Category: Mephisto

A relatively easy puzzle with two irritations. After the obscure sportsmen of a couple of weeks ago we now have a schoolboyish contraction of the name of a further obscure sportsman. Quite why our setters … Read more “Mephisto 2794 by Tim Moorey – A Load of Balls”

Hi all – I’m working in Dallas this weekend and am not likely to get a chance to write up this weekend’s Mephisto until Sunday afternoon my time (late Sunday night UK time). So here’s … Read more “Mephisto 2793 – Don Manley”

A largely straightforward puzzle in which I was glad I didn’t need to know the name of any international tiddlywink players Across 1 FISTULA – (fault is)*; 7 SCANTY – S(CANT)Y; Seychelles=SY; 12 MIRTHLESS – … Read more “Mephisto 2792 by Paul McKenna”

And now time for sports – there’s an English cricketer and a soccer player in here, and reading the clues I thought there might have been another cricketer hiding in wordplay (not so but I … Read more “Mephisto 2791 – Tim Moorey”

And another interesting but middle of the road puzzle. Across 1 PORCPISCE – PE=exercise surrounds (croc is)* containing P=quietly (music); an old porpoise; 10 IDAEAN – I-D(A)EAN; Greek mountain; 11 EUPHON – (one)* surrounds U-PH; … Read more “Mephisto 2790 by Don Manley”

I found this one a little more tricky than recent offerings. Still unsure of one or two of the wordplays, but hopefully they will come as I write this up. As usual, Paul McKenna has … Read more “Mephisto 2789 – Paul McKenna”

Our run of rather easy puzzles does now appear to have been replaced by a run of middle of the road ones. This is a standard, enjoyable, offering that should assist new solvers to learn … Read more “Mephisto 2788 by Tim Moorey”

I remember doing this in one session, so it wasn’t too far to the right on the difficulty-o-meter. As one would expect, clear wordplay with a few crafty tricks in the clues. Just got back … Read more “Mephisto 2787 – Don Manley”

An interesting and entertaining Mephisto. I have one query at 6D where I’m missing a piece of the parsing. Across 1 AGHAST – AGHA-ST; 5 LOVAGE – LOV(A-G)E; G=German; drink from the west country; 10 … Read more “Mephisto 2786 by Paul McKenna”

This was a rather odd solve for me – I was held up a lot in the top left by thinking of an answer early on that fit one half of the definition just fine, … Read more “Mephisto 2785 – Tim Moorey”