ST 3385 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3385

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 6^th September 2026

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

Greetings from Kolkata. Dada has given us a very enjoyable solve this Sunday and now I present to you a full review of his puzzle. Hope to have your valuable feedback and comments.

Ossa, part of the answer to the clue at 6d, is the literal Latin plural of ‘os’, itself a Latin word meaning ‘bone’. The term ‘ossa’ is widely used in anatomical terminology to denote bones collectively or particular groups of bones. It has been retained in modern medical and anatomical nomenclature because Latin provides a precise and internationally recognised vocabulary, allowing anatomical structures to be described consistently across languages. For example, ‘ossa cranii’ refers to the bones of the skull, while ‘ossa longa’ denotes the long bones of the body, including the femur, tibia and humerus. Other examples demonstrate the wide range of its anatomical application. ‘Ossa faciei’ refers to the bones of the face, while ‘ossa thoracis’ denotes the bones of the thorax or chest. ‘Ossa membri superioris’ refers to the bones of the upper limb, whereas ‘ossa membri inferioris’ refers to those of the lower limb. The expression ‘ossa carpi’ denotes the carpal bones of the wrist, and ‘ossa tarsi’ refers to the tarsal bones of the ankle and foot. Similarly, ‘ossa metacarpalia’ and ‘ossa metatarsalia’ refer respectively to the metacarpal bones of the hand and the metatarsal bones of the foot. In classical Latin, ‘ossa’ is the nominative and accusative plural of ‘os’, and its continued use in anatomical terminology reflects the long-standing influence of Latin on medical education and scientific language. Although modern anatomy increasingly uses English equivalents such as ‘bones of the skull’, ‘facial bones’ and ‘long bones’, Latin expressions remain familiar in anatomical textbooks, medical terminology and historical literature. Thus, ‘ossa’ is more than simply a Latin plural: it represents an enduring linguistic link between the classical language and the systematic study of the human skeleton.

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Across

1a           Bouncer‘s nasty whiff caught by page in grand, formal dance (4-4,4)
PING-PONG BALL: The definition of a light hollow celluloid ball used in playing table tennis, an example of which is a bouncer i.e. a ball hit in such a way that it bounces is reached from PONG (nasty whiff) as a nasty whiff or a disagreeable or offensive smell surrounded by (caught by) a combination of P (page) as the abbreviation for page, IN from the clue, G (grand) as a slangy shorthand for grand, a term used to mean a thousand dollars and BALL (formal dance) as a formal social dance

9a           Make light of frost, in America? (9)
SUGARCOAT: Double verbal definition; the second referring to decorate with icing or frosting, as on  a cake etc, especially in the culinary context of the United States and Canada that takes to the first meaning to make a harsh, difficult or unpleasant truth seem more positive, acceptable, gentle or light than it actually is

10a         Swimmer was malodorous (5)
SMELT: Double definition; the second being a verb in the past tense meaning stank, reeked, had or emitted an unpleasant odour or ‘was malodorous’ that takes to the first referring to any marine or freshwater salmonoid food fish of the family Osmeridae, such as Osmerus eperlanus of Europe, having a long silvery body and occurring in temperate and cold northern waters and hence a swimmer

11a         Sweet, or where “weet” is in it? (6)
AFTERS: The definition of an informal term for a sweet course that is served as the last course of a meal is arrived at from AFTER S (where“weet” is in it) as simply describing the location of “weet” in the word ‘sweet’; the pronoun ‘it’ representing the noun ‘sweet’

12a         View from neither parent? (8)
PANORAMA: The definition of an unobstructed and wide view of an entire surrounding area or an extensive unbroken view, as of a landscape, in all directions is obtained from PA NOR A MA (neither parent) as referring to neither parent; PA being the informal term for father or the male parent, NOR being a poetic word for the conjuction ‘neither’ and finally A MA referring to the informal term for a mother, who is the female parent

