I found the bottom half of this puzzle came together more readily than the top half and worked my way up. As usual, the wordplay is precise though there are a few traps for those looking to biff.
I’m writing this in advance, so when it appears I’ll be hopefully asleep with an alarm set for the T20 cricket final. Check the comments if something is unclear, and I’ll read up on what we have early Sunday afternoon UK time.
In Mephisto puzzles the definitions can be confirmed in Chambers, so I will focus on wordplay here.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Water-raising device has somehow broken with end bit fallen off (6) |
| SHADUF – anagram of HAS, then DUFF(broken) missing the last letter | |
| 5 | Sweetheart’s foot (6) |
| TOOTSY – double definition – I’m used to TOOTSY meaning a toe, but Chambers confirms it can be foot | |
| 10 | Like bird with broad bill and wiggly tail, sort to gain speed (12) |
| LATIROSTRATE – anagram of TAIL and SORT then RATE(speed) | |
| 11 | A character had briefly made reparation (6) |
| ATONED – A, TONE(character) ‘D(had) | |
| 12 | Peruvian person jailed? (5) |
| INCAN – jailed would be IN CAN | |
| 14 | Tree visible in Assam landscape? (4) |
| AMLA – hidden (or visible) in assAM LAndscape | |
| 16 | Somehow artificial bishop having a certain Greek style (6) |
| BIONIC – B(bishop) then IONIC(having a certain Greek style) | |
| 17 | Begin to run ashore (5, two words) |
| SET IN – double definition | |
| 19 | A repeated curse could make one pause for breath (7) |
| CAESURA – anagram of A,A and CURSE | |
| 20 | Wedding not begun — old-fashioned Scottish service (7) |
| ARRIAGE – MARRIAGE(wedding) missing the first letter | |
| 25 | Primitive fellow in pine forest (5) |
| URMAN – UR-(primitive) and MAN(fellow) | |
| 26 | Nip toe badly, getting this ballet technique wrong? (6) |
| POINTE – anagram of NIP,TOE | |
| 28 | Pithy saying — nothing to include in that discussion (4) |
| MOOT – MOT(pithy saying) containing O(nothing) | |
| 30 | Irritation produced by nameless gang or criminal (5) |
| AGGRO – anagram of GANG,OR minus N(name) | |
| 31 | Set up for travel in foreign parts right towards the end (6) |
| ABOARD – ABROAD(in foreign parts) with the R(right) moved | |
| 32 | This man may be met with hoot, great Anselm being cracked up? (12) |
| THEOLOGASTER – anagram of HOOT,GREAT and ANSELM minus MAN | |
| 33 | Saunter as Irishman in street, then stagger (6) |
| STREEL – ST(street) and REEL(stagger) | |
| 34 | Imagine fish have to be caught (6) |
| IDEATE – IDE(fish) containing EAT(have) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Like chunk of cake to get rid of B&B sneaked in (6) |
| SLABBY – SLAY(get rid of) containing B and B | |
| 2 | Smelly animal revealed by three leading characters (4) |
| ATOC – the three leadin characters are A TO C | |
| 3 | Carboniferous insect Indian’s excited about (9) |
| DINANTIAN – ANT(insect) inside an anagram of INDIAN | |
| 4 | Accumulation of waste products in river to end floating up (6) |
| UREMIA – river URE next to AIM(end) reversed | |
| 5 | Such African people led astray could be seen in wasteland (6) |
| TSWANA – anagram of WASTELAND minus LED | |
| 6 | Pointless old piece of neckwear worn by seaman (6) |
| OTIOSE – O(old), TIE(piece of neckwear) surrounding OS(ordinary seaman) | |
| 7 | Historian understood the likes of you and me (7) |
| TACITUS – TACIT(understood), US(the likes of you and me) | |
| 8 | One mechanism set up in country for old native (9) |
| STAGIRITE – I(one), RIG(mechanism) inside STATE(country) | |
| 9 | Desires being elevated in Disneyland (4) |
| YENS – hidden reversed in diSNEYland | |
| 13 | Bend when admitting one sin — ordeal for murderer? (9, two words) |
| BIER RIGHT – BIGHT(bend in a rope) containing I(one), ERR(sin) | |
| 15 | Tufted species to grow wild (9) |
| CESPITOSE – anagram of SPECIES,TO | |
| 18 | Squire joining a king, fighter with little hesitation (7) |
| ARMIGER – A, R(king), MIG(fighter) and ER(hesitation) | |
| 21 | Cattle joint — ring to enter (6) |
| ANKOLE – ANKLE(joint) containing O(ring) | |
| 22 | Shy bird turning up in spring (6) |
| GAMBOL – LOB(shy) and MAG(bird) all reversed | |
| 23 | Daughter given a kick upset? Shame! (6, two words) |
| TOO BAD – D(daughter) and A, BOOT(kick) all reversed | |
| 24 | Fondness often dreaded, putting some outsiders off (6) |
| TENDRE – remove the outside letters from ofTEN DREaded | |
| 27 | Temples with serving women once (4) |
| WATS – W(with), ATS(Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving women) | |
| 29 | Light touch preceding a final word (4) |
| TATA – TAT(tap, light touch) and A | |
As I have said in some of my blogs, the other two setters sometimes get a little carried away with the super-obscure stuff. If the words are hard, the cryptic should be simple, and vice-versa. Your puzzles generally follow this principle.