A puzzle distinguished by its most unusual grid which is 12×12 but has only 24 lights with four five letter words the shortest answers. An interesting piece of compilation. I found it relatively easy because 1A fell straight away (creamed with English a real giveaway) as did 11D (head of committee and special transport).
Older solvers should note the request at the bottom of the clues for memories of days of yore to be sent to puzzle.feedback@sunday-times.co.uk (NB there is a typo in the e-mail address given in the request – the one I’ve given is correct)
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | WHITE,SAUCE – (with)*-E-SAUCE; American veg=SAUCE; |
| 10 | DEVOTIONALLY – (video not)* – ALLY; blessed=thrashed=anagrind; |
| 11 | BALLED,UP – PU(DELL-A)B all reversed; blocked is definition; |
| 12 | ADULTERATION – A(DU)LTERATION; of the French=DU; |
| 13 | TSUGA – A-GUST reversed; |
| 16 | JOHANNES – JO(HAN)NES; reference Indiana JONES; Chinese=HAN; a gold coin; |
| 17 | CRITICAL – CR-I-TICAL; councillor=CR; one=I; weight in Thailand=TICAL; |
| 19 | CIRCA – noisy scene=circus then change “us” to “a”; close to is definition; |
| 20 | ANNE,OF,CLEVES – (flan once)*-EVES; most famouse royal divorcee I guess; |
| 21 | INHERENT – (neither + n=note)*; pitched=anagrind; |
| 22 | RESERVE,PRICE – RESERVE-PR-ICE; |
| 23 | TRANSFEREE – T-R(ANS)FEREE; official=referee then change “e” to “ans” after T from (Tournamen)T; |
| Down | |
| 2 | HEADSHRINKER – HEAD’S-H-(d)RINKER; |
| 3 | TOLL-GATHERER – TOLL(GATHER)ER; |
| 4 | SIDELOCK – SIDE-LOCK; bank=SIDE; barnet=hair; |
| 5 | UNPAY – UN-PAY; him=UN; settle=PAY; make good is definition; |
| 6 | CARTONPIERRE – CARTON-PIER-R-(shor)E; box=CARTON; jetty=PIER; papier mache; |
| 7 | ELOIGNER – EL-(region)*; EL=railroad; |
| 8 | FLUORESCENCE – (of cruel scene)*; |
| 9 | GYMNASIAST – (my stag)* surrounds NA-(IS reversed); Gymnasia are German academic schools; |
| 11 | BATH,CHAIRS – BATH(CHAIR)S; |
| 14 | UNIONIST – UNION-IS-(lis)T; |
| 15 | THATCHES – THATCHE(r)-S(tate); |
| 18 | MOIRA – MO-(air)*; reference Moira Shearer; |
So I pulled it up yesterday for a long subway trip.
This is the first Mephisto I got totally correct, without book or aids. I had my doubts about ‘white sauce’ and ‘unpay’, but that was about the only thing they could be.
The long words certainly made everything a lot easier, with fewer obscurities possible.