Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31313
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 8th August 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, lovely Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
I was aware of the Sabbath, the answer to the clue at 21 Down, as a practice in both Judaism and Christianity. However, after solving the puzzle, I turned to the internet to learn more about it and gained a great deal of information on the subject. The Sabbath is a sacred day of rest and worship observed in several religions, most notably Judaism and Christianity, although its form and significance vary between traditions. The word derives from the Hebrew ‘Shabbat’, meaning ‘rest’ or ‘cessation’ and is associated with the biblical account of the creation of the world, in which God rests on the seventh day. In Judaism, the Sabbath is observed from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. It is one of the central institutions of Jewish religious life and is traditionally marked by prayer, family meals, study and rest. Orthodox Jewish practice includes abstention from various forms of work, in accordance with interpretations of Jewish law. The Sabbath provides a regular period in which ordinary work and commercial activity give way to religious observance, family life and spiritual reflection. In Christianity, Sunday has traditionally been regarded as the principal day of worship and rest, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Christian traditions therefore regard Sunday as the Christian Sabbath, although interpretations differ considerably. Some Protestant groups, particularly Sabbatarian traditions, place strong emphasis on keeping Sunday as a day of rest and worship, while other Christians regard the Sabbath primarily as a spiritual principle rather than a rule requiring observance on a particular day. The concept of a Sabbath also appears in other religious contexts and has influenced wider ideas about the importance of regular rest. Beyond its specifically religious meaning, the Sabbath can be understood as a deliberate interruption of the normal demands of work and daily life. It creates time for worship, contemplation, family, community and renewal. In this sense, the Sabbath represents not merely inactivity, but the setting aside of time for purposes considered more important than ordinary labour.
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Across
1a Greater than zero? Not in doubt (8)
POSITIVE: Double adjectival definition; the second meaning certain, definite, assured or beyond possibility of doubt that takes to the first denoting greater than zero or conventionally regarded as greater than zero, indicating such a quantity, as in mathematics
5a Bad storm around North Carolina (6)
RANCID: The definition of an adjective meaning bad, rotten or stale, especially referring to food that has gone off is arrived at from RAID (storm) as to storm or suddenly attack and capture a building or other place by means of force, especially of troops placed about (around) NC (North Carolina) as the standard two-letter postal abbreviation for the state of North Carolina of the United States
9a Last word by competent subject (8)
AMENABLE: AMEN (last word) as a term used at the end of a prayer or religious statement having alongside (by) ABLE (competent) as an adjective denoting competent, capable or talented forming a charade takes to the definition of an adjective meaning liable or subject
10a Beautiful boy Batty said no (6)
ADONIS: The definition of a figure of Greek mythology renowned for his extraordinary beauty and his tragic death, becoming a symbol of youthful male beauty and desire or in general of a particularly handsome youth or young man is reached from an anagram (batty) of SAID NO
12a and 21 Across Surprise – ready to keep ace and not lead (4,1,4,4)
TAKE A BACK SEAT: TAKE ABACK (surprise) as a phrase denoting to surprise or discomfit followed by SET (ready) to retain or hold inside (keep) A (ace) as the abbreviation for ace as in a pack of cards guides to the definition of an idiom meaning to occupy an inferior or subordinate position or not to take the lead
13a Consent from Macron and Merz for board (5)
OUIJA: A combination of OUI, the French word for ‘yes’, as said by Emmanuel Macron, the French President and JA, the German word for ‘yes’, as said by Friedrich Merz, the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany; ‘yes’ expressing agreement or consent (consent from Macron and Merz), leading to the definition of a flat board printed with the letters of the alphabet, numbers 0-9, the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and sometimes ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’
