Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3383
A full review by Rahmat Ali
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This puzzle was published on 23rd August 2026
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Kolkata. An excellent, straightforward Sunday prize puzzle from Dada that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a full review of the same for your kind perusal and important feedback.
Pastrami, the answer to the clue at 12 Across, is a popular delicatessen meat, particularly associated with Jewish-American cuisine and the famous sandwiches of New York City since the late nineteenth century. I later learnt from the internet that it is traditionally made from beef, especially the brisket or navel, which is first cured in a seasoned brine and then coated with a mixture of spices, commonly including black pepper and coriander. The meat is subsequently smoked and cooked until it becomes tender and richly flavoured. Pastrami is usually sliced thinly and served warm, most famously in a sandwich made with rye bread, mustard and generous portions of the meat. Its distinctive taste comes from the combination of smoky, salty and peppery flavours, while its tender texture makes it especially satisfying. Although pastrami is strongly associated with American Jewish deli culture as a staple, famously served hot on rye bread with mustard, its origins can be traced to the Jewish communities of Romania in Eastern Europe, where similar methods of preserving meat were used. The name comes from the Romanian word ‘pastramă’, which means to preserve food. Over time, the dish evolved after immigrants brought their culinary traditions to the United States. Today, pastrami can be found in sandwiches, bagels, salads and various other dishes. For many people, however, the classic pastrami-on-rye remains the ultimate way to enjoy it: simple, hearty and full of flavour.
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Across
7a Home impressing yours truly, the entrance to mine (7)
PITHEAD: PAD (home) as an informal term for a person’s home inspiring or taking inside (impressing) a combo of I (yours truly) as a pronoun used to refer to oneself as speaker or writer, an example of which is yours truly, that is an informal term for pronoun for I, myself or me and THE from the clue leads to the definition of the entrance to a coal mine and the offices, machines, etc in the area around it
8a Excuse prisoner, cheated (7)
CONDONE: The definition of a verb meaning to excuse, pardon or forgive, especially an offence is reached from a charade of CON (prisoner) as a slang short for convict or a person serving a sentence in a prison and DONE (cheated) as a past participle denoting cheated, swindled or deceived
10a Nonetheless, nothing different? (3,3,4)
ALL THE SAME: Double definition; the second describing a state where every item or detail is identical, or in other words, nothing is distinct, altered or different that takes to the first denoting nonetheless or despite anything to the contrary, usually following a concession
11a Run south away from incline (4)
LOPE: The definition of a verb meaning to run or ride with a steady, easy gait is got when S (south) as the abbreviation for south is removed or excluded (away) from [S]LOPE (incline) as a natural or artificial incline
12a Dead sheep, one for meat (8)
PASTRAMI: A charade of PAST (dead) as dead and buried or gone by in time and no longer existing, RAM (sheep) as an uncastrated male sheep and I (one) as the Roman numeral for one leads to the definition of a highly seasoned and spicy smoked beef prepared especially from shoulder cuts
14a Sample spud, little bit of salt in it (6)
TASTER: The definition of a sample or preview of a product, experience etc intended to stimulate interest in the product, experience etc itself is arrived at from TATER (spud) as a colloquial form of potato, an example of which is a spud i.e. a slang term for a potato taking inside (in it) the initial letter or the smallest fragment of (little bit of) S[ALT]
15a Cereal grains in paella with berry stirred up (5,6)
PEARL BARLEY: The definition of cereal grains referring to barley grains that have been polished to remove the outer husk and bran is worked out from an anagram (stirred up) of a combination of PAELLA and (with) BERRY
19a Beethoven’s ninth sandwich, or a lot’s consumed! (6)
CHORAL: The definition of an adjective denoting music composed for or sung by a choir, an example of which is Beethoven’s ninth i.e. describing Symphony No. 9 or the final complete choral symphony composed between 1822 and 1824 by Ludwig van Beethoven, the celebrated German composer is part of or hidden inside (consumed) [SANDWI]CH, OR A L[OT’S]
20a Maybe face decorator‘s insolence and verbal abuse (8)
LIPSTICK: The definition of an item of cosmetics used to colour and decorate the lips, functioning as a face decorator by example, is reached from a charade of LIP (insolence) as slang for impudent talk, cheek or insolence and STICK (verbal abuse) as a slang term for a criticism or verbal abuse
22a Insect a fairy knocked over (4)
FLEA: The definition of a small wingless jumping insect that survives by feeding on the blood of mammals and birds is got from a combo of A from the clue and ELF (fairy) as a small, mischievous fairy from Germanic folklore coming from the other side (knocked over) as reversals in the across clue
23a Person dropping off helped, easy to go astray (10)
SLEEPY HEAD: The definition of a person who is dropping off, dozing off or falling asleep is arrived at from an anagram (to go astray) of HELPED, EASY
