I found the last few of these (particularly the top left) rather difficult, though after ripping through the first half of it without a dictionary, I thought I was going to be in for an easy time. In the end I think I’ve got everything sorted out, and all the wordplay makes sense.
There’s not as many unusual words in the grid, so maybe that’s why there’s a few more tricky wordplay elements.
Away we go…
Across | |
---|---|
1 | SHWA: anagram (engineer) of WAS surrounding H(Hungary – IVR code) |
4 | DEFERRAL: F(force),ERR(screw up) in DEAL(wood) |
10 | PREMIER CRU: PREMIER(the first) then sounds like CREW |
11 | RETAMA: A,MATER reversed |
13 | U.N., A.U. |
15 | NODDER: N for F in FODDER |
16 | NUM(miners),ERIC(Irish blood-fine) |
17 | Z,EROS |
19 | GRILLROOM: R,ILL in GROOM |
22 | SEA LAWYER: (WAY)* in LEASE,R |
24 | L,EARN |
25 | BIRETTA: B,(ATTIRE)* – ann all-in-one clue |
27 | INCITE: IN then sounds like SIGHT |
29 | STAB: BATS reversed |
30 | UNLOAD: (ROUND)* surrounding |
31 | DIGLADIATE: LAD,1 in DIG(lodge),ATE(upset) |
32 | EYE TO EYE: TO(for) separating what sounds like AYE AYE |
33 | ENID: DINE |
Down | |
1 | SPRING(let off),A,L |
2 | WETA: A,TEW reversed |
3 | AMABEL: MAB(fairy Queen) in AE,L(Loch) |
4 | DIMER: MI(same as ME in music) in RED reversed |
5 | FRAN(Fanny),COLIN(quail) |
6 | ECTOZOA: (A,ZOO,ETC)* |
7 | RUN DRY: SUNDRY with R for S |
8 | ARAEOMETER: (REMOTE,AREA)* |
9 |
|
12 | ESURIENTLY: (US,ENTIRELY) – a word I expect most of us know from the Cheese Shop sketch… eee I were all ‘ungry like |
14 | MIRABELLE: (BEAR)* in MILLE |
18 | STRANDED: RAND in STED |
20 | LENT,I,GO |
21 | FACADE: FA |
23 | WELLIE: I presume this is W, then DELL computers without D, I.E. – is DELL an international brand? |
26 | RONDE |
27 | ISLE: IS moved to the front in LEIS. Prince Edward is an island (and a province) in Canada, been there twice |
28 | RO |
Well written clues and a little to make you smile.
Thanks to Tim and George.
Yes, DELL is an international brand
This week, the Saturday and Sunday not too taxing, so it happened to be that annual look at the Mephisto.
I did about half of it- mainly the bottom half. I can’t decide whether to continue though, as I’ll spend a good deal of time looking up words that I didn’t know previously existed.
I’m curious, approximately what percentage of answers do you guys know off the top of your head?
Do you see the Mephisto as a chance to learn new words of our language and animals/plants of the World, or do you expect to know this stuff??