DT 31235 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31235

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 9^th May 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. A nice and straightforward Saturday puzzle from the setter that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.

Sacrifice, the answer to the clue at 14d, has appeared in many forms throughout human history and across different cultures, religions and social systems. One of the noblest forms is self-sacrifice, where individuals willingly give up comfort, wealth, freedom or even life itself for a greater cause, such as defending a nation, fighting injustice, protecting human rights or serving humanity. Soldiers, revolutionaries, social reformers and freedom fighters often make such sacrifices. Another common form is familial sacrifice, in which parents or guardians endure hardship for the welfare and future of their children. Religious sacrifice has also existed for centuries; many traditions involve the sacrifice of animals as offerings to deities or as part of rituals connected with food and worship. In some ancient civilisations and tribal societies, including certain historical cultures in Africa, Central America and other regions, human sacrifice was practised because people believed it pleased gods, ensured good harvests or protected communities from disaster. Economic sacrifice occurs when individuals or societies accept temporary suffering, such as higher taxes or reduced comforts, for long-term development or stability. Emotional sacrifice can be seen when people give up personal desires, relationships or ambitions for the happiness of others. Environmental sacrifice is another modern form, where people reduce consumption and change lifestyles to protect nature and future generations. There are also sacrifices made in education, science and medicine, where researchers and workers dedicate years of effort, often under difficult conditions, for the advancement of knowledge and human welfare. While some sacrifices are admired for their moral and humanitarian value, others, especially those involving violence or forced suffering, are now widely rejected as unethical. Though sacrifice remains a powerful and complex aspect of human civilisation, it reaches its zenith of nobility when people rise above selfishness and contribute to the well-being of others and society as a whole.

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Across

1a           Ageing criminal getting bird (7)
GREYLAG: A charade of GREY (ageing) as ageing or showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair and LAG (criminal) as referring to a convict i.e. a person charged with a criminal offence takes to the definition of a large grey Eurasian goose, Anser anser, having pinkish legs and feet and a pink to orangish bill

5a           Problems are back for Dutch scholar (7)
ERASMUS: A combo of SUMS (problems) as referring to arithmetic problems and ARE from the clue coming from the opposite direction (back) as reversals in the across clue guides to the definition of the Dutch humanist, Catholic theologian and pioneering philologist and educationalist who was one of the most influential scholars of the Northern Renaissance and a major figure of Western culture

9a           Dear European, cross and brooding (9)
EXPENSIVE: The definition of an adjective meaning dear, costly or very high-priced is arrived at from a charade of E (European) as the abbreviation for European as EU in European Union, X (cross) as a symbol for the word cross, or used in combination, as in Xing for crossing and PENSIVE (brooding) as an adjective denoting brooding or deeply or seriously thoughtful

10a         Yours truly might tip this rubbish! (2,3)
MY HAT: I or me (yours truly) as referring to the setter of this puzzle might tip my own hat (might tip this) as a gesture of greeting or respect cryptically pointing to MY HAT (yours truly might tip this) as an item of clothing that belongs to me the setter that takes to the definition referring to an exclamation denoting surprise or disbelief or uttering nonsense, an example of which is the exclamatory noun ‘Rubbish!’ denoting ‘Nonsense!’ or ‘Balderdash!’

11a         City has fallen in ancient region (7)
SCYTHIA: An anagram (fallen) of CITY HAS leads to the definition of a geographic region defined in the ancient Graeco-Roman world that encompassed the Pontic steppe

12a         Bears are abandoning area in shifting dunes (7)
ENDURES: The definition of a verb in the third person singular present tense denoting bears or suffers patiently without yielding is got from [A]RE from the clue devoid of (abandoning) A (area) as an abbreviation for area placed inside (in) an anagram (shifting) of DUNES

13a         Corrupt beauty by love retreat (9)
DISHONEST: The definition of an adjective meaning corrupt, deceitful or crooked is reached from DISH (beauty) as a beauty or pointing out to a very attractive and seductive looking woman e.g. ‘She is a real dish’ to mean ‘She is a real beauty’ followed by (by) O (love) as denoting love or the score of zero in a game of tennis and NEST (retreat) as a snug, cosy or secluded retreat or a resting place

