Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3317
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 18th May 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A highly entertaining 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 thought of knowing in detail about the seventh planet from the Sun i.e. URANUS, the answer to the clue of 5d and, as usual, took to the net. It is visible to the naked eye, but it is highly dim and was not classified as a planet until 1781, when it was first observed by William Herschel. Seven decades later, consensus was reached that the planet be named after Ouranos, the Greek god Uranus, regarded by the Greeks as one of the Greek primordial deities. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. The planet is a gaseous cyan-coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is made of water, ammonia and methane in a supercritical phase of matter which the astronomy calls ‘ice’ or volatiles. It has the lowest minimum temperature of -224°C. It rotation period is 17 hours and 14 minutes. In an 84-Earth-year orbital period around the Sun, its poles get around 42 years of continuous sunlight, followed by 42 years of continuous darkness. As of 2025, it has been visited only once when in 1986 the Voyager 2 probe flew by the planet. Though nowadays it can be resolved and observed by telescopes, there is much desire to revisit the planet. Like the other giant planets, Uranus has a ring system, a magnetosphere and many natural satellites. Uranus has 28 natural satellites including 18 known regular moons, of which 13 are small inner moons. Further out are the largest major moons named after Shakespearean characters, such as, Ariel, Miranda, Oberon, Titania and Umbriel.
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Across
7a Idiotic shower maybe overwhelmed by praise (9)
BRAINLESS: The definition of an adjective meaning stupid or very foolish is obtained from RAIN (shower maybe) as water that falls from the clouds as drops, an example of which is shower i.e. a short fall of rain or drops of liquid engulfed or surrounded by (overwhelmed by) BLESS (praise) as to praise or glorify God
8a Funny figure inspiring laughter, ultimately (5)
DROLL: The definition of an adjective meaning funny, comical or curious or unusual in way that provokes dry amusement is reached from DOLL (figure) as a small model of a human figure, typically one of a baby or girl, used as a child’s toy breathing or taking inside (inspiring) the ultimate or final letter (ultimately) of [LAUGHTE]R
10a Recording device captivating old space traveller (6)
METEOR: METER (recording device) as the device that measures and records the quantity, degree or rate of something taking inside (captivating) O (old) as the abbreviation for old as OT in Old Testament guides to the definition of a rock from outer space that becomes very hot and burns brightly in the sky at night as it enters Earth’s atmosphere
11a Roasting nuts, one pulling out all the stops? (8)
ORGANIST: An anagram (nuts) of ROASTING guides to the definition of a musician who plays the organ, especially professionally or at religious services and pulls out the stops on the pipe organ to control sound
12a Colluding businesses spilling 3 Down (6)
CARTEL: The definition of a group of businesses or firms within an industry who collude against competition to regulate prices and/or output to their own advantage is arrived at from an anagram (spilling) of CLARET (3 Down) as referring to the answer to 3 Down of this clue
14a Miscreant used to being expelled (6)
OUSTED: An anagram (miscreant) of USED TO takes to the definition of a verb denoting driven out or expelled from a position or place
16a Perfect confection (4)
MINT: Double definition; the second referring to a type of sweet or candy having the flavour of leaves of a herb with strong, fresh smell and taste, examples of which are peppermint, spearmint, after-dinner mint etc that takes to the first an adjective denoting perfect or flawless, especially of something in a condition when new
17a Express love in immorality (5)
VOICE: The definition of a verb meaning to express something in words is reached from O (love) as love or the score of zero in a game of tennis placed inside (in) VICE (immortality) as immorality, wrongdoing or wickedness
18a Reportedly, something from the bakery delivered (4)
BRED: A homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of BREAD (something from the bakery) as a baked food item, prepared in a bakehouse or bakery takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning brought forth, produced or delivered an offspring
19a Move a whopper stopper! (6)
GOALIE: GO (move) as to move or act in a way shown to be specified, A from the clue and LIE (whopper) as a whopper, untruth or falsehood guide to the definition of a colloquial term for a goalkeeper i.e. a stopper or a player whose task is to defend goals, especially in sports like football or hockey
21a Prodigy I observed in class (6)
GENIUS: The definition of an exceptionally intelligent person or one with exceptional skill in a particular area of activity, an example of which is a prodigy i.e. a child or young person with exceptional qualities or abilities is arrived at from I from the clue seen inside (observed in) GENUS (class) as a class of objects comprehending several subordinate species
24a Chosen design as ornate (8)
ASSIGNED: The definition of a verb denoting chosen or appointed someone to a job, task or organisation is reached from an anagram (ornate) of DESIGN AS
26a Journalist after those things on the same topic (6)
THEMED: ED (journalist) as the abbreviation for editor being in charge of the final content of a journal or a newspaper or magazine placed after or preceded by (after) THEM (those things) as referring to people or things that have just been mentioned or a determiner or a non-standard word for ‘those’ takes to the definition of an adjective having or planned around a single unifying subject or theme or involving or on the same topic
