DT 30365 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30365

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 29^th July 2023

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A very friendly and straightforward Saturday puzzle from Cephas that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.

I was inquisitive to know more about ‘Lou’, the answer to the clue of 10a and had to visit the net. Lou is primarily a gender-neutral name that means ‘Famed Warrior’ coming from the Old German name Chlodovech or Ludwig that is derived from Old High German hlût meaning ‘famous’ and wīg meaning ‘war’ or ‘battle’. It is a short for Louis, Lewis, Louise, Louisa and Lucy in English-speaking countries. However, in France and Germany, the name ‘Lou’ is a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility. At one time, it was pervasive as a girl’s middle name, but now seems to be making something of a comeback. For instance, Mary Lou Retton, the retired American gymnast, Amy Lou Adams, the American actress and producer, Aimée Lou Wood, the English actress etc.

The word ‘zenith’, the answer to the clue of 24a, was known to me since my childhood. I am always fascinated by the ‘z’ sound that it carries. When someone reaches the zenith of their career, they are at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak of it. The word ‘zenith’ has come from the Arabic word سمت pronounced as samt meaning path, direction or the way over one’s head. It travelled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin and Middle French before arriving in English. Its opposite ‘nadir’ is obviously the lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation. The term pronounced as nā’dēr, nad’ēr or nadǝr has also come from the Arabic language through Middle French to late Middle English. The Arabic word for ‘nadir’ is نذير and pronounced as naẓīr.

The net also enriched my knowledge on the etymology and history of ‘Alison’, the answer to the clue of 27a. The name has come from the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland’s west coast and Hebrides islands. It is still a matter of debate whether the name stood for Ellis’ son or Alice’s son, though most would argue that the name was derived from Ellis rather than the female personal name of Alice. ‘Alison’ as a surname was first found in the country of Lanarkshire, a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland and the city of Glasgow, where the family acquired some time before 1300 the territories of their seat at Loupe. One of the first clear records of the family was “Patrick Alissone del counte de Berewyk rendered homage, 1296.” This is the record of Patrick’s swearing allegiance to King Edward I of England, shortly after his invasion of Scotland. Other records show that Peter Alesoun was a witness in Brechin, 1490; Thomas Alesoun appeared in Lochtoun, Scone, 1586; James Allasone was bailie of Ranfrew, 1688; and Gabriel Alason was bailie of the burgh of Dumfries, 1693. Alison was popular until the early nineteenth century and Allison was the 45^th most common name given to baby girls in the United States in 2005. When I look back for any Alison, real or imaginary, known to me, ‘Look Back in Anger’, the play of John Osborne that I studied while doing my master’s degree in English, comes to my mind and I recollect one female character who is resigned to the outbursts of cruelty of her husband. Her name is Alison.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

8a    Empty beer over uniform then laugh, creating commotion (8)
BROUHAHA: A combo of B[EE]R from the clue having the innermost letters removed (empty), O (over) as the abbreviation for over or overs as denoted on cricket scorecards and U (uniform) as the letter represented by Uniform in the NATO phonetic alphabet is followed by (then) HA-HA (laugh) as an intransitive verb meaning to laugh, leading to the definition of a noun meaning fuss, commotion, uproar or a loud confused noise

9a    Robin perhaps loves bad luck (6)
HOODOO: A charade of HOOD (Robin perhaps) as the surname of the legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and OO (loves) as the plural ‘loves’ or ‘zeroes’ cryptically formed from the singular O that represents the score of love or zero in a game of tennis takes to the definition of a run of bad luck associated with a particular person, group or activity

10a    Alternatively, look up boy or girl? (3)
LOU: The definition of a unisex given name that is a diminutive form of Louis, a boy’s name or Louise, a girl’s name is arrived at from the oddly-placed letters (alternatively) of L[O]O[K] U[P]

11a    Anatole perplexed about name of newborn (8)
NEONATAL: An anagram (perplexed) of ANATOLE placed around (about) N (name) as the abbreviation for name guides to the definition of an adjective meaning newly born or relating to the newly born

12a    Track going round a river — it’s something unusual (6)
RARITY: RY (track) as the abbreviation for railway that is also represented by the word ‘track’ or a continuous line of rails on a railway surrounding (going round) a combo of A from the clue, R (river) as the written abbreviation for River, used especially on maps and IT from the clue yields the definition of something that is very unusual or the quality of being very unusual

13a    Insect removed from control to become very angry (3,3,3,6)
FLY OFF THE HANDLE: A charade of FLY (insect) as any of numerous insects having one pair of wings and large compound eyes, OFF (removed from) as a preposition meaning so as to be removed or separated from something and THE HANDLE (control) as the means of understanding or controlling or the part that is designed especially to be grasped or controlled by the hand guides to the definition of an idiom meaning to lose control of one’s emotions or to become very angry

15a    Magistrate completely frozen (7)
JUSTICE: JUST ICE (completely frozen) as water completely hardened or solidified by freezing takes to the definition of a judicial officer or a judge or magistrate

18a    Eccentric females stopping union’s penultimate strike (7)
OFFBEAT: FF (females) as plural ‘females’ cryptically formed from the singular F that denotes the abbreviation for female interrupting by coming in between (stopping) the last but one or the second-last letter (penultimate) of [UNI]O[N] (union’s) and BEAT (strike) as to strike someone repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or injure them, typically with an implement such as a club or whip

21a    Revealed top men working with a poor part of the country? (11,4)
DEVELOPMENT AREA: An anagram (working) of REVEALED TOP MEN followed by (with) A from the clue takes to the definition of a poor area of a country that is suffering from high unemployment and economic depression and the government trying to make it richer by offering financial advantages to business people to start companies, factories etc in that area

