DT 30671 (full review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30671

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 20^th July 2024

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, entertaining Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and worthwhile comments.

I was aware of Delilah, the answer to the clue of 2d, since my childhood. I read of Samson and Delilah in stories from the Bible and also watched the movie ‘Samson and Delilah’ starring Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr at a cinema hall. Despite them being mentioned in detail in the Old Testament, there is no mention of them in the Quran. I think whenever it comes to the word ‘temptress’, the name Delilah first comes to the mind. Though there are many versions to the story of Samson and Delilah, there were many scholars who had soft corner for her. I explored the net to know the etymology of the word ‘Delilah’ and more about the lady famous for her act of betrayal. I found out that it is a feminine name of Hebrew origin that translates to ‘delicate’ or ‘she who weakened’. She has been mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. She is loved by Samson, a Nazirite who possessed great strength and served as the final Judge of Israel. She was bribed by the lords of the Philistines to discover the source of his strength. After three failed attempts, she finally goaded Samson into telling her that his vigour lay in his hair. As he slept, Delilah cut his hair and was able to turn him over to the Philistines. Christian commentators have viewed Samson as a sort of Jesus Christ, based on similarities between Samson’s story and the life of Jesus as portrayed in the New Testament. Samson’s betrayal by Delilah has also been compared to Jesus’ betrayal by Judas Iscariot, both Delilah and Judas were paid in pieces of silver for their respective deeds. However, Thomas de Vio Cajetan views Delilah in a somewhat sympathetic light, suggesting that she never intended Samson to be killed or wounded. He asserts that Delilah accepted a bribe from the Philistine leaders because they convinced her that Samson would merely be weakened. Some scholarly commentary on Delilah centres on her gender. In the ‘Feminist Companion to Judges’, Carol Smith says that feminist commentators tend to stress Delilah’s positive qualities, explain her negative ones or ignore her in favour of “other biblical women who are more amenable to reinterpretation in a positive way”. The name ‘Delilah’ has been in use in the United Kingdom and United States since the mid-1600s. The increase in the usage of the name in the Anglosphere has been attributed to the influence of the 2006 popular song ‘Hey There Delilah’ by the Plain White T’s as well as its similarity in sound to other currently popular names such as Laila, Leila, Lila and Lily. Another source notes its similarity in sound to the etymologically unrelated words ‘delightful’ and ‘lilac’.

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Across

1a          Creature from Madrid surprisingly encased in concrete (3,7)
RED ADMIRAL: The definition of a nymphalid butterfly, of temperate Europe and Asia, having black wings and red and white markings is reached from an anagram (surprisingly) of MADRID placed inside (encased in) REAL (concrete) as true, concrete or sincere

6a          Female with fantastic features (4)
FACE: A charade of F (female) as the abbreviation for female and (with) ACE (fantastic) as an adjective meaning superb, fantastic or outstanding takes to the definition of a noun referring to the facial features that conveys meaning, feeling or mood or to the appearance and geological surface features of an area of land

9a          Sort of crossing made in Drake’s ship? (7)
PELICAN: Double nounal definition; the first referring to a pedestrian-operated street crossing, having a set of lights including an amber flashing light which indicates that motorists may proceed only if the crossing is clear and the second to the galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580 that was originally known by this name i.e. Pelican, but Drake renamed her as Golden Hind during his mid-voyage in 1578 in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind i.e. a female red deer

10a        Meals alcove described at first in letter’s content (7)
DINETTE: The definition of a nook or alcove located in or near a kitchen and used for informal meals is arrived at from the first or initially letter (at first) of D[ESCRIBED), IN from the clue and the inner letters (content) of [L]ETTE[R] (letter’s)

12a        Nut locks at the front– element with screw loose? (7,6)
LUNATIC FRINGE: LUNATIC (nut) as referring to a mentally-deranged person or a madman, maniac, psychopath or nut joins or connects with (locks at) FRINGE (the front) as denoting the front part of a person’s hair cut so as to hang over the forehead in a charade, leading to the definition of a phrase referring to the more nonsensical, extreme-minded or eccentric members of a community or a movement

14a        Religious community needs wood and stuff (6)
ASHRAM: The definition of a community of hermits and sages in Hinduism, usually in India, living in a retreat or secluded dwelling of the same name and typically used for spiritual instruction and medication is obtained from a charade of ASH (wood) as the white, tough, hard wood of ash that is a well-known timber tree and RAM (stuff) as a verb meaning to cram, stuff or force something tightly into a receptacle or space

15a        Chocolate bar enthusiast embracing a balloonist (8)
AERONAUT: AERO (chocolate bar) as an aerated chocolate bar manufactured by the Vevey-based company Nestlé followed by NUT (enthusiast) as a person who is excessively interested in or enthusiastic about a specified thing entertaining or taking in (embracing) A from the clue that guides to the definition of a balloonist or airman

17a        Broadcast range right in A380? (8)
AIRLINER: A charade of AIR (broadcast) as a verb meaning to broadcast on television or radio, LINE (range) as a noun denoting range of competence and R (right) as the abbreviation for right leads to the definition of a very large wide body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus and is also the world’s largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.

