DT 31355 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31355

A full review by Rahmat Ali

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This puzzle was published on 26^th September 2026

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

Greetings from Kolkata. An excellent and challenging Saturday puzzle from Chris Lancaster that I enjoyed solving and thereafter writing a review of the same for your kind perusal and significant feedback.

I was aware of sarcophagus, the answer to the clue at 1 Across, but not in detail. After completing the puzzle, I took this as an opportunity to learn more about it and so visited the internet. A sarcophagus is a magnificent, stone-carved outer coffin, predominantly utilised by elite members of ancient societies, such as Egyptian pharaohs and Roman nobles, to protect the deceased for eternity. I further learnt that the term was derived from the ancient Greek word meaning ‘flesh-eating’. These heavy stone vessels were originally crafted out of limestone, which was believed to accelerate decomposition, though later variants favoured granite, porphyry or premium marble. Far more than a mere container for a corpse, a sarcophagus functioned as a status symbol and an exquisite piece of funerary art. The exterior surfaces were typically adorned with highly detailed reliefs, complex inscriptions and elaborate religious iconography designed to guide the departed safely through the trials of the afterlife. In terms of historical archaeology, it is vital to draw a line between the container and its surroundings; a sarcophagus is the primary object placed inside an underground vault, chamber or monumental tomb. While a tomb serves as the entire architectural structure or monument, such as the pyramids or a stone mausoleum, the sarcophagus is the specific structural casing that directly houses the body or the nested inner coffins. Over the centuries, these artefacts have provided modern historians with a wealth of information regarding ancient craftsmanship, religious rituals and socio-economic hierarchies. To see a premier example, one need to look no further than the galleries of the British Museum in London, which curates an extraordinary collection of these stone treasures. Among their most famous exhibits is the massive, dark siltstone sarcophagus of Nectanebo II, the last native pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Covered in magical hieroglyphic texts from the Book of what is in the Underworld, it stands as a brilliant testament to the immense craftsmanship, labour and spiritual significance poured into ensuring a soul’s eternal preservation.

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Across

1a           Groups with cash assembled around a tomb (11)
SARCOPHAGUS: An anagram (assembled) of a combination of GROUPS and (with) CASH placed about (around) A from the clue leads to the definition of a stone or marble tomb or coffin, typically decorated with carvings or inscriptions, that is usually displayed above ground

7a           Perhaps politician Penny heard being incisive (7)
MORDANT: A homophone as coming to the ears of the audience (heard) of MORDAUNT (perhaps politician Penny) as probably referring to the surname of Dame Penelope Mary Mordaunt, a British former politician who served as Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons from 2022 until 2024 leads to the definition of an adjective meaning incisive and trenchant

8a           Sack member producing a gun? (7)
FIREARM: A charade of FIRE (sack) as to sack, dismiss or discharge someone and ARM (member) as each of the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand guides to the definition of a weapon, especially a portable gun or pistol, from which a projectile can be discharged by an explosion caused by igniting gunpowder etc

10a        Collector staring at her erotic trousers (8)
GATHERER: The definition of a noun meaning a person who gathers or collects from different places, an example of which is a collector i.e. a person employed to collect taxes, duties or other payments is part or or hidden inside (trousers) [STARIN]G AT HER ER[OTIC]

11a        London icon’s hiking challenge in Scotland? (3,3)
BIG BEN: Double definition; the second referring to a hypothetical or playful hiking challenge in Scotland to climb all of the country’s prominent mountain peaks, particularly on the premise that ‘Ben’ is the standard Scottish Gaelic word for a mountain peak, e.g. Ben Nevis, Ben Macdui or Ben Lomond, or scaling Ben Nevis, the highest mountain peak in Scotland that would cryptically constitute a ‘big Ben’ challenge, which leads back to the first referring to the world-famous London cultural icon and landmark that is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster

