I’m standing in for Peter
This is an easy puzzle, ideal for new solvers. Unusually for a Mephisto I solved it top to bottom, left to right, with no gaps left for subsequent investigation. I have not indicated “starter clues” as there are too many of them.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | REPAST – RE(PA)ST; |
| 5 | TERATA – TE(RAT)A; monstrosities (see “teras” in C); |
| 9 | INLIER – I-N(L)IER; an outcrop of older rock (C) |
| 10 | HOAXER – HO(AX)ER; AX=US spelling of “axe”=dismiss |
| 11 | FACE,CREAM – (farce came)*; why “advertising”? |
| 14 | OAST – (T)OAST; |
| 16 | FOURSQUARE – FOURS-QUARE; FOUR=four oar boat; QUARE=dialect (local) queer; (C) |
| 17 | FOOL,AROUND – (ALOOF reversed)+ROUND; |
| 20 | UNRIPENESS – (spurs+e+nine)*; interestingly (s+score+nine)* gives “recensions”; |
| 23 | STRAIGHTEN – (GI-ARTS all reversed)+(then)*; |
| 25 | STET – STE(N)T; stent=Scots tax; (C) |
| 26 | BEAUMARIS – BEA(trice)-U(MARI)S; MARI=French for husband; a resort on Angelsy; |
| 27 | ENLARD – EN(LAR)D; LAR=Lybia; Waggledagger for grease; (C) |
| 28 | ESTATE – two meanings; a type of car; rank; |
| 29 | LOONIE – two meanings; see loon-1 for the boy and loon-2 for the Canadian dollar; (C) |
| 30 | WHALER – sounds like “wailer”; an Australian tramp (C) |
| Down | |
| 1 | RIPOFF – RI(OP reversed)FF; RIFF=a repeated musical phrase (C) |
| 2 | ENHALO – EN(HAL)O; ONE=a drink as in “one for the road”; “ring” is the definition; |
| 3 | PLUS,FOURS – PLUS-(for us)*; also=PLUS; old fashioned golfing attire; |
| 4 | SEAQUARIUM – sounds like “seek wary”+UM; |
| 5 | THEOSOPHER – THEO(hopes)*R(y); |
| 6 | RARE – two meanings; RARE-1=thin (of the air); RARE-3=old word for early; (C) |
| 7 | TEA,URN – T(EA)URN; EA=running water; (C) |
| 8 | ARMLET – A(RM)LET; (late)* including RM=Royal Marines; two weeks running for ARMLET; |
| 12 | CIRRIGRADE – CIR(RIG)RADE; (carried)* including RIG=equipment; slow moving thin high clouds; |
| 13 | COQUETTISH – C(r)OQUET+(this)*; r=winger finally; definition is “dallying”; |
| 15 | CADENTIAL – (CAD for POT)ENTIAL; power=potential; falling – see cadenced in C; |
| 18 | ISABEL – IS-ABEL; reference Christian Bible, Genesis, Cane killed Abel; drab; (C) |
| 19 | STHENO – (honest)*; mythical immortal sister of Medusa, inventor of the wifely stare; |
| 21 | SVELTE – (vet+les)*; |
| 22 | SUTLER – sounds like “subtler”; a person who sells liquor; |
| 24 | YUAN – NA(U)Y all reversed; Chinese currency; |
It must have been easy – I finished it in a single sitting! I thought it was an enjoyable puzzle.
There were only a handful of clues which I needed to refer to Chambers at all. The only answer which I didn’t know and was not in the dictionary was 19dn, but it was clearly an anagram and “sthenic” was there to provide some circumstantial evidence.
In 11ac I took “advertising” to be just a rather unusual result indicator (=”produces”).
By the way, it appears this week’s is not linked, but per a message on the Crossword Centre it can be found using a googly search. I didn’t know that when I woke up and was looking for a Sunday solve, so I grabbed the current Azed instead and enjoyed it immensely.