Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3384
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 30th August 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A very entertaining Sunday prize puzzle from Dada that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of the same for your kind perusal and important feedback.
I am familiar with both the Cockney accent and Cockney rhyming slang. The former is used here in clue 21d, where ’arbour forms part of the wordplay and ’aven appears as part of the answer. Nevertheless, wishing to learn more about the Cockney accent, I revisited the internet after solving the puzzle and found a great deal of interesting information about it. A defining feature of the traditional East London Cockney accent is the dropping of the /h/ sound at the beginning of certain words, a phenomenon linguists call H-dropping. In standard British English pronunciation, words such as ‘house’, ‘hand’, ‘happy’ and ‘holiday’ begin with an audible /h/ sound. However, in traditional Cockney speech, these words may be pronounced ‘ouse’, ‘and’, ‘appy’ and ‘oliday’. Thus, a Cockney speaker might say, “I’m going ‘ome,” instead of “I’m going home.” H-dropping has long been associated with working-class speech in London, particularly in the East End, where the Cockney dialect developed as an important part of local identity and culture. Although it was once regarded by some speakers of Standard English as a sign of poor education or incorrect pronunciation, modern linguistics recognises it simply as a characteristic feature of a particular regional and social accent. H-dropping is not unique to Cockney; it can also be heard in several other regional varieties of English in Britain. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most widely recognised features of traditional Cockney speech. The pronunciation reflects the rich linguistic diversity of London and demonstrates how accents can preserve the history, identity and social character of a community. Today, the traditional Cockney accent has been influenced by immigration, multiculturalism and changing patterns of urban life and newer forms of London English have emerged. Even so, H-dropping continues to be popularly associated with Cockney speakers and remains an instantly recognisable feature in films, television programmes, literature and humorous representations of East London speech. It is therefore an important example of how pronunciation can distinguish one variety of English from another.
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Across
8a Global superpower ignoring a feature (4)
CHIN: CHIN: CHIN[A] (global superpower) as a global power through its massive economic influence, military strength and expanding diplomatic reach ignoring (not taking into account or removing) A leads to the definition of a physical feature or prominent part of the human face below the mouth
9a Starters of organic vegetables and eggs (3)
OVA: The starting or first letters (starters) of O[RGANIC] V[EGETABLES] A[ND] produces the definition of the plural form of the Latin word ovum, which means egg or egg cell
10a First twelve hours of the day spent pleasantly occupied (6)
AMUSED: A charade of AM (first twelve hours of the day) as the first twelve hours of day from midnight to noon and USED (spent) as spent, consumed or exhausted takes to the definition of an adjective denoting pleasantly occupied or entertained
11a Associate following on, in fact (6)
REALLY: ALLY (associate) as an associate or a person who or an organisation that cooperates with or helps another in a particular activity preceded by or coming after (following) RE (on) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘on’, ‘about’ or ‘regarding’ leads to the definition of an adverb meaning in fact, actually or in reality
12a Sign socialist coerced (8)
BADGERED: A charade of BADGE (sign) as a sign, token or emblem worn to show membership or rank and RED (socialist) as a socialist, communist or leftist guides to the definition of a verb in the past tense denoting coerced, harassed or pestered
13a Perhaps note Alpine film? (3,5,2,5)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Double definition; the second being the legendary 1965 musical film set in the Austrian Alps that takes to the first denoting a musical note or a literal description of what music actually is
15a Thrown out in cricket (7)
STUMPED: The second denoting ‘out’ in cricket that refers to a dismissal method where the wicketkeeper puts down the stumps or removes the bails while the batsman is out of their crease and not attempting a run that takes to the first meaning thrown or an informal, figurative way to denote confused, completely lost, caught off guard or disconcerted
17a Leader of government on the right, I own my rogue state (7)
WYOMING: The leading or first letter (leader) of G[OVERNMENT] (leader of government) placed at the extreme right (on the right) that is preceded by or coming after an anagram (rogue) of I OWN MY takes to the definition of a landlocked state located in the Mountain West region of the Western United States
20a Thrilling picture, killer drawing? (5,10)
FATAL ATTRACTION: The definition of a 1987 psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close is arrived at from a charade of FATAL (killer) as used colloquially as an adjective meaning deadly, e.g. a killer disease and ATTRACTION (drawing) as the act of attracting or pulling something, an example of which is drawing i.e. the act of moving a load by pulling
23a Dasher uncovered – or Comet? (8)
STREAKER: Double definition; the second referring to a person or thing that streaks, an example of which is a comet or an astronomical object that leaves a bright trail or streak of light across the night sky that takes to the first colloquially denoting a person who streaks or dashes uncovered or naked through a public place or sports field
25a Language barrier initially breaks where translated (6)
HEBREW: The definition of the ancient language of the Jewish people or the modern form of it, which is the official language of Israel is reached from the initial or opening letter (initially) of B[ARRIER] getting inside or separating (breaks) an anagram (translated) of WHERE
26a Economic recovery finished, go! (6)
UPTURN: The definition of an improvement or upward trend in business or economic activity is reached through a charade of UP (finished) as an adverb denoting over or finished and TURN (go) as to go round or move in a circular direction wholly or partly round an axis or point
27a Drop a brick in drained river on head of eel (3)
ERR: The definition of a verb meaning to make a mistake, an example of which is to drop a brick i.e. to make a very bad or embarrassing mistake is got from by taking the outermost letters after removing all the inner letters (drained) of R[IVE]R preceded by or coming after in the across clue (on) the primary or initial letter (head) of E[EL]
28a Sit around when money’s short (4)
LOLL: The definition of a verb meaning to sit around or lounge or recline lazily is reached when LOLL[Y] (money) as a colloquial term for money is shortened with the removal of its last letter (is short); money’s has been taken as ‘money is’
Down
1d Some worth reshipping, separate wheat from chaff (6)
THRESH: Part of or hidden inside (some) [WOR]TH RESH[IPPING] guides to the definition of a verb meaning to separate wheat or other grain from chaff by beating with a flail or by the action of a threshing machine
2d Mysterious man’s clue for America (5,3)
UNCLE SAM: An anagram (mysterious) of MAN’S CLUE leads to the definition of a national personification or symbol of the United States of America
3d It seems solver has left Trappist brotherhood? That sounds a lot better (3,3’2,7)
NOW YOU’RE TALKING: A cryptic reference to a puzzle solver and a member of the Trappist brotherhood who has probably left the brotherhood and the monastery, inside which silence is still a major value because he is now talking that takes to the definition of a colloquial phrase “that sounds a lot better” or expressing enthusiastic agreement to a setter like “Now that is something I like!”
