Mephisto 3114 – At the Gentleman’s Club

Author   vinyl1Posted on Categories Mephisto

I found most of this puzzle approachable, but, as usual, ended up with a couple of things I didn’t know.   My wild guesses were surprisingly successful, but I still ended up with two wrong.   There is nothing too esoteric here, except for the Australian tree that tripped me up – it’s not often you will see three vowels in a row like that.   On the other hand, my reading of Spenser as a graduate student and my fondness for astronomy as a boy proved most helpful.

Across
1 United correctly directed to hang on to apprentice (6)
LAPPED –  L(APP)ED, an easy starter clue.
6 A swathe of academicians we regularly meet (6)
ANSWER – hidden in [academici]ANS WE R[egularly], with a reverse-cryptic literal.
10 Academician and a college in step for investigation (10, two words)
PAPER  CHASE – P (APER, C) HASE. P(A, PER C)HASE.
11 Sweet alcohol mixed in malt, no? (8)
MANNITOL – anagram of IN MALT, NO.
13 English chap’s gentle oath, one that’s dated (4)
ECOD – E + COD, where ‘cod’ is a 17-18th century term for ‘chap’ or ‘fellow’.
14 Great potentate accepting a fawn, silky garment (5)
TASAR – T(A)SAR.  More often spelt ‘tussar’ or ‘tushar’, a silk used to make saris, or the garments themselves.
16 Curtailed tour with a rip-off rocket (8)
ROASTING – ROA[d] + STING, or maybe RO[ad] + A STING.
18 Watch performer cutting remark when Queen’s absent (6)
TURNIP – TURN + [r]IP.   It is very helpful if you remember what the oversized pocket watch was called.
19 Extraordinary deeds surrounding tense case in the old days (6)
STEDDE – Anagram of DEEDS around T, an obsolete spelling of stead.
20 In Hamlet, maintains squires wanting resistance (6)
ESCOTS – ESCO[r]T.   Maintains in the sense of support or pay for.
22 First flivver off assembly line in Delaware in shed there (6, two words)
MODEL T – MO(DE)LT, using MOLT as opposed to the UK spelling MOULT.    Previous Ford cars had been hand-built by groups of workers.
24 Where to get them in in practice? (8, three words)
AT THE BAR – Double definition, referring to both drinking and legal practice.
26 One in wind to tilt, per Spenser (5)
GIUST –  G(I)UST, which in more modern spelling is joust.
28 Clownish sort of dingbat (4)
HOBO – Double definition, where a dingbat is “an old hobo who mooches off of other hoboes”.
29 Repeatedly return from work at morning place of seclusion? (8, three words)
DO A MELBA –  DO + AM + ELBA, where Napoleon was unsuccessfully secluded.   An allusion to Nellie Melba’s numerous ‘final’ concerts.
30 Clear of particles? Cleared out parts (10)
EDULCORATE – Anagram of CLEARED OUT.
31 Harrowed Hell being close to parasite? (6)
DISKED – DIS + KED, two cryptic mainstays.
32 Supplement, say, still stocking section (6)
INSERT – IN(S)ERT.
Down
1 To Shakespeare’s readers mean imperfect collection of texts (6)
LAMENT – LAME + NT.  A very obscure usage that seems to occur only once in Shakespeare.
2 Reminiscence caught by clown to do with early notes? (10)
ANACRUSTIC – ANA + C + RUSTIC, the upbeat of a song.
3 Traditionally Chinese resident, although in past (5)
PANDA – P(AND)A.
4 En passant, I must cover worn-out foot (8)
EPITRITE – E.P. + I + TRITE.
5 Rising Left on education in Sorbonne — not wanted (6, two words)
DE TROP – PORT + ED, upside down.
6 Whiffs when circling Urbs Aeterna, as they call it (6)
AROMAS – A(ROMA)S, another starter clue.
7 Quiet cut means an indistinct sound (4)
SHWA – SH + WA[y], more often spelt SCHWA, the phonetician’s vague vowel sound. 
8 Very special fish in outer limits? (8)
WAYSIDES – WAY S IDES.   The plural of IDE is seldom seen in crosswords, but it is needed here.
9 Roller in which army corps must replace head to drive again (6)
REURGE – (-s, +RE)URGE.
12 Gentle weeping two bishops expressed for one quite unlike Jack (10)
LANDLUBBER – (-b,+LAND)UBBER.  I thought I had the parsing, but now I’m not sure. [b]LAND [b]LUBBER, thanks Midas.  An obvious biff.
15 Take in routine beast, one shining brightly (8)
ARCTURUS – ARC(RUT backwards)US. A(R)CT + URUS.   The first magnitude red giant in Bootes.
17 One who supplies articles could be smart one (8)
STOREMAN – anagram of SMART ONE.
20 Having scored better than most ditch Scottish kite (6)
EAGLED – EA + GLED.   ‘Ea’ is an archaic word from the Fen country.
21 Finding nothing in ground round British Library swear (6)
SBLOOD – S(BL, O)OD.
22 Spoil mostly meagre  Maori seafood (6)
MARARI – MAR + ARI[d].
23 Extremely artificial tree (6)
TOOART – TOO + ART, an Australian tree more often spelt Tuart.
25 Wife warmed up small appetisers (5)
WHETS –  W + HET + S.
27 Pet to lurk wanting what comes second (4)
SULK – S[k]ULK.

14 comments on “Mephisto 3114 – At the Gentleman’s Club”

  1. Could 10 ac. be Academician|and a| college = A|per|C…?

    I don’t fully understand 12 d either. Hopefully someone will clarify?

    Many thanks to setter and blogger.
    Keep safe!

  2. (B)land + (B)lubber. BB = two bishops. It’s easy when you know how…

    Many thanks for the blog.

    Midas

  3. This was a stiffer test than of recent times and all the more welcome for that

    At 6A I think the definition is “meet” rather than “a”.

    I liked the clue to MODEL T

  4. I found this tough and even with the answers couldn’t fathom the wordplay for some – 1A, 10A, 32A, 2D, 3D and and 15D – I still don’t get that last one. I liked the Lap Dancer. Thanks Vinyl and Paul.
  5. I found this much harder than most recent puzzles: I had to come back to it three or four times over a couple of days. Satisfying to solve though. DO A MELBA is a great expression and the clue for MODEL T is particularly good.
    A couple of small corrections:
    > 28ac is not a DD: the wordplay is HOB (clownish sort), O (of). It took me ages to work this out but I am particularly wary of entering short answers without being able to justify them.
    > 15dn is R (take) in ACT (routine), URUS (beast).

    Edited at 2020-05-10 11:02 am (UTC)

    2. I didn’t try this one, only read the blog, and I was still wondering about HOBO, so thanks!
      1. You’re welcome. One of the things I love about these puzzles is the crystalline precision of the clues, which is dependent on a faithful relationship with Chambers. Arbitrary of course, but if you’re in doubt about anything, you know that the big red book is your friend.
  6. Liked this one and enjoyed the pun in the top row as usual. In Paul McKenna puzzles look for crafty ways of cluing the letter A. I was held up by confidently putting in PLOP at 7 down

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