DT 30893 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30893

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 5^th April 2025

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

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

I was aware of what a coat of arms, the answer to the very first across clue, is. But this time, after solving the puzzle, I became inquisitive to more about it and so I took to the newspaper. A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon, thus is shield, surcoat or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its whole comprises a shield, supporters, a crest and a motto. It is traditionally unique to the armiger. I further learnt that rolls of arms are collections of many coats of arms and since the early modern age, they have been a source of information for public showing and tracing the membership of a noble family and therefore it is genealogy across time.

Dead Sea, the answer to the clue of 17a, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. It is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean. It has a density of 1.24 kg/litre that makes swimming akin to floating. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish; hence its name. The Dead Sea’s main, northern basin is 31 miles long and 9 miles wide at its widest point.

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Across

1a          Refashioned “A” from Ascot in official device (4,2,4)
COAT OF ARMS: An anagram (refashioned) of “A” FROM ASCOT guides to the definition of the official symbols of a family, state etc

6a          Unlikely way to downsize corporation? (4)
SLIM: Double definition; the second referring to a verb meaning to try to get thinner especially by dieting that also serves as a way to downsize or reduce corporation that is an informal humorous term for a paunch or stomach that takes to the first an adjective denoting unlikely or only slight

10a        Irishman protecting daughter covered chair (5)
SEDAN: SEAN (Irishman) as a male given name of Irish origin keeping inside or shielding (protecting)  D (daughter) as the genealogical abbreviation for daughter leads to the definition of a covered chair for one person, carried on two poles

11a and 13 Across          Old PM clear: army trains here (9,5)
SALISBURY PLAIN: A charade of SALISBURY (Old PM) as referring to Lord Salisbury, who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen years and PLAIN (clear) as open, clear or free from obstructions takes to the definition of a large expanse of land in Wiltshire, England that serves as the largest military training area in the United Kingdom

12a        Sea current advanced in Orwellian superstate (7)
OCEANIA: A charade of OCEAN (sea) as a very large stretch of sea, I (current) as the conventional symbol for current in physics and A (advanced) as the abbreviation for advanced leads to the definition of one of the three superstates that dominate the world in George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’

13a        See 11 Across

15a        Be responsible for stanza in Old English (7)
OVERSEE: The definition of a verb meaning to be responsible for, be on duty at or be in charge of is arrived at from VERSE (stanza) as a stanza or a group of lines that form a unit in a poem or song placed inside (in) OE (Old English) as the abbreviation for Old English

17a        Inactive marine mammal losing tail in lake (4,3)
DEAD SEA: DEAD (inactive) as inactive, insensitive or dormant and SEA[L] (marine mammal) as a member of the Pinnipedia, carnivorous marine mammals debarred of (losing) its last or end letter (tail) takes to the definition of a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest

19a        Endurance damaged mast in Antarctica primarily (7)
STAMINA: The definition of a noun denoting endurance or the power to withstand hardship or stress is arrived at from an anagram (damaged) of MAST IN followed by the primary or initial letter (primarily) of A[NTARCTICA]

21a        Such sausage rolls anathema to cool cats? (3,4)
HOT DOGS: The definition of the plural of a sausage served hot in a long roll split lengthways is deduced from HOT (cool) and DOGS (cats) serving respectively as anathema, enemy or opposite to cool and cats respectively

22a        Fear American with large weapon (5)
ALARM: The definition of a verb meaning to fill with apprehension, anxiety or fear is reached from a a charade of A (American) as the abbreviation for American, L (large) as the abbreviation for large that is usually referred to large size of shirt or other clothing and ARM (weapon) as a weapon or a means of offence or defence

24a        Remote part in Kurdistan trail (7)
DISTANT: The definition of an adjective denoting remote or far off or apart in space is part of or hidden inside (part in) [KUR]DISTAN T[RAIL]

27a        Display too much skill around restaurant (9)
TRATTORIA: A combo of a charade of AIR (display) as to display, publicise or bring to public notice, OTT (too much) as an abbreviation for the colloquial phrase ‘over the top’ denoting too much, exaggerated or beyond what’s appropriate and ART (skill) as  skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice coming from the other end (around) as reversals in the across clue takes to the definition of an Italian restaurant generally less formal than a ristorante and serving simple food

28a        Money one might charge incautious tourist? (5)
RHINO: Double definition; the second referring to a wild animal that might charge an incautious tourist while having a safari ride inside a forest or a wildlife sanctuary that takes to the first denoting an archaic slang term for money

29a        Are we told to nurture flightless creature? (4)
RHEA: A homophone heard by the audience (are we told) of REAR (to nurture) as to bring up, raise or nurture leads to the definition of a small South American flightless bird resembling the ostrich

