Category: Mephisto

For the second time in three puzzles this one, like 2540, is a fairly gentle Mephisto which new Mephisto solvers should find approachable. Solving time: about 20 minutes, with one dictionary look-up but also one … Read more “Mephisto 2542 – calling Mephisto Virgins …”

After last week’s puzzle that hardly required one to consult Chambers this one is rather harder and needed a reference for most of the clues. This is not my favourite grid because of all those … Read more “Mephisto 2541 Paul McKenna”

This is a very easy puzzle that can be 90% solved without recourse to Chambers (C). Across 1 OFFS – OFF-S; OFF=officer; S=special; ices; 4 DITTY,BAG – DITTY-B-AG; B=book; AG=silver; salt=sailor; a sailor’s kit bag; … Read more “Mephisto 2540 Tim Moorey”

I have one of two solving patterns for the Mephisto. If I’m awake and feel like being lazy on Sunday morning, I grab the dictionaries and try to do it in one sitting. However on … Read more “Mephisto 2539 – Mike Laws”

Solving time: not recorded but pretty slow – maybe 2-2½ hours. As you can gather I found this very tough. One reason was missing what should have been a very straightforward anagram at 34A, another … Read more “Mephisto 2538 – Paul McKenna”

An excellent puzzle of reasonable difficulty with some very good clues. I thought both KWAKIUTL and PSITTACINE top class whilst HELLIERS is outstanding. The clever use of “fulham” appealed to me and demonstrates the need … Read more “Mephisto 2537 Tim Moorey”

The puzzle contains a mini-theme. It is puzzle number 25-36. 25 is the square of 5; 36 is the square of 6; 1A=numbers; 15A contains “five”; 25A contains “six” 33A=squared. I didn’t realise this until … Read more “Mephisto 2536 Mike Laws”

I found this one a real stinker, most of it was in areas that I wasn’t familiar with, and after my customary ripping through about a third of the grid, to get the last ten … Read more “Mephisto 2535 – Paul McKenna”

This is an interesting crossword, I did a lot of this on a plane with no access to dictionaries (believe it or not, I don’t take Chambers travelling, though I’ve been known to slip Bradfords … Read more “Mephisto 2534 – Tim Moorey”

Following on from two consecutive difficult puzzles this one was quite easy. Apart from being three words rather that two, the key clue 1A was simple as were 9D,10D and 31A both in terms of … Read more “Mephisto 2533 Mike Laws”