Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31289
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 11th July 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, friendly Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and valuable comments.
Cockneys, part of the wordplay for the clue at 20d, are working-class Londoners traditionally associated with the East End. Although I was already aware of who Cockneys are, I only recently learned about Cockney rhyming slang and I found it fascinating. Cockney rhyming slang works in a very interesting way, replacing word with a corresponding rhyming phrase. Thus, ‘Ruby Murray’ = curry, ‘Trouble & Strife’ = wife and ‘Bees & Honey’ = money. Often, the rhyming word itself is omitted, so one might simply say ‘Ruby’ to mean ‘curry’. I learnt from the internet ten popular examples of Cockney rhyming slang. ‘Adam and Eve’ = believe. “Would you Adam and Eve it?” ‘Apples and Pears’ = stairs. “I’m off up the apples.” ‘Butcher’s Hook’ = look. “Let’s have a butcher’s.” ‘Trouble & Strife’ = wife. “I’ll have to ask the trouble and strife.” ‘Dicky Bird’ = word. “She hasn’t said a dicky bird about it.” ‘Barnet Fair’ = hair. “What’s happened to your Barnet, mate?” ‘Dog and Bone’ = phone. “I’ll give you a call on the dog and bone tonight.” ‘Loaf of Bread’ = head. “He’s lost his loaf, that one.” ‘Mince Pies’ = eyes. “What lovely mincers she’s got.” ‘Cane & Abel’ = table. “It’s over there on the Cane and Abel.” While the Cockney identity is characterised by features such as dropping the ‘h’ at the beginning of words, for example, ’ouse for house, using glottal stops and substituting the ‘th’ sound with ‘f’ or ‘v’, Cockney rhyming slang was originally developed in the nineteenth century by criminals and market traders to confuse outsiders, especially the police.
I was also keen to learn more about a ‘tied house’, which featured in the wordplay for the clue at 21d. I had always associated the term with British pubs, where it most commonly refers to a public house owned by a brewery and obliged to sell only that brewery’s beers. But I discovered from the internet that the expression has a broader meaning in British legal and employment usage, extending to residential accommodation provided by an employer. In this wider sense, a ‘tied house’ or ‘tied cottage’ is a dwelling owned by an employer and occupied by an employee as a condition of their employment. Such arrangements have long been common in agriculture, where farm workers traditionally lived in cottages belonging to the landowner and in other occupations where employees were expected to reside close to their place of work. The employee’s right to occupy the property depends entirely upon holding the relevant post. The same principle applies to the clergy. A rectory, the official residence of a rector, is regarded as a tied house because it is owned not by the individual priest or minister but by the appropriate church authority, such as the parish or diocese. The rector occupies the property solely by virtue of holding that ecclesiastical office, and the right of occupation is inseparably linked to the appointment. Consequently, if the rector retires, resigns, accepts another post or is otherwise removed from office, the legal entitlement to remain in the rectory comes to an end. The property must then be vacated so that it can be occupied by the incoming incumbent. Thus, although the phrase ‘tied house’ is best known in Britain for describing brewery-owned pubs, its broader legal meaning encompasses any employer-owned residence whose occupancy is tied to a particular job. Understanding this wider sense made me appreciate both the ingenuity of the crossword clue and the historical significance of the term.
