Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3280
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 1st September 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A very straightforward and entertaining puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and treasured feedback.
Now you’re talking, the answer to the clue to 26a, should have been enumerated as 3,3’2,7.
Almanac, the answer to the clue of 3d, made me nostalgic. I went back to the days when I was a member of The British Library, Calcutta. I was a member of the library for a quarter century and discontinued only after I took promotion to the supervisory level in the bank where I worked and got posted at a far-off place in a branch and subsequently even farther. When I was a member, I sometimes used to purchase books discarded by the library, from time to time, at a very nominal price. Once I purchased a book entitled, ‘Almanac 1993’ for a hundred rupees, equivalent to a pound of today. That one book itself taught me a lot of things. Even to this day, I value it as a prized possession.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Criticism as touring party island (8)
BARBADOS: BARB (criticism) as a clever insult or criticism and AS from the clue going round (touring) DO (party) as an informal term for a party or other social event leads to the definition of an island country in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, situated about 100 miles east of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
5a Top athlete? (6)
JUMPER: Double nounal definition; the second being an athlete who takes part in a track and field event that involves jumping; they can be a high jumper, long jumper, triple jumper or pole vault jumper that takes to the first a knitted upper garment, originally one loose at the waist, an example of which is a top that is a garment for the upper part of especially a woman’s or child’s body
10a Democratic, final moves for one in ten, say? (7,8)
DECIMAL FRACTION: An anagram (moves) of DEMOCRATIC, FINAL guides to the definition of a fraction whose denominator is a power of ten and whose numerator is expressed by figures placed to the right of a decimal point placed before the numerator, such as 0.7 = 7/10, 0.4 = 400/1000 etc, an example of which is one in ten or 1/10
11a Vessels in river, wide stretch (7)
EXPANSE: PANS (vessels) as the plural of a wide metal vessel used in cooking placed inside (in) EXE (river) as a river in England that rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, with most of its length lying in Devon fetches the definition of an uninterrupted surface of something that stretches or extends, especially over a wide area
12a Group not speaking, testament admitted (7)
QUINTET: QUIET (not speaking) as an adverb meaning silent, making no noise or not speaking having NT (testament) as the abbreviation for New Testament welcomed or brought in (admitted), leading to the definition of a group of five people playing music or singing together
13a Reveal record drop (8)
DISCLOSE: The definition of a verb meaning to reveal or make known is obtained from a charade of DISC (record) as a gramophone record and LOSE (drop) as to mislay, misplace, displace or drop
15a Twelve pockets torn initially below the belt (3,2)
NOT ON: NOON (twelve) as midday or twelve o’clock in the middle of the day puts inside (pockets) the initial or first letter (initially) of T[ORN] guides to the definition of an informal term meaning to be inappropriate or unfair, as of one’s behaviour, an example of which is ‘below the belt’ meaning to say something that is often too personal, usually irrelevant and always unfair
18a Cloth with stripe and chevron at the back (5)
LINEN: The definition of cloth woven from the thread made from fibres of the flax plant is got from LINE (stripe) as a long, narrow mark, streak or stripe and the back or terminal letter (at the back) of [CHEVRO]N
20a A nastier criminal – as well? (8)
ARTESIAN: An anagram (criminal) of A NASTIER guides to the definition of a type of well in which water rises in a borehole by hydrostatic pressure from a basin whose outcrop is at a higher level
23a Significant recital (7)
TELLING: Double definition; the first being an adjective meaning significant or having a striking or revealing effect and the second a noun meaning recital, yarn or narration
25a Host politician before joining company (7)
COMPERE: The definition of the host or master of ceremonies, as of a television entertainment programme or a variety show is obtained from a combo of MP (politician) as the abbreviation for Member of Parliament who is obviously a politician and ERE (before) as a poetic word for the conjunction or preposition ‘before’ preceded by or placed after (joining) CO (company) as the abbreviation for Company
26a Solver has broken silence, I say – that’s better! (3,5,7)
NOW YOU’RE TALKING: The definition of a colloquial phrase indicating “now you are saying something that I agree with or want to hear or something better than what you said before” is arrived at from the this expression of the setter of this puzzle to the solver who has just broken silence and talking as per the expectation of the setter
27a Bit partial to egotism or selfishness (6)
MORSEL: The definition of a small piece or bit is reached from part of or hiding inside (partial to) [EGOTIS]M OR SEL[FISHNESS]
28a Heel on porous shoe – that’s got holes in it (8)
