ST 3371 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3371

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 31^st May 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. Dada has given us an enjoyable solve this Sunday and now I present to you a full review of his puzzle. Hope to have your valuable feedback and comments.

Come off it, the answer to the clue at 3d, is an idiomatic expression used to show disbelief (“I don’t believe what you’re saying.”), scepticism (“That’s not true.”), dismissal (“Stop exaggerating or being ridiculous.”) and mild annoyance (“Oh, come on!”). For example, “I can run 100 meters in 8 seconds.” “Come off it! I didn’t eat any of the cake.” “Come off it, we all saw you.” Grammatically, the words come off form a phrasal verb, but when someone says “Come off it!” as a standalone exclamation, it functions as an interjection because it expresses an emotional reaction rather than serving as a literal command. Similar interjections include “Come on!”, “Nonsense!”, “Get real!” and “Give me a break!” So, in most everyday uses, “Come off it!” is best analysed as an interjectional expression. On the other hand, “dear Lord” expresses surprise, shock, alarm, amazement and dismay.  Example: “The repair bill is $10,000.” The response: “Dear Lord!” or “That’s astonishing / shocking!”

On World Environment Day last Friday, the Kolkata-based Poets Foundation, established in 1996 by Pradip Kumar Chaudhuri as an international educational, literary, social and cultural organisation after recognition and recommendation by the Federation of International Poetry Associations and approval and authorisation by UNESCO, honoured two individuals with the Poets Foundation Award for 2026. Prof. Dr. Purabi Roy, former Professor of Jadavpur University, who also taught English and Bengali in Russia and is a pioneer in research related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, was honoured with the award for her lifetime achievements. I was honoured with the award for academic achievement. Previous recipients of this award included Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah of Ghana (1998), Kavin Baily of the United Kingdom (1999) and Sultana Nahar of Bangladesh (2001). Since its inception, the Poets Foundation has been awarding scholarships to poor but meritorious school students. Since 2005, it has also been running a non-formal part-time school in the Ballygunge area of Kolkata with a view to imparting basic education to underprivileged and illiterate people from different walks of life. The Poets Foundation published two quarterly magazines from 1997 to 2017: an English magazine titled Poetry Today and a Bengali magazine titled Sahitya Sagar. Both magazines were edited by Pradip Kumar Chaudhuri. Since 2018, these magazines have been published annually. The Foundation has also been publishing books in Bengali, English and Hindi since 1998 at affordable prices, particularly to support budding authors. So far, it has published more than 345 books with internationally recognised ISBNs, some of which have become bestsellers in the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. Since 2000, with the approval and authorisation of UNESCO, the Poets Foundation has been observing World Poetry Day on 21 March each year, alongside similar organisations across the world. The Foundation has also been organising various programmes on consumer protection and awareness, environmental protection and awareness, and special programmes dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. In addition, it regularly conducts cultural programmes featuring poetry readings, recitations, music, dance, one-act plays and other artistic activities.

 

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Across

1a           Sign dry drink tipped over (6)
PISCES: The definition of the twelfth sign of the zodiac is got from a combo of SEC (dry) as an adjective first used by the oenophiles from France denoting dry, especially of wine and SIP (drink) as a small mouthful of a drink coming from the right-hand side (tipped over) as reversals in the across clue

5a           Wet blanket for Arctic swimmer? (4,4)
COLD FISH: The definition of an idiomatic compound noun meaning a person who is aloof and lacking in cordiality or sympathy, an example of which is a wet blanket i.e. someone who dampens enthusiasm or spoils the enjoyment of others is arrived at from a charade of COLD (Arctic) as an adjective denoting arctic, chilly, frosty or frigid and FISH (swimmer) as any of a large group of cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates having jaws, gills and usually fins and a skin covered in scales, an example of which is a swimmer as referring to a fish that can move through or across a body of water by swimming

9a           Frozen ground melted for stream along with pond, initially (10)
PERMAFROST: The definition of a permanently frozen ground or subsoil, often reaching depths up to 5,000 feet, in polar and subpolar zones is arrived at from an anagram (melted) of a combo of FOR STREAM and (along with) the initial or starting letter (initially) of P[OND]

10a         Claw measured, as unusually long, first of all (4)
MAUL: The definition of a verb meaning to claw, mangle, lacerate or tear is deduced from the first or initial letters (first of all) of M[EASURED,] A[S] U[NUSUALLY] L[ONG]

