I’m doing this for Robert who is currently indisposed
Congratulations to Mephisto on reaching 2,500. I guess Mephisto had reached about number 250 when I finished my first. Throughout the standard has been high and they have given me hours of enjoyment. This is a fun puzzle, not too difficult but pleasing to do. I liked the way the figures in 2500 were handled with the clue refering to the full English word but the number going into the grid.
(C) = Chambers used to verify something (S) = starter clue
Across | |
---|---|
1 | MEPHISTO – not a difficult guess! |
7 | 2500 – reminiscent of Times 20,000 |
10 | NIELLO – NIEL-LO; (line)* + LO; ornamental engraving using lines; nice clue (C) |
11 | MISSET – MISS + E(dit) + T(ext); (S) |
12 | OLLA – w(ALLO)p and reversed; a jar well known in crossword circles (S) |
13 | NEXT,TO – NE(X)TT-O; almost is definition |
14 | SWISS,ROLL – SWIS(h) S(t)ROLL; take h=henry from “swish” and t=time from “stroll” |
15 | EN,AMI – (MANE reversed)+I; shock=hair=mane |
16 | EVONNE – EV(ON-N)E; on=in contact with; N=newton (unit of force) |
17 | EERILY – E(IRE reversed)LY; see=ELY; (S) |
23 | FIESTA – FIE-STA; |
24 | HELENA – HE-LE(N)A; (S) |
26 | EATEN – (b)EATEN; trite=worn out=beaten |
28 | OVERRIPEN – OVER-RI-PEN; RI-Rhode Island; PEN=prison in US; nice clue |
29 | MATICO – MA(CIT reversed)O; reference Chairman Mao; the pepper shrub |
30 | BRAE – BRA(v)E; remove “v”=versus from “brave”; a river bank in scotland |
31 | EDRICH – ED-RICH; great Middlesex and England batsman; (S) |
32 | HERETO – (other+e)*; object is definition (S) |
33 | EDNA – AND-E in reverse; (S) |
34 | BIRDSEED – B(dree I’s anagram)D; bd=bound; (C) |
Down | |
2 | EILUNED – (line due)*; a new name to me |
3 | PELMA – P(ELM)A; PA=a Maori fort; PELMA=sole of the foot (C) |
4 | ILL,WILL – (h)ILL-WILL; WILL=wull=scots for bewildered; a hill is a rising; |
5 | SONIC – SON-IC; (S) |
6 | TMESES – (meets+s)*; splitting up words (C) |
7 | TWOSTROKE – (two)*-S-TROKE; troke=scots barter; |
8 | FIVESTONES – FIVES-ONES; (S) |
9 | ZERO,TOLERANCE – (correlate+zone)*; (S) |
12 | OKEECHOBEE – OKE-ECHO-BEE; OKE=OK; ECHO=reflect; a US lake |
18 | RELEARN – REL-EARN; REL=relative; EARN= old word for yearn |
19 | INERTIA – IN-ER-TIA; ER=US TV show about hospital; TIA=aunt in Spanish |
20 | PIE-EYED – PI(EYE)ED; PIE=confusion in typing (C) |
21 | ITERATE – (l)ITERATE; l=lecturer; (S) |
22 | T’AI,CHI – TAI=Japenese sea bream; (C) |
25 | SPOHR – (HOPS reversed)+R; German composer |
27 | THREE – TH(RE)E; (S) |
The preamble was perfectly judged. Every clue made sense as a sentence, and in fact most of the answers were familiar words.
In short, it was the work of a real master.
I’ll be looking at more Mephistos in the future especially by Mike.
Thanks and congratulations.
Paul Pridmore
I don’t think I’ll be finishing 2501 – the left hand third is looking decidedly blank.