Mephisto 2961 – Paul McKenna

Author   glhPosted on Categories Mephisto
Well this is a first – Paul McKenna’s treat of putting puns in the top row of Mephistos helped me out, because I cannot for the life of me figure out the wordplay for 1 across, so I’m relying on the definition and the pun on STAYED AWAY to get me through. I’m sure the hive mind will inform me of something obvious I’m missing, so I’m going to post this and then go brush up on my Shakespeare with Montford Park Player’s production of Taming of the Shrew. I’ll check in tomorrow to see what I messed up.

Away we go…

Across
1 STAIDER: The two St. John’s I know are in Newfoundland and the US Virgin Islands, neither of them seem to be helping in the wordplay. Edit: the hive mind comes through and I don’t feel too bad for not knowing it is referring to the ambulance service, so it is FIRST-AIDER missing FIR
6 WEIGH: W, EIGH(t)
10 TASS: There are two T’s in THAT, then ASS
11 BERGERE: BERE(pillow case) containing ERG
13 CRAIGS: C(about), RIGS(oilmens installation) containing A(American)
14 CROSSDRESSER: CROSS(dishonest), DRESSER(medical trainee) – TV meaning transvestite here
15 HOT TUB: HUB containing OTT
17 BHAI: first letters of Blokes Happily Address Indian
19 COTENANT: AN(one) inside TENT after CO
21 WIDENING: WING(protection) containing I,DEN
22 WIN,O
23 SEE RED: SEELED(hoodwinked) with R replacing L
25 BLIND FREDDIE: anagram of FRIEND,DIED after BL(bale)
28 YOGISM: anagram of GYM,SO,I
29 REQUEST: REST containing QUE
30 CRED: CARED(worried) missing A
31 DUR,ST
32 HARTALS: ART(principled practice) inside Frans HALS – who left his mark on many a meme
 
Down
1 STICH: S(succeeded), TICH(nickname, soubriquet)
2 TAPROOM: TOOM(empty) with APR inside
3 ISOTEMONOUS: IS, O, STEM(dam), then ONUS containing O
4 DOCS: DOS(first note of the scale) surrounding C(anvasback)
5 REAR-ENDS: anagram of NERDS,ARE
6 WRIEST: WRIT(brief) surrounding ES
7 EGGS BENEDICT: anagram of BIG,GENT,CHEESED missing HE
8 GREE: GREE(n)
9 HEARING: news – (s)HEARING
12 COTTON: COT(bed, sack), TON(fashionistas)
16 BAITFISH: IT, then IF reversed inside BASH
18 H,AIR,DO
19 COWBIRD: COD(joke) surrounding W and RIB reversed
20 KNEIDEL: anagram of LIKENED
21 WIDGET: W(izardty), I’D, GET
24 DEEDS: DEE(damn), D(icken)S
26 LIEU: LIE(depend), U(uniform)
27 EMIR: PRIME(coach, prepare for), reversed missing the P

4 comments on “Mephisto 2961 – Paul McKenna”

  1. Got through most of this without aids but was stumped by a couple of clues such as 11A where I knew neither the answer nor the pillow-case in the wordplay – an occupational hazard for Mephisto and similar puzzles. Helps to be a Brit for 1A – if you work for St. John Ambulance then you are a {fir}ST-AIDER.
  2. Yes, 1A is a write-in for Brits. No problems with the rest of it either.

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