Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3369
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 17th May 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. Dada has given us a nice, challenging puzzle this Sunday. I would now like to present my full review of it and hope to receive your valuable feedback and comments.
This time, I wanted to learn about the etymology of ‘cash cow’, the answer to the clue at 5a. After finishing the puzzle, I searched the internet and found a great deal of information about it. The term ‘cash cow’ comes from the idea of a dairy cow that reliably produces milk every day with relatively little additional investment. It serves as a metaphor for a dairy cow used on farms to produce milk, thereby providing a steady stream of income with minimal maintenance. In business and finance, a ‘cash cow’ refers to a product, company or asset that consistently generates strong profits or cash flow over a long period. The expression became especially popular after the The Product Portfolio developed by Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s. In the famous BCG matrix, businesses or products were classified as stars, question marks, dogs and cash cows. A cash cow was defined as a mature product with a large market share in a slow-growing market, something that brings in more money than it consumes. The metaphor itself likely existed informally before the business framework, since cows producing milk were long associated with dependable income and sustenance. The figurative use of ‘milking’ a profitable source also contributed to the phrase.
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Across
1a Greed a weakness, tart essentially scoffed (7)
AVARICE: The definition of a noun denoting insatiable greed for riches is reached from A from the clue followed by VICE (weakness) as moral weakness taking in (scoffed) the essential or innermost letters (essentially) of [T]AR[T]
5a Stream of income easily milked? (4,3)
CASH COW: The definition of a well-established business or other enterprise that produces steady cash with a minimum of maintenance or management is cryptically arrived at from a charade of CASH (stream of income) as an asset that continuously brings in money and that the regular movement of that asset into one’s hand is the stream of income and COW (easily milked) as a milch animal i.e. one that can be easily milked or that is kept and bred specifically for milk production
9a Shrink referring to Victorian book, struggle to cope (4,2,4,5)
FALL ON HARD TIMES: A charade of FALL (shrink) as to shrink, contract or shrivel, ON (referring to) as a preposition meaning referring to, with respect to or having as the subject of reference and HARD TIMES (Victorian book) as referring to the Victorian novel that was written by Charles Dickens and that reflects the major social, economic, moral, and literary concerns of the Victorian age guides to the definition of an idiom meaning to experience a difficult period, especially financially or to struggle to cope
10a Leader dismissed from awful party (4)
RAVE: The leading or initial letter (leader) removed (dismissed) from [G]RAVE (awful) as an adjective denoting serious, bad or awful leads to the definition of a professional organised party for young people, with electronic dance music
11a Sovereign – item found in classroom? (5)
RULER: Double definition; the second referring to a strip of wood, metal or other material, having straight edges graduated usually in millimetres or inches, used for measuring and drawing straight lines, which is a common item found in a school classroom that takes to the first referring to a person who rules or governs a country e.g. a king, queen, monarch or sovereign
12a Mere in the middle, that is a lake (4)
ERIE: The middle or central letters (in the middle) of [M]ER[E] from the clue followed by IE (that is) as the abbreviated form of the Latin phrase id est meaning ‘that is’ takes to the definition of the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally
15a Gate, hinge gone (7)
TURNOUT: The definition of a noun denoting a gate as used in its sporting or entertainment context to mean the total paid attendance or admission receipts at an event is obtained from a charade of TURN (hinge) as to hinge or depend on something for success or failure and OUT (gone) as an adverb meaning gone, away, not in or not at home
16a Strain is back in part of joint (7)
TENSION: The definition of a noun denoting mental, emotional or nervous strain is got from IS from the clue coming from the opposite side (back) as a reversal in the across clue placed inside (in) TENON (part of joint) as a projection on the end of a piece of wood shaped for insertion into a cavity or mortise in another piece, which is a part of a joint
17a Country pig overwhelmed by noises on farm (7)
BAHAMAS: The definition of a country comprising more than 700 islands and cays, located in the Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and east of Florida is got from HAM (pig) as referring to the thigh of a pig salted and dried surrounded by (overwhelmed by) BAAS (noises on farm) as the plural of noise of a sheep that is a farm animal
19a Miss school, rubbish on holiday (4,3)
BUNK OFF: The definition of a verb meaning to play truant i.e. to stay away from school without permission or to skip school or be absent secretly is arrived at from a charade of BUNK (rubbish) as an informal noun denoting rubbish, nonsense or bullshit and OFF (on holiday) as away from work or on holiday
21a Finn McCool, Fianna chap, champ ultimately (4)
LAPP: The definition of a member of a Finnic people of Lapland is arrived at from each of the ultimate letters (ultimately) of [MCCOO]L, [FIANN]A, [CHA]P, [CHAM]P
22a Seriously upbeat (5)
JOLLY: Double definition; the second being an adjective meaning upbeat, cheerful or optimistic that leads to the first an adverb denoting very, extremely or seriously e.g. “That’s a jolly good idea” to mean “That’s a seriously good idea”
23a Nicked by students, a rotten old 11 Across (4)
TSAR: Part of or hidden inside (nicked by) [STUDEN]TS, A R[OTTEN] takes to the definition of the title that was used, specifically, by an emperor or sovereign of Russia before the 1917 revolution
26a Jazz Age passed in a riot, singer out of control (7,8)
ROARING TWENTIES: The definition of the decade of the 1920s in music and fashion, particularly in jazz and dancing that rose in popularity, as it happened in the culture and society of the United States, that the period often is referred to as the Jazz Age is arrived at from WENT (passed) as a verb in the past tense denoting passed or elapsed, especially of time placed inside (in) an anagram (out of control) of A RIOT, SINGER
