Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31283
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 4th July 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A brilliant Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
Minstrel, the answer to clue 16d, caught my attention this time. After completing the puzzle, I searched the internet and found a great deal of interesting information about it. A minstrel was traditionally an entertainer who travelled from place to place, delighting audiences with songs, stories, poetry and instrumental music. During the Middle Ages, minstrels played an important role in preserving history, spreading news and providing amusement in villages, castles and royal courts, especially at a time when few people could read or write. They often accompanied themselves on instruments such as the lute, harp or fiddle, and their performances ranged from heroic ballads and romantic tales to humorous verses and moral lessons. Skilled minstrels possessed not only musical talent but also a remarkable memory, enabling them to recount lengthy narratives that celebrated legendary heroes, significant battles and local folklore. Their ability to adapt performances to suit different audiences made them highly valued wherever they travelled. Although some enjoyed the patronage of wealthy nobles, many lived modestly, depending upon gifts, food or payment from appreciative listeners. Over time, the role of the minstrel evolved as printing, theatre and other forms of entertainment became more widespread, reducing the need for travelling performers. The term later acquired different meanings in certain historical contexts, including minstrel shows of the nineteenth century, which are now widely recognised as racist because they relied on offensive stereotypes and blackface performances. Today, when people refer to medieval minstrels, they generally evoke images of wandering musicians whose art enriched cultural life through storytelling and music. Modern festivals, historical reenactments and folk traditions continue to celebrate this earlier legacy, reminding us that the minstrel was once an important guardian of oral tradition and a vital link between communities, history and the enduring power of music and narrative.
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Across
9a Unusually, need import for exchange (10)
REDEMPTION: An anagram (unusually) of NEED IMPORT leads to the definition of the act of changing one thing with another thing or the act of giving something in return for something received
6a Very long shot, backing front-runner in Epsom (4)
EPIC: The definition of an adjective meaning very long, great or grand is got from PIC (shot) as an informal term for a picture or photograph, an example of which is a shot i.e. an informal photograph or picture preceded by or coming after (backing) the front or initial letter (front-runner) in E[PSOM]
9a Foreign money smuggled into football club (5)
FRANC: The definition of the historical primary unit of currency in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Monaco before the adoption of the euro and hence foreign money is obtained from RAN (smuggled) as a verb in the past tense denoting smuggled or bootlegged contraband goods placed inside (into) FC (football club) as the abbreviation for ‘football club’
10a Complaint, having grasped the nettle? (9)
URTICARIA: The definition of the medical term for nettle-rash or a rash of itchy red or white weals, usually the symptom of an allergy, also called hives, is cryptically arrived at from ‘rash’ or a skin condition characterised by changes in the skin, such as red spots or patches serving as a type of complaint in medical contexts clutching or clinging on to or coming after (having grasped) the ‘nettle’ i.e. any of various common weeds with stinging hairs and belonging to genus Urtica
12a Albert, perhaps, arranged prison concert (6,7)
PRINCE CONSORT: An anagram (arranged) of PRISON CONCERT guides to the definition of a prince who is the husband of a reigning female sovereign, an example of which is Albert, referring to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who was the prince consort and husband of Queen Victoria, the British monarch
14a Creatively design home without tax – Angela’s fourth? (8)
INNOVATE: The definition of a verb meaning to creatively develop a new design, produce, idea etc is got from IN (home) as at or inside one’s home followed by NO VAT (without tax) as denoting an exemption from Value Added Tax and the fourth letter (fourth) of [ANG]E[LA] (Angela’s)
15a Order always withdrawn after the last month (6)
DECREE: The definition of a formal and authoritative order having the force of law is reached from E’ER (always) as a contraction or the poetic form of ever meaning always coming from the other end (withdrawn) as a reversal in the across clue coming after or preceded by (after) DEC (the last month) as the final month of the calendar year
17a Exert pressure on crowd (6)
HUSTLE: Double verbal definition; the second denoting to crowd or shove someone roughly that takes to the first meaning to exert pressure on someone into buying or doing something
19a Slipped over having grabbed book offering puzzles (8)
DILEMMAS: SLID (slipped) as a verb in the past tense meaning slipped, skidded or slithered on or to the other side (over) as a reversal in the across clue having taken inside (grabbed) EMMA (book) as a famous novel by Jane Austen guides to the definition of a plural noun meaning puzzles, predicaments or difficult choices
21a Brief encounter: snog and then it’s done! (3-5,5)
ONE-NIGHT STAND: The definition of an exceptionally brief sexual encounter lasting only one evening or night is arrived at when SONG AND THEN IT is subject to an anagram (done); ‘it’s’ from the clue being separated or taken as ‘it is’
