Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31115
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 20th December 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A very pleasant Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
This time, I was curious to know the story of the legendary lover Isolde, the answer to the clue at 11a and so, after solving the puzzle, explored the internet to learn about her in detail. It was a fascinating search. Isolde is one of the most famous figures in medieval romance, celebrated as the tragic lover of the knight Tristan in one of the great love stories of Arthurian and Celtic legend. In the traditional narrative, Isolde is an Irish princess, the daughter of a king, whose beauty and allure are central to the unfolding drama of love and destiny that defines her story. Her tale is rooted in early medieval Celtic traditions but was adapted and expanded in French, German and later English romances from the twelfth century onward, becoming a defining narrative of chivalric literature. The basic arc of the legend begins when Tristan, a noble knight serving his uncle King Mark of Cornwall, journeys to Ireland to bring Isolde back to Cornwall to be Mark’s bride. During the return voyage, based on different versions, Tristan and Isolde either accidentally drink or deliberately share a love potion intended to bind Isolde to Mark. Whatever the precise circumstances, the effect is immediate and fateful. Tristan and Isolde become hopelessly and irrevocably in love, bound to each other by a force stronger than duty or social constraint. This powerful, magical love becomes the engine of the narrative, leading them into a secret and adulterous affair that must be concealed from King Mark and the royal court. The emotional intensity and forbidden nature of their passion make Isolde not simply a figure of romantic attachment but a symbol of love that defies the obligations of honour, loyalty and duty. Throughout the various narrations of their story, Isolde’s character is depicted as both beautiful and complex. In the prose traditions and later adaptations, she is often called Isolde the Fair, celebrated for her extraordinary beauty, grace and presence, which captivate not only Tristan but also the audiences of these medieval romances. Her inner conflict between loyalty to her husband, King Mark and love for Tristan adds dramatic tension to the narrative, portraying her as a figure caught between societal expectations and the overpowering demands of her heart. Even when married to Mark, Isolde’s relationship with Tristan continues in secret, aided by loyal companions such as her maid Brangäne, whose actions often influence the lovers’ fortunes. The tragic dimension of Isolde’s story comes to the forefront in the final episodes of the legend. After years of struggle, betrayal and concealment, the lovers are ultimately discovered or separated and Tristan is mortally wounded. He sends for Isolde, believing only she can heal him and sets a signal by the colour of the ship’s sail, a motif that has echoed through literary tradition ever since. Miscommunication leads Tristan to believe Isolde has refused him and he dies in despair. When Isolde finally reaches him, she dies of grief at his side, death uniting them as they could not be fully united in life. Their graves are said to produce intertwining trees, symbolising an eternal attachment that transcends death itself. Isolde’s legend has endured for nearly a millennium, inspiring poets, dramatists and composers. Perhaps the most famous artistic adaptation is Richard Wagner’s opera ‘Tristan und Isolde’ (1865), which reframes their story in powerful musical terms and reflects on the themes of love, longing and transcendence that have fascinated audiences across centuries.
I have treated ‘leave’ in 22a as a surface padding rather than instruction and would have loved seeing the clue as ‘QI host and I proceeding to US city (3,5)’.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Actor playing on any screen (4,7)
SEAN CONNERY: The definition of the celebrated Scottish film actor known especially for appearing as James Bond during the 1960s in films is reached from an anagram (playing) of ON ANY SCREEN
7a Offender, young man, seeing red? (7)
CRIMSON: CRIM (offender) as an informal term for a criminal who is guilty of a crime and is thus an offender or lawbreaker followed by SON (young man) as used by an older person as a form of address for a boy or young man takes to the definition of a deep or vivid red colour
8a Almost dead – perhaps Dennis suffocates! (7)
STIFLES: Most of the letters (almost) of STIF[F] (dead) as a slang term for an adjective denoting dead followed by LES (perhaps Dennis) as referring to Les Dennis, theEnglish television presenter, actor and comedian who presented ‘Family Fortunes’ from 1987 to 2002 and whose full name is Leslie Dennis Heseltine leads to the definition of a verb in the third person singular present tense meaning suffocates, asphyxiates, smothers or prevents someone from breathing easily
