Mike Laws Memorial Mephisto 1909

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
This is the second Mike Laws Memorial Puzzle that appeared in the paper last Sunday 5th June. It originally appeared as puzzle number 1909.

Whereas I didn’t remember the 1894 puzzle I do recall this one and its reference to Louis Bleriot. It’s easier than 1894 because once you have 1A you have 17D, 1D is easy and so large parts of the grid open up.

Having solved and blogged two Mephistos in one day I shall now go and open a bottle of strong red.

Across
1 BLERIOT – B-LE-RIOT; British=B; the French=LE; Louis Bleriot crossed the English Channel 25th July 1909 (the number of the puzzle – look up to see when!). He was the first to fly across in a machine (i.e not a baloon);
6 FRANC – FRA(N)C(as); quarrel=fracas and remove as=when; note=N;
10 DUMBWAITER – two meanings 1=dumb (person) waiting (in queue) 2=a lift;
11 BRIDIES – BRID(I)ES; meat and onion turnovers;
13 AKEE – A-KEE(p); about=A; a fruit;
14 NAPLES – NAP-LES(s); reference “see Naples and die” – and it is beautiful;
15 CHOREIC – CH(ORE)IC; it means convulsive (from chorea) so I can’t see the definition;
16 DROSS – D(R)OSS;
20 SHAWNEE – SH-AWN(e)-E; it’s that novel again;
22 NETSUKE – NETS-UKE; step forward George Formby; a Japanese ornament;
24 GLEBE – GLE(B)E;
25 OXALATE – OX-A-L-ATE; a salt of oxalic acid;
28 LENGTH – two meanings 1=lenght (of swimming baths) 2=reference “at length”;
30 TOEA – TOE-A; about=A; coin from PNG;
31 ORLEANS – (Salerno)*;
32 SPINALCORD – SPIN-A-L(C)ORD; outing=SPIN; clubs=C;
33 HADAL – HAD-A-L;
34 CHANNEL – see 1A;
 
Down
1 BOBAC – BOB-AC; a marmoset;
2 LARKHEELED – LARK-HEELED; game=LARK; having a long hind-claw;
3 RUDERY – (p)RUDERY; prince=P;
4 IMINE – I-MINE; highly reactive compound;
5 OBELISK – O(BEL-I’S)K; Cleopatra’s perhaps;
6 FARADAY – RAF reversed-A-DAY; Michael who was featured on the back of a £20 note;
7 RISP – RI(S)P where S=Scot’s leader; Scots word for grating;
8 ATHLONE – A(T-H)LONE; time=T; hard=H; a town on the river Shannon;
9 CROSSED – see 1A;
12 RESENTENCE – RESENT-EN-CE; measure=EN;
17 ENGLISH – see 1A;
18 CTENOID – C(T-ENO)ID; T=(si)T(e); ENO=ONE set up; combed is definition;
19 QUETZAL – QU(i)ET-Z(e)AL; bird from the Americas;
21 HEXARCH – HEX-ARCH; having six vascular strands;
23 ALTERN – ALTER-N; old word (once) for alternate;
26 ALLOA – ALL-O-A; every one=ALL; “O” and “A” Level exams; part of Scotland;
27 EASEL – EASE-L;
29 GENA – GEN-A; dope=information=GEN; adult=A; the cheek;

3 comments on “Mike Laws Memorial Mephisto 1909”

  1. I saw the tribute puzzle by Tim Moorey and Paul McKenna in last Sunday’s Times but couldn’t for the life of me find the three old puzzles in the News Review or any of the other sections. Where should I re-look please?
      1. Sorry, I didn’t notice that Jimbo’s introduction to these reports said “in the paper”. The three puzzles are only available on the Times Crossword Club site – an advantage of websites (and blogs!) is that there’s no need to fit content onto paper of a fixed size.

        If you ever see a copy of the most recent book of Mephisto crosswords (published 2003), 1894 and 1909 are in the book (numbers 29 and 34).

        Peter Biddlecombe, Sunday Times Puzzles Editor

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