11a         Dropped bricks in underwear! (8)
BLOOMERS: Double definition; the second being a plural noun referring to a traditional outfit or underwear for women and girls consisting of loose pants gathered about the ankles and worn under a skirt that takes to the first an informal term for blunders or stupid mistakes, an example of which is dropped bricks i.e. made indiscreet remarks or gaffes e.g. if one ‘dropped three bricks last night’, one ‘made three bloomers’, formed from the verbal phrase ‘to drop a brick’ i.e. ‘to say something embarrassing, tactless or indiscreet or commit a social gaffe’; thus ‘dropped bricks’ themselves can be, as such, cryptically referred to indiscreet remarks or gaffes

12a         Tray he soiled, dirty (6)
EARTHY: An anagram (soiled) of TRAY HE takes to the definition of an adjective meaning direct and uninhibited, especially about sexual subjects or bodily functions, especially of a person or their language, an example of which is dirty i.e. concerned with sex in a crude or obscene way.

13a         Idle brain (4)
LOAF: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to an informal slang to denote a person’s head or brain, derived from the rhyming slang ‘loaf of bread’ meaning ‘head’ or as in ‘use your loaf’ that takes to the first a verb meaning to idle, spend time in a lazy way or to pass time at leisure

15a         Cook’s stuff lost on weaver (8)
OVENWARE: The definition of a heat-resistant dishware in which food can be cooked as well as served that is obviously a cook’s stuff is reached from an anagram (lost) of ON WEAVER

18a         Overhaul due, after getting promoted (8)
FEATURED: An anagram (overhaul) of DUE, AFTER guides to the definition of an adjective meaning promoted, presented, highlighted or spotlighted

19a         Places in lounge discussed? (4)
LAYS: The definition of a verb in the present tense third person singular meaning places, sets or deposits something down in a specified position is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience (discussed) of LAZE (lounge) as a verb denoting to loaf, idle or lounge

21a         Contribution from Gaia, the nature goddess (6)
ATHENA: Part of or hidden inside (contribution from) [GAI]A, THE NA[TURE] takes to the definition of the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, civilisation, law, justice, strategic warfare and the arts

23a         Contagion, great film, half claimed (8)
EPIDEMIC: The definition of an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely, an example of which is a contagion i.e. a contagious disease or a disease that is transmitted by direct or indirect contact is got from EPIC (great film) as usually a long film etc telling of great deeds, especially historic bringing inside (claimed) DEMI (half) as a prefix denoting half or half-size e.g. a demigod is a being who is partly divine and partly human

25a         War god is brave, though no leader (4)
ARES: The definition of the ancient Greek god of war is reached from [D]ARES (is brave) as a verb in the present tense third person singular form denoting ‘challenges’, ‘confronts boldly’, ‘has the required courage’ or ‘is brave’ devoid of the leading or initial letter (though no leader)

26a         Gut ain’t silent when windy! (10)
INTESTINAL: The definition of an adjective denoting of, relating to or affecting the lower part of the alimentary canal, an example of which is gut i.e. intestinal tissue or fibre that is taken as a shorthand definition to the adjective ‘of a gut’ is arrived at from an anagram (when windy) of AIN’T SILENT

27a         Promise to cover rear in bikini by maiden with – this? (8)
SWIMWEAR: SWEAR (promise) as to promise or pledge with a solemn oath to surround or enclose (cover) a combo of the ending or last letter (rear) in [BIKIN]I having alongside (by) M (maiden) as the genealogical abbreviation for maiden and W (with) as the abbreviation for with takes to the definition of an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing

28a         Miniature dish, it’s sad to see (6)
WEEPIE: A charade of WEE (miniature) as an adjective meaning very small, tiny, miniscule or miniature and PIE (dish) as a baked dish of fruit, meat or vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry leads to the definition of a colloquial term for a sentimental, tear-jerking or highly emotional film which is of course sad to see

Down

2d           I buy and sell just the way I want (5)
IDEAL: The definition of an adjective meaning regarded as perfect of its kind or satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect, most suitable or exactly as desired, an example of which is ‘just the way I want’ is arrived at from a I from the clue, followed by DEAL (buy and sell) as a verb meaning to engage in commercial trading, business transactions or the purchasing and marketing of goods or simply to buy and sell

3d           Descend from there, dear Lord! (4,3,2)
COME OFF IT: COME OFF as to no longer be on something, that is, to go for the physical action of moving downward and IT as the pronoun for the high place one is occupying, thus cryptically translating to ‘descend from there’, as if addressed to a deity perched somewhere high up to come off it i.e. to descend from there or, in other words, to step down, dismount or lower oneself physically from a specific elevated platform, e.g. ‘Come off the roof at once!’ as ‘Descend from there at once!’, taking to the definition of an interjection or an idiomatic expression used to express disbelief, scepticism, dismissal or mild annoyance, an example of which is ‘dear lord’, used when reacting to surprise or shock, expressing frustration, exasperation or annoyance

