Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31025
A full review by Rahmat Ali
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 6th September 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice, entertaining Saturday puzzle from NYDK that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
After solving the puzzle, I was anxious to know more about Ephesus, the ancient Greek city and the answer to the clue of 20d. I discovered from the net that this place is now located in the western coast of Anatolia i.e. modern Selçuk in İzmir Province, modern-day Turkey. It was founded in the tenth century BCE by ancient Greeks, traditionally attributed to Ionian colonists. It was a major city of classical antiquity, famous for its Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Roman-era ruins, including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Ephesus became part of the Roman Empire, then the Byzantine Empire and eventually came under Seljuk, now Selçuk, and then Ottoman control. While Ephesus is no longer a living city, it ruins are a archaeological site in Turkey and it was originally a prominent Greek and Roman city.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Getting on train Bond reveals his 10 Across 22 Down? (3,6,3)
OLD SCHOOL TIE: A charade of OLD (getting on) as getting on in years or becoming part of something, SCHOOL (train) as to educate or to train or discipline someone in a particular skill or activity and TIE (Bond) as a bond or connection takes to the definition of someone’s network or connections among alumni of elite schools like Eton i.e. reveals his ‘Etonian links’ that form the answers to the clues of 10 Across and 22 Down respectively
9a He’s one! (7)
ELEMENT: A cryptic definition of a pure, chemical substance that can exist as solid, liquid or gas under different condition, an example of which is Helium that has the symbol He and atomic number 2 and known for being a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert and monatomic gas that is number one or the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table
10a College boy Antoine needs correction (7)
ETONIAN: The definition of a person who is a student at the English private school Eton College is arrived at from an anagram (needs correction) of ANTOINE
11a Jeer revolutionary performance in ring (7)
CATCALL: The definition of a shrill whistle or shout of disapproval made at a public meeting, an example of which is a jeer i.e. a rude and mocking remark is reached from ACT (performance) as the performance of some physical or mental process returning from the other end (revolutionary) as a reversal in the across clue placed inside (in) CALL (ring) as to telephone or ring someone
12a Bomb on chopper sent back for test (7)
EXAMINE: MINE (bomb) as a type of bomb placed on or just below the surface of the ground or in the water, which detonates on contact with a person, vehicle or ship preceded by or coming after in the across clue (on) AXE (chopper) as a tool used for chopping wood, typically of iron with a steel edge and wooden handle coming from the other end (sent back) as a reversal in the across clue guides to the definition of a verb meaning to test or inspect
13a Vigorous lout sat by periodically (5)
LUSTY: The definition of an adjective meaning vigorous, robust or energetic is obtained from the regular letters (periodically) of L[O]U[T] S[A]T [B]Y
14a In Paris big roast is rare achievement (5,4)
GRAND SLAM: A charade of GRAND (big) as denoting big used with masculine singular noun in the French language or as they say in Paris, the capital of France and SLAM (roast) as to roast or criticise severely takes to the definition of a rare achievement of winning by any individual all four major championships in tennis i.e. Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in a calendar year
16a By westerly mountain, fix position (9)
PLACEMENT: ALP (mountain) as a high rugged mountain, especially a snow-capped one, in a westward direction (by westerly) as a reversal in the across clue followed by CEMENT (fix) as to fix with a fine, powdered substance made from burned clay and limestone that binds other materials together when mixed with water guides to the definition of an arrangement, location or position
19a Caterer emptied fish and lobster basket (5)
CREEL: C[ATERE]R subject to removal of the inner letters (emptied) followed by EEL (fish) as a snake-like fish with a slender elongated body and poorly developed fins produces the definition of a wickerwork basket or trap for catching lobsters etc
21a Bad carrying on with a criminal (7)
ILLEGAL: ILL (bad) as bad or poor in quality taking inside (carrying) a combo of LEG (on) as relating to or denoting the ‘on’ side of a cricket pitch and A from the clue guides to the definition of an adjective meaning unlawful, illicit or criminal
23a Evangelist in uniform at the Waldorf (7)
MATTHEW: The definition of one of the four Evangelists who is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew is part of or hidden inside (in) [UNIFOR]M AT THE W[ALDORF]
24a Coat badly made – go with new shape (7)
OCTAGON: An anagram (badly made) of COAT followed by GO from the clue and (with) N (new) as the abbreviation for new takes to the definition of a flat shape with eight straight sides and eight angles
25a Seeks help from trust on being ruined (5,2)
TURNS TO: The definition of a verb in the present tense third person singular form denoting seeks help from someone or consults someone or something for help, advice or information is reached from an anagram (being ruined) of TRUST ON
26a Private commercial information from gossip? (5,7)
TRADE SECRETS: A cryptic definition of confidential data that gives a company a competitive edge (private commercial information) from information that is spread and known to limited people, sometimes secretly (gossip)
Down
1d Ring about scenery erected for Greek drama (7)
ORESTES: O (ring) as representing the shape of a ring, followed by RE (about) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘referring to’, ‘regarding’, ‘on’ or ‘about’ and SETS (scenery) as in stage scenery in an upward direction (erected) as a reversal in the down clue that takes to the definition of an ancient Greek play Euripides produced in Athens before he left for Macedon, and it is widely believed to reflect the poet’s bitterness
2d Journal with extremely explicit entry about food? (7)
DIETARY: DIARY (journal) as a book in which one keeps a daily record of events and experiences, an example of which is a journal that is a daily record of news and events of a personal nature with getting inside (entry) of the outermost letters (extremely) of E[XPLICI]T takes to the definition of an adjective denoting related to diet or food
3d Chap on a fallen tree trunk read out list (9)
CATALOGUE: CAT (chap) as an informal North American term for a chap or man, especially among jazz enthusiasts followed by A from the clue and a homophone heard by the audience (read out) of LOG (fallen tree trunk) as a part of the trunk or a large branch of a tree that has fallen or been cut off guides to the definition of a complete list of items, typically one in alphabetical or other systematic order.
