)
LIP-READ: The definition of a verb meaning to understand speech from observing a speaker’s lip movements, especially by a deaf person is reached from the first or initial letter (first) of L[ADIES] followed by an anagram (off) of PAIRED

8a          Trotting along on the trot! (7)
RUNNING: Double definition; the first being a verb in the continuous form meaning moving or trotting along, faster than walking and the second an adjective denoting consecutive, in succession, one after the other or on the trot

10a        Furious – having lost the first leg? (7,3)
HOPPING MAD: The definition of an adjective meaning enraged, furious or extremely angry is cryptically arrived at from the agitated situation of being left to move forward physically through hopping only, having lost one of the legs

11a        Laugh overly hard, falling over (4)
HOOT: The definition of an informal term for joke, scream or laugh is obtained from a charade of TOO (overly) as an adverb meaning excessively or overly and H (hard) as the symbol for hard in lead pencils coming from the other side (falling over)

12a        Put one’s foot down and crush that thing! (4,2,2)
STEP ON IT: Double verbal definition; the first meaning to put one’s foot down on the pedal or accelerator in order to increase the speed of a vehicle and the second to use one’s authority to stop something from happening

14a        Tell part of the class? (6)
INFORM: The definition of a verb meaning to tell or give information to someone is reached from a charade of IN (part of) as a preposition indicating part of something or somebody and FORM (the class) as referring to a school class

15a        Spy a chap going after large drink (6,5)
DOUBLE AGENT: The definition of a person who pretends to act as a spy for one country or organisation while in fact acting on behalf of an enemy is attained from a combo of A from the clue and GENT (chap) as a noun referring to a boy, man or chap preceded by (going after) DOUBLE (large drink) as alcoholic drink containing twice the usual amount of alcohol

19a        Group of friends cleric mistreated (6)
CIRCLE: The definition of a group of people with a shared profession, interests or acquaintances is arrived at from CLERIC that is subject to an anagram (mistreated)

20a        Jam goes in like that after energy drink (8)
ESPRESSO: PRESS (jam) as to press or squeeze tight gets inside (goes in) SO (like that) as an adverb meaning like that or similar to that and preceded by or following (after) E (energy) as the symbol for energy as a quantitative property in physics takes to the definition of a type of strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans

22a        List in programme, numerical (4)
MENU: The definition of a list of dishes served at a meal or that can be ordered in a restaurant is part of or hiding inside (in) [PROGRAM]ME, NU[MERICAL]

23a        Carpet in use, complete (10)
CONSUMMATE: MAT (carpet) as a small piece of carpet put on the floor by the door for one to wipe off the feet before coming in placed inside (in) CONSUME (use) as to use, use up or expend leads to the definition of an adjective denoting complete or perfect in every respect

25a        Last in exam, I risk error (7)
MISTAKE: The final or terminal letter (last) in [EXA]M followed by I from the clue and STAKE (risk) as to gamble or risk leads to the definition of an error in action, opinion or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge etc

26a        Performer in coat and bra, bizarrely (7)
ACROBAT: The definition of a performer of gymnastic feats requiring agility, balance and coordination, as tumbling or walking on a tightrope is attained from an anagram (bizarrely) of a combo of COAT and BRA

Down

1d          Response I publish in red, abridged (7)
RIPOSTE: The definition of a clever comeback or witty response is fetched from a combo of I from the clue and POST (publish) as to publish a piece of writing, image or other item of content online, typically on a blog or on social media placed inside (in) RE[D] that has been shortened with the removal of the last letter (abridged)

2d          Mouth, bit towards the top (4)
TRAP: The definition of an informal term for a person’s mouth, used in expressions to do with speaking is arrived at from PART (bit) as bit or an amount less than the whole seen going upwards (towards the top) as a reversal in the down clue

3d          Weapon member of the clergy discussed? (6)
CANNON: The definition of a large, heavy piece of artillery, typically mounted on wheels, formerly used in warfare is reached from a homophone heard by the audience (discussed) of CANON (member of the clergy) as a member of a body of clergymen serving a cathedral or other church and living under a rule

4d          Athletic activity, decathlon’s first in sport (8)
HURDLING: The definition of an athletic activity, comprising the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint is obtained from the first or initial letter (first) of D[ECATHLON] (decathlon’s) placed inside (in) HURLING (sport) as an Irish game resembling hockey, played with a shorter stick with a broader oval blade

5d          Torn – between neighbouring gardens? (2,3,5)
ON THE FENCE: The definition of an expression meaning ‘not able to decide something’ is cryptically reached from being in a state of uncertainty (torn) e.g. about making a decision on the boundary between one’s own garden and that of the neighbour (between neighbouring gardens)

6d          Where chairperson may be in agreement (2,5)
ON BOARD: Double adverbial phrasal definition; the first meaning as part of a group or team, especially for a special purpose e.g. as part of a board of directors comprising a group of individual directors appointed by a company and collectively responsible for the management of that company headed by a chairperson and the second denoting in agreement with a particular course of action, especially so that one gets involved in it

9d          Ground in mess around that place – little bits (11)
SMITHEREENS: An anagram (ground) of IN MESS placed about (around) THERE (that place) as an adverb meaning that place or point guides to the definition of a plural noun for an informal term meaning fragments or splintered pieces or little shattered bits

13d        Meat in risotto with cup that’s drunk (10)
PROSCIUTTO: The definition of a type of Italian ham that has been cured by drying and served in very thin slices is procured from an anagram (that’s drunk) of a combo of RISOTTO and (with) CUP

16d        Patty, macho man (8)
BEEFCAKE: BEEF CAKE (patty) as a patty i.e. a small flat cake of minced or finely chopped beef takes to the definition of an attractive man with well-developed muscles as shown in pictures or in shows

17d        Country, e.g. Iran I gathered (7)
NIGERIA: An anagram (gathered) of E.G. IRAN I guides to the definition of the most populous country in the African continent

18d        Shallow receptacle where trash mixed up, always (7)
ASHTRAY: The definition of a shallow receptacle for tobacco ashes and cigarette and cigar butts is arrived at from an anagram (mixed up) of TRASH followed by AY (always) as an archaic adverb denoting ever or always

21d        Revolutionary once up for attack (6)
POUNCE: An anagram (revolutionary) of ONCE UP takes to the definition of a verb meaning to attack or criticise suddenly

24d        Flash lit up satellite (4)
MOON: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to the earth‘s natural satellite, illuminated to varying degrees by the sun depending on its position or a natural satellite of any planet that leads to the first an American slang verb meaning to present one’s bare buttocks to public view, especially through a vehicle window, an example of which is to flash, another slang term meaning to expose oneself indecently in public

Some of the clues that I liked in this puzzle were 7a, 10a, 15a, 20a, 23a, 4d and 9d; 10a 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. We’ll all be celebrating Christmas on the day of publication of this review. So, I wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025 to all.