Greetings barred-grid fans
I couldn’t get this done in one session, so I think it is in the more difficult range of Mephistos. I didn’t get much at the top, so the pun, which is particularly good this week, did not offer any help.
How did you get along?
| Across | |
| 1 | Port harbours a schooner for example (7) |
| PATTERN – PT (port) containing A, then TERN (a three-mast schooner) | |
| 6 | Perennial victim no longer accepted (5) |
| HOSTA – HOST (obsolete term for a sacrificial victim), then A (accepted) | |
| 10 | Is one harlot blooming wasted resource? (11, three words) |
| NORTH SEA OIL – anagram of IS, ONE, HARLOT | |
| 12 | Equivalent grade government hostel with a whiff of sulphur? (4) |
| EGGY – EG (equivalent grade), G (government), Y (youth hostel) | |
| 13 | Floating bark flipped insect (6) |
| NATANT – TAN (oak bark) reversed, then ANT (insect) | |
| 14 | In the manner of innocent ignoring hard sectarian (7) |
| ALAWITE – A LA (in the manner of), then WHITE (innocent) minus H (hard) | |
| 15 | Making comment on the status of idle hitman? (8) |
| NOTICING – an idle hitman may be NOT ICING | |
| 17 | A bishop’s style initially in Kent area backing sins? (4) |
| ERRS – RR (Right Reverent, a bishop’s name or style) reversed inside SE (Kent area) | |
| 20 | An idea’s upset spring spirits, say (7) |
| NAIADES – anagram of AN, IDEA’S | |
| 22 | Irresponsible sort finished getting into muscle (7, two words) |
| LOVE RAT – OVER (finished) inside LAT (muscle) | |
| 24 | Drain power (4) |
| GRIP – double definition, I’m more familiar with the second one | |
| 25 | Typical of Jonathan, apparently, to fib about record (8) |
| APPLE PIE – APP (apparently), then LIE (fib) surrounding EP (record). I’ve lived in the USA for 27 years now, and never heard of anyone from here being called Jonathans | |
| 28 | Require little relative to return — one who makes sharp points (7) |
| NEEDLER – NEED (require) then REL (relative) reversed | |
| 30 | Sadly Laos so far produces local beasts (6) |
| SAOLAS – anagram of LAOS, then AS (so far) | |
| 31 | Oriental warehouse’s grand term of affection to the fore (4) |
| HONG – G (grand) with HON (term of affection) in front | |
| 32 | Rampant confusion right for Rumpole’s societies (11, three words) |
| INNS OF COURT – anagram of CONFUSION then RT (right). Rumple of the Bailey was a British TV show that ended 35 years ago, but I don’t need to tell that to the Mephisto faithful. | |
| 33 | Nancy’s steady darts missing first couple of trebles — this burns for Scots (5) |
| SIKES – There’s two definitions here – the boyfriend of Nancy in Oliver Twist, and a Scots term for a rill. The wordplay is STRIKES (darts) minus the first two letters of TRebles | |
| 34 | Most nervous being in trial (7) |
| TENSEST – ENS (being) inside TEST (trial) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Exultation from each in circle (5) |
| PAEAN – EA (each) inside PAN (circle with a movie camera) | |
| 2 | Decrepit long manor — one belonging to the conquerors? (11) |
| ANGLO-NORMAN – anagram of LONG, MANOR then AN (one) | |
| 3 | Carry round grand academician dressed as Cicero? (6) |
| TOGATE – TOTE (carry) surrounding G (grand) then A (academician) | |
| 4 | A case of pins and needles in perpetuity (4) |
| ETUI – hidden inside perpETUIty. As the founder of this site once said, the case that is not an INRO | |
| 5 | Lost beast that’s strangely tiny in Royal Horse Artillery (7) |
| RHYTINA – anagram of TINY inside RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) | |
| 6 | Naughtily hid large senior at St Trinian’s? (8, two words) |
| HEAD GIRL – anagram of HID, LARGE | |
| 7 | Colour of money in America — bluey-green? (7) |
| OATMEAL – O (of), then M (money) inside A (America), TEAL (bluey-green) | |
| 8 | Succeeded with tree becoming lush (4) |
| SOAK – S (succeeded) and OAK (tree) | |
| 9 | Title of la reine, novel’s heroine seen in old festival (7) |
| ALTESSE – TESS (novel’s heroine) inside ALE (old festival) | |
| 11 | ____ need stirring vigorously with only one recipe (11) |
| INGREDIENTS – anagram of NEED, STIRRING minus one R (recipe) | |
| 16 | Buffaloes in havoc as husband goes for horse (8) |
| CARABAOS – CHAOS (havoc) with H (husband) replaced by ARAB (horse) | |
| 18 | A large MI6’s sense of suffering (7) |
| ALGESIS – A, LGE (large), SIS (Secret Intelligence Service, MI6) | |
| 19 | Check on throbbing (7) |
| REPULSE – RE (on), PULSE (throbbing) | |
| 21 | A hint? Replacing run with sports lesson finds you dead, say (7, two words) |
| AT PEACE – A TRACE (hint) with R (run) replaced with PE (Physical Education, sports lesson) | |
| 23 | Odd elements in supply tangle causing row for Scots (6) |
| SPLORE – alternating letters in SuPpLy, then ORE (tangle) | |
| 26 | So, beginning to talk is an issue for grasses? (5) |
| ERGOT – ERGO (so) and the first letter of Talk | |
| 27 | Hit hard as difficulty rises (4) |
| TONK – KNOT (difficulty) reversed | |
| 29 | Poet’s black book supporting English that’s acceptable! (4) |
| EBON – B (book) under E (English), then ON (acceptable) | |
Wow, George! You made my day. I found this the easiest Mephisto I’d yet worked. Basically all in one season, last Sunday. Guess I found the wavelength. The pun helped me with the top too.