25a Float boarded by the two of us, 10 Across (7)
HOWEVER: HOVER (float) as to float or remain suspended over a place or object in the air taking inside (boarded by) WE (the two of us) as the nominative plural pronoun used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and the one spoken to guides to the definition of an adverb denoting nonetheless or all the same, as in 10 Across
26a Youth I found originally residing in French city (7)
INFANCY: The definition of a noun denoting the early stage of growth or development, an example of which is youth i.e. the period of life when one is a child or very young is reached from I from the clue followed by the original or first letter (originally) of F[OUND] staying inside (residing in) NANCY (French city) as a moderate-sized city in the Lorraine region of eastern France
Down
1d Suspect smiled having ensnared a fool (7)
MISLEAD: An anagram (suspect) of SMILED taking inside (having ensnared) A from the clue leads to the definition of a verb meaning to fool, trick or dupe someone
2d All kicking off with horrendous answer, tricky question (4)
WHAT: The definition of an interrogative pronoun or question used to ask for information about people or things is arrived at from each of the initial or first letters (all kicking off) of W[ITH] H[ORRENDOUS] A[NSWER,] T[RICKY]
3d Still Creator showed up before Egyptian god (6)
CAMERA: The definition of an optical device consisting of a lens system set in a light-proof construction, inside which a light-sensitive film or plate can be positioned to create still photographs is reached from CAME (showed up) as appeared or showed up in front of (before) RA (Egyptian god) as the ancient Egyptian sun god, the supreme deity represented as a man with the head of a falcon
4d Guiding light, top laser manoeuvred (4,4)
POLE STAR: The definition of a noun denoting a star located near the celestial pole that serves as a reliable guide or as a guiding light for navigators is reached from an anagram (manoeuvred) of TOP LASER
5d Youth, a support on trail (10)
ADOLESCENT: The definition of youth, teenager or a young person is obtained from a combo of A from the clue and DOLE (support) as a support, financial assistance or charitable donation placed upon in the down clue (on) SCENT (trail) as the trail of a hunted animal or fugitive
6d Cut, gerbil or hamster for example bit (7)
SNIPPET: A charade of SNIP (cut) as to cut or clip with short, quick strokes and PET (gerbil or hamster for example) as a tame animal kept in a household for companionship, amusement etc, an example of which is a gerbil, a small burrowing mouse-like rodent with long back legs or a hamster, a solitary burrowing rodent with a short tail and large cheek pouches for carrying food; either being kept as a pet guides to the definition of a noun denoting bit or a small piece or brief extract
9d Simple but effective remedy tricks killer? (5,6)
MAGIC BULLET: The definition of a simple remedy to a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease is cryptically reached from MAGIC (tricks) as referring to tricks comprising illusions, conjuring acts or sleight of hand performed to deceive or entertain an audience and BULLET (killer) as a lethal projectile or ammunition shot from a firearm that is capable of causing death
13d Final game, picking up crashing wave in Phuket? (10)
TIEBREAKER: The definition of the final game in the form of an extra play at the end of a game, when both teams or players have the same points to decide who the winner is, is arrived at from a homophone heard by the audience of THAI (picking up … in Phuket) as referring to the language that is spoken in Phuket, Thailand’s largest island and a top global beach destination in the Andaman Sea, famous for its lively nightlife, rich culture and scenic coastlines and picking up serving as the homophone indicator followed by BREAKER (crashing wave) as a large crashing ocean wave
16d Working idler, he’s greatly appreciated! (8)
RELISHED: An anagram (working) of IDLER, HE’S leads to the definition of a verb in the past tense meaning heartily enjoyed or greatly appreciated
17d Insincere broadcast entertaining chamber (7)
SHALLOW: The definition of an adjective denoting superficial, hollow, artificial or lacking in depth of character i.e. insincere is reached from SOW (broadcast) as to broadcast or scatter seeds by hand or machine rather than by placing in drills or rows taking inside (entertaining) HALL (chamber) as a chamber, auditorium or meeting place
18d Erase wound (7)
SCRATCH: Double definition; the second being a noun denoting a slight wound, usually superficial, inflicted by nails, claws or something pointed pulled across the skin that takes to the first a verb meaning to erase, cancel, strike out or eliminate a name, something written etc by drawing a line through it
21d Making shrill sounds, squealer jabbed by nail (6)
PIPING: The definition of a verb in the continuous form denoting making shrill sounds or making or uttering a shrill sound like that of a pipe is reached from PIG (squealer) as a domestic swine, an example of which is a squealer i.e. someone who or something that squeals, especially a piglet poked or getting inside by (jabbed by) PIN (nail) as a nail, peg or stud marking the centre of a target
24d Great deal covered in the appraisal (4)
HEAP: The definition of a noun denoting great deal, plenty or lot is part of or hidden inside (covered in) [T]HE AP[PRAISAL]
There were many clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 7a, 10a, 12a, 20a, 23a, 25a, 26a, 3d, 9d, 13d and 21d; 12a 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.