ST 3313 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3313

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 20^th April 2025

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 valuable feedback.

Yellow car, part of the wordplay to the clue of 13d, made me inquisitive to know why yellow was preferred to other colours. Legend has it that yellow was chosen because it is one of the easiest colours to spot from a distance. A 1915 study suggested yellow cars were noticed more quickly and considered great for hailing a cab! When people think of New York City, one of the most recognisable images is the flood of yellow taxis on the streets. They have been part of identity of the Big Apple since the early twentieth century. Yellow taxis have shown up in tons of movies, songs, and photos — they’re basically a visual shorthand for New York life. From the net, I learnt that the Yellow Taxicab Company was incorporated in New York on April 4, 1912. Its fares that year started at 50¢/mile, roughly equivalent to $12.12 in 2016 adjusted for inflation. Among its directors and major stockholders were Albert Rockwell and the Connecticut Cab Company. Shortly after incorporation, the Yellow Taxicab Company merged with the Cab and Taxi Company, and with the strength of Connecticut Cab Company behind them, the young business assumed a large share of the New York market. Its independent corporate life was fairly short, however, as fare wars and regulations forced a merger with the Mason-Seaman Transportation Company on March 3, 1914. Shortly after, an injunction was filed by the company, seeking to restrain the city from enforcing the Public Hack ordinances, but it was rejected on appeal. By 1916, the company was being held in receivership, due to suits by numerous creditors. The Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company was formed in 1920. However, it wasn’t the New York City where the yellow cars started to operate since 1912. They date back to at least 1798, when the musical comedy, Cabriolet Jaune, meaning Yellow Cab, debuted at Paris’ Theatre de l’Opera Comique Nationale. Yellow cabs were known in Paris and London throughout most of the 1800s. A yellow cab company shook up the New York Cab system in the mid-1880s, offering cheaper, more predictable fares than competitors. One of the first automobile cabs in London, in the 1890s, was a yellow electric automobile. The Yellow Cab Company of Chicago was founded by John D. Hertz in 1907. The Yellow Cab Company of Vancouver, British Columbia was founded in 1921. Later, yellow cabs were also seen in the roads of Toronto, Burlington, Edmonton, Halifax and Victoria. In Australia, the Yellow Cab Group was founded in 1924, followed by the services of the yellow cabs in Queensland, Tasmania, Melbourne and Perth.

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Across

7a          Global force in petrol for transportation (8)
INTERPOL: An anagram (for transportation) of IN PETROL guides to the definition of the world’s largest international police organisation that makes it possible for the police forces of different countries to help each other to solve crimes

9a          Better person steering boat (6)
PUNTER: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a person propelling a punt or boat with a pole that takes to the first denoting a professional gambler or a person who punts, stakes or bets

10a        Spanish dish bound to be sent back by the French! (6)
PAELLA: The definition of a saffron-flavoured Spanish rice dish made with varying combinations of chicken, rice, vegetables, seafood etc is reached from LEAP (bound) to come from the other end (to be sent back) as a reversal in the across clue having alongside (by) LA (the French) as the definite article ‘the’ in French language used with singular, feminine words

11a        Underwear – slips (8)
BLOOMERS: Double nounal definition: the second being the plural of a colloquial term denoting an absurd and embarrassing blunder that takes to the first referring to a loose undergarment similar to knickers, with legs gathered above the knee

12a        My T-bone steak he cooked as well (2,3,4,5)
BY THE SAME TOKEN: An anagram (cooked) of MY T-BONE STEAK HE leads to the definition of a phrase meaning in addition or as well

15a        Almost sumptuous asset (4)
PLUS: Most of the letters (almost) of PLUS[H] (sumptuous) as sumptuous or richly luxurious and expensive takes to the definition of a noun denoting an asset or a useful or valuable quality

17a        Warehouse involved in trade, potentially (5)
DEPOT: Part of or hidden inside (involved in) [TRA]DE, POT[ENTIALLY] guides to the definition of a warehouse or storehouse

19a        Weed died: sleep well! (4)
DRIP: The definition of a colloquial term for a weak, pathetic person, an example of which is weed, a derogatory term for a weak, ineffectual and unmanly man is deduced from a charade of D (died) as the abbreviation for died as used to indicate a date of death of a person and RIP (sleep well) as the Latin abbreviation for requiescat in pace denoting ‘may he or she rest in peace’ or, in other words, to sleep well forever

20a        Where my ultimate suit was fitted, never! (4,2,4,4)
OVER MY DEAD BODY: Double definition; the first being the obvious response to the question where the ultimate suit can mean a suit for the final occasion i.e. a funeral suit and the second referring to an expression that can be commonly used to mean ‘not while I am alive’ or ‘not under any circumstances’ i.e. something will not happen, no matter what

23a        Poverty in blemished urban area? (8)
SCARCITY: The definition of a noun denoting dearth, paucity or poverty is reached from a charade of SCAR (blemished) as an intransitive verb meaning to become blemished and CITY (urban area) as a large and densely populated urban area

