Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31145
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 24th January 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, lovely Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
Although I could guess that ‘capriccioso’, the word in the clue at 30a, is an Italian adverb used as an anagram indicator, I later learnt from the BRB that this was indeed the case and that it ultimately came from the Latin caper. In fact, the whole clue at 30a contains words of Italian origin connected with music and all the big main ones, that is, larghetto, capriccioso and tutti, except for the one-letter word ‘e’, have been adapted into English. From the internet, I further learned that larghetto is a musical adverbial term meaning ‘rather slow’ or ‘somewhat broad’ in tempo. It indicates a pace that is slower than andante but a little faster and lighter than largo. Music marked larghetto should feel calm, spacious and flowing, without being heavy or dragged out. E in Italian and in this clue means ‘and’, although it is otherwise the third note or sound of the natural diatonic scale, the major third above the tonic C. Capriccioso is a musical term meaning playful, whimsical or capricious in style. When music is marked capriccioso, it should be performed with sudden changes in mood, tempo or dynamics, giving it a free-spirited, unpredictable character rather than a strict, formal one. Again, tutti is a musical term meaning ‘all together’ and the plural of ‘tutto’ and ‘altogether’ as an answer is an oddity. Tutti functions as an adjective denoting all performers. As a noun, it refers to a passage for the whole orchestra or choir or to its performance. It indicates that the entire ensemble or orchestra plays, as opposed to a soloist or a small group and is often seen in contrast with solo passages, especially in concertos.
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Across
1a Game defender with empty gun loaded? (10)
BACKGAMMON: The definition of a board game for two players with dice and fifteen men or pieces each is arrived at from BACK (defender) as someone who defends or guards the goal, as in football and (with) taking only the outermost letters (empty) of G[U]N having inside AMMO (loaded) as a familiar contraction of ammunition i.e. a supply or quantity of bullets
6a Millions extracted from newspaper associations (4)
TIES: M (millions) as the abbreviation for millions removed away (extracted) from TI[M]ES (newspaper) as referring to The Times, a newspaper daily taking to the definition meaning affiliations or associations
10a Allowed to suffer initial deprivation? Shocking (5)
AWFUL: [L]AWFUL (allowed) as an adjective meaning rightful or allowed by law to undergo the sacrifice of (suffer) the initial or first letter (initial) of L[OSS] (deprivation) takes to the definition of an adjective denoting shocking, horrific or dreadful
11a Preacher lively sort full of charm (9)
GOSPELLER: The definition of the preacher of the gospel that is the teaching of Christ is arrived at from GOER (lively sort) as a lively, energetic person filled with or having inside (full of) SPELL (charm) as charm, magic or fascination
12a Best study hard to get a grip on English (5)
CREAM: The definition of a noun meaning the best one or most essential part of something is got from CRAM (study hard) as to study or work hard, especially when pressed for time to secure hold or have inside (get a grip on) E (English) as the abbreviation for English
13a Dish in part served with seconds in box (9)
CASSEROLE: The definition of a dish, usually of earthenware, glass or cast iron, in which food is both baked and served is reached from ROLE (part) as a character or part preceded by or coming after (served with) S (seconds) as the abbreviation for seconds placed inside (in) CASE (box) as a box with its contents
14a Asian noodles course great – daughter tucked in (3,4)
PAD THAI: The definition of a famous dish of stir-fried noodles from Thailand that is in Asia and hence Asian noodles is obtained from a combo of PATH (course) as the course, route or direction along which something travels or moves and AI (great) as A-one, first-rate, first class, excellent or great, where I (one) stands for the Roman numeral for one having inside (tucked in) D (daughter) as the genealogical abbreviation for daughter
16a Enthusiast in protest before noon (5)
