DT 31163 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31163

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 14^th February 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.

Camus, as the wordplay to the clue at 5d in an ascending fashion, took me down memory lane three and a half decades ago, when I was preparing for my master’s in French, my very first postgraduate degree. L’Étranger by the Nobel laureate Albert Camus was one of the novels I had to study. This novel is generally considered Camus’ primary masterpiece and an undisputed classic of twentieth-century literature. It is his most famous work and central to his philosophy of the absurd, exploring themes of alienation and the indifference of the universe. While solving the puzzle, I instantly remembered the celebrated opening line: “Aujourd’hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas.” that translates to “Today, mother died. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.” For the first time in my life, encountered a different image of a son, albeit in literature. The narrator, Meursault, does not merely report a death; he confesses indifference to the most basic fact surrounding it: the date. This temporal uncertainty signals from the outset the novel’s preoccupation with detachment, perception and the instability of meaning. The emotional neutrality of “maman est morte” is immediately destabilised by the ambiguity that follows. Its force lies in its radical simplicity. The syntax is flat, declarative, almost bureaucratic. There is no metaphor, no visible grief, no ornament. The word ‘maman’ is crucial. In French, it is intimate, childlike, closer to ‘mom’ than ‘mother’. Its warmth clashes with the coldness of the statement. The emotional dissonance is unsettling; the language of affection coexists with apparent apathy. Camus thereby introduces the absurd, not as grand philosophy, but as tonal dislocation between expected feeling and actual response. Time itself is rendered suspect. The difference between ‘today’ and ‘yesterday’ should matter profoundly at the moment of a parent’s death. Yet for Meursault, it does not. The line strips death of ceremony and situates it in a bare present tense of consciousness. What counts is not mourning, but immediate sensory experience, a theme that governs the rest of the novel. This opening also establishes a narrative perspective: we are locked inside a consciousness that reports without interpretation. Meaning is not supplied; it must be inferred. In this way, the first sentence enacts the existential condition the novel explores; a world without inherent moral commentary, where events occur and the individual confronts them without metaphysical reassurance. Again I went further down memory lane four and a half decades ago and reminisced watching at Gem Cinema the 1957 Technicolor Hindi film ‘Mother India’, directed by Mehboob Khan, which was a remake of his own earlier 1940 black-and-white Hindi film ‘Aurat’. ‘Mother India’ became the first Indian film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958, though it famously lost the Oscar by a single vote to Federico Fellini’s ‘Nights of Cabiria’. The film is a rural drama depicting the struggles of Radha, a poverty-stricken woman who raises her two sons while adhering to high moral standards. The audience is moved by the fierce and unwavering love of the younger son, Birju, for his mother, the single light guiding him through a life shadowed by misfortune. When the moneylender had ruined their family and dishonestly taken her bangles years ago, Birju’s heart burned with a desire for justice; yet every act of revenge was motivated not by pride, but by his longing to restore her dignity. Even as he became a feared dacoit, he never forgot her teachings, her sacrifices or her suffering. Nothing could have prepared him for the moment she lifted the gun; to her, his life was nothing compared to her honour and the honour of the enemy’s daughter she had sworn to protect. As life drained from him, his last act was tender and redemptive: he returned the bangles, the stolen symbols of her past humiliation. In that gesture, his boundless love spoke louder than all the violence he had committed; of an undying devotion to the mother who had shaped his soul.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Very attentive humorist visiting too briefly (3,4)
ALL EARS: The definition of an informal phrase meaning very attentive or listening eagerly is obtained from LEAR (humorist) as referring to Edward Lear, the nineteenth century English humourist and artist whose famous work, A Book of Nonsense, was published in 1846 getting inside (visiting) ALS[O] (too) as an adverb meaning in addition, as well or too shortened or made brief with the deletion of the terminal letter (briefly)

5a           Sorry American hiding in an outhouse (7)
ASHAMED: The definition of an adjective denoting overcome with shame, guilt or remorse or feeling sorry about something one did wrong is reached from AM (American) as an abbreviation for American seen inside (hiding in) a combo of A (an) as an indefinite article used before a consonant sound and is taken as a broken form of ‘an’, the other article that is used before a vowel sound and SHED (outhouse) as a hut, shack or outhouse

