Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3305
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 23rd February 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A straightforward and gentle puzzle from Dada this Sunday that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of his puzzle for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.
I learnt from the net that friars, the definition for the clue of 4d, refer to brothers or members of any of various chiefly mendicant religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church, the main orders being Dominicans or Black Friars, Franciscans or Grey Friars, Carmelites or White Friars and Augustinians or Austins Friars.
Tom Thumb, the definition to the clue of 5d, took me down memory lane and I reminisced having read the story of Tom Thumb who in a literature book.
En garde, the definition to the clue of 18d, is a French phrase for ‘on guard’ denoting ‘on (your) guard’, taken as a warning term in fencing.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
8a Irish flag perhaps in court, or I waved around Lithuania’s first (9)
TRICOLOUR: The definition of a flag that consists of three distinct colours, typically arranged in equal-sized stripes or sections, an example of which is the national flag of Ireland that has green, white and orange as the three vertical stripes from the left is reached from an anagram (waved) of COURT, OR I placed about (around) the first or initial letter (first) of L[ITHUANIA]
10a Open on time (5)
OVERT: The definition of an adjective meaning open to view or knowledge and not concealed is deduced from a charade of OVER (on) as a preposition denoting on or on top of and T (time) as the symbol for time in physics
11a The certified tale in novel (8,7)
DEFINITE ARTICLE: The definition of the word ‘the’ in the English language used to refer to a specific noun that is known to both the speaker and the listener is reached form an anagram (novel) of CERTIFIED TALE IN
12a Group needing time for dressing (7)
BANDAGE: A charade of BAND (group) as a company or group of people bound together for any common purpose and (needing) AGE (time) as the time of life reached or of being old takes to the definition of a medical dressing that is a strip of cloth for winding round an injured part of the body
13a Completely lost? That’s one way to get out (7)
STUMPED: Double definition of verb in the past tense; the second denoting ‘got out’ in cricket that refers to a mode of dismissal where the wicketkeeper puts down the stumps or removes the bails while the batsman is out of their crease and not attempting a run that takes to the first meaning baffled, perplexed, completely lost or caused to be at a loss
15a Far too expensive – or is it a steal? (8,7)
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY: Double definition; the second referring to a robbery that takes place in broad daylight and deemed as a bold, brazen act, happening in a public place when it would be least expected that leads to the first describing a situation where someone feels they are being blatantly and unfairly so overcharged that it is almost like a robbery
19a Precisely ten perform in Cambridgeshire city (7)
EXACTLY: The definition of an adverb meaning precisely, entirely or absolutely is reached from a combo of X (ten) as the Roman numeral for ten and ACT (perform) as to perform a role in the stage placed inside (in) ELY (Cambridgeshire city) as a cathedral city and civil parish in the East Cambridgeshire district, in Cambridgeshire, England
22a Bell failing (7)
CLANGER: Double definition; the first referring to a thing that clangs or produces a deep loud ringing sound, an example of which is bell that is an instrument for giving a ringing sound and the second denoting a fault or a stupid mistake
24a Poor calibre model and scoundrel – politician! (7,8)
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT: An anagram (poor) of a combo of CALIBRE MODEL and RAT (scoundrel) as a slang term for a scoundrel yields the definition of a member and supporter of the Liberal Democrats, a political party founded in 1988 through a merger between the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party in the United Kingdom and hence a politician
26a Loud instrument for orchestra member (5)
FLUTE: A charade of F (loud) as the abbreviation of the adjective forte, a musical term meaning loud and LUTE (instrument) as a stringed musical instrument takes to the definition of a key member of the orchestra and belonging to the woodwind family
27a Failing to start, developers lazily don’t respond to alarm call? (9)
OVERSLEEP: An anagram (lazily) of [D]EVELOPERS without the starting or initial letter (failing to start) takes to the definition of a verb meaning to sleep beyond one’s usual or intended time for waking and hence in a situation to not respond to alarm call
Down
1d Short major in hunky chap (4)
STUD: STUD[Y] (major) as denoting the title of an academic subject, an example of which is major referring to a main subject of study at a university or college having most of the letters (short) takes to the definition of a hunky chap or a man who is notably virile and sexually active
2d Curvy figure about right, a bit of a looker (6)
CORNEA: CONE (curvy figure) as a figure that is curved and without sharp angles placed around (about) R (right) as the abbreviation for right followed by A from the clue guides to the definition of the transparent horny membrane that forms the front covering of the eye
3d Out to eat game – last day of Lent perhaps? (8)
