ST 3354 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3354

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 1^st February 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A slightly tough but intelligible puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of the puzzle for your meticulous perusal and valuable feedback.

The reference to Turner in the clue at 24d piqued my curiosity and after solving the puzzle I had a glimpse of his tidal images on relevant websites. Turner’s art is inseparable from the movement of the sea and tides play a central role in both the visual structure and emotional force of many of his paintings and watercolours. Turner was fascinated by the ocean not as a static subject but as a living, shifting presence and the rise and fall of tides offered him a natural means of expressing change, drama and the passage of time. Living in a period when Britain’s national identity was closely bound to maritime power and coastal life, Turner travelled extensively, sketching harbours, estuaries and shorelines and observing how tides continually transformed the same landscape. In works such as ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ and ‘Snow Storm: Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth’, the influence of tidal movement is suggested through swirling currents, advancing or retreating shorelines and vessels caught between control and surrender to the sea. This interest is made especially explicit in ‘Fishermen at Sea’, Turner’s first oil painting exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art, where moonlit waves and rolling water imply the powerful pull of the tide, dwarfing the small fishing boats and heightening a sense of human vulnerability. The tide here is not merely implied motion but a governing force that shapes the emotional tone of the painting, reinforcing Turner’s Romantic fascination with nature’s dominance over human endeavour. A similar preoccupation appears in ‘Fishing upon the Blythe-Sand’, which focuses on the quiet but inexorable moment when an incoming tide begins to reclaim the land, creeping across sandbanks and placing fishermen, animals and livelihoods at risk. Rather than depicting sudden catastrophe, Turner captures the slow inevitability of tidal change, using it to build tension and to emphasise time’s relentless progress. These tidal elements also served Turner’s technical ambitions, allowing him to explore the effects of light, reflection, haze and colour as the sea’s surface altered with depth and movement, particularly in watercolour, where fluidity mirrored the subject itself. On a practical level, Turner’s attention to tides reflected the realities of coastal existence, where fishing, shipping and trade were dictated by the sea’s rhythms, making his scenes grounded in lived experience as well as artistic imagination. More broadly, tides resonated with Turner’s Romantic sensibility, symbolising transience, uncertainty and the smallness of humanity within a vast and indifferent natural world. By embedding the ebb and flow of the sea into his compositions, Turner transformed tidal movement into both a visual engine and a metaphorical language, one through which he could explore emotional intensity, temporal change, and the enduring power of nature, ultimately making tides a fundamental and recurring presence in his vision of the maritime world.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

8a           It’s tricky to handle this stew, small amount unfinished (3,6)
HOT POTATO: The definition of a phrase referring to a situation or issue that is difficult, unpleasant or risky to deal with i.e. it’s tricky to handle is reached from HOT POT (stew) as a traditional stew from Lancashire, a ceremonial county in North-West England followed by ATO[M] (small amount) as a little bit or extremely small amount of something that is devoid of its last or terminal letter (unfinished)

10a        Wanton ladies and gentlemen, chaste finally (5)
LOOSE: The definition of an adjective meaning wanton or lacking conventional moral restraint in sexual behaviour is reached from LOOS (ladies and gentlemen) as a plural of an informal term for a toilet, one meant for ladies and another for gentlemen, followed by the final or terminal letter (finally) of [CHAST]E

11a        A bit short, and being tweaked? (7,3,5)
FEELING THE PINCH: Double definition; the second literally denoting experiencing the pinch or being tweaked or pinched i.e. being gripped tightly and sharply between finger and thumb by someone that takes to the first an idiom meaning being or feeling constrained by recent financial hardship or not having as much money as one used to have before

12a        Lines read in poem by nipper recalled (7)
BARCODE: The definition of a series of lines of varying width, printed, as on a container or product, that can be read by an optical scanner to determine charges for purchases, destinations for letters etc is reached from ODE (poem) as a lyric poem expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion preceded by or placed after (by) CRAB (nipper) as a sea creature with five pairs of legs and a round, flat body covered by a shell and having a tendency to nip, pinch or bit, an example of which is a nipper referring to any living being or thing that nips, an example being a crab with its large pincer-like claw that’s also called nipper coming from the other end (recalled) as a reversal in the across clue

