Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food

Latest answer — September 25, 2026

13 Across

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Clue explained

MADRAS is the spicy food. MAD means ‘out to lunch’, while RASH means ‘reckless’ with H, the abbreviation for hot, dismissed; MAD + RAS gives MADRAS.

Clue type:
Definition
A bowl of red chicken madras curry

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 25, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1First lick of paint on great building
  2. 4Model biting lip, beginning to reach for flower
  3. 9Splendid ladies perhaps accompanying one's husband
  4. 10Edging away, aunt left nasty criminal
  5. 12Introducing Latitude, Pulp spring up
  6. 13Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food
  7. 15Who takes a bow on stage? Old US president backing Farage?
  8. 18Censor King tales? There's interest in many of them
  9. 21Occasionally opposed to lines in verse
  10. 22Fancy blue bra, initially one pound?
  11. 24Grim meat dish no good
  12. 25Jazz keyboardist Chick nailing new organ part
  13. 26Sweet photo showing part of tennis match
  14. 27Car in ultimately dire condition

Down

  1. 1Playing polo, I am close to Arabian horse
  2. 2Given visa, German takes picture
  3. 3For example, Schwarzenegger being fed a line is very good sport
  4. 5Ladder with small steps on it?
  5. 6Basic aspects of American's metadata one opts to change
  6. 7Duck by river crossing English city
  7. 8Register English student around November 1st
  8. 11Bolstered by kindness on the outside, manage with 100 Russian coins
  9. 14Critic of rap jeers regularly
  10. 16Difficulty dropping off head of institute in front of dilapidated mansion
  11. 17Taking note, measure broken handle while online
  12. 19Soldiers originally walked separated by gaps
  13. 20Fine wool somewhat warmer in October
  14. 23Very keen on elected Tory? Not half

The answer to “Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is MADRAS — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on September 25, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 13-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food” answer

MADRAS (6 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is MADRAS.

What does MADRAS mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of MADRAS is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a strong cotton fabric with colourful stripes or checks
  • a dish of meat, fish, or vegetables in a hot curry sauce

When else has “Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food” appeared?

The Telegraph Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 25, 2026 (most recent) → MADRAS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food”?

The answer is MADRAS, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on September 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food”?

6 letters: MADRAS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on September 25, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 13-Across.

Can “Out to lunch, reckless to dismiss hot, spicy food” have a different answer?

Yes — The Telegraph Cryptic sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Telegraph Cryptic answers?

The full grid for September 25, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Telegraph Cryptic Crossword is published by The Telegraph; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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