My 200th Mephisto blog (ignoring two specials in June 2011 in memory of Mike Laws). My first was puzzle 2489 of 11th May 2008 (also by Tim Moorey as it happens).
A middle-of-the-road puzzle this one with a mix of easy, difficult and standard fare clues.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SOUL-SCAT – individual=SOUL; dropping=SCAT; a tax paid at funerals; |
| 6 | BLAD – B(L)AD; batter in Bathgate; |
| 10 | CHLOASMA – CH-LO(A)S(t)-MA; skin condition during pregnancy; |
| 11 | EMBROIDERY – (by verdi more – v)*; aida=fabric used in embroidery; |
| 12 | MAHI-MAHI – I-HAM reversed twice; a fish; |
| 14 | REACH – (b)REACH; |
| 16 | TRIAPSAL – TRIA(PSA)L; Pleasant Sunday Afternoon (Brotherhood of Kilsyth) =PSA; |
| 17 | WAME – business=game then change “g” to “w”; womb or stomach; |
| 18 | SIDE – two meanings 1=bank 2=old word for long; |
| 19 | LEXIGRAM – LE(XI)G-RAM; on=LEG (cricket); XI=team (cricket); |
| 24 | CASCO – CA-S-CO; cases=CA; special=S; a barge; |
| 25 | ELDORADO – (or loaded)*; Sir Walter Raleigh’s pursuit; |
| 26 | PLANISHERS – old anglers=fishers then change “f” into “plan”; a tool for flattening; |
| 27 | PSYCH,OUT – (spy)*-CHOUT; blackmail=CHOUT; |
| 28 | SMEE – sounds like ‘s-me; |
| 29 | ARMALITE – (material)*; US designed and manufactured series of rifles such as AR-15 sniper rifle; |
| Down | |
| 1 | SWEERT – TRE(E)WS reversed; preposterous=reversal indicator; |
| 2 | UPBRAIDED – (pub)*-RAIDED; |
| 3 | LORICA – (oil rac)*; |
| 4 | CHIAUSES – CHI(n)A-USES; |
| 5 | TOE-IN – sounds like “towing”; adjustment to steering tracking; |
| 6 | BARMY – BA(R-M)Y; R-M from R(aving) M(ad); |
| 7 | AMPHIMACERS – (mishap)* surrounds MACER; feet as in poetry; |
| 8 | DANITE – D(AN)ITE; old word for writing=DITE; Mormon sect from Caldwell County, Missouri; |
| 9 | IMPERIALISM – (a)IM-(pm disraeli – d)*; the cryptic works rather better than the supposedly “and lit” literal; |
| 13 | ADAR,SHENI – AD(ARSH)EN-I(rritate); ARSH from (h)ARSH; month inserted in Jewish calendar after Arsh; |
| 15 | TAXODIUM – TAX-ODIUM; from Taxus, the swamp-cypress; |
| 18 | SNEAPS – SN(E)APS; clue analysis |
| 20 | GADHEL – GA(D-HE)L; from the Clan Wallace; |
| 21 | MOSSIE – MOSS-IE; |
| 22 | DOLCE – DOL(C)E; organ stop; |
| 23 | PRAHA – A-HARP reversed; mouth organ=HARP; better known as Prague; |
One can’t escape one’s training and as a result all my blogs are numbered! My score to date is:
Daily Puzzle: 176
Mephisto: 200
Mephisto (Mike Laws Specials): 2
Club Monthly: 2
Total: 380
Time taken – no idea but loved every minute of it!
Well done, anyway; I have made good use of the Mephisto blogs often enough..