19a        Spear seabird we hear (6)
SKEWER: The definition of a verb meaning to pierce, gore, spike or spear is reached from a homophone heard by audience (we hear) of SKUA (seabird) as a large brownish predatory seabird related to the gulls, pursuing other birds to make them disgorge fish they have caught

22a        Robust beer two sailors must consume? (4,3,6)
HALE AND HEARTY: The definition of an adjective meaning in robust good health is reached from ALE (beer) as a usually full-bodied beer that has been fermented at a relatively warm temperature that is to be taken inside (must consume) HAND and HEARTY (two sailors) where HAND refers to a person who engages in manual labour, among other places, on board a ship and HEARTY used as a form of address ascribed to sailors

24a        Inept associate involved in gold rush initially (7)
AMATEUR: The definition of an adjective meaning inept, unskilled or lacking professional skill or expertise is arrived at from MATE (associate) as an associate, companion or colleague seen inside (involved in) AU (gold) as the chemical symbol for gold and followed by the initial of beginning letter (initially) of R[USH]

25a        Resolute Armada man towing ships (7)
ADAMANT: The definition of an adjective meaning resolute, stubborn or uncompromising is attained from part of or hidden inside (ships) [ARM]ADA MAN T[OWING]

26a        First offender given new uniform (4)
EVEN: EVE (first offender) as the first woman on earth who was also the first offender as she ate and also made Adam eat the apple that was forbidden by God followed by (given) N (new) as the abbreviation for new leads to the definition of an adjective meaning uniform or flat and smooth

27a        Think again about 20 son into the booze (10)
RECONSIDER: The definition of a verb meaning to consider again, especially with the possibility of change or to rethink, think again or think twice is reached from RE (about ) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘concerning’, ‘regarding’ or ‘about’ followed by an anagram (20), as using the answer of 20a i.e. ‘wayward’ as the anagram indicator, of SON from the clue placed inside (into) CIDER (the booze) as an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of apple

Down

1d          Beef with starter ignored? It’s ready for eating (4)
RIPE: [G]RIPE (beef) as complain about something in a persistent, irritating way having (with) the starting letter (starter) removed or not taken into account (ignored) that takes to the definition of an adjective meaning fully grown or developed to the point of readiness for harvesting and eating

2d          Temptress greeted turning up outside Lima (7)
DELILAH: The definition of a temptress or a voluptuous and treacherous woman is arrived at from HAILED (greeted) as a verb in the past tense meaning greeted or called out to someone to attract attention going upwards (turning up) as a reversal in the down clue placed around (outside) L (Lima) as the letter represented by Lima in the NATO phonetic alphabet

3d          I’m contented with AA, transformed and clean! (13)
DECONTAMINATE: An anagram (transformed) of a combo of I’M CONTENTED and (with) AA guides to the definition of a verb meaning to clean, purify or get rid of contamination

4d          Light lifted in fleeting image (6)
IGNITE: The definition of a verb meaning to light or cause to start burning is attained from part of or hidden inside (in) [FLE]ETING I[MAGE] taken upwards (lifted) as a reversal in the down clue

5d          A berth for channel crossing taken? (8)
ABDUCTED: A from the clue followed by BED (berth) as a piece of furniture for sleep or rest, typically a framework with a mattress, an example of which can be a berth that is a fixed bunk on a ship, train or other means of transport for obstructing through insertion (crossing) DUCT (channel) as a tube or passageway in a building or machine for air, liquid, cables etc leads to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning kidnapped or taken someone away by force or deception

7d          One feeling for the little creatures? (7)
ANTENNA: A cryptic definition of a feeler or horn in insects, crustaceans and myriapods that helps them in feeling or testing things by touch or for searching for food

8d          Simple copper perhaps suspicious when wife disappears (10)
ELEMENTARY: The definition of an adjective meaning simple, rudimentary or not difficult is attained from ELEMENT (copper perhaps) as any of the 118 known substances that consist of atoms with the same number of protons in their nuclei, an example of which is copper and [W]ARY (suspicious) as an adjective meaning suspicious, sceptical or openly distrustful and unwilling to confide when W (wife) as the genealogical abbreviation for wife is removed (disappears)

11d        Broken banks or flood around river in wet region (7,6)
NORFOLK BROADS: An anagram (broken) of BANKS OR FLOOD placed about (around) R (river) as the written abbreviation for River, used especially on maps takes to the definition of a low-lying region of eastern England with wide, shallow lakes interconnected by rivers and small streams

13d        Make a translation? Not exactly (10)
PARAPHRASE: A cryptic definition of a verb meaning to restate a text, quotation or passage in another form or other words (make a translation) that is just a rough and not exact restatement of the same (not exactly)

16d        Nice officer perhaps in garden nobbled me (8)
GENDARME: The definition of a paramilitary police officer in France and other French-speaking countries, one of whom, as an example, can be from Nice, a French city is reached from an anagram (nobbled) of GARDEN followed by ME from the clue

18d        Free CD for example (7)
RELEASE: Double definition; the first being a verb meaning to free someone from obligation or duty or to free a person or an animal from captivity or imprisonment and the second a noun referring to merchandise issued for sale or public showing like a film or musical recording, an example of which can be a compact disc, better known as CD

20d        Undisciplined street child protected (7)
WAYWARD: The definition of an adjective meaning undisciplined, disobedient or difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour is arrived at from a charade of WAY (street) as a road, street or path for travelling along and WARD (child protected) as a child under the care and control of a guardian appointed by their parents or a court or as a protégé protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence or influence

21d        Exercise moving load in boat (6)
PEDALO: PE (exercise) as the abbreviation for physical education that is taught in schools that involves physical exercises followed by an anagram (moving) of LOAD guides to the definition of asmall pleasure boat that is moved by pushing pedals with the feet

23d        Wake up in prison (4)
STIR: Double definition; the second being a noun denoting an informal term for a prison that takes to the first a verb meaning to rise, wake up or get up

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 12a, 15a, 19a, 22a, 26a, 3d, 5d, 8d, 11d, 16d and 20d; the best of them all being 3d. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to the setter for the entertainment and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a pleasant day.