Greetings barred-grid fans.
If there is one thing about Don Manley puzzles, it is that you can trust the wordplay. I started this while I was at work and did not have access to Chambers, and had eight question marks around the edge of the grid, which means things to check in Chambers later. In all cases, the wordplay turned out to be correct for words I wasn’t confident about.
In Mephisto puzzles, definitions (the most direct of which is underlined) can be confirmed in Chambers so I will focus on the wordplay here.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Like packed items deemed third-class? (6) |
| CRATED – third class would be C-RATED | |
| 5 | Ancient place, almost unbelievable, with divine interior (6) |
| STEDDE – STEEP(unvelievable) missing the last letter, containing DD(divine, theologian) | |
| 10 | Little hesitation about approaching giant to be hit with stone — not a rock! (8) |
| REGOLITH – ER(little hesitation) reversed, then GOLIATH(giant to be hit with stone) missing A | |
| 11 | Beast has fruit when losing energy (5) |
| ORANG – ORANGE(fruit) minus E(energy) | |
| 13 | What can bog one down as a crime-writer? (5) |
| MARSH – double definition, the second being the author Ngaio MARSH | |
| 15 | Religious hour interrupted by nut, an old dramatist (7) |
| TERENCE – TERCE(religious hour) containing EN(nut). Reference to the Roman playwight | |
| 16 | Worked quietly and gave false impression (5) |
| PLIED – P(quietly) and LIED(gave false impression) | |
| 17 | Stir some harmful liquid — recipe provided for nothing (6) |
| PRISON – POISON(harmful liquid) with R(recipe) relplacing O(nothing) | |
| 18 | Humble old journalist sent back communication by post? (9) |
| DEMISSIVE – ED(journalist) reversed with MISSIVE(communication by post) | |
| 19 | Chemical compound camper deployed — ant destroyed (9) |
| MERCAPTAN – anagram of CAMPER and ANT. Had to smile, as I solved this while I was supervising a chemistry lab | |
| 24 | Disorderly troupe pulled out (6) |
| UPTORE – anagram of TROUPE | |
| 26 | Take care with wife deserting — support no longer available (5) |
| BEARE – BEWARE(take care) minus W(wife) | |
| 27 | Little hole left after dispute (7, two words) |
| ROW PORT – PORT(left) after ROW(dispute) | |
| 29 | Help adult that’s let down (5) |
| AVAIL – A(adult), VAIL(to let down) | |
| 30 | Jock’s bruise, see, given nasty look (5) |
| CLOUR – C(see), LOUR(nasty look) | |
| 31 | Tomcat is in trouble in a small opening (8) |
| STOMATIC – anagram of TOMCAT, IS | |
| 32 | Worker in scandal involving the Queen? (6) |
| ERGATE – a Queen’s scandal could be ER GATE | |
| 33 | For example, a very busy city about to become very modern (6) |
| NEWAGE – EG(for example), A, WEN(very busy city) all reversed | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Weep with nothing amiss inside or having breathing problems? (6) |
| CROUPY – CRY(weep) containing O(nothing), UP(amiss) | |
| 2 | Reptile in school! Help to catch it! (6) |
| AGAMID – GAM(school of whales) inside AID(help) | |
| 3 | Shore bird ascending is hit (4) |
| TONK – KNOT(shore bird) reversed | |
| 4 | Excessive red meat — pet is ill (12) |
| DISTEMPERATE – anagram of RED,MEAT,PET,IS | |
| 5 | Unpleasant sound of patient I sort out (12) |
| STREPITATION – anagram of PATIENT,I,SORT | |
| 6 | Priest’s for hugging aged palm trees (6) |
| ELAEIS – ELI’S(priest’s) containing AE(aged) | |
| 7 | Secret society members standing at either side of entrance (5) |
| DERNS – DERN(secret), S(society). Doorposts found in Chambers under DURN | |
| 8 | Maybe like a spinster having party on green (9) |
| DISCOVERT – DISCO(party) and VERT(green) | |
| 9 | Chemical put in fire then exploded (6) |
| ETHENE – hidden inside firE THEN Exploded. Two chemistry clues? You didn’t have to, but thanks. | |
| 12 | Old spear for fish (4) |
| GADE – double definition | |
| 14 | Flower in glass — what you may get as bedroom guest (9) |
| SLEEPOVER – PO(flower, river) inside SLEEVER(beer glass) | |
| 19 | Tax once bringing anger to Greek character (6) |
| MURAGE – RAGE(anger) with MU(Greek character) | |
| 20 | Glass fibre firm is based on (6) |
| COPITA – PITA(fibre) under CO(firm) | |
| 21 | Chart constructed by Sailor Bill (4) |
| ABAC – AB(sailor) and AC(bill) | |
| 22 | A talk arranged to entertain old people in America (6) |
| LAKOTA – anagram of A,TALK containing O(old) | |
| 23 | Somehow get into old gym, taking extraordinary care (6) |
| PEARCE – PE(gym) then an anagram of CARE | |
| 25 | Sound tooth after end of treatment (5) |
| TWANG – WANG(tooth) after the last letter in treatmenT | |
| 28 | Sudden rush in break (4) |
| FLAW – double definition | |
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