10a Criminal alarmed new official (8)
ALDERMAN: An anagram (criminal) of ALARMED followed by N (new) as the abbreviation for new guides to the definition of a high official or head of a guild in English boroughs
11a Legendary lover‘s confession from dealer? (6)
ISOLDE: The definition of the legendary lover of Tristan, a heroic knight in medieval romance is arrived from I SOLD E (confession from dealer) as a confession for one engaged in commercial purchase and sale of E, the colloquial abbreviation used in parlance for Ecstasy that is a drug taken for stimulant and hallucinogenic properties
13a Belief kids fear outsiders? The opposite! (4)
IDEA: The definition of an idea, feeling, impression etc, accepted as true is fetched from the insiders (outsiders? The opposite!) as the opposite of outsiders i.e. taking the inner letters of [K]ID[S] [F]EA[R]
14a Standard outing, I understand (5,5)
JOLLY ROGER: The definition of a nautical term denoting the traditional pirate standard or flag, consisting of a white skull and crossbones on a black field is deduced from a charade of JOLLY (outing) as a colloquial term for an outing, a trip, especially at someone else’s expenses and ROGER (I understand) as a word used in signalling and radio communication for R, in the sense of message received and understood
16a Long-term strategy: smear chap for Spooner (6,4)
MASTER PLAN: The definition of a comprehensive long-term strategy or outline of a project or government function is reached when a combo of PLASTER (smear) as to smear, coat or daub and MAN (chap) as an adult male, colloquially referred to as chap is subject to an utterance involving spoonerism (for Spooner) as to utter a verbal error in which a speaker transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect
18a Maybe Billy hid old trousers (4)
IDOL: The definition referring to perhaps the surname of the celebrated English rock singer, whose first name is Billy, is part of or hidden inside (trousers) of [H]ID OL[D]
21a Flier heard couple getting stick, briefly (6)
TOUCAN: The definition of any of various large tropical American fruit-eating birds of the family Ramphastidae, with large brightly-coloured peaks is reached from a homophone heard by the audience (heard) of TWO (couple) as referring to a pair or couple having alongside (getting) CAN[E] (stick) as a stick used as an aid to walking or as an instrument of punishment made brief or cut short with the deletion of last letter (briefly)
22a QI host and I leave for US city (3,5)
SAN DIEGO: SANDI (QI host) as referring to Sandi Toksvig, the Danish-British broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer on British radio, stage and television who was also the host of the BBC television quiz show QI in 2016 followed by (and) EGO (I) as referring to the ‘I’ or self, that which is conscious and thinks takes to the definition of the port and second largest city of the US state of California
24a Company manufactured a nice drug (7)
COCAINE: CO (company) as the abbreviation for company followed by an anagram (manufactured) of A NICE leads to the definition of an addictive drug derived from coca or prepared synthetically, used as an illegal stimulant and sometimes medicinally as a local anaesthetic
25a Support my explanation for the audience’s entertainment (7)
KARAOKE: A combo of CARRY (support) as to support and move something from one place to another and O (my) as an interjection used to express wonder, admiration or surprise, an example of which is ‘my’ i.e. an interjection expressing surprise and KEY (explanation) as explanation, guide or interpretation serving as homophones (for the audience) is leading to the definition of an entertainment of Japanese origin in which people take it in turns to sing well-known songs over a pre-recorded backing tape
26a Some cotton on: part is annoying for neutral (3-8)
NON-PARTISAN: Part of or hidden inside (some) [COTTO]N ON: PART IS AN[NOYING] guides to the definition of an adjective denoting neutral, independent, impartial or unprejudiced
Down
1d Scoundrel hosting oddly dull do (7)
SWINDLE: SWINE (scoundrel) as a contemptible or unpleasant person, an example of which is a scoundrel i.e. an unprincipled, dishonourable person or a wicked or evil person taking inside (hosting) the oddly-placed letters (oddly) of D[U]L[L] guides to the definition of a verb meaning to cheat or defraud someone, especially of money, an example of which is to do i.e. a slang term denoting to cheat, swindle or overreach
2d Silly sailors for all to see on road (6)
ABSURD: The definition of an adjective meaning wildly unreasonable, illogical, inappropriate or silly is reached from AB’S (sailors) as the plural of the abbreviation AB for able-bodied i.e. seaman or a person who works as a sailor, especially below the rank of an officer, U (for all to see) as the abbreviation for universal that serves as a certification for motion pictures allowing people of all age to view placed upon in the down clue (on) RD (road) as the abbreviation for road used especially in addresses and on maps or signs
