For me the hardest Mephisto for some time and the more enjoyable for that. Some of the wordplays are very good. Thank you Tim. I have a hang up at 4D where the wordplay is not quite clear to me. I’m guessing overseas solvers and others who didn’t know my mother-in-law may struggle with the bingo call so watch out in the future for Kelly’s Eye and Tom Mix!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | PEND – (s)PEND: shed=spend; |
| 4 | BARGESTS – BARGE-STS; lighter=barge; hobs=goblins=definition; |
| 10 | EVIRATED – EVI(RATE)D; dash=DIVE, from the east=reversal indicator; knackered=tired; |
| 11 | KOHANGA,REO – KO(HANGAR)EO; KOEO from (l)OOKE(d) “schooled” = jumbled; a kindergarten; |
| 12 | IN,BOUNDS – IN(BOUND)S; |
| 15 | ESILE – (someon)E-(lies)*; old form of eisel=vinegar; major trap here, “eisel” also fits the clue; |
| 16 | INRO – (no sir without “s”)*; s=latest in (hat)s; worn=anagrind; |
| 17 | FARNESOL – (ones)* in FARL=cake; tins is containment indicator; an acohol; |
| 18 | AGRAFFES – A-G(i)RAFFES; Australian=A; hooked clasps; |
| 20 | LEGS – reference “legs eleven” = bingo call for number eleven; |
| 22 | SCATH – SCA(r)T-H; old word for blast; |
| 25 | CREVASSE – CRE(V-ASS)E; (American) Indian=CREE; behind=arse=ASS; |
| 26 | LAURDALITE – LAUR(D)A-LITE; Ashley perhaps=LAURA; day=D; little=LITE; a rock; |
| 27 | HISTOGEN – (this)*-OGEN; botanical region; |
| 28 | ISABELLA – (all is)* surrounds ABE=Lincoln; |
| 29 | ORRA – OR-R(estaurant)-A(ppear); occassional in Oban; |
| Down | |
| 1 | PERITI – PER-(z)ITI; A=PER; pasta=ziti; consultants to the RC Church; |
| 2 | EVENING,CLASS – EVENING-C-LASS; paper=EVENING (edition); college=C; |
| 3 | DROOG – G(R)OOD reversed; take=recipe=R; a violent hooligan from A Clockwork Orange; |
| 4 | BAHUT – BAH-(c)UT; not quite sure how the wordplay works; see comment from Jerry – very straightforward really! |
| 5 | RENDERER – R-END-ER-ER; runs=R (cricket); close=END; queen=ER; |
| 6 | ELAPSE – ELAPS-(cops)E; |
| 7 | SURMISER – S-U(R-MISER)S; south=S; America=US; rule=R; |
| 8 | THEOLOGASTER – (role that goes)*; a shallow theologian; |
| 9 | SHOVEL – SH-OVE(r)-L(ondon); |
| 13 | BARRACUDA – BARRA-C-UDA(l); Scottish Island=BARRA; caught=C; Scottish estate=UDAL; loch=L; |
| 14 | TAFFRAIL – T(A-FF)RAIL; one=A; did it=FF; quiz=TRAIL; a stern rail; |
| 18 | A,SALTI – A(SALT)I; Japanese fish=AI; fits and starts; |
| 19 | ATHROB – (b)ATH-ROB; nick=ROB (slang); |
| 21 | STERNA – STERN-A: accepted=A; |
| 23 | EVITA – (initi)ATIVE reversed; show=musical=EVITA; |
| 24 | RATOO – RA(w)-TOO(l); Fiji Chief; |
Many thanks for the blog – five clues I couldn’t parse this week and some new things to remember, including FF.
I remembered the phrase “legs eleven” but I thought it was a dance troupe that used to appear on Top of the Pops. Close, but no cigar!
I fell into the EISEL trap, but fortunately 9dn SHOVEL was quite straightforward and then I remembered falling into a similar trap at some point in the past, perhaps in an Azed.