Mephisto 2564 Tim Moorey

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
Easy Peasy Again

I thought that Mephisto 2560 was easy but this was even simpler. The across clues in particular are mostly so obvious that the answers to many of the down clues are in the grid before the down clues are read! This took me less time to solve than either of the really hard puzzles used in The Grand Final at Cheltenham, required not a single reference to Chambers and I think must be my fastest Mephisto ever at about 25 minutes.

I do know that a while back there was discussion at the Times about the possible need for a “stepping stone” puzzle of a level of difficulty in between the average daily puzzle and the then average Mephisto. This was not pursued but I’m left wondering if setters have been asked to include a leavening of easy puzzles amongst their more usual fare.

I was hoping to lighten the gloom but telling you that today’s puzzle is back to normal but unfortunately the Times site is down – again!

Across
1 LLAMA – sounds like (The Dalai) Lama; easy and unimaginative start;
6 BEDROP – BED-RO(M)P; M=married; “fall on” is the definition; no real thought required;
11 PETER-SEE-ME – safe=PETER; a Spanish wine;
12 STORING – ST(O)RING; obvious solution;
14 SMEE – S-MEE(t); S=special; t=time; a feathered friend;
15 GAMBIA – GA(M-B)IA; Earth=GAIA (Greek mythology); M=mark; B=black; West African nation;
16 OUTSTRIPPING – OUT(STRIP-P)ING; bare=STRIP; top in park=P;
17 MSP – hidden (circu)MSP(ect); Member of the Scottish Parliament; obvious;
20 ICEFREE – (fierce + e=canoe’s stern)*; no need to even write out the anagrist;
22 STOOLIE – S-TOO-LIE; is=S; extremely=TOO; lean=LIE; to sing is to to turn informer=stool pigeon=STOOLIE;
24 DT’S – STD reversed; STD=standard; DT’S=delirium tremens; another obvious solution;
26 PERPETRATION – PER-PET-RATION; another yawn;
27 ASTONY – AS-TONY; for instance=AS; reference The Right Honourable Tony Benn; old form of “astonish”;
30 RYFE – (ferry – r=river)*; old word for rife=current;
31 APHONIA – A-PHONIA; one=A; sounds like “phonier”; what the wife never suffers from;
32 THANESHIPS – (the Spanish)*; Macbeth was supposedly made Thane of Cawdor; another easy anagram;
33 SENTRY – SEN-TRY; senior=SEN; go=TRY;
34 TABES – SEBAT reversed; SEBAT=5th Jewish month; wasting away;
 
Down
1 LISSOM – LIS-SOM(ewhat); iris=fleur-de-lis=LIS;
2 LITMUS,TEST – (s+times+L=leader on Labour+tut)*; acidity (pH<4.5) turns litmus paper red;solved from obvious definition;
3 MEREST – MERES-T; clubs=MERES; tee=T;
4 AT,IT – A-TIT; what can one say?;
5 DENARII – (meridian – m=money)*; 10 assess=1 denarius in ancient Rome; good topical clue;
7 ESCAPER – ES-CAPER; French art=(tu) ES;
8 DEEM – MEED reversed (old word for reward);
9 REDBIRD – RED-BI(R)D; refuse=RED; BID=make offer; R=rule; US bird, I can’t find in Chambers;
10 PELAGE – P(E=close to risible)LAGE; an animal’s woolly coat;
13 NINE-TO-FIVE – (even if not + i=it minus t=Tories’ leader)*; old fashioned concept of office hours;
18 PORTMAN – PORT-MAN; bearing=PORT; attendant=MAN; old official;
19 BLENDER – B(L)ENDER; left=L; fruit=slang for gay man=BENDER;
21 CERIPHS – CERI(P(ark benc)H)S(e); short decorative foot in serif style letters;
22 SPARTS – S-PART-S; S=section; S=spades; some=PART; Spanish broom (plant);
23 ATROPA – APORT-A all reversed; deadly nightshade; very easy;
25 SNEAPS – SN-(peas)*; tin=SN; checks; easy again;
28 OINT – (j)OINT; knee=JOINT (definition by example): old word for anoint;
29 CHIT – CH-IT; child=CH; that’s the answer=(that’s) IT; child=CHIT;

7 comments on “Mephisto 2564 Tim Moorey”

  1. Andrew K
    Jimbo: I think a few week’s back you said AZED might be a bit easier these days. Do you still hold that view. They seem very consistent to me, but I ‘ve only been doing them for 6 months or so.
    1. If we limit ourselves to AZED plain then I think he is reasonably consistent, the odd easier one, the odd one more difficult but overall quite a level standard.

      I’m very chary about saying they’re easier than they used to be – no real data just unreliable memories!

  2. You will find redbird under cardinal grosbeak in Chambers – it is another of those irregular entries.

    Erwin

    1. Thanks for that and well found. I didn’t search all that hard I must confess because I couldn’t raise the energy but well done you.
  4. Jimbo: I hesitate to reintroduce the “dumbing down” topic but I entirely agree with your comments. I took 41 minutes.

    I have not yet looked at yesterday’s but if it is as e.p. as fmks says, I will pack up the Mephisto and try the Listener instead!

    JamesM

    1. Once I managed to get hold of 2565 it proved to be harder than this one but certainly not difficult. I did have to use C and there are a couple of good clues in there!

      I’m going to track this up to Christmas and then if there’s evidence of dumbing down I’ll try writing to the Times and see what sort of response we get.

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