14a Prepare lamb initially placed in wok (4)
PLAN: The definition of a verb meaning to prepare, arrange, plot or scheme is reached from the initial or first letters (initially) of L[AMB] getting inside (placed in) PAN (wok) as a cooking utensil consisting of a wide metal vessel, an example of which is a wok i.e. a hemispherical pan used in Chinese cookery
16a Cover for little piggy? (7)
TOENAIL: A cryptic definition of a covering or protection of the end of a toe for a little piggy in a nursery rhyme that is usually counted out on an infant or toddler’s toes with each line corresponding to a different toe and usually starting with the big toe and ending with the little toe
19a Push out doubter after Reformation (7)
OBTRUDE: The definition of a verb meaning to push out or forward is fetched from an anagram (after reformation) of DOUBTER
21a See 12 Across
24a Wanderer compos mentis in “Glesga”? (5)
NOMAD: The definition of a wanderer or a person with no fixed residence who roams about is reached from NO MAD (compos mentis in “Glesga”) as having full control of their mental facultis, an example of which is ‘compos mentis’ or a Latin adjectival phrase meaning ‘sane or of sound mind’ i.e. ‘not mad’ in standard English and humorously rendered as ‘no mad’ in the supposed speech in “Glesga”
25a Seducer left island: knight embraced by Edward VII (9)
LIBERTINE: The definition of a dissolute person or usually a man who is morally unrestrained , an example of which is a seducer i.e. a dissolute person, especially one given to sexual promiscuity or into error or wrongdoing is arrived at from L (left) as the abbreviation for left and I (island) as the abbreviation for island followed by N (knight) as the abbreviation for a knight in chess notation hugged or covered by (embraced by) BERTIE (Edward VII) as the nickname of King Edward VII
27a British rower in a delta on boat (6)
ABOARD: A combination of B (British) as an abbreviation for British and OAR (rower) as a long pole used to row a boat or a person who rows a boat, especially in a race and hence a rower placed inside (in) a combo of A from the clue and D (delta) as the letter represented by Delta in the NATO phonetic alphabet takes to the definition of an adjective meaning on or into a ship or boat
28a Jawbone broken in bedlam (8)
MANDIBLE: The definition of the jaw or a jawbone, especially the lower jawbone in mammals and fishes is reached from an anagram (broken) of IN BEDLAM
29a Drive in the same place taking look around (6)
LIBIDO: The definition of a desire for sexual activity or sex drive is obtained from IBID (in the same place) as an abbreviation for the Latin word ‘ibidem’ meaning ‘in the same place’, used in referring to a book, chapter, passage etc already cited and covered or surrounded by (taking … around) LO (look) as an interjection denoting look, behold or see
30a Attractive quality is in entrance area (8)
CHARISMA: The definition of the powerful personal quality that some people have to attract and impress other people is got from IS from the clue placed inside (in) CHARM (entrance) as a verb meaning to entrance, bewitch or captivate and followed by A (area) as the abbreviation for area
Down
1d Spies student donning underwear (6)
PLANTS: The definition of persons placed in a group or groups as spies or informers is arrived at from L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver i.e. a student learning how to drive a vehicle wearing or having on the outside (donning) PANTS (underwear) as a piece of underwear or briefs
2d Muslim leader‘s rock broadcast (6)
SHEIKH: The definition of a leader in the Muslim community or organisation is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (broadcast) of SHAKE (rock) as to rock, sway or move back and forth or sideways
3d I’m going to keep one ornamental coronet (5)
TIARA: TA-RA (I’m going) as a common, informal way of saying ‘good-bye’ or denoting ‘I bid you farewell’ in Northern England, the Midlands and Wales, often considered a variant of ‘ta-ta’, more commonly used to express farewell, an example of which is ‘I’m going’ as another informal way of saying good-bye to have inside (keep) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one that guides to the definition of a jewelled, ornamental coronet worn by women
4d Wicked enemy of Birmingham team at home (7)
VILLAIN: The definition of a wicked person, scoundrel or enemy is arrived at from a charade of VILLA (Birmingham team) Aston Villa, referring to a professional football team based in Birmingham, England and IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home
6d Stars with wild dream accepting Oscar (9)
