Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31295
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 18th July 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
Thebes, the answer to part of the wordplay to the clue at 30a, was one of the most important city-states in ancient Greece, located in the region of Boeotia. It played a major role in Greek history, politics, and military affairs. According to Greek mythology, Thebes was founded by Cadmus, who is said to have introduced the alphabet to Greece. The city was also closely linked with the legends of King Oedipus and the Seven Against Thebes. During the fourth century BC, Thebes became a powerful military force under the leadership of Epaminondas and defeated Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. This victory ended Spartan dominance and established Theban supremacy for a short period. However, the city’s influence declined after it was destroyed by Alexander the Great in 335 BC, although it was later rebuilt. Today, Thebes is recognised for its rich archaeological heritage and its lasting contribution to Greek history, mythology and civilisation. Thebes is now a modern town in central Greece, known as Thiva. It serves as an important agricultural and commercial centre in the region of Boeotia. Although much of the ancient city lies beneath the modern settlement, archaeological excavations have uncovered remains of palaces, tombs and fortifications that reveal its glorious past. Visitors come to explore its museum and historical sites, which preserve the legacy of one of ancient Greece’s most influential city-states. While browsing the internet, I learnt that there is another Thebes in Egypt. Thebes was the ancient capital of Upper Egypt and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Situated on the banks of the River Nile, it flourished especially during the Middle and New Kingdoms. Thebes became the political, religious, and cultural centre of Egypt, with the worship of the god Amun gaining great importance. The city was home to magnificent temples such as the Karnak and Luxor Temples, which displayed the wealth and power of the pharaohs. On the west bank of the Nile lay the Valley of the Kings, where many rulers, including Tutankhamun, were buried in richly decorated tombs. Thebes reached the height of its glory between the sixteenth and eleventh centuries BC, but later declined as political power shifted elsewhere. Today, its ancient remains form part of the modern city of Luxor, one of Egypt’s most famous archaeological and tourist destinations, attracting visitors from around the world. While on a tour of Egypt with my family in January 2020 under the Leave Fare Concession (LFC) scheme of the bank where I worked, I visited Luxor, among other places, and was deeply impressed by the magnificent Karnak Temple and its many other remarkable archaeological sites. I also enjoyed shopping at the bustling El-Souq market, where I found a wide variety of souvenirs and local handicrafts at reasonable prices. Between the two, Thebes of Egypt is far more ancient than Thebes of Greece. Thebes of Egypt predates Thebes of Greece by well over a thousand years. It was already an important urban and religious centre while the Greek city was still in its early stages of development. This is why historians generally regard Egyptian Thebes as the older and more ancient of the two. However, Thebes of Greece is studied more extensively than Thebes of Egypt in the fields of classical history and literature. It remains immensely because of its association with legends such as Oedipus, Antigone and Cadmus, as well as its historical rivalry with Sparta and Athens. Among historians and students of ancient history, Greek Thebes often appears more fascinating from a literary and historical perspective, whereas Egyptian Thebes is admired mainly for its monumental archaeological heritage. That is why I chose to use the Greek Thebes in the wordplay.
