Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3309
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 23rd March 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice and gentle 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.
After solving the puzzle, I became inquisitive to know more about Delibes, part of the wordplay to the clue of 14d and hence proceeded to explore the net. I learnt that the full name of this Romantic scorer from France was Clément Philibert Léo Delibes. He was celebrated for his ballets and operas and was the first to write music of high quality for the ballet. His pioneering symphonic work for the ballet opened up a field for serious composers. As a young boy he sang in choirs. Later he became a church organist and an accompanist at the Théâtre-Lyrique. Soon Delibes started to composer operettas. He wrote 14 operettas in 14 years. He was commissioned to write some music to celebrate the emperor’s return from Algiers. The piece he wrote was called ‘Alger’. It was a huge success. The emperor gave him a gold medal, personally fastening a pin with diamonds to his lapel. In 1864, he became chorus master at the Opéra where he coached the chorus to sing many famous operas. Two years later he started to write ballets. These became very successful and three years later he stopped writing operettas. His works include the ballets ‘Coppélia’ (1870), ‘Sylvia’ (1876) and the opera ‘Lakmé’ (1883), which includes the well-known ‘Flower Duet’.
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Across
1a Book cases I select, wobbly (12)
ECCLESIASTES: The definition of one of the books of the Old Testament, traditionally supposed to have been written by Solomon is reached from an anagram (wobbly) of CASES I SELECT
9a Arrangement of numbers, 1970s style? (4)
PERM: Double colloquial nounal definition; the second being a short form for ‘permanent wave’, a popular hairstyle in the 1970s, particularly for those seeking voluminous, curly hair that takes to the first a short form of permutation that is an ordered arrangement of the numbers, terms etc of a set into specified groups
10a Emerging, a country beyond limits of elitism (9)
EMANATION: The definition of emerging or a flowing out from a source is obtained from a combo of A from the clue and NATION (country) as a country together with its social and political structures preceded by or coming after (beyond) the outermost letters (limits) of E[LITIS]M
12a Forming a queue – and arguing? (2,1,3)
IN A ROW: Double phrasal definition; the second meaning having a dispute, quarrel or argument that leads to the first denoting in unbroken sequence or standing or positioning one after another in a line or queue
13a Hot part of Europe invaded by Northern Ireland (8)
HIBERNIA: H (hot) as the abbreviation for hot, especially with reference to water on a faucet followed by IBERIA (part of Europe) as the second-largest European peninsula by area having inside (entered by) N (Northern) as the abbreviation for Northern yields the definition of the ancient and poetic name for Ireland
15a The girl claims religious education is of little value (10)
THREE PENNY: A combo of THE from the clue and PENNY (girl) as the name of a girl or as a diminutive or nickname for names like Penelope holds inside (claims) RE (religious education) as the abbreviation for religious education takes to the definition of an adjective meaning of little worth or value
16a Network, good and free (4)
GRID: The definition of a network of power transmission lines or of lines for finding places on a map or for some other purpose is fetched from a charade of G (good) as the abbreviation for good and RID (free) as to make someone or something free of an unwanted person or thing
18a One on board that can fly (4)
ROOK: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a large Eurasian passerine bird, Corvus frugilegus, with a black plumage and a whitish base to its bill that guides to the first denoting a chess piece that may move in a straight line over any number of empty squares in a rank or file on a chess board
20a Minorca is out to capture eastern island group (10)
MICRONESIA: An anagram (out) of MINORCA IS to take inside (capture) E (eastern) as the abbreviation for Eastern as EET in Eastern European Time guides to the definition of a sub region of Oceania, consisting of about two thousand small islands in the western Pacific Ocean
23a Rabbit finally caught by a smarter animal (8)
ANTEATER: The final or terminal letter (finally) of [RABBI]T taken inside (caught) by a combo of A from from the clue and NEATER (smarter) as an adjective in the comparative degree denoting tidier, smarter or better organised yields the definition of an animal that feeds on ants and termites and has a long snout and sticky tongue
24a Goblin seen in image, very fearful (6)
PHOBIC: HOB (goblin) as a goblin, sprite or elf noticed inside (seen in) PIC (image) as a colloquial term for a picture leads to the definition of an adjective meaning very fearful or suffering from irrational fears
26a We are still waiting for member? Lay down the law! (9)
LEGISLATE: LEG IS LATE (we are still waiting for the member) as suggesting that every people at the dining table are still waiting for the arrival of a piece of, say, chicken leg that is a member or part of the body that cryptically takes to the definition of a verb meaning to draft and enact or lay down a law
