Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31265
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 13th June 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. A nice and straightforward Saturday puzzle from Twmbarlwm that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.
After solving the puzzle, I took the opportunity to explore the internet for more information on loadsamoney, the answer to the very first clue. I learned that Loadsamoney was a famous satirical character from the 1980s, created by British comedian Harry Enfield. The character was an obnoxious, ostentatiously flashy plasterer who constantly bragged about his vast amounts of cash, making the name a staple of British pop-culture shorthand for sudden or gaudy wealth. Informally and humorously, the term also refers to a vulgar person who has acquired a large amount of wealth and flaunts it whenever possible.
Further, I learnt from the internet the etymology of ‘steeplejack’, the answer to the clue at 26a. The word dates from the early nineteenth century and combines ‘steeple’, the tall tower or spire of a church, with ‘jack’, a common English term for a labourer or worker. Originally, a steeplejack was a tradesman who climbed church steeples to carry out repairs, maintenance or painting. Over time, the meaning broadened to include workers who scale and repair other tall structures such as chimneys, towers and industrial stacks. The name vividly reflects the occupation’s defining feature i.e. performing skilled construction and maintenance work at great heights, often under challenging and hazardous conditions.
Some prepositional terms surprised me and turned out to mean exactly the opposite of what I had initially assumed. I had always interpreted ‘next to’ as meaning ‘placed after’, but here in 16a, for example, I had to accept it as ‘placed before’. In almost all the puzzles I had solved earlier, I had taken A next to B to mean BA, that is, B followed by A or A coming after B. This time, however, it appeared as AB. A similar situation arose with ‘by’, which seemed to indicate ‘placed after’ in 8a but ‘placed before’ in 22a. I therefore concluded that ‘next to’ and ‘by’ can simply signal adjacency in an across clue, with the letters placed either to the left or the right, rather than indicating a specific direction.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Staggering loan some day for already wealthy person (11)
LOADSAMONEY: An anagram (staggering) of LOAN SOME DAY leads to the definition of an informal term for an extremely wealthy person
7a Hard answer no good? Setter perhaps guilty (7)
HANGDOG: H (hard) as the symbol for hard in lead pencils e.g. HB as hard black, A (answer) as the abbreviation for answer and NG (no good) as the abbreviation for ‘no good’ followed by DOG (setter perhaps) as a domestic carnivorous mammal occurring as a wide variety of breeds, many of which are traditionally used for hunting, herding, drawing sleds and other tasks and are kept as pets, an example of which is a setter i.e. a dog of a breed derived from the spaniel and pointer takes to the definition of an adjective denoting downcast, furtive shamefaced or guilty
8a Milk product – gallons upset by vacuous yobbo (7)
YOGHURT: The definition of a custard-like semi-solid food prepared from milk fermented by added bacteria, often sweetened and flavoured is got from a combo of G (gallons) as the abbreviation for gallons and HURT (upset) as an adjective denoting upset, pained or aggrieved placed after (by) Y[OBB]O that is vacant or having all the inner letters moved or emptied out (vacuous)
10a Chat about roundabout ahead of motorway? It’s not important (2,6)
NO MATTER: NATTER (chat) as a noun denoting chat, gossip or conversation placed around (about) a combo of O (roundabout) as anything round or nearly so, an example of which is a roundabout i.e. a traffic circle or a circular structure in the road at a place where several roads meet placed before (ahead of) M (motorway) as the abbreviation for motorway guides to the definition of a conjunction or adverbial phrase meaning “it is not important”, “never mind” or “don’t worry about it”
11a Close to grandma, kid’s relaxed (2,4)
AT EASE: The closing or last letter (close) to [GRANDM]A followed by TEASE (kid) as to banter, chaff, jolly or kid is producing the definition of a phrase meaning relaxed or free from anxiety or in a comfortably relaxed frame of mind or physical attitude
13a During November, start to source places to stay (4)
