Mephisto 2888 by Paul McKenna – King Charles Meets Arthur English

The first puzzle of 2016 and a standard offering that shouldn’t unduly trouble seasoned solvers

Across
1	BILLED – B(ILL)ED; “divan for one”=”divan is DBE”; caressed=BILLED (and cooed);
5	INCITE – INC-IT-E;
10	LAND-PIRATE – LAND-P-IRATE; P=priest; thief in Tilbury perhaps;
11	SPIVVY – SP(I-V-V)Y; Arthur English no doubt;
13	TOPOI – TOPO-I; climber’s map=TOPO; stock themes is definition;
14	AMOEBAS – A-MO-BAS(E promoted); stand=base then “back first” gives EBAS;
15	OVOLO – OV(er)-(loo)*; a moulding;
16	FORPINE – F(lower)-ORPINE; stonecrop=ORPINE; antiquated go to pot is definition;
17	NEPTUNE – (punnet)*-(grap)E;
23	OAK,TREE – (take over – v)*; reference Charles II fleeing Roundheads;
25	KIP,DOWN – K-I-P-DOWN; turn in is definition;
28	ICTAL – hidden (lunat)IC-TAL(ks);
29	ASTRAND – A-STR-AND; acting=A; strong=STR;
30	DHOBI – D(HOB)I; pleural of deus=DI; rustic=HOB; washerman is definition;
31	FLITED – FLI(t)TED; flitt=move house in Motherwell; see “flyte” for quarelled in Queensferry;
32	EVANISHING – EVA-(SIN reversed)-(t)HING;
33	DURESS – D(U)RESS;
34	EDGERS – (reeds)* surrounds G=good;

Down
1	BOSTON – (SOB reversed)-TON; card game – bit like whist;
2	IMPOVERISH – IMP-OVERISH; gamin=IMP;
3	LAVOLTA – LAV-(a lot)*; can=toilet=LAV; old dance;
4	ENVIOUS – E-N(VI)OUS;
5	IPOMOEA – I-POM-OE-A; grandbairn=OE; about=A; morning glory is definition;
6	NIDOR – RODIN reversed; the smell of meat cooking;
7	CREEP – CREE-P(anic); snake is definition;
8	IAMBIC – I-AM-BIC;
9	EEL-SET – E(ELSE)T; a net;
12	DANCE,A,BEAR – (a beer ad can)*; to exhibit a twirling teddy – don’t see need for “under pressure” in definition;
18	NOWNESS – N(OWN)ESS;
19	SKID,LID – S(KID)LID; slang for crash helmet;
20	ETCHING – ETC-HING; what have you=ETC; curry ingredient=HING; carving and Victorian euphamism;
21	OKAYED – O(KAY)ED;
22	UPTEAR – UP-TEAR;
24	ELIDES – SEDILE reversed;
26	DRONE – DR-ONE;
27	OASIS – OAS-IS;

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