STRAINER: The terminal or end letter (heel) on [POROU]S followed by TRAINER (shoe) as a sneaker or tennis shoe takes to the definition of a kitchen utensil with a lot of holes in it for separating a liquid from solid pieces
Down
1d Animal bait (6)
BADGER: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to bait or torment with persistent insult or ridicule that takes to the first a noun referring to a burrowing animal of the weasel family
2d Bash desk in hotel (9)
RECEPTION: Double nounal definition; the first being a formal party for guests, such as one after a wedding and the second referring to the part of a hotel where visitors enter and are attended to
3d Guide, a chap in short tie (7)
ALMANAC: The definition of a guidebook or handbook or a usually annual reference book composed of various lists, tables and often brief articles relating to a particular field or many general fields is reached from A from the clue followed by MAN (chap) as an adult male human being placed inside (in) LAC[E] (tie) as to bind or tie that is devoid of its last letter (short)
4d Boy disconnecting lead from dog (5)
OLLIE: The definition of the cute nickname for a boy named Oliver is reached from the removal (disconnecting) of the leading or initial letter (lead) from [C]OLLIE (dog) as long-haired, intelligent breed of sheepdog, originating in Scotland
6d Top of joint scratched – ointment required (7)
UNCTION: [J]UNCTION (joint) as joint, juncture or a point or position where two or more things are joined having its topmost or uppermost letter (top) in the down clue removed (scratched) takes to the definition of an ointment or unguent that may be required to apply to a scratch on a bodily joint
7d Mark is at home in corporation (5)
POINT: The definition of a dot or tiny mark that is used in printing or writing for punctuation, especially a period is produced from IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home put in (in) POT (corporation) as a slang term for a paunch, an example of which is a corporation that is also a slang term for a paunch
8d Liquid nitrogen signal (8)
RINGTONE: An anagram (liquid) of NITROGEN leads to the definition of a signal used to recall either an operator or a customer at the originating end of an established telephone call
9d Visit common (8)
FREQUENT: Double definition; the first being a verb meaning to visit a place often and the second an adjective denoting habitual or doing something often
14d Gamekeeper planted in obviously empty greenhouse (8)
ORANGERY: RANGER (gamekeeper) as a keeper of a park, forest or area of countryside or a gamekeeper who is employed to protect and maintain game birds and other game animals, especially on an estate or game preserve getting inside (planted in) O[BVIOUSL]Y without the inner letters (empty) leads to the definition of a protected place and especially a greenhouse for growing oranges in cool climates
16d Person with script, hopeless at reading (9)
TRAGEDIAN: The definition of a writer, especially a playwright, who writes tragedies is fetched from an anagram (hopeless) of AT READING
17d Desirable thing about a metal – precious one? (8)
PLATINUM: PLUM (desirable thing) as an informal term for a thing, typically a job, considered to be highly desirable put around (about) a combo of A from the clue and TIN (metal) as a chemical element that is a soft and silver-coloured metal and having atomic number 50 yields the definition of another metal that is precious silvery-white and does not react easily with other elements
19d Horrible omen, so I gathered (7)
NOISOME: An anagram (gathered) of OMEN, SO I takes to the definition of an adjective meaning horrible or very disagreeable or unpleasant
21d Fly endlessly around African country – this one? (7)
SOMALIA: SOA[R] (fly) as to fly or rise high in the air that is not having the end or terminal letter (endlessly) placed about (around) MALI (African country) as a landlocked country in West Africa guides to the definition of the easternmost country in the continent of Africa
22d Border opening in respect for minister’s assistant (6)
VERGER: VERGE (border) as an edge, margin or border followed by the opening or starting letter (opening) in R[ESPECT] produces the definition of a church official who acts as a minister’s attendant or caretaker, assisting in the ordering of religious services, especially in various Episcopal churches
24d Nearer bottom of hill, cow? (5)
LOWER: Double definition; the first being an adjective in the comparative degree meaning nearer to the ground, horizon or bottom of hill and the second a noun referring to the cryptic formation of an animal that lows or makes the sound of cattle, an example of which is a cow
25d Copper and blue bird, say, came up to scratch (3,2)
CUT IT: A charade of CU (Copper) as the chemical symbol for Copper and TIT (blue bird, say) as any of various small insectivorous songbirds of the family Paridae of woodland areas, especially those of Eurasia and Africa, an example of which is blue bird, that is a small blue singing bird found in North America leads to the definition of an informal phrase in the past tense denoting came up to expectations or met requirements
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 5a, 12a, 15a, 20a, 26a, 1d, 8d, 9d, 17d and 25d; 15a 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 and to Gazza for the assistance. Looking forward to being here again. Have a good day.