Mephisto 2634 by Paul McKenna

Posted on Categories Mephisto
The second puzzle in a row to be on the hard side of average without being fiendish. I thoroughly enjoyed wrestling with it. Oddly I was off to a good start with the first three across clues going straight in but thereafter it slowed down considerably with the eastern half proving more elusive than the west.

Across
1 CHINWAGS – CHIN(W)A(G)S; women=W; start to gas=G; cockney mates=CHINAS; rabbit, rabbit, rabbit;
7 GLEI – hidden reversed (ar)IEL G(azelles); sticky clay;
10 ISRAELI – IS-(LEAR reversed)-I; ref Edward Lear 1812-1888;
12 SAIVA – SAI-V-A; capuchin=SAI; against=V; Hindu sect of the Saiva Siddhanta Church;
13 INCASED – INCAS-ED;
15 PONTIE – P-ON-TIE; penny=P; close to=ON; couple=TIE; see punty; an implement used in glass blowing;
16 EREWHON – (WE’RE reversed)-HON(ey); doll=term of endearment=honey=HON; imaginary country invented by Samual Butler. An anagram of “nowhere” but actually a satirical commentary on Victorian England;
17 DOOCE – DO-O-CE; tidy=DO; old=O; finance chancellor (of the Exchequer)=CE; to be fired as a result of the content of ones own website. A term devised by Heather Armstrong who was penalised in this way;
19 TADPOLE – TA(pod)*LE;
20 CABARET -CA(BARE)T;
23 BAYOU – BA(d)-YOU; the reader=YOU; attractive=BAD (slang); who can forget Roy Orbison and Blue Bayou released when I had just turned 21 in 1963;
25 GOA,BEAN – GO-A-BEAN; pass over=die=GO; loaf=head=BEAN;
27 SIPPLE – (lies)* around PP=parish priest;
29 SEA,LORD – two meanings 1=book by Bernard Cornwell 2=highest rank in navy; we’ll have one per ship soon;
30 ATRIA – A-TRIA(l); hint of lewdness=L; French tenor with comedic aptitude=(Antoine) TRIAL 1736-1795 (see C). He compensated for a reedy, nasal voice by acting the fool. Over commited himself to Robespierre and ended up commiting suicide;
31 MONIALS – MON(om)IALS; one-word names=monomials; Hindu syllable=mo; mullions;
32 SOSS – SO-S(o)-S; tolerable=SO-SO so barely tolerable=SO-S; second=S; Glaswegian gruel;
33 GIGAFLOP – engagement=GIG; Australian=A; head south=droop=FLOP; no, not Microsoft Bob but rather a computer processing speed of one billion instructions per second;
 
Down
1 CISTED – C-IS-TED; charlie=C (phonetic alphabet); unruly girl=TED; a tomb consisting of a covered stone box;
2 IRIS – IR-IS; infared=IR; lamp=eye;
3 NAVEW – NA-V-(th)E-(sno)W; not available=NA; see=V; a neep to be eaten mashed with haggis and a dram;
4 WEATHER,ALONG – (the role anag + w=with)*;
5 ALIYOT – ALI(ce)-(TOY reversed); play=TOY; all about kibbutz settlements;
6 SECOND,BANANA – SECOND-BAN-ANA; stage=SECOND; boycott=BAN; anecdote=ANA; Bud Abbott; George Burns; Dean Martin;
7 GRANDPA – GR-AND-PA; grey=GR; as well as=AND; past=PA; your blogger;
8 LOST,TO – LO(S)TTO; son=S; bingo=LOTTO;
9 INDENE – IN-DENE; valley=DENE; sand dune=DENE; benzocyclopentadiene;
11 KEITLOAS – (eat kilos)*; the two-horned, black, rhinocerous;
14 CROAKIER – sounds like CROW-KEA;
18 CAMPLES – CAMP-LES; to wrangle;
20 CISSUS – CISS(y)-US; the kangaroo vine;
21 BYPASS – BY-P(ratt’s)-ASS; via=BY; bottom=arse=ASS; the third battle of Newbury occurred in 1996 (the first two were in 1643 and 1644);
22 TOP,DOG – (POT reversed)-DO-G(uide); can=POT; party=DO;
24 UNHASP – UN-H-ASP; locally one=UN; husband=H;
26 BUT,IF – BUT-I-F(log); cask=BUT; record=log so flog without record=F;
28 ORAL – (m)ORAL; master=m;

3 comments on “Mephisto 2634 by Paul McKenna”

  1. I found this came together pretty quickly, until I hit the Florida corner which sat empty for a few days before I could crib together MONIALS and confirm ORAL.
  2. I completed around half in 2 sittings – now realise that some of the ones I wasn’t convinced enough to put in – Erewhon and Aliyot for example – were right and thanks for explanation. I am sure I looked up Aliyot and either blanked it or it is not in my (old) edition of Chambers. Found this ‘hard side of average’ one easier, by my own poor standards, than previous ones that were apparently easy side of average – if you get my drift. Don’t know why this should be.
    Enjoyed this very much – even though I failed by a long long way. Good blog – thanks
    Chris
    1. As you become accustomed to them they will appear to get a little easier each time (unless we get a real stinker of course)

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