DT 31343 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31343

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 12^th September 2026

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

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

Having learnt Spanish, I was already aware of what Buenos Aires, the answer to the clue at 7 Down, meant. Nevertheless, I was curious to know how the Argentinian capital came to acquire its name. So, after completing the crossword, I searched the internet and came across its fascinating etymological roots and historical background. I learnt that, although Buenos Aires literally means ‘good airs’ or ‘good winds’, the name has a much deeper religious and maritime origin. It ultimately derives from the Italian Bonaria, referring to the Virgin of Bonaria (Buen Aire), who was venerated in Cagliari, Sardinia. The title was associated with Our Lady of Bonaria, who was particularly revered by sailors. The name therefore became connected with the idea of favourable winds and safe voyages. When Pedro de Mendoza founded the first settlement at the site in 1536, he named the port Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire, apparently in reference to this devotion. The Spanish form of the name was influenced by the Italian Nostra Signora di Bonaria, with Bonaria becoming Buen Aire or Buen Ayre in Spanish. Although Buenos Aires literally means ‘good airs’ or, more naturally in a maritime context, ‘good winds’, its historical origin is therefore religious as well as nautical. In 1580, Juan de Garay refounded the settlement and gave the city the official name Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad, while retaining Santa María de los Buenos Ayres for the port. Over time, however, the name of the port became the name by which the entire city was known. The development of the name can thus be traced from the Italian Bonaria to the Spanish Buen Aire and eventually to Buenos Aires. The precise reason why Mendoza selected the name is not entirely certain. According to the Buenos Aires authorities, one possibility is that Mendoza made a vow connected with his voyage, while another explanation relates to the presence of Mercedarian priests who were familiar with the devotion to the Virgin of Bonaria. Thus, although the modern name may appear to be a simple reference to pleasant weather or fresh air, its deeper historical background lies in the religious devotion of sailors and the cult of Our Lady of Bonaria in Sardinia.

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Across

1a           Worldly mother meeting one celebrity group (11)
MATERIALIST: The definition of an adjective meaning worldly or concerned with material possessions and worldly values is arrived at from a charade of MATER (mother) as a public-school slang, often facetious term for mother coming into contact with (meeting) I (one) as the Roman numeral for one and A-LIST (celebrity group) as a list or group of the most admired or desirable people, as for a job or social gathering

7a           Finance record in arrears (7)
BACKLOG: A charade of BACK (finance) as finance, sponsor or to support financial backing for and LOG (record) as a regular or systematic record of incidents or observations or a record of a ship’s performance and experiences takes to the definition of a noun denoting an accumulation of uncompleted work, matters or orders that need to be dealt with, an example of which is arrears i.e. money, payments or debts that are overdue or are yet to be paid

8a           Discredited official due to endless fighting (7)
REFUTED: The definition of a verb in the past tense meaning discredited, negated or rebutted is got from REF (official) as a colloquial short form of referee i.e. the chief official, as in boxing or American football, who is expected to ensure fair play followed by an anagram (fighting) of DUE T[O] without its ending or terminal letter (endless)

10a         Well-spoken European monarch heartlessly crushed by fate (8)
ELOQUENT: The definition of an adjective meaning well-spoken, fluent or expressing clearly and effectively is reached from E (European) as the abbreviation for European as EU in European Union followed by QU[E]EN (monarch) as a female sovereign or monarch devoid of its heart or middle letter (heartless) and taken inside or surrounded (crushed) by LOT (fate) as fate, destiny or fortune

11a         Press piece oddly ignored – that’s rich (6)
IRONIC: IRON (press) as to press or smooth clothes and linen with an electrically heated appliance with a flat metal bottom followed by the evenly-placed letters (oddly ignored) of [P]I[E]C[E] guides to the definition of an idiom used to describe a statement or situation that is highly hypocritical, preposterous or ironic, often to the point of being amusing or ridiculous

13a         Completely recovered from only partial recovery? (4)
OVER: The definition of an adjective meaning completely recovered from the effects of some illness etc is arrived at from part of or hidden inside (only partial) [REC]OVER[Y]

14a         Dance in France confused one such as this compiler? (10)
FREELANCER: REEL (dance) as a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders placed inside (in) an anagram (confused) of FRANCE guides to the definition of a writer or artist who sells services to different employers without a long-term contract with or commitment to any of them like the compiler of this puzzle themselves

16a         Prince with a pet going wild – one needs training! (10)
APPRENTICE: An anagram (going wild) of a combination of PRINCE and (with) A PET takes to the definition of a noun describing a novice worker or student who needs practical training and instruction in a trade or profession

18a         Exact likeness of son, mine (4)
SPIT: The definition of a noun meaning a perfect or exact likeness as seen in the phrase ‘spit and image’ is reached from a charade of S (son) as the genealogical abbreviation for son and PIT (mine) as a mine or excavation with a shaft, especially for coal

21a         Island with drunken hordes (6)
RHODES: The definition of a large Greek island in the Aegean Sea known for its ancient ruins and beach resorts is arrived at with an anagram (drunken) of HORDES

22a         Rich in healthy argument (4-2-2)
WELL-TO-DO: The definition of an adjective meaning rich, wealthy or prosperous is attained from WELL (healthy) as healthy and not ailing, infirm or diseased and TO-DO (argument) as a noun denoting an argument, fuss, commotion or quarrel

24a         Set out with anger, that’s unproductive (7)
STERILE: An anagram (out) of SET followed by (with) RILE (anger) as a verb meaning to anger, annoy or irritate leads to the definition of an adjective meaning unproductive, fruitless, infertile or barren

25a         One with pride in her companions? (7)
LIONESS: A cryptic definition of the female member in a group or company of lions and lionesses, the collective noun of which is ‘pride’ e.g. a pride of lions

26a         Beer’s small, Tango’s possessing a mixed flavour (11)
BITTERSWEET: A charade of BITTER’S (beer) as of or belonging to a type of British pale ale that is traditionally ordered in half-pints or small measures, followed by WEE (small) as and T (Tango) as the letter represented by Tango in the NATO’s phonetic alphabet takes to the definition of an adjective describing a mixed flavour or emotional state that is simultaneously sharp and sugary, or pleasant and painful.