27a A girl hasn’t finished, I’m afraid to say (4)
ALAS: A from the clue followed by LAS[S] (girl) as a girl or young woman devoid of the last letter (hasn’t finished) guides to the definition of an interjection expressing grief or misfortune, an example of which in a gentler way of introducing bad news or disappointing information such as ‘I’m afraid to say’
28a Erudite type, one with a postbag? (3,2,7)
MAN OF LETTERS: The definition of a male scholar or author or any erudite person is cryptically arrived at from, say, a postman or a man carrying a postbag (one with a postbag) that contains letters
Down
2d Penned notes collected (8)
COMPOSED: Double definition of verb in past tense; the second meaning collected or having one’s feelings and expression under control that takes to the first denoting penned or authored notes, poetry etc in writing
3d Vegetable in part of ship served up (4)
LEEK: The definition of a long, white vegetable with green leaves on top that tastes and smells like an onion is fetched from KEEL (part of ship) as the part of a ship extending along the bottom from stem to stern and supporting the whole frame taken upwards (served up) as a reversal in the down clue
4d Paper etc still talked about? (10)
STATIONERY: The definition of the goods like paper and writing materials sold by a stationer is reached from a homophone heard by the audience (talked about) of STATIONARY (still) as an adjective denoting still, fixed or not moving
5d Surprised a puzzle completed, finally (6)
AMAZED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning surprised, astounded or astonished is reached from A from the clue followed by MAZE (puzzle) as a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way and the final or terminal letter (finally) of [COMPLETE]D
6d What do you get from dieting? That’s no solution! (7)
THINNER: Double definition; the second denoting a substance that is used to dilute paint and hence is not a solution i.e. a liquid mixture that guides to the first referring to the result or outcome of dieting, which is usually weight loss
7d Two possible elements in stage production scene (4,3,5)
SONG AND DANCE: Double definition; the second being an informal noun denoting a fuss or commotion that is a display of unnecessary or excessive excitement or activity, an example of which is scene meaning a public display of emotion or anger that takes to the first referring to the two possible important elements in stage production, especially in genres like musicals, operas and dance performances
8d Patch on hand (6)
REPAIR: The definition of a noun meaning patch, restore or make good is arrived at from a charade of RE (on) as the preposition derived from Latin rē meaning in the matter, on or concerning and PAIR (hand) as a poker hand with two cards of the same value
11d Name of sponge served with choice fruit (8,4)
VICTORIA PLUM: A charade of VICTORIA (name of sponge) as referring to Victoria sponge that is a classic British cake made from a light sponge cake, typically filled with jam – often raspberry or strawberry – and whipped cream or buttercream and (served with) PLUM (choice) as something chosen or sought after because of its value or attractiveness takes to the definition of an oval fleshy fruit which is purple, reddish or yellow when ripe and contains a flattish pointed stone
14d Think French scorer’s cut speed (10)
DELIBERATE: The definition of a verb meaning to think about or consider a question carefully arrived at from the last letter removal (cut) of DELIBE[S] (French scorer’s) as the French Romantic composer best known for his ballets and operas and RATE (speed) as the speed with which something moves or happens
17d Flying, coming up soon (2,3,3)
IN THE AIR: Double phrasal definition; the second denoting about to happen, close at hand, in the pipeline or coming up soon that takes to the first meaning physically high up, overhead, up in the sky or flying
19d Nothing about identification regarding shape (7)
OCTAGON: A charade of O (nothing) as the letter representing naught or nothing, C (about) as the abbreviation for the Latin word circa meaning ‘about’ or ‘around’, TAG (identification) as a label, marker, docket or identification and ON (regarding) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘referring to’, ‘regarding’, ‘on’ or ‘about’ guides to the definition of a flat shape with eight straight sides
21d Head for work accessing a busy, busy underpass (6)
SUBWAY: The head or topmost letter (head) for W[ORK] in the down clue getting inside (accessing) an anagram (busy) of A BUSY that produces the definition of an underpass or a short tunnel or underground passageway
22d Great deal provided in range (6)
MASSIF: A charade of MASS (great deal) as a good or great deal and IF (provided) as a conjunction denoting provided, assuming or in case produces the definition of a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits
25d Investigate river (4)
TEST: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a celebrated trout river in Hampshire in the south of England that rises at Ashe near Basingstoke and flows southwards for 40 miles to Southampton Water that leads to the first a verb meaning to investigate, analyse or assess
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 9a, 13a, 15a, 26a, 7d, 8d, 14d, 21d and 22d; 13a 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. Have a nice day.
4*/2* ….
liked 28A “Erudite type, one with a postbag? (3,2,7)”