INNS: IN (during) as a preposition denoting during a period or limit of time, N (November) as the abbreviation for November and the starting or first letter (start) to S[OURC]E takes to the definition of the plural of a public lodging house serving food and drink to travellers or providing overnight lodging for them
14a Try granola, prepared with pride (10)
ARROGANTLY: An anagram (prepared) of TRY GRANOLA guides to the definition of an adverb denoting with haughtiness or pride
16a Biscuits and drink next to German out to lunch (6,4)
GINGER NUTS: The definition of the plural term for a crisp biscuit flavoured with ginger is reached from GIN (drink) as an alcoholic drink distilled from grain or malt and flavoured with juniper berries or other aromatic substances placed before (next to) GER (German) as the abbreviation for German as in G-agents that represent German agents and NUTS (out to lunch) as an informal adjective denoting insane, foolish or crazy, an example of which is ‘out to lunch’, a phrase denoting crazy, extremely absent-minded or not in touch with the real world
18a Multiple choice involves such repetition (4)
ECHO: Part of or hidden inside (involves) [MULTIPL]E CHO[ICE] guides to the definition of a type of repetition of a sound that is produced by reflection of sound waves from a surface or the soft repetition of a note or phrase in music
21a Object to Post Office overturning present (6)
OPPOSE: The definition of a verb meaning to show strong objection or repugnance is obtained from PO (Post Office) as the abbreviation for Post Office tipping back (overturning) as coming back from the other end as a reversal in the across clue followed by POSE (present) as to present or constitute
22a Small part of shower control reported by doctor before work (8)
RAINDROP: The definition of one of the small drops of water or part of shower that fall from vapour condensed in the atmosphere is obtained from a homophone heard by the audience (reported) of REIGN (control) as a control, command, dominion or sway having alongside (by) DR (doctor) as the abbreviation for doctor placed in front of (before) OP (work) as the abbreviation for opus that refers to work, especially a musical composition in which one is numbered in order of publication
24a Hair found in youth’s ale – yeuch! – sent back (7)
EYELASH: The definition of any one of the short curved hairs that grow from the edge of the eyelids is part of or hidden inside (found in) [YOUT]H’S ALE – YE[UCH!] coming from the other end (sent back) as a reversal in the across clue
25a More irate near girl ignoring learner driver manoeuvring (7)
ANGRIER: The definition of an adjective in the comparative degree meaning more irate or furious is arrived at from an anagram (manoeuvring) of NEAR GIR[L] not taking into account (ignoring) L (learner driver) as appearing in an L-plate each displayed at the front and back of a vehicle denoting a learner driver
26a One destined to climb high in their chosen profession? (11)
STEEPLEJACK: A cryptic definition of someone who is destined in their chosen profession to climb high chimneys, towers and steeples with a view to maintaining them
Down
1d Label and zip the wrong way around for American footballer (7)
LINEMAN: A charade of NAME (label) as to label or tag something and NIL (zip) as nothing, naught, zero or zip seen in an ascending fashion (the wrong way around) as reversals in the down clue takes to the definition of one of the players positioned on the line of scrimmage in an American football match
2d Checks how Tesla gets going, boxed in by German cars (6)
AUDITS: The definition of a verb in the present tense third person singular form denoting checks, reviews or inspects is got from T (Tesla) as to how Tesla gets going or starts as a word or taken as the abbreviation for tesla in physics confined (boxed in) by AUDIS (German cars) as the plural term for vehicles manufactured by the famous German car brand, Audi
3d Young bird audible? Call for digital enhancement (6,4)
SIGNET RING: A homophone heard by the audience (audible) of CYGNET (young bird) as a bird that is still young followed by RING (call) as to call someone by telephone guides to the definition of a ring containing a signet in the form of a seal, one’s initial, monogram or the like worn on a digit i.e. finger and hence a digital enhancement
4d Irish county‘s blossom regrowing in the middle (4)
MAYO: The definition of a large county on Ireland’s wild west coast, famous for its dramatic Atlantic scenery is arrived at from MAY (blossom) as a short for may blossom as referring to the blossom of the may tree or hawthorn followed by middle or centrally-placed letter (in the middle) of [REGR]O[WING]