9a           Confidence in being tied up, do we hear? (5)
TRUST: The definition of a noun denoting confidence or reliance is reached from TRUSSED (tied up) as a verb in the past tense meaning tied up or bound lightly, serving as a homophone heard by the audience (do we hear)

10a        Actress reversing target initially fired dart (3,6)
MIA FARROW: The definition of the American actress who achieved international acclaim as the titular character in Roman Polanski’s psychological horror film ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ is reached from AIM (target) as object, objective or target coming from the other end (reversing) as a reversal in the across clue followed by the first or initial letter (initially) of F[IRED] and ARROW (dart) as dart, bolt or shaft

11a        Composer worried about case of Icelandic instrument (10)
MICROSCOPE: An anagram (worried) of COMPOSER placed around (about) the outermost letters (case) of I[CELANDI]C guides to the definition of an optical instrument having a magnifying lens or a combination of lenses for inspecting objects too small to be seen distinctly by the unaided eye

12a        Large, having devoured seconds? Restrict diet (4)
FAST: FAT (large) as an adjective denoting large, obese, plump or overweight having taken inside (devoured) S (seconds) as an abbreviation for second or seconds leads to the definition of a verb meaning to restrict diet or food intake due to medical reasons or to abstain from food for a specified period as for religious reasons

14a        Possibly follow Karen with song she recorded? (3,3,2,4)
FOR ALL WE KNOW: An anagram (possibly) of FOLLOW KAREN followed by W (with) as the abbreviation for with guides to the definition of an idiom meaning according to the information we have, probably or possibly as also the title of a 1970 song by Robb Wilson, Fred Karlin and Arthur James, recorded and made widely popular in 1971 by ‘The Carpenters’, with lead vocals by Karen Carpenter in this all-in-one clue

18a        Meanie Franco’s discordant song (1,4,7)
A FINE ROMANCE: An anagram (discordant) of MEANIE FRANCO (Meanie Franco’s) takes to the definition of a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, written for the 1936 musical film ‘Swing Time’

21a        Farewell from Indian steel producer (2-2)
TA-TA: The definition of a childish and colloquial interjection denoting farewell or good-bye is fetched from TATA (Indian steel producer) as referring to Tata Steel Limited, an Indian multinational steel company having its headquarters in Mumbai, that was formerly known as Tata Iron and Steel Company, founded by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and established by Sir Dorabji Tata in Jamshedpur in 1907

22a        City a study in distressed stone (10)
SACRAMENTO: The definition of the capital city of the US state of California is reached from a combo of A from the clue and CRAM (study) as to study for an examination by memorising facts at the last moment placed inside (in) an anagram (distressed) of STONE

25a        Duke retaining soldier as space cadet? (9)
FANTASIST: FIST (duke) as the closed or clenched hand, also as a slang term known as ‘duke’ holding inside (retaining) a combo of ANT (soldier) as referring to a soldier ant who is female but sterile and whose job is to protect the colony from predators and clear a pathway for smaller worker ants to reach food and AS from the clue that takes to the definition of someone who indulges in fantasy, i.e., a dreamy or unrealistic person, an example of which is a space cadet or a person regarded as being out of touch with reality

26a        Searches for beauty (5)
LOOKS: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a person’s physical appearance or attractiveness, for example, ‘she has the looks’ can mean ‘she has the beauty’ that takes to the first a verb in the third person singular tense denoting searches for, seeks or finds

27a        European fixer back to instal a telly (7)
LATVIAN: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Latvia, a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe and hence a European is obtained from NAIL (fixer) as a small, thin piece of metal that fixes pieces of wood together in an returning fashion (back) as a reversal in the across clue to have inside (instal) a combo of A from the clue and TV (telly) as an abbreviation for television and also informally known as telly

28a        Year-end frolics in clergyman’s office (7)
DEANERY: An anagram (frolics) of YEAR-END takes to the definition of the official residence or office of a dean who is a senior member of the clergy

Down

1d and 20 Down               Bogie’s mate’s playing unknown song (2,4,4,2)
AS TIME GOES BY: An anagram (playing) of BOGIE’S MATE’S followed by Y (unknown) as a variable, unknown or yet to be ascertained quantity or factor as used in mathematics, especially in algebra guides to the definition of a classic jazz song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931, famously featured in the 1942 film ‘Casablanca’

