Greetings, barred-grid fans.
I rather enjoyed this offering from Robert Teuton. Right off the bat there was a little smut, a lot of clever clues and intricate wordplay. Exactly what we are meant to get from a Mephisto!
| Across | |
| 1 | Dictionary check for “carrier of sperm”? (12) |
| CHAMBER-STICK – CHAMBERS Dictionary, and TICK (check). Definition referring to a sperm candle | |
| 9 | Rodent yielding new revolutionary fragrant oil (5) |
| OTTAR – RATTON (rodent) minus N (new) reversed | |
| 10 | Rest of France almost succeeded in getting around principle of law (7) |
| RELACHE – REACHED (succeeded) minus the last letter surrounding the first letter of Law | |
| 11 | Sacks are cut into woollen plaids (7) |
| MARAUDS – A (are) inside MAUDS (woollen plaids) | |
| 12 | Scots forecast flood with temperature dropping (4) |
| SPAE – SPATE (flood) minus T (temperature) | |
| 13 | Sponsor international expert (5) |
| FUNDI – FUND (sponsor), I (international) | |
| 14 | Firm getting chief in trouble (7) |
| SCHTUCK – STUCK (firm) containing CH (chief). Found in Chambers under SHTOOK | |
| 18 | Money accepted for sheath (6) |
| OCHREA – OCHRE (money), A (accepted) | |
| 19 | Imagined small, dull US town that’s miserable to host party on retirement (6) |
| PODUNK – PUNK (miserable) containing DO (party) reversed. I get to use this term a lot in North Carolina | |
| 21 | Close-fitting breeches help on short jog (6) |
| TROUSE – USE (help) next to TROT (jog) minus the last letter | |
| 23 | Waxy secretion to spoil cracking personal appearance (6) |
| PRUINA – RUIN (spoil) inside PA (personal appearance) | |
| 27 | Opponent nearing thrashing (7) |
| AGINNER – anagram of NEARING. A clue written in honour of Australia’s outing against Zimbabwe in the current T20 world cup that I stayed up until 4am to watch? | |
| 28 | Drunk losing head in house (5) |
| LOTTO – BLOTTO (drunk) minus the first letter | |
| 29 | Small warbler heading off about to lay? (4) |
| EGGY – PEGGY (small warbler) minus the first letter | |
| 30 | Islamic reasoning time in holy war pursuing independence (7) |
| IJTIHAD – T (time) inside JIHAD (holy war) following I (independence) | |
| 31 | Space for parking around one part of London cyclepath (7) |
| BIKEWAY – BAY (space for parking) surrounding I (one), KEW (part of London) | |
| 32 | Scottish landmark, some name it Halyruid (5) |
| MEITH – hidden inside naME IT Halyruid | |
| 33 | A prison bound to reform? It’s an obligation to prove (12, two words) |
| ONUS PROBANDI – anagram of A PRISON BOUND | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Homer in good health welcoming old Greek islander (7) |
| CORFIOT – COR (homer, the measure), then FIT (in good health) containing O (old) | |
| 2 | Moored an oil ship in sound? (8, two words) |
| AT ANCHOR – homophone of A TANKER (oil ship) | |
| 3 | Tot reflecting the extreme of crybaby? (5) |
| MARDY – DRAM (tot) reversed and the last letter of crybabY | |
| 4 | Extremely large Scots help in French port (8) |
| BRAIDEST – AID (help) inside BREST (French port) | |
| 5 | MP close to Speaker paced around (6) |
| REDCAP – the last letter of speakeR, then PACED reversed | |
| 6 | Sample wine out of shallow cup (5) |
| TASTE – remove VIN (wine) from TASTEVIN (shallow cup) | |
| 7 | Sporting chance to keep performing Spanish dance (8) |
| CHACONNE – anagram of CHANCE containing ON (performing) | |
| 8 | Geordie glimpses mate’s backside in trousers (5) |
| KEEKS – the last letter of matE inside KEKS (trousers). This is my sort of clue. | |
| 10 | Are millions almost certain to return depilatory? (5) |
| RUSMA – A (are), M (millions) and SURE (certain) minus the last letter all reversed | |
| 15 | Mêlée without hesitation going nuts for hiker’s snack (8) |
| SCROGGIN – SCRUM (melee) minus UM (hesitation), then an anagram of GOING. I didn’t realise this was an Australian term until I got to the USA and found people looking at me even more strangely than usual when I asked if anyone wanted scroggin when we went hiking. | |
| 16 | Wing perhaps having squashed lime with herb coating (8) |
| FORELIMB – anagram of LIME inside FORB (a herb) | |
| 17 | Post belonging to neighbouring country house (8) |
| QUINTAIN – IN (belonging to) next to QUINTA (country house) | |
| 20 | Heading for ocean I tangled with shark — sudden death! (7) |
| KAROSHI – anagram of the first letter of Ocean, I and SHARK | |
| 22 | Nocturnal bird continually seen round Jamaica (6) |
| EVEJAR – EVER (continually) surrounding JA (Jamaica) | |
| 23 | US appealing — their president’s losing millions over year (5) |
| PURTY – do I have to type this? TRUMP (the President of the USA in 2026) reversed, minus M (millions), then Y (year) | |
| 24 | Old attend spinning exercise routine (5) |
| TAEBO – O (old), BE AT (attend) all reversed | |
| 25 | Nova Scotia backing agreed Canadian channels (5) |
| SNYES – NS (Nova Scotia) reversed then YES (agreed) | |
| 26 | Dude just about to warm up tea (5) |
| BOHEA – BO (dude) then HEAT (warm up) minus the last letter | |
Got a good start earlier in the week and finished up the top this afternoon. Lots of nice surprises along the way. Last one parsed was TASTE[-VIN], a perfect example of the devilishly (and gratuitously) obscured clue that is the sulfurous hallmark of Mephisto.
Couldn’t agree more. GRAPEVIN was also my LOI, which needed time for the penny to drop. A very satisfying puzzle to complete and fully parse.