Mephisto 2694 by Don Manley

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
Not a particularly difficult puzzle but good value none the less.

Across
1 PANCHATANTRA – PAN-CHAT-ANTRA; hollow=PAN;talk=CHAT;hollow=cave=antre so I’m guessing that ANTRA is the plural form;Vishnu Sharma’s version of Aesop’s Fables;on edit ANTRA is plural of antrum (see comments);
10 AKOLUTHOS – (lash out)* surrounds KO=knock out; Commander of the Varanglian Guard;
11 STUART – ST(U)ART; 1603-1714, James 1 to Queen Anne via Oliver Cromwell;
12 FIGO – FIG-O; something unimportant=FIG; Stratford’s sign of contempt;
13 SIGN – SI(G)N;
15 UTGARD – UT-G(u)ARD; as=UT; land of the giants in Norse mythology; on edit UT-GARD(ai) is better (see comments);
16 IMAGIST – I’M-A-GIST;
17 RELAY – REL(A)Y;
20 CADENT – CA(ED reversed)NT; going down in The Globe;
23 NARRAS – N-ARRAS; melon-like fruit;
25 SHELF – shounds like self on the randan;a dobber (grass=informer);
27 ACCOUNT – A-C(riminals)-COUNT;
28 USTION – marriage=union then replace n=new by ST=saint; old word for burning;
30 RAIT – R-AIT; to soak;
31 REAK – two meanings 1=old word for care 2=old word for prank;
32 AWMRIE – (marie)* surrounds W(hisky); a pantry in Perth;
33 TEESWATER – TEE-SWA(y)-TER; endangered sheep according to Rare Breeds Survival Trust;
34 TRENDSETTERS – T(R)END-SETTERS; R=Rex; early adopters (lighthouse customers) in marketing parlance;
 
Down
1 PASSION – PA’S-SI(O)N;
2 NOUGAT – nothing=nought then replace h=husband by A=(the indefinite) article; Montelimar’s honey, nuts and fruit sweet;
3 CLANGER – CLAN-GER; lightweight tent=GER; children’s TV character fed by the Soup Dragon;
4 ATTY – (h)ATTY; an attorney; the lady is more usually Hattie as in Jacques;
5 THRUTCH – T-H(R)UTCH; R from R(abbit); the Urban Dictionary has a graphic definition;
6 A,OUTRANCE – AOUT-RANCE; bar=RANCE; to le bitter finis;
7 TRIAL – as befits set of people=tribal then remove b=british;
8 REGRANT – GER reversed – RANT; a makeover for Hugh perhaps;
9 A’BODY – A-BO(D)Y; everybody;
14 PINAFORED – (OAP friend)*; this smacks of petticoating discipline, now rather frowned upon;
18 MAHSEER – MEER surrounds (has)*; MEER=old word for mere; large Malaysian carp;
19 ASANTES – AS-ANTES; like=AS; Akan people from Ivory Coast;
21 DOORMAT – DO-OR-MAT; men=ordinary ranks=OR; a man who has been pinafored, perhaps;
22 TATTERS – TATTERS(all); fabric that’s checked=tattersall;
24 QUARTE – QU(ART)E; parry number 4: blade up, to the inside, wrist supinated;
25 SURAT – outfit=suit then change “i”=one to RA=artist; cotton featured in landmark legal judgement The Peerless Case (Raffles v Wichelhaus) used in English contract law;
26 ETAPE – E-PATE reversed; pie once=PATE; rations in Rouen;
29 CASE – two meanings 1=humorous character 2=hardback book cover;

6 comments on “Mephisto 2694 by Don Manley”

  1. I was quite busy on Sunday so I didn’t get much of this done until later in the week.

    For 1ac, I think ANTRA is the plural of ANTRUM.

    For 15dn, I originally had the same idea as you but I think UT-GARD(ai) is better.

      1. I had a horrible feeling that I had said 15 was a down clue when I looked at the puzzle later, but by then I was without internet access.
  2. Thanks for explaining UTGARD – I thought it was GUARD without U but that didn’t seem to follow the wordplay. I made a mess of things on the right hand side by inventing CEDANT and not reading the clue carefully. Got there eventually, FIGO last in, nice word.
    1. Interestingly George FIGO was a relatively famous footballer. Not the most auspicious surname to bandy about!
      1. So famous that even I’ve heard of him. More recently he has starred in one of the worst TV adverts ever made.
        Good puzzle as always. I seem to have misplaced my copy but I don’t think I had any queries for a change.

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