Greetings, barred-grid fans.
I rather enjoyed this offering from Robert Teuton. Right off the bat there was a little smut, a lot of clever clues and intricate wordplay. Exactly what we are meant to get from a Mephisto!
| Across | |
| 1 | Dictionary check for “carrier of sperm”? (12) |
| CHAMBER-STICK – CHAMBERS Dictionary, and TICK (check). Definition referring to a sperm candle | |
| 9 | Rodent yielding new revolutionary fragrant oil (5) |
| OTTAR – RATTON (rodent) minus N (new) reversed | |
| 10 | Rest of France almost succeeded in getting around principle of law (7) |
| RELACHE – REACHED (succeeded) minus the last letter surrounding the first letter of Law | |
| 11 | Sacks are cut into woollen plaids (7) |
| MARAUDS – A (are) inside MAUDS (woollen plaids) | |
| 12 | Scots forecast flood with temperature dropping (4) |
| SPAE – SPATE (flood) minus T (temperature) | |
| 13 | Sponsor international expert (5) |
| FUNDI – FUND (sponsor), I (international) | |
| 14 | Firm getting chief in trouble (7) |
| SCHTUCK – STUCK (firm) containing CH (chief). Found in Chambers under SHTOOK | |
| 18 | Money accepted for sheath (6) |
| OCHREA – OCHRE (money), A (accepted) | |
| 19 | Imagined small, dull US town that’s miserable to host party on retirement (6) |
| PODUNK – PUNK (miserable) containing DO (party) reversed. I get to use this term a lot in North Carolina | |
| 21 | Close-fitting breeches help on short jog (6) |
| TROUSE – USE (help) next to TROT (jog) minus the last letter | |
| 23 | Waxy secretion to spoil cracking personal appearance (6) |
| PRUINA – RUIN (spoil) inside PA (personal appearance) | |
| 27 | Opponent nearing thrashing (7) |
| AGINNER – anagram of NEARING. A clue written in honour of Australia’s outing against Zimbabwe in the current T20 world cup that I stayed up until 4am to watch? | |
| 28 | Drunk losing head in house (5) |
| LOTTO – BLOTTO (drunk) minus the first letter | |
| 29 | Small warbler heading off about to lay? (4) |
| EGGY – PEGGY (small warbler) minus the first letter | |
| 30 | Islamic reasoning time in holy war pursuing independence (7) |
| IJTIHAD – T (time) inside JIHAD (holy war) following I (independence) | |
| 31 | Space for parking around one part of London cyclepath (7) |
| BIKEWAY – BAY (space for parking) surrounding I (one), KEW (part of London) | |
| 32 | Scottish landmark, some name it Halyruid (5) |
| MEITH – hidden inside naME IT Halyruid | |
| 33 | A prison bound to reform? It’s an obligation to prove (12, two words) |
| ONUS PROBANDI – anagram of A PRISON BOUND | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Homer in good health welcoming old Greek islander (7) |
| CORFIOT – COR (homer, the measure), then FIT (in good health) containing O (old) | |
| 2 | Moored an oil ship in sound? (8, two words) |
| AT ANCHOR – homophone of A TANKER (oil ship) | |
| 3 | Tot reflecting the extreme of crybaby? (5) |
| MARDY – DRAM (tot) reversed and the last letter of crybabY | |
| 4 | Extremely large Scots help in French port (8) |
| BRAIDEST – AID (help) inside BREST (French port) | |
| 5 | MP close to Speaker paced around (6) |
| REDCAP – the last letter of speakeR, then PACED reversed | |
| 6 | Sample wine out of shallow cup (5) |
| TASTE – remove VIN (wine) from TASTEVIN (shallow cup) | |
| 7 | Sporting chance to keep performing Spanish dance (8) |
| CHACONNE – anagram of CHANCE containing ON (performing) | |
| 8 | Geordie glimpses mate’s backside in trousers (5) |
| KEEKS – the last letter of matE inside KEKS (trousers). This is my sort of clue. | |
| 10 | Are millions almost certain to return depilatory? (5) |
| RUSMA – A (are), M (millions) and SURE (certain) minus the last letter all reversed | |
| 15 | Mêlée without hesitation going nuts for hiker’s snack (8) |
| SCROGGIN – SCRUM (melee) minus UM (hesitation), then an anagram of GOING. I didn’t realise this was an Australian term until I got to the USA and found people looking at me even more strangely than usual when I asked if anyone wanted scroggin when we went hiking. | |
| 16 | Wing perhaps having squashed lime with herb coating (8) |
| FORELIMB – anagram of LIME inside FORB (a herb) | |
| 17 | Post belonging to neighbouring country house (8) |
| QUINTAIN – IN (belonging to) next to QUINTA (country house) | |
| 20 | Heading for ocean I tangled with shark — sudden death! (7) |
| KAROSHI – anagram of the first letter of Ocean, I and SHARK | |
| 22 | Nocturnal bird continually seen round Jamaica (6) |
| EVEJAR – EVER (continually) surrounding JA (Jamaica) | |
| 23 | US appealing — their president’s losing millions over year (5) |
| PURTY – do I have to type this? TRUMP (the President of the USA in 2026) reversed, minus M (millions), then Y (year) | |
| 24 | Old attend spinning exercise routine (5) |
| TAEBO – O (old), BE AT (attend) all reversed | |
| 25 | Nova Scotia backing agreed Canadian channels (5) |
| SNYES – NS (Nova Scotia) reversed then YES (agreed) | |
| 26 | Dude just about to warm up tea (5) |
| BOHEA – BO (dude) then HEAT (warm up) minus the last letter | |
Got a good start earlier in the week and finished up the top this afternoon. Lots of nice surprises along the way. Last one parsed was TASTE[-VIN], a perfect example of the devilishly (and gratuitously) obscured clue that is the sulfurous hallmark of Mephisto.