Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3331
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 24th August 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A superb and lovely 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.
For 4a, I would have preferred the clue to be ‘Axe meat as quick as you can!’. Moreover, axe has been used twice in this puzzle; additionally in 26a.
I failed to understand why Britain had been made synonymous to UK in the clue 1d. The United Kingdom without Northern Ireland is Britain or Great Britain. Great Britain is the name of the island. Britain is not official defined but is generally treated as a shortened form of Great Britain comprising England, Scotland and Wales, whereas the United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland. However, I read somewhere in the net that Britain is often used to refer to the political entity of the United Kingdom, despite being the geographic term for the island that excludes Northern Island.
I would have preferred to see 14d as ‘Country soldiers are in tune’ or ‘Country soldiers in tune?’
Fleece, the answer to the clue of 19d, took me down memory lane and I reminisced having read about it in my geography book when I was in Class IV of Joseph Day School. All throughout my life I have noticed that whenever the word ‘fleece’ appears anywhere, Australia also comes into sight as the first and foremost country associated with the fleecing or shearing of sheep. After finishing the puzzle, I updated myself from the net. I learnt that Australia was widely considered the sheep-shearing capital of the world around 50 years ago, in the 1970s, and arguably still holds that title in terms of scale and production. Today, when people think of a ‘sheep country’ or associate a place with the image of fleecing, New Zealand tends to be the iconic choice. For much of the 20th century, sheep in New Zealand outnumbered people by about 20 to 1; today it is closer to 5 to 1. New Zealand is renowned for its Merino and strong wool, both prized in textile industries. Sheep shearing is ingrained in national identity and rural culture. The country hosts top-tier international shearing competitions like the Golden Shears. However, Australia still remains a global leader in wool production, especially Merino wool, and produces even more wool by volume than New Zealand.
Finally, there were too many doubly-defined clues.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a A fuse blown, indefinite number plugged in – dangerous (6)
UNSAFE: N (indefinite number) as referring to an indefinite number, often implicitly a large number placed inside (plugged in) an anagram (blown) of A FUSE guides to the definition of an adjective denoting at risk, perilous, hazardous or dangerous
4a Meat axe as quick as you can! (4-4)
CHOP-CHOP: A charade of CHOP (meat) as a thick slice of meat, especially pork or lamb, adjacent to and often including a rib and CHOP (axe) as to axe or cut down something into small pieces takes to the definition of an adverb meaning promptly, an example of which is the phrase ‘as quick as you can’ i.e. as soon as possible or with utmost speed and urgency, indicating that a task should be completed or an action performed with maximum haste and in the shortest possible time
9a Container filled with standard twentieth-century designs (3,3)
POP ART: POT (container) as a deep and round domestic container used as a cooking utensil having inside (filled with) PAR (standard) as a norm or standard guides to the definition of a style of twentieth century art that began during the 1950s in America and Britain and peaked in the 1960s, using bright colours and taking a lot of its techniques and subject matter from everyday, modern life
10a Ban is reviewed on the drink (8)
ABSINTHE: BAN IS from the clue subject to an anagram (reviewed on) followed by THE from the clue leads to the definition of a potent green alcoholic drink, technically a gin, originally having high wormwood content and a bitter taste
12a Top Ceredigion town (8)
CARDIGAN: Double definition; the second being a historic and the second-largest town and municipality located in the county of Ceredigion, Wales that takes to the first referring to a piece of knitted woollen clothing that covers the upper part of the body and the arms, fastening at the front with buttons and worn over other clothes
13a Formality as chief meets canonised individual (6)
STARCH: The definition of a stiff or pompous formality of manner or conduct is reached from ARCH (chief) as an adjective meaning chief, principal or leading follows after coming into contact with (meets) ST (canonised individual) as an abbreviation for saint, who is a canonised person or a person formally recognised by the Christian Church as having lived a life of holiness and exceptional virtue
15a Brief storm down there, rush out (13)
THUNDERSHOWER: The definition of a brief rainstorm accompanied by thunder and lightning is reached when DOWN THERE, RUSH from the clue is subject to an anagram (out)
18a Room for procedure by the way in outdoor entertainment (6,7)
STREET THEATRE: THEATRE (room for procedure) as literally a room or venue where procedures like performances, plays etc take place preceded by or coming after (by) STREET (the way) as a pathway for the public in a city, town or village, typically with houses on either side guides to the definition of a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience
20a Flower delivery service (6)
AMAZON: Double nounal definition; the second referring to the company that operates one of the largest delivery networks in the world and performs delivery service to support its main e-commerce business that takes to the first denoting the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world that flows in South America
22a Important person‘s fairground ride? (3,5)
BIG WHEEL: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a large, vertical wheel as a fairground ride or in an amusement park with seats that stay horizontal as the wheel turns round, for example, a Ferris wheel that takes to the first denoting an influencing figure or a very important person, especially in a particular sphere
