Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31391
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 7th November 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A lovely, straightforward Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
‘Eccles’, a market town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, and the answer to the clue at 17 Across, sounded very familiar to me and prompted me to wonder whether its name was derived from a Latin word meaning ‘church’. This aroused my curiosity, so, after finishing the puzzle, I turned to the internet to learn something about its toponymy and etymology. Indeed, my guess was correct! Eccles, a market town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, was first recorded by this name around 1200. Its name is believed to have originated from the ancient British word ‘eclēs’ or ‘eglēs’, meaning ‘church’, which ultimately derives from the Greek ‘ekklesia’ through the Latin ‘ecclesia’. The Latin word originally meant an assembly or congregation and subsequently acquired the religious meaning of a church. The name possibly indicates the existence of an early Christian place of worship in the locality, although the precise origin remains uncertain. Interestingly, the Welsh word ‘eglwys’ and the Scottish Gaelic word ‘eaglais’ both mean ‘church’, are also related to the same Latin root, ‘ecclesia’. Eccles is not the only place bearing this name in the United Kingdom. There is another Eccles in the Scottish Borders, near Kelso. Several other places have names containing related linguistic elements, including Great Eccleston in Lancashire, Eccleston in Cheshire and Lancashire, Eccleshill in West Yorkshire, Eccleshall in Staffordshire and Ecclesmachan in West Lothian, Scotland. These place names preserve traces of Britain’s early Christian and linguistic heritage.
I also learnt from the internet that the expression ‘spring chicken’, the answer to the clue at 11 Down, originated in the nineteenth century and was initially used in its literal sense to describe a young chicken hatched in the spring. Spring was traditionally the season when poultry began producing new broods, and chickens born during this period were considered particularly young, tender and desirable for eating. The expression gradually acquired a figurative meaning, referring to a young person, particularly someone who is inexperienced or youthful. By the early nineteenth century, it had begun to appear in humorous references to age. The phrase is most commonly encountered in the negative expression ‘no spring chicken’, used to describe someone who is no longer young. For example, ‘He may be fit and active, but he is no spring chicken.’ Although the expression is frequently used humorously, it can also convey a gentle acknowledgement that someone has reached a more mature stage of life.
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Across
1a Book this shooting here? (10)
DEPOSITORY: A cryptic definition referring to the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas, the building famous as the site from which President John F. Kennedy was shot in 1963, serving as an example of a book depository
6a Tea time talk (4)
CHAT: A charade of CHA (tea) as a slang or colloquial term for tea and T (time) as the symbol for time in physics guides to the definition of a noun meaning informal talk or conversation
9a Old politician protected by top defence (5)
ALIBI: LIB (old politician) as an abbreviation for Liberal, a member of the historical British Liberal Party, hence an old politician covered by (protected by) AI (top) as an alphanumeric representation of A1, using the Roman numeral I for 1 or one, meaning first-rate, excellent or top leads to the definition of a noun denoting the defence by an accused person of having been elsewhere when an offence was committed
10a So sincere about slump (9)
RECESSION: An anagram (about) of SO SINCERE takes to the definition of a slump, depression or a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced
12a One dies to make it pay? (4,9)
LIFE INSURANCE: A cryptic definition of a financial arrangement providing a payout by an insurance company to the beneficiaries upon the death of the insured person
14a Athlete’s unusual main ploy (8)
OLYMPIAN: The definition of an athlete who participates in the Olympian games is arrived at from an anagram (unusual) of MAIN PLOY
15a Drop in slice of plain Stilton (6)
INSTIL: The definition of a verb meaning to drop in or slowly infuse an idea or attitude into the mind is part of or hidden inside (slice of) [PLA]IN STIL[TON]
17a Returning, see about 250 in town (6)
ECCLES: SEE from the clue seen coming from the other side (returning) as a reversal in the across clue and placed around (about) CCL (250) as the Roman numeral for 250 guides to the definition of a historic market town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England
19a Vegetable producer (8)
BROCCOLI: Double nounal definition; the second referring to Alberto Romolo Broccoli, the American film producer and most notable as the producer of many of the James Bond films that leads to the first denoting an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head is eaten as a vegetable
21a Fire in study – tire helping (13)
CONFLAGRATION: The definition of a large, destructive and rapidly spreading fire that causes extensive damage to buildings, property and surrounding areas is arrived at from a charade of CON (study) as to study attentively or learn by heart a piece of writing, FLAG (tire) as to tire, grow weary or lose energy or strength and RATION (helping) as a helping, portion or allowance of food
24a Canals where fare goes down? (9)
OESOPHAGI: A cryptic definition of the plural term for the specific muscular food pipe that forms part of the alimentary canal through which fare or swallowed food and drink travels down from the pharynx to the stomach
