ST 3351 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3351

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 11^th January 2026

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely and friendly puzzle from Dada this Sunday which I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.

After solving the puzzle, I became interested in the etymology of the idiom, ‘hold all the cards’, the answer to the clue at 3d. I searched the internet and updated myself on its origin. The idiom, in its literal sense, comes directly from card-playing, where cards represent resources, options or power. In card games such as whist, bridge or poker, the player who is dealt the strongest or most numerous cards has a decisive advantage. Writers and the public adopted this literal advantage into a broader metaphor for controlling a competition, negotiation or argument. Metaphorically, therefore, that player controls how the game unfolds. Someone who holds all the cards has superior information, leverage or control and can largely dictate the outcome. The person who holds the most powerful cards, often aces or high trump cards, possesses the certainty to win or dictate terms. The figurative meaning developed in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, when card games were a common social reference point. By then, the phrase was used to mean being in a position of dominance, having all the advantages or to controlling the situation, as if holding the best hand that guarantees victory. A whole family of idioms also comes from the same source, for example, play your cards right, show your hand, keep (or play) your cards close to your chest, hold all the aces, stack the deck and hold a strong hand. All these expressions reflect the idea that life, negotiation or conflict resembles a card game, where power depends on what one is holding or what one chooses to reveal. Thus, the etymology is straightforward but enduring: whoever holds the cards holds the power.

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Across

8a           Serving of food is here in plate (4)
DISH: Part of or hidden inside (serving of) [FOO]D IS H[ERE] guides to the definition of a shallow, flat-bottomed container for cooking or serving food, an example of which is a plate, i.e. a flat dish, typically circular and made of china, from which food is eaten or served

9a           Frequently upper room won’t open (3)
OFT: The definition of the poetic version of the adverb ‘often’ is got from [L]OFT (room) as room or space immediately under a roof when its first or leading letter (upper) is made to close or removed (won’t open)

10a        Feeling about a loin and leg (6)
HAUNCH: HUNCH (feeling) as a feeling or guess based on intuition rather than fact place around (about) A from the clue leads to the definition of the leg and loin of venison etc

11a        Information in offer for engine part (3,3)
BIG END: GEN (information) as a slang term for general information placed inside (in) BID (offer) as an offer of a price, especially at an auction takes to the definition of the larger end of the connecting rod in an internal-combustion engine

12a        Fine piece for philosophy (8)
THINKING: A charade of THIN (fine) as fine, narrow and threadlike and KING (piece) as a fundamental piece used in playing chess representing the most important unit in the game guides to the definition of the process of considering or reasoning about something, an example of which is philosophy, i.e. the way that someone thinks about life and deals with it

13a        Seek the violator out in aggressive business dealings (7,8)
HOSTILE TAKEOVER: An anagram (out) of SEEK THE VIOLATOR leads to the definition of an acquisition of a company by another entity despite resistance by the company’s management and board of directors

15a        Service ending in prayer, shame originally unobserved (7)
AMENITY: The definition of a useful or pleasant facility or service is reached from AMEN (ending in prayer) as an interjection used at the end of a prayer meaning ‘so be it!’ and [P]ITY (shame) as shame or an unfortunate development, the original or first letter (originally) is not seen (unobserved)

17a        European city, new part appearing shabby (7)
ANTWERP: The definition of a busy port and financial centre on the Scheldt river in northern Belgium that is in Europe and hence a European city is reached when NEW PART from the clue is subject to an anagram (appearing shabby)

20a        Where to go when out making Victorian pickle (7,8)
CRICKET PAVILION: The definition of the main building within which the players usually change in dressing rooms and where a batsman goes back when out (to go when out) is reached from an anagram (making) of VICTORIAN PICKLE

23a        Member of the clergy fellow put down (8)
CHAPLAIN: The definition of a member of the clergy attached to a chapel is arrived at from a charade of CHAP (fellow) as an informal term for a fellow or guy and LAIN (put down) as a verb in the participle form denoting set or put someone or something down

25a        Heavens opening in downpour, zero pick up coats (2,4)
OH DEAR: The definition of an expression of surprise, sorrow, pity or dismay, an example of which is the interjection ‘heavens’ expressing surprise, disbelief, dismay etc is got from the opening or first letter (opening) of D[OWNPOUR] covered by (coats) a combo of O (zero) as the letter that resembles a zero and HEAR (pick up) as to pick up or get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally

26a        Story say written in advance (6)
LEGEND: The definition of a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated is reached from EG (say) as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ or ‘say’ shown inside (written in) LEND (advance) as to grant to someone the use of something on the understanding that it will be returned, an example of which is to advance, i.e. to lend money to someone

27a        Sundown in the veldt (3)
EVE: The definition of the poetic word for evening, that is the time of setting or going down of the sun and also known by the name sundown or sunset is part of or hidden inside (in) [TH]E VE[LDT]

