Mephisto 3094 – by Don Manley

A puzzle of no more than average difficulty

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

A happy and peaceful Christmas to all at TFTT

ACROSS

1 European fellows taking time, putting a gloss on things? (10)
POLISHMENT: POLISH-MEN-T;
10 Old love letter one would get before in covered passage (9)
CAPONIERE: CAPON-I-ERE; CAPON=old love letter
11 Dally in quiet place by fire (6)
PINGLE: P-INGLE;
12 Like some music in Boston, alive (5)
TONAL: hidden (Bos)TON-AL(ive)
13 What’s silver, seen across lake, a wet plant (4)
ALGA: A(L)G-A; AG=Silver;
14 Quickly read request for piece of winter sports attire (7, two words)
SKI,MASK: SKIM-ASK;
15 Cleansing liquid and contaminated liquid two females removed (6)
ELUENT: E(ff)LUENT;
18 Stall number six secured by lock (7)
TREVISS: TRE(VI)SS;
20 Army officer elected makes one quail (5)
COLIN: COL-IN;
21 Bears will be destroyed by this American sword (5)
SABER: (bears)*; US spelling denoted by “American”;
23 Church has skill when exhibiting formal documents (7)
CHARTAS: CH-ART-AS;
26 Bright fish west of Aussie territory (6)
LUCENT: LUCE-NT; NT=Northern Territory
29 Girl unfortunately losing a number of church books (7)
MISSALS: MISS-AL(a)S;
30 Get weary, confused inside making old-fashioned attempt (4)
TRIE: get weary=tire then confuse R and I to give TRIE;
31 Peasant heading off to get oil (5)
OTTAR: (C)OTTAR;
32 Like cowboy in action, construed as hero (6)
AHORSE: (as hero)*;
33 Old inventor of apparatus / for clearing away waste (9)
SCAVENGER: two meanings 1= The Scavenger’s daughter was a type of torture device invented during the reign of King Henry VIII by Sir Leonard Skevington, Lieutenant of the Tower of London 2= eater of carrion
34 Horrible gent, I dread being given a bad name (10)
DENIGRATED: (gent I dread)*;

DOWN

1 Young dog attracting aged insects at some stage (5)
PUPAE: PUP-AE;
2 Good university into way that regards words as abstraction? (6)
LANGUE: LAN(G-U)E;
3 In hospital see facility for hairdressing? (5)
SALON: SA(LO)N;
4 Like a religious family badge on Saul’s father (7)
MONKISH: MON-KISH; MON=Japanese badge; According to the Tanakh, Saul was the son of KISH, of the family of the Matrites, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. It appears that he came from Gibeah.
5 Things that are not entirely differentiated (5)
ENTIA: hidden (differ)ENTIA(ted);
6 Number heading for trouble in part of fort (6)
TENAIL: TEN-AIL;
7 Working as a minister to get state control of the church (11)
ERASTIANISM: (as a minister)*;
8 Heavens — old Penny has trapped deer! (6)
WELKIN: W(ELK)IN; WIN=old slang for a penny;
9 After little drink artist has very little desire for merrymaking (11)
GILLRAVITCH: GILL-RA-V-ITCH;
16 Amphibian to turn outwards having abandoned river (4)
EVET: (R)EVET;
17 Necklace that’s light, hard to remove (4)
TORC: TORC(H);
19 Muscles sadly inelastic? Forget it! (7)
SCALENI: (inelastic – it)*;
21 A body’s to be built up? Bit of food needed (6)
SAMOSA: A-SOMA’S reversed;
22 Once set about offering top thing to attract customers (6)
BESTAD: BEST-AD;
24 Ring contemptible person full of sin (6)
TERRIT: T(ERR)IT;
25 Female / member of Thai people (5)
KAREN: two meanings
27 Guide is headless person in a hurry (5)
USHER: (R)USHER;
28 Adolescent would briefly light up (5)
TEEND: TEEN’D; to kindle;