Mephisto 2766 by Don Manley – I vant to be alone

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
One on the easier side I thought.

Across
1 GARBOLOGISTS – GARBO-LO(GIS)TS;
10 LAIR – LAIR(d);
11 SPUNKIE – S(PUNK-I)E;
12 ALCAIDE – (a citadel – t)*; T=leader in T(oledo);
13 STYME – hidden (ta)STY-ME(al);
14 DATIVE – DAT(IV)E; Roman 4=IV;
16 LAREDO – (ordeal)*;
17 AMINE – (f)AMINE;
20 SLAVER – two meanings 1=water running down from 2=ship;
21 APORIA – A-PO-RIA;
25 BOHEA – BO(HE)A;
26 LAIKER – LAI(KE)R; KE=Kinetic Energy;
29 RWANDA – R(WAND)A;
30 LOUGH – (p)LOUGH;
31 CHARACT – CHAR-ACT;
32 EMEUTES – E-M(E)UTES; E=the drug Ecstacy;
33 TRAT – (TART reversed);
34 DERMATOPHYTE – (home pet tardy)*;
 
Down
1 GLADY – G-LADY;
2 RICTAL – RI(CT)AL;
3 BRAIRD – B(RA)IRD; RA=Royal Artillery;
4 OLIVERIAN – OLIVE-RIAN(t);
5 OPEROSE – O(PER)OSE;
6 INTIMA – hidden (sa)INT-IMA(gine);
7 SKYR – SKY-R;
8 TIMONEER – TIMON-EER;
9 SEEKERS – SEE(KE)RS; KE from KE(en);
15 GALLIWASP – GALL-I-WASP;
16 LIPOSOME – (I’m loose + p=soft)*;
18 JABBLED – JAB-BLED;
19 SALICET – S(ALICE)T;
22 RED,GUM – R(EDG)UM; EDG from EDG(e);
23 SKARTH – S(K-ART)H; K from (roc)K;
24 SENARY – sounds like scenery;
27 MATTE – MATTE(r);
28 HUER – HUE-R;

9 comments on “Mephisto 2766 by Don Manley – I vant to be alone”

  1. Yes this was reasonably easy, which I was grateful for because I’m getting back into the swing of these things after a break over the summer. You do lose the knack. It must have been easy because I parsed everything, which is unusual.
    Small typo Jimbo: it’s LAREDO at 16ac.
    1. Thanks for pointing out the typo. For some reason, in its latest quirk, LJ wont let me amend the entry!!
  2. Och, the comical wee compiler’s not even trying but after his fifty years on the B-list one shouldn’t be too hard on him. His editor, however, must ensure that he doesn’t continue to peddle dumb stuff like this.

    rednim

    1. Thank you Jimbo for the review and no thanks to the this blogger who writes gratuitous insults hiding (unlike me) behind the cowardly cloak of anonymity.
    2. Let’s pretend that this comment simply converted Jimbo’s introduction into “too easy for Mephisto, I’d say”, which is the part I’m happy to respond to. There are two problems with trying to produce Mephistos (or any crosswords) at a particular level of difficulty.

      Measurement There is ample proof from timings on this site and in the (old format) Times crossword championship that the apparent difficulty of a puzzle can vary considerably, even between people whose overall ability is equal. I can only assess difficulty from my own experience in test-solving each puzzle. An accurate assessment would require test-solving by more people, and we don’t have the time or money for that.

      What’s the right level of difficulty? We need to cater for people who are solving Mephisto for the first time, and the regulars who have been solving for decades and have already seen many of those wacky words in Chambers. There is no difficulty level that will keep them all happy.

      The upshot is that the best you can do on difficulty is to hope that the setter rotation and choice of words will produce a range of difficulties for the puzzles. The editor’s time is much better spent ensuring that the puzzles are accurate.

      Peter Biddlecombe, Sunday Times Crossword Editor

      1. Thank you Peter and well said

        I did not mean to imply any criticism. I meant quite simply that I found this particular puzzle on the easy side – and as you say after 50 years of solving them that is going to happen from time to time.

    1. Thanks. I’ve amended that and also the typo spotted by K – today LJ will allow me to amend things!!

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