ST 3347 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3347

A full review by Rahmat Ali

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 14^th December 2025

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A pleasant 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 comments.

Cakewalk, the definition to the clue at 2d, was really interesting. After solving the puzzle, I explored the internet to know about the dance in detail. I gathered that the cakewalk is a historic dance that originated among African-American communities in the southern United States during the nineteenth century. Initially, it was performed by enslaved people on plantations as a form of entertainment, often during social gatherings. The dance involved high steps, exaggerated struts and a distinctive rhythm that mimicked and satirised the formal ballroom dances of white slaveholders. The most skilled dancers were sometimes rewarded with a cake, which is how the dance earned its whimsical name i.e. the cakewalk. By the late nineteenth century, the cakewalk had moved from plantations to minstrel shows and vaudeville stages, becoming a popular form of performance in both African-American and white entertainment circuits. It influenced early jazz and ragtime music, with composers such as Scott Joplin writing pieces suited to the lively steps and syncopated rhythms of the dance. The style of the cakewalk is characterised by a combination of grace, precision and playful exaggeration, with dancers often performing in lines or pairs, emphasising coordination and flair. Though it began as a form of subtle satire, the cakewalk left a lasting legacy on American dance culture. Its influence can be traced to later dances, including the Charleston and Lindy Hop, cementing its place as an important milestone in the history of African-American performance art.

Secateurs, the definition to the clue at 21d, was a new word to me and I became interested in its etymology, more particularly after noticing its ‘s’ ending and had to explore the internet to know more about it. The word ‘secateurs’ entered English in the late nineteenth century. It was borrowed from French ‘sécateur’, which itself was derived from the verb ‘sécher’ meaning to cut or to dry. The French term is related to the Latin ‘secare’ meaning to cut, which is also the root of other English words like section, segment and dissect. The plural-looking form ‘secateurs’ is inherited directly from French. In French, ‘sécateur’ is singular, but English often retains the original plural form when adopting technical or specialised terms. The tool itself was developed in France in the nineteenth century by horticulturists seeking a more efficient way to prune vines and shrubs, replacing the earlier use of knives or shears. Its design, featuring a bypass or anvil blade mechanism, allows for precise, clean cuts that promote healthy plant growth. By the twentieth century, secateurs had become widely used in gardening and horticulture across Europe and eventually in English-speaking countries. The adoption of the French term highlights both the influence of French horticultural innovation and the tendency of English to borrow specialised vocabulary for tools, cuisine and technical practices.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

7a           Travelling say in African country, an Asian national (9)
MALAYSIAN: An anagram (travelling) of SAY inside (in) MALI (African country) as a landlocked country in West Africa followed by AN from the clue guides to the definition of a native of inhabitant of Malaysia that is in Asia and hence an Asian national

8a           Hot in sunny corner (5)
NICHE: H (hot) as the abbreviation for hot, especially with reference to water on a faucet placed inside (in) NICE (sunny) as bright, pleasant or sunny guides to the definition of a recess, opening or corner

10a        Ultimatum which trammels leaders of Roman Empire (6)
THREAT: The definition of a declaration or action showing an intent to inflict pain, injury, damage or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done, an example of which is ultimatum i.e. a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations is reached from THAT (which) as used instead of ‘which’ to introduce a defining clause, especially one essential to identification takes inside (trammels) altogether the leading letters (leaders) of R[OMAN] E[MPIRE]

11a        Selling punishment? (8)
FLOGGING: Double definition; the second referring to a punishment with blows or lashes that takes to the first meaning selling, especially aggressively or vigorously, for example, ‘They are flogging tickets i.e. selling tickets aggressively

12a        Shoe in place after fiddling, you finally slipping into it? (4-2)
LACE-UP: The definition of a shoe or boot that is fastened with laces or, more particularly, the singular version of lace-ups i.e. shoes or boots tied with laces is arrived at from PLACE subject to being tampered (after fiddling), resulting in the first letter becoming the last letter i.e. P is fiddled to the end and the final or terminal letter (finally) of [YO]U getting inside (slipping into it)

14a        Perplexed – as party may have been? (6)
THROWN: Double definition in the participle form; the second denoting gave, arranged, organised, held or hosted a party as an example that takes to the first denoting perplexed, disconcerted or confused

16a        Knock over all the cards (4)
DECK: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a pack of playing cards that takes to the first a verb denoting to floor or to knock down or knock over

17a        Belt in pieces put back (5)
STRAP: The definition of a tie, thong or belt is reached from PARTS (pieces) as the plural of a piece, division, portion or segment of a whole coming from the other end (put back) as a reversal in the across clue

18a        Centre covered in traffic, or empty? (4)
CORE: The definition of the centre or the midpoint of an object is part of or hidden inside (covered in) [TRAFFI]C, OR E[MPTY]

19a        Paste, cooking mixture (6)
BATTER: Double definition; the second being a liquid or semi-liquid mixture, as of flour, milk and eggs used in cooking that brings to the first referring to a paste or soft mass

21a        Islander attributes grumble to South Africa (6)
SAMOAN: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Samoa or one of the indigenous Polynesian people of the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in Polynesia, who speak the Samoan language and hence an islander is arrived at from MOAN (grumble) as to grumble, whine or complain preceded by or assigned to (attributes … to) SA (South Africa) as the abbreviation for South Africa

24a        Fashionista resigned, as scruffy (8)
DESIGNER: The definition of a person who devises or executes designs, as for works of art or fashions, an example of which is a fashionista i.e. a designer of haute couture is obtained from an anagram (as scruffy) of RESIGNED

