Mephisto 2829 – Don Manley

Author   glhPosted on Categories Mephisto
My shiny new copy of Don Manley’s Crossword Manual arrived last week, meaning I now own books by two of the Mephisto setters (I have a sneaking suspicion that Paul McKenna isn’t in any immediate danger of releasing a book on crosswords). Haven’t had a chance to read it yet, most likely it will be a Christmas airplane read.

Regular Mephisto solvers won’t find this particularly challenging, I solved this with the dictionary nearby but I think I only opened it a few times to convince myself of wordplay elements for writing this one up.

I have a show tonight so I’m writing this in anticipation of the “postpone until” feature of LiveJournal working. I don’t seem to have a great deal of luck with that, so if this is very late, rest assured it was actually very early.

Away we go…

Across
1 THUNDERCLAP: (PUT,CHANDLER)*
12 KNAIDEL: LANK reversed containing IDE
13 D,(r)ETINUE
14 RASSE: RE containing ASS
15 U.N., RATED
16 SCAN: C(omplaint) in SAN
17 NEAL: sounds like KNEEL
18 WE,SAND: another spelling of WEASAND meaning “gullet”
20 CHIPPER: referring CARPENTERING at 6 down
24 KETCH,UP: I don’t like this condiment, so I was pleased to see “revolting sauce” as part of the clue. Yes, I realise writing “I don’t like ketchup” is likely to get me kicked out of the US some day
27 UNTRIM: RT reversed in U,NIM(game)
28 MENU: U for upper rank
29 (g)RANT
30 STRUDEL: ST then a RUDE LOUT missing OUT. Mmmmmm… STRUDEL
32 ADENI: DEN in A1
33 CHIRRUP: CH,1, then PURR reversed
34 CELESTE: anagram of SELECTED without the D
35 MARTINGALES: straps for horses – anagram of A,GARMENT,IS and L(50)
 
Down
2 HYEN: hidden in filtHY ENvironment
3 ULTRAIST: U,LT, then RAT containing IS
4 DANTOPHILIST: (POINT,THIS,LAD)*
5 EKUELE: E,LUKE reversed around E(Spain)
6 CARPENTERING: I had CARPENTRYING at first – CARING surrounding P,ENTER
7 LIASSIC: (SILICA’S)*
8 PESANT: PENT(shut up) containing SA
9 BLEND,E(arth): I’ve never thought of this as a single word, usually seeing it as part of PITCHBLENDE or ZINC BLENDE (well in the latter it’s a separate word)
10 ADUNC: A DUNCE without E
11 SIAL: SAL surrounding I
19 ANHEDRAL: RA in (HANDEL)* – between BLENDE and this, looks like that degree in Inorganic Chemistry is finally paying off!
21 PARTNER: RENT,RAP all reversed. Probably the best thing to do with rap “music”
22 CU,RACY
23 ANADEM: A, then AD(notice) in MEN reversed
25 EOTHEN: (THE,ONE)*
26 PULPY: LP in PUY(volcanic core)
28 MURK: got this from the definition, had to get a list of Russian cities online to spot MURMANSK which needs to lose MANS here
31 EUGE: alternating letters in mE jUgGlE

3 comments on “Mephisto 2829 – Don Manley”

  1. I doubt there has been a less interesting Mephisto. Such tired clueing as ‘Old animal in filthy environment’ shouldn’t appear in a prize crossword. Wee Donald seems to be just going through the motions and the editor really should take out his paddle from under the desk.
    PS
    A crossword manual by Don Manley? Some mistake, surely.
    rednim
  2. No problem with this one also solved pretty much without the dictionary.

    Good to see you like strudel George but that combined with not liking ketch up must give rise to some interesting conversations!

  3. I completely agree with the previous comment.

    14 solutions in this puzzle were simple words in everyday general use, which should have no place in Mephisto. Furthermore, a lot of the word play was feeble, about the level of Times quick cryptic, eg scan, curacy, grant.

    I put these points to the ST crossword editor; he seems to feel that it is important that a clue should have a good surface rather than being challenging.
    It would be good to hear the views of other solvers

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