I found this one a touch more tricky than recent Mephistos, and my last one in was the place name across the top with which I was not familiar.
Usually I find Tim Moorey’s wordplay the most easy to follow of the trio of Mephisto setters, but I have a few that do not make crystal clear sense to me.
Definitions can be verified in Chambers, and so I will focus on the wordplay in the clues.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | What’s beginning no longer used in expression? (3) |
| ORD – I read this one as an all-in-one where the entire clue is a definition of ORD(archaic word for beginning) and the wordplay is the first letter of What missing from WORD(expression) | |
| 3 | America behind, once shone in a Mediterranean island (9) |
| LAMPEDUSA – USA(America) after LAMPED(shone) | |
| 9 | Agree to tackle a bit for broadcast in a harmonious way (10) |
| COMPATIBLY – COMPLY(agree) containing an anagram of A,BIT | |
| 10 | Nick sharing a list about segments of a tapeworm (8) |
| STROBILA – ROB(nick) inside an anagram of A,LIST | |
| 12 | City meet Palace (6) |
| ELYSEE – ELY(City), SEE(meet) | |
| 13 | After nothing leaks, sort of serious going! (6) |
| URESIS – anagram of SERIOUS missing O(nothing) – referring to going to the toilet | |
| 17 | Support from the President? Two seconds for say, Corbyn! (5) |
| TRUSS – Sigh… the current Presidumb of my adopted homeland the USA is Donald J TRUMP – put two S’s (seconds) where Corbyn the MP was | |
| 19 | Food container for privates (8) |
| LUNCHBOX – double definition, the second referring to genitalia | |
| 20 | Broom out of the ordinary on terribly rich soil (8) |
| BESMIRCH – this was tricky wordplay – BESOM(broom) | |
| 21 | Showing surprise, say about Scottish rustic ending early (5) |
| EHING – EG(say) surrounding HIND(rustic) missing the last letter | |
| 23 | Fellow Republican coming over for a drink (6) |
| PERNOD – DON(fellow), REP(republican) all reversed. I don’t think I have ever tried this, but the name of the drink is forever in my brain from reading Michael Moorcock novels as a child | |
| 24 | Press hack (6) |
| MANGLE – double definition | |
| 26 | Settled fight stopping notable achievement (8) |
| DEFRAYED – FRAY(fight) inside DEED(notable achievement) | |
| 27 | Sellers perhaps best to state opinion openly (10, three words) |
| GO ON RECORD – Peter Sellers was a GOON, then RECORD(best) | |
| 28 | Remote security exposes something hidden by competitor (9) |
| OUT-SENTRY – OUTS(exposes somehing hidden), ENTRY(competitor) | |
| 29 | Second question is about a holy city (3) |
| QOM – MO(second), Q(Question) reversed | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Lichen is situated over in border (8) |
| ORSEILLE – LIES(is situated) reversed inside ORLE(heraldic border) | |
| 2 | Some fail to remember soaring weight in say, Syria (4) |
| ROTL – hidden reversed in faiL TO Remember | |
| 3 | Unattached ministers touring Norway — they could go off anywhere (12, two words) |
| LOOSE CANNONS – LOOSE(unattached), CANONS(ministers) surrounding N(Norway) | |
| 4 | Colour of sheep-farmer long forgotten (5) |
| AMBER – LAMBER(sheep farmer) missing L(long) | |
| 5 | Poor Paul has bout of malaria (8) |
| PALUDOSE – anagram of PAUL then DOSE(bout) | |
| 6 | Edition entered in log is distracting (12) |
| DIVERSIONARY – VERSION(edition) inside DIARY(log) | |
| 7 | New Airbus catching up as mentioned above (8, two words) |
| UBI SUPRA – anagram of AIRBUS containing UP | |
| 8 | Heard detectives giving expressions of approval (4) |
| AYES – sounds like private EYES(detective) | |
| 11 | Second boring piece cut (6) |
| BISECT – SEC(second) inside BIT(piece) | |
| 14 | Pity about female candidate in US (6) |
| RUSHEE – RUE(pity) surrounding SHE(female) – candidate for joining a fraternity or sorority | |
| 15 | No hint of doubt, tradition works against violent action (8) |
|
ANTIRIOT – remove D |
|
| 16 | Eve supports unkempt beard for Angus’s partner (8) |
| ABERDEEN – EEN(eve, evening), under an anagram of BEARD | |
| 18 | Gin fraud passed quickly over internally (8) |
| SCHIEDAM – SCAM(fraud) containing HIED(passed quickly) | |
| 22 | Great recipe for Jews primarily producing Passover dish (5) |
|
MAROR – MAJOR(great) with R(recipe) replacing J |
|
| 23 | Stick with Ohio Republican party needing a boost (4) |
| POGO – O(Ohio) and GOP(Republican party) all reversed | |
| 25 | Jerry-built, nothing put on at the top (4) |
| LEGO – O(nothing) with LEG(on side in cricket) | |
By the way George, you didn’t finish the parsing of 20A “…removing the O for ordinary and an anagram of RICH”
Thanks Tim and George.