DT 30857 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30857

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd February 2025

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

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

Ganymede, the answer to the clue of 30a, was known to me in my childhood, along with the other three satellites viz. Callisto, Io and Europa forming the four largest satellites of Jupiter among the 95 satellites of the planet that have been officially recognised by the International Astronomical Union. Respectively, they are the first, third, fourth and sixth largest satellites in the solar system. Ganymede is even larger than planet Mercury. These four largest satellites of Jupiter were actually the first satellites discovered beyond Earth. They are called the Galilean satellites after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who is credited with their discovery in 1610. I learnt from the net that these satellites were named after Greek mythological characters associated with Jupiter. All of them were lovers of Zeus of Greek mythology who is none other than Jupiter of Roman mythology. Each of the mythological characters was abducted in different forms to become his lovers. Ganymede was a handsome young boy, often depicted as a cupbearer to the gods on Mount Olympus after Zeus abducted him in the form of an eagle. Callisto was a nymph who was turned into a bear by Zeus, later giving birth to her son Arcas, who became the constellation of Boötes. Io was a priestess of Hera or the wife of Zeus and she was transformed into a cow by Zeus to hide their affair from Hera. Lastly, Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull, leading to the naming of the continent Europe.

I learnt from the BRB something more about ‘three sheets to the wind’, one of the double definitions to the clue of 1d. While it tells that ‘three sheets in the wind’ or ‘three sheets to the wind’ means the adjective ‘drunk’, ‘a sheet in the wind’ or ‘a sheet to the wind’ denotes ‘half-drunk’.

Kiss me Hardy, the answer to the clue of 22d-26d, was the famous last words of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson to his longstanding close friend and colleague, Captain Hardy with whom he spent time in the hours between his fatal shooting and eventual death. I learnt from the net that Hardy responded by kissing Nelson on his hands and forehead.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a          Device used at sea in western islands failed (8)
WINDLASS: The definition of a winch or a lifting device that consists of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds, especially one on a ship at sea or in a harbour is obtained from W (western) as the abbreviation for western followed by an anagram (failed) of ISLANDS

5a, 11 Down and 13 Across         Something memorable said in passing? (6,4,5)
FAMOUS LAST WORDS: A cryptic definition of something memorable or a notable final something that someone has said in passing i.e. before death, especially one made by a celebrity or historical person

9a          Mostly reliable sailor with yen to be separate (8)
SOLITARY: Most of the letters (mostly) of SOLI[D] (reliable) as an adjective meaning dependable or reliable, followed by TAR (sailor) as an informal term for a sailor and (with) Y (yen) as the abbreviation for yen, the Japanese currency guides to the definition of an adjective meaning separate or alone in a given category

10a        Villein returned company artwork (6)
FRESCO: SERF (villein) as historically referring to an agricultural labourer bound by the feudal system who was tied to working on their lord’s estate, as example of which is a villain who is a serf, free in relation to all but his lord and not absolutely a slave seen returning or coming from the other end (returned) as a reversal in the across clue followed by CO (company) as the abbreviation for company leads to the definition of artwork, particularly referring to a painting done rapidly in watercolour on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colours penetrate the plaster and become fixed as its dries

12a        Heather pens two notes for obscure topics (9)
ESOTERICA: ERICA (heather) as a plant of the genus Erica, especially heather confines or keeps in (pens) a combo of SO and TE (two notes) as two of the seven notes in the tonic sol-fa system that is represented by the syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Si/Ti/Te, taking to the definition of a plural noun meaning obscure knowledge or topics that are only understood or intended to be understood by a small number of people, especially those within a certain group.

13a        See 5 Across

14a and 19 Across          2’s remarks after turning a blind eye? (1,3,2,5)
I SEE NO SHIPS: A cryptic definition of remarks made by Nelson after deliberately raising his telescope to his right blind eye so that he could truthfully say ‘I see no ships’, referring to the enemy ships, and disobey the order given to him to disengage from a battle

16a        University plugging dissertations in old Greek (7)
THESEUS: U (university) as the abbreviation for university filling in (plugging) THESES (dissertations) as the plural form of a long essay or dissertation involving personal research, written by a candidate for a university degree produces the definition of the divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur

19a        See 14 Across

21a        Ebb and flow – this does regularly (4)
TIDE: The definition of the regular rise and fall in the level of the sea or the ebb and flow that is used to describe something that changes in a regular and repeated way is reached from the regular or oddly-placed letters (regularly) of ThIs DoEs

24a        Asian people in couples did you say? (5)
THAIS: The definition of the plural of a native or inhabitant of Thailand that is in Asia is obtained from a homophone heard by the audience (did you say) of TIES (couples) as a verb in the present tense third person singular form meaning couples, attaches or fastens with strings or similar cords

25a        Judy’s husband calling for joke’s end (9)
PUNCHLINE: A charade of PUNCH (Judy’s husband) as the husband of Judy in a traditional puppet show called ‘Punch and Judy’ that was first staged in England in 1662 and LINE (calling) as a calling or a profession or occupation leads to the definition of the final phrase or sentence of a joke or story, providing the humour or some other crucial element

27a        Reflective view supported by inventor (6)
EDISON: SIDE (view) as view or opinion coming from the other end (reflective) as a reversal in the across clue followed by ON (supported by) as a preposition meaning supported by a surface guides to the definition of the American inventor and one of the most creative inventors of all time who invented, inter alia, the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera

