I really enjoyed this puzzle which I felt was of a good level of difficulty with some nicely constructed clues. No queries or problems.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | NARK – (s)NARK; reference Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark; |
| 4 | ZAMARRAS – MAZ(e) reversed – ARRAS; sheepskin coats worn by Spanish shepherds; |
| 10 | ELIAN – EL(I)AN; |
| 12 | FANTAST – FAN-TAST(e); old word for person with fantastic ideas; |
| 14 | BERNARD – B(ERN)ARD; Milton for earn=ERN; St Bernard of Menthon after whom the Alpine pass and hence the dogs are named; |
| 15 | RAGINI – RAGIN(g)-I; a modified raga (piece of Hindu music); |
| 16 | DEFORM – D-E-FORM; GCSE grades run from A (top) to E (bottom); |
| 18 | UMBO – (j)UMBO; |
| 20 | PERIAKTOS – (operas kit)*; a revolving device used to display rapidly changing theatrical backdrops; |
| 23 | FREEBENCH – FRE(BEE reversed)NCH; widow’s right to retain tenure of her late husband’s land; |
| 25 | ETAT – E(TA)T; Territorial Army=TA; Egypt=ET; a state or rank (from the French); |
| 28 | RANZEL – RAN-ZE(a)L; a search for stolen goods in the Orkney Islands; |
| 30 | IDAEAN – (a ride withour r=right)*-A-N; knight=N (chess); reference Mount Ida; |
| 31 | AMESLAN – A(ME)SLAN; lion=ASLAN (Chronicles of Narnia); American Sign Language (ASL) – a language in its own right; |
| 32 | NAME-SON – (ann some)*; a name-child as with many monarchs; |
| 33 | DOLCE – DOL(C)E; an organ stop; |
| 34 | IN,A,SENSE – (uneasiness without “u” and “s”)*; |
| 35 | FEER – FE(st)ER; st=saint; FEER=fere=old word for a companion; |
| Down | |
| 1 | NEUROPTERAN – (nature prone)*; the lacewings; |
| 2 | ALKAHEST – A-L-KA-HE’S-T(ry); soul=KA; the much sought after alchemist’s universal solvent (how would you store it?); |
| 3 | RINGER – RING-ER; a horse run under a false name to deceive bookmakers; |
| 5 | AFRIT – A-FRIT; destructive wheat fly=FRIT; the infernal Jinn (also Ifrit); |
| 6 | MANDATE – MAN-DATE; |
| 7 | ANAEROBE – A(NAE)ROBE; organisms that do not need oxygen, used for example in fermentation; |
| 8 | RADOME – R(AD)OME; Air Defence=AD; rad(ar)-(d)ome used to protect antennas and personnel; |
| 9 | ASAR – A-SAR; are=A; SAR=Search and Rescue; eskers; |
| 11 | ABIB – A-BIB; old name for Jewish month Nisan; |
| 13 | TAM,O,SHANTER – TAM(hat son)ER; cap named after Burns’ hard drinking farmer from Ayr who disturbed Cutty Sark; |
| 17 | BAR-GEESE – BARGEES-(se)E; the bar (headed) goose is from Asia; |
| 19 | BECHANCE – BE(CH)AN-CE; old word for coin=BEAN; church=CH; Church of England=CE (Anglican); accidentally is the definition; |
| 21 | KEELSON – NO-SLEEK reversed; strengthener running above and parallel with the keel; |
| 22 | PANAMA – A-M(A-N)AP all reversed; financial centre where the hats come from; |
| 24 | NEEDLE – ELD-EEN reversed; old age=ELD; |
| 26 | KILNS – (sink + l=left)*; |
| 27 | MANO – MANO(r);a grinding stone roller; |
| 29 | AZAN – NAZA(reth) reversed; Nazareth as a biblical town is part of the synoptic problem; Muslim call to prayer; |
One comment on “Mephisto 2682 by Don Manley”
Comments are closed.