24a Rise in endowment: stop plugging it (8)
GRADIENT: The definition of a slope or incline supported by mathematical or geographical usage, for example, a road’s gradient is its rise over run is met from GRANT (endowment) as an endowment or a sum of money given by a government or other organisation for a particular purpose having DIE (stop) as to stop being alive, especially of a person, animal or plan getting inside it (plugging it)
25a Rut – might dancer get into it? (6)
GROOVE: Double nounal definition; the second referring to repeated music rhythms used in creating dance music that might make a dancer sync their body, mind and emotions with the rhythms and feeling of the music that takes to the first denoting a furrow, or long hollow, usually one cut with a tool, an example of which is a rut i.e. a furrow made by wheels
26a Axe, article splitting two predators (8)
TOMAHAWK: The definition of a North American Indian war-axe is reached from A (article) as one of the indefinite articles getting inside and separating (splitting) TOM and HAWK (two predators) as a male cat and predator and HAWK as an bird of prey and predator
27a Stick in salad her endives (6)
ADHERE: The definition of a verb meaning to stick fast to a surface or substance is part of or hidden inside (in) [SAL]AD HER E[NDIVES]
Down
1d Cooking pan on top of cupboard in Britain, empty (6)
UNPACK: An anagram (cooking) of PAN placed upon (on top of) C (cupboard) as the abbreviation for cupboard getting inside UK (Britain) as the abbreviation of the United Kingdom that is the political union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and Britain is often used to refer to the political entity of the United Kingdom, despite being the geographic term for the island that excludes Northern Island takes to the definition of a verb meaning to empty or open and remove the contents of a suitcase, bag or package
2d Pastures new then right for icon (9)
SUPERSTAR: An anagram (new) of PASTURES followed by (then) R (right) as the abbreviation for right leads to the definition of an extremely famous and successful performer or sports player, an example of which is an icon i.e. a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere
3d Observing mazy runs, I lift hero up – lovely finisher? (9,6)
FURNITURE POLISH: An anagram (observing mazy) of RUNS, I LIFT HERO UP leads to the definition of a substance that is used on the surface of any piece of furniture in order to clean and shine it and thus acts as a lovely finisher
5d Tramp, haversack on back, only initially (4)
HOBO: The definition of a tramp or a person who travels from place to place on foot in search of work or as a vagrant or beggar is reached from the initial or beginning letters (initially) of H[AVERSACK] O[N] B[ACK,] O[NLY]
6d Have fun and add a little colour to the place? (5,3,4,3)
PAINT THE TOWN RED: A cryptic definition of a phrase meaning to go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly, especially with drinking and revelry, playing on the literal image of adding colour to a place while figuratively referring to partying hard
7d Misanthrope having change of heart (5)
HATER: The definition of a person who greatly dislikes a specified person or thing, an example of which is a misanthrope i.e. a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society is reached from an anagram (change) of HEART
8d Constant arc, the bendy diagram (3,5)
PIE CHART: PI (constant) as a mathematical constant followed by an anagram (bendy) of ARC, THE guides to the definition of a circular diagram showing a graphic data display in which sectors of a circle correspond into sectors proportional in angle and area to the relative size of the quantities represented
11d Bishop for example specified day for order (7)
MANDATE: A charade of MAN (bishop for example) as referring to any piece in chess, an example of which is bishop and DATE (specified day) as a particular or specified day of the month takes to the definition of a judicial command, order or precept, written or oral, from a court
14d Country where soldiers in tune (7)
ARMENIA: The definition of a landlocked country in the Armenian highlands of West Asia is obtained from MEN (soldiers) as non-commissioned soldiers placed inside (in) ARIA (tune) as a tune or melody, especially an accompanied vocal solo in a cantata, oratorio or opera
16d Hero with fewer breaks – why? (9)
WHEREFORE: An anagram (breaks) of a combo of HERO and (with) FEWER guides to the definition of an interrogation denoting for what reason or why?
17d Slow mover set about transporting load (8)
ESCARGOT: The definition of a snail, especially when served as food is reached from an anagram (transporting) of SET placed around (about) CARGO (load) as any type of load of materials being transported by a vehicle like a ship, airplane, train or truck, especially for commercial or professional purposes
19d Rip off what shepherd might remove (6)
FLEECE: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a sheep’s coat of wool that a shepherd removes from the animal through a process called shearing that takes to the first an informal verb meaning to obtain a great deal of money from someone, typically by overcharging or swindling them, an example of which is to rip off i.e. to cheat by overcharging
21d Warning signal, as marines would do it? (5)
ALARM: The definition of a device or sound that acts as a warning signal is reached from À LA RM, where À LA is a preposition denoting in the manner of and RM is the abbreviation for Royal Marines, hence indicating in the manner or style of RM or Royal Marines, that is to say, ‘as marines would do it’
23d Be aware of negative broadcast? (4)
KNOW: The definition of a verb meaning to take notice of or be aware of something is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (broadcast) of NO (negative) as an exclamation used to give a negative response
The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 4a, 9a, 12a, 20a, 26a, 3d, 7d, 17d and 21d; 20a 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.
3*/3* ….
liked 17D “Slow mover set about transporting load (8)”