26a        Stout in barrel guzzled by staff (6)
ROTUND: The definition of an adjective meaning, stout, chubby, obese or plump is reached from TUN (barrel) as the term applied to a barrel of the highest size in traditional usage consumed or taken in by (guzzled by) ROD (staff) as a sceptre or a long, slender ornamented stick carried in the hand by ruler as a symbol of sovereignty

27a        European cake filled with third of caramel (5)
CROAT: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Croatia that is in Europe and hence an European is arrived at from COAT (cake) as to cake, cover or spread having inside (filled with) the third-placed letter (third) of [CA]R[AMEL]

28a        Exact number embracing honest labouring (2,3,4)
ON THE NOSE: The definition of an idiom meaning exact, precise or appropriate is reached from ONE (number) as the first counting number in the decimal system covering (embracing) an anagram (labouring) of HONEST

Down

1d           Stockpile money that’s recounted? (5)
CACHE: The definition of a supply stored or hidden for future use, an example of which is a stockpile i.e. a supply of an essential material held in reserve, especially for use during a shortage is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (that’s recounted) of CASH (money) as money in cash or notes

2d           Dance, kids’ stuff (8)
CAKEWALK: Double definition; the second meaning something accomplished with supreme ease, an example of which is kids’ stuff, colloquially denoting something only suitable for young children, usually because very tame or very easy that takes to the first referring to a dance developed from a prancing movement once performed by Black Americans in competition for a cake

3d           Borne by wings in Toulouse, groups fly (6)
TSETSE: SETS (groups) as the plural form of a group or collection of things that belong together or resemble one another or are usually found together covered or held by (borne by) the outermost letters (wings) in T[OULOUS]E leads to the definition of a bloodsucking African fly that transmits trypanosome parasites and causes sleeping sickness

4d           Odd bits of coal left a little lower? (4)
CALF: The oddly-placed letters (odd bits) of C[O]A[L] L[E]F[T] guides to the definition of the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal who lows i.e. a little or baby lower

5d           Entertainer reigns when performing (6)
SINGER: The definition of a person who sings, especially professionally is arrived at from REIGNS when subject to an anagram (performing)

6d           Conscious of facial feature? It’s very fragile (9)
CHINAWARE: AWARE (conscious) as conscious or having knowledge or realisation of CHIN (facial feature) as a facial feature denoting the front part of the face below the lips i.e. AWARE of CHIN or precisely, CHIN AWARE that leads to the definition of a dishware made of high quality porcelain that’s very fragile

9d           Petty officer has quit after surgery (4-2)
POST-OP: PO (petty officer) as the abbreviation for petty officer having alongside (has) STOP (quit) as a verb meaning to quit, cease or put an end to takes to the definition of a short form of post-operative denoting the period after a surgical operation

13d        Capital city, where equality of condition exists (5)
PARIS: The definition of the capital city of France, a country in Europe is obtained from a charade of PAR (equality of condition) as equality of status, level or condition and IS (exists) as a form of the present tense of ‘be’ used with third person singular meaning exists or lives

15d        Cutting tool erases cut, surprisingly (9)
SECATEURS: The definition of a garden tool that has two short sharp blades and is used for cutting plant stems is reached from an anagram (surprisingly) of ERASES, CUT

17d        Wraparound garment on, rags off (6)
SARONG: The definition of a loose garment made of a long strip of cloth wrapped around the body that is worn by men and women chiefly of the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific islands is obtained from an anagram (off) of ON, RAGS

18d        A cheat pursuing company finding things easy (8)
COASTING: A combo of A from the clue and STING (cheat) as a slang term for a cheat, fraud or swindle preceded by or coming after (pursuing) CO (company) as the abbreviation for company  leads to the definition of a verb in the continuous form meaning proceeding easily without special application of effort or concern i.e. finding things easy

20d        Business originally entering legal process of close-knit group (6)
TRIBAL: The original or first letter (originally) of B[USINESS] going inside (entering) TRIAL (legal process) as a legal process by which a person is judged in a court of law yields the definition of an adjective meaning of or belonging to a group of people who share common ancestry and beliefs, often living in close-knit community

22d        Waterlogged world hastily evacuated (6)
MARSHY: The definition of a noun meaning waterlogged or characteristic of or resembling an area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons is reached from MARS (world) as the fourth planet in order of distance from the sun, between the Earth and Jupiter followed by H[ASTIL]Y from the clue having its inner letters removed (evacuated)

23d        Active armies united, not entirely after uprising (2,3)
IN USE: The definition of a phrase meaning occupied, engaged or active is got from part of or hidden by (not entirely) [ARMI]ES UNI[TED] that is seen going upwards in the down clue (after uprising) as a reversal in the down clue

25d        Nauseating eccentric doffs cap (4)
RANK: The definition of an adjective meaning disgusting or having a foul or offensive smell, an example of which is nauseating i.e. disgusting or causing or liable to cause a feeling of nausea is obtained [C]RANK (eccentric) as an eccentric person, especially one who is obsessed by a particular subject devoid of (doffs) the first or the topmost letter in the down clue (cap)

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 7a, 11a, 16a, 26a, 1a, 3d, 4d, 6d, 9d, 13d and 18d; 6d 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. The full review for the prize puzzle DT Cryptic 31115 will be published on Monday, the 29th instant. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and looking forward to being here again.