I found this the most difficult Mephisto in recent memory, and needed a bunch of solving sessions before I got going. I think I may have not been the target audience for this crossword, because when I see clues involving soccer players I start to space out immediately, and ignored 1 across and 30 across until near the end. That was a bad move, since I guessed both of them with the checking letters available. Most of this was done in fits and starts in coffee shops, and I needed a short session with Chambers to tie the lot together and confirm some answers (though I’m only 98.5% sure on 27 down…). Oh, I’m writing this blog while drinking and watching the Superduperbowl, so enjoy the good with the bad. Cheers!
| Across |
| 1 |
ESTOP: George BEST on POP, both missing the first letter. From what I understand Best enjoyed a drink, was champers his tipple o’ choice? |
| 2 |
AMPASSY: PASS in AMY – another word for ampersand |
| 10 |
SHAVELING: HAVE,L in SING |
| 11 |
TASER: RESAT reversed |
| 12 |
TEN,UT,O: Loved this clue, Tim, and I’m sure Peter B enjoyed it as well – UT is our musical DO, and TENUTO would mean “sustained” in a dreary work like Jerusalem – I think this may also be a continuation of the soccer theme, don’t fans chant it sometimes? |
| 14 |
SAOUARIS: (g)UAR(d) in OASIS* |
| 15 |
EHED: sounds like AID |
| 16 |
ACCT: C in ACT – abbreviation for ACCOUNT, though I don’t think I’ve seen it used that way in the story sense |
| 17 |
PASTERNAK: PASTE then (RANK)* – author of “Dr Zhivago” |
| 20 |
DROOP NOSE: Hmmm… D, then (SPOONER, O)*, but what is the NOT doing in the clue? Am I missing something? |
| 23 |
ARIS: A, (P)ARIS. Just go look it up in Chambers, you’ll enjoy yourself |
| 24 |
RU,RU: another name for the Morpoke. Is Nelson meant to be Cape Nelson (near where I grew up), or Nelson on the North Island of NZ – never been there? |
| 26 |
LOVE,LACE |
| 28 |
TRAILS: double definition |
| 29 |
ARISE: I in ARSE (see 23 and maybe Tim M. is trying to say something about soccer) |
| 30 |
PELE-TOWER: got the TOWER part of this first |
| 31 |
SLENTER: LENT in SE,R – though I can’t see where the SE comes form the rest of this. Found in Chambers under SLINTER |
| 32 |
SPATS: T for N in SPANS |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
ESTREPE: (TREES)*, P,(illag)E |
| 2 |
SHASH: double definition (didn’t know either) |
| 3 |
(D)OVER |
| 4 |
PERSUE: sounds like PURSUE |
| 5 |
ALGARROBAS: GAR,ROB in ALAS. BONE can mean to seize |
| 6 |
PNEUMA: N,E in PUMA. It has nothing to do with the clue, but whenever I see PUMA I think of this amazing movie from 1980
|
| 7 |
SOUR,CR,OUT: I didn’t realise this was an alternative spelling |
| 8 |
SHTICKS: H in STICKS. Stage patter or catchphrase |
| 9 |
YTOST: hidden, and one of those olde-style Y-front words that are popular in Listeners |
| 12 |
TOP-NOTCHER: NOTCH in TOPER |
| 13 |
AESTIVATE: I,V in A,ESTATE |
| 19 |
REUTERS: RE-UTTERS without a T – liked this clue a lot |
| 21 |
RILLET: ILL in RET |
| 22 |
PL,EATS |
| 23 |
ALTOS: A (are) then LOST with the T moved up |
| 25 |
ROSET: GROSET without the G |
| 27 |
PROP?: I’m torn between TROP and PROP. TROP is hidden reversed, but there is no real definition without UP doing double duty. PROP is up the wall (anagrammed) in SUPPORT, and there’s a direct definition. I’m leaning towards PROP but will probably be wrong. |
14ac I has SAGUAROS lightly pencilled in for a while, and tried for some time to justify EMMA at 24ac.
20ac I parsed as D(Down) + (O(n)SPOONER)* (hence “not new”) with “clue” as the anagrind, but I may be wrong. ( Probably stating the b..g obvious, but the Jumbo is presumably a joking reference to an elephant, as the 747 Jumbo does not have a droop nose a la Concorde.)
23 and 29 seem to continue the Mephisto obsession with buttocks – I must make a list of them one day!
28a I think “the barrier at York perhaps” is “t'” (Yorkshire “the”) + rails (on a racecourse) – not sure if that is what George meant – apologies if so.
Can you please explain 26? Presumably LOVE is sexual attachment, ACE is one, but where does the L come from?
I had 26 as LOVE(sexual), LACE(attachement) and the ACE is an extra part of the definition.
One behind sexual attachment essentially gallant? (8) Lovelace – LOVE (sexual attachment) + L (essentially = centre of gallant) + ACE (one), & lit.
Did you know that pasternak (17ac) is the Russian for parsnip?
The ruru (24ac) is a New Zealand bird so it must refer to Nelson south island. Not that I have ever been there or anywhere else outside of Europe for that matter.
The SE in slenter (31ac) comes from the terms (ends) of its time.
I agree that 27dn should be prop since the T is not an inside part of su(ppor)t.
It could be worth mentioning for new solvers that you wont find PELE-TOWER in the obvious place in Chambers. It’s under “peel tower”. Chambers has eliminated a lot of these very difficult references in recent editions but clearly there are some that remain.
I was disappointed with LOVELACE that Ada wasn’t used. The inventor of computer programming being worthy of a mention.
I went for PROP as an anagram of “ppor” from the “inside” of “support”
My iPod version of Chambers found Pele-tower for me.