Category: Mephisto

I started this last Saturday night and remember either having a good brain night, or just flying through this one and the Azed in one sitting. A look back and there’s a mixture of familiar … Read more “Mephisto 2931 – Don Manley”

A mixture of the easy and the rather more opaque. I seemed to spend more time than usual checking entries in Chambers to support meanings in clues (eg 11A). Also, I’d never heard of the … Read more “Mephisto 2930 – Paul McKenna-Donn Reynolds and the Nicaraguan Resistance”

I found this one on the gentler end of the Mephisto spectrum – in most cases the first piece of wordplay that sprung to mind ended up being the correct approach to the answer – … Read more “Mephisto 2929 – Tim Moorey”

Pleasant if straightforward puzzle Across 3 PERU,BALSAM – (as a plumber)*; thick black liquid (not from the Liffey); 11 TENUE – TENU(r)E; manner of dress; 12 CAPUERA – CAPU(t)-ERA; head=caput; martial art and dance; 13 … Read more “Mephisto 2928 by Don Manley – strewth – wot no rats!”

Apologies for the late-ish posting. I usually write these on Saturday afternoons but I played golf in the rain and then the beer started. This one wasn’t overly challenging, though I found in trying to … Read more “Mephisto 2927 – Paul McKenna”

A puzzle distinguished by its most unusual grid which is 12×12 but has only 24 lights with four five letter words the shortest answers. An interesting piece of compilation. I found it relatively easy because … Read more “Mephisto 2926 by Tim Moorey – who needs 3 and 4 letter words?”

I think I was 50/50 on having the advantage here – I was very familiar with the name for rivers in the US, particularly in the Dutch-settled areas of Pennsylvania. On the other hand I … Read more “Mephisto 2925 – Don Manley”

Nothing to frighten the horses here, just a steady standard solve. I need help on the cryptic for 26D. Across 1 BARRE – BA(R)RE; R from (shoote)R; a capo on a guitar; 5 KNUCKLE – … Read more “Mephisto 2924 – Paul McKenna”

My main source of difficulty in this one was the proper nouns both in the answers and in the wordplay. This is the first time I think I’ve done the Mephisto paperless, by making a … Read more “Mephisto 2923 – Tim Moorey”

With 1D an easy anagram and both 2A and 7A write-ins this was a relatively quick solve. About 25% of the clues are full or partial anagrams. Only one query – the definition at 34A … Read more “Mephisto 2922 by Don Manley – Body Parts from Grantsdale”