13a        Cat, C Quentin’s comedy co-star? (4)
LASH: The definition of a verb meaning to cat or beat with a cat-o’-nine-tails is cryptically arrived at from L ASH (C Quentin’s comedy co-star) as the forename represented by only the first letter of Lesley Ash, the female co-star of Caroline Quentin in the comedy ‘Men Behaving Badly’, whose name in the clue appears in the same style i.e. C Quentin

14a        Evil mother fast to catch rodent (10)
MALEVOLENT: The definition of an adjective meaning maleficent, harmful or evil in intent or effect is reached from MA (mother) as a childish contraction for mamma or mother followed by LENT (fast) as a period of fasting and penitence observed by many Christians leading up to Easter or, figuratively, any period of fasting to trap or bring inside (catch) VOLE (rodent) as small, mouse-like rodent with a stout body, short tail, and small ears, often called a field mouse or meadow mouse

16a        Hurry back with a company car and drink (4,6)
PINA COLADA: NIP (hurry) as an informal verb meaning to hurry, hasten or dart coming from the other end (back) as a reversal in the across clue followed by (with) A from the clue, CO (company) as the abbreviation for company and LADA (car) as a brand of cars manufactured by AvtoVAZ, a Russian company guides to the definition of a sweet tropical cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice, usually served blended or shaken with ice

18a        Avoid girl (4)
MISS: Double definition; the second being a noun referring to a girl or young unmarried woman that leads to the first a verb denoting to avoid or escape something, especially a danger, usually narrowly

21a        Short story about two-time student? (6)
LITTLE: The definition of an adverb meaning brief or short in extent or duration is reached from LIE (story) as a story, yarn or myth placed around (about) a combination of TT (two-time) as two symbols for time clubbed together where T stands for the symbol for time as in physics and L (student) as appearing in an L-plate denoting a learner driver i.e. a student learning how to drive a vehicle

22a        Possibly fine writer is getting into beer (8)
PENALISE: The definition of a verb meaning to impose a penalty or inflict a punishment on someone, an example of which is to fine i.e. to order someone to pay a monetary penalty for an offence or to charge someone an amount of money as a punishment for not obeying a rule is obtained from PEN (writer) as an instrument used for writing followed by IS from the clue going inside (getting into) ALE (beer) as a type of beer, especially one that is darker and more bitter than other beers like lager, stout and porter

24a        Dog barking answer to 22 Across, briefly (7)
SPANIEL: An anagram (barking) of most of the letters (briefly) of PENALIS[E] (answer to 22 Across) as the answer obtained in the previous clue i.e. 22 Across guides to the definition of a type of dog, originally bred for hunting game, characterised by its long, drooping ears and a silky wavy coat

25a        Former pupil likes rewritten column (7)
OBELISK: OB (former pupil) as the abbreviation for old boy describing a former pupil of a school followed by an anagram (rewritten) of LIKES takes to the definition of a tall, four-sided, tapering column or pillar, usually of one stone, topped with a pyramid

26a        Basic pay for adult in mind (11)
FUNDAMENTAL: The definition of an adjective denoting basic, essential or integral is arrived at from a charade of FUND (pay for) as a verb meaning to pay for, finance or support someone, A (adult) as the abbreviation for adult signifying the rating of motion pictures meant for only the adult viewers in some countries and MENTAL (in mind) as an adjective denoting in mind, existing in mind or of or relating to the mind

Down

1d           Sign of rain? Run into station (7)
STRATUS: The definition of a low-lying, grayish cloud layer that often brings drizzle or light rain and hence serves as a sign of rain is arrived at from R (run) as the abbreviation for run or runs scored in cricket placed inside (into) STATUS (station) as a noun denoting a high office, rank, position or station

2d           Lecturer and library member? (6)
READER: Double definition; the second referring to a library member who is entitled to use the library’s collection, facilities or reading rooms and hold either a Reading Room Membership Card for the purpose of studying and accessing reference items internally or a Lending Membership Card with an additional facility of borrowing books to take home that confirms the first denoting a specific high-level academic rank or lecturer in British and Commonwealth universities