24a Possibly a winsome Romeo? (9)
WOMANISER: The definition of a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them is reached from an anagram (possibly) of A WINSOME followed by R (Romeo) as the letter represented by Romeo in the NATA phonetic alphabet in this all-in-one clue
25a It may get endless representation (5)
IMAGE: I[T] MA[Y] GE[T] from the clue subject to the removal of each of the end or final letter (endless) leads to the definition of a representation of the form of a person or object, such as a painting or photograph
26a Story‘s thread (4)
YARN: Double nounal definition; the second being a continuous strand of twisted threads of natural or synthetic fibre, used in weaving, knitting etc that takes to the first referring to a long and often involved story or account, usually telling of incredible or fantastic events
27a Footballer, big name, he’ll burst having eliminated Spain (10)
BELLINGHAM: The definition of the surname of Jude Bellingham, the massive world-class football star from Stourbridge, England is arrived at from an anagram (burst) of BIG NAME H[E]LL without putting into use (having eliminated) E (Spain) as the IVR Code for Spain
Down
1d Large number in service before time (4)
RAFT: The definition of a large number or amount or extent is arrived at from RAF (service) as the abbreviation for Royal Air Force that is the aerial warfare service branch of the United Kingdom placed in front of T (time) as the symbol for time in physics
2d Notice old man in study giving little away (7)
DEADPAN: A combo of AD (notice) as a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service or event and PA (old man) as a colloquial term for father, also known sometimes as ‘old man’ placed inside (in) DEN (study) as a secluded room for study or relaxation guides to the definition of an adjective meaning expressionless or revealing no emotion that is giving little way
3d Scotsman, maybe – a villain, he’s horribly devious (13)
MACHIAVELLIAN: MAC (Scotsman, maybe) as a nickname of a Scotsman or a common prefix found in family name of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning ‘son of’, e.g., MacDonald, MacMurray, MacGregor that also became Scottish surnames when names were anglicised followed by an anagram (horribly) of A VILLAIN HE is (he’s) guiding to the definition of an adjective denoting unscrupulously sly or devious
4d Cut short drive with jazz fan in centre of Cheltenham (8)
TRUNCATE: The definition of a verb meaning to cut short, trim or curtail is arrived at from a combo of RUN (drive) as to drive or operate and CAT (jazz fan) as a devotee of jazz music placed inside (in) the central or middle letters (centre) of [CHEL]TE[NHAM]
5d Stop ticket-holder, showing nerve? (5)
OPTIC: : Part of or hidden inside (showing) of [ST]OP TIC[KET-HOLDER] leads to the definition referring to an optic nerve that is relating to the eye or the sense of sight
7d Dangerous leaving son close to heater in room (7)
PARLOUR: PARLOU[S] (dangerous) as an adjective denoting dangerous or perilous without or devoid of (leaving) S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation of son followed by the closing or terminal letter of (close to) [HEATE]R leads to the definition of a living room, especially one kept tidy for the reception of visitors
8d Green plan: recycle! (10)
CHARTREUSE: The definition of a strong to brilliant greenish yellow to moderate or strong yellow green is arrived at from a charade of CHART (plan) as a plan, map, graph or diagram or a sheet of information in the form of any of these and RE-USE (recycle) as to recycle or convert waste into reusable material
11d Ancient doer of wrong in alliance (13)
CONFEDERATION: An anagram (wrong) of ANCIENT DOER OF guides to the definition of an alliance, league or union of states
13d Freedom to pass that’s okay, following approach (5,2,3)
RIGHT OF WAY: The definition of the freedom or right to pass over property owned by another party is got from a charade of RIGHTO (that’s okay) as a colloquial term for expressing acquiescence, an example of which is ‘that’s okay’, F (following) as the abbreviation for following and WAY (approach) as a method, technique, system or approach
16d Plucky type of performer seen in olden times? (8)
MINSTREL: A cryptic definition of a medieval musician, attached to a noble household, who sang or recited his own or others’ poems, accompanying himself alone on a stringed instrument, well-adept at plucking or pulling sharply with the nails or a plectrum the strings of the instrument
18d Seen in Trieste, a merchant vessel (7)
STEAMER: Part of or hidden inside (seen in) contained [TRIE]STE, A MER[CHANT] guides to the definition of a vessel that carries passengers or freight
20d Slander hospital, receiving stick for spa treatment? (7)
MUDBATH: A combo of MUD (slander) as an informal noun meaning slander or defamation and H (hospital) as the abbreviation for hospital taking inside (receiving) BAT (stick) as a stout wooden stick leads to the definition of a therapeutic treatment that involves soaking in a bath of warm mud, often in a natural hot spring or geothermal pool, inland sea or at a spa
22d Leader abandoning simple expedition (5)
HASTE: The head or the leading letter (leader) coming out of or leaving (abandoning) [C]HASTE (simple) as simple, undefiled or pure takes to the definition of a noun denoting expedition, rapidity or swiftness
23d Send bride-to-be amazing trousers (4)
BEAM: The definition of a verb meaning to send out or radiate rays of light is part of or hidden inside (trousers) of [BRIDE-TO-]BE AM[AZING]
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 10a, 12a, 15a, 21a, 24a, 27a, 1d, 3d, 7d, 8d and 20d; 8d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to the setter for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.