Mephisto 2891 – Paul McKenna

Author   glhPosted on Categories Mephisto
This was a pretty swift solve on Sunday morning, assisted by there being four wholly-checked entries around the outside of a grid that offers 90-degree symmetry and a smaller number of out-there grid entries.

I wonder if there was an editorial gaffe in 32 down across (oops), either an extra FOR has crept into the clue, or a TO is missing.

Away we go…

Across
1 P,LANES
5 AILING: remove F from FAILING(weakness)
10 OPPORTUNE: OPPO(mate) then R, TUNE(frame of mind)
12 WHODUNNITRY: anagram of HUNT,IN,ROWDY
13 ICR: hidden in publIC Records. Intelligent Character Recognition, a program that converts images into text. I don’t think it’s used much now since storing digital images is inexpensive, but in grad school when I was developing an interest in science history, I used this a ton to get text from books on loan
16 ENEWS: or E-NEWS
17 SLOETHORN: double container – LET(OK) containing 0 all in SHORN
18 H,A,DJ
19 IMMENSE: MENSE(credit) after 1,M
21 SPIRAEA: SEA(throng) surrounding PIR(holy man),A
22 ACT,A
24 DROWSIHED: My niece started primary school this week, maybe I can teach her Spenserian spelling and drive her teachers mad. HIS,WORD reversed before ED
26 ERICA: R(obinson),I in ACE reversed. I didn’t appreciate the clue at the time – Heath Robinson (who is in Chambers) designed outrageously complicated machinery
28 ARM: or ‘ARM
29 BEASTLINESS: anagram of LESSENS,A,BIT – I think the intention for the beast is not to be a policeman but a butterfly
31 READINESS: NESS after READ,I
32 EDDISH: ED,DISH(looker)
33 SKIRTS: S(society) and then TRICKS reversed missing the C
 
Down
1 POLISH: take DEM away from P,DEMOLISH
2 APHRODISIAC: anagram of HAIRDO’S,A,PIC
3 NOOSE: O in NOSE – did you run this one by the fiancee, Paul?
4 STUSHIE: a double subtraction – STUART without ART and SHIELD without LD
5 A,UNE
6 INNERMOST: INN, then (METRO’S)*
7 LEI: hidden in amicabLE Islanders
8 NORWESTER: OR and W in NESTER – a strong drink
9 GRYSIE: GR, then (YES,I)*
11 STERNCHASER: STERN(unrelenting) then an anagram of SEARCH
14 CLAPBREAD: (CAPABLE,DR)*
15 STEARATES: TEAR in SATES
20 MA,W,LIDS
21 SNEBBE: SN,EBB,(doorhandl)E
23 ADM,ASS
25 ICENI: ICE, then IN reversed. I don’t recall seeing BRASH for crushed ICE before
27 B,LAH
30 SR,I

6 comments on “Mephisto 2891 – Paul McKenna”

  1. The amusing top line says it all. If memory serves Mr McKenna’s previous topline read Whirled Weary. A puzzle in the Telegraph used to pun along similar lines every day.

    Midas

  2. Yes, a relatively straightforward Mephisto solve, with no liquid paper needed at the end when checking in Chambers. Re 29A, beast is a slang word for a copper/policeman. I think the Telegraph concise still uses the first 2 or 3 across entries for a pun (at least at the weekend).
  4. Plain sailing indeed – rather like today’s which I finished even faster than this offering

    There is no 32D George

  5. I meant 32 across, which on the online version read “Educated looker is something for browsers enjoy”

Comments are closed.