Down

1d           Tiny thing Robert fed to rodents (7)
MICROBE: The definition of a microscopic organism or tiny thing is got from ROB (Robert) as a diminutive or shortened form of the name Robert taken inside (fed to) MICE (rodents) as the plural term for small, gnawing rodents with pointed snouts and long tails

2d           Stomach full of occasional bits of garlic powder (6)
TALCUM: TUM (stomach) as an informal or childish word for tummy, yet another informal or childish word for stomach filled with or containing (full of) the alternating or regular letters (occasional bits) of [G]A[R]L[I]C leads to the definition of a noun meaning a toilet powder made from purified talc or a soft white mineral and used on the skin

3d           Concerned with teenager misbehaving – might the Doctor do this? (10)
REGENERATE: RE (concerned) as a commercial jargon used to indicate ‘on’, ‘about’, ‘concerned’ or ‘regarding’ followed by (with) an anagram (misbehaving) of TEENAGER guides to the definition of a verb meaning to create anew, reconstitute or make over, especially in a better way, alluding to the ability of the Doctor, a Time Lord in the science-fiction series ‘Doctor Who’, to regenerate by undergoing a complete physical transformation, usually accompanied by changes in appearance and personality, thereby avoiding death

4d           Area controlled by Sacré-Coeur (4)
ACRE: The definition of a unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards is part of or hidden inside (controlled by) [S]ACRÉ[-COEUR]

5d           Playing well, a student relaxed (8)
INFORMAL: IN FORM (playing well) as a phrase denoting performing or playing well or appearing according to a specific shape or structure as describing especially a sportsperson followed by A from the clue and L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver i.e. a student learning how to drive a vehicle guides to the definition of an adjective meaning relaxed, casual, natural or unofficial

6d           Big bird? Freak out, losing head (7)
TITANIC: The definition of an adjective meaning very big, huge, enormous or colossal is arrived at from TIT (bird) as any of various kinds of small songbirds of the family Paridae, especially those of the genus Parus followed by [P]ANIC (freak out) as a verb meaning to freak out, gross out or to be overcome by a sudden fear devoid of (losing) its first or topmost letter in the down clue (head)fficialatural or easy-going (Sollowed by ing or playing well or appearing according to a specific shape or structure as descri

7d           Travelling on bus easier in capital city (6,5)
BUENOS AIRES: An anagram (travelling) of ON BUS EASIER guides to the definition of the capital city and largest metropolitan area of Argentina

9d           Last month with no food and drink, getting medals? (11)
DECORATIONS: A charade of DEC (last month) as the abbreviation for December i.e. the final month of the year and (with) O-RATIONS (no food and drink) as denoting zero or no rations i.e. without any fixed provision of food and drink, leading to the definition of the plural term for a medal etc, conferred as a mark of honour, as in the military

12d         E.g. bombs reported in group of islands (10)
SEYCHELLES: A combination of SAY (e.g.) as an adverb meaning ‘for example’, an example of which is e.g., the abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia meaning ‘for example’ or ‘say’ and SHELLS (bombs) as historically referring to bombs in military and artillery context serving as homophones heard by the audience (reported) takes to the definition of an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa and home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves

15d         Abandoned tribe’s last remains found in outskirts of Detroit (8)
DERELICT: The defintion of an adjective meaning abandoned or deserted, as by an owner, keeper etc is arrived at from a combination of the ultimate or final letter (last) of [TRIB]E (tribe’s) and RELIC (remains) as the remains of a deceased person seen inside (found in) the edges or outermost letters (outskirts) of D[ETROI]T

17d         Saw dog typically wearing lead (7)
PROVERB: The definition of a saw, adage, byword or a short pithy saying is arrived at from ROVER (dog) as a traditional name for a pet dog having as its cover (wearing) PB (lead) as the chemical symbol for lead

19d         Potter’s strange demonstration (7)
PROTEST: An anagram (strange) of POTTER’S leads to the definition of a public demonstration to show disapproval about something, especially a governmental policy or practice

20d         A desire to circle around bay? (6)
ALCOVE: A from the clue followed by LOVE (desire) as a noun meaning a deep feeling of sexual attraction or desire going about or surrounding (to circle) C (around) as the abbreviation for the Latin word circa meaning ‘about’ or ‘around’  takes to the definition of bay or a recess or small sheltered area in a room or wall

23d         Heard child give up (4)
CEDE: A homophone heard by the audience (heard) of SEED (child) as an archaic or biblical term for offspring, children or descendants guides to the definition of a verb meaning to give up, surrender or hand over control of territory or rights to another

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 1a, 8a, 10a, 11a, 14a, 21a, 25a, 26a, 1d, 3d, 6d, 9d, 12d and 17d; 17d being the clear winner. 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.