5d Thing broadcast on Clash singer after dark (8)
NIGHTJAR: An anagram (broadcast) of THING placed upon in the down clue (on) JAR (clash) as to clash, conflict or disagree takes to the definition of a mainly crepuscular or nocturnal non-passerine bird with mottled greyish-brown plumage and large eyes, known for its distinctive chirring song
6d Warning from solver primarily wanting variety now and then? (3,4)
YOU WAIT: The definition of an interjection used to emphasise a warning, threat or promise or serving as a short to ‘just you wait and see what happens’ is reached from YOU (solver) as addressed to the solver of this puzzle by the setter followed by the primary or first letter (primarily) of W[ANTING] and the regular or alternate letters (now and then) of [V]A[R]I[E]T[Y]
7d In cahoots, what some do at lost property office? (4,2,5)
HAND IN GLOVE: The definition of a phrase meaning very closely associated with somebody in a secret alliance or usually in something dishonest, an example of which is ‘in cahoots’ i.e. working or conspiring together, often dishonestly or in close, often secretive cooperation with someone is cryptically obtained from the obvious response to what some do at lost property office i.e. to deposit or hand in a glove they have found
9d Fashionable adolescent‘s two hats for Spooner (5-6)
TEENY-BOPPER: The definition of a colloquial term for a fashionable adolescent, referring to a young teenager, especially a girl, who follows enthusiastically the latest trends in pop music, clothes etc is got from a combo of BEANIE and TOPPER (two hats) as two hats; the former being a colloquial term for a small, close-fitting hat and the latter a colloquial term for a top hat that is subject to an utterance involving spoonerism (for Spooner) as to utter a verbal error in which a speaker transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect
12d Kind friend scoffed portion of chops (4,6)
SOFT PALATE: A charade of SOFT (kind) as kind, compassionate or lenient, often excessively so, PAL (friend) as a colloquial term for a friend, mate or chum and ATE (scoffed) as a verb in the past tense denoting consumed or took in food, an example of which is scoffed i.e. a slang verb meaning ate quickly or greedily takes to the definition of the flexible, muscular posterior fleshy portion of the roof of the mouth, which forms a portion of the mouth, a colloquial term for which is chops
15d Eased up, working to accommodate Republican lobby (8)
PERSUADE: An anagram (working) of EASED UP to take inside (accommodate) R (Republican) as the abbreviation for Republican leads to the definition of a verb meaning to induce someone to do something through reasoning or argument, an example of which is to lobby i.e. to persuade or try to persuade or influence an elected official to take a particular action or change a law
17d Kidnap persecutors covering heads (7)
NAPPERS: Part of or hidden inside (covering) [KID]NAP PERS[ECUTORS] takes to the definition of the plural of a slang or dialect word for head
19d Off on the road? (3-4)
CAR-SICK: The definition of an adjective denoting affected with nausea by the movement of a car is cryptically arrived at from SICK (off) as off or unwell and in a CAR (on the road) as on the road while travelling, i.e. SICK in a car, or precisely, CAR-SICK
20d Mystery image possibly capturing apparition at last (6)
ENIGMA: The definition of a mystery, puzzle or riddle or a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand is reached from an anagram (possibly) of IMAGE holding inside (capturing) the last or terminal letter (at last) of [APPARITIO]N
23d Mum quietly getting hold of one schooner, maybe (4)
SHIP: A combo of SH (mum) as an exclamation to request to be silent or quiet and P (quietly) as a written abbreviation for piano in music indicating that the piece should be played quietly taking inside (getting hold of) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one takes to the definition of a sailing vessel having three or more square-rigged masts or a large vessel propelled by engines or sails for navigating on the water, an example of which is a schooner i.e. a fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts and used in former times
There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 8a, 16a, 22a, 26a, 3d, 5d, 7d, 9d, 12d and 19d; 7d being the best of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Twmbarlwm for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a pleasant day.