3d Fruit, peanut and cola mixed together (10)
CANTALOUPE: The definition of a small round melon of a variety with orange flesh and ribbed skin is got from an anagram (mixed together) of a combo of PEANUT and COLA
4d New physio regularly turned up for something to eat (4)
NOSH: N (new) as the abbreviation for new followed by the regular letters (regularly) of [P]H[Y]S[I]O in a upward direction in the down clue (turned up) takes to the definition of an informal term for food, i.e. something to eat
5d Agent wasted year framing young girl (8)
EMISSARY: The definition of a person sent as a diplomatic representative on a special mission, an example of which is an agent i.e. a person who acts in an official capacity for a government is obtained from an anagram (wasted) of YEAR taking inside (framing) MISS (young girl) as used as a form of address for a girl or young woman
6d Golly! EU getting reformed may be what’s on the table in winter (4,3)
YULE LOG: GOLLY! EU from the clue subject to an anagram (getting reformed) guides to the definition of a Christmas dessert or pudding consisting of a sheet of sponge cake that is layered with a cream filling, rolled up, frosted and decorated to look like a log and therefore what’s on the table in winter
7d “Winning daily is dull,” I claim initially (11)
CHARISMATIC: The definition of an adjective denoting winning people or possessing an extraordinary charm, appeal or ability to attract them is reached from a combination of CHAR (daily) as a woman employed as a cleaner in a house or office, an example of which is a daily i.e. a non-resident servant, especially a cleaning woman, IS from the clue, MAT (dull) as an adjective meaning dull or lustreless, especially of a surface, I from the clue again and lastly the initial or first letter (initially) of C[LAIM]
9d State one blunder in first auction? (6,5)
SIERRA LEONE: The definition of a country on the west coast of West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean is reached from a combo of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and ERR (blunder) as a verb meaning to blunder or make a mistake placed inside (in) SALE ONE (first auction) as the first auction, or more specifically, since an auction is a sale, the first auction would be sale one
12d Place to buy a jumper? (4,6)
FLEA MARKET: The definition of a colloquial term for a shop, collection of stalls etc selling second-hand goods is cryptically arrived at from a MARKET or a place where one can buy (place to buy) a FLEA (a jumper) as a small wingless jumping insect which feeds on the blood of mammals, or precisely, FLEA MARKET
15d Telling mum? (8)
RELATION: Double definition; the second meaning a connection or link between two people or referring to a person who is a member of the same family as another person, an example of which is mum, the colloquial term for a mother, used especially by a child to address or refer to its mother i.e. the female parent and often the primary caregiver that takes to the first denoting an act of telling or narrating a story or account
17d Little against having food first (7)
SOUPÇON: The definition denoting little or a very small quantity of something is obtained from CON (against) as the abbreviation for the Latin word contra meaning against follows (having … first) SOUP (food) as a usually savoury liquid food made by boiling meat, fish, vegetables etc, with seasoning in stock or water and frequently served as a first course
19d Become weaker, and did admit saving energy (3,4)
DIE DOWN: The definition of a verb meaning to slowly or gradually become weaker or less strong is got from a combo of DID from the clue and OWN (admit) as to admit or acknowledge that something is the case or that one feels a certain way taking inside (saving) E (energy) as the symbol for energy as a quantitative property in physics
20d Loves a party followed by short sleep? (6)
ADORES: The definition of a verb in the third person singular present tense is arrived at from A from the clue, DO (party) as an informal term for a party or other social event and (followed by) RES[T] (sleep) as sleep or repose or a period of this having most of the letters or made or cut short by removing the last letter (short)
23d Trump slogan with first vowel changed will be great (4)
MEGA: M[A]GA (Trump slogan) as the slogan in the abbreviated form of ‘Make America Great Again’ of Donald Trump, President of the United States having (with) A (first vowel) as the first A of the two A’s converted to E (changed) leads to the definition of a slang term for an adjective meaning extremely good, successful or great
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 11a, 14a, 16a, 22a, 1d, 6d, 7d, 12d and 17d; 16a being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to the setter for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.
3*/3* …
liked 12D “Place to buy a jumper ? (4,6)”