DEMON: The definition of a person of great energy or enthusiasm or skill is arrived at from DEMO (protest) as a short for demonstration that is a public expression of feelings, especially of protest placed in front of (before) N (noon) as the abbreviation of noon
19a Some extreme talent needed for heavy music (5)
METAL: Part of or hidden inside (some … needed) [EXTRE]ME TAL[ENT] takes to the definition referring to heavy metal, a musical phrase denoting a music that is very loud, brash rock and often with shouted, violent lyrics
20a See 4 Down
22a Port often chilled from main investor (9)
ARCHANGEL: The definition of a port in north-west Russia on the Dvina River that remains often chilled, as called in English and referring to Arkhangelsk, is got from a charade of ARCH (main) as chief, principal, leading or main and ANGEL (investor) as an investor in a venture, especially a backer of a theatrical production
26a Frigg ultimately appears in this swirling vision (5)
SIGHT: The ultimate or the last letter (ultimately) of [FRIG]G seen inside (appears in) an anagram (swirling) of THIS takes to the definition of vision, the power or faculty of seeing or perception of objects by the use of the eyes
27a Robin left-wing as Bert’s revolutionary (9)
REDBREAST: The definition of any of various birds that have a red breast, an example of which is robin is got from RED (left-wing) as an adjective denoting leftist, radical or revolutionary followed by an anagram (revolutionary) of AS BERT (as Bert’s)
28a Flooded? Get wife into a tree (5)
AWASH: The definition of an adjective meaning flooded, inundated, covered with water or washed over by the waves is reached from W (wife) as the genealogical abbreviation for wife placed inside (into) a combo of A from the clue and ASH (tree) as a well-known timber tree of the olive family
29a Oscar cuts into overcooked fish (4)
DORY: O (Oscar) as the letter represented by Oscar in the NATO phonetic alphabet gets inside (cuts into) DRY (overcooked) as overcooked, overdone or having lost too much moisture, making the cooked food as burnt or inedible that takes to the definition of a golden-yellow fish of the mackerel family, official called sea wolf
30a Larghetto e capriccioso: tutti? (10)
ALTOGETHER: An anagram (capriccioso) of LARGHETTO E guides to the definition of a plural adjective denoting all the players or performers, as in music
Down
1d Bishop managed church’s regional office (6)
BRANCH: A charade of B (bishop) as the abbreviation for bishop in chess notation, RAN (managed) as a verb in the past tense denoting managed, controlled or directed and CH (church) as the abbreviation for church lead to the definition of one of the offices or groups that form part of a large business organisation, an example of which is a regional office
2d Drinks dispenser Charlie no longer taking three drugs? (6,3)
COFFEE POT: The definition of a pot in which coffee is prepared and served is arrived at from a charade of C (Charlie) as the letter represented by Charlie in NATO phonetic alphabet, OFF (no longer) as no longer taking place or no longer on the menu and E, E and POT (three drugs) as respectively referring to twice E (drug) as the abbreviation for Ecstasy that is a drug taken for stimulant and hallucinogenic properties and once to the drug cannabis in any of it forms, including marijuana and hashish
3d Lass circling ancient sea gets first prize (4,5)
GOLD MEDAL: GAL (lass) as an informal term for a woman or girl, an example of which is a lass i.e. a girl or young woman, especially one who is unmarried surrounding or enclosing (circling) OLD (ancient) as ancient, pre-historic or belonging to a remote or former period in history leads to the definition of the medal awarded to a person as first prize in a competition
4d and 20 Across Time gran wasted fixing family image projector (5,7)
MAGIC LANTERN: An anagram (wasted) of TIME GRAN taking inside (fixing) CLAN (family) as a family or a group of people of common descent guides to the definition of an apparatus for projecting pictures on slides on to a screen
5d Period in pub with alumnus at first displaying fixation (9)
OBSESSION: SESSION (period in pub) as referring to a pub crawl i.e. an excursion to a series of pubs or bars, usually taking one drink at each stop preceded by or coming after (with … at first) OB (alumnus) as the abbreviation for ‘old boy’ who is a former pupil or alumnus of a particular institution exhibiting the definition of a fixation or an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone
