Well, another easy Monday. Getting the four long ones quickly was really very helpful, but even the interior of the grid was relatively straightforward.
Author: vinyl1
Mephisto 3238 – Closed-book exam time!
Whenever I set up to solve a Mephisto, I naturally have my copy of Chambers at hand. Normally, I look through all the clues and answer all the obvious ones (well, obvious for Mephisto) before I get serious and start checking in the dictionary for possibly relevant words, either for the wordplay and the answer.
Times 28399 – To the moon!
This was a typical Monday puzzle, and I whipped through it without parsing some of the clues. It was a big help to see three of the four long ones almost instantly, which gave me plenty of crossing letters.
Mephisto 3236 – Biffed it right, this time!
This one wasn’t too difficult for a Tim Moorey. There were at least a few fairly straightforward clues to get the solver started and provide crossing letters.
Times 28387 – Hey, Mr Jagger, this was a bit difficult!
I had intended to attribute the problems I had with the puzzle to the Bank Holiday, but upon checking the calendar I find that was last week. I didn’t help myself by biffing estaminet with two checkers, even though that is an old cafe and not an old hotel.
Mephisto 3234 – The bureaucrat of Middle Earth
I didn’t find this too bad, but had to give up and leave a few until the next morning. I filled in the bottom readily enough, but the top half was a little more challenging until I had a sudden breakthrough with the fear and the centre of excellence.
Times 28375 – Ignorant, sentimental, metaphoric?
This was almost a typical Monday puzzle, but I got stuck in the end. I do know a fair number of English towns, but I am a little vague on their location. For that matter, even in Connecticut, I recognize the name of the town but have to look on the map to see where it is.
Mephisto 3232 – Insect attack!
Like most Don Manley Mephistos, I was able to finish this one without much difficulty. I got a few almost immediately, and they opened up the grid for me. The hardest thing in a Mephisto is getting started, since a few crossing letters are amazingly helpful in parsing in the clues.
Times 28363 – Today’s man, in more ways than one
A rather typical Monday puzzle, with one or two surprise entries. But if you follow the cryptic, it all falls rather easily into place. The two larger answers were particularly easy, which really opened up the middle of puzzle.
Mephisto 3230 – Rosie the River!
This was a bit of a toughie – not a one-day solve. In fact, I picked at it for most of the week, and finally finished on Thursday. The setter seems to be rather fond of letter removal, and even multiple letter removal.