ANDROMEDA: The definition of a constellation or group of stars in the Northern Hemisphere lying between Cassiopeia and Pegasus, the three brightest stars being of the second magnitude is reached from AND (with) as a conjunction used to connect grammatically coordinate words, phrases or clauses denoting with, as well as or in addition to followed by an anagram (wild) of DREAM taking inside (accepting) O (Oscar) as the letter represented by Oscar in the NATO phonetic alphabet
7d One dining on his own? (8)
CANNIBAL: A cryptic definition of an eater of the flesh of another member of their own species
8d Old PM departs from Haifa? (8)
DISRAELI: The definition of the surname of the British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and whose full name was Benjamin Disraeli is arrived at from a charade of D (departs) as the abbreviation for ‘departs’ and ISRAELI (from Haifa) as a citizen from the modern state of Israel, an example of such citizen can also be ‘from Haifa’, that is a port city in Israel and hence Israeli
11d Satirical piece in second gear (4)
SKIT: The definition of a short, humorous or satirical piece, especially one performed or written for comic effect is got from a charade of S (second) as the abbreviation for second and KIT (gear) as a gear or a set of articles or equipment needed for a specific purpose
15d Cleansed Dane ruled in resort (9)
LAUNDERED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning cleansed i.e. washed something, such as clothing, in water is reached from an anagram (in resort) of DANE RULED
17d Spooner’s discovered everything in ruin (8)
DOWNFALL: FOUND (discovered) as a verb in the past tense meaning met with or discovered by chance that is subject to an utterance involving spoonerism (Spooner’s) as to utter a verbal error in which a speaker transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect followed by ALL (everything) as used to refer to the totality of things leads to the definition of a noun meaning ruin or a sudden loss of position, health or reputation
18d Part of an Arsenal crowd turning up in a resting place (4,4)
ATOM BOMB: The definition of a weapon of mass destruction that derives power from the rapid release of nuclear energy and is part of arsenal that comprises the stock of weapons is obtained from MOB (crowd) as a large and often disorderly crowd in an upward direction (turning up) as a reversal in the down clue and placed inside (in) a combo of A from the clue and TOMB (resting place) as a grave or vault, serving as a permanent resting place for a dead person
20d Fish slumber mostly facing north (4)
EELS: The definition of long, snakelike, scaleless, marine or freshwater fishes of the order Anguilliformes that lack pelvic fins and characteristically migrate from freshwater to salt water to spawn is reached from SLEE[P] (slumber) as to slumber or be asleep having most of the letters (mostly) and going in an upward direction (facing north) as a reversal in the down clue
21d Sailor in small tub – time to rest (7)
SABBATH: AB (sailor) as the abbreviation for able-bodied that refers to a seaman or sailor placed inside (in) a combo of S (small) as the abbreviation for small and BATH (tub) as referring to a bathtub that is a relatively large open container that one fills with water and uses to wash the body guides to the definition of the day of the week regularly set aside for religious services and rest
22d Student body keeps a little storage in cloud (6)
NIMBUS: NUS (student body) as the abbreviation for the National Union of Students that is a study body having inside (keeps) IMB (a little storage) as referring to one megabyte; I (one) being the Roman numeral for one and MB (megabyte) the abbreviation for megabyte representing little storage in computer terms that leads to the definition of especially a large rain cloud or a halo-like cloud
23d Money once raised in late September (6)
PESETA: The definition of the primary unit of currency in Spain and Andorra before the adoption of the euro in 2002 is part of or hidden inside (in) [L]ATE SEP[TEMBER] that is seen going upwards in the down clue (raised) as a reversal in the down clue
26d Cyclist free here in the middle (5)
RIDER: The definition of a person that rides, an example of which is a cyclist i.e. a person who rides a bicycle is got from RID (free) as to release or make someone or something free of an unwanted person or thing followed by the middle or inner letters (in the middle) of [H]ER[E]
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 9a, 12a/21a, 13a, 16a, 24a, 25a, 3d, 6d, 7d, 17d, 21d and 22d; 7d being the clear winner. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to NYDK for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.