Mephisto 3080 – Tim Moorey

Unless you’re very experienced you are unlikely to solve a Mephisto without using Chambers. The idea is that you use the precise wordplay to derive an answer that you then verify in the dictionary. 24A is a perfect example.

Very interesting grid for a puzzle of average difficulty

In the clues, definitions are underlined. Wordplay explanation is followed by very helpful comments.

ACROSS

1 Sussex town greets amateur (8)

HAILSHAM: HAILS-HAM; small town in the Wealden district of East Sussex

6 Request for silence from one following leader of Trappists (4)

TACE: T(rapist)-ACE;

9 Column about part of the book accepted (4)

ANTA: A-NT-A; NT=New Testament;

10 Maori staff nurse joins hospital, cheers all round (6)

TAIAHA: T(AIA-H)A; AIA=ayah=nurse;

12 Guard going around my city (8)

FLORENCE: F(LOR)ENCE;

13 Hot press steel? Yes, but not seriously (12, two words)

TOASTING,IRON: steel=sword; facetious term for a sword;

14 One’s leaving French city borders (5)

ORLES: ORLE(an)S;

17 What you need here is the removal of doubt (8)

SOLUTION: two definitions

18 Inter due to be playing together again (8)

REUNITED: (inter due)*;

22 Mining Engineer set upon relating to life with some moisture (5)

MESIC: ME-SIC;

23 Ecologist pal terribly concerned with crop damage (12)

PESTOLOGICAL: (ecologist pal)*;

24 As before, admit one term in examination that’s stiff (8)

INCORPSE: I-(examination)N-CORPSE;

25 Wrinkly’s game by the way (6)

RUGATE: RU-GATE;

26 Sounds like Welsh person clamours (4)

HUES: sounds like “Hughes”

27 Which ruler’s male, always? (4)

MEER: M-EER;

28 Mostly inside info in sack is for outsiders (8)

OUSTITIS: OUS(TI-p)T-IS;

DOWN

1 Bending on touch, papa with young child interrupts odd aphorism (12)

HAPTOTROPISM: (aphorism)* surrounds P-TOT;

2 Withdraw wine from the south that’s totally finished (8, three words)

IT’S,ALL,UP: PULL-ASTI reversed;

3 Misses Berks after introduction to Lancs (6)

LASSES: L(ancs)-ASSES;

4 One on test in robust court (8)

HALIMOTE: HAL(I-MOT)E;

5 Bank’s spread perhaps (5)

MARGE: two definitions

6 The Duke’s beginning to drop off, I believe (6)

THEIST: THE-(f)IST; duke=fist;

7 Very bad about time in prison cell, alongside huge guy unclothed (10)

CACOTOPIAN: CA-CO(T)OP-(g)IAN(t);

8 Paper girl embraces college in this? (12, two words)

EVENING,CLASS: EVENING-C-LASS; EVENING=evening newspaper; C=college;

11 Heroin’s seen wrongly to show natural wisdom (10, two words)

HORSE,SENSE: HORSE’S-(seen)*; HORSE=heroin;

15 Smart fellow wanting power, announces plants for alcohol additives (8)

ALECOSTS: ALEC-(p)OSTS;

16 Prospective flyer exposes cost at Orly (8, two words)

AIR,SCOUT: AIRS-COUT; French for cost=COUT;

19 Well-known Scot still in with runs for team at first (6)

NOTOUR: still in=NOT OUT then change final T to R;

20 See yours truly with poet take away business card (6)

MEISHI: ME-(r)ISHI: take=R; reference poet Rishi Patialvi 1917-99;

21 Do without cast, mostly old (5)

FORGO: FORG(e)-O;