16a         Hearty, occasionally loud hovel (5)
LUSTY: The definition of an adjective meaning hearty e.g. a hearty meal that is a large and satisfying meal or a hearty glow of health that is exhibiting great bodily or mental health is arrived at from the occasional or odd letters (occasionally) of L[O]U[D] followed by STY (hovel) as any filthy place or abode, an example of which is a hovel i.e. any squalid, disorganised dwelling or a small house or hut that is dirty and in bad condition

17a         Silent songbird catching a cold (5)
TACIT: The definition of an adjective denoting silent or saying nothing is fetched from TIT (songbird) as a small songbird that searches acrobatically for insects among foliage and branches taking inside (catching) a combo of A from the clue and C (cold) as the abbreviation for cold as to designate cold water in a faucet

18a         Lecture from Emerson is garbled (9)
SERMONISE: The definition a verb meaning to lecture or express moral judgments or to give a serious speech, discourse or exhortation, especially on a moral issue is fetched from an anagram (garbled) of EMERSON IS

21a         Papers in competition – that’s obvious (7)
EVIDENT: ID (papers) as referring to any identification such as a document like an identity card bearing information about and often a photography of the individual whose name appears on it or papers containing such information placed inside (in) EVENT (competition) as referring to a sports competition that has a variety of contests produces the definition of an adjective denoting obvious or easily perceived or understood

22a         Party worker Charlie dined on river (7)
CATERER: The definition of a person whose business is to provide food, supplies and service, as for a social gathering or a party is arrived at from a charade of C (Charlie) as the letter represented by Charlie in NATO phonetic alphabet, ATE (dined) as a verb in the past tense meaning dined or had supper or dinner, RE (on) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘on’, ‘about’, ‘referring to’ or ‘regarding’ and R (river) as the abbreviation for River, used especially for maps in an atlas or a geography book

25a         CO devouring breathable gases in city (5)
CAIRO: CO from the clue taking inside (devouring) AIR (breathable gases) as referring to the mixture of gases that we breathe guides to the definition of the capital and largest city of Egypt

26a         Anagram etc aiming for cryptic (9)
ENIGMATIC: ANAGRAM ETC subject to an anagram (aiming) yields the definition of an adjective denoting cryptic, puzzling or mysterious

27a         Endless ale drunk: wind reportedly trapped (7)
ETERNAL: The definition of an adjective meaning seemingly endless or everlasting is obtained from an anagram (drunk) of ALE holding inside (trapped) a homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of TURN (wind) as a verb meaning to wind or move in a spiral course

28a         This ultimately destined to leap when developed? (7)
TADPOLE: A cryptic definition of a larva of an amphibian i.e. toad or frog that is destined to leap once it has developed into a full-fledged toad or frog is got from a combo of the ultimate or terminal letter (ultimately) of [DESTINE]D and TO LEAP from the clue that is subject to an anagram (when developed)

Down

1d           DS eager for excitement got moving with gun? (7)
GREASED: An anagram (for excitement) of DS EAGER leads to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning lubricated a gun to make its parts move smoothly or quickly

2d           Sentry regularly protecting MP – dead man? (5)
EMPTY: The regular or even letters (regularly) of [S]E[N]T[R]Y keeping inside (protecting) MP from the clue guides to the definition of a colloquial noun denoting an empty bottle and cryptically formed from the plural expression ‘dead-men’ i.e. colloquially referring to empty bottles after a party or drinking bout

3d           Start to skip a meal (5)
LUNCH: L[A]UNCH (start) as to start on a course, career etc or to start to operate or function not taking into account (to skip) A from the clue yields the definition of a meal eaten in the middle of the day

4d           Setter’s coming into favour? Look disgusted (7)
GRIMACE: I’M (setter’s) as referring to ‘setter is’, where I is the setter of this puzzle getting inside (coming into) GRACE (favour) as the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards mankind takes to the definition of a verb meaning to look disgusted or displeased

5d           First Lady needs doze: struggle getting up here? (7)
EVEREST: A charade of EVE (First Lady) as the first woman, the wife of Adam and progenitor of the human race, as in the Bible and (needs) REST (doze) as to lie down and sleep, an example of which is to doze i.e. to sleep lightly and intermittently leads to the cryptic definition of the world’s tallest peak, where climbers face an extreme physical struggle to reach the summit