4d           Son regularly in temper (6)
SOFTEN: S (Son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son and OFTEN (regularly) as an adverb denoting habitually, normally, consistently or regularly takes to the definition of a verb meaning to make soft or softer, mitigate or tone, an example of which is to temper i.e. to soften, moderate or tone down

5d           Character scratching head after a ticking off – me, say? (9,6)
CROSSWORD SETTER: [L]ETTER (character) as a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet devoid of the head or initial letter in the down clue (scratching head) placed after a combo of CROSS WORDS (a ticking off) as a ticking off or marking a list or making a do-list i.e. putting a check mark next to an item on a list to show that it has been dealt with or completed guides to the definition of the setter of this puzzle, an example of which is ‘me’ i.e. the setter referring to themselves

6d           Machine tool, scarlet, washed (8)
LATHERED: A charade of LATHE (machine tool) as a machine for shaping wood, metal or other material by means of a rotating drive which turns the piece being worked against changeable cutting tools and RED (scarlet) as any of various colours resembling the colour of blood, an example of which is scarlet i.e. a brilliant red colour guides to the definition denoting covered or coated with soapy lather or froth, an example of which is washed i.e. cleaned with soap or detergent mixed with water

7d           Bone in bird between fulmar’s wings (5)
FEMUR: The definition of the longest, thickest and strongest bone in the human body, articulating with the pelvis above and knee below is obtained from EMU (bird) as a large flightless fast-running Australian bird Dromaius novaehollandiae and the second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich noticed inside (between) the outermost letters (wings) of F[ULMA]R (Fulmar’s)

8d           Bitterly sliced through by the wind (9)
SOUTHERLY: SOURLY (bitterly) as an adverb denoting bitterly or in a bitter manner penetrated, cut through or got inside (sliced through) by THE from the clue, taking to the definition of a fierce, cold wind blowing from the south

14d         Remove from power with open question about king (9)
OVERTHROW: The definition of a verb meaning to defeat and remove a ruler or government from power is got from OVERT (open) as an adjective denoting open and observable and not hidden or concealed followed by HOW (question) as used in questions and explanations when talking about the way something is done or asking about someone’s health as to how they are placed around (about) R (king) as the abbreviation for rex, the Latin word for king

16d         Ferocious beast, furious lover tucked into Chardonnay, say (9)
WOLVERINE: The definition of a solitary mustelid mammal of northern regions, having a heavyset body, short legs, dark fur and a bushy tail and known for its aggressive predatory behaviour is reached from an anagram (furious) of LOVER placed inside (tucked into) WINE (Chardonnay, say) as an alcoholic drink produced by the fermenting of grapes with water and sugar, an example of which is chardonnay i.e. any of various white wines made from the grape of originally grown in the Burgundy region of France, but now grown in all the major wine-growing regions of the world

17d         Original butcher ate rice, starter of venison put away (8)
CREATIVE: The definition of an adjective meaning inventive, imaginative or original is obtained from an anagram (butcher) of ATE RICE having confined or placed inside (put away) the starting or initial letter (starter) of V[ENISON]

20d         Pieced together puzzle understood, some steps taken to start it (6)
JIGSAW: The definition of a noun meaning a puzzle consisting of a multitude of small, irregularly shaped pieces that must be fitted together is got from SAW (understood) as a verb in the past tense meaning perceived, comprehended or understood preceded by or coming after (taken to start it) JIG (some steps) as referring to quick, rhythmic steps or a jerky movement in a lively, traditional dance

22d         Classic place bagged by sheep sometimes (5)
EPSOM: The definition of the classic town in southeast England, in Surrey that is famous for its mineral spring and for horse racing is part of or hidden inside (bagged by) [SHE]EP SOM[ETIMES]

24d         Asian artist on question one after opening of investigation (5)
IRAQI: The definition of a native or inhabitant of Iraq that is in Asia and hence an Asian is arrived at from the whole of RA (artist) as the abbreviation for Royal Academician, denoting a practising artist of the Royal Academy of Arts placed upon in the down clue (on) a combination of Q (question) as the abbreviation for question and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one coming after or preceded by (after) the opening or initial letter (opening) of I[NVESTIGATION]

There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 5a, 9a, 11a, 13a, 23a, 27a, 28a, 3d, 5d, 8d, 16d and 20d; 8d 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 nice day.