Mephisto 2964 – Paul McKenna

After a week out of commission I thought I might struggle with this but in the event it was a steady solve void of pyrotechnics of an artisan puzzle.

Across

1 Quite young kid to join forces (7)

TOTALLY: TOT-ALLY

6   Overflow in Civil Service reduces (5)

CLIPS: C(LIP)S;

10 Lucan, eg, is rattled leaving city area used for banking (9)

EVANGELIC: E(leaving)*C;

11 Endless optimistic spirit v Yankee — this is no real defeat (12, two words)

MORAL,VICTORY: MORAL(e)-VICTOR-Y; think phonetic alphabet;

14 Trainees in Toronto lacking interest? They fly across the sea (5)

ERNES: (int)ERNES; interest=int;

15 Followers knew Scots due to getting into defunct elite corps (9)

SHADOWERS: S(HAD-OWER)S; Scots due to=OWER;

16 Previously pure / pool (4)

MERE: two meanings;

17 What gets one going? A cunning plan of entering, right (7)

AROUSER: A-R(O)USE-R; of=O;

19 Correct, rather upsetting course of discharge (7)

URETHRA: U-(rather)*;

20 With Labour’s loss slip into recess (4)

APSE: (L)APSE;

21 Inuit load up a denizen of the deep? (9)

NAUTILOID: (Inuit load)*;

24 Cuckoos stick wings in buildings (5)

KOELS: KO-ELS; stick=KO; ELS=wings;

26 Check that clue dropping an aitch, elsewise get to the point! (12, three words)

CUT,THE,CACKLE: (check that clue – h)*;

27 Marsh plants found by those who try putting salt water in first place (9, two words)

SEA,ASTERS: those who try=tasters then replace first “s” by SEA;

28 These filled pancakes could make Ascot (5)

TACOS: (ascot)*;

29 Recently found in old records, ____ should encourage cautious respect (7)

L-PLATES: LP(LATE)S

Down

1   We come and go without issue having joined up (5)

TEMPS: SP-MET reversed; without issue=SP;

2   Medic’s compound dressing foreign resident (12, two words)

TARTAR,EMETIC: TARTARE-METIC;

3   A grandma’s way to say “dunno” (4)

ANAN: A-NAN;

4   Wage conflict overturning green tax initially (7, two words)

LEVY,WAR: LEVY-(RAW reversed);

5 Fragment of idyl I kept resembling Spenser’s (5)

YLIKE: hidden id(yl I ke)pt;

6   Cold hitman whimsically topped one who invigorates in orator’s style (9)

CICERONIC: C-ICER-(t)ONIC;

7 Very close to / where I have hanky / kept sweet? (12, three words)

IN,ONES.POCKET: three meanings;

8 Replace pairs seen in address urging action (9)

PARENESIS; (pairs seen)*;

9   Shakespeare’s sudden fit? Sitting up rather stable (7)

SEYSURE: (YES reversed)-SURE;

12 Marinade is dear in Marseilles, must cut it for some (9)

CHERMOULA: CHER-MOUL(d)-A; dialect for it=A;

13 Indian interpreters prosecute hard during strikes (9)

DOBHASHES; DO-B(H)ASHES;

16 Courtesan comes from city having taken knight in (7)

MUSKCAT: MUS(K)CAT;

18 Limit carpet bombing before going in (7)

RATECAP: (carpet)* surrounds A=before;

22 Inside you’ve a lot of irises and similar (5)

UVEAL: hidden yo(u’ve a l)ot;

23 Refuse to have term of reference for old clobber (5)

DRESS: refuse=dross then change “o” = old to (referenc)E;

25 Pilot’s unit possibly cheers after return of combined operations (4)

OCTA; CO reversed – TA; one eighth of the sky