Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31217
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 18th April 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. This was a musical show-themed puzzle, but a truly tough Saturday challenge from the setter. I greatly enjoyed solving it and writing this review; I look forward to your kind reading and precious feedback.
I learnt from the internet that the phrase behind ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’, the answer to the clue at 11a/5a/24d, comes from early twentieth-century ‘Tin Pan Alley’ slang. Music publishers would judge a new song’s commercial potential or rough cut of a new record by playing it to the buildings’ doormen, who were colloquially known as ‘old greys’ due to their grey suits and untrained musically. If, after a single hearing, a doorman could remember and whistle the tune, it was deemed catchy and likely to succeed with the public. Passing this informal ‘whistle test’ suggested broad appeal and the phrase became shorthand for a song’s immediate memorability, later inspiring the title of the BBC programme.
I got some information about Daisy, part of the wordplay to the clue at 22a. “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)” is a popular song written in 1892 by British songwriter Harry Dacre. The lyrics unfold the romance of a man courting a woman named Daisy and celebrated for the chorus featuring the bicycle ‘built for two’ line; the full version of which is as follows: Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do! / I’m half crazy, all for the love of you! / It won’t be a stylish marriage, / I can’t afford a carriage, / But you’ll look sweet upon the seat / Of a bicycle built for two! In the song, the man is actually proposing to his beloved, making her his ‘future bride’ if she give him the answer he desires. The song explicitly hints at the verity that they will go tandem as man and wife once she agrees.
Lastly, I searched the internet to gather some information about Parton, the answer to the clue at 19d. Her full name is Dolly Rebecca Parton. She is one of the most successful and influential singer-songwriters in the history of country music. Rising to prominence in the late 1960s, she first gained national attention through her partnership with Porter Wagoner before establishing a highly successful solo career. She has written over 3,000 songs, including classics such as ‘Jolene’, ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘Coat of Many Colours’. The latter two demonstrate her exceptional song writing ability, with ‘I Will Always Love You’ achieving global fame through later recordings by Whitney Houston and others. Parton has received a substantial number of honours across her career. She has won eleven Grammy Awards from dozens of nominations, spanning country, pop and collaborative categories. In addition to her competitive wins, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her enduring influence on music. She has also earned ten Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year and seven Academy of Country Music Awards. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, acknowledging her impact beyond country music. She has also received the Kennedy Centre Honour for her contribution to American culture and the arts, as well as numerous other lifetime achievement recognitions from major industry bodies. Beyond music, she has built a successful acting career, appearing in films such as ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Steel Magnolias’. She is also a respected philanthropist, founding the Imagination Library, which has provided millions of free books to children worldwide. Her contribution to music, culture and charitable work has made her an enduring cultural icon, admired for both her artistic talent and generosity.
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Across
1a Platitudes suit Mrs Batty (7)
TRUISMS: The definition of the plural form of platitude, trite or obvious remark is reached from an anagram (batty) of SUIT MRS
5a See 11 Across
9a Bewildered, take a satnav around periodically (2,3)
AT SEA: The definition of an idiom meaning bewildered, perplexed or confused is deduced from the periodical or alternate letters (periodically) of [T]A[K]E [A] S[A]T[N]A[V] read from the other end (around)
10a Queen Mother departing African country for imaginary one (9)
RURITANIA: R (Queen) as the abbreviation for regina, the Latin word for Queen followed by [MA]URITANIA (African country) as a country in Northwest Africa having MA (Mother) as a childish contraction for mamma or mother going away or leaving (departing) takes to the definition of an imaginary kingdom in central Europe, often used as a scene for intrigue and romance
