ST 3358 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3358

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 1^st March 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A highly entertaining 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 aware that vino, the answer to the clue at 10a, is borrowed from both Italian and Spanish, which are Romance languages, and is commonly used informally to mean wine in English. The word has its etymological root in ‘vinum’, the word meaning wine in Latin, the language spoken by the people of ancient Rome. I later learnt from the internet that the main difference between red wine and white wine lies in the type of grapes used and the methods of fermentation. Red wine is fermented with the grape skins left in the juice, resulting in a deeper red colour, higher tannins and stronger flavours, while white wine is made by fermenting the juice without the skins, whether from white or red grapes, leading to a lighter colour and taste. Red wine ranges in colour from deep red to purple shades, while white wine ranges from pale yellow to golden, sometimes appearing almost clear.  Red wine is generally richer, fuller-bodied and more tannic, whereas white wine is usually lighter, crisper and more acidic. Red wine is typically served slightly cool or at room temperature, while white wine is usually served chilled. Red wines are made from grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, while white wines are made from grapes like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Red wine is produced from either red or black grapes, while white wine is typically made from white grapes but can also be produced from red or dark grapes.

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Across

1a           Notice argument lost (6)
ADRIFT: A charade of AD (notice) as a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service or event and RIFT (argument) as a difference in opinion, belief or interest that causes such a break in friendly relations, an example of which is argument i.e. an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one leads to the definition of an adjective meaning lost or without direction, guidance or purpose

5a           Month before series seen on English writer (8)
NOVELIST: NOV (month) as the abbreviation for November, the eleventh month of the year placed in front of (before) LIST (series) as a series of names or other items written or printed together in a meaningful grouping or sequence preceded by (seen on) E (English) as the abbreviation for English guides to the definition of a writer of novels

9a           Leading man, say, arresting female felon (10)
MALEFACTOR: MALE ACTOR (leading man, say) as an example of a person acting in a play, film, broadcast etc, especially professionally who is male i.e. a man or boy vis-à-vis an actor who is either male or female holding or keeping inside (arresting) F (female) as the genealogical abbreviation for female takes to the definition of a person who has committed a crime of felony i.e. very serious criminal offence in many legal systems, especially in the United States, that carries severe punishments including long prison sentences and heavy legal penalties or otherwise a crime that is punished by total forfeiture of lands etc

10a        Number after six, red or white? (4)
VINO: NO (number) as the abbreviation for number placed after (after) VI (six) as the Roman numeral for six leads to the definition of a slang term for wine, especially red or white

11a        Italian food in a can, or I’m fresh (8)
MACARONI: The definition of a traditional Italian pasta made from durum wheat, shaped into small hollow tubes is arrived at from an anagram (fresh) of A CAN OR I’M

12a        Road he designed that’s a disappointment! (2,4)
OH DEAR: An anagram (designed) of ROAD HE takes to the definition of an interjection used to express mild dismay, disappointment, surprise or sympathy when something goes wrong

13a        Practice won’t start for an hour or so? (1,3)
A BIT: [H]ABIT (practice) as a noun meaning established custom or usual practice that is devoid of its starting letter (won’t start) takes to the definition of a brief space of time e.g. an hour or so

15a        Thai meal ruined, something poisonous delivered? (4,4)
HATE MAIL: An anagram (ruined) of THAI MEAL guides to the definition of correspondence containing anything from insults to death threats etc, an example of which is something poisonous delivered that is figuratively referring to abusive correspondence

18a        Miss during fight when the lights are off (8)
BLACKOUT: LACK (miss) as to miss, want or be short of something placed inside (during) BOUT (fight) as a fight or contest, especially between boxers or wrestlers leads to the definition of a period when all lights must be turned out or covered to prevent them being seen by the enemy during an air raid or a situation in which the lights go out because of a power failure

19a        Thug, I’m encouraging you! (4)
GOON: The definition of a hired thug in US slang is obtained from GO ON (I’m encouraging you) as urging someone to continue to do something, an example of which can be, “Keep on doing!” or “I’m encouraging you!”

21a        Worse than hazardous, all the liquid (6)
LETHAL: The definition of an adjective meaning causing or capable of causing death that is obviously worse than hazardous is fetched from an anagram (liquid) of ALL THE

23a        Observe example in wallet (8)
NOTECASE: A charade of NOTE (observe) as to observe carefully and CASE (example) as an instance or example of something guides to the definition of a wallet for bank-notes

25a        European pub on Friday’s opening (4)
FINN: The definition of a native of Finland that is in Europe or a person of Finnish descent and hence an European is reached from INN (pub) as a pub, typically one in the country, in some case providing accommodation preceded by or coming after in the across clue (on) the opening or starting letter (opening) of F[RIDAY] (Friday’s)

26a        Rip off pop star, diva (5,5)
PRIMA DONNA: An anagram (off) of RIP followed by MADONNA (pop star) as the American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress dubbed the ‘Queen of Pop’ guides to the definition of the leading female singer in an opera company, an example of which is diva i.e. a great female singer, especially an operatic female singer

