Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3365
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 19th April 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A slightly tough puzzle from Dada this Sunday which I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review for your kind perusal and valuable feedback.
I wanted to know more about Eccles, the answer to the clue at 14a and so, after solving the puzzle, I explored the internet for the purpose. I learnt that the Book of Ecclesiastes, often abbreviated as Eccles, is one of the most philosophical and introspective works within the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Traditionally attributed to King Solomon in his old age, the book is written from the perspective of Qoheleth, a Hebrew title often translated as ‘the Teacher’ or ‘the Preacher’. The book is famous for its opening refrain, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” which reflects on the fleeting and seemingly paradoxical nature of human life.In Hebrew, the word translated as ‘vanity’ is ‘hevel’, literally meaning vapour or smoke. The author uses this metaphor to describe how life is temporary and difficult to grasp, despite our best efforts to find meaning in wealth, wisdom, or pleasure. Life ‘Under the Sun’ is this recurring phrase that refers to the human experience in this mortal world. The Teacher observes that time and death are the great equalizers, claiming both the wise and the foolish alike. Rather than ending in despair, the book encourages readers to enjoy simple gifts from God, such as a good meal, friendship and meaningful work.
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Across
1a Tongue poke – pain is it? (6,5)
FRENCH STICK: A charade of FRENCH (tongue) as the tongue that is the language of a particular people, region or nation and here specifically the language of France and STICK (poke) as to poke or thrust into a place or position indicated or to poke or jab a pointed or narrow instrument into leads to the definition of the common alternative name used in the United Kingdom for a baguette, that is a long narrow loaf of French bread, which is, indeed, ‘pain’ i.e. the French word for bread
10a Perfect and articulate (5)
UTTER: Double definition; the second being a verb denoting to articulate, vocalise or put into words that takes to the first an adjective meaning perfect, absolute, total or complete
11a Big fish at sea in prison when virtually bankrupt (9)
SHIPOWNER: The definition of a person who owns or has shares in a ship or ships, an example of which is a big fish at sea, a slang phrase denoting an important, leading or wealthy person in the shipping industry is arrived at from an anagram (bankrupt) of a combo of PRISON and almost all or most of the letters (virtually) of WHE[N] from the clue
12a 8 Down that man, unclear if wobbly (9)
HERCULEAN: The definition of an adjective denoting extraordinary size and power or enormous as in 8 Down is reached from HE (that man) as the pronoun used to refer to a man, boy or male animal previously mentioned or easily identified followed by an anagram (if wobbly) of UNCLEAR.
13a Charger for example plugged into watch, or separate (5)
HORSE: The definition of a large, solid-hoofed herbivorous mammal used for carrying or pulling loads and for riding, an example of which is a charger referring to a cavalry horse or a horse training for a battle i.e. a warhorse is part of or hidden inside (plugged into) [WATC]H, OR SE[PARATE]
14a Book location in Greater Manchester (6)
ECCLES: Double nounal definition; the second referring to a market town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England that takes to the definition of the first an abbreviation for Ecclesiastes, a book in the Old Testament of the Bible, traditionally supposed to have been written by Solomon
16a Great time on holiday, when mission begins (5-3)
BLAST-OFF: A charade of BLAST (great time) as a highly pleasurable or exciting experience, or as a good or great time and OFF (on holiday) as away from work or on holiday guides to the definition of the moment of launching of a rocket that is the moment when a space mission begins
18a Delinquent? I have backed older miscreant (8)
EVILDOER: The definition of a person who does evil or transgresses moral or civil law, an example of which is a delinquent i.e. a person who neglects or fails to do what law or duty required is reached from I’VE (I have) as a contraction of ‘I have’ in a returning fashion (backed) as a reversal in the across clue followed by an anagram (miscreant) of OLDER
20a Ultimately, college don is stupid – creative mind? (6)
EDISON: The ultimate or terminal letter (ultimately) of [COLLEG]E followed by an anagram (stupid) of DON IS takes to the definition of the American businessman and one of the most creative inventors of all time who invented, inter alia, the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera and whose full name was Thomas Alva Edison
23a 22 Down, in both directions? (5)
REFER: The definition of a verb meaning to direct the attention of or to direct to a source for help or information, as in 22 Down, is reached from its palindromic feature in this across clue that is seen going from both west to east and east to west (in both directions)
24a Welcome back nation that’s passed check (9)
REINSTATE: The definition of a verb meaning to restore someone to a former position, status or rank or, in a way, to welcome them back to the previous role or state is got from STATE (nation) as a nation or a politically unified people occupying a definite territory coming after or preceded by (that’s passed) REIN (check) as to check or guide a horse by pulling on the pair of straps attached to its head
26a Keep going, by challenging (9)
PERSEVERE: The definition of a verb meaning to keep going or continuing or to persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement is arrived at from a charade of PER (by) as a preposition denoting by in commercial terms as in ‘paid per item’ i.e. ‘paid by item’ and SEVERE (challenging) as an adjective denoting very strict, hard to endure or conforming to a rigorous standard and hence challenging