13a        In the zone where margarine might go? (2,1,4)
ON A ROLL: Double definition; the second is the obvious response that margarine might go physically on a bread roll that takes to the first an idiom meaning experiencing a series of successes, without any setbacks or low points, an example of which is ‘in the zone’ i.e. referring to a mental state of intense focus, concentration and immersion in an activity, leading to peak performance and effortless, highly skilled execution

15a        Celestial body, if not OK, hit rocks by the way (4,2,5,2,2)
COME TO THINK OF IT: COMET (celestial body) as a celestial body with a central solid mass and a tail of dust and gas and that orbits the sun along a highly eccentric course followed by an anagram (rocks) of IF NOT OK, HIT takes to the definition of a casual way of saying incidentally, now that I remember or by the way

19a        Conference remains a shambles (7)
SEMINAR: The definition of a conference or a meeting for exchange of ideas is arrived at from an anagram (A SHAMBLES) of REMAINS

22a        Deliver collection, payment about right (3,4)
SET FREE: The definition of a verb meaning to deliver, release, liberate or grant freedom is reached from SET (collection) as a collection of objects or elements classed together followed by FEE (payment) as a payment asked by professional people or public servants for their services placed across (about) R (right) as the abbreviation for right

24a        Consider deposit? (4,4,7)
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: Double verbal definition; the second referring to deposit funds i.e. to put money into an account, usually maintained with bank that takes to the first meaning to consider, think about or keep in mind someone or something for the future

26a        Exercise – bit required with that? (5)
DRILL: Double definition; the second denoting bit required with drill i.e. a drill bit attached to a drill that is a boring machine or hand tool that can bore a hole into the surface or material being drilled that takes to the first referring to a form of intensive instruction, practice or training, typically by means of repeated exercises, for example, a military drill

27a        Vacuous clerk read through review of a poorer musical show (4,5)
ROCK OPERA: C[LER]K from the clue having the inner letters removed (vacuous) and surrounded by (read through) an anagram (review) of A POORER guides to the definition of a type of musical album, performance or show that tells a cohesive story and follows a narrative theme that emerged in the late 1960s

Down

1d           Might one make a little lunch efficiently? (4)
CHEF: The definition of the chief cook, especially in a restaurant or hotel, responsible for menu planning and overseeing food preparation (might one make) as cryptically formed is seen as part of or hidden inside (a little) [LUN]CH EF[FICIENTLY] in this all-in-one clue

2d           Tile floor in bathroom, accomplishin’ nothing outside (6)
DOMINO: The definition of an individual rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ends in a tile-based games played with pieces is reached from the bottom or last letter (floor) in [BATHROO]M as placed in the down clue surrounded by or having on its outside (outside) a combo of  DOIN’ (accomplishin’) as representing ‘doing’ in a truncated form meaning carrying out, completing or ‘accomplishing’ a task, similarly devoid of the last letter as in the clue and O (nothing) as the letter representing naught or nothing

3d           Special agents with it, most sharp (8)
TANGIEST: An anagram (special) of a combo of AGENTS and (with) IT leads to the definition of an adjective in the superlative degree meaning having the strongest sour and zesty flavour, an example of which is sharpest or most sharp denoting most acidic or most intensely tangy, especially of food, taste or smell

4d           I see love in abridged novel, alas and alack! (3-3)
BOO-HOO: A combo of OH (I see) as an expression of surprise, an example of which is ‘I see’ and O (love) as love or the score of zero in a game of tennis placed inside (in) a shortened version or having most of the letters (abridged) of BOO[K] (novel) as a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction takes to the definition of sound of noisy weeping or an onomatopoeic expression representing exaggerated or childish crying, an example of which is alas and alack, old-fashioned expression of sorrow, regret or dismay or basically a doubled-up sigh, alas being an exclamation of grief or pity and alack an older, now mostly obsolete cry of disappointment or lament

