Back to average standard after last week’s puzzle. Old hands will have had an advantage because we know all the common abbreviations such as ‘ll=will – and there seemed to be a lot of them used here. There are several nice clues and some good constructions – I enjoyed this puzzle but am sad to see definition by example creeping in to Mephisto.
For new solvers (C) = Chambers used to verify part of a clue (S) = starter clue (see memories/solving tips at the top of the page)
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | PARAMO – PA-RAM-O; batter=RAM; PA=past; O=zero=duck (cricket); the Sumapaz of Colombia for example; C; |
| 6 | CABERS – CA(BE)RS; estate=definition by example=type of car; tossed at the Highland Games; S; |
| 11 | CHAPERONES – (each person)*; child minders; nice clue; |
| 13 | DOTTIER – DO-T-TIER; party=DO; time=T; me, perhaps; S; |
| 14 | LALDIE – LA-LD-I-E; see!=LA!; Lord=LD; international=I; English=E; six of the best at Fettes; nice clue; C; |
| 15 | RUBE – TV=tube then change t=tons into r=runs; hick=country bumpkin=RUBE; C; |
| 16 | TRYE – switching halves of TR-YE gives YET-R; still=YET; Spenser for choice (see try in C); C; |
| 17 | REGINAL – RE(GIN)AL; truly=REAL; spirit=mother’s ruin=GIN; S; |
| 18 | STEVENS – S(T)EVENS; tense=T; SEVENS=cut down RU game, originally the Melrose Sevens; not Denis but just voices according to C; |
| 23 | AT,LARGE – AT-(lager)*; kip-4=money in Laos=100 AT; great use of C; |
| 24 | SANTA,FE – S(ANT)AFE; peter=SAFE; worker=type of ANT; capital of New Mexico founded by the Spanish; S; |
| 25 | SIAM – MAIS(on) reversed; house in France=maison then “no” shed gives MAIS; old name for Thailand; nice clue; S; |
| 27 | OLPE – hidden word (contr)OL PE(rhaps); Greek jug found most often in crosswords; S; |
| 28 | KINDIE – KIND-IE; sort=KIND; that is=IE; an antipodean kindergarten=first (initial) class; nice clue; C; |
| 30 | DIARIAL – DI(ARIA)L; dilute=DIL; see diary in C; |
| 32 | MISLEADERS – (idle smears)*; nice clue; S; |
| 33 | ATLATL – A-T-L twice; American=A; liberal=L; tons=T; American Indian spear or spear thrower; C; |
| 34 | KNITCH – KNIT-CH; sounds like nit=fool; child=CH; a bundle of wood=a faggot (a misleading clue for the politically incorrect); C; |
| Down | |
| 1 | P-CELT, PC-ELT; bobby=policeman=PC; ELT=English Language Teaching; a Celtic dialect; C; |
| 2 | RALLYES – R-ALL-YES; run=R; without limit=ALL; indeed=YES; US spelling of “rally”; C; |
| 3 | APED – A-PED; hamper=PED-1; |
| 4 | MEDIAEVALIST – MEDIA-EV-A-LIST; papers say=MEDIA; English version=EV; a roll=A LIST; Graeme Davis perhaps; S; |
| 5 | ORD – (w)ORD; brief conversation=(have a) word; w=wife; a beginning; S; |
| 6 | COOLEST – CO(OLES)T; nice construction; S; |
| 7 | ANTIGALLICAN – ANTI-GALLIC-(m)AN; con=ANTI; French=GALLIC; fellow=man and remove “m”=millions; at its simplest being against Quatorze Juillet, soupe a l’oignon et la maitresse. In religious terms, ultramontanism; see Gallic in C; |
| 8 | BETRIM – BET-RIM; Liz=shortened form of Elizabeth=Betty=BET; to deck (out)=BETRIM; S; |
| 9 | RUE-BARGAIN – RUE-BAR-GAIN; Paris street=RUE; bolt=BAR; profit=GAIN; forfeit for withdrawing from a deal; |
| 10 | SORELL – SORE-LL; will=LL; wounded=SORE; SORREL-2=Shakespearean buck; C; |
| 12 | MARTIALIST – (at mistrial)*; rare=uncommon word for a soldier but easily guessed; S; |
| 19 | NAFF,ALL – (FAN reversed)-FALL; lapse=FALL; supporter=FAN; Sweet FA (Fanny Adams that is); S; |
| 20 | BRIDGET – B(RIDGE)T; baronet=BT; RIDGE=old word for back; Jones, Riley or Bardot; |
| 21 | ISODIA – AID(O)S-I all reversed; helps=AIDS; love=zero=O (tennis); a religious feast;C; |
| 22 | PTERIA – (pirate)*; the plural of pterion which is a suture (stuff seen in operating theatre); nice clue;C; |
| 26 | MENSH – ME(N)SH; short for a mention; nice construction; |
| 29 | NIDI – I(DI)N all reversed; DI=Detective Inspector; eyries; C; |
| 31 | LEK – LE(a)K; wee=urinate=leak; a noisy courtship display area for capercaillies=grouse; |
P-CELT at 1dn is presumably meant as the person rather than the language, although I could only find P-CELTIC (the language) in Chambers.