11a, 5 Across and 24 Down Show why this dole letter gets shredded (3,3,4,7,4)
THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST: The definition of a pioneering BBC television music show from 1971 to 1988 whose name originated from a Tin Pan Alley phrase, is arrived at from an anagram (shredded) of WHY THIS DOLE LETTER GETS
12a Maybe boil some spicy stew (4)
CYST: The definition of any abnormal saclike growth of the body in which matter is retained, as example of which is boil i.e. an inflamed pus-filled swelling on the skin, caused typically by the infection of a hair follicle is part of or hidden inside (some) [SPI]CY ST[EW]
14a Old man leading show? (3,2,3,4)
TOP OF THE POPS: TOP as the head or leader of the POPS as a name used in addressing old or middle-aged men i.e. leader among old-men or precisely one old man leading cryptically takes to the definition of the once world’s longest-running weekly music show that was broadcast by the BBC weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006
18a French and German articles present latent suspicion (12)
UNDERCURRENT: A charade of UN and DER (French and German articles) as the French and German articles respectively; UN being the French indefinite article denoting ‘a’ or ‘an’ used in front of masculine singular nouns and DER being the German article meaning ‘the’ used in front of a masculine singular noun in the nominative case and in front of feminine singular nouns in both genitive and dative cases and CURRENT (present) as present or belonging to the time actually passing guides to the definition of a hidden or underlying feeling, especially of suspicion or tension
21a Fall heavily where hunting party returns (4)
TEEM: The definition of a verb meaning to pour in torrents or to fall heavily, especially of rain is got from MEET (hunting party) as referring to a hunting party i.e. the assembly of hounds, huntsmen etc, prior to a hunt coming back from the other side (returns) as a reversal in the across clue
22a Drinking tea, future bride at home in floral arrangement (5,5)
DAISY CHAIN: A combo of DAISY (future bride) as referring to Daisy Bell from the 1982 song “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)” who is regarded as a future bride for a man courting her and IN (at home) as at or inside one’s home taking inside (drinking) CHA (tea) as an informal term for tea leads to the definition of a string of daisies each threaded through the stem of the next that is a floral arrangement
25a Oresteia somehow packs in 100 mysterious items (9)
ESOTERICA: An anagram (somehow) of ORESTEIA takes inside (packs) in C (100) as the Roman numeral for hundred guides to the definition of a collection of items of a special, rare, novel or unusual quality
26a Left devoured Right in show (5)
LATER: A charade of L (Left) as the abbreviation for left followed by ATE (devoured) as a verb in the past tense denoting consumed, ingested or devoured and R (Right) as the abbreviation for right takes to the definition referring to a later show i.e. a late-night screening or broadcast
27a Speed ahead to keep old cyclists in group (7)
PELOTON: A combo of PELT (speed) as a verb meaning to speed or move swiftly and ON (ahead) as an adverb denoting forward or ahead in space and time to have inside (keep) O (old) as the abbreviation for old guides to the definition of a group of riders that clump together in a bicycle race on the open road
28a Dramatist runs into youngster by church (7)
TERENCE: The definition of the better known English name of Publius Terentius Afer, a dramatist during the Roman Republic, all six of whose comedies survive to this day is arrived at from R (runs) as the abbreviation for run or runs scored in cricket placed inside (in) TEEN (youngster) as a young person, usually between the ages of 13 and 19 having alongside (by) CE (church) as the abbreviation for the Church of England
Down
1d Cosily warm where pig may go? (6)
TOASTY: The definition of an adjective meaning pleasantly or cosily warm is cryptically arrived from the phrase ‘TO A STY’ as the obvious response to the question where pig may go
2d Invisible nun out to secure diocese (6)
UNSEEN: The definition of an adjective denoting invisible or not able to be perceived by the eye is reached from an anagram (out) of NUN to hold or keep inside (secure) SEE (diocese) as referring to the diocese of a bishop or the place within it where his cathedral or procathedral is situated
3d Lush struggling with morals? One or two! (5,5)
SMALL HOURS: An anagram (struggling) of a combo of LUSH and (with) MORALS takes to the definition of the early hours that happen just after midnight e.g. one o’clock, two o’clock etc, or precisely, one or two
4d Seconds for good child (5)
