I found this an entertaining puzzle with a good mix of easy, medium and difficult clues. An excellent puzzle for any new Mephisto solvers. I thought the top easier than the bottom. 1A, 7A, 10A, 11A, and 13A went straight in, which helped enormously.
I like clues where one derives an unlikely looking word from the wordplay and then finds it in Chambers. 20A and 12D both fit that bill. I have marked with (C) clues where I used Chambers (13 out of 36 or 36%). Where references are well hidden I have directed new solvers to the correct section of the dictionary.
This is my first Mephisto blog. Please let me know how it can be improved. I’m particularly interested in helping new solvers. Jimbo.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | APPRISED – APP-RISE-D |
| 7 | AIDA – AID-A; our fiesty operatic slave girl |
| 10 | LORAN – LOR-A-N; lorn=old word for lost; acronym from LOng RAnge Navigation system |
| 11 | OARSMEN – h(orseman)*; “strokes” is definition |
| 13 | CUL-DE-SACS – C=Cuba + (class due)* |
| 14 | MASALA – ALAS-A-M reversed |
| 16 | TSAR – T-S-AR; S=is as in it’s; TAR=old word for set on; eg Keith Hellawell was UK drugs tsar (C) |
| 17 | LIGURE – L-I-G-URE; I=in; an unknown precious stone possibly jacinth or amber (C) |
| 18 | SIGNPAINTER – SIGN-P(A)INTER; mark=SIGN; reference Harold Pinter |
| 20 | MACERANDUBA – MACE-RAN-DUB-A; staff=MACE; DUB=name; the Brazilian milk-tree (C) |
| 23 | ETALON – NO-LATE reversed; instrument for measuring wavelength (C) |
| 25 | BURD – DRUB reversed; old word for a lady (C) |
| 27 | ABATIS – ABAT(e)-(h)IS; abate=legal term for stop; a rampart of felled trees (C) |
| 29 | OPODELDOC – OPODEL-DOC; exemplary=model then replace “m=money” by “op=work” + DOC; Paracelsus’ word for local medication; good clue (C) |
| 30 | REVERSO – R-EVER-SO; R=rule (legal); a verso, a left-hand page of an open book (within “reverse” in Chambers) |
| 31 | SIEGE – SI-EG-E; team=side; then replace “d” by “eg” |
| 32 | NEER – (o)NE-ER; one-er=expert; NE’ER=never |
| 33 | DISHORSE – DISH-OR-S(tyl)E; “light” is the definition; OR=before; “marches” are boundaries; excellent clue |
| Down | |
| 1 | ALUM – A-LUM(ber); |
| 2 | POTASSA – P(OT)ASS-A; potash |
| 3 | PROSAICAL – (or Pascal I)*; Mill=anagrind; nice construction |
| 4 | INULIN – NIL-UNI all reversed; a carbohydrate from the roots of plants (see “inula” in Chambers) |
| 5 | SOLAR,PANELS – SO-LAR-PANEL-S; signal=SOS; LAR=Libya; PANEL=chosen group |
| 6 | DREW – reference Drew Barrymore producer of and actress in Charlie’s Angels |
| 7 | ASSIGN – (savings without “v”)* |
| 8 | DECOR – DEC-OR |
| 9 | ANSWERED – (wanderers without “r”)*; “ground” is anagrind |
| 12 | ADELANTADOS – A-DEL-ANT(ADO)S; A=are (metric measure); DEL=Delaware; Spanish grandees (C) |
| 15 | NUTBUTTER – NUT-BUT-TER; BUT=butt=poll=blunt end (C) |
| 16 | TIMEWORN – T-I-MEW-ORN(ado); MEW=a retreat |
| 19 | EARINGS – EA-RINGS; EA=Environment Agency; EARINGS are ropes for fastening sails (within “ear” in Chambers) |
| 21 | ELUDER – E-LUD-ER; EER=ever; LUD=Lord as in “Me Lud” |
| 22 | DEBOSH – DE-BOSH; “balls” as in rubbish; jag=debosh=debauch; Ed Balls is, some say, an aptly named government minister |
| 24 | TOPEE – TO-PEE(r) |
| 26 | HERD – HE-R-D; head=”one in front” then replace “a” with “r”; to harbour is to herd |
| 28 | SWEE – SWEE(p); Scots word for a child’s swing (C) |
An excellent blog – thank you for the (much needed) help.
Aelia