ST 3339 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3339

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 19^th October 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.

By the grace of the Almighty, and with the good wishes of my crossword masters, readers, friends, and all who are close to my heart, I will, on the day of publication of this review, have reached the milestone of

Pompeii, the answer to the clue at 15d, was known to me in my childhood, but not in detail. After solving the crossword, I became interested to know more about this ancient city that is located near the Bay of Naples in southern Italy. So I explored the internet and updated myself. Pompeii stands as one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world, offering a vivid and haunting glimpse into Roman life frozen in time by a catastrophic natural disaster. Founded around the seventh or sixth century BCE by the Oscans and later absorbed into the Roman Empire, Pompeii became a prosperous trading city, its streets lined with elegant villas, bustling markets, bathhouses, theatres and temples dedicated to the gods of Rome. Its fertile soil, enriched by earlier volcanic activity, made it an important agricultural hub producing olive oil, wine and grain for the region. However, on August 24, 79 CE, the nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, spewing ash, pumice and toxic gases that buried the city beneath several meters of volcanic material within hours. Thousands of inhabitants were killed and the city was lost for nearly 1,700 years, preserved in extraordinary detail beneath the hardened ash. When Pompeii was rediscovered in the eighteenth century, systematic excavations revealed an astonishingly intact urban landscape: houses with frescoes and mosaics still vibrant in colour, graffiti scrawled on walls offering personal glimpses into everyday humour and politics and even plaster casts of victims whose final moments were captured as voids in the hardened ash. These discoveries revolutionised the study of ancient history and archaeology by providing direct evidence of Roman architecture, social structure, diet and art. The city’s layout, with its grid plan, aqueduct-fed fountains and sophisticated drainage systems, demonstrates the technical and civic achievements of Roman urban planning. Meanwhile, the preserved shops, taverns and brothels reveal the bustling and often gritty realities of daily life, while luxurious villas such as the House of the Faun showcase the wealth and cultural refinement of the elite. Pompeii today is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also a powerful symbol of human vulnerability and resilience: it reminds us that nature’s forces can both destroy and preserve, erasing life yet immortalising it for future generations to study. Ongoing excavations and conservation efforts continue to unearth new artefacts, deepening our understanding of Roman civilisation while raising important questions about preservation, tourism and the delicate balance between exposure and protection of ancient remains. Thus, Pompeii endures not merely as a ruined city but as a living archive, bridging the distant past and the modern world through the stories, artistry and tragedy of its people.

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Across

1a           Carpenter in fast-food outlet? (6)
CHIPPY: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a slang term for a fish-and-chip shop i.e. a kind of fast-food outlet, also called chippie, that takes to the first denoting a slang term for a regimental pioneer sergeant, usually a carpenter, also called chips

4a           Very presentable tree (6)
SPRUCE: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to an evergreen tree with leaves like needles or the pale-coloured wood from this tree that takes to the first an adjective denoting very presentable or very smart, tidy and clean in appearance, especially of a person

8a           Dramatically impressive erotic novel by yours truly (8)
METEORIC: The definition of an adjective meaning sudden, striking, spectacular or dramatically impressive is obtained from an anagram (novel) of EROTIC preceded by or coming after (by) ME (yours truly) as the setter of this puzzle referring to himself

10a        New day in which wine knocked back (6)
MODERN: The definition of an adjective meaning new and intended to be different from traditional styles especially of styles in art, music, fashion etc is reached from MON (day) as referring to Monday, the second day of the week having inside (in which) RED (wine) as an alcoholic drink coloured by red grape skins during fermentation coming from the other end (knocked back) as a reversal in the across clue

11a        Immaculate herb (4)
MINT: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to any plant of the aromatic labiate genus Mentha, several kinds of which are used as culinary herbs that takes to the first an adjective denoting as perfect, brand-new or fresh, particularly referring to the condition of a new minted coin or perfect condition, as if unused, an example of which is immaculate i.e. clean, spotless, perfectly groomed, flawless, unstained or pure or in mint condition

12a        Emptying of effluent on work list for cleaner (6,4)
TOILET ROLL: The removal of the inner letters (emptying) of E[FFLUEN]T preceded by or coming after (on) TOIL (work) as to work extremely hard and followed by ROLL (list) as an official list or register of names guides to the definition of a long, narrow length of soft paper, rolled around a cardboard cylinder, used for cleaning oneself when one has used the toilet

13a        Blade in France Viking used (7,5)
CARVING KNIFE: The definition of a sharp cutting instrument with a long blade, typically used for carving meat is arrived at from an anagram (used) of FRANCE VIKING

16a        Quick exchange – of swordsmanship? (3,3,6)
CUT AND THRUST: A cryptic definition of a type of fencing or sword technique that is given the name of cut and thrust fencing that may refer to both slashing i.e. cut and stabbing i.e. thrust or have a ‘quick exchange’ in general conversation that can be described metaphorically as a cut-and-thrust i.e. rapid back-and-forth

20a        Executed and taken away (7,3)
CARRIED OUT: Double verbal definition; the second denoting taken away, physically removed or transported elsewhere that takes to the first meaning executed, performed or completed

21a        Splashed out on a car (4)
AUTO: An anagram (splashed) of OUT preceded by or coming after (on) A from the clue leads to the definition of a North American informal term for a car

22a        Piece of grass or causeway reversed over (6)
ACROSS: Part of or hidden inside (piece of) [GRA]SS OR CA[USEWAY] that is coming from the other end (reversed) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a preposition denoting over, on the other or far side of, past or beyond