3d           Place for food perhaps up for discussion (2,3,5)
ON THE TABLE: Double definition; the second being an idiom denoting up for discussion or actively being considered or negotiated for discussion, especially of a proposal or topic that guides to the first referring to an example of the physical place, inter alios locos, where food is served or placed

4d           Fellow initially trapped in the broken lift (4)
HEFT: The initial or beginning letter (initially) of F[ELLOW] taken inside (trapped in) an anagram (broken) of THE brings the definition of a verb meaning to lift something in order to test or estimate its weight

5d           Soldiers from south going in roaring drunk (8)
GARRISON: The definition of soldiers or a body of troops stationed in a town, fortress, fortified place etc to defend it is reached from S (south) as the abbreviation for south getting inside (going in) an anagram (drunk) of ROARING

6d           Quiet walk, an unsteady one? (7)
SHAMBLE: A charade of SH (quiet) as an interjection used to command or request silence or quiet and AMBLE (walk) as an unhurried, leisurely, slow walk or stroll leads to the definition of an awkward or unsteady walk

7d           A simple logo transformed large city (11)
MEGALOPOLIS: An anagram (transformed) of A SIMPLE LOGO guides to the definition of  a very large city or a very large, heavily populated urban area formed by the merging or close linking of several cities and towns

9d           Food that’s small and pale, reportedly (6,5)
MINUTE STEAK: A small, thin piece of a slice of beef, usually cut across the muscle grain, that can be cooked very quickly is arrived at from MINUTE (small) as an adjective denoting very small or tiny and a homophone heard by the audience (reportedly) of STAKE (pale) as a noun denoting a pale, picket or pointed stick, as of a fence

12d        Gong sounded a little intrusive (10)
MEDDLESOME: A homophone heard by the audience (sounded) of MEDAL (gong) as a decoration that is a small flat piece of metal bearing an inscription or image, given as an award or commemoration of some outstanding action, event etc, an example of which is a gong i.e. a slang term for a medal followed by SOME (a little) as a determiner, pronoun or adjective denoting a little or a few guides to the definition of an adjective meaning intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

15d        One getting into row over new servant once (8)
SCULLION: I (one) as the Roman numeral for one placed inside (getting into) a combination of SCULL (row) as to row or propel a boat with a long oar used at its stern and O (over) as the abbreviation for over or overs as denoted on cricket scorecards followed by N (new) as the abbreviation for new takes to the definition of an archaic term for a servant employed to do rough household work in a kitchen

17d        Absolutely the minority? (3,4)
NOT HALF: Double definition; the second describing something that is quantitatively the minority, particularly on the premise that since it is not even half, it must be a minority that takes to the first a slang idiom denoting absolutely or very much so

19d        First sign briefly (7)
INITIAL: Double definition; the second being a verb meaning to mark or sign in brief, using only the first letters of one’s forename and surname on a document or contract, especially for purposes of authorisation or approval that guides back to the first an adjective denoting first, earliest or occurring at the beginning

20d        Warning – half of street bitten by feline! (6)
CAVEAT: The definition of a warning, admonition or caution is reached from AVE[NUE] (half of street) as a wide street or thoroughfare represented in the clue by only three letters or half or 50% of its six letters that is otherwise also its abbreviation taken inside (bitten by) CAT (feline) as a domesticated feline mammal that typically has soft fur and lacks the ability to roar

23d        Nearly take off a jumper (4)
FLEA: Almost all or most of the letters (nearly) of FLE[E] (take off) as a verb meaning to take off, run away or leave a place very quickly and suddenly, usually to escape danger followed by A from the clue leads to the definition of any small wingless parasitic blood-sucking insects of the order Siphonaptera, living on the skins of mammals and birds and that have legs adapted for jumping, an example of which is a jumper i.e. a person, animal or thing that jumps

There were several clues that I liked in this puzzle such as 7a, 14a, 16a, 22a, 24a, 9d, 12d, 15d and 20d; 16a being the top of the lot. My prayers to the Almighty for the eternal rest and peace of BD and my thanks to Chris Lancaster for the entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Have a nice day.