Mephisto 2902 by Tim Moorey

Author   dorsetjimboPosted on Categories Mephisto
I had to work on this in parts so not as easy as some recent offerings. One definition not understood at 19D.

Across
1 WRIT – W-RIT; weak=W; score in Scotland=RIT; old word for composed;
4 CAPER-TEA – CA(PER)T-EA; chap=CAT; a=PER; running water=EA (worth remembering – from “eau”); black tea;
9 HIDALGOS – HID-A-L(GO)S; LS from L(awyers)S; Spanish gentry;
11 SLAMMERKIN – SLAMMER-(clin)K-I-N; can=prison=SLAMMER; note=N; a dolly-mop;
12 DEMERSAL – DE(MERS)AL; found at the bottom of the pond;
14 E-LA – ELA(L); highest note E sung as LA in old church music;
16 HI-HAT – HIH-A-T; HIH=His/Her Imperial Highness; a pair of cymbals on a stand;
17 HERD – anorak=nerd then change n=(any rather than large) number to h=hot; harbour is definition;
18 LAD’S,LOVE – L(ADSL)OVE; ADSL=Asymmetric Dial Subscriber Line;
20 STALKOES – flats=shoes then change h=hour to talk=chat; idle gentleman in Galway;
22 ARAN – ARA(go)N; Irish knitwear;
24 LOTAS – (lost cause – cues)*; fighting=anagrind; pots is definition;
28 IBO – I-BO; Chike Obi perhaps;
29 KINDLERS – KINDLE(R)S; KINDLE=trade name of Amazon.com Inc book reading device;
30 MARGRAVINE – MARG(RAVIN)E; noble wife;
31 UNROUGED – (nude group – p)*; p from p(aint);
32 STAND,SAM – STANDS-AM; to buy a round of drinks;
33 SONE – S(ubjective)-ONE; unit of loudness of sound;
 
Down
1 WHYDAH – WHY-DAH; dash=DAH (spoken morse code along with dit); small songbird with large tail;
2 RIVERET – RIVE-RET; return=RET; tug=RIVE;
3 TALEA – AE-LAT all reversed; aged=AE; rhythmic pattern;
4 CLARE – CLARE(t);
5 POMANDER – PO(MA)NDER; Morocco=MA;
6 RERAIL – RE-RAIL;
7 TAKE,HORSE – TAKE-HORSE; photograph=TAKE; wooden frame=HORSE; mount is definition;
8 ADNATE – A-(wanted-w)*; ground=anagrind; w=with; shed=removal indicator; attached is definition;
10 ZILA – ZIL(ch)-A; about=A; Indian district;
13 MORATORIA – AIM reversed surrounds ORATOR;
15 LAOTIANS – (asian lot)*;
19 VAURIEN – (peruvian – p)*; I don’t understand the definition – should be a “good-for-nothing”;
20 SLIMES – SEMI(L)S reversed; crushed ore;
21 LARGEN – LAR-GEN; Libya=LAR; General=GEN;
23 NOSODE – NO(SO)DE; remedy is definition;
25 OBAN – O-BAN;
26 IDIOM – M(O)IDI reversed;
27 ALNUS – SUNLA(mp) reversed; the alder tree family;

7 comments on “Mephisto 2902 by Tim Moorey”

  1. Similarly mystified Jim. My best effort would be that “fine gentleman” is meant to be ironic as in “another fine mess you’ve got me into” or “A fine thing it would be if ..” – but I’m not convinced. Hopefully PB can elucidate!
  2. I found this much trickier than other recent puzzles. The top half in particular was much harder than the bottom.
    Not sure I understand the problem with 19dn. ‘Fine gentleman’ is in Chambers as an ‘idle person’.
      1. The benefits of ignorance: I am so used to not knowing words and expressions in these puzzles that I look up something in pretty much every clue!
  3. I didn’t find this one too difficult, and got a lot (including VAURIEN) from wordplay and went back to check the likes of STALKOES and NOSODE. A little odd to find two fully-checked answers in the grid.
    1. When Mephisto setters have three-letter answers in the grid (which is probably in about 1% of the puzzles), I believe full checking is the norm.

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