Enjoyable puzzle of average difficulty. Another word not found in the “correct” place in C but I was ready for it this time!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SEJM – M-JES(t) reversed; Polish assembly; |
| 4 | PISS-A-BED – PISS(AB)ED; wee=urine; autobahn=AB; the dandelion; |
| 9 | UMQUHILE – U-M(H-QU reversed)ILE; old word for once; old race as well, really; |
| 11 | AREFACTION – ARE(a)-F-ACTION; |
| 12 | ANORETIC – (creation)*; |
| 15 | CRETE – C-RETE; network (of blood vessels)=RETE; |
| 16 | STUNS’L – STUNS-L; sheet=sail; |
| 17 | TUNDED – T-UND(aunt)ED; |
| 18 | PINTLE – PIN-(let)*; |
| 20 | ERFURT – TRU(FR)E reversed; a German city I’ve never visited; |
| 23 | ROGUY – R-O-GUY; take=R; on=O; |
| 25 | HAYFORKS – sounds like “Hey, Fawkes!”; |
| 26 | BASKET,CASE – B(ASK-ETC)ASE; Greece, Portugal, and watch out for France; |
| 27 | HOLLA-HOA – HO-(ALL reversed)-HO-A; accepted=A; |
| 28 | TESSERAE – (erase set)*; must=frenzy; |
| 29 | SATS – SAT-S; tests that didn’t exist when I was at school; |
| Down | |
| 1 | SUBAHS – SH-A-BUS reversed; |
| 2 | EMANATIONAL – E-MA-NATIONAL; |
| 3 | MURRE – MURRE(y); |
| 4 | PHEERS – sounds like “fears”; |
| 5 | SLAISTERY – (litres say)*; |
| 6 | ASTERN – (e)ASTERN; |
| 7 | BAILED,UP – P(U-DELIA)B reversed; Pb=chemical symbol for lead; from Wiki DELIA Smith is a cook on TV; |
| 8 | DANGED – D-ANGE(re)D; |
| 10 | PORTER’S, KNOT – (sort kept on + r)*; “r” from (carrie)r; found in C under “knot” but not under “porter”; |
| 13 | TOLERATOR – TOLE-(art)*-OR; painted tinware=TORE; |
| 14 | TUNGUSES – (G-NUT reversed)-USES; |
| 18 | PROBIT – PRO-BIT; |
| 19 | TURKIS – change=turn then replace “n” by K-IS; turquoise; |
| 21 | RAFALE – RA-F-ALE; |
| 22 | TIS-WAS – SAW-SIT reversed; a two and eight; |
| 24 | TOSAS – TOS(A)S; |
For me the pleasure of a good Mephisto is unravelling a clue which produces an answer of delightful improbability so I enjoyed this.
Intrigued by “from Wiki” for Delia Smith! – if the sales figures quoted are right, most UK households must have at least one book from our best-selling cookery writer.