ST 3357 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3357

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd February 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A straightforward and gentle puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.

I was curious to learn more about ‘hole’, part of the wordplay in clue 26a, particularly after finding it equated with ‘dive’ as a synonym. I already had three vowels from the crossing down clues and could easily match the definition ‘holy’ with the answer ‘divine’, so there was no real need to analyse the wordplay. However, the wordplay turned out to be the learning element. After completing the crossword, I searched online and discovered that a dive, more commonly called a dive bar, refers to a run-down, shabby or seedy establishment, often a bar or small club. It typically suggests dim lighting, worn-out furniture, cheap drinks, a rough or eccentric crowd and a generally unpolished atmosphere. I also found that calling a ‘hole’ or ‘seedy joint’ a ‘dive’ is perfectly correct in slang usage. However, the word ‘dive’ does not necessarily imply that a place is bad, as it is sometimes used affectionately to describe a venue with character. For instance, “We found this great little dive downtown with the cheapest beer in town.”

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Initial letters for indicator (8)
SIGNPOST: A charade of SIGN (initial) as to initial or mark with initial of one’s name, especially for purposes of authorisation or approval and POST (letters) as letters or mail, collectively takes to the definition of an indicator or something that serves as a clue or indication

5a           Something remarkable, nearly the right number? (3-3)
ONE-OFF: The definition of a noun meaning something out of the ordinary or something exceptional or remarkable is got from ONE OFF i.e. just one away from the right or correct number or, in other words, nearly the right number

9a           Banger – or Catherine-wheel, perhaps? (8)
REVOLVER: Double nounal definition; the second meaning one that revolves, as a part of a mechanism, an example of which is a Catherine-wheel i.e. a firework that revolves rapidly on a pin when ignited, making a wheel of fire or sparks that takes to the first referring to a pistol or a gun having a revolving cylinder with several cartridge chambers that may be fired in succession and something that goes bang and hence a banger

   

10a        Flower power about right (6)
STREAM: The definition of a flow of water, air, smoke etc, or the direction in which it is flowing, an example of which is a flower, that is, something than flows is reached from STEAM (power) as power or energy obtained from heating water place around (about) R (right) as the abbreviation for right

12a        Saturday evening reserved initially, day for talk (6)
SERMON: The initial or beginning letters (initially) of S[ATURDAY] E[VENING] R[ESERVED] followed by MON (day) as referring to Monday, the second day of the week takes to the definition of ​a talk on a moral or religious subject, usually given by a religious leader during a service

13a        Cryptic clues written by that lady’s hero (8)
HERCULES: An anagram (cryptic) of CLUES preceded by or coming after (written by) HER (that lady) as a genitive or possessive pronoun or a pronoun in the accusative or dative case pertaining to the third person singular feminine gender denoting that lady, woman or girl guides to the definition of a mythical Greek hero renowned for his great strength and especially for performing twelve labours or hard tasks imposed on him by Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage, women and family

15a        Place in ground for bird (7)
PELICAN: An anagram (ground) of PLACE IN takes to the definition of a large long-winged warm-water seabird having a large bill with a distensible pouch for carrying fish

16a        Stake absorbed by businesswoman, terrific (4)
ANTE: The definition of the stake that each poker player must put into the pool before receiving a hand or before receiving new cards is part of or hidden inside (absorbed by) [BUSINESSWOM]AN, TE[RRIFIC]

20a        Stone circle in front of companion (4)
OPAL: The definition of a precious stone consisting of a form of hydrated silica, typically semi-transparent and showing many small points of shifting colour against a pale or dark ground is got from O (circle) as denoting a circle with respect to its shape placed before (in front of) PAL (companion) as a companion, chum or friend

21a        Error of judgement baking product (7)
BLOOMER: Double nounal definition; the second denoting a baking product of a longish crusty loaf of white bread with rounded ends and a number of slashed across the top that guides to the first colloquially referring to an absurd and embarrassing blunder or a wrong action attributable to bad judgment, ignorance or inattention

25a        Scrap thus in black metal (8)
JETTISON: The definition of a verb meaning to abandon, desert or scrap is arrived at from SO (thus) as an adverb meaning thus or in a way described or demonstrated placed inside (in) a combo of JET (black) as a glossy black colour and TIN (metal) as a chemical element that is a soft and silver-coloured metal and having atomic number 50

26a        Holy hole’s squeezed in (6)
DIVINE: The definition of an adjective meaning heavenly, spiritual or holy is got from DIVE (hole) as a resort, generally disreputable, often underground, an example of which is a hole i.e. a secret room for some disreputable business has surrounded or hugged (squeezed) IN from the clue; hole’s squeezed is taken as hole has squeezed

28a        Fruit increasin’ (6)
RAISIN: The definition of a grape of any of various sweet varieties dried in the sun or by artificial means is obtained from RAISIN’ (increasin’) as referring to raising, a verb in the continuous form meaning increasing in intensity, degree, strength or pitch, dropping the final letter i.e. G corresponding to increasin’ in the clue

29a        A little tame, show adapted (8)
SOMEWHAT: The definition of an adverb meaning a little, fairly or to some extent is reached from an anagram (adapted) of TAME, SHOW

30a        Relatives in newspaper clearing things up (6)
RAKING: KIN (relatives) as one’s relatives or people belonging to the same family placed inside (in) RAG (newspaper) as a newspaper, typically one regarded as being of low quality takes to the definition of a verb in the continuous form denoting clearing ashes, clinker etc from a fire or furnace

