Mephisto 2804 by Paul McKenna

Posted on Categories Mephisto
Reasonably straightforward Mephisto in which Alf Garnett meets Mahatma Gandhi – I wonder what Alf would have said? At 4D I’ve queried “full-time”, suggesting “permanent” as a better alternative whilst both 13A and 20D appear to contain padding to enhance surface reading.

Across
1 TO,DATE – TOD-ATE; sly in Saltcoats=TOD;
7 GAEL – GA(v)EL; Highlander in Halkirk=GAEL;
11 ARBA – ARB-A; ARB=contraction of arbitrager;
12 BIRETTA – B-(attire)*; nice if rather old clue;
13 PTARMIGAN – (raping ATM)*; “living the high life” looks like padding;
15 PUDIBUND – PUD-I(BUN)D;
16 ALOWE – AL(WO reversed)E; WO=without; on fire in Fairburn;
17 PENNINE – PENN(IN)E; Gennaro signals Italian=pasta;
19 CAMORRA – CAM-ORRA; CAM-3=slate in Sandhaven; worthless in Wamphrey=ORRA; naughty boys in Naples;
24 ELATION – (r)ELATION;
25 RUNFLAT – RUN-FLAT; average=RUN; a tyre that will function after a puncture;
27 HAOMA – HA(O)MA(l); porter from the east=hamal; a ritual drink;
28 CATHEDRA – CATH-(read)*:
31 PAINTABLE – PAIN-TABLE; advice charity=Parents Against Injustice=PAIN: move=TABLE;
32 ETRENNE – apple=rennet then move ‘t=it to give “trenne” after E=English; New Year gift in Giverny;
33 LAID – LA(I)D; lover in Laxay=LAD;
34 DIYA – DIY-A;
35 GALENA – GALE-NA; mining licence=GALE-3;
 
Down
1 TAPE – E(P)AT all reversed; mess=food=EAT;
2 ORTOLAN – hidden reversed (dep)OR-TOL-A-NO(bbir);
3 AARDWOLF – A-(word)* surrounded by ALF (eg Garnett);
4 TEMPERA – TEMP-ERA; I think “permanent work” would be better – temping can be “full-time”;
5 BIG,DEAL – (obligated – to)*;
6 BRAIN – BR-A(I)N; bedroom=BR;
8 ATTUITION – AT-TUITION; psycho babble of some sort;
9 ETEN – (f)ETE-N;
10 LADDER – L-ADDER;
14 MOMENTARY – MOME-N(T)ARY; nag=MOME;
18 NOT,AT,ALL – NOT-A-TALL; accepted=A;
20 READING – two meanings – not sure why we need “red brick”;
21 MAHATMA – MA-HAT-MA; bowler=HAT; an adept, a sage as in Gandhi;
22 COMPLIN – COMPL(a)IN; about=A;
23 ARCHED – ARCH-ED;
26 LEANT – LE-ANT; poorer area like Belleville in NE Paris might have been better;
29 ANTI – is not commonly=aint then move “i” to give ANTI;
30 VEDA – V-E(D)A; God=D; dialect for channel=EA;

2 comments on “Mephisto 2804 by Paul McKenna”

  1. Thank you for the blog Jimbo. I hadn’t quite managed to parse ETRENNE missing T for IT.

    I had the same thought about 4dn.

    My son is an arbitrage trader in London – next time I speak to him I have to remember to call him an ARB and see how he reacts.

  2. I found this one a bit more tricky than the past few weeks, in particular the bottom half. Was rather tickled by the possibility of PUDIBUND being a word.

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