Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3319
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 1st June 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A straightforward 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.
I first read about Socrates, the answer to the clue of 5a, when I was nine years old and reading in Class IV at Joseph Day School. It was in the history book entitled, ‘The March of Time’ that had a chapter on him. I was then deeply moved when I read that he was given a cup of hemlock to drink to his death as a punishment to his philosophical teachings that went against the rules of the land. I also read somewhere during my childhood his last words, “Crito, we owe a cock to Aesculapius. Pay it and don’t let it pass.” and felt that he was such an honest person that he remembered he took a cock as a loan from Aesculapius and must have feasted with it with his friends. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, he could not repay him during his lifetime and so he passes it on to his friend whom he trusted and was certain that he would repay Aesculapius and relieve his soul from the burden of a debt. In my later life, I read that it was a totally different story. In Greek mythology, Aesculapius was the god of medicine and healing. The sacrifice of a cock was a common practice to express gratitude for recovery from illness. So, Aesculapius was not a human being. It was a poignant reminder of the philosophical perspective of Socrates on death and the nature of existence. Socrates acknowledges the completion of his earthly ‘life-journey’ and expresses gratitude for the cure from the ‘disease’ of life, which he believed was death. While Socrates’ last words are often seen as a religious gesture, they also reflect his philosophical approach to life and death. He was not afraid of death, but rather saw it as a liberation from the complexities and struggles of the mortal realm. Crito, Socrates’ friend, was entrusted with carrying out the sacrifice. This emphasises Socrates’ belief in the importance of honouring his philosophical and spiritual commitments, even in the face of death. Some interpretations suggest that Socrates’ last words are a testament to his philosophical ideals, which prioritised knowledge, wisdom and a rational understanding of the world, even in the face of death. Since my childhood, I am accustomed to spell out the Latin ‘Aesculapius’ who was the equivalent god in Roman mythology. The spelling used by the Greeks as per their mythology is ‘Asclepius’.
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Across
1a Jump a quarter of the year (6)
SPRING: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a quarter of the year because the calendar year is divided into four seasons, each roughly corresponding to a quarter or one-fourth of the year and spring is the season between winter and summer that takes to the first a verb meaning to jump, bound or leap
5a Ergo, cases for Greek philosopher (8)
SOCRATES: A charade of SO (ergo) as an adverb meaning ergo, thus, consequently or for that reason and CRATES (cases) as the plural of a slatted wooden case used for transporting goods leads to the definition of the name of Greek philosopher and great thinker from Athens who is credited as among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought
9a Commercial banker from Asia facing test (10)
INDUSTRIAL: The definition of an adjective denoting business, manufacturing or commercial is obtained from INDUS (banker from Asia) as a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia placed before (facing) TRIAL (test) as a test of the performance, qualities or suitability of someone or something, together in a charade
10a Overly large device (4)
TOOL: A charade of TOO (overly) as an adverb meaning excessively or overly and L (large) as the abbreviation for large that is usually referred to large size of shirt or other clothing guides to the definition of a device such as a saw, shovel or drill, used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work
11a US city beach I say, opening in October (3,5)
SAN DIEGO: The definition of the port and second largest city of the US state of California is reached from SAND (beach) as an expanse of sand, typically along a seashore, I from the clue, EG (say) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ or ‘say’ and the initial or starting letter (opening) in O[CTOBER]
12a Type that is offensive (6)
SORTIE: A charade of SORT (type) as a type or a kind of something or the act of categorising things and IE (that is) as the abbreviated form of the Latin phrase id est meaning ‘that is’ takes to the definition of an offensive meaning an attack made by troops coming out from a position of defence, an example of which is an offensive i.e. a physical or military attack or assault
13a Attempt filmed (4)
SHOT: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense denoting filmed a scene in a movie that guides to the first a noun and an informal term for an attempt or try
15a Where some might speak Lao, Latin had to be translated (8)
THAILAND: The definition of a country that is home to 51 living indigenous languages and 24 living non-indigenous languages and Lao spoken along the borders with the Lao PDR is reached when LATIN HAD is subject to an anagram (to be translated)
18a Hefty fine (8)
HANDSOME: Double adjectival definition; the second denoting fine, gorgeous or good-looking that takes to the first meaning very large or generous, an example of which can be hefty i.e. sizable, involving a large amount
19a Country visible in thermal imaging (4)
MALI: The definition of the eighth-largest country of Africa and a landlocked country in West Africa is reached from part of or hidden inside (visible in) [THER]MAL I[MAGING]