FORTIETH: FORTH (out) as out into view or out as from concealment or seclusion to take inside (eat) TIE (game) as a match or game, especially one at any stage of a tournament in which the losers are eliminated leads to the definition of an adjective denoting the last of forty or a thing or event in its fortieth position, an example of which is Lent, the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year that lasts for forty days leading up to Easter and commemorates the forty days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness and a time for Christians to focus on repentance, prayer, fasting and almsgiving
4d Brothers: those cooking for the audience? (6)
FRIARS: The definition of the plural of a monk, brother or a member of one of the mendicant religious orders of men in the Roman Catholic Church is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (for the audience) of FRIERS/FRYERS (those cooking) as referring to those persons who are frying or cooking in oil or fat in the pan, especially fish as also referring to pans or containers for frying
5d General character digitally reduced? (3,5)
TOM THUMB: The definition of an American with dwarfism who was born as Charles Sherwood Stratton, achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum and came to be better known by his stage name ‘General Tom Thumb’ is cryptically arrived at from a charade of TOM (character) as the most commonly recognised cat character from the classic animated series ‘Tom and Jerry’ and THUMB (digitally reduced) as referring to the thick digit of the human hand, next to the index finger and opposable to each of the other four digits and shortest in length
6d Insignificant storm brewing in this? (6)
TEACUP: The definition of a usually medium-sized bowl-shaped cup designed for drinking tea out of is cryptically arrived at from an idiom ‘a storm in a teacup’ that refers a situation in which people are very angry or upset about something that is not important or, precisely, an insignificant storm brewing in a definition
7d Eye infection covered by ophthalmologist yesterday (4)
STYE: The definition of a small inflamed swelling at the edge of the eyelid, caused by bacterial infection is reached from part of or hidden inside (covered by) [OPHTHALMOLOGI]ST YE[STERDAY]
9d Youth I think filled with ambition at last (7)
INFANCY: The definition of childhood or one’s early days of youth is arrived at from a combo of I from the clue and FANCY (think) as to think, imagine or guess having inside (filled with) the last or terminal letter (at last) of [AMBITIO]N
12d Chancellor’s plan not entirely bringing shift (5)
BUDGE: Most of the letters (not entirely) of BUDGE[T] (Chancellor’s plan) as the presentation of government plans for the economy made by the Chancellor to Members of Parliament in the House of Commons guides to the definition of an intransitive verb meaning to move or shift
14d Ultimately drenched or soggy, the paper towel for example? (5)
DRYER: The ultimate or terminal letters (ultimately) of [DRENCHE]D [O]R [SOGG]Y [TH]E [PAPE]R guides to the definition of a thing that dries, an example of which is towel that is a piece of absorbent paper used for wiping up liquids or drying things
16d Source of information, testament featuring in entire broadcast (8)
INTERNET: The definition of a worldwide computer network that provides information on very many subjects and enables users to exchange messages is arrived at from NT (testament) as the abbreviation for New Testament that is the second part of the Christian Bible, consisting of writings about Christ and the Apostles after his death appearing in (featuring in) an anagram (broadcast) of ENTIRE
17d Stone thrown initially into rising river, went very quickly (8)
ROCKETED: ROCK (stone) as a stone of any size, followed by the initial or first letter (initially) of T[HROWN] placed inside (into) DEE (river) as the river flowing through parts of Wales and England in an upward direction (rising) takes to the definition of a verb in the past tense denoting moved or went very swiftly or quickly
18d Call to fighters when grenade goes off (2,5)
EN GARDE: The definition of an interjection referring to a call to fencers to adopt a defensive stance in readiness for an attack or bout is reached when GRENADE is subject to an anagram (goes off)
20d Shady alcove found in port, top taken off (6)
ARBOUR: The definition of a shade garden alcove with the sides and roof formed by trees or climbing plants trained over a framework fetched from [H]ARBOUR (port) as a sheltered port where ships can take on or discharge cargo having removed (taken off) the topmost or head letter in the down clue (top)
21d A shade spineless? (6)
YELLOW: Double definition; the second being an adjective meaning spineless, gutless or lacking courage or power that takes to the first a noun referring to a shade or colour of the rainbow between the orange and the green
23d Trigger a devious plan to trap leader of opposition (6)
AROUSE: The definition of a verb meaning to stir up, set off or trigger is obtained from A from the clue followed by RUSE (devious plan) as a devious trick or plan to take in (trap) the leading or the head letter (leader) of O[PPOSITION]
24d Socialist newspaper for French investors, might you say? (4)
LEFT: The definition of a person, group or party favouring left-wing, socialist or progressive views is cryptically arrived at from the Financial Times of France or the French newspaper meant basically for their investors in the capital market i.e. the FT of France or precisely ‘LE FT’ where ‘le’ is the article for ‘the’ in the French language used with singular, masculine words
25d Kind to write (4)
TYPE: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to write something using a typewriter that guides to the first a noun denoting a kind, class or category, the constituents of which share similar characteristics
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 11a, 13a, 15a, 19a, 27a, 2d, 3d, 4d, 17d and 24d; 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.
3*/3* …
liked 23D “Trigger a devious plan to trap leader of opposition (6)”