Mephisto 3008 – Tim Moorey

Posted on Categories Mephisto
Some GK required for this one: ski resort; Greek island; school attended by UK politician; Chicago railway; old film star. Most curious is the docked US town for which there are several candidates, whilst a better UK option is readily available. Not a difficult puzzle overall.

In the blog, the definition in the clue is underlined and followed by the answer; the parsing; any comments

ACROSS
4 Making no sense, police invade Swiss resort abruptly (9)
VERBICIDE: VERBI(CID)E(r); reference Swiss ski resort of Verbier;
10 Rosy managed to retain energy after one hour working less hard (8)
AUROREAN: A-(hour – h)*-R(E)AN;
11 Some sounds like expression of relief (4, two words)
A,FEW: sounds like “phew”;
12 Unused land available to rent looked to need backing (8)
WASTELOT: TO-LET-SAW all reversed;
13 Not American, famous flying objects? (4)
UFOS: (famous – am)*;
14 A drink, short possibly (5)
DRAIN: (a drink – k)*;
15 Shop, one connected with Greek island (6)
DELIAN: DELI-AN;
18 Mark’s repelled by terrible Russian, not Victor — Boris? (7)
ETONIAN: NOTE reversed-I(v)AN; reference Boris Johnson presumably;
21 The most early hill fort is in France (7)
RATHEST: RATH-EST;
23 Easily angered aircraftsman in one list for Prestwick (7)
IRACUND: I-R(AC)UND; Prestwick=Scottish indicator; RUND=roon=list
26 Got up around chimney to reverse paint-making apparatus (7)
EMULSOR: ROS(LUM)E all reversed;
27 Continue with lawyer for hired criminal (6)
GOONDA: GO-ON-DA;
28 Instruments over-sentimental in recital (5)
CORNI: sounds like “corny”;
30 Club member mostly fine (4)
MERI: M-ERI(C);
32 They show field strength over places no longer used (8)
OERSTEDS: OER-STEDS;
33 First-class large backing for brainy stuff (4)
GLIA: AI-LG reversed;
34 In Devon I clean bridge (8)
CHEVALET: CHE-VALET; the bridge of a violin for example
35 Stops fly inside combinations! (9)
BLOCKADES: BLOC(KADE)S;

DOWN
1 Butter spinach rolls diner with wife ordered (9)
SAWDERING: SA(diner + w)*G; SAG=saag=spinach; rolls=enfolds=containment indicator; butter=flatter=SAWDERING;
2 Time right for second tenor in Italian musical group (9, two words)
QUARTER,TO: Italian musical group=quartetto then change second “t” to “r”
3 Bear up in Christmas rush (4)
URSA: hidden reversed (Christm)AS-RU(sh);
4 Labour got in after very short polling process (6)
VOTING: V-(got in)*; labour=anagrind;
5 Study again Knight and Queen put up to restrict King (7)
RELEARN: ER reversed-LEAR-N;
6 Designs concentrated for an audience (7)
INTENTS: supposedly sounds like “intense”;
7 Cover for the head, dead chilly in Aberdeen (5)
CAULD: CAUL-D;
8 Penalties in Ireland as before leading to uncertainty (8)
IFFINESS: IF(FINES)S; Irish Free state;
9 Money lost in protest for God (3)
DEO: DE(m)O;
16 End of race overlooked, supporter follows a black runner (9)
ABSCONDER: A-B-S(e)CONDER; e from (rac)e;
17 Note adult holiday-makers with nothing taken off — certainly not ____! (9)
NATURISTS: N-A-T(o)URISTS;
19 Work before one for great success briefly (8)
ORATORIO: OR-A-TO-RIO(t);
20 US town cut and cut plant (7)
BURDOCK: BUR(bank)-DOCK; what’s wrong with BURY in the UK?
22 Bill getting bogged down is regarded with respect (7)
ADMIRED: AD-MIRED;
24 Commercial vessels free alongside ship securing a great deal (6)
FLOTAS: F(LOT)AS;
25 Sir Michael upset with old computer (5)
ENIAC: film star CAINE reversed; University of Pennsylvania’s early computer;
29 See below river bank (4)
RELY: R-ELY;
31 Length of railway in Chicago? (3)
ELL; the elevated Chicago railway is known as “the L”

5 comments on “Mephisto 3008 – Tim Moorey”

  1. Would deleting 4 letters (bank) be legitimate in a Mephisto? I read this as BURg, a generic term for a city or town, which I inferred from the clue (and probably thought anyway) is a US term. (On edit: and indeed, ODE marks it as N.Amer.) I believe, also, that in Chicago they refer to the EL (or the El) not the L. Wouldn’t bet on it, though.

    Edited at 2018-04-29 07:02 am (UTC)

    1. Agree with you on BURG – should have spotted that

      25 years since I was last in Chicago so was pleased to even remember the reference!

      Edited at 2018-04-29 07:58 am (UTC)

  2. About 70 minutes for this. I enjoyed finding a good smattering of familiar words. Like Kevin I parsed the US term as BURg. I was familiar with the EL as it came up in this QC last September… where Kevin and Guy explained the reference to us.

    Edited at 2018-04-29 08:32 am (UTC)

    1. Well, I don’t write the clues

      Perhaps “Some sounds like a sign of relief” would meet your criticism

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