31a        Doctor early with op, gentleman’s head bandaged – one heading for theatre? (8)
PLAYGOER: An anagram (doctor) of a combo of EARLY and (with) OP having surrounded (bandaged) the first or initial letter (head) of G[ENTLEMAN] (gentleman’s) leads to the definition of a person who goes to theatre performances, especially frequently

Down

1d           Accentuate state of emotional tension (6)
STRESS: Double definition; the second being a noun denoting a state of mental or emotional strain or tension that takes to the first a verb meaning to accentuate or emphasise

2d           Run, stealing over ninety jackets (6)
GOVERN: The definition of a verb meaning to run, manage or administer is part of or hidden inside (jackets) [STEALIN]G OVER N[INETY]

3d           Move to the hard shoulder in Jersey (8)
PULLOVER: PULL OVER (move to the hard shoulder) as to pull over to the side of the road when driving or to move to the hard shoulder takes to the definition of a garment, such as a sweater, designed to be put on or taken off over the head, an example of which is a jersey i.e. a close-fitting knitted pullover shirt, jacket or sweater

4d           Dispose of simple construction (4)
SHED: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a small building or lean-to of light construction, used for storage, shelter etc that takes to the first a verb meaning to dispose of e.g. to shed leaves can mean to dispose of leaves

6d           Detect melt-water only? (6)
NOTICE: The definition of a verb meaning to see, spot, discern or detect is arrived at from NOT ICE (melt-water only) as water running off melting ice or snow

7d           Travelling across terrain, more than fifty additionally (8)
OVERLAND: The definition of an adjective denoting passing entirely or principally by land or travelling across terrain is reached from a charade of OVER (more than) as a preposition denoting more than or in excess of something, L (fifty) as the Roman numeral for fifty and AND (additionally) as used as a function word to indicate connection or addition especially of items within the same class or type

8d           Hungry rogue fed mash, one getting stuck in (8)
FAMISHED: The definition of an adjective meaning very hungry or suffering from starvation is reached from an anagram (rogue) of FED MASH with I (one) as the Roman numeral for one getting inside (stuck in)

11d        Figure‘s endless trauma at Christmas? (7)
DECAGON: The definition of a plane figure having ten sides and ten angles is arrived at from AGON[Y] (trauma) as extreme physical or mental suffering, an example of which is trauma i.e. a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that is devoid of its end letter (endless) preceded by or coming after (at) DEC (Christmas) as the abbreviation for December that has become synonymous with Christmas due to the festival occurring in December

14d        Huge figure in invoice arrived, and nothing to invest (7)
BILLION: The definition of a huge figure or a very large number or amount of something is reached from BILL (invoice) as a printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services, an example of which is an invoice i.e. a list of goods sent or services provided along with a statement of the sum due for these followed by IN (arrived) as an adverb denoting arrived or here, e.g. “The train’s in” i.e. “The train has arrived” with (and) bringing inside (to invest) O (nothing) as letter representing naught or nothing

17d        Mislead someone in court, one attempting to deceive … (8)
CONJUROR: A charade of CON (mislead) as to swindle, deceive or mislead and JUROR (someone in court) as a person who serves on a jury in a court i.e. a group of people sworn to reach a just verdict on the basis of the evidence before them guides to the definition of a person who performs magic tricks by sleight-of-hand etc i.e. a magician attempting to deceive the audience through their conjury

18d        … whose producing of rabbit is a sporting achievement! (3,5)
HAT TRICK: Double nounal definition; the second denoting a sporting achievement of scoring three goals in football or taking three wickets in a row in cricket that takes to the first referring to the successful display of the trick of pulling a rabbit out of a top hat by a conjuror

 

19d        Consignment found in food shop, remarkably (8)
DELIVERY: The definition of an item or items delivered on a particular occasion, an example of which is a consignment i.e. a batch of goods destined for or delivered to someone is reached from a charade of DELI (food shop) as the short form of delicatessen or a shop selling prepared foods, especially cooked meats, pâtés and unusual or foreign foods and VERY (remarkably) as an adverb denoting remarkably, wonderfully or profoundly

22d        Baby working for underling (6)
MINION: A charade of MINI (baby) as an adjective denoting small or miniature, an example of which is baby, another adjective meaning small, little, minute or tiny and ON (working) as working or operating takes to the definition of a subordinate official, especially a servile one, an example of which is an underling i.e. a subordinate or an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

23d        Equipment gets terribly hot, certainly (6)
RIGHTO: RIG (equipment) as apparatus, gear or equipment followed by (gets) an anagram (terribly) of HOT takes to the definition of an exclamation expressing agreement or assent, an example of which is certainly, another interjection denoting ‘yes, of course’

24d        Nag in street tethered by aristocrat (6)
PESTER: The definition of a verb meaning to annoy or nag continually is got from ST (street) as the abbreviation for street that is a type of paved way in a city, town or village bound or surrounded by (tethered by) PEER (aristocrat) as an aristocrat or a member of the aristocracy or nobility

27d        Defeat straight man (4)
FOIL: Double definition; the second being a noun denoting a straight man in a comedy, providing relief through dramatic contrast with the protagonist, highlighting absurdity that leads to the first a verb meaning to defeat or thwart someone or to prevent someone from being successful

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 5a, 10a, 21a, 25a, 6d, 11d, 17d/18d, 24d and 27d; 17d/18d 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.