5d           Fold and lift up thick biscuit (8)
FLAPJACK: A charade of FLAP (fold) as to fold, toss, shut etc smartly, roughly or noisily and JACK (lift up) as to lift up or move something with the help of a special device guides to the definition of a thick, soft and chewy biscuit or cake made with rolled oats, butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and sometimes fruit

6d           Island endured occupation originally (6)
BORNEO: The definition of the third-largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea, that is located in the extreme south-western part of the Pacific Ocean is got from BORNE (endured) as a past participle of bear meaning endured, suffered or tolerated followed by the originating or head letter in the down clue (originally) of O[CCUPATION]

7d           Network I mustn’t tell! (4)
MESH: The definition of a net or network, for example, interlaced threads or interconnected systems is arrived at from a charade of ME (I) as a personal pronoun in the form of I used for the objective case or first person singular, referring to oneself and SH (mustn’t tell) as an interjection used to signal someone to be quiet, often by bringing a finger to the lips, indicating they should not reveal anything

9d           Article on more fanciful proposition (7)
THEOREM: THE (article) as the definite article in the English language placed upon in the down clue (on) an anagram (fanciful) of MORE guides to the definition of a proposition that can be deduced from the premises or assumptions of a system

12d        County revenue earned abroad (5)
BUCKS: Double nounal definition; the second denoting the plural of an informal term for a dollar of the United States and hence a revenue that cannot be earned in the United Kingdom that has ‘pound’, also known as sterling, as its currency, but from the United States i.e. abroad that takes to the first referring to the abbreviation of Buckinghamshire, a county in South England

14d        Drink, second of the two unfinished (5)
LATTE: The definition of strong espresso coffee served with a topping of frothed steamed milk is deduced from LATTE[R] (second of the two) that is the second of two mentioned things, between ‘former’ and ‘latter’ and devoid of the terminal or end letter (unfinished)

16d        Real book, one turned up in jumble (8)
TANGIBLE: The definition of an adjective meaning real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary is arrived at from a combo of B (book) as the abbreviation for book and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one in an upward direction (turned up) as reversals in the down clue placed inside (in) TANGLE (jumble) as a maze or confused jumble

17d        Acne isn’t treated, for example (8)
INSTANCE: An anagram (treated) of ACNE ISN’T guides to the definition of a noun denoting an occurrence of something or an example that is cited to prove or invalidate a contention or illustrate a point

18d        King’s ransom assigned to music (7)
FORTUNE: The definition of a great accumulation of wealth or a large amount of money, an example of which is a king’s ransom i.e. a very large amount of money or valuables is got from a charade of FOR (assigned to) as a preposition meaning in favour of or attributed or assigned to someone and TUNE (music) as referring to a pleasing succession of musical tones forming an air or melody

20d        Triumph: manufacture that thing (4,2)
MAKE IT: The definition of a verb meaning to achieve a goal, be successful or triumph is obtained from a charade of MAKE (manufacture) as to create or manufacture a product and  IT (that thing) as used to refer to a thing previously mentioned or easily identified

21d        Step down, or go upstairs? (6)
RETIRE: Double verbal definition; the second denoting to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation or sleep or literally to go to bed by moving to an upper floor or a bedroom, especially in older usage that takes to the first meaning to stop performing one’s work or withdraw from one’s position or from active participation, especially due to old age or as per service rule.

23d        Wrong counts in US city (6)
TUCSON: An anagram (wrong) of COUNTS leads to the definition of the second most populous city coming after the capital city Phoenix in Arizona, United States

24d        Turner in watercolours? (4)
TIDE: A cryptic definition of the ebb and flow of ocean as depicted in the many famous watercolour paintings of coastal scenes and turbulent, often violent, dramatic seascapes by Turner, the English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist, whose full name was Joseph Mallard William Turner

25d        Feeder in fact eating! (4)
TEAT: The definition of the nipple of a mammary gland through which milk is discharged and which serves as a feeder for the baby is part of or hidden inside (in) [FAC]T EAT[ING!]

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 8a, 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a, 15a, 24a, 2d, 8d, 16d, 17d and 24d; 24d 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. Looking forward to being here again.