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Across
1a Benny Malone beheaded condemned Queen (4,6)
ANNE BOLEYN: An anagram of a combo of (condemned) of BENNY and [M]ALONE without the head or first letter (beheaded) leads to the definition of Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII
6a Chances postgrad rejected processed food (4)
SPAM: SP (chances) as the abbreviation for Starting Price that denotes the latest chances or odds offered by bookmakers, especially in horse racing, at the start of a race followed by MA (postgrad) as the abbreviation for Master of Arts that is a post-graduate degree coming from the other end (rejected) as being rejected or serving as a reversal in the across clue that takes to the definition of a brand of canned, processed pork
9a Sounding more relaxed? That’s destiny (5)
KARMA: A homophone heard by the audience (sounding) of CALMER (more relaxed) as an adjective in the comparative degree denoting more relaxed, tranquil or peaceful guides to the definition of destiny or fate resulting from one’s previous actions
10a Beer batch returned in fine containers? (9)
PORCELAIN: A reversal (returned) of a combo of ALE (beer) as a type of beer, especially one that is darker and more bitter than other beers like lager, stout and porter and CROP (batch) as a batch, collection or bunch of something followed by IN from the clue guides to the definition of a fine ceramic material from which containers such as cups, bowls and vases are made
12a War paint mum used to cover a mark (7)
MASCARA: The definition of a cosmetic or colouring for the eyelashes, an example of which is war paint i.e. a colloquial term for cosmetics such as lipstick, rouge or mascara is reached from MA (mum) as referring to mother and serving as a childish contraction for mum or mamma taking inside (used to cover) a combination of A from the clue and SCAR (mark) as a mark left on the skin after a surface injury or wound has healed
13a Love an entrance, we hear (5)
ADORE: The definition of a verb meaning to love and respect someone deeply is deduced from A (an) as an indefinite article used before a consonant sound and is taken as a broken form of ‘an’, the other article that is used before a vowel sound followed by a homophone heard by the audience (we hear) of DOOR (entrance) as the entrance through which one enters or leaves a room or building
15a Happy first of prisoners let out (7)
PLEASED: The definition of an adjective denoting happy, delighted or gratified is obtained from the first or initial letter (first) of P[RISONERS] followed by LEASED (let out) as rented or let out, especially of a property or accommodation to a tenant or lessee by way of a contract
17a Artist engaged by diplomat is second-rate (7)
MATISSE: The definition of the French visual artist, celebrated for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship whose full name was Henri Émile Benoît Matisse is part of or hidden inside (engaged by) [DIPLO]MAT IS SE[COND-RATE]
19a Part of group infiltrated by FBI agents (7)
SEGMENT: The definition of one of several parts or sections into which an object is divided is obtained from SET (group) as a group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together entered by or having inside (infiltrated by) G-MEN (FBI agents) as a slang term for agents of the FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States
21a Help as mug picked up (7)
SUCCOUR: The definition of a noun denoting help or assistance, especially in time of difficulty is reached from a homophone heard by the audience (picked up) of SUCKER (mug) as a slang term for a mug or a foolish or gullible person who is easy to take advantage of
22a Fleet displaying power in attack (5)
RAPID: The definition of an adjective meaning fleet, speedy or swift is reached from P (power) as the symbol for power in physics placed inside (in) RAID (attack) as a sudden surprise attack by a small armed force
24a Relax, please! Official’s inside (4,3)
EASE OFF: The definition of a verb meaning to relax, slacken or to make or become less active, intense etc is part of or hidden inside (inside) [PL]EASE! OFF[ICIAL’S]
27a Make children rewrite ace report (9)
PROCREATE: The definition of a verb meaning to have offspring or produce more individuals i.e. to make babies or children is obtained from an anagram (rewrite) of ACE REPORT
28a Cross buccaneer having lost parrot at first (5)
IRATE: The definition of an adjective meaning cross, furious or angry is deduced from [P]IRATE (buccaneer) as a person who, without authority, attempts to capture ships at sea, an example of which is a buccaneer i.e. a pirate in the West Indies during the seventeenth century, who plundered chiefly Spanish ships without or devoid of (having lost) the first or initial letter (at first) of P[ARROT]
29a Idyllic place: country, not Devon and Cornwall? (4)
EDEN: The garden in which Adam and Eve lived before the Fall that’s an idyllic place is deduced from [SW]EDEN (country) as a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe devoid of or not taking into account (not) SW (Devon and Cornwall?) as an abbreviation for South-West, herein referred to an example of Devon and Cornwall that are often considered the most culturally and geographically iconic counties of South-West England
30a Cheers giant cycling around ancient city (3,3,4)
