Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3366
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 26th April 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. I quite friendly puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and now I present to you a full review of his puzzle. Hope to have your valuable feedback and comments.
Sultana, the answer to the doubly-defined clue at 12a, usually begins with a capital letter when it refers to a queen, whereas sultana, the grape, does not require a capital letter unless it appears at the beginning of a sentence. Sultana was not only the title given to the wife of a Sultan, but also to other female members of the royal household. While the title did not always imply sovereign power in the strict constitutional sense, it carried strong connotations of dignity, influence and elevated status within the royal household. In many historical Muslim dynasties, particularly in the Ottoman Empire, the title of Sultana was bestowed upon the daughters, sisters and aunts of the Sultan, though his mother was usually called the ‘Valide Sultan’ meaning ‘mother of the Sultan’. More particularly, the ‘Valide Sultan’ frequently held significant sway over court politics and state affairs. Though not always ruling in name, such women could act as power brokers, advisers and even regents, shaping decisions of great consequence. The title ‘Sultana’ typically referred to the wife or consort of a Sultan in many Sultanates. Razia Sultana of the thirteenth-century Delhi Sultanate was the only lady ever to sit on the throne of Delhi. However, she famously refused the title ‘Sultana’ during her reign, insisting on being addressed as Razia Sultan to emphasise her absolute authority. To further solidify her role as a Sultan, she reportedly abandoned the veil and traditional female attire, choosing instead to wear the masculine tunics and a headdress when leading her armies or appearing in court. Literarily, the idea of a Sultana has often been romanticised in European writings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Travel accounts and orientalist fiction sometimes portrayed her as a queen-like figure living in splendour within ornate palaces, surrounded by luxury, attendants and intrigue. While such depictions are often exaggerated, they reflect the fascination with Eastern courts and the symbolic association of the Sultana with beauty, authority and mystique. In a broader metaphorical sense, the term can be used to evoke the image of a queenly presence, someone who commands respect through grace and quiet authority rather than overt power. It suggests refinement combined with strength, a balance of influence and composure. Thus, the Sultana stands as a compelling figure in history and imagination alike as part queen, part political actor and part cultural symbol. Whether viewed through the lens of history or literature, she represents the complex ways in which women have exercised power within royal hierarchies, often in forms subtler but no less significant than those of the Sultan themselves.
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Across
1a Ancient pursuit Olympic hosts discover after tea (7,4)
CHARIOT RACE: The definition of the popular, often dangerous, ancient sport involving two-wheeled drawn by a team of horses is arrived at from a combo of RIO (Olympic hosts) as referring to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that hosted the Summer Olympics of 2016 and TRACE (discover) as to discover or ascertain the course or development of something preceded by or placed after (after) CHA (tea) as an informal term for tea
9a Injured, ran – ran fast! (7)
HURTLED: A charade of HURT (injured) as injured or pained physically or emotionally and LED (ran) as a verb in the past tense denoting ran, managed or controlled a company or an organisation guides to the definition of another verb in the past tense meaning moved with great speed or ran fast
10a One proposal finally grasped by ignoramus – seen late in the day? (6)
TWILIT: A combo of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and the final or terminal letter (finally) of [PROPOSA]L seized or taken inside (grasped) by TWIT (ignoramus) as a slang term for a foolish and ignorant person, an example of which is an ignoramus i.e. an ignorant person leads to the definition of an adjective denoting obscured or faintly illuminated that is seen late in the day or during twilight
12a Something like a 21 Down for queen (7)
SULTANA: Double nounal definition; the second being the title given to the wife of a Sultan who is the Muslim ruler, king or emperor of a country and hence denoting a Muslim queen that takes to the first referring to the often yellow raisin made from the pale yellow, seedless grape and hence something like the answer of 21 Down
13a Wretchedness in spinning of a spider (7)
DESPAIR: The definition of a noun denoting anguish, misery or wretchedness is obtained from an anagram (spinning of) A SPIDER
14a Back on head in wig, roller? (5)
WHEEL: HEEL (back) as referring to the back part of the foot in humans preceded by or coming after in the across clue (on) the first or the leading letter (head) in W[IG] takes to the definition of a circular object that revolves on an axle and is fixed below a vehicle or other object to enable it to move easily over the ground, an example of which is a roller i.e. a small wheel without spokes, as on a roller skate
15a Boozer prods me, drunk, a state (9)
MINNESOTA: INN (boozer) as a public lodging house serving food and drink to travellers, an example of which is boozer i.e. a slang term for a public house getting inside (prods) ME from the clue, then followed by SOT (drunk) as drunk or stupefied with alcohol and A from the clue, taking to the definition of a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States
17a Switched on, we think? (2,3,4)
IN THE KNOW: The definition of a slang meaning aware, alert, informed, up-to-date or having information or knowledge that most other people do not have is reached from an anagram (switched) of ON, WE THINK in this all-in-one clue
20a Fixer, cheat (5)
SCREW: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to cheat, defraud or swindle someone, particularly by charging them too much money for something e.g. ‘to screw someone out of their savings’ that takes to the first referring to a mechanical fastener or fixer with a helical thread used to join objects together
22a A retired reporter, say (7)
EXPRESS: EX-PRESS (a retired reporter) as cryptically denoting a reporter i.e. a person from the press or a pressman who is now an ‘ex’ i.e. formerly employed that leads to the definition of a verb meaning to say, tell, state or utter aloud
24a Female fighting breakaway group (7)
FACTION: A charade of F (female) as the genealogical abbreviation for female and ACTION (fighting) as a battle or fighting leads to the definition of a smaller portion of a larger group that has broken away from it
25a Ending in tears, best laugh (6)
SCREAM: The end or terminal letter (ending) in [TEAR]S followed by CREAM (best) as the best part of anything takes to the definition of a verb meaning to laugh wildly, immoderately or uncontrollably
26a Silly, like yours truly, primary school age? (7)
ASININE: The definition of an adjective meaning utterly stupid or silly is arrived at from as (like) as a conjunction denoting ‘like’ that is used to indicate by comparison the way that something happens or is done, I (yours truly) as a pronoun used to refer to oneself as speaker or writer, an example of which is yours truly, that is an informal term for pronoun for I, myself or me and NINE (primary school age) as a cardinal number representing a typical age for a child in primary school.
