Mephisto 2805 – Don Manley

Posted on Categories Mephisto
I got most of the top half out without needing a dictionary, but the bottom half, and particularly the bottom left required a bit more poking, not helped by some wild “close, but no cigar” guesses from wordplay. If anyone has need of words such as WAOT, ALNAG or LAUCHE, they’re up for grabs.

Interesting grid shape – I think if you could solve the 12-letter entries, you could have a game of noughts and crosses before finishing the rest.

Away we go…

Across
1 ASS(fool),WAGE(hazard)
8 CHIV(e) – had a question mark beside this initially, wondering if CHIVE could also have been SHIVE
11 COR,Y,ZA
12 RAM,SONS
13 MEDAU: hidden in shaME DAUghter
14 ALBERTS: (BARS,LET)*
15 A.RAN(k)
16 BALNEOLOGIST: (GALLON,IS,TO,BE)*
17 CRESTON: REST(all others) in CON
21 ASHIVER: or AS HIVER
24 TEST,O(y)STER,ONE
25 WETA: A,TEW reversed – TEW for worry was a new one to me
26 VERGLAS: (GRAVEL’S)*
28 ALANG: (remuneratio)N in A LAG
29 MAM,MATE: MAM as a Guatemalan native was new to me
31 LORCHA: OR,CH in LA
32 SITH: two definitions, neither of which I knew – wasn’t Darth Vader one?
33 IDLESSE: hidden in paID LESS Exhibit
 
Down
1 AURA(l)
2 SEA LARK: or SEAL ARK
3 SEMBLE: MB(doctor) in SELE(happiness)
4 WIS(e): tricky clue, you really need to read the full definition of WIS in Chambers to see why the long definition
5 AFORETHOUGHT: anagram of THE,AUTHOR,OF,G
6 GENT,0,0: GENTOO as a penguin was in a recent Spectator crossword, so it was still in the memory bank
7 HOME(in),OTHER(different),MAL(sickness) – nice charade for a fun word
8 CREAGH: RE,AG in CH
9 HYDRIA: (RIYADH)*
10 V,AUNT,ER
17 COTWALS: (LAW,SCOT)*
18 PENATES: ATE(Goddess) in PENS
19 A,S,TART
20 STANCH: double definition
22 STEARD: (TRADES)*
23 VOLANS: LO reversed in VANS
27 SERE: sounds like SEER
30 MOE: 0 in ME

One comment on “Mephisto 2805 – Don Manley”

  1. I didn’t have too much problem with this one – just a steady unspectacular solve. Nice puzzle I thought.

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