27a        Fail – as might turkey? (3,2,3)
LAY AN EGG: Double definition; the second being a verb phrase referring literally to what a large mainly domesticated game bird might do that brings to the first a North American informal verb phrase meaning to fail badly or be completely unsuccessful, often used for a performance or attempt

28a        Sun worshipper in sun, tide endlessly turning (6)
NUDIST: The definition of a female person who is a sun worshipper i.e. who enjoys sunbathing or colloquially who enjoys nudity in the sun is arrived at from an anagram (turning) of a combo of SUN and TID[E] that is devoid of its end or terminal letter (endlessly)

Down

2d           Short, a theatrical work (5)
DRAMA: DRAM (short) as a small drink of alcohol, especially whisky, an example of which is a short i.e. a colloquial term for a drink of spirits followed by A from the clue takes to the definition of a theatrical piece or work

3d           Popular castle I rebuilt, changing very little (9)
INELASTIC: IN (popular) as an informal term for fashionable, popular or trendy followed by an anagram (rebuilt) of CASTLE I takes to the definition of an adjective meaning changing very little, not changing much or not allowing much change

4d           Drink container that’s half open tipped up into baby feeder (6)
TEAPOT: The definition of a drink container with a lid, spout and handle, in which tea is made and from which it is served is reached from OP[EN] (half open) in an upward direction (tipped up) as a reversal in the down clue placed inside (into) TEAT (baby feeder) as the nipple of the mammary gland that is a baby feeder or a similarly-shaped piece of rubber through which milk is sucked from a baby’s feeding bottle

5d           Less prestige, all the same (15)
NOTWITHSTANDING: NOT WITH STANDING (less prestige) as without standing i.e. low or less prestige, rank or status takes to the definition of an adverb meaning all the same, regardless or nevertheless

6d           Leader in Victoria, queen opening alcoholic drink (8)
VERMOUTH: The leading or head letter (leader) in V[ICTORIA] in the down clue, followed by ER (queen) as the abbreviation for Elizabeth Regina, the name taken on by Queen Elizabeth upon ascending the throne, the word ‘regina’ being the Latin name for ‘queen’ and MOUTH (opening) as the opening through which an animal or human takes in food or utters sound or any opening or entrance e.g. of a bottle, river, cave etc guides to the definition of a drink with white wine base, flavoured with wormwood or other aromatic herbs

7d           Upset fiend settled (5)
LIVED: DEVIL (fiend) as a powerful, supernatural spirit of evil in a setting-up posture (upset) as a reversal in the down clue, an example of which is fiend i.e. a devil or a person driven by the most intense wickedness or hate takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning resided, inhabited or settled

8d           Country where a Norman is lost (3,6)
SAN MARINO: The definition of a mountainous microstate in Europe and completely surrounded by Italy is arrived at from an anagram (lost) of A NORMAN IS

14d        Talented player batting, a graceful performer (9)
BALLERINA: BALLER (talented player) as a North American informal idiomatic term for a player of a ball game, especially a talented basketball player, IN (batting) as the side ‘in’ at cricket, the one currently batting and A from the clue takes to the definition of a female ballet-dancer or a theatrical performer of formalised dancing with set steps, mime and fluid graceful movements

16d        Alakazam, please? (5,4)
MAGIC WORD: Double definition; the second being the descriptive term for ‘please’, which children are often told to say when they should say this that takes to the first referring to an incantation along the lines of abracadabra used by magicians when performing a trick, an example of which is ‘alakazam’ i.e. a magic word uttered in stage magic

17d        Cave in woodland area entered by everyone from below (8)
COLLAPSE: The definition of a verb meaning to cave in or to fall down or inward suddenly is reached from COPSE (woodland area) as a woodland area managed by coppicing or periodic cutting near stump level having intervened or gone inside by (entered by) ALL (everyone) as a pronoun referring to everyone or everything moving in an upward direction (from below) as a reversal in the down clue

20d        Mark secures lead on rare breed (6)
STRAIN: STAIN (mark) as a dirty mark or coloured patch that is difficult to remove holds or keeps inside (secures) the leading or first letter of (lead on) R[ARE], taking to the definition of a particular breed, stock or variety of an animal or plant

22d        Reddish-brown liquid then naturally bottled (5)
HENNA: The definition of a reddish-brown dye made from the powdered leaves of a tropical shrub, used to colour the hair and decorate the body is part of or hidden inside (bottled) [T]HEN NA[TURALLY]

24d        Failing American in hole (5)
SINUS: A charade of SIN (failing) as a moral offence, shortcoming or failing and US (American) as the adjectival abbreviation for the United States or belonging to the United States leads to the definition of an air-filled cavity or hole in the bones of the skull, connecting with the nose

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 9a, 10a, 13a, 19a, 26a, 5d, 16d, 17d, 20d and 24d; 16d 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.