Mephisto 2877 – Don Manley

Author   glhPosted on Categories Mephisto
On the gentler end of the Mephisto scale this week, I thought – I managed to get all but a bit of the right hand side out without needing to check in on the dictionary (though I made a mess of things originally by confidently writing in SPORTS for 2 down and in a rather brilliant flash of not-brilliance, ASPEN at 20 across.

Quite a few -Y modifications to words, very crosswordy, and maybe Manleyy

Awayy we goey

Across
1 PASS(pledge),US
5 PHARMA: sounds like FARMER, often prefaced with “big” in my part of the world
9 ANTHOCARPOUS: ANT(worker), then (A,CROP)* in HOUS(e) (building, briefly)
10 PAEON: PEON containing A – a poetic foot
12 ST(hush),RUCK
14 POSTICHE: POSE(attitude) containing TICH
15 OCTUPLET: anagram of COUPLE with the first letters of Tend Them
16 AOSTA: A, TA containing OS – not a place I knew, but wordplay was clear
18 POULP: PULP surrounding O
20 TUART: or TU ART
24 STRIA: AIRTS(directions) reversed
27 LERNAEAN: (NEAR)* in (LANE)*
29 A,RM,CH,AIR
30 REEKED: RED(as in red light) containing EEK!
31 HOST,A
32 CRASSAMENTUM: anagram of MAMA+CURTNESS
33 SCRYER: anagram of SORCERY less 0
34 YE,A,STY
 
Down
1 PAP-BOAT: PAPA, T surrounding B.O.
2 STENTS: TENT(wine) in S.S.
3 SHOYU: anagram of HIDEOUSLY – DELI
4 SCR,0,LL: SCR is Senior Common Room
5 PAS(dance),SEE(deem)
6 APRI(l),COT: COT for the merlot grape has come up before
7 ROUCOU: anagram of COLOUR less L, containing U
8 ASKER: double definition – the newt one is found in Chambers under ASK
11 ACCOUTRE: ACE(tennis serve) outside an anagram of COURT
13 CHILIAST: CHI, LAST containing 1
17 TRICKSY: sounds like TRIXIE(Beatrix)
19 PANGAMY: AMY(a little woman) after PANG
21 ASMEAR: anagram of AREAS containing MOP without OP
22 VEADAR: ADA in REV reversed
23 RISMY: ISM(type of belief) in PRY
25 REASTS: RESTS with A(afternoon) inside
26 NARCS: SCRAN(food) reversed
28 ANONA: ANON, then A(utumn)

3 comments on “Mephisto 2877 – Don Manley”

  1. Given a choice between REASTS and “reists”, I took the latter on the reasoning of the i being the equivalent of 1pm. A little too tricksy.
  2. No real problems with this. I thought the definition of CHILIAST was questionable but I see now I was looking at the definition for ‘chiliasm’, and CHILIAST itself has a less literal meaning.
    Usually all these obscure words go in one ear and out the other (as it were) with me, so it’s always satisfying when one of them sticks. This week it was ROUCOU.

  3. When I finish a Mephisto without a single working out on the paper it really must be a cinchy one – and that was the case here

    Today’s is the same (with some clues that would be easy in the Telegraph daily puzzle) – so three basicy ones on the trot

    Are we being short changed?

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