Mephisto 2900 – Paul McKenna

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
Best puzzle for some time I thought. Some unusual anagram indicators, clever definitions, and tricky wordplays. Loved it.

Across
1 BLOUSON – B(LOUS(e))ON; swine=louse; french for good=BON; a jacket;
7 RAZE – sounds like “rays”;
10 RAUCOUSLY – (as you curl)*; up=in an excited state=anagrind;
12 A,FEW – A(FE)W;
13 TANNAGE – (get)* surrounds ANNA;
14 HERSTORY – (theory)* surrounds R(ule)S; femminist “his-tory” is HER-STORY;
16 OCHRE – O-CH-RE; Switzerland=CH; old slang for money in general and gold in particular;
18 SOPHI – SOP-HI; the Shah of Persia;
20 LION-HEARTED – (trainee hold)*;
22 CATAPULTIER – (capital true)*; shot=ruined=anagrind;
23 ASIDE – A(S)IDE; “out of the way”=ASIDE; “it’s a joke” doesn’t=ASIDE and isn’t needed;
25 AT-BAT – in congress=”at it” then change “i=one” to “BA=graduate”; baseball term (Joe DiMaggio was legendary baseball player);
27 LOANABLE – L-O-AN-ABLE;
29 HALIBUT – (bag)H(dad)-ALI-BUT; mean=middle; only=BUT; “fish” is definition, “to eat” is padding;
30 FAIR – three meanings;
31 EXPLORERS – (rolex prices – i – c=start to cry)*; high=anagrind; but=without;
32 DUEL – DUE-L; proper=DUE; Latin=L;
33 TSETSES – T-SET-S(h)ES; ready=SET; time=T; flies is definition; nice clue;
 
Down
1 BLAH – B(L)AH;
2 LIFE,CLASS – LIFE-C-LASS; career=LIFE; college=C; drawing a live model;
3 OVERHIT – OVER(HI)T; Hawaii=HI;
4 SAUTE – SA(U)TE;
5 OUT,OF,HUMOUR – OUT-O-F(HUM)OUR; public=OUT; stink=HUM; boundary=FOUR (cricket – what else?);
6 GONYS – SYN-O-G; of=O; ridge is definition;
7 RUN,FOR,IT – IT=Italian; “do one” is definition;
8 ASAP – A-(PAS reversed); dance step=PAS;
9 EYELIDS – old word for brood=EYE; those stopping=LIDS; lamps=slang for eyes;
11 CARPELLATES – (later place)*-S=small; rush=stir=anagrind; flowers is definition;
15 CHERALITE – CHER-ALIT-(alternativ)E; a thorium, calcium, rare earth monazite;
17 ROAD,KILL – RO(A)D-KILL; staff=ROD; still=KILL; an animal such as a New Forest pony killed by a motorist;
19 SCATHED – S(CAT)HED;
21 TEBBADS – (best)* surrounds BAD; sandstorms;
24 ELBOW – WOE reversed surrounds LB=pound;
25 ANTRE – A(NT)RE; poetic cave;
26 OLPE – hidden reversed (tnemy)OLPE(der); what’s a Greek urn?;
28 ERKS – (p)ERKS; RAF ordinary ranks;

8 comments on “Mephisto 2900 – Paul McKenna”

  2. I found this extraordinarily easy for some reason: no harder than a standard cryptic. Particularly surprising for a Paul McKennna puzzle: I normally find his harder than the others’.
  3. The clue to 15D in on-line version of M2901 should read “energy” not “enery”
    1. And now it does – heaven knows how that happened – I can only imagine that I (or one of our cats?) managed to select one letter and delete it before the Save button was pressed. It’s “energy” everywhere else.

      By the way, modern technology has now caught up with Mephisto, and those with a digital sub can solve it online. – Puzzles section with the “Show More” option, on the paper’s new web version. This version is intended for PC rather than tablet use.

  4. Highly enjoyable and made even more so by the setter’s usual extra treat on the top row. I think it was Mohn who first alerted me to them a little while back, so belated thanks.

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