4d Innocent child with publicity on a sensual dance (7)
LAMBADA: LAMB (innocent child) as a person, especially a child, who is innocent, meek, good etc followed by (with) AD (publicity) as the short form for advertisement or the process of making something known to the general public, an example of which is a publicity i.e. a message issued in behalf of some product, cause, idea, person or institution placed upon in the down clue (on) A from the clue guides to the definition of a rhythmic and energetic dance originating in Latin America and popularised in the late 1980s
5d Rousing anthem for a hymn felt sad, potentially (4,2,2,7)
LAND OF MY FATHERS: The definition of the national anthem of Wales is reached through an anagram (potentially) of FOR A HYMN FELT SAD
6d Furniture department (6)
BUREAU: Double definition; the second being a department or office for the transacting of business such as collecting and supplying information that takes to the first denoting a writing-table combined with a chest of drawers that is a piece of furniture
7d Maybe Vincent or Kelly‘s inheritable factor (4)
GENE: Double definition; the second denoting the basic physical and functional unit of heredity, acting as the primary inheritable factor passed from parents to offspring to determine specific characteristics that guides to the first referring to celebrated people having Gene as their first name, such as Gene Vincent, the American rock-and-roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly or Gene Kelly, the American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer known for his energetic and athletic dancing style
14d Watering hole cool, by the sound of it (3)
INN: The definition of a commercial establishment, hotel, tavern or pub that provides lodging and food for the public, especially travellers, an example of which is a watering hole, a facetious slang for a pub is reached through a homophone heard by the audience (by the sound of it) of IN (cool) as an adjective denoting fashionable, trendy or cool
16d Drink a drop, but not all (3)
TEA: The definition of a drink made with boiling water and the dried leaves of the tea bush is obtained from TEA[R] (a drop) as denoting a drop of clear salty fluid appearing in or flowing from the eye as the result of emotion, especially grief, without taking into consideration all its letters (but not all)
18d Put off, something smelly hanging in cupboard? (8)
MOTHBALL: Double definition; the second referring to a ball of naphthalene or a similar pungent, chemical substance that is hung inside a wardrobe or cupboard to protect clothes from insects that takes to the first denoting a verb meaning to put off, defer or postpone work or lay aside temporarily
19d Learner ending on stage in debut, young actress (7)
STARLET: A combo of L (learner) as appearing in an L-plate each displayed at the front and back of a vehicle denoting a learner driver and the ending or terminal letter (ending) on [STAG]E placed inside (in) START (debut) as debut, entry or first appearance guides to the definition of a young actress promoted and publicised as a future star, especially in motion pictures
21d Thoroughfare in ’arbour, extremely unremarkable (6)
AVENUE: The definition of a wide street or thoroughfare is reached from ’AVEN (’arbour) as how a person with a Cockney accent would pronounce by dropping the ‘H’ sound at the beginning of the the word ‘haven’ meaning harbour, anchorage or any other sheltered place where ships can take on or discharge cargo – being the corresponding synonym of ‘harbour’ that is already represented by the drop of the ‘H’ sound at the beginning of the word ’arbour as in the clue – followed by the extreme or outermost letters (extremely) of U[NREMARKABL]E
22d Done, lavatory emptied too (6)
OVERLY: OVER (done) as an adverb meaning done, ended or finished followed by L[AVATOR]Y having the inner letters removed (emptied) leads to the definition of an adverb denoting too or excessively
24d A little testy, petulant sort (4)
TYPE: Part of or hidden inside (a little) [TES]TY, PE[TULANT] takes to the definition of a sort, class or category of things or people sharing common characteristics
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 10a, 12a, 20a, 23a, 26a, 3d, 14d, 18d, 21d and 22d; 3d 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.