I’m standing in for Robert.
This is a mainly straightforward puzzle with just a couple of queries. At 17A if the reference is to the Dimbleby brothers then “friend” seems a little weak to describe brothers. At 2D we have “ute” again so I hope the chap who asked about it last week remembered it! I can’t see the wordplay at 11A where I can’t equate “a traditional market” and “ven”. I liked the construction of 10D and 16D is very topical!
For new solvers (C) = Chambers used to verify part of a clue (S) = starter clue (see tips and tricks on this site)
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | FRIGORIFICO – F(RIGOR-IF)ICO; Fico=Italian sign of contempt; a Spanish slaughterhouse; all very continental (C) |
| 10 | PENT – PEN-T; (S) |
| 11 | VENEWE – VEN-EWE; ewe=source of lamb; I don’t see the ven = “traditional market”; Waggledagger for “venue” (C) |
| 12 | SHORTFALL – SH-(fort)*-ALL; (S) |
| 13 | NULLITY – “baring all”=nudity; remove d=director; replace by “ll” for lines gives NULLITY |
| 15 | STEER – two meanings; to con (a bum steer); a young ox |
| 17 | DAVID – two meanings; US Presidential retreat; reference Dimbleby brothers presumably |
| 19 | TELLTALE – TELL-TALE(a); to tell is to count (bank teller); talea=a recurring pattern (C) |
| 20 | EGO,IDEAL – EG-O-IDEA-(wil)L; say=EG; O=old; plan=IDEA; ones personal standards |
| 22 | ROOSA – ROO’S-A; bounder=kangaroo=roo; ROOSA=rusa=an Indian grass (rusa is also a deer) (S) |
| 24 | ALLEY – ALL(E)Y; lines at side of US tennis court; (S) (C) |
| 26 | TIMPANI – TIM-PAN-I; tiny chap=TIM; PAN=criticize; one=I; kettle drums (geddit?) (C) |
| 27 | INCERTAIN – host=entertain; replace “ent” with “inc” (short for including); old word for uncertain (C) |
| 28 | SIXAIN – SI-X-AIN; SI=note; X=ten; AIN=Scots for “own”; a stanza of six lines (C) |
| 29 | FLAG – two meanings; an iris; grow languid; (S) |
| 30 | TURTLESHELL – dashes=hurtles; William perhaps=Tell; together=hurtles-tell; turning heads=TURTLE-SHELL |
| Down | |
| 2 | REFUTE – REF-UTE; REF=judge; UTE=native Americans from, where else but Utah (C) |
| 3 | INGLENOOK – (s)INGLE-NO-OK; (S) |
| 4 | OPHIR – OP-H-IR; (S) |
| 5 | ROOT,BEER – ROOT-(sounds like “bier”); ROOT=shout for |
| 6 | FETID – FE(TI)D; (S) |
| 7 | INFLATE – IN-FLAT-E; IN=fashionable; E=ecstacy; (S) |
| 8 | OWLY – (l)OWLY; modest=lowly; l=lecturer; an owl is someone who works at night |
| 9 | SELFDENYING – I=myself; “my” is “myself” when SELFDENYING |
| 10 | PANSPERMISM – PAN’S-PERM-IS-M(odify); Petrer’s maybe=PAN’S; artificial wave=PERM; dispersal of life via germs; nice clue (C) |
| 14 | AVAILABLE – AVAI(LAB)LE; “free” is definition; availe=avale=old word for to doff (remove); lab=labrador (C) |
| 16 | GLACIATE – G-LA(CIA)TE; G=Government; CIA=Italian Company; very topical |
| 18 | MISHEAR – M-I-SHEAR; “wrongly catch” is definition; |
| 21 | DENTAL – DE(NT)AL; NT=New Testament; the sound of a consonant (S) (C) |
| 23 | AFRIT – A(rtist)-FRIT; FRIT=mixed materials; an Arabic evil demon (C) |
| 24 | AMISS – A(rgue)-MISS; (S) |
| 25 | KNIT – sounds like “nit”; to KNIT is to contract (the eyebrows) (S) |
When I was a teenager I used to try Azed in the Observer and finished it a couple of times, so I thought that having subscribed to the Times site I’d have a go at Mephisto. I finished it although it took a couple of hours. But it was good fun, so I have done the latest one as well today – a peaceful Sunday morning not cutting the grass.
There were a couple of things I didn’t understand at 11A and 19A, so thanks Jim for the blog. I’m still not sure I understand the “kitchen” reference in 26A – I have a vague feeling the percussion section of a orchestra is sometimes referred to as the “kitchen” by the rest of the orchestra but haven’t found anything to back that up.
David and Jonathan is biblical I think – they were definitely (ahem!) good friends, so the “camp” has 2 meanings.
In 15A, I think the “con” means “steer” (as in a conning tower of a submarine) rather than “dupe”. (I’m not sure if that’s what Jim means.)
Thanks for the biblical bit. Unsigned-posted references to the bible will often catch me out. Con has so many meanings and it certainly means STEER as you describe it.
Good to hear you’ve also done 2513!
You’re right that it can be hard to know whether any particular piece of knowledge is widely-known or not. I come from a family of teachers and tend to want to pass on knowledge – you can’t believe how my children have suffered!
In a forum like this though I probably risk making a fool of myself by mentioning things which are trite to other bloggers. But I shall still go on doing it just in case someone gets something out of it.
GRM
GRM
Edited at 2008-10-28 08:40 am (UTC)
Damn.
Nearly finished 2513 though!
miles3659