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Across
1a Mentioned fish carried in the sack (8)
BROACHED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning mentioned or suggested for the first time is reached from ROACH (fish) as an edible freshwater cyprinid fish, Rutilus rutilus, of northern Europe placed inside (carried in) BED (the sack) as an informal term for ‘the sack’ denoting dismissal from one’s employment
5a See 3 Down
9a Able to read temperature in boiling atelier (8)
LITERATE: The definition of an adjective denoting able to read and write is reached from T (temperature) as the symbol for temperature in physics placed inside (in) an anagram (boiling) of ATELIER
10a Sailors with tale about halting descent (6)
ABSEIL: ABS (sailors) as the plural of the abbreviation AB for able-bodied i.e. seaman or a person who works as a sailor, especially below the rank of an officer and (with) LIE (tale) as tale, story or falsehood coming from the other end (about) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a halting descent of a vertical cliff or wall made by using a doubled rope that is fixed to a higher point and wrapped around the body
12a Wish to travel – minimal cost when cycling (5,4)
ITCHY FEET: The definition of a phrase denoting very strong or irresistible impulse to travel is obtained when TITCHY FEE (minimal cost) as denoting a cost that is minimal or very small; titchy being very small, minimal or tiny and fee a cost or price paid is subject to a cycling or taking the first letter T of the phrase all the way to the very end
13a Whence 3 Down cases of Hindu bias dismissed (5)
INDIA: The definition of a country in South Asia and the most populous country of the world that is also the country of origin for curry as in 3 Down is reached from each of the inner letters or dismissing the outermost letters of the words (cases … dismissed ) of [H]IND[U] [B]IA[S]
14a Hook’s first mate brings me empty boxes (4)
SMEE: The definition of the fictional character who serves as Captain Hook’s boatswain, quartermaster and bumbling first mate in J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play ‘Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up’ and 1911 novel ‘Peter and Wendy’ is found hidden inside (boxes) [BRING]S ME E[MPTY]
16a Playwright once called an Algonquian speaker (7)
SHAWNEE: A charade of SHAW (playwright) as referring to Irwin Shaw, the acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter, novelist and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies and NÉE (once called) as an adjective meaning born, used in stating a married woman’s maiden name after her surname i.e. as originally or once called leads to the definition of a member of an indigenous American people originally of the Ohio River Valley, speaking the Central Algonquian language bearing the same name that is now spoken in parts of central and north-eastern Oklahoma
19a One imagines deer and ram cavorting (7)
DREAMER: The definition of a person who imagines things that are not real yet is reached from an anagram (cavorting) of a combo of DEER and RAM
21a See 27 Across
24a Son exits holy festival: one in 3 Down house perhaps (5)
EATER: S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son comes out of (exits) EA[S]TER (holy festival) as the most important festival of the Christian Church, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ leads to the definition of an example of one in 3 Down house, that is curry house who eats a particular amount or type of food, eats in a particular way or has a particular attitude towards food
25a Performers’ private parts? (9)
BACKSTAGE: A cryptic definition of parts of a theatre behind the stage that comprise the private restricted areas, especially the rooms in which the actors change their clothes
27a and 21 Across Uproar at home – 3 Down in place of roast? (6,4)
DINING ROOM: A charade of DIN (uproar) as an uproar or a loud and impassioned noise or disturbance, IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home and GROOM (3 Down) as to dress or curry that is 3 Down that takes to the definition of a room in a house where a roast dinner is traditionally served and eaten
28a Picture wine and endless dish served with 3 Down (8)
PORTRAIT: The definition of a picture or a pictorial representation of a person usually showing the face is obtained from PORT (wine) as a rich, sweet, fortified wine and RAIT[A] (dish) as an Indian dish of finely chopped cucumber, peppers, mint etc in yoghurt and served with curry as in 3 Down that is devoid of the end or final letter A (endless)
29a American doctor tucking into mum’s 3 Down (6)
MADRAS: A combo of A (American) as the abbreviation for American and DR (doctor) as the abbreviation for doctor getting inside (tucking into) MA’S (mum’s) as of or belonging to ma that’s referring to mother and serving as a childish contraction for mamma leads to the definition of a medium-hot curry that is an example of 3 Down i.e. curry
30a Actors following characters only given limited roles (8)
TYPECAST: CAST (actors) as a group of actors taking part in a play, film or other theatrical presentation coming after or preceded by (following) TYPE (characters) as referring to typewritten or printed characters or letters or font leads to the definition of a verb meaning to repeatedly cast an actor in the same kind of role, thereby limiting the range of parts they are offered
Down
1d 3 Down cold – extremely so! (8)
