ST 3297 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3297

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 29^th December 2024

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, friendly 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.

Thatcher, the answer to the clue of 20a, was the name of the late British Prime Minister whose full name was Margaret Hilda Thatcher and whom I knew since the days of the Falklands War. I used to take a lot of interest reading news on the war in the various British newspapers in The British Library where I was a member for around 25 years. I remember even coming across a news stating that King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia was fascinated by her beauty and ordered his court poet to compose a poem on her. I remember the poem that ran thus: “Venus was sculptured by man, But the far more attractive woman, Margaret Thatcher, Was sculptured by Allah, …”, followed by a lot of unexpected praises. I also distinctly remember the last two lines of that poem. While King Fahd may have imagined her to be the most beautiful creation of Allah, the Soviet Defence Ministry newspaper Red Star dubbed her as ‘the Iron Lady’ for her anti-communist stance. But Margaret Thatcher is better known for what she was in reality and what she achieved during her lifetime. She was, in fact, the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom after she became the leader of the opposition in 1975. Not only was she the longest-serving British Prime Minister; her tenure being for 11 years and 208 days between 1979 and 1990, she was also the first woman to hold that position. She introduced several economic policies that aimed at reversing the high inflation and Britain’s struggle in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an oncoming recession. She laid much emphasis on greater liberty of the people, the privatisation of state-owned companies and diminishing the influence and power of the trade unions. Athough her popularity in her initial years in office waned amid recession and rising unemployment, victory in the 1982 Falklands War and the recovering economy resulted in her landslide re-election in 1983. In 1986, she oversaw the deregulation of the financial markets, leading to an economic boom that came to be known as Big Bang. She was re-elected for a third term with another landslide in 1987, but her support for a poll tax made her widely unpopular and she had to resign as Prime Minister and party leader in 1990. After retiring from the Commons in 1992, she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire that provided her a seat in the House of Lords.

Tut, as forming part of the answer from part of the wordplay in 4d, was the name of Tutankhamun, who was named after a major Egyptian deity called Amun meaning ‘king of the gods’. I learnt further from the net that the name Tutankhamun was actually the combination of three words viz. tut, ankh and amun, which together means ‘living image of Amun’.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a          Lovely skill of fielder on view (3-8)
EYE-CATCHING: The definition of an adjective meaning very attractive or lovely is reached from CATCHING (skill of fielder) as of a fielder, stopping and holding the moving ball hit by a batsman and not letting it touch the ground preceded by or placed after (on) EYE (view) as to view or look at something

9a          Ace in space? (3,2,4,5)
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Double phrasal definition; the second denoting not in this world i.e. not referring to our planet earth, but in area beyond the earth’s atmosphere, where the stars and other planets are that takes to the first informally meaning extremely impressive or good beyond all experience, an example of which is ace, another adjective meaning outstanding, top-notch or first-class

11a        Really, really average! (2-2)
SO-SO: SO (really) as an adverb meaning very, extremely or really, followed by another SO that is a repetition, taking to the definition of an adjective denoting mediocre or average, i.e. neither very good nor very bad

12a        Ram I fed to god (5)
ARIES: The definition of the Latin word for ram and the first sign of the zodiac, represented by a ram; its glyph is said to manifest a ram’s horns is arrived from at I from the clue given as food to or taken inside (fed to) ARES (god) as the god of war and courage in Greek mythology

13a        Cost warranted, to some extent (4)
ANTE: The definition of a noun denoting cost or price is part of or hiding inside (to some extent) [WARR]ANTE[D]

16a        Go in lair, trembling first (8)
ORIGINAL: An anagram (trembling) of GO IN LAIR takes to the definition of an adjective meaning first or earliest

17a        Capital observed while touring at that time (6)
ATHENS: The definition of the capital and largest city of Greece is deduced from AS (while) as an adverb expressing while or when going around (touring) THEN (at that time) as an adverb denoting at that time or moment, on that occasion or at that point in time

19a        Tongue in booze, by the sound of it? (6)
LICKER: The definition of someone or something that licks, e.g. a tongue that is the muscular organ in a mouth that is used for tasting or licking is obtained from a homophone heard by the audience (by the sound of it) of LIQUOR (booze) as any alcoholic drink, especially spirits or such drinks collectively, an example of which is booze i.e. intoxicating liquor

20a        PM, one formulating plan on time (8)
THATCHER: The definition of the British statesman and Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 is fetched from HATCHER (one formulating plan) as a contriver or plotter or someone who formulates plan preceded by or placed after (on) T (time) as the symbol for time in physics

22a        Sci-fi captain, one carried by three kings (4)
KIRK: The definition of the last name of the fictional character James Tiberius Kirk, commonly known as Captain Kirk, in Star Trek that is an American science fiction television series that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew is obtained from I (one) as the Roman numeral for one held or taken inside (carried) by KRK (three kings) as the combined abbreviations for three kings; KK representing two kings and each of the two Ks being an abbreviation for king in chess notation and in between R being the abbreviation for rex, the Latin word for king

23a        Pasty, sensation scoffed by you and I (5)
WHITE: The definition of an adjective denoting belonging to one of the pale-skinned, specifically European races, an example of which is pasty that is another adjective denoting pale and unhealthy looking, especially of a complexion is figured out from HIT (sensation) as a noun referring to a successful and popular person or thing, an example of which is a sensation denoting a person, object or event that arouses widespread interest or excitement taken inside (scoffed) by WE (you and I) as the pronoun used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people to whom spoken considered together