13a         Savage raced past a gallery (6)
ARCADE: An anagram (savage) of RACED placed after (past) A from the clue takes to the definition of a roofed gallery with open sides stretching along the front or side of a building

15a         Worried about companion under cover (8)
CARPETED: CARED (worried) as a verb in the past tense meaning worried or was concerned with placed around (about) PET (companion) as any domesticated animal kept as a companion produces the definition of an adjective describing a floor, room or space that is covered or furnished with or as if with a heavy often tufted fabric i.e. ‘under cover’ of the fabric

18a         Bowler on head of some long-distance traveller (8)
SPACEMAN: PACEMAN (bowler) as referring to player who normally bowls fast in cricket placed after in the across clue (on) the leading or first letter (head) of S[OME] guides to the definition of a person who travels in outer space, especially one trained to participate in a space flight and hence a long-distance traveller

19a         Deprive poor servant losing pension ultimately (6)
STARVE: The definition of a verb meaning to deprive someone of food or of a necessity and cause suffering is reached from an anagram (poor) of SERVA[N]T devoid of (losing) the ultimate or terminal letter (ultimately) of [PENSIO]N

21a         Entertainer in show, and I cracked up (8)
COMEDIAN: The definition of a noun denoting a professional entertainer whose act or job is to make people laugh by telling jokes or acting in a comical way is arrived at from COME (show) as a verb meaning to show up, arrive or appear followed by an anagram (cracked up) of AND I from the clue

23a         Frothy stuff Canadian native discussed? (6)
MOUSSE: The definition of a light dish, either sweet or savoury, made with cream, eggs, flavouring etc, whisked separately and described as frothy because of its light, airy texture that contain many tiny bubbles of air is fetched from a homophone heard by the audience (discussed) of MOOSE (Canadian native) as referring to a large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in male or a long-legged elk that is native to Canada and the United States

26a         What makes tennis match impossible for nine players (5)
NONET: NO NET (what makes tennis match impossible) as a literal description of a situation that makes a tennis match practically impossible to play without the setting up of the net in between the players of the two sides, leading to the definition of a musical composition written for nine instruments or performers or a group of nine players

27a         Pulse felt with old age, not having died, surprisingly! (9)
FLAGEOLET: The definition of a noun meaning a small, tender variety of the common French pulse bean that is harvested before full maturity is arrived at from a combination of an anagram (surprisingly) of FELT and (with) OL[D] AGE without taking into account (not having) D (died) as the genealogical abbreviation for died

28a         Novel where honest scientist has released upright character? (12)
FRANKENSTEIN: The definition of a 1818 Gothic novel written by Mary Shelley is arrived at from FRANK (honest) as honest and straightforward in speech or attitude followed by E[I]NSTEIN (scientist) as referring to Albert Einstein, the German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity having sent away or removed (has released) I (upright character) as the ninth letter of the alphabet that is shaped like a vertical line, or literally an upright character

Down

1d           Idiot put in some butter with a sauce (7)
PASSATA: ASS (idiot) as a slang term for an idiot i.e. a foolish or stupid person placed inside (put in) PAT (some butter) as as a small mass, portion or shaped lump of butter followed by (with) A from the clue guides to the definition of a thick sauce made from sieved tomatoes, typically used in Italian cooking

2d           Imminent, time period after dusk (5)
NIGHT: A charade of NIGH (imminent) as an adverb denoting imminent, near, close or impending and T (time) as the symbol for time in physics guides to the definition of the period of ambient darkness after dusk until before dawn

3d           Piece placed on upper edge for game (9)
PARTRIDGE: PART (piece) as a portion, division, segment or piece of a whole put above in the down clue (placed on) RIDGE (upper edge) as the long and narrow upper edge, angle or crest of something, e.g. a hill leads to the definition of a short-tailed game bird with mainly brown plumage, found chiefly in Europe and Asia and often hunted for food or sport

4d           Twelve, number going both ways (4)
NOON: The definition of midday or twelve o’clock in the daytime is reached from NO (number) as the abbreviation for number seen going from both north to south and south to north in the down clue (both ways) and thus exhibiting its palindromic feature

