Mephisto 2860 by Tim Moorey

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
Straightforward puzzle for solstice day so even if you were up to see the sun rise you shouldn’t have had too much trouble.

Across
1 PSIS – P(S)I’S; singular=S; Greek number 700,000 (number of new drachma to the Euro?);
4 BY,ITSELF – (I fly best)*;
9 HOME,RUNS – cryptic definition I guess – is there more to this that I’m missing?;
11 MAASTRICHT – MA(A-STRICH)T;
12 SKITTLES – S(KITTLE)S;
15 REICH – (d)REICH; deserted=d;
16 CORBY – COR-BY;
17 TROTSKY – TROT-SKY; passage=TROT;
18 PLACITA – (capital)*;
20 BRIAR – BRIAR(d);
22 RADAR – RAD-(RA reversed); excellent=RAD;
24 BEDEVILS – BED(EVIL)S;
25 METACARPUS – MAT-A(CARP)US;
26 ANGELICA – (nice gal)*-A;
27 TIMONEER – TIM-ON-EER; reference “Tiny Tim”;
28 ERKS – (j)ERKS;
 
Down
1 PHASIC – P(HAS)IC;
2 SOCKDOLAGER – SOCK-DO-LAGER; the wife’s last word;
3 SEATO – SEAT-O; membership=SEAT;
4 BRATTY – B(R)ATTY;
5 INTEGRAND – (a trending)*; calculus;
6 SWIVET – S(WIVE)T;
7 ECCRISIS – EC-CRISIS;
8 FITCHY – F(ilm)-ITCHY;
10 CHOCK-A-BLOCK – COCK surrounds (lack h o b)*; h(ugely) o(verpaid) b(onuses);
13 LITTLEANE – (ad entitle)*;
14 GRADATIM – GRAD-A-TIM;
18 PROMPT – two meanings;
19 CATALO – CA-TALO(n);
20 BEEPER – BEE-PER;
21 RUSMAS – RUS(MA)S;
23 MVULE – Christmas=YULE then replace (lorr)Y by MV=Motor Vessel;

5 comments on “Mephisto 2860 by Tim Moorey”

  1. Home = in; Runs = stands (for President). Thought the latter was more general than N Am. It’s good of you and George to continue these blogs in spite of the generally low level of comment.
    1. Thanks for that

      I believe rather more people read these blogs than comment. Mephisto is rarely controversial in the way that the daily puzzle can be so often there is really little to say. From time to time we get new solvers thanking us and that is always pleasing.

      1. Every time I take a stab at Mephisto, I 1) fail to get far, 2) read the blog, and 3) thank both you and George for the explanation. I rarely think I have enough vision to actually comment on the clues, the definitions, or the professional explanation, and when I think I have that vision I quickly correct myself.
        For what it’s worth.
        1. Take heart and persevere. I started in 1962 doing Ximenes puzzles in the Sunday Observer under the tutelage of a work colleague. It was a long process but eventually I got the hang of it – just as you will!
  2. I’m wondering now why my grid has so many question marks around it, usually meaning words I needed to check the definition of after putting them in from wordplay. Rather tickled to see SOCKDOLAGER in there, from what I understand it is Prohibition-era slang

Comments are closed.