4d With corporation that should ideally downsize? (5)
OBESE: The definition of an adjective meaning very fat or overweight is cryptically arrived at from the sight of someone having a paunch or stomach (with corporation) that one really needs to reduce by losing weight (should ideally downsize)
5d Mystery writer turned into fat cat (7)
LEOPARD: POE (mystery writer) as referring to Edgar Allan Poe, the American writer, poet, editor and literary critic celebrated for his tales involving mystery and macabre changed direction from bottom to top in the down clue (turned) and placed inside (into) LARD (fat) as an informal term for excess fat in a person takes to the definition of a large feline mammal belonging to the cat family, typically found in the forests of Africa and Asia
6d First sign (7)
INITIAL: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a mark, symbol or letter used as a signature or abbreviation that takes to the first an adjective denoting first, beginning or original
7d One to investigate corrupt hotel croupier (7,6)
HERCULE POIROT: The definition of the celebrated English writer, Agatha Christie’s fictional Belgian detective who travelled all over Europe and the Middle East investigating crimes and solving murders is arrived at from an anagram (corrupt) of HOTEL CROUPIER
8d Drama initially unfolding in Mold worked out (5,4,4)
UNDER MILK WOOD: The definition of a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas is reached from the initial or beginning letter (initially) of U[NFOLDING] followed by an anagram (out) of IN MOLD WORKED
15d Unmanned gun (9)
AUTOMATIC: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a gun that fires repeatedly without manual reloading that takes to the first an adjective denoting unmanned or not controlled manually but operating on its own
17d Celebrated learner astral cast welcomes (3-4)
ALL-STAR: The definition of an adjective denoting ‘composed of the best players’ as for example, an all-star team denoting a team composed of the best players, an example of which is celebrated i.e. famous, well-known or widely praised, especially of a person is fetched from L (learner) as appearing in an L-plate each displayed at the front and back of a vehicle denoting a learner driver that an anagram (cast) of ASTRAL accepts or takes insides (welcomes)
18d Good time in criminal den promised (7)
ENGAGED: G (good) as the abbreviation for good followed by AGE (time) as the time of life reached or of being old placed inside (in) an anagram (criminal) of DEN leads to the definition of an adjective meaning betrothed or having formally agreed to marry i.e. promised in marriage
19d Circle North American lake bed first (7)
COTERIE: The definition of a circle or a small group of people who are interested in the same thing and who usually do not allow other people to join the group is reached from ERIE (North American lake) as one of the five interconnected freshwater lakes of North America known as the Great Lakes that together represent as the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world preceded by or coming after (first) COT (bed) as a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child
20d Wild sheep with us in old Greek city (7)
EPHESUS: An anagram (wild) of SHEEP and (with) US from the clue leads to the definition of an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, a major trading and intellectual centre known for the Temple of Artemis and significant role in early Christianity
22d Joins course for coastal drivers? (5)
LINKS: Double definition; the second often treated as singular referring to a stretch of flat or gently undulating ground along a seashore, hence a golf course aka a links course, originally one by the sea and hence coastal drivers are golfers who use drivers, a type of golf club that takes to the first a verb in the present tense third person singular form denoting connects or joins
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 9a, 10a, 11a, 26a, 1d, 2d, 5d, 7d, 19d and 22d; 9a being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to NYDK for the entertainment and to Gazza for the encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.