Mephisto 2774 by Paul McKenna

Posted on Categories Mephisto
The third relatively easy one on the trot. With “ologist” obvious in the anagrist at 1A and particularly 2D and 3D being give-aways 1A put up no resistance and in this grid that means a fast start. When 1D starting B suggested “black” for “smut” the whole puzzle proved to be very straightforward.

Across
1 BALNEOLOGIST – (belgian tools)*; expert found in Bath perhaps;
10 LIMINA – LIM(IN)A;
12 ROAR – R(ace)-OAR;
13 HAVEOUR – HAVE(OU)R; OU=Oxford University; HAVER=blather in Banff; old (=lost) word for possession;
14 CUNEATE – CU(NEAT)E; Q=CUE; wedge shaped as applied to Assyrian letters;
15 ASPEN – A-S-PEN; reference submarine PEN; the trembling poplar;
16 KAID – K(A)ID; a chief;
18 KISSES – K-(m)ISSES;
20 COMPOUND – COM-POUND; comedy=COM; as distinct from simple interest;
23 STOPPAGE – ST(OPP)AGE;
25 BALLOW – B-ALLOW; old word for bat;
26 ANTI – fizz=Asti (Spumanti) then change “s” to “n”; not just her – I think it’s awful stuff too;
27 BRASS – BRAS-S; slang for a prostitute;
29 IMAGIST – I-MA-GIST; in=I;
31 FINICKY – FIN-ICKY; US paper money=FIN;
32 GAPE – GA(P)E; go=GAE in Glasgow;
33 PAELLA – PAE(LL)A(n); triumphal song=paean;
34 EXPRESS,TRAIN – (extra snipers)*; Mallard perhaps;
 
Down
1 BLACK,CABBAGE – BLACK-CABBAGE; smut=BLACK; drone=CABBAGE; Tuscan kale;
2 AINU – AI-N-U; fish=AI; a tall Japanese;
3 NIXED – (index)*; fog is anagrind;
4 ENHALO – ONE reversed surrounds HAL;
5 LOVEKNOT – VOL reversed-(token)*;
6 OLEA – O-LEA;
7 GROSS,UP – GRO(SS)UP; saint=S;
8 SAREES – S(AR)EE-S;
9 TRANSLEITHAN – (lantern has it)*; Hungarian;
11 MINIMAL – (milan)* surrounds IM=Instant Messaging;
17 OUTWICKS – OUT-WICKS; creeks=WICKS; trick in curling (strange custom north of the border);
19 STANIEL – STAN-IE-L(esser); reference Stan Laurel; kestrel;
21 PILSNER – PIL(SN)ER; tin=SN; lager from Pilsen – for me nearly as undrinkable as Asti;
22 CARFAX – CAR-FAX; town centre crossroads;
24 PLAY,AT – PLAYA-T;
26 AGGER – (d)AGGER;
28 SIZE – (EZ-IS all reversed);
30 SOLI – hidden reversed (lacihpo)SOLI(hp);

4 comments on “Mephisto 2774 by Paul McKenna”

  1. Paul McKenna sent me this one as a test solver. The only thing I didn’t spot was NU as an abbreviation for Name Unknown (U isn’t in Chambers by itself for “unknown”).
  2. Yes, quite straightforward. I wondered about 14ac where Chambers specifically refers to Assyrian letters in the definition of “cuneiform” but not “cuneate”.
    1. Interesting point. I was able to solve straight from definition and immediately verify from the cryptic so didn’t actually look it up in C. So, perhaps a slight stretch but I can’t believe it held you up.
      1. No, it didn’t hold me up at all. It just struck me as a little less precise than the norm in these puzzles.

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