Category: Mephisto

I wonder if I may be missing something hidden here (and very occasionally Paul McKenna sneaks something extra into his puzzles) because I was struggling most of the way with this one and now it … Read more “Mephisto 2819 – Paul McKenna”

Enjoyable puzzle of average difficulty. Another word not found in the “correct” place in C but I was ready for it this time! Across 1 SEJM – M-JES(t) reversed; Polish assembly; 4 PISS-A-BED – PISS(AB)ED; … Read more “Mephisto 2818 by Tim Moorey”

Quick start but a slow finish on this one – I started doodling in answers during rehearsal and managed to get about half of it out without recourse to a dictionary. Then things ground to … Read more “Mephisto 2187 – Don Manley”

A little bit more difficult this week with a smattering of French and German required and the ability to spot some more unusual anagram indicators. I’ve failed to parse 30D so all suggestions welcome, please … Read more “Mephisto 2816 by Paul McKenna”

Sorry about the late post – this was one of the more difficult ones I can remember from Tim Moorey, and of course it would happen on the week where by the time it came … Read more “Mephisto 2815 – Tim Moorey”

Average to easy puzzle which posed no major problems. Across 1 MUGWUMP – MUG-W-UMP; weak=w (particle physics); umpire=UMP; The jocular word MUGWUMP is from Algonquian (Natick) “mugquomp”,meaning “important person”;The Mugwumps were Republicans who defected to … Read more “Mephisto 2814 by Don Manley”

There wasn’t anything too too tricky in this one, though the bottom right corner took the longest to fall. There’s a few obscure words (mostly signposted in the clues) and some unfamiliar uses of familiar … Read more “Mephisto 2813 – Paul McKenna”

A puzzle of average difficulty that is just missing a “J” to be a pangram. I liked 6D. Across 1 SANDPIPER – S-AND-PIPER; section=S; once used in the daily as a supposed homophone for “sandpaper”; … Read more “Mephisto 2812 by Tim Moorey”

Interesting solve this one – after about half an hour I had a completely full top half, but precious little poking in to the bottom half. Funny thing is I got myself going again by … Read more “Mephisto 2811 – Don Manley”

A generally easy puzzle Across 3 ALTOGETHER – ALTO-GET-HER; 10 ASSURE – ASS-URE; 11 RICARD – RI(CAR-d)D; 12 PEPPER – PEP-PER; 13 BRAD – B(reak)-RAD; excellent=RAD: 15 EMPERISE – (e premise)*; 16 TUART – marsupial=tuan … Read more “Mephisto 2810 by Paul McKenna”