Mephisto 2757 – Don Manley

Author   glhPosted on Categories Mephisto
This was one of the most difficult Mephistos for some time for me, however there’s a couple of references that I did know know at all and needed to consult the interwebs to find the last few. Two of the three-letter answers were particularly thorny.

I can’t quite parse the wordplay for one (6 across), but with only one unchecked letter I’m pretty sure I have the correct grid entry.

Away we go…

Across
1 TALAK: A in TALK
6 ACANTH: This is the one I can’t seem to unravel – AC is bill. It could then be A + NTH being something doubly pruned or ANTH as the doubly pruned part. Botany is my weak point, but I can’t find a plant to fit. Hopefully the hive mind will let me know what I’m missing
11 ARRAGONITE: RAG(music),ON in A,RITE
12 WAT: double def for drunk and the leader of the Peasant’s Rebellion
15 DEGOUT: EG(say) in DOU(b)T
16 ARMURE: RA reversed then MURE(wall)
17 ROUSTER: (SURER TO)*
18 TI(m)BER
19 WEE,LD,LESSE(r)
21 REDEPLOYED: REDE(advice) then YE in Mr PLOD
25 STYLI: hidden
26 ALMIRAH: IR (middle of gIRl) in ALMAH(Egyptian dancer)
28 HEX,ACT
29 AU,GITE
31 NIS: SIN reversed
32 CH,A,INGRATE
33 KINDER: KIN then RED reversed
34 KHANS: double def
 
Down
1 T’,AWDRY: got this from the definition, didn’t know Wilbert AWDRY was author of Thomas T’ Tank Engine
2 ARAEOMETER: (REMOTE,AREA)*
3 ARKOSE: K in AROSE
4 KRAUT: (A,TURK)*
5 MARTELLATO: TA reversed in MARTELLO(tower)
7 COURTLY: O in CURTLY
8 ANOMIE: A NOME(province) containing I
9 NIM(ble)
10 HEWER: had to look this up – Nick HEWER is on The Apprentice
13 BARDOLATRY: LA in BARDOT,RY
14 PRE,STATION
20 EPIC,ENE(my)
22 ELAPID: DI,PALE all reversed
23 EIGHTH: move the H at the start of HEIGHT to the end
24 RHESUS: move the HES from RUSHES into the inside
25 SHOCK: triple definition
27 MUZAK: anagram of MAZURKA missing R and A
30 PAN(g)

2 comments on “Mephisto 2757 – Don Manley”

  1. Hi george. re 6ac: it is AC + ANTH(ER), an anther being “the part of a stamen that contains the pollen”
  2. I also thought this a bit harder than usual and none the worse for that. Like George I didn’t know Awdry or Hewer so thank you Google. Got the plant part though.

    A good set of clues. Thank you DM.

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