5d           Fish filling fishy table – a sell-out? (8)
BETRAYAL: RAY (fish) as any of numerous elasmobranch fishes having a flattened body and greatly enlarged pectoral fins with the gills on the undersides getting inside (filling) an anagram (fishy) of TABLE  leads to the definition of a noun denoting an informal term for a sell-out or double-cross

6d           Bones left after hauling up rope (5)
LASSO: A charade of OSSA (bones) as the plural term for os, a Latin-based anatomical term meaning bone and L (left) as the abbreviation for left seen going upwards (after hauling up) as reversals in the down clue takes to the definition of a long rope with a running noose at one end, used especially to catch horses and cattle

7d           Male, great as gyrating – Elvis, say? (8)
MEGASTAR: M (male) as the genealogical abbreviation for male followed by an anagram (gyrating) of GREAT AS guides to the definition of a very well-known personality in the entertainment business, an example of which is Elvis Presley, the American singer and actor, more famously known as the ‘King of Rock and Roll’

8d           Maroon thread (6)
STRAND: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a thin thread, e.g. one of those twisted together to form rope, string, knitting-wool etc or a long thin lock of hair that takes to the first a verb meaning to maroon, forsake, abandon or leave isolated with little hope of rescue

14d         Delightful, blacken name of dynasty (8)
CHARMING: The definition of an adjective meaning delightful, fascinating or highly attractive is got from a charade of CHAR (blacken) as to blacken the surface of something by burning fully or partially and MING (name of dynasty) as the name of the imperial dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 noted for its distinctive development of the arts, especially in porcelain, pottery, textile and painting

16d         Woman looking to help transpose dances (9)
PATRONESS: The definition of a woman who looks to help or uses her wealth, influence or guidance to protect, fund and support a cause or an artist is arrived at from an anagram (dances) of TRANSPOSE

17d         Fuel smell arising underneath jumper! (8)
PARAFFIN: The definition of a flammable waxy solid or liquid oil used as a fuel is reached from NIFF (smell) as an unpleasant or bad smell in an ascending mode as a reversal in the down clue (arising) and placed below (underneath) PARA (jumper) as a colloquial short term of paratrooper i.e. a member of an infantry unit trained to land in combat areas by parachuting from or jumping out of planes

18d         Additional moment (6)
SECOND: Double definition; the second being a noun meaning a moment, an instant or a brief interval or short period of time that leads to the first an adjective denoting extra or additional

20d         Always hundred and eleven in blue? (7)
EVERTON: A charade of EVER (always) as an adverb meaning always or at all times and TON (hundred) as a score or achievement of a hundred, especially a hundred miles per hour or a hundred pounds yields the definition referring to Everton Football Club, a professional association football club based in Liverpool, England that has several nicknames viz. The Blues, The Toffees, The People’s Club and The School of Science and whose eleven players in a football match are always in their traditional kit of royal blue shirts

22d         Stop feeding last of breakfast to ruminants (5)
DETER: The definition of a verb meaning to stop, prevent or discourage someone from doing something, usually by instilling fear, doubt or anxiety is reached from the final or terminal letter (last) of [BREAKFAS]T being put inside (feeding … to) DEER (ruminants) as the plural term for even-toed hoofed ruminants or mammals that chew the cud

24d         Five coming inside, one figure out (5)
SOLVE: V [five] as the Roman numeral for five placed inside (coming inside) SOLE (one) as an adjective denoting one, only, single or solitary leads to the definition of a verb meaning to figure out, work out or decipher

25d         Patient stuck in clinic, as expected (4)
CASE: The definition of an individual patient or client being treated or tracked by a professional e.g. ‘The doctor took on a new case’ is part of or hidden inside (stuck in) [CLINI]C, AS E[XPECTED]

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 11a, 12a, 18a, 26a, 27a, 28a, 5d, 14d, 17d, 20d and 24d; 1a 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 pleasant day.