25a Majority cycling round a capital (5)
KABUL: BULK (majority) as the majority or the greater number or part of something with the last letter going round to occupy the first place (cycling) and placed about (around) A from the clue guides to the definition of the capital city of Afghanistan
26a Swindle when computers backed up (4)
SCAM: The definition of a verb meaning to swindle, cheat or defraud someone by means of a trick is reached from MACS (computers) as the plural colloquial term for Macintosh computers that are manufactured by Apple Inc., in a backward direction (backed up) as a reversal in the across clue
27a Cinema she’d refurbished and given equipment? (10)
MECHANISED: An anagram (refurbished) of CINEMA SHED takes to the definition of an adjective meaning operated by or adapted to the use of machinery or mechanical equipment
Down
1d Tedious experience for Yank (4)
DRAG: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to yank or pull with a jerk or quick, strong movement that brings to the first a noun referring to a boring, annoying or tedious experience
2d Man maybe overwhelmed by wages in Scottish town (7)
PAISLEY: ISLE (Man maybe) as a small island or peninsula, with the Isle of Man serving as a specific example covered or surrounded by (overwhelmed by) PAY (wages) as wages or money paid to someone for regular work or services leads to the definition of a large town in Renfrewshire, southwest Scotland, located near Glasgow on the White Cart Water
3d Sign of resolution in row during meal – all is regularly quiet (5,5,3)
STIFF UPPER LIP: The definition of a sign of resolution or an attitude of determined endurance or restraint in the face of adversity is reached from TIFF (row) as a row or a noisy quarrel or disagreement, especially between two close friends placed inside (during) SUPPER (meal) as a light or informal evening meal followed by the regular letters (regularly) of [A]L[L] I[S] and P (quiet) as the musical abbreviation for piano meaning soft or quiet
4d Final period in school – final, not initial (8)
TERMINAL: The definition of an adjective meaning final, concluding or last is reached from TERM (period in school) as a fixed period of time during which a school or university holds classes followed by [F]INAL from the clue devoid of the initial or first letter (not initial)
5d People’s careers (5)
RACES: Double definition; the second being a verb in the third person singular present tense meaning careers, dashes or moves headlong at high speed that brings to the first a plural noun referring to groups of people classified as distinct from one another on the basis of supposed shared physical or genetic characteristics
7d Overhead protection the rain ruined (7)
HAIRNET: The definition of a protective mesh covering worn over the head to keep hair securely in place and prevent contamination is obtained from an anagram (ruined) of THE RAIN
8d Offer slightly injured lion meat (10)
TENDERLOIN: TENDER (offer) as to offer payment pursuant to an obligation followed by LION from the clue undergoing a swapping of the inner two letters (slightly injured) that leads to the definition of the most prized cut of meat from the muscle running through the sirloin and terminating before the ribs
11d Help coward escape youngster (6,7)
SPRING CHICKEN: The definition of a youngster or an inexperienced young person is reached from SPRING (help … escape) as a verb meaning to arrange the escape of someone from prison or to help someone break out of prison or custody followed by CHICKEN (coward) as a noun referring to a timid or cowardly person
13d Find room with access, strangely (4,6)
COME ACROSS: The definition of a phrase denoting to find, meet or discover by chance is reached from an anagram (strangely) of a combination of ROOM and (with) ACCESS
16d Unusual couple of cards I found in novel (8)
FREAKISH: The definition of an adjective denoting markedly unusual, abnormal or strange is arrived at from a combination of AK (couple of cards) as denoting A and K, abbreviations respectively for Ace and King as the two cards in a pack of cards and I from the clue noticed inside (found in) FRESH (novel) as novel, new, original or not previously known
18d Article consumed by players before a game (7)
CANASTA: AN (article) as one of the two indefinite articles in English grammar taken in (consumed) by CAST (players) as referring to the players or the group of performers in a play, motion picture etc placed in front of (before) A from the clue guides to the definition of a card game for two to six players, requiring two or three decks of cards, in which the object is to obtain melds of three or more cards of the same rank
20d Transport a large volume (7)
OMNIBUS: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a single substantial book or volume containing several works previously published separately that leads to the first denoting a large motor vehicle designed to carry a good number of passengers, especially along a fixed route
22d Old cricketer’s elegance (5)
GRACE: Double nounal definition; the second denoting elegance or beauty of movement, form, action or expression that leads to the first referring to W. G. Grace, the English cricketer of yesteryear who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport
23d Good boy, happy (4)
GLAD: A charade of G (good) as the abbreviation for good and LAD (boy) as an informal term for a boy or young man guides to the definition of an adjective meaning happy, pleased or delighted
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 12a, 17a, 19a, 21a, 24a, 25a, 2d, 3d, 11d, 13d, 16d and 18d; 24a being the clear winner. 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.