Mephisto 2909 – Paul McKenna

I found the top half far more difficult than the bottom half, which was of course frustrating as I was looking forward to seeing if there was a pun in the top row, and Paul McKenna did not disappoint there.

The grid is a strange beast this week – 90-degree symmetry and the cross in the middle made it feel like solving four mini-puzzles.

Away we go…

Across
1	ALLEY: if you add a V it becomes VALLEY
5	GAITERS: AIT in GER’S
10	SACROSANCT: anagram of CATS and NO,CARS
11	TWIRLERS: an extended compound anagram – WELSH,TERRIERS minus HERE,S
13	APNOEA: A(afternoon) then an anagram of OPEN, A(before). I’m being treated for it right now by sleeping with an uncomfortable mask
14	IKONS: NIKON cameras (immortalized by Paul Simon) missing the first letter
16	TALLOTS: ALL in TOTS
17	TON-UPS: SPUN OUT reversed, missing the second U
18	SEE,THE
20	OFF,SET
23	EXCEED: EXC(excellent),E(ton),ED
25	PILLION: PILL is the trying sort, then I,ON
27	ALAAP: ALA,A,P(erformance)
28	DIOTAS: anagram of SAID TO
29	LAMASERY: MAS(Master) in an anagram of EARLY
30	PHOTOMETER: anagram of PROMOTE,THE
31	SARSDEN: SAR’S, DEN – don’t think I’ve seen SAR for Special Administrative Region before
32	ERASE: (the)SE after ERA
Down
1	ASTART: ASTART(e)
2	LOW,PRO,FILE
3	EAROM: hidden in lovE A ROMcom
4	YCLEEPE: definition is name, Spenserian. Y(unknown) then the river LEE in C, P(lac)E
5	GR,EATS
6	AORTAS: A(area) then TRO(d) reversed, AS
7	TACKLE: TACE(be silent) around KL
8	ENROOTED: anagram of TO,ER and DONE
9	STOSS: SOTS reversed, then S(sun)
12	ON THE CARDS: double definition, one slightly cryptic. I originally wrote this in as ON THE BOOKS
15	INFLATOR: IN(because of), FLAT(plain), OR(logic circuit)
19	EXPIATE: EXPAT(I guess I’m one of those), containing I, then E
21	SL,ANTS
22	TO-NAME: TOE(punt) surrounding MAN reversed
23	END MEN: END(close), RANKS(men). I try to get this position in curtain calls, you get off the stage first. Also important to know where the curtain is.
24	DESYNE: DEE(d) containing SYN
25	PAR,PS
26	LOSER: I was stuck with the wordplay here, I think it’s CLOSER (more dense) missing the first letter (nowt on top)