Mephisto 2980 – by Don Manley – He made the night a little brighter

ACROSS

1 Fliers start to eject to land in lake and bracken (8, two words)
TARA,FERN; TA(RAF-E)RN;

6 Dry zone of 100 square metres with minimum of grass (4)
AREG; ARE-G(rass); 100 square metres=ARE;

9 Twisted threads, old and not at all strong, we hear (5)
WEEKE; sounds like “weak”;

10 Insecticide in this place comes with a drink (7, two words)
HERB,TEA; HER(BT)E-A; insecticide=BT;

12 Snakes making eg Carl retreat (5)
NAGAS; (Carl) SAGAN reversed;

14 Monks said to be such curious people (6)
PRIERS; sounds like “priors”;

15 City rescues brought about by Jewish actor (10)
SEVASTOPOL; SAVES reversed – TOPOL (actor);

18 Headless spectre beginning to roam gets one looking (5)
OGLER; (b)OGLE-R(oam);

19 Short gripping stories having the most twists and turns (8)
CURLIEST; CUR(LIES)T;

22 Enough water maybe to cleanse graduate wicked before God (8)
BASINFUL; BA-SINFUL;

24 Tree a long way off, first thing for adventurer (5)
AFARA; AFAR-A(dventurer);

27 Nothing in mined pit? Surely there’s a mineral (10)
PYROLUSITE; (pit surely)* surrounds “O”;

29 Airline sadly not ace — it’s rocky (6)
INLIER; (airline – a)*;

30 Speed-measuring device thus attached to gun (5)
GATSO; GAT-SO;

31 Star, English drunkard turning sour (7)
ACETOSE; ACE-(E-SOT reversed);

32 Enjoyin’ duty in China (5)
LIKIN; Likin(g);

33 High note when giant is overthrown (4)
NETE; ETEN = giant reversed;

34 To youthful goddess art gallery may be dull (8)
HEBETATE; HEBE-TATE;

DOWN

1 More than one mum and dad maybe needing time to get lazy female up? (4)
TWOS; T-(SOW reversed); SOW is an abusive term for a lazy woman

2 As one in difficulty with EU, getting brassy as before? (7)
AENEOUS; (as one eu)*; a shining bronze colour;

3 Robber about to take cattle, as of old (6)
REAVER; RE-AVER (old word for cattle);

4 Son in extraordinary deed brings delight (5)
FEAST; FEA(S)T;

5 Metal article unserviceable — engineers no longer puzzle about that (8)
REPOUSSE; RE-PO(US)SE;

6 One believes in spontaneous generation — a being is to break free? (10)
ABIOGENIST; (a being is to)*

7 Lamplighter provides luminance so spooky (5)
EERIE; I don’t understand the cryptic here – see above.

8 This embryo eg could be seen in a repeated struggle (8)
GASTRULA; (a + a + struggle – eg)*

11 Set order ending in disarray (5)
TELLY; TELL-(disarray)Y;

13 Fan of the gods, eagerly lit up (10)
GALLERYITE; (eagerly lit)*

16 Old-fashioned language of judge in a closet (8)
ACCADIAN; A-C(CADI)AN; judge=CADI; closet=toilet=CAN;

17 SOS here — a struggling swimmer (8, two words)
SEA,HORSE; (sos here a)*;

20 Cherubic boy, player chasing others, in distress (7, three words)
PUT,TO,IT; PUTTO-IT;

21 Old horse left with protective coat (5)
CAPLE; CAP(L)E;

23 Leap playfully joining a dance (6)
FRISKA; FRISK-A;

25 Guard criminal (5)
FENCE; two meanings

26 Property just beginning to hit the floor (5)
QUALE; EQUAL = just with first “E” moved to the rear;

28 Once upon a time they saw a German (4)
EINE; two meanings;