6d           Animal limb – bad trouble bandaging that? (9)
ARMADILLO: The definition of an American mammal with long snout, tubular ears and large front claws, an edentate whose body is covered with bands of bony plates is reached from ARM (limb) as an upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder followed by ILL (bad) as bad or having undesirable or negative qualities and ADO (trouble) as a noun denoting trouble, fuss or bother covering it (bandaging that)

7d           Sage old woman, stern one embracing upright character (9)
MAHARISHI: The definition of a noun referring to a Hindu religious sage is got from MA (old woman) as a childish contraction for mamma i.e. mother who is an old woman followed by a combo of HARSH (stern) as an adjective denoting stern, severe or cruel and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one taking inside (embracing) I (upright character) as the ninth letter of the English alphabet known for its verticality

8d           Meet e.g. enthralling female model twirling (7)
SATISFY: The definition of a verb meaning to meet the requirements and expectations of something is reached from SAY (e.g.) as an adverb denoting ‘for example’, more commonly used as ‘e.g.’ that stands as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ holding inside (enthralling) a combo of F (female) as the genealogical abbreviation for female and SIT (model) as to model, pose or assume a posture for an artist in a turnaround fashion by going up (twirling) as reversals in the down clue

14d         Offer up pouch, with grain getting provided inside (9)
SACRIFICE: The definition of a verb meaning to offer up or present as an act of worship is got from SAC (pouch) as a pouch or bag in an animal or plant, often containing fluids followed by (with) RICE (grain) as the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food taking inside (getting … inside) IF (provided) as a conjunction denoting provided, assuming or in case

15d         Amusing oneself at municipal expense? (2,3,4)
ON THE TOWN: A cryptic definition of an expression meaning out to amuse oneself in town is arrived at from going out in spirited pursuit of entertainment (amusing oneself) offered by a town or city (at municipal expense)

17d         Syrup in cereal stirred below temperature (7)
TREACLE: The definition of a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar is obtained from an anagram (stirred) of CEREAL placed under in the down clue (below) T (temperature) as  the symbol for temperature in physics

18d         Literary family don’t stand properly? (7)
SITWELL: The definition of a family of British writers including Dame Edith Sitwell and her brothers Sir Orbert and Sir Sacheverell is arrived at from a charade of SIT (don’t stand) as to take a seat and not to stand as an instruction given to someone and WELL (properly) as an adverb denoting properly, satisfactorily or correctly

19d         Ultimately thought man right to return ticket (7)
RECEIPT: The ultimate or terminal letter (ultimately) of [THOUGH]T followed by a combo of PIECE (man) as a superior man as distinguished from a pawn in chess and R (right) as the abbreviation for right coming up from below (to return) as reversals in the down clue guides to the definition of an acknowledgement that payment has been made, an example of which is a ticket i.e. a paper slip or card indicating that its holder has paid for or is entitled to a specified service, right or consideration

20d         Pain hard in each contest (7)
EARACHE: The definition of a pain or ache in the ear is got from H (hard) as the symbol for hard in lead pencils e.g. HB as hard black placed inside (in) a combo of EA (each) as a commercial or logistical shorthand for each and RACE (contest) as a contest of speed, as in running, swimming, driving, riding etc

23d         Put a watch on? (5)
TIMED: A cryptic definition of a verb in the past tense meaning set the time for an event or occasion or observed or measured the time taken by or the speed or duration of a manufacturing process or a person engaged in any activity (put a watch on) e.g. ‘He put a watch on the runner’ meaning ‘He timed the runner’ by putting a stopwatch

24d         Proportion in harangue avoiding extremes (5)
RATIO: The definition of an adjective meaning a measure of the relative size of two classes that can be expressed as a proportion i.e. the relationship of one thing to another in terms of quantity, size or number is deduced from [O]RATIO[N] (harangue) as a formal public speech, especially for a special or ceremonial occasion, an example of which is a harangue i.e. a long, violent or blustering speech, usually of censure or denunciation addressed to a crowd that is devoid of its extreme or outermost letters (avoiding extremes)

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 3a, 5a, 9a, 13a, 26a, 28a, 6d, 8d, 18d and 19d; 28a 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.