Fun puzzle with a 90-degree symmetry grid and generous checking letters around. As usual, Don Manley has given precise wordplay for the more unusual words in the grid.
Just in case I make any flubs – I’m posting this in advance and I will be out playing golf most of Sunday, so check in the comments, I won’t be able to make changes until the mid afternoon UK time.
In Mephisto, definitions can be confirmed in Chambers – I’ve underlined the most direct definition, and will focus on the wordplay in this write-up.
Away we go!
| Across | |
| 1 | Endless refusal to imbibe wonderful drink coming from group of swimmers (9) |
| NOTONECTA – a refusal to drink a wonderful drink would be NO TO NECTAR, remove the last letter | |
| 10 | Tackle a drink (6) |
| BURTON – double definition | |
| 12 | Container for rich man’s liquid? Regally designed, not English (6) |
| ARGYLL – anagram of REGALLY minus E(English) | |
| 13 | Short strut attached to a vessel (4) |
| PROA – remove the last letter from PROP(strut), then A | |
| 15 | Weight conveyed by spectacular talker (5) |
| ARTAL – hidden inside spectaculAR TALker | |
| 17 | Vase is counterfeit, not special (7) |
| POTICHE – POSTICHE(counterfiet) missing S(special) | |
| 18 | Fold left stuck in boggy soil? (5) |
| PLEAT – L(left) inside PEAT(boggy soil) | |
| 19 | Rather ordinary course of behaviour hard to drop (4, two words) |
| A BIT – HABIT(ordinary course of behaviour) missing H(hard) | |
| 20 | Segregating no longer fair, involving deception (10) |
| HIRSELLING – a HIRING fair, containing SELL(deception as a noun) | |
| 22 | Opportunity to accommodate famous singer left out in performance no longer (10) |
| CHEVISANCE – CHANCE(opportunity) containing ELVIS(famous singer) minus L(left) | |
| 24 | Bits of money, very small, buried in meadow (4) |
| LEVA – V(very) inside LEA(meadow) | |
| 26 | One choosing a flying machine? Not half! (5) |
| OPTER – HELICOPTER (flying machine) missing the first half | |
| 28 | What’s had for little cash — a drink in two hotels (7) |
| HAP’ORTH – A PORT(drink) inside H and H (two hotels) | |
| 31 | Pulls folk across the Pond (5) |
| YANKS – double definition | |
| 32 | Cleaner gets hint of appreciation with gift brought round (4) |
| SOAP – first letter of Appreciation inside SOP(gift) | |
| 33 | Let’s go forward with voting system, confronting one opposed! (6) |
| AVANTI – AV(Alternative vote) then ANTI(one opposed) | |
| 34 | Word of thanks given to volunteers joining academy? It’s sweet (6) |
| BATATA – TA(word of thanks) and TA(volunteers) with BA(British Academy) | |
| 35 | Duke to conclude ceremonies showing crystalline structures (9) |
| DENDRITES – D(duke), next to END(conclude), RITES(ceremonies) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Source of poison from the boxer we knew and loved? (6) |
| OURALI – the lover boxer would be OUR ALI | |
| 3 | Bit of irony from drunkard moving right up (5) |
| TROPE – TOPER(drunkard) with the R moved up | |
| 4 | Scottish crag has number at elevated height (4) |
| NOUP – NO(number), UP(at elevated height) | |
| 5 | Members of political group react badly — combat ensues (10) |
| CARTELISTS – anagram of REACT, then LISTS(combat) | |
| 6 | Characteristic of renegade abandoning the rank and file (5) |
| TRAIT – TRAITOR(renegade) minus OR(the rank and file) | |
| 7 | Violet Elizabeth’s to feel the want of not having story? (4) |
| MYTH – Didn’t know the background for the wordplay – Violet Elizabeth is a lisping character in the William Brown series, so she would pronounce MISS(feel the want of) as MTYH. | |
| 8 | Palms of eastern isle scattered round limited area (6) |
| ELAEIS – E(eastern), then an anagram of ISLE surrounding A(area) | |
| 9 | Share old mammal when friend comes round (9) |
| ALLOTTERY – OTTER(mammal) inside ALLY(friend) | |
| 11 | A sham act about to be taken off, creating fuss (7) |
| TAMASHA – anagram of A SHAM ACT minus C(about) | |
| 14 | Union with mutual duties abandoned — this as zeal in lovers crumbles? (10) |
| ZOLLVEREIN – anagram of ZEAL IN LOVERS minus AS | |
| 16 | What involves destruction of a hull — yep! — a Shetland festival (9) |
| UP-HELLY-AA – anagram of A HULL YEP A | |
| 19 | Peasant injured foot but not in UK (7) |
| ANAPEST – anagram of PEASANT | |
| 21 | Two auxiliaries to act correctly (6) |
| BEHAVE – BE and HAVE(auxilliaries) | |
| 23 | Medicated paste and drug in box (6) |
| CERATE – E(drug) in CRATE(box) | |
| 25 | Old seaside seller running short (5) |
| COSTE – COSTER(costermonger, seller) missing the last letter | |
| 27 | Bellow — where does Irishman’s come from? (5) |
| TROAT – sounds like an Irish pronunciation of THROAT | |
| 29 | Fruit has to be peeled? I don’t understand! (4) |
| ANAN – BANANA(fruit) missing the exterior letters | |
| 30 | Age of husband, one involved in row (4) |
| HOAR – H(husband), OAR(one involved in row) | |
I actually remembered UP-HELLY-AA from a previous puzzle, which surprised me.
You may have (understandably) missed the significance of the wordplay in 16d, which turns it into a very clever clue indeed.
So I’m glad to leave this one to George – fortunately, today’s is quite easy, at least for me.