28a        Coffee reps ruined Standard Oil? (8)
ESPRESSO: The definition of a type of strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans is deduced from an anagram (ruined) of REPS followed by ESSO (Standard Oil) as the brand name of the formerly Standard Oil of New Jersey, supported by the phonetic pronunciation of the initials S and O in Standard Oil, that is now called Exxon Mobil Corporation

29a        Barbarian ruler turning tail at first (6)
ATTILA: The definition of one of the greatest of the barbarian rulers who was the king of the Huns from 434 to 453 and who ruled jointly with his elder brother until 445 is arrived at from an anagram (turning) of TAIL preceded by or coming after (first) of AT

30a        Satellite states across the pond (8)
GANYMEDE: The definition of one of the satellites or moons of Jupiter is deduced from GA, NY, ME and DE as the abbreviations for Georgia, New York, Maine and Delaware respectively being the names of four different states from across the pond as referring to the United States of America

Down

1d          Blown as three sheets to the wind? (6)
WASTED: Double definition; the second as a slang meaning extremely drunk, especially to the point of being uncoordinated or out of control, an example of which is ‘wasted’, an American slang term denoting extremely drunk or high on drugs that takes to the first meaning squandered, blown or spent thoughtlessly

2d          Section of tunnel’s only for officer and Westminster columnist (6)
NELSON: Part of or hidden inside (section of) [TUN]NEL’S ON[LY] guides to the definition of the name of the British Admiral whose towering monument entitled Nelson’s Column is in Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery in Central London and his wax effigy standing in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey in London

3d          Spinner in control at Headingley? (5)
LATHE: The definition of a machine that is, inter alia, used for metal spinning is found as part of or hidden inside (in) [CONTRO]L AT HE[ADINGLEY]

4d          Queen Vic, in south-east, offers employment (7)
SERVICE: A combo of ER (Queen) as the abbreviation for Elizabeth Regina, the name taken on by Queen Elizabeth upon ascending the throne, the word ‘regina’ being the Latin name for ‘queen’ and VIC from the clue placed inside (in) SE (south-east) as the abbreviation for south-east takes to the definition of a noun meaning employment as a servant

6d          Point of quarrel? (9)
ARROWHEAD: The definition of the head or pointed part of a quarrel or a square-headed arrow as for a crossbow is cryptically reached from point of quarrel or a reason for an argument

7d          Cricket side with test shown in film? (2-6)
ON-SCREEN: A charade of ON (cricket side) as referring to the on side or on the side on which the batsman stands normally the bowler’s right and (with) SCREEN (test) as to test or check a person, typically to ascertain whether they are suitable for or can be trusted in a particular situation or job takes to the definition of an adjective denoting shown or appearing in a film or television programme

8d          Director succeeded in twenties, extolled to begin with (8)
SCORSESE: The definition of the American film director known for his psychologically complex films that emphasise character over plot is arrived at from S (succeeded) as the abbreviation for succeeded placed inside SCORES (twenties) as the plural form for a group or set of twenty and followed by the beginning or initial letter (to begin with) of E[XTOLLED]

11d        See 5 Across

15d        Tube often jam-packed? (5,4)
SWISS ROLL: A cryptic definition of a sponge cake having the shape of a tube or cylinder and packed or spread with a filling such as jam or cream and rolled up

17d        Curse three different articles by mum (8)
ANATHEMA: The definition of a formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine is arrived at from a combination of AN, A, THE (three different articles) as denoting the three articles of the English language appearing seriatim – AN and A being the two indefinite articles and THE being the solitary definite article – and placed before (by) MA (mum) as denoting mother as serving as a childish contraction for mamma

18d        Traitor’s unusually stoic air (8)
ISCARIOT: The definition of surname of one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and whose full name was Judas Iscariot and who is remembered for his betrayal of Jesus Christ or who is regarded as a traitor i.e. a person who betrays someone or something, such as a friend, cause or principle is reached from an anagram (unusually) of STOIC AIR

20d        Takes evening courses? (4)
SUPS: The definition of an archaic intransitive verb in the present tense third person singular form denoting eats or takes the evening meal or course is cryptically arrived at from ‘takes evening courses’ i.e. ‘takes educational courses such as evening classes’

21d        Libyan neighbour in a suit looking strange (7)
TUNISIA: An anagram (looking strange) of IN A SUIT takes to the definition of a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa that has Libya as its neighbour in the southeast

22d and 26 Down           2’s 5 11 13 in misheard Sky broadcast (4,2,5)
KISS ME HARDY: An anagram (broadcast) of MISHEARD SKY gives the definition of the famous last words of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson to his longstanding close friend and colleague, Captain Hardy with whom he spent time in the hours between his fatal shooting and eventual death

23d        Channel changer hard to locate? (6)
REMOTE: Double definition; the first being a noun referring to a device that allows to change channels on a television by sending signals to the TV to select different channels and the second an adjective meaning hard to find or locate

26d        See 22 Down

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 5a-11d-13a, 10a, 12a, 25a, 30a, 2d, 3d, 4d, 6d, 15d and 22d-26d; 30a being the best of the lot. 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 seeing you here again. Have a nice day.