Greetings barred-grid fans.
I filled the grid pretty readily, but I made a bunch of notes on my copy, so there are some tricky wordplay elements. Tim Moorey tends to drop in some popular culture and sports, and this time I was unfamiliar with the supermarket brand, which does not appear to be a presence in the USA, and the actress who appears in 25 across.
In Mephisto puzzles, definitons (the first of which is underlined) can be confirmed in Chambers, so I will focus on the wordplay here.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Strikers threaten one dropping out? They can be dismissed on appeal (7) |
| BATSMEN – BATS(strikers), then MENACE(threaten) minus ACE(one). A little surprised to see the definition being the same headword in Chambers as part of the same headword, though there are bats that are not specifically cricket ones. | |
| 6 | Picture of the Month challenge discontinued (5) |
| MOVIE – MO(month), then VIE(challenge) | |
| 10 | Agitation in Unite upset with Old Bill (10) |
| EBULLITION – anagram of UNITE,O(old),BILL | |
| 11 | Weaker official about to admit abuse (7) |
| FRAILER – REF(official) reversed containing RAIL(abuse) | |
| 13 | Free from rain, pretty good bazaar for charity (4) |
| FAIR – three definitions | |
| 14 | Fate of Charlie on hold (6) |
| CLOTHO – CLOT(Charlie) next to HO!(hold) | |
| 15 | Clever person coloured confectionery (7) |
| SMARTIE – double definition. In Australia (and I think in the UK), smarties are candy-coated chocolate ellipsoids. In the USA, there is a candy called smarties, and it is also coloured (or colored here), but it is more like little sherberts in a roll. | |
| 16 | Guard in Arab stores ready for Jordan (5) |
| DINAR – hidden in guarD IN ARab | |
| 20 | Cheese on grilled meat cut is a Japanese dish (7) |
| EDAMAME – EDAM cheese then an anagram of MEAT missing the last letter. I used to complain that Mephistos were full of the most disgusting sounding foods, but I quite like these steamed soy bean pods. | |
| 22 | Dishonest Khan unexpectedly retaining power (7) |
| KNAVISH – anagram of KHAN containing VIS(power) | |
| 24 | Heads to roll in favoured gatherings producing cases (5) |
| ETUIS – this type of clue is a Tim Moorey specialty – remove the first letters of PET(favoured) and HUIS(Maori gatherings) | |
| 25 | Rough breathing in grammar school? It’s the fags! (7) |
| GASPERS – ASPER(rough breathing) inside GS(Grammar School) | |
| 28 | British actress Jane seen in straw hat (6) |
| BASHER – B(british) and the actress Jane ASHER. She’s been in a few movies I’ve seen (Alfie, Masque of the Red Death) and done a lot of television series I have never watched, but I don’t think I could place her. | |
| 30 | Maid, one indeed for a Sloane (4) |
| AYAH – A Sloane may say AY for one and AH for indeed – oops, as pointed out in comments it is A, YAH. I didn’t look it up. | |
| 31 | Ruler’s traditional dress in Thailand not available (7) |
| TSARINA – SARI(traditional dress) inside T(Thailand) and NA(not available) | |
| 32 | Experiences of migrants beginning with hope and ending with rescue at sea? (10) |
| NIGHTMARES – anagram of MIGRANTS with the first letter of Hope and the last letter of rescuE | |
| 33 | Parts of ground in sporting venues not given a name? (5) |
| AREAS – ARENAS(sporting venues) missing N(name) | |
| 34 | Avoid confronting stores about water parsnip (7) |
| SKIRRET – SKIRT(avoid confronting) surrounding RE(about) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Knocks from Bravo in short made it with Stokes (5) |
| BIFFS – B(bravo), I(in), FF(fecerunt, made it), and S(stokes, measurement of viscosity) | |
| 2 | Academician’s ridiculous to hold up article concerning ink (10) |
| ATRAMENTAL – A(academician), MENTAL(ridiculous) containing ART(article) reversed | |
| 3 | Italian cop succeeded getting little resistance in pen (6) |
| SBIRRO – S(succeeded), then R(resistance) inside BIRO(pen) | |
| 4 | Issuing ecstasy, smuggler caught leading to fine (5) |
| MULCT – remove E(ecstasy) from MULE(smuggler) then CT(caught) | |
| 5 | Laments idea oddly to cut European members (7) |
| ELEGIES – the odd letters in IdEa inside E(european), LEGS(members) | |
| 6 | Old lady nursing sick daughter shows restraint across the pond (7) |
| MILLDAM – MAM(old lady) containing ILL(sick), D(daughter) | |
| 7 | Man in house with line disconnected (4) |
| OTTO – LOTTO(house, the gambling game) missing L(line) | |
| 8 | Energy seen around mount in the country (7) |
| VIETNAM – VIM(energy) containing mount ETNA | |
| 9 | Replays concerning Hearts, it’s said (7) |
| ENCORES – sounds like ON CORES(concerning hearts) | |
| 12 | Casement’s embellishment a spymaster in Special Branch linked with case of eventual uprising (10) |
| CHAMBRANLE – A, M(spymaster) inside an anagram of BRANCH, then the external letters of EventuaL reversed | |
| 17 | President to prohibit one form of art from Japan (7) |
| IKEBANA – IKE Eisenhower(preident) next to BAN(prohibit), A(one) | |
| 18 | Type of dog leads with special attachments getting interest as before (7) |
| SAUSAGE – first letters of Special and Attachments then USAGE(interest) | |
| 19 | Sister in reverse outside wing halves (7) |
| BISECTS – SIB(sister) reversed containing SECT(wing) | |
| 21 | Had snack prepared omitting cold dish (7) |
| DHANSAK – anagram of HAD,SNACK minus C(cold). Another tasty dish. | |
| 23 | Slimmer in supermarket ends with veggie burger (6) |
| SPARER – SPAR(a Dutch supermarket chain) and the last letters of veggiE burgeR | |
| 26 | Boat mostly around source of African river such as this one (5) |
| SHARI – SHIP(boat) missing the last letter surrounding the first letter of African and R(river) | |
| 27 | Term for brass handle? (5) |
| SHAFT – an all-in-one. Wordplay is the last letter in brasS, then HAFT(handle) | |
| 29 | Ditch husband with expression of pleasure (4) |
| HAHA – H(husband) and AHA(expression of pleasure) | |
The wordplay in 30ac is A, YAH. YAH (see also ‘OK yah’) is the stereotypical Sloane Ranger word for yes.
As for Jane Asher, she is probably best known for being engaged to marry Paul McCartney, but: “On 20 July 1968, Asher announced publicly to the BBC that her engagement to McCartney had been called off, an announcement that shocked many people, including McCartney himself.” (Wikipedia)
I find I often do Mephisto in bits and pieces, as new ideas come to a rested brain. Last night, however, I finished in one sitting….I think. I still have to check a few things.