I remember doing this on Sunday afternoon on a pretty glorious day, but don’t remember that much about the solving process. Chalk that up to a round of golf the previous day where I took advantage of the facilities of the club to a great extent (if you are in this part of the world I highly recommend the Sevierville Golf Course in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee).
The pun in the top row does describe most of my last six months.
In Mephisto puzzles, definitions (underlined) can be confirmed in Chambers so I will be focusing on the wordplay here.
Away we go!
| Across | |
| 1 | Who went to the land of Nod hugging fit old man? (7) |
| CAPTAIN – in the bible, CAIN was exiled to the Land of Nod. Insert APT(fit) | |
| 6 | Daughter’s missing German and oddly the Scots adventures (5) |
| DAURS – remove D and the letters of THE from DAUGHTER’S | |
| 10 | Public in Oxford Uni here! I’m done, another may go (9, three words) |
| OVER TO YOU – OVERT(public) then inside OU(Oxford Uni) is YO(here!) | |
| 11 | Standard Old Latin is spoken (5) |
| PAROL – PAR(standard), O(old), L(Latin) | |
| 12 | Boat from Bremen with bow (6) |
| SUBMIT – SUB(boat), MIT(from in German) | |
| 14 | Take off slight peer (8) |
| DISCOUNT – DIS(slight), COUNT(peer) | |
| 15 | Phoney OT book, in short, about son lying in grass (6) |
| ERSATZ – EZ(the book of Ezra) containing S(son) inside RAT(grass) | |
| 17 | Small bank knocked back old companions (5) |
| FEERS – S(small), REEF(bank) all reversed | |
| 18 | English with a passé dog could be a pain (7) |
| EARACHE – E(english), A, RACHE(archaic hunting dog) | |
| 20 | Line by señora, say, cutting special cord (7) |
| LANIARD – L(line) next to SPANIARD(senora, say) missing SP(special) | |
| 22 | Adapt that by which ’ighwayman ’anged (5) |
| ALTER – A highwayman could be hanged on a HALTER, drop the aitch | |
| 26 | Whole and stiff fish (6) |
| ALLICE – ALL(whole), ICE(stiff) | |
| 28 | Quondam rollicking self-driving shriek kid’s kept in (8) |
| GLADSOME – the self-driving shriek is GO ME!!! insert LAD’S(kid’s) | |
| 29 | Niche boozer that bloke turned over (6) |
| MIHRAB – BAR(boozer) and HIM(that bloke) all reversed | |
| 30 | Head of state entertaining American ass (5) |
| KIANG – KING(head of state) containing A(American) | |
| 31 | It’s airtight and helps keep dry judge in rear, in disarray (9, two words) |
| KILNER JAR – KILN(keep dry), then J(judge) inside an anagram of REAR | |
| 32 | Column that’s fresh verges on exceptional (5) |
| NEWEL – NEW(fresh) and the outside letters of ExceptionaL | |
| 33 | Return of former period — les lèche-vitrines love this display (7) |
| ETALAGE – reversal of LATE(former) then AGE | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Bluebottles finishing off shoe brush (5) |
| COPSE – COPS(bluebottles, police) and the last letter of shoE | |
| 2 | Carefully check a resort, as was (6) |
| PERUSE – PER(a), USE(resort) | |
| 3 | Greek hymns broadcast before bearing up (8) |
| TROPARIA – AIR(broadcast), A(before), PORT(bearing) all reversed | |
| 4 | Fête in need of opening — take something to clear the air (7) |
| IONIZER – LIONIZE(celebrate, fete) missing the first letter, then R(take) | |
| 5 | Tree’s preposterous synonym so far taken up (5) |
| NYSSA – SYN(synonym) reversed then AS(so far) reversed | |
| 6 | Rab C’s more sober, otherwise cured of being held (6) |
| DOUCER – anagram of CURED containg O'(of) | |
| 7 | Wooden group wrapped up in soul music (5) |
| ULMUS – hidden in soUL MUSic | |
| 8 | Driving mist engulfing Scots isle, ultimately one gets a ticket for later (9) |
| RAINCHECK – RACK(driving mist) containing INCH(Scots isle) and the last letter of onE | |
| 9 | Letters dealt out decisive blow (7) |
| SETTLER – anagram of LETTERS | |
| 13 | Ban relied on shifting queue of poor (9) |
| BREADLINE – anagram of BAN,RELIED | |
| 16 | Miss helping in court — enjoy oneself finally visiting Ireland (8) |
| BALL-GIRL – BALL(enjoy oneself), the last letter of visitinG, IRL(Ireland) | |
| 17 | Jack on ship who hoisted “England expects” etc (7) |
| FLAGMAN – FLAG(Jack) and MAN(ship) | |
| 19 | Stiff singer usually seen dressed up (7) |
| ADAMANT – the singer is ADAM ANT known for very theatrical performances. | |
| 21 | Go for mug with trouble (6) |
| ASSAIL – ASS(mug) and AIL(trouble) | |
| 23 | Container in Cadiz can just about open (6) |
| TINAJA – TIN(can) and AJAR(open) missing the last letter | |
| 24 | Food packaging beginning to attract seabird (5) |
| CAHOW – CHOW(food) containing the first letter of Attract | |
| 25 | Old muffle is supple I conceded (5) |
| MOBLE – MOBILE(supple) missing I | |
| 27 | Bore to go along with putting up one on state benefit (5) |
| EAGRE – AGREE(go along with) with E(person on state benefit) moving to the top | |
There is an interesting trap in 5 down – if you interpret the clue as a reverse hidden, you will put nyssu instead of nyssa – and the last letter is unchecked. Naturally, if you are using Chambers, you can check it because you have the first four letters.
That’s also the first time I’ve see Irl for Ireland.
GO ME raised a smile.
The downside is that I missed both the pun at the top (brilliant) and the GO ME bit of gladsome, happy that all that singing of “Let us with a gladsome mind” years ago finally came in useful.
two weeks ago, wisdomspiritualtemple@gmail.com I cannot say everything he has done for me my wife
left me 3 years ago left with my kids I was going through online
when I meant this wonderful man’s testimony online I decided to
give it a try and my wife is back to me now and we ar1e happily
married again cause is too much to put in writing all I can say is
thank you very much am very happy .and does alot of spell
including Love Spell
Death Spell
Money Spell
Power Spell
Success Spell
Sickness Spell
Pregnancy Spell
Marriage Spell
Job Spell
Protection Spell
Lottery Spell
Court Case Spell
Luck Spell etc. In case you need his help contact him on this email
address wisdomspiritualtemple@gmail.com h
thanks.whatsapp number +234813 648 2342
two weeks ago, wisdomspiritualtemple@gmail.com I cannot say everything he has done for me my wife
left me 3 years ago left with my kids I was going through online
when I meant this wonderful man’s testimony online I decided to
give it a try and my wife is back to me now and we ar1e happily
married again cause is too much to put in writing all I can say is
thank you very much am very happy .and does alot of spell
including Love Spell
Death Spell
Money Spell
Power Spell
Success Spell
Sickness Spell
Pregnancy Spell
Marriage Spell
Job Spell
Protection Spell
Lottery Spell
Court Case Spell
Luck Spell etc. In case you need his help contact him on this email
address wisdomspiritualtemple@gmail.com h
thanks.whatsapp number +234813 648 2342