30a        Evil-doer’s Y-chromosome? (10)
MALEFACTOR: The definition of a wrong-doer or evil-doer is arrived at from MALE FACTOR (Y-chromosome) as used in reference to Y-chromosome determining male sex and male-specific characteristics in the context of genetic and reproduction

Down

1d          Mould in shed (4)
CAST: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to shed, drop or get rid of something that takes to the first a noun referring to the mould that is used to shape such an object

2d          Animated roadmen notice returning Galaxy (9)
ANDROMEDA: An anagram (animated) of ROADMEN followed by AD (notice) as a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service or event coming from the other end (returning) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way

3d          Cat at any time eating mouse’s heart (5)
OUNCE: The definition of a big cat of Asia with markings similar to a leopard’s is derived from ONCE (at any time) as at any time or at one time in the past taking inside (eating) the middle or central letter (heart) of [MO]U[SE] (mouse’s)

4d          Want bishop to interrupt bizarre séance (7)
ABSENCE: The definition of a noun meaning lack, want or deficiency is fetched from B (bishop) as the abbreviation for bishop in chess notation to get inside (interrupt) an anagram (bizarre) of SÉANCE

5d          Old puffer in shopping centre on a road (7)
MALLARD: The definition the famous vintage steam locomotive affectionately or humorously also known as ‘old puffer’ is arrived at from MALL (shopping centre) as a shopping centre in which traffic is usually not allowed, A from the clue and RD (road) as the abbreviation for road used especially in addresses and on maps or signs

7d          Girl in line with distinctive character (5)
LAURA: The definition of a feminine given name is obtained from a charade of L (line) as the abbreviation for line and (with) AURA (distinctive character) as a distinctive and pervasive quality or character

8d          In dressing many a one is transformed (10)
MAYONNAISE: The definition of a thick dressing made of beaten raw egg yolk, oil, lemon juice or vinegar and surroundings is fetched when MANY A ONE IS subject to an anagram (transformed)

9d          Stick at defending peace proposal (3-5)
ASH-PLANT: The definition of a whip, staff or walking-stick made from an ash sapling is obtained from AT from the clue shielding or taking in (defending) a combo of SH (peace) as an interjection used to tell someone to be quiet or to be at peace and PLAN (proposal) as an orderly or step-by-step conception or proposal for accomplishing an objective

14d         Hopeless idea main or pudding suggests? (3-7)
NON-STARTER: The definition of a hopeless idea or an idea with no chance at all of success is arrived at from the combination of the main course or the most substantial part of meal that follows the starter and is the largest dish and preceded by the pudding or desserts course

16d        Greek character cheers, collecting first of top marks (8)
STIGMATA: A combo of SIGMA (Greek character) and TA (cheers) taking in (collecting) the first or initial letter (first) of T[OP] guides to the definition of marks corresponding to those left on Christ’s body by the Crucifixion

18d        Little inclination to include suitable candidates (9)
SHORTLIST: A charade of SHORT (little) as small, little, low in stature or not tall and LIST (inclination) as a tilt or inclination to one side, as of a ship takes to the definition of a verb meaning to include in a list preferable candidates who have been deemed suitable for final consideration, as in making an award or filling a position

20d        State captivated by brigand or racketeer (7)
ANDORRA: The definition of the sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula and the sixth-smallest state in Europe, with an area of 468 square kilometres is part of or hidden inside (captivated by) [BRIG]AND OR RA[CKETEER]

21d        Security men only breaking tool (7)
HOSTAGE: The definition of a person kept prisoner by an enemy as security is attained from STAG (men only) as referring to a stag party held for a man about to get married and attended only by men getting inside (breaking) HOE (tool) as a long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding

23d        Well-briefed leader of army fighting Spain (5)
AWARE: The definition of an adjective meaning informed, enlightened or well-briefed is reached from the leading or topmost letter (leader) of A[RMY] in the down clue, WAR (fighting) as fighting, combat or conflict and E (Spain) as the IVR code for España, the Spanish name for Spain

25d        More in middle: tons in two areas for vessel (5)
AORTA: A combo of [M]OR[E] from the clue with its inner letters (in middle) and T (tons) as the abbreviation for ton or tons placed inside (in) A and A (two areas) as each A standing as the abbreviation for area guides to the definition of a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body

26d        Secure extra portion did you say? (4)
MOOR: The definition of a verb meaning to secure a vessel or aircraft with lines or anchors is attained from a homophone heard by the audience (did you say) of MORE (extra portion) as an adjective meaning additional or extra

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 11a&13a, 15a, 21a, 30a, 3d, 5d, 14d, 16d and 18d; 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 being with you here again. Have a nice day.