21a Desert, where stomach filled with last of water (6)
STRAND: The definition of a verb meaning to desert, desolate, forsake or abandon is reached from STAND (stomach) as to stomach, bear or tolerate having inside (filled with) the last or terminal letter (last) of [WATE]R
23a Assess too highly how quick the bowlers bowl? (8)
OVERRATE: The definition of a verb meaning to assess or rate too highly is fetched from OVER RATE (how quick the bowlers ball) as referring to the average number of overs bowled by a team per hour during their fielding innings
25a Leader of Rome in new emperor (4)
NERO: The leading or first letter (leader) of R[OME] placed inside (in) NEO (new) as used in a combining form denoting recent or ‘new’, for example, neonatal denoting of or relating to a newborn infant takes to the definition of the Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his death in AD 68
26a Hostile behaviour, reason gigs abandoned (10)
AGGRESSION: The definition of a noun meaning hostile or destructive behaviour or attitudes is arrived at from an anagram (abandoned) of REASON GIGS
27a One’s there an hour after nine in front of river (8)
ATTENDEE: The definition of a person who is present at a specified event is reached from AT TEN (an hour after nine) as referring to ten o’clock which is exactly one hour after nine o’clock placed before (in front of) DEE (river) as the river flowing through parts of Wales and England
28a Rather quicker (6)
SOONER: Double adverbial definition; the second denoting quicker or happening earlier in time that leads to the first meaning rather, more readily, by preference or more willingly
Down
2d Animal rescued by sheep and antelope (5)
PANDA: The definition of a large black-and-white herbivorous bearlike animal is part of or hidden inside (rescued by) [SHEE]P AND A[NTELOPE]
3d Overwhelmed, it was me who sister saw! (9)
INUNDATED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning overwhelmed as if with a flood is reached from a charade of I (it was me who) as a pronoun referring to self, NUN (sister) as a sister i.e. a title given to a woman of a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church and used as a form of address and DATED (saw) as the past tense of date meaning to see someone romantically
4d Deeply disappointed – as fish may have been? (6)
GUTTED: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense denoting removed the gut, i.e., the intestines and other internal organs from a fish before cooking it that takes to the first an informal term for an adjective meaning deeply disappointed and upset
5d Unfortunate mistake upsetting fool when drunk, he claimed (4,2,3,6)
SLIP OF THE TONGUE: The definition of an accidental and usually trivial mistake in speaking is arrived at from HE from the clue taken inside (claimed) by an anagram (when drunk) of UPSETTING FOOL
6d Salad in the rule of an old king? (8)
COLESLAW: The definition of a salad made primarily of finely shredded raw cabbage with a dressing or condiment, commonly either vinaigrette or mayonnaise that is perhaps humorously equated to COLE’S LAW or the rule of the mythical Old King Cole, eulogised in a nursery rhyme beginning with “Old King Cole / Was a merry old soul …”, as if he had decreed that cabbage must be sliced thinly
7d Change in secret, late to get up (5)
ALTER: The definition of a verb meaning to change, modify or make different is reached from part of or hidden inside (in) [SEC]RET, LA[TE] seen rising in an upward fashion (to get up)
8d Stirring meant oil spread around duck (9)
EMOTIONAL: The definition of an adjective meaning stirring, exciting or thrilling is arrived at from an anagram (spread) of MEANT OIL placed about (around) O (duck) as a batsman’s score of nought or zero in cricket
14d Second card top (9)
HEARTBEAT: The definition of a very short time, as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat, an example of which is a second i.e. a very short time or as a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each is arrived at from a charade of HEART (card) as one of the four suits in a standard deck of cards and BEAT (top) as a verb meaning to exceed, surpass or top
16d Red, Labour’s camp oddly revolutionary (9)
LAMBRUSCO: The definition of a sparkling red wine made from the grape grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of North Italy is reached from an anagram (revolutionary) of a combo of LABOUR’S and oddly-placed letters (oddly) of C[A]M[P]
17d Download forms somewhere in the country? (8)
WOODLAND: An anagram (forms) of DOWNLOAD guides to the definition of the land that is mostly covered with woods or dense growths of trees and shrubs that is the characteristic feature of the countryside or rural area
20d Leave hollow space (6)
RECESS: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a hollow space, an indentation or niche in a wall or building that takes to the first a verb meaning to leave, withdraw or take a break
22d A gateway for discussing love (5)
ADORE: A from the clue and a homophone heard by the audience (for discussing) of DOOR (a type of gateway) as a gateway into a house or between rooms of a house or a gateway to opportunity, knowledge or change take to the definition of a verb meaning to love intensely or deeply
24d Primarily treasure really, or valuables essentially in hoard (5)
TROVE: The primary or first letters (primarily) T[REASURE] R[EALLY,] O[R] V[ALUABLES] E[SSENTIALLY] leads to the definition of a store of valuable or delightful things, an example of which is a hoard i.e. a stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 5a, 12a, 18a, 27a, 3d, 4d, 6d, 14d, 16d and 17d; 5a 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 encouragement. Looking forward to being here again.
2*/4* ….
liked 18A ” Hefty fine (8) “