Mephisto 2505 Paul McKenna

This is an excellent puzzle, difficult but always scrupulously fair. At times it reminded me of the Ximenes puzzles of the 1960s. 28D is for example a clue that I think X would have been pleased with whilst 31A is an unusual but interesting construction. I liked the clever use of the answer in 18A and some nice misleading definitions such as barnacles in 6D. There were fewer starter clues than in recent puzzles and few of those were really easy. If you have been doing bar crosswords less than a year and managed to finish this, give yourself a pat on the back. (C)=Chambers used to verify some part of the clue (S)=starter clue

Across
1	SLEEPING,PILL – S(LEEPING)PILL; SPILL=shed; LEEPING=boiling (in dialect=in places) (C)
10	HIPPO – HIP-PO; HIP=clued up; PO=short for (= a little) po-faced (C)
11	GLANCE – two meanings; = flash (a look); = a black shiny mineral (C)
12	AGRAPHIA – A(GR-AP-H)IA; AIA=ayah=nurse; AP=apparently; the loss of the power to write (C)
13	SCUD – two meanings; = scots for naked; = to sweep along quickly (of clouds) (C)
15	MISSING – M(I)SS-ING(o); MSS=manuscripts; ingo=an entrance (C)
16	MIMOSA – reversed hidden word (Austri)A SO MIM(sey); (S)
17	TSETSE – (set)*+(set)*; abroad=old word for astray=anagrind; nasty African fly (C)
18	STYMIED – anagram of “mystified” less “if”; doctor=anagrind; good clue
24	LISSOME – LIS(t)-SOME; list=roll; SOME=not a little
26	TRUTHY – T-RUTH-Y; T=the; rare word for honest (C)
27	SABBAT – (abba-s reversed)-(Heca)T; s=has; abba=aba=yarn; Hecat is in MacBeth; a witches meeting (see Sabbath in (C))
29	RADIANT – R(A-DI)ANT; DI=detective inspector (S)
31	ATOM – three clues; = something small; A+(mot reversed); A+TOM(e); nice clue
32	SEA,HOLLY – SEA-HO(LL)Y; SEA=main; island of HOY; (S)
33	TAKE,TO – TA(KET)O; KET=carrion; TAO=proper conduct (C)
34	IDEAL – I-DEAL; devil’s books=playing cards (C) (S)
35	HOUSE,OF,CARDS – (of course dash)*; scotch=anagrind
Down
1	SHAWMS – SHA(W)MS; a forerunner of the oboe (C)
2	LIGNITE – L-IGNITE; easy but a nice clue (S)
3	EPROM – E(PRO)M; EM=a printing term for dash; a type of computer chip (C)
4	POPE – POP-E(radicate); POP=acronym for persistent organic pollutant; a ruff; nice clue (S)
5	ISHMAEL – IS-H-MA(E)L; E=socio-economic class for state dependent; someone at war with society (C)
6	GLASSES – G(row)-L-ASSES; L=Loch; ASS=arse; barnacles=glasses; good clue (C)
7	PASSERSBY – PASSER(e)S-BY; passeres=an old order of birds; part=divide=by (C)
8	INCITE – request=invite then substitute “c” for “v”; start is definition (S)
9	LEDGER – LED-GER; LED=was among the first; GER=yurt=tent; obsolete (=elderly) word for resident (C)
14	SOMETIMES – SO-MET-I(ME)S; SO=very good; MET=metaphor; ME=setter=writer
19	IN,HASTE – anagram of “histamine” without “mi” (I’m about) (S)
20	DISTAFF – DI(g)-STAFF; dig=thrust; tow=flax; a DISTAFF is a stick for holding tow during spinning (C)
21	SMALL,AD – S(MALL)AD; walk=MALL; reference the personal ads columns in newspapers (S)
22	STRATH – ST-RATH; ST=stone; RATH=early; a valley in the Highlands of Scotland (C)
23	SUDOKU – SUD(s)-OK-U; SUD(s)=American beer; Sure=OK; U=text message speak for “you”; boring numbers game (C)
25	ETHYLS – ETH-(SLY reversed); thorn=Old English “th”=ETH; ETHYLS are anti-pinking additives to petrol; good clue (C)
28	BALER – B-ALE-R; bottle=a bale of hay; BR=brown; excellent clue (C)
30	CHIC – CHIC(aner);