BALTIC: A charade of BALTI (3 Down) as a popular style of curry, as in 3 Down, that is fast-cooked over high heat and traditionally both cooked and served in the exact same thin, pressed-steel, wok-like bowl and C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold guides to the definition of an adjective meaning extremely cold or very cold, where ‘so’ from ‘extremely so’ is linked to the previous word ‘cold’ taking part in both wordplay and definition in this semi-&lit clue
2d Work with jerks in light science (6)
OPTICS: A charade of OP (work) and (with) TICS (jerks) leads to the definition of the branch of physical science that deals with the properties and phenomena of both visible and invisible light and with vision
3d and 5 Across Wild Ryder Cup row, it brings heat to course (5,6)
CURRY POWDER: An anagram (wild) of RYDER CUP ROW leads to the definition of ground mixed spices, including turmeric, cumin, chillies, fenugreek, cloves, coriander etc that brings spicy heat to a meal course
4d Last unopened message about your setter (7)
EXTREME: The definition of an adjective denoting last, final or ultimate is reached from [T]EXT (unopened message) as referring to a text message or a written message addressed to a person or organisation devoid of its opening or starting letter followed by RE (about) as a preposition meaning about, regarding or with reference to and ME (your setter) as how the setter of this puzzle would address themselves to the solvers
6d Boil bag – ordered to in part that must be played (9)
OBBLIGATO: An anagram (ordered) followed by TO from the clue guides to the definition of a part of the score that must be performed without change or omission
7d Fearing day with lesson (8)
DREADING: The definition of a verb in the continuous form denoting dreading or being afraid or frightened of someone or something is obtained from a charade of D (day) as the abbreviation for day and READING (lesson) as a lesson, recital, sermon or lecture
8d Liberated grass-covered meadows (8)
RELEASED: The definition of a verb in the past tense denoting freed or liberated is got from REED (grass) as any of various widely distributed tall grasses of the genus Phragmites that grow in swamps and shallow water and have jointed hollow stalks enclosing or taking inside (covered) LEAS (meadows) as the plural term for meadow, grassland or field
11d Old husband deserting this regretful socialite (4)
OTIS: O (old) as the abbreviation for old followed by H (husband) as the genealogical abbreviation for husband leaving or coming out of (deserting) T[H]IS leads to the definition of a fictional character of a regretful high-society woman called Miss Otis from Cole Porter’s famous 1934 satirical ballad ‘Miss Otis Regrets’
15d Chap touring city in reverse, lawyer notes (9)
MEMORANDA: MAN (chap) as an adult male, colloquially referred to as chap going around (touring) ROME (city) as the capital city and most populated comune of Italy going in an upward direction (reverse) as a reversal in the down clue and followed by DA (lawyer) as the abbreviation for District Attorney who is a lawyer in the United States working for a city, state or federal government and putting on trial people who are accused of crimes guides to the definition of the plural term for a short note written as a reminder
17d Extra pages put in madden Dumas (8)
ADDENDUM: The definition of a supplement or appendix to a book, magazine or other written work is part of or hidden inside (put in) [M]ADDEN DUM[AS]
18d Didn’t see crashes en route (8)
DESTINED: An anagram (crashes) of DIDN’T SEE leads to the definition of an adjective denoting heading towards a specific destination, an example of which is the phrase ‘en route’ meaning on the way, during the course of a journey or on a route to a place
20d Fortieth anniversary gift is 3 Down for Cockneys (4)
RUBY: The definition of the traditional gift for a fortieth wedding anniversary is arrived at from ‘Ruby Murray’, a famous British singer from the 1950s that, in Cockney rhyming slang, rhymes with and means a ‘curry’ as in 3 Down
21d Tied house Diana missed in phone book (7)
RECTORY: The definition of a tied house i.e. a residence tied to a rector or church is reached from DI (Diana) as the well-established shortened form of Diana, Princess of Wales that is absent (missed) in [DI]RECTORY (phone book) as referring to a book containing an alphabetical list of telephone subscribers and their telephone numbers
22d Spice mix used in 3 Down, and in taramasalata! (6)
MASALA: The definition of any of various mixtures of spices that are used in the cuisine of South Asia, particularly India that is used in 3 Down, that is curry is part of or hidden inside (in) [TARA]MASALA[TA]
23d Let It Be holds record for group (6)
SEPTET: STET (let it be) as the Latin term for ‘let it stand’ i.e. ‘let it be as it is’, used as a proof-reader’s notation to ignore a correction and leave the text unchanged keeping inside (holds) EP (record) as an extended-play record that lasts for about eight minutes on each side guides to the definition of a group of seven singer or musicians in music or a group of seven people or things in general
26d French composer‘s link with Pretoria? (5)
SATIE: The definition of the surname of the famous avant-garde French composer and pianist, better known as Erik Satie is arrived at from TIE (link) as a link, bond or connection with SA (Pretoria) as the abbreviation for South Africa, the country where Pretoria serves as the administrative capital, that is TIE with SA, or precisely, SA-TIE
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 12a, 16a, 25a, 27a/21a, 29a, 20d, 3d/5a, 11d, 23d and 26d; 23d 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.