24a    Religious school hit new peak (6)
ZENITH: ZEN (religious school) as a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasising the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures followed by an anagram (new) of HIT guides to the definition of the time at which someone or something is most powerful or successful or the highest point, way or level reached by a celestial body on its daily apparent path around a given point of observation

25a    Greatly enjoyed dressing to meet journalist (8)
RELISHED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning savoured or enjoyed to the full is arrived at from RELISH (dressing) as a piquant sauce or pickle eaten with plain food to add flavour to connect or join (meet) ED (journalist) as the abbreviation for editor being in charge of the final content of a journal or a newspaper or magazine

26a    Anger shown by Pierre every now and then (3)
IRE: The definition of a noun denoting wrath or intense anger is shown by the regular or even letters (every now and then) of [P]I[E]R[R]E

27a    Commercial I so need to feature this woman? (6)
ALISON: Part of or hidden inside (to feature) of [COMMERCI]AL I SO N[EED] guides to the definition of the name of a girl or woman that originated in Scotland

28a    Making notes about end of blaze burning slightly (8)
SINGEING:SINGING (making notes) as a verb in the continuous form meaning producing musical sounds or notes with the voice placed around (about) the ending or last letter (end) of [BLAZ]E takes to the definition of another verb in the continuous form denoting burning superficially or lightly

Down

1d    Painful experience in gold trade (6)
ORDEAL: A charade of OR (gold) as the tincture gold in heraldry and DEAL (trade) as to do business or trade with someone or in something guides to the definition of any severe trial or painful, distressing or trying experience

2d    Question a new function for board (6)
QUANGO: QU (question) as an abbreviation for question, A from the clue, N (new) as the abbreviation for new as NT in New Testament and GO (function) as to operate or function effectively or as required take to the definition of a board funded by, and with members appointed by, central government, to supervise or develop activity in areas of public interest

3d    What nudists might do with jumble? (4-3,8)
CAST-OFF CLOTHING: CAST as to throw or discard, OFF as an adverb meaning away and CLOTHING as clothes collectively, that is to CAST OFF CLOTHING could be the obvious response to what nudists might do that takes to the definition of old, rejected or unwanted clothes that people give away to charity or throw away

4d    Cry though hugging partner (5-2)
TALLY-HO: THO’ (though) as the American or poetic spelling of the adverb and conjunction ‘though’ embracing (hugging) ALLY (partner) as a member or party to an alliance or a state or sovereign joined in league for co-operation in a common purpose, leading to the definition of an interjection representing a huntsman’s cry to the hounds on sighting a fox

5d    Anglican building flying flag with no end (6,2,7)
CHURCH OF ENGLAND: CHURCH (building) as a building set apart for worship by people of the Christian religion and an anagram (flying) of FLAG and (with) NO END take to the definition of the primary state church in England that is considered the original church of the Anglican communion and is also referred to by its shortened version ‘Anglican’ as far back as in the sixteenth century

6d    Opener that might be given a turn? (8)
DOORKNOB: A cryptic definition of a round handle that one turns to open a door

7d    Peak time to get bad American and Mexican food (8)
TORTILLA: A combo of TOR (peak) as a hill or rocky peak and T (time) as the symbol for time in physics to have alongside (get) ILL (bad) as evil, bad or wicked and A (American) as the abbreviation for American, taking to the definition of a Mexican round flat cake made from maize and wheat flour cooked on a griddle, usually eaten hot with a filling

14d    Certainly, son will follow you (3)
YES: S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son will come after (follow) YE (you) as an old-fashioned, poetic or religious word for ‘you’ when talking to usually more than one person to arrive at the definition of an exclamation used to give an affirmative response

16d    Roughly at odds? (8)
UNEVENLY: The definition of an adverb denoting in a way that is not level, flat or smooth is arrived at from the cryptic construction of an adverb from in a state of (at) unevens or not evens (odds), that is ‘unevenly’

17d    Peg, one found in home that’s the smallest (8)
TEENIEST: TEE (peg) as a small plastic or wooden peg with a concave head that acts as a support for a ball on a golf course followed by I (one) as the Roman numeral for one seen inside (found in) NEST (home) as a place of rest, retreat, resort, residence or lodgement, arriving at the definition of an informal adjective in the superlative degree meaning the tiniest or the smallest

19d    Eastern bishop’s sin (3)
ERR: A charade of E (Eastern) as the abbreviation for Eastern as EET in Eastern European Time and RR (bishop) as the abbreviation for Right Reverend who is a bishop or a retired archbishop takes to the definition of a verb meaning to sin or to stray from the right course or accepted standards

20d    Grab naughty child on ship (7)
IMPRESS: A charade of IMP (naughty child) as a mischievous child, RE (on) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘referring to’, ‘concerning’, ‘on’ or ‘about’ and SS (ship) as the abbreviation for steamship that is a ship propelled by a steam engine leads to the definition of an informal verb meaning to attract the attention of or make an impression on someone

22d    Reply from a king including four different points (6)
ANSWER: A from the clue and R (king) as the abbreviation for rex, the Latin word for king having inside (including) a combo of N, S, W and E (four different points) as the abbreviations for North, South, West and East respectively as four cardinal points or directions at 90˚ angles on a compass rose takes to the definition of a thing that is said, written or done as a reaction to a question, statement or situation

23d    Leave the stage once tune changes? (6)
EXEUNT: EX (once) as a former husband, wife or other partner in a relationship followed by an anagram (changes) of TUNE guides to the definition of a verb used as a stage direction in a play to indicate that a group of actors go out or leave the stage

The clues that I liked in this puzzle were 8a, 9a, 13a, 15a, 24a, 3d, 4d, 6d and 23d; 3d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Cephas for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a nice day.