23a        Stop in top gear? (8)
PULLOVER: PULL OVER (stop) as to bring a vehicle to a stop at a curb or at the side of a road leads to the definition of a garment, such as a sweater, designed that must be drawn over the head to be put on

24a        Begrudge being posted again? (6)
RESENT: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense denoting sent or posted a message, letter, package etc again that guides to the first a verb in the present tense meaning to feel bitterness or indignation at a circumstance, action or person from a sense of injury or insult, an example of which is to begrudge i.e. to envy someone the possession or enjoyment of something

25a        Turn lid on yoghurt, opening jar (6)
GYRATE: The definition of a verb meaning to turn round and round in a circle, usually very fast is got from the first or opening letter (lid) on Y[OGHURT] sneaking into or getting inside (opening) GRATE (jar) as to jar or make an unpleasant rasping sound

Down

1d           Heather left after council cleared out office (8)
CLERICAL: A combo of ERICA (heather) as a plant of the genus Erica, especially heather and L (left) as the abbreviation for left placed after (after) C[OUNCI]L with all its inner contents or interior letters removed (cleared out) guides to the definition of anything related to routine office work, record-keeping or administrative duties

2d           Clumsy elevation of marker in computing (5)
INEPT: The definition of an adjective meaning clumsy or having or showing no skill is arrived at from PEN (marker) as an instrument made of plastic or metal used for writing with ink, an example of which is a marker i.e. an ink-filled pen with a wide tip subject to an act of raising (elevation) as a reversal in the down clue placed inside (in) IT (computing) as an abbreviation for Information Technology, which broadly represents the field of computing, including computer hardware, software, digital processing and all systems used to create, store, manipulate and transmit data electronically

3d           Most of urn, it filling pot – proper sort? (7)
PURITAN: A combo of most of the letters (most of) UR[N] and IT from the clue placed inside (filling) PAN (pot) as a usually shallow and open metal container that has a handle and used for cooking or baking takes to the definition of a proper sort devoted to strict morality, religious discipline and spiritual purity

5d           Ceremony: one that is set up in European tourist destination (7)
POMPEII: POMP (ceremony) as a noun meaning ceremony and splendid display followed by a combo of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and IE (that is) as the abbreviated form of the Latin phrase id est meaning ‘that is’ taken upwards (set up) as a reversal in the down clue brings forth the definition of an ancient Roman city in Italy, preserved by volcanic ash and offering remarkable archaeological ruins and historical insights that is also a European tourist destination

6d           Uniform on wanderer that’s shabby – vest and pants, say (9)
UNDERWEAR: U (Uniform) as the letter represented by Uniform in the NATO phonetic alphabet followed by an anagram (that’s shabby) of WANDERER leads to the definition of clothing worn next to the skin under outer clothes, examples of which are vest, pants etc

7d           Always wily, head scratched in unusual manner (6)
EERILY: E’ER (always) as a poetic contraction of ever, meaning always, eternally or at all times followed by [W]ILY from the clue having the topmost letter W removed (head scratched) guides to the definition of an adverb denoting in a strange, unusual or frightening manner

9d           Cock with hen is stirred up for poultry dish! (7,4)
CHICKEN SOUP: An anagram (stirred) of a combo of COCK and (with) HEN IS combined followed by UP from the clue takes to the definition of a traditional poultry dish consisting of chicken meat, and often bones, cooked in a seasoned broth, typically with added ingredients such as vegetables, herbs and noodles or rice

14d        Nasty clothes are mostly second-hand (9)
VICARIOUS: VICIOUS (nasty) as deliberately cruel or violent or intentionally harmful or nasty covers (clothes) most of the letters (mostly) of AR[E], guiding to the definition of an adjective denoting obtained or undergone at second hand through sympathetic participation in another’s experiences

15d        So to say, how things used to be, ungrammatically? (2,2,4)
AS IT WERE: The definition of a phrase used as a qualifying phrase and meaning so to speak or say or in a kind of way is arrived at from describing a figurative past tense, even if it refers to a current state of affairs (how things used to be) where ‘ungrammatically’ signals that the wording is unconventional or idiomatic

17d        Disloyalty of duplicitous senator (7)
TREASON: The definition of a noun denoting disloyalty, treachery or betrayal is reached from an anagram (duplicitous) of SENATOR

18d        Youngster needs partner to the utmost degree (7)
TOTALLY: TOT (youngster) as a youngster or small child gets close to (needs) ALLY (partner) as a member or party to an alliance or a state or sovereign joined in league for co-operation in a common purpose, leading to the definition of an adverb meaning completely, absolute, to the maximum extent or to the utmost degree

19d        A curse having slipped disc (6)
SAUCER: An anagram (having slipped) of A CURSE takes to the definition of a noun meaning a flat circular plate or a disc used in throwing competitions like discus throw and frisbee flying disc sports

21d        Smell in a capital city, according to those who live there? (5)
AROMA: The definition of a noun denoting a distinctive, typically pleasant smell is reached from A from the clue and ROMA (capital city) as the Italian capital city of Rome as spelt by the inhabitants in their native language i.e. Italian and thus according to those who live there

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 11a, 12a, 16a, 23a, 5d, 9d, 14d, 15d, and 21d; the best of the lot being 14d. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Dada for the entertainment. Looking forward to being here again. Have an enjoyable day.