27a Figure from Sydney? Heavens above! (5)
OZONE: ONE (figure) as the number or figure 1 placed after or preceded by (from) OZ (Sydney) as the capital of New South Wales and one of the largest cities of Australia, whose formal nickname is ‘Oz’ takes to the definition referring to the ozone layer that is heavens above or in the upper regions in the Earth’s atmosphere
28a Narrator, person banking on lie (5-6)
STORY-TELLER: The definition of a narrator or a person who tells a story, relates events within fiction or gives an account of something is reached from TELLER (person banking) as a person employed in a bank whose work is to receive or pay out money over the counter coming after in the across clue (on) STORY (lie) as an informal term for a lie, fib, fabrication or untruth
Down
2d Turner Prize work stolen to order, every second counting (5)
ROTOR: The definition of a part of a machine that turns around on a central point, an example of which is a turner i.e. one that turns or is employed in turning is obtained from the second letters each of (every second counting) of [P]R[IZE] [W]O[RK] [S]T[OLEN] [T]O [O]R[DER]
3d Care where English Channel has flowed uphill (7)
NURTURE: The definition of a noun meaning care or help in growing or developing is arrived at from a charade of E (English) as the abbreviation for English), RUT (Channel) as a groove or channel and RUN (has flowed) as a verb in the participle form denoting has flowed, especially in a steady river or stream all in an upward direction (uphill) as reversals in the down clue
4d Race is one short of a football team? (6)
HASTEN: The definition of a verb meaning to race, rush along or move fast is got from HAS TEN (one short of a football team) as a phrase indicating a football team that comprises eleven players is having ten players and short of one player or, in other words, one short of a football team
5d Figure, strangely integral (8)
TRIANGLE: The definition of a closed plane figure having three sides and three angles is obtained from an anagram (strangely) of INTEGRAL
6d Gear filling blocks with helium (7)
CLOTHES: The definition of a noun denoting clothes, especially, colloquially, young people’s fashion clothes is got from CLOTS (blocks) as in blood clots, lumps or blocks in the sense of obstructions taking inside (filling … with) HE (helium) as the chemical symbol for helium
7d Source of information US president once put on paper (4,9)
BUSH TELEGRAPH: The definition of the rapid transmission of news among primitive communities by drum-beating etc that is a source of information or communication, especially in remote areas is arrived at from BUSH (US president once) as referring to either George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush, 41st or 43rd President of the United States respectively placed upon in the down clue (put on) TELEGRAPH (paper) as referring to Daily Telegraph or Sunday Telegraph that is a newspaper
8d Great improvisation of Monroe, American (8)
ENORMOUS: The definition of an adjective denoting very great in size, extent or amount is arrived at from an anagram (improvisation) of MONROE followed by US (American) as the adjectival abbreviation for the United States or belonging to the United States
9d Politician identified as criminal, effectively working on plot? (5-8)
GREEN-FINGERED: A charade of GREEN (politician) as referring to a green politician who is a member of the Green Party or an environmentalist generally and FINGERED (identified as criminal) as of a person, identified as a criminal or responsible for a crime e.g. to finger as a slang term means to identify a guilty person, especially in police or detective fiction takes to the adjectival definition of an expert gardener as effectively working on a garden plot
15d Arrangement of locks: in remedy one breaks out (8)
COIFFURE: The definition of a style of hairdressing or an ‘arrangement of locks’ i.e. ringlets of hair is got from all of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one separates by getting inside (breaks) OFF (out) as a preposition denoting out of operation or out of alignment with placed inside (in) CURE (remedy) as a remedy or a means of healing or restoring to health
17d Try and catch of course! (4,4)
HEAR HEAR: A charade of HEAR (try) as to try someone in court i.e. examine evidence or a case by judicial process and HEAR (catch) as to catch, overhear, detect or get a sound takes to the definition of an idiom used to express approval like ‘I agree completely!’ or ‘Of course!’
19d Derbyshire river drained away after chestnut uprooted (7)
DERWENT: The definition of the Derbyshire river that originates at Bleaklow, flows 50-66 miles through the Peak District, Matlock and Derby before joining the River Trent is got from WENT (drained away) as denoting went down the drain or drained away as in ‘the bath water went’ preceded by or coming after (after) RED (chestnut) as referring a reddish-brown or chestnut colour in an upward direction (uprooted) as a reversal in the down clue
21d Loot polished off where last of cash spent (7)
DESPOIL: The definition of a verb meaning to loot, plunder or to strip or deprive by force is got from an anagram (off) of POLIS[H]ED from which (where) the last or terminal letter (last) of [CAS]H is taken away (spent)
22d Frightful cast, not as honest (6)
DIRECT: DIRE (frightful) as an adjective meaning frightful, appalling or ghastly followed by C[AS]T from the clue subject to the removal of AS (not as) takes to the definition of an adjective denoting honest, candid or frank
25d Love a way in, did you say? (5)
ADORE: The definition of a verb meaning to love someone deeply and devotedly is arrived at from A from the clue followed by a homophone heard by the audience (did you say?) of ROAD (way in) as an open, generally paved, public way in a town or between towns for the passage of vehicles, people and animals
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 14a, 16a, 27a, 28a, 2d, 4d, 7d, 9d and 15d; 7d 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. Looking forward to being here again. Have a pleasant day.