ALL THE BEST: The definition of a phrase used as a farewell sentiment conveying best wishes or regards, an example of which is cheers i.e. an interjection used in expressing good wishes on parting or ending a conversation or informally expressing good wishes before drinking is arrived at from TALL (giant) as an adjective denoting giant, lofty or having greater than ordinary height touring (cycling) by the first letter cycling to take the last place i.e. ALLT place about (around) THEBES (ancient city) as a city in Boeotia, Central Greece and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
Down
1d Boats in flotilla discover Greek ships last of all (4)
ARKS: The definition of a nautical term for the plural of a large commodious boat is arrived at from each of the last or terminal letters (last of all) of [FLOTILL]A [DISCOVE]R [GREE]K [SHIP]S
2d Bird run over crossing motorway in German metropolis (9)
NUREMBERG: A combo of GREBE (bird) as a short-winged almost tailless freshwater diving bird and RUN from the clue in an inverted position (over) as reversals in the down clue and extending across (crossing) M (motorway) as the abbreviation for motorway guides to the second-largest city in the German state of Bavaria and the largest city in the cultural region of Franconia
3d Supporters start to spend money (5)
BRASS: BRAS (supporters) as the plural form of the short for brassière that is a form-fitting undergarment, used primarily to support and cover a woman’s breasts followed by the starting or initial letter (start) to S[PEND] takes to the definition of a slang term for money
4d Somewhere up north, boy holds map (7)
LAPLAND: The definition of a transnational Arctic region in northern Europe spanning Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia’s Kola Peninsula is arrived at from LAD (boy) as an informal term for a boy or young man retaining or keeping inside (holds) PLAN (map) as a large-scale detailed map of a small area
5d Indicator of rum times? (7)
YARDARM: The definition of the time when sailors were traditionally allowed a drink, often rum, indicating drinking time is cryptically arrived at from a reference to the old naval expression ‘when the sun is over the yardarm’ whereby an arm serving as an indicator or pointer of a yard or a nautical spar from which a sail hangs, indicating the time to have the first alcoholic drink of the day i.e. arm of yard, or precisely, yardarm
7d Too good a number for music-maker (5)
PIANO: PI (too good) as an adjective meaning pious or too good, A from the clue and NO (number) as the abbreviation for number leads to the definition of a large musical instrument, a shaped wooden case on legs, with a keyboard at which the player sits, the keys working small hammers to sound tautened wires inside that is obviously a music-maker
8d State of Oregon meant, unusually, to deport American (10)
MONTENEGRO: The definition of an independent sovereign state in South-Eastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea is obtained from an anagram (unusually) of OREGON ME[A]NT subject to removal of (to deport) A (American) as the abbreviation for American
11d Bouncy castle I burst (7)
ELASTIC: The definition of an adjective meaning bouncy or springy is reached when CASTLE I from the clue is subject to an anagram (burst)
14d Mark from King’s Cross? (10)
APOSTROPHE: The definition of a punctuation mark (’) used to show that a letter has been omitted e.g. “don’t” for “do not” or to indicate possession e.g. “David’s house” is reached from a similar punctuation mark in “King’s Cross” as in the clue
16d South Bank maybe is narrow (7)
SLENDER: A charade of S (south) as the abbreviation for South and LENDER (Bank) as an organisation or person that lends money, an example of which is a Bank i.e. a financial institution that deals with deposits and lending leads to the definition of an adjective meaning thin, slim or narrow
18d Reptile devouring collection of fowl that’s cold (9)
SNOWFLAKE: SNAKE (reptile) as any limbless, scaly, elongate reptile of the sub-order Serpentes comprising venomous and non-venomous species taking inside (devouring) an anagram (collection) of FOWL takes to the definition of a feathery clump of snow crystals that’s obviously cold
20d Inside dog, one unusual growth (7)
TOENAIL: An anagram (unusual) of ONE placed inside (inside) TAIL (dog) as to dog, follow, trail or keep another under surveillance by moving along behind leads to the definition of the thin, horny, transparent plate covering the upper surface of the end of a toe is actually a growth of keratin from its end
21d Dodgy group keeping us quiet (7)
SUSPECT: The definition of an adjective meaning dubious, doubtful or dodgy is obtained from SECT (group) as a group, division or faction having inside (keeping) a combo of US from the clue and P (quiet) as the musical abbreviation for piano meaning soft or quiet
23d Writing poetry initially increased (5)
PROSE: The definition of an ordinary speech of writing, without metrical structure or a writing that is not in poetry or verse is reached from the initial or starting letter (initially) of P[OETRY] followed by ROSE (increased) as a verb in the past tense meaning increased, soared or went up
25d Nothing charged for fruit (5)
OLIVE: A charade of O (nothing) as the letter representing naught or nothing and LIVE (charged) as charged or energised with electricity leads to the definition of a small, fleshy edible fruit from the olive tree, having an oil-rich flesh surrounding a hard stone
26d Exploit twist of fate (4)
FEAT: The definition of an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength, an example of which is an exploit i.e. a bold or daring feat is arrived at from an anagram (twist) of FATE
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 17a, 19a, 29a, 30a, 2d, 5d, 7d, 14d, 18d and 20d; 5d 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.