SPROG: A charade of S (seconds) as an abbreviation for second or seconds, PRO (for) as the Latin root word for the preposition ‘for’ and G (good) as the abbreviation for good leads to the definition of a child or baby
5d Killer in cowboy film avoiding northern city (9)
WORCESTER: ORC (killer) as referring to the killer whale that is a predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fins placed inside (in) WESTER[N] (cowboy film) as a film about the Wild West, most being cowboys or Red Indians devoid of (avoiding) N (northern) as the abbreviation for northern leads to the definition of a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England
6d Letter from Greek written up in Conservatoire (4)
IOTA: The definition of the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet is noticed as part of or hidden inside (in) [CONSERV]ATOI[RE] in an upward direction (written up) as a reversal in the down clue
7d Reportedly game working for poet (8)
TENNYSON: A homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of TENNIS (game) as a game in which two or four players strike a ball with rackets over a net stretched across a court followed by ON (working) as working, functioning or operating takes to the definition of the name of the poet who wrote ‘The Lady of Shalott’ and ‘Ulysses’ and who was Poet Laureate during much of Victoria’s reign in the nineteenth century
8d Freedom from pain having absorbed ultimate enzyme (8)
ELASTASE: EASE (freedom from pain) as a noun denoting freedom from pain, worry or agitation having taken in (absorbed) LAST (ultimate) as an adjective meaning final, terminal or ultimate guides to the definition of an enzyme found in the pancreatic juice that decomposes elastin
13d Local artist, notorious lord and clergyman, retired (10)
VERNACULAR: The definition of an adjective denoting local, common or native is got from a charade of RA (artist) as the abbreviation for Royal Academician, denoting a practising artist of the Royal Academy of Arts, LUCAN (notorious lord) as referring to the 7th Earl of Lucan who notoriously fled in 1974 after the murder of his children’s nanny and Lady Lucan identifying her husband as the assailant and REV (clergyman) as a title prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy all going in the opposite direction (retired) as reversals in the down clue
15d University student coming in cheers monthly event (9)
OVULATION: A combo of U (university) as the abbreviation for university and L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver i.e. a student learning how to drive vehicles getting inside (coming in) OVATION (cheers) as cheers used to express approval, welcome etc leads to the definition of the expulsion of an ovum from the ovary, usually midway in the menstrual cycle, that is a monthly event
16d Get together in Ulster assembled on high ground (6,2)
RUSTLE UP: The definition of a verb meaning to arrange, gather, put or get together is reached from an anagram (assembled) of ULSTER followed by UP (on high ground) as at a higher position or place or on high ground
17d Perhaps saw advantage raising money (4,4)
EDGE TOOL: The definition of a tool that has a cutting edge, an example of which is a saw i.e. a tool for cutting, typically a thin blade of metal and having a toothed edge is obtained from EDGE (advantage) as a colloquial term denoting advantage followed by LOOT (money) as a slang term for money in an ascending mode (raising) as a reversal in the down clue
19d Actress and singer playing role, at first (6)
PARTON: The definition of the surname of the American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and received various accolades is obtained from ON (playing) as denoting ‘playing’ e.g. ‘with Louis Armstrong on trumpet’ i.e. ‘with Louis Armstrong playing trumpet’ preceded by or coming after (at first) PART (role) as an actor’s role in a play or a person’s proper role or duty
20d Unqualified one must abandon English course (6)
ENTRÉE: ENT[I]RE (unqualified) as an adjective denoting utter, absolute or unqualified devoid of (must abandon) of I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and followed by E (English) as the Roman numeral for one leads to the definition of a dish served as the main course of a meal
23d Barely enough time to finish examination (5)
SCANT: The definition of an adjective meaning barely enough or sufficient is arrived at from T (time) as the symbol for time as in physics placed or going after (to finish) SCAN (examination) as an examination of the body or part of a body using a scanner i.e. a device for observing internal organs, tissues and other parts of the body
24d See 11 Across
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 10a, 11a, 14a, 22a, 1d, 3d, 7d, 13d and 15d; 13d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to the setter for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.