Mephisto 2864 by Paul McKenna

Reasonably entertaining puzzle of average difficulty with SNP and Salmond both used to indicate words from the land of the haggis with a wee dram or three.

I can’t parse 3D so all suggestions welcome please.

Across
1 SWAYED – SWA(YE)D; local lout=SWAD;
6 CHOOSE – CH(O)OSE; thing in court=legal term for “thing”=CHOSE;
11 PARONYMOUS – P(AR)ONY-MOUS(y) – a word having the same root as another;
12 NAFF,ALL – FAN reversed – FALL; cool=FAN; pitch=FALL; euphemistic slang for nothing;
14 ALOFT – ALO(F)T;
15 SEROSA – SE(ROS(y))A; cell lining;
16 TEAL – TEA-L(ame);
17 HAVE-NOT – HAVEN-(TO reversed); reference “poor as a church mouse”;
20 EO,NOMINE – E(xtorter)-ON-O-MINE; just after=ON; “on that claim” is definition;
22 BONS,MOTS – BO(N-SM)OTS;
25 OUTSIDE – OUT-SIDE and (tedious)*; blooming=OUT; soliloquy=SIDE; “unlikely” is definition;
27 OGAM – O-(MAG reversed); on=O; MAG=magazine taken by boys, girls, men and women!; “old character” is defintion;
28 USANCE – U-SAN(C)E; college=C; time to pay overseas bills of exchange;
30 RITZY – precious=ditzy then d=daughter becomes R=right; elegant;
31 COALPIT – CO(ALP)IT; arse in Oz=COIT; ALP=australian Labor Party; mine is definition;
32 STIRRUP,CUP – STIR-R(UP-CU)P; can=prison=STIR; RP=received pronunciation; top=UP; copper=CU; leaving drink;
33 EIDENT – (IE reversed)-DENT; working hard in Wigtown (SNP=Scot Nats signals a scots word);
34 EASSEL – (LESS-AE all reversed); to the East in Edinburgh;
 
Down
1 SONATA – SON-(TA reversed)-A; disciple=SON; much obliged=TA;
2 WHALE,LOUSE – (all who sue)*-E; reference socio-economic group E, those dependant upon state benefits;
3 YAFFLE – Y-AFFLE presumably; Y=unknown; YAFFLE=woodpecker; don’t see the rest of it;
4 ERATHEM – ERA-THEM; strata;
5 DOLLHOOD – DOLL-HOOD; hurdle used as barrier=DOLL; tough=Edward G=HOOD; reference Barbie Doll;
7 HYLE – hidden (aesc)HYLE(an); pericope=extract of; material;
8 OMBRE – two meanings;
9 OOGONIA – (o o in goa)*;
10 ESTATE – (som)E(one)-STATE;
13 ISONIAZIDE – I-(zone aid is)*; drug used to combat TB;
18 ANTELOPE – ANTE-LOPE;
19 ANTACID – ANTA-CID; upright=ANTA; hero=(El) CID;
21 OSTRACA – A-CART-SO all reversed; tiles written on to vote for ostracism in ancient Greece;
22 BOURSE – BO-(rues)*;
23 POILUS – P(OIL)US; Tommy Atkins in Aubagne;
24 AMYTAL – AMY-TAL(l); reference Amy Winehouse song “Rehab”; a calming drug;
26 SNORE – SN-O-RE; tin=SN; round=O; about=RE; something which is boring;
29 CURN – CUR-(camero)N; smaik=CUR; a little in Leith (Salmond=SNP MP);

3 comments on “Mephisto 2864 by Paul McKenna”

  1. This clue foxed me for a while. I think it requires the removal of the first letter of baffle. Baffle = get.

    Midas

  2. thanks Jimbo, enjoyed the usual alliterative Scottish. was completely baffled by yaffle too.

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