25a        Swimmer, one in position (6)
PLAICE: The definition of a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, brown with orange spots, used as food is obtained from I (one) as the Roman numeral for one put inside (in) PLACE (position) as a job, post or position

27a        Cost with investment of new sovereign (6)
PRINCE: PRICE (cost) as the cost at which something is obtained having taken inside (with investment of) N (new) as the abbreviation for new yields the definition of a sovereign of a small territory

28a        Generate brewed drink (5,3)
GREEN TEA: An anagram (brewed) of GENERATE guides to the definition of tea made from leaves that have been dried without fermentation and retain a light colour

Down

1d          Girl reading articles from opposite point of view? (4)
ANNA: The definition of a feminine given name or a name of a girl or woman is assembled from AN and AN (articles) as each as one of the indefinite articles in the English grammar, with each coming from the other side of the other (opposite point of view)

2d          Chap took a tumble, never mind! (6)
FELLAH: The definition of a colloquial term for a man or boy is got from a charade of FELL (took a tumble) as a verb in the past tense meaning dropped suddenly from an erect position, an example of which is ‘took a tumble’ denoting fell down physically, by way or slipping or tripping and AH (never mind) as an interjection denoting pity or sympathy or a shift in mind by calling ‘never mind’ in place of ‘ah’

3d          Get emotional when hyacinth, say, pulled up (4)
BLUB: The definition of a verb meaning to cry or weep, often in an emotional or uncontrolled way is achieved when BULB (hyacinth, say) as a rounded, underground part of certain plants, for example a hyacinth is raised upwards (pulled up) as a reversal in the down clue

4d          Bud is heading for Romania aboard jet (6)
SPROUT: The definition of any new growth of a plant such as a new branch or a bud is arrived at from the head or topmost letter (heading) for R[OMANIA] in the down clue to get into (aboard) SPOUT (jet) as a continuous stream or jet of liquid

5d          Like some bacon monk used in a stew (8)
UNSMOKED: An anagram (in a stew) of MONK USED takes to the definition of an adjective denoting having a milder, more neutral taste and not hung over burning wood to preserve or flavour i.e. smoked, especially of meat in both cases, an example of which can be some pieces of bacon

6d          Consider when at home, time to cut goatee, say (4,2,4)
BEAR IN MIND: The definition of a phrase meaning to consider or taking into account is arrived at from a combo of IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home and MIN (time) as a short form of minute that is a unit of time equalling sixty seconds to get inside (cut) BEARD (goatee, say) as a growth of hair on the chin, cheeks and throat of a person, especially a man, an example of which is a goatee, i.e. a small chin beard trimmed to a point and bearing a resemblance to a goat’s beard

8d          Acclaimed pianist originally lifted (7)
PRAISED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning acclaimed, extolled or lauded is reached from the original or leading letter (originally) of P[IANIST] followed by RAISED (lifted) as a verb in the past tense meaning lifted, elevated or moved to a higher position

13d        For example, New York cab driver’s initial caution (6,4)
YELLOW CARD: YELLOW CAR (for example, New York’s cab) as describing the most recognisable image of a yellow taxi or cab on a street in New York City of the United States followed by the initial or first letter (initial) of D[RIVER] (driver’s) leads to the definition of a card of a yellow colour displayed by a referee to indicate that a player has been officially cautioned for some offence

14d        Vehicle went around without purpose? (5)
MOPED: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense denoting wandered about listlessly and aimlessly that takes to the first a noun referring to a lightweight motorcycle, usually with a two-stroke 55cc engine

16d        Foul language as winger beaten (8)
SWEARING: The definition of an informal term for a bad or foul language is arrived at from an anagram (beaten) of AS WINGER

18d        Tiresome parties – wearily go (7)
TRAIPSE: An anagram (tiresome) of PARTIES guides to the definition of a verb meaning to walk or go tiredly or in a slatternly way

21d        First miss (6)
MAIDEN: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to an unmarried girl or woman that takes to the first an adjective denoting in the sense of something being the first of its kind, for example, a maiden appearance can mean a first-time appearance, particularly in a performance, event or public setting or a maiden century can mean a player’s first-ever century i.e. 100 runs in a particular format of the game

22d        Quick bath originally wet! (6)
BRAINY: The definition of an informal term for an adjective meaning quick, sharp or intelligent is fetched from the original or initial letter (originally) of B[ATH] followed by RAINY (wet) as characterised by a wet weather in the form of water falling from the clouds to earth in drops

24d        Really so boring, ultimately, a system of exercises (4)
YOGA: The ultimate or final letters (ultimately) of [REALL]Y [S]O [BORIN]G followed by A from the clue leads to the definition of a system of stretching and positional exercises derived from an ascetic Hindu discipline to promote good health, fitness and control of the mind

26d        Team were boastful (4)
CREW: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense meaning uttered a boastful talk or was or were boastful that brings to the first a noun referring to a team of oarsmen or oarswomen of a racing boat or a group or team of people with individual duties in charge of a bus, train or aeroplane

The clues I liked best in this puzzle were 9a, 10a, 12a, 20a, 25a, 6d, 13d, 14d, 21d and 22d; 20a being the clear 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.