24a        Broadcast a retro song (4)
ARIA: A combination of AIR (broadcast) as to broadcast on television or radio followed by A from the clue coming from the opposite direction (retro) as a reversal in the across clue, retro being a prefix meaning back or backward takes to the definition of an elaborate accompanied song for solo voice from a cantata, opera or oratorio

27a        Caption or lines misspelt – as The Guardian? (2,4,8)
IN LOCO PARENTIS: An anagram (misspelt) of CAPTION OR LINES guides to the definition of a Latin adverbial phrase denoting in place of a parent, especially with reference to a teacher or other adult responsible for children

28a        Coppers in minute put on new uniform? (5,6)
SMALL CHANGE: The definition of brown coins of low value made originally of copper or bronze is the result of a charade of SMALL (minute) as an adjective meaning minute, tiny, miniature or miniscule and CHANGE (put on new uniform) as to change one’s clothes by removing the clothes already worn for some time and putting on a fresh set of washed and ironed clothes

Down

2d          Formal sign-off terribly serious with NYC bank (5,9)
YOURS SINCERELY: The definition of a phrase used at the end of a formal letter before one signs their name, when they have addressed somebody by their name is reached from an anagram (terribly) of a combo of SERIOUS and (with) NYC followed by RELY (bank) as a verb meaning to depend on with full trust or confidence, an example of which is to bank on something happening, i.e. to expect it happening or rely on it happening

3d          Animal snaring river bird (4)
CROW: COW (animal) as the mature female of a bovine animal trapping or taking inside (snaring) R (river) as the abbreviation for River, used especially for maps in an atlas or a geography book leads to the definition of any of several large glossy black birds of the genus Corvus, having a characteristic raucous call, especially C. brachyrhynchos of North America

4d          Old king I entered in test, educational session (8)
TUTORIAL: TUT (old king) as the nickname of Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen, the Egyptian pharaoh or king who ruled about 1332 to 1323 BC during the last eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt followed by I from the clue placed inside (in) ORAL (test) as a spoken examination or test guides to the definition of a teaching or educational session given to one student or a small group of students

5d          Gas fire fixed for farm animal (6)
HEIFER: HE (gas) as the chemical symbol for Helium that is an inert gas and the lightest member of the noble gas series followed by an anagram (fixed) of FIRE takes to the definition of a young cow that has not yet given birth to a calf

6d          Nothing present, nought ultimately (4)
NOWT: The definition of a colloquial term for nothing is arrived at from NOW (present) as at present or at this moment and the ultimate or last letter (ultimately) of [NOUGH]T

7d          Nicer PC, when aggravated, attacking lover (6,8)
PRINCE CHARMING: An anagram (when aggravated) of NICER PC followed by HARMING (attacking) as injuring physically, similar to attacking i.e. engaging in physical violence against something with the intent to cause physical harm takes to the definition of a lover who embodies a woman’s romantic ideal or who fulfils the dreams of his beloved

8d          Aggressive driver, alas a criminal (11)
ADVERSARIAL: The definition of an adjective meaning antagonistic or hostile, especially on party lines in politics, an example of which is aggressive i.e. antagonistic or hostile is the result of an anagram (criminal) of DRIVER, ALAS A

10d        Play your way? (2,3,4,2)
AS YOU LIKE IT: Double phrasal definition; the first being a play in the form of a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare and the second is just another way of saying ‘your way’, ‘whatever you want’ or ‘take it as you will’.

14d        Note minister gets if sent up (5)
FIVER: The definition of a colloquial term for a five-pound note is reached form a combo of REV (minister) as an abbreviation for Reverend as a title prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy that represents the ministers of the Christian or other religion collectively and (gets) IF from the clue taken upwards (sent up) as reversals in the down clue

15d        Nation, awful mess (5)
STATE: Double nounal definition; the first denoting a nation or territory considered as an organised political community under one government and the second an informal term for a dirty or untidy condition

18d        Their rock almost breaking in wind (8)
RHETORIC: Most of the letters (almost) of THEIR ROC[K] subject to an anagram (breaking) guides to the definition of a language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere, as in wind

21d        Place of worship bloke felt extremely lacking? (6)
CHAPEL: The definition of a place of Christian worship inferior or subordinate to a regular church is arrived at from CHAP (bloke) as a man or boy, an example of which is a bloke that is a colloquial term for a man or chap followed by [F]EL[T] from the clue without its extreme or outermost letters (extremely lacking)

25d        Each beginning on solo, clarinet and maybe fiddle (4)
SCAM: The initial or starting letter (beginning) of each on SOLO, CLARINET AND MAYBE guides to the definition of an especially American slang for a swindle, an example of which is a fiddle that is also a slang term for a swindle, especially petty

26d        Old Peruvian driving endlessly? (4)
INCA: The definition of a member of a South American Indian people of Peru before the Spanish conquest in the 16^th century, who had a complex civilisation and empire is deduced from IN CA[R] (driving) as denoting a situation that may be taken as driving or travelling as a passenger or companion that is without its ending or last letter (endlessly)

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 9a, 12a, 22a, 23a, 27a, 4d, 10d and 18d; 10d 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.