This was one of the most complicated Mephistos for me in recent history. There’s some very odd language in here, and a number of wordplay elements that are either new to me or I don’t recall them from before.
It’s been a while since we’ve had insipid-sounding foods in the Mephisto (the place where I learned of the existence of CRAPPIT-HEAD, SALOOP and many other delicrazies. Another one enters at 26 across.
I’m posting this in advance, but I probably won’t be able to clarify anything on Sunday. I have the enviable task of performing at a guided pub crawl.
Away we go!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | GINGS: G(grand),IN(consisting of – it’s in Chambers but I can’t think of a common usage),GS(Guineas) |
| 6 | OBECHE: E,CH(chestnut) in OBE |
| 11 | LOGOGRAM: LOG(a fine),then R(the dog letter) in OGAM(ancient alphabet) |
| 13 | DATUM: T in DAU(daughter), M(mobile). One of those words you rarely see used in the singular, particularly in the US, where it’s DATA or nothing |
| 14 | WAYGONE: GO(success) in John WAYNE |
| 15 | JEOFAIL: FOE reversed in JAIL |
| 17 | EAMED: BEAMED with the head chopped off – bore as in “gave birth to” |
| 18 | IDYLS: SLY, D(ryden), I all reversed |
| 20 | MAHARANEE: wonderful clue – take the D’s out of MAD(unstable), HARD(firm), AND and DEE(damn) |
| 22 | LACERABLE: L(lough), ACER(tree) and then ABELE(poplar) with the middle missing |
| 25 | ANTIC: shift the I in AIN’T,C |
| 26 | SHCHI: hidden – a sour Russian cabbage soup. Ummm, yum? |
| 30 | AYMARAN: A,R,A in (MANY)* |
| 31 | INC,LINE |
| 32 | CLANG: double def – the complex noise is under KLANG, but CLANG is given as an alternative |
| 33 | SKREIGHS: G in (SHRIEKS)* |
| 34 | HEXADS: HEX(bewitch) then D(500) in AS(when) |
| 35 | ROYST: ROYS(trendies) with the back of fronT |
| Down | |
| 1 | GADJE: DJ(spinner) in GAE(give – as in collapse) |
| 2 | IDAEAN: A in IDEA, N(knight) |
| 3 | NOTONECTA: TO(near) in (ONE,CAN’T)* |
| 4 | GRU,FE: GRU is Russian Militry Intelligence |
| 5 | GO WITH A BANG: I think I’ve got this figured out – GO WITH – succeed in court, as in successfully date, A BAN (sentence – banishment), G(end of hanginG) |
| 7 | BOY-GIRL: BOYG for a problem was new to me, then IRL |
| 8 | EGGY: EG(zB – which I thought was a typo at first), G(german), Y(hostel – the Y) |
| 9 | HA’N’T,L(left),E(Spain) |
| 10 | EMERSED: Ralph Waldo EMERSON with the ON becoming ED |
| 12 | GALLABIYEHS: (HEY,ALI,BLAGS)* |
| 16 | GYNOCRACY: GY(gray – the unit),CON reversed, RACY(blue) |
| 19 | ‘S,LAVISH |
| 21 | ARCTIID: I in TID(fit condition) under ARC |
| 23 | ANANKE: NAN in AKE |
| 24 | C,HANTS |
| 27 | HALLO: L(latin) in HALO(glory) |
| 28 | INGOT: hidden |
| 29 | FL,EA(river) |
As George is off on the randan I’ll look in from time to time to help with any queries
Thanks for explaining LOGOGRAM: couldn’t figure it out.
Enjoy the pub crawl. I’ll wager the quality of the guiding will not remain consistent throughout.