7d Current despondency unending in White House (5)
IGLOO: I (current) as the symbol for electrical current as in physics followed by most of the letters (unending) of GLOO[M] (despondency) as gloom, melancholy or depression takes to the definition of a dome-shaped Inuit house, usually built of blocks of solid white snow that is cryptically referred to as the White House
8d Gear sent out for Bilko perhaps (8)
SERGEANT: An anagram (out) of GEAR SENT leads to the definition of a police officer ranking below an inspector, an example of which is Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko, the army sergeant who talks fast and is dishonest in the classic 1950s sitcom, ‘The Phil Silvers Show’, or ‘Sergeant Bilko’, famously played by Phil Silvers and later in a 1996 film by Steve Martin
9d Games with the French genius on pitch (4)
PELÉ: PE (games) as the abbreviation for physical education that is taught in schools that involves physical exercises and organised games and (with) LE (the French) as the definite article ‘the’ in French language used in front of a singular, masculine word forming a charade leads to the definition of the nickname of a straight-up footballing genius on the pitch whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento
15d His cup landlady emptied in corner bar (4,5)
HOLY GRAIL: The definition of a legendary chalice or cup used by Christ at the Last Supper is got from L[ANDLAD]Y from which the inner letters have been removed (emptied) and placed inside (in) HOG (corner) as to monopolise, dominate or corner the market and followed by RAIL (bar) as a bar extending horizontally between supports, as in a fence
16d Raised velocity on walk in cosmic region (4,5)
DEEP SPACE: SPEED (velocity) as distance travelled per unit time or velocity that is taken upwards (raised) as a reversal in the down clue and placed upon (on) PACE (walk) as to walk or stride back and forth across guides to the definition of the cosmic region far beyond Earth’s atmosphere of the Earth-Moon system and immediate gravitational influence, where celestial objects, interstellar matter, and near-vacuum conditions dominate
17d Beastly comment about new diagram in treatise (9)
MONOGRAPH: MOO (beastly comment) to emit the deep, bellowing sound of a cow or bull placed around (about) N (new) as the abbreviation for new and followed with GRAPH (diagram) as a diagram consisting of a line or lines drawn to show changes in some quantity guides to the definition of a learned treatise on a particular subject
18d Spoilt brat shown on TV (8)
IMPAIRED: The definition of an adjective meaning harmed, injured or spoilt is reached from a charade of IMP (brat) and AIRED (shown on TV) as broadcasted on television or telecasted or shown on TV
21d Artist cold in clear upper air (6)
ETCHER: The definition of a person who etches or whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination, an example of which is an artist i.e. a person who practices or is skilled in an art, especially painting, drawing or sculpture is reached from C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold as to designate cold water in a faucet placed inside (in) ETHER (clear upper air) as referring to the upper regions of space or the clear, upper air
23d Regressing predictably involves drink (5)
CIDER: Part of or hidden inside (involves) of [P]REDIC[TABLY] in a backward direction (regressing) as a reversal in the down clue takes to the definition of an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of apple
24d Brill around river area (4)
ACRE: ACE (brill) as a slang adjective meaning top-notch, first-rate, superb or excellent, an example of which is brill i.e. an informal term denoting excellent or wonderful placed about (around) R (river) as the abbreviation for River, used especially for maps in an atlas or a geography book guides to the definition of a unit of area used in certain English-speaking countries, equal to 4840 square yards
25d Header missed in tight draw (5)
LOTTO: The head or first letter in the down clue (header) undergoing removal (missed) in [B]LOTTO (tight) as an adjective meaning extremely drunk, intoxicated or tight takes to the definition of a lottery draw in which numbers are drawn at random for a prize
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 14a, 22a, 30a, 2d, 3d, 4d, 15d and 23d; 30a being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to NYDK for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.