2d           Motorboat to slide into water (6)
LAUNCH: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to set a boat in motion by allowing it slide into the water that takes to the first a noun referring to a large, open motorboat

3d           Star student refurbished Oslo garret (10)
ASTROLOGER: The definition of a person who studies the stars and planets to make predictions about the future is arrived at from an anagram (refurbished) of OSLO GARRET

4d           Tree French Nobelist Albert climbs (5)
SUMAC: The definition of any shrub or small tree of the genus ‘Rhus’ of the cashew family, having pinnately compound leaves and clusters of red, fleshy fruit is obtained from CAMUS (French Nobelist Albert) as the surname of Albert Camus, the French author and philosopher who was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature for his important literary production seen going in an upward direction (climbs) as a reversal in the down clue

5d           Without piano, a top jazz singer unaccompanied (1,8)
A CAPPELLA: A combo of A from the clue, CAP (top) as a top or cover, as for a bottle and ELLA (jazz singer) as referring to Ella Fitzgerald, the American singer, songwriter and composer, famously known as the ‘First Lady of Song’ and ‘Queen of Jazz’ placed outside (without) P (piano) as the abbreviation for piano in a piece of music, denoting an instruction to play quietly leads to the definition of an adverb denoting ‘without musical accompaniment’ or an adjective meaning ‘sung with instrumental accompaniment’

6d           Warm through hearts: enjoy meal (4)
HEAT: The definition of a verb meaning to warm, cook or boil something or to make or become warm or hot is produced from a charade of H (hearts) as the abbreviation for hearts in playing cards and EAT (enjoy meal) as to consume food or to have, take or enjoy meal

7d           Redesigned Armenian national symbol (8)
MARIANNE: An anagram (redesigned) of ARMENIAN guides to the definition of the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as an emblem of liberty, equality and fraternity

8d           Song writer initially lodged with the Crawleys? (8)
DOWNTOWN: The definition of the song by American hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is reached from the initial or first letter (initially) of W[RITER] placed inside (lodged with) DOWNTON (the Crawleys) as referring to Downton Abbey, a British drama television series set in the early twentieth century on the fictional Yorkshire country estate, where the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants lived

13d        Sweet Starmer embraces every one on island (5,5)
PEACH MELBA: The definition of a classic dessert in honour of the Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba, consisting of peach halves served with ice cream and usually a raspberry sauce is obtained from PM (Starmer) as referring to Keir Starmer, the present Prime Minister of the United Kingdom hugging or taking in (embraces) EACH (every one) as every one of a group considered individually and followed below or placed upon (on) ELBA (island) as the third largest island of Italy, after Sardinia and Sicily in the down clue

15d        Love helping after fuss (9)
ADORATION: The definition of a noun meaning profound love or regard is obtained from RATION (helping) as a helping, dole, measure or allowance placed after or preceded by (after) ADO (fuss) as a noun meaning fuss, bother or delay

16d        Set with fault corrected: that’s pleasing (8)
TASTEFUL: An anagram (corrected) of a combo of SET and (with) FAULT takes to the definition of an adjective denoting pleasing in flavour

17d        Clear detective set task to protect copyright (8)
DISTINCT: The definition of an adjective meaning distinct, evident or plain is reached from DI (detective) as the abbreviation for Detective Inspector followed by STINT (set task) as a set task or spell of duty i.e. a fixed or allotted period of work to have inside (protect) C (copyright) as the abbreviation for copyright

19d        In French, with heart, play it again (6)
ENCORE: A charade of EN (in French) as a preposition in French meaning ‘in’ used in specific cases and (with) CORE (heart) as the heart or the central, innermost or most essential part of something leads to the definition of an interjection calling for repetition of a performance or an additional item

20d        See 1 Down

23d        Despicable type news boss admired (5)
RATED: A charade of RAT (despicable type) as a colloquial term for a despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates and ED (news boss) as the abbreviation for editor who is in overall charge of editing and who determines the final content of a text of a newspaper or magazine takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning admired, esteemed or thought highly of someone

24d        Asian location covered in cruciverbalists (4)
BALI: The definition of an Indonesian island and province and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia that is in Asia and hence an Asian location is part of or found inside (covered in) [CRUCIVER]BALI[STS]

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 10a, 11a, 14a, 21a, 25a, 1d/20d, 5d, 6d, 8d, 13d and 17d; 14a 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.