27a Rag absorbing water, also within reach (5,2,4)
CLOSE AT HAND: CLOTH (rag) as a piece of fabric used for garments, upholstery etc, an example of which is a rag i.e. a piece of cloth used for cleaning, washing or dusting taking inside (absorbing) SEA (water) as a tract of water within an ocean and followed by AND (also) as a conjunction denoting also, as well as or in addition to guides to the definition of a phrase meaning within reach or at or within a short distance in space or time
Down
2d Bag that’s antique found in auditorium (7)
HOLDALL: The definition of a large strong bag with handles is got from OLD (antique) as an adjective denoting antique, outdated or archaic noticed inside (found in) HALL (auditorium) as an auditorium or a large room or building for public gatherings
3d Swimmer ran, seldom swimming! (3,6)
RED SALMON: The definition of any of various types of salmon with red flesh, especially the sock-eye salmon is reached from an anagram (swimming) of RAN, SELDOM
4d Exercise in dictionary selected (5)
OPTED: PT (exercise) as the abbreviation for physical training that is old-fashioned training and practice in sports, gymnastics etc, as in schools and colleges placed inside OED (dictionary) as the abbreviation for Oxford English Dictionary guides to the definition of a verb in the past tense denoting selected as an alternative over another
5d Edited series about university put out again (7)
REISSUE: An anagram (edited) of SERIES place around (about) U (university) as the abbreviation for university leads to the definition of a verb meaning to print anew or issue a new version of something published earlier or cause to become available again, an example of which is to put out again i.e. to publish something or make it publicly available
6d Sassy in the past, musical (7)
CHICAGO: A charade of CHIC (sassy) as an adjective denoting stylish or fashionable, an example of which is sassy i.e. chic or stylish and AGO (in the past) as an adverb meaning gone by or in the past takes to the definition of an American musical with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb that was set in Chicago was premiered in the Jazz Age in 1975
7d Author only present in spirit? (5,6)
GHOST WRITER: The definition of a writer who gives the credit of authorship to someone else is cryptically arrived at from WRITER (author) as a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories etc as a profession engaged as a (only present in) GHOST (spirit) as the disembodied spirit of a dead person, supposed to haunt the living as a pale or shadowy vision, that is WRITER engaged as a GHOST, or precisely, GHOST WRITER
8d Otherwise hopeless loser, first in effect (2,4)
OR ELSE: The definition of a phrasal adverb meaning in place of, as an alternative to or otherwise is obtained from an anagram (hopeless) of LOSER followed by the first or initial letter (first) in E[FFECT]
11d Earner – of a crust? (11)
BREADWINNER: The definition of a person whose earnings are the primary source of support for one’s dependents is cryptically arrived at from WINNER (earner) as someone who has acquired as a result of their effort or earned or secured a living etc by work of BREAD (a crust) as a baked food made of a dough containing flour, milk or water and often yeast, an example of which is a crust i.e. a piece of bread consisting mostly of the hard outer portion, that is, WINNER of BREAD, or precisely, BREADWINNER
16d Latest hack pens fine report (9)
NEWSFLASH: NEW (latest) as an adjective meaning latest, recent or modern followed by SLASH (hack) as to hack, cut, rip or slit keeping inside (pens) F (fine) as the abbreviation for fine guides to the definition of a brief report, especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast
18d City pal’s novel, classic (7)
TYPICAL: An anagram (novel) of CITY PAL (City pal’s) leads to the definition of an adjective denoting classic, characteristic, standard or time-honoured
19d Teams in heart of Mexico – and Marxists? (7)
ELEVENS: The definition referring to the plural of a team of eleven in cricket, association football etc is got from the innermost letters (heart) of [ME]XI[CO] and [MAR]XI[STS], where each XI is the Roman numeral for eleven and both XI and XI together is the cryptic plural i.e. elevens denoting teams
20d Model notices hunk (7)
SECTION: An anagram (model) of NOTICES takes to the definition of a part, portion or piece of something, an example of which is hunk i.e. a large lump, piece of portion
21d Something shrivelled up is observed in shower (6)
RAISIN: The definition of a sweet grape dried in the sun or by artificial means that is something shrivelled up is got IS from the clue seen inside (observed in) RAIN (shower) as water that falls from the clouds in small drops, an example of which is shower i.e. a brief and usually light fall of rain
23d Capitals in South America modelled on African country (5)
SAMOA: The letters placed at the head in the down clue (capitals) in S[OUTH] A[MERICA] M[ODELLED] O[N] A[FRICAN] takes to the definition of an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 10a, 17a, 27a, 7d, 11d, 16d, 19d, 20d and 21d; 19d 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. Have a nice day.