27a Boat, galley vessel? (7)
STEAMER: Double nounal definition; the second being a cooking apparatus for steaming food, used in a galley that is the kitchen area on a vessel i.e. a ship or boat that takes to the first referring to a steamship or a steam-powered boat
28a Failure of new hero, out of the running (7)
NOWHERE: An anagram (failure) of NEW HERO guides to the definition of an adverb meaning to no place or result, an example of which is the phrase ‘out of the running’ denoting having no possibility of winning or placing well in a competition
Down
1d Trees in centre of Seattle, initially (2,5)
AT FIRST: FIRS (trees) as referring to the plural of an evergreen tree that belong to the pine family, characterised by its pyramidal style of growth, flat needles and erect cones placed inside the centrally-placed letters (in centre of) [SE]ATT[LE] leads to the definition of an adverb meaning in the first place, in the beginning or initially
2d Everywhere at sea? (3,4,3,5)
ALL OVER THE PLACE: Double idiomatic definition; the second meaning in a muddle or mess, confused or disorganised, an example of which is the idiom ‘at sea’ denoting disorganised or bewildered that takes to the first meaning everywhere, scattered here and there or over a great distance or area
3d Hearts in bid strong, also one club (4)
IRON: The middle or central letters (hearts) in [B]I[D] [ST]RO[NG] and (also) [O]N[E] guides to the definition of a golf club with a sloped-back metal head used for mid-distance shots
4d Drain pipe (7)
EXHAUST: Double definition; the second referring to a pipe or duct through which material is emitted that directs to the first a verb meaning to drain of strength or energy or to deplete of resources
5d Topical fruit, did you say? (7)
CURRENT: A homophone heard by the audience (did you say?) of CURRANT (fruit) as a small dried fruit made from a small seedless variety of grape originally grown in the eastern Mediterranean region and much used in cooking guides to the definition of an adjective meaning topical, present-day or in fashion
6d Spot something hideous in audition? (4)
SITE: The definition of a noun meaning a spot, location, place or position is fetched from the homophone heard by the audience (in audition) of SIGHT (something hideous) as an ugly object or something hideous, shocking or ugly to look at
7d Whatever rhinoceros I name runs wild (4,4,2,5)
COME RAIN OR SHINE: The definition of a phrase meaning ‘no matter what the weather is’, ‘any sort of weather’ or ‘whatever’ is reached from an anagram (runs wild) of RHINOCEROS I NAME
8d Royal I back on one point (7)
WESTERN: A charade of WE (royal I) as the monarch referring to themselves in the plural i.e. the majestic or royal version of the pronoun ‘I’ and STERN (back) as the back or rear part of a ship or boat leads to the definition of an adjective denoting on one of the cardinal points of the compass, 270° clockwise from north and 180° from east
13d Australian native, well generous (5)
ROOMY: A charade of ROO (Australian native) as an Australian colloquial term for a kangaroo that is indigenous to Australia and New Guinea and MY (well) as an interjection used for expressing surprise, an example of which is ‘well’ i.e. an interjection expressing surprise, hesitation, resignation etc guides to the definition of an adjective meaning generous, capacious or giving plenty of space
14d Wine regularly opened by grandma, witless (5)
INANE: The regular or even letters (regularly) of [W]I[N]E getting inside or separated by (opened by) NAN (grandma) as a child’s word for grandma leads to the definition of an adjective denoting lacking sense or complacently foolish, an example of which is witless i.e. foolish or lacking intelligence or wit
17d Live north of Urals after moving country (7)
BELARUS: BE (live) as to live or exist followed by northbound (north) of URALS from the clue after shifting the topmost letter to the bottom (after moving) leads to the definition of a landlocked country in Eastern Europe
18d Parasite cleaner? (7)
SPONGER: Double definition; the second cryptically referring to a person who uses a sponge to wash, clean or wipe down surfaces that leads to the first a derogatory and informal term denoting a person who gets money, food etc from other people without doing anything for them or offering to pay, an example of which is a parasite, a derogatory term for a sponger, a lazy profiteer or someone who drains resources from others
19d Old PM stripped of crowning glory, success (7)
BALDWIN: The definition of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on three occasions, from May 1923 to January 1924, from November 1924 to June 1929 and from June 1935 to May 1937, whose full name was Stanley Baldwin is reached from a charade of BALD (stripped of crowning glory) as an adjective denoting lacking hair on the head, an example of which is ‘stripped of crowning glory’ i.e. stripped of hair; crowning glory being a traditional idiom for a person’s hair and WIN (success) as an informal term for a success, victory or triumph
20d Divine sources of silver etc. secured by payment (7)
FORESEE: The definition of a verb meaning to divine, envision or know in advance is got from ORES (sources of silver etc) as the plural of the source of silver and other metals or of some non-metallic substances such as sulphur covered or surrounded by (secured by) FEE (payment) as a payment asked by professional people or public servants for their services
24d Solid title provided that’s uplifting (4)
FIRM: The definition of an adjective denoting solid, hard or incompressible is got from a charade of MR (title) as a title used before a man’s name or names or before some office that he holds and IF (provided) as a conjunction denoting provided, assuming or in case and sequentially both in an ascending mode (that’s uplifting) as reversals in the down clue
25d Heading for shelter today, drifter? (4)
SNOW: The head or topmost letter (heading) for S[HELTER] followed by NOW (today) as an adverb denoting at this moment, at the present or today takes to the definition of frozen precipitation consisting of hexagonally symmetrical ice crystals that form soft, white flakes, an example of which is the term ‘drifter’ referring to the snow or a meteorological phenomenon that forms drifts
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 5a, 17a, 21a, 26a, 1d, 2d, 4d, 8d, 13d and 19d; 17a 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.