28a        Return of hard liquor approaching (4)
NIGH: The comeback (return) as reversal in the across clue of a combo of H (hard) as the symbol for hard in lead pencils and GIN (liquor) as an alcoholic liquor obtained by distilling grain mash with juniper berries takes to the definition of an adjective meaning near or approaching

Down

1d           Very strong urge when one has black pocketed in pool (6)
LIBIDO: The definition of a vital or very strong urge, either in general or as of sexual origin is reached when a combo of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one alongwith (has) B (black) as the abbreviation for black is put inside (pocketed in) LIDO (pool) as an open-air swimming-pool

2d           The short right disposed of bully (8)
THREATEN: TH[E] from the clue is made brief by removing the last letter (short), followed by R (right) as the abbreviation for right and EATEN (disposed of) as a verb in the participle form meaning put food into the mouth and chewed and swallowed it, an example of which is disposed of, i.e. consumed food etc, especially in haste takes to the definition of a verb meaning to intimidate, menace or bully someone

3d           Be in strong position – as will dealer? (4,3,3,5)
HOLD ALL THE CARDS: The definition of an idiom denoting to be in a position of power or control over someone or something else is cryptically reached from the description of a dealer momentarily holding the whole pack of cards before shuffling and dealing

4d           Law, work of art impressing unionist in the end (7)
STATUTE: The definition of a law passed and enacted by the legislative body of a government is arrived at from STATUE (work of art) as a three-dimensional work of art, as a figure of a person or animal or an abstract form, carved in stone or wood, moulded in a plastic material, cast in bronze or the like bringing inside (impressing) the end or ultimate letter (in the end) of [UNIONIS]T

5d           Lessening bloom, wallflower (9,6)
SHRINKING VIOLET: A charade of SHRINKING (lessening) as lessening or becoming smaller in size or amount and VIOLET (bloom) as any bloom or flower of the genus Viola that is characteristically purplish-blue but sometimes yellow or white takes to the facetious definition of a shy, hesitant person, an example of which is a wallflower, i.e. one who does not participate in the activity at a social event because of shyness or unpopularity

6d           Winger away with the fairies? (6)
CUCKOO: Double definition; the second being an adjective colloquially denoting silly or slightly mad, an example of which is ‘away with the fairies’, an idiom meaning eccentric, distracted or slightly crazy, giving the impression of being in a dreamworld that takes to the first referring to a medium-sized, slender bird of the Cuculidae family that is noted for depositing its eggs in the nests of other birds who then rear the chicks as their own or cryptically a winger or one that has wings, e.g. a bird

7d           Search vessel that’s under suspicion, initially (4)
SCAN: The definition of a verb meaning to make a wide, sweeping search of something is reached from CAN (vessel) as a cylindrical metal container, an example of which is a vessel, i.e. a hollow container, especially one used to hold liquid that’s placed below in the down clue (under) the initial or first letter (initially) of S[USPICION]

14d        Corn in shaved goatee? (3)
EAR: The definition of a corn that is the seed-bearing part of cereal plants such as maize, wheat or barley is got after the outermost letters have been removed (shaved) of [B]EAR[D] (goatee) as a growth of hair on the chin and lower cheeks of a man’s face, an example of which is a goatee, i.e. a small pointed beard like that of a goat

16d        Damage from sheep on the up (3)
MAR: The definition of a verb meaning to impair, spoil or damage the quality or appearance of something is obtained from RAM (sheep) as an uncastrated male sheep moving in an upward direction (on the up) as a reversal in the down clue

18d        Endorsement of achievement anything but rare! (4,4)
WELL DONE: Double definition; the second denoting the highest level of doneness and opposite of rare in cooking, primarily used for beef steaks and roasts that takes to the first a standard phrase meaning endorsement, praise or approval for something achieved

19d        Dodgy person keeping scrounging, ultimately? (7)
SPONGER: An anagram (dodgy) of PERSON holding inside (keeping) the ultimate or last letter (ultimately) of [SCROUNGIN]G leads to the definition of someone who relies on others for money, food or lodging without contributing or paying back, essentially living off others like a parasite in this all-in-one clue

21d        Very little money for policeman (6)
COPPER: Double definition; the second referring to a slang term for a police officer that takes to the first an old slang term denoting a penny, i.e. a very small amount of money

     

22d        After content of box, reach for fruit (6)
ORANGE: After the inner letter (content) of [B]O[X] from the clue is followed by RANGE (reach) as to vary or extend between specified limits, an example of which is to reach i.e. to extend one’s hand or arm in an attempt to touch or grasp something, the definition is got for a large round juicy citrus fruit with a tough bright reddish-yellow rind and a sweet edible pulp

24d        Listen and hear everything every day, for starters (4)
HEED: The definition of a verb meaning to listen and follow is deduced from the starting or initial letters (for starters) of H[EAR] E[VERYTHING] E[VERY] D[AY]

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 10a, 12a, 15a, 20a, 23a, 28a, 27a, 3d, 5d, 6d and 18d; 20a being the top of the lot. 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.