27a Note collected by myself, I’ve remembered (5)
FIVER: The definition of a colloquial term for a five-pound note is reached from part of or hidden inside (collected by) [MYSEL]F, I’VE R[EMEMBERED]
28a See a broken canister (9)
ASCERTAIN: The definition of a verb meaning to see or find something out for certain is fetched from A from the clue and an anagram (broken) of CANISTER
Down
1d Where flag found in colour (5)
GREEN: Double definition; the second referring to a colour usual in leaves, between blue and yellow in the spectrum that takes to the first referring to a golf green, which is the area where the flag or pin is located, i.e., the hole
2d Dinghy I felt designed to save pilots etc (4,4)
LIFE RAFT: The definition of a raft, often inflatable, for use in emergencies, as when a ship must be abandoned, an example of which is a dinghy i.e. a small boat carried on a larger boat to take passenger ashore is reached from an anagram (designed) of I FELT to take inside (save) RAF (pilots etc) as referring to the Royal Air Force comprising of the pilots, ground crew, air traffic controllers, engineers, technicians, intelligence officers and support staff
3d Wine from Irish county ending in goblet (6)
CLARET: The definition of a red wine from Bordeaux or wine of a similar character made elsewhere is attained from CLARE (Irish county) as a county in the province of Munster in the Southern part of Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean followed by the end or terminal letter (ending) in [GOBLE]T
4d Northern city in Liverpool soaked up (4)
OSLO: The definition of the capital and largest city of Norway, a country in Northern Europe is part of or hidden inside (in) [LIVERPO]OL SO[AKED] going in a upward direction (up) as a reversal in the down clue
5d World where leader of universe ruled over us (6)
URANUS: The definition of the seventh planet from the Sun that is, in astronomical terms, also a world because it is a celestial body, especially one that is spherical due to its own gravity is obtained from the leading or head letter (leader) of U[NIVERSE] followed by RAN (ruled) as reigned or ruled that involved past leadership, governance or authority, e.g. ‘He ran the country’ meaning ‘He ruled the country’ placed upon (over) US in the down clue
6d Wrecked – as walls might be? (9)
PLASTERED: Double adjectival definition; the second denoting covered with a coat of substance that is a mixture of lime or gypsum, sand or water that hardens to a smooth solid, especially of walls of a house or building that takes to the first meaning intoxicated or drunk or to being in a temporary state in which one’s physical and mental faculties are impaired by an excess of alcoholic drink, an example of which is wretched
9d Region surprisingly blank (6)
IGNORE: An anagram (surprisingly) of REGION leads to the definition of a verb meaning to disregard or fail or refuse to notice, an example of which is blank, a slang term for a verb meaning to slight or ignore
13d On the ground, or up in the air, though not originally (5)
LYING: The definition of a verb in the continuous form denoting being in or assuming a horizontal, recumbent or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground is arrived at from [F]LYING (up in the air) as meaning up in the air or floating, waving or hanging in the air without the original or first letter (though not originally)
15d Diamonds, say, thousand in gold case (5,4)
MINOR SUIT: The definition of one of the minor suits in bridge and some other trick-taking games is reached from M (thousand) as the Roman numeral for one thousand, IN from the clue, OR (gold) as the tincture gold in heraldry and SUIT (case) as a court case or a lawsuit
17d One circled by drawer of diagrams, a capital city (6)
VIENNA: I (one) as the Roman numeral for one surrounded by or having outside (circled by) VENN (drawer of diagrams) as referring to John Venn who widely used the diagram styles that show the logical relation between sets such that the diagrams later became famous as Venn diagrams, though John Venn himself was not the inventor, followed by A from the clue takes to the definition of the capital and the most populous city of Austria
18d Dark-haired animal defending web (8)
BRUNETTE: The definition of an adjective meaning dark brown, especially of hair-colour or dark-haired is fetched from BRUTE (wild thing) as an animal other than a human taking into protection (defending) NET (web) as a mesh or web
20d One splitting fortune? Um, hang about! (6)
LOITER: I (one) as the Roman numeral for one separating by going inside (splitting) LOT (fortune) as fortune or a person’s luck, situation, or destiny in life followed by ER (um) as an interjection expressing hesitation, an example of which is um i.e. an interjection used by speakers when momentarily hesitating or in doubt that takes to the definition of a verb meaning to mess about, hang about or hang around or to pass time without working or in avoiding work
22d In decline the results lower (6)
NETHER: Part of or hidden inside (in) [DECLI]NE THE R[ESULTS] leads to the definition of an adjective denoting lower in position or located beneath or below
23d Archfiend drew breath when rising up (5)
DEVIL: The definition of the supreme spirit of evil, especially Satan is reached from LIVED (drew breath) as a verb in the past tense meaning respired or drew breath moving in an upward direction (rising up) as a reversal in the down clue
25d Bowl a beauty? (4)
DISH: Double definition; the first referring to a bowl or a shallow, flat-bottomed container for cooking or serving food and the second an informal term denoting a sexually attractive person or a good-looking person, especially of the opposite sex
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 7a, 8a, 10, 11a, 19a, 27a, 3d, 5d, 15d, 17d, 18d, 20d and 25d; 18d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD who left us for his heavenly abode around two years back and my thanks to Dada for the entertainment and to Gazza for the encouragement. Looking forward to being here again.