Time slipped away from me on this one and I needed 14 minutes to complete it, missing my target by 4 minutes. Put it down to the troubled times we are living through, as I don't think there was much if anything here that should have delayed an experienced solver.
( Collapse )I solved this Mephisto in my usual fashion, without book, only to get stuck on one at the end. I saw what it might be, but I was incredulous that such a word could possibly exist - so I looked it up, and there is was. Naturally, in order to do the blog, I had to thoroughly vet my proposed solution, and as usual two or three of my carefully constructed answers turned out to be wrong, as my incorrect understanding of the wordplay led me to invent a few mombles. I also biffed a few that turned out to quite correct, but I still can't quite follow the cryptic.
Overall, this was a relatively straightforward puzzle if you have the vocabulary, with only a few outrageously unfamiliar words, only one of which caught me out. Once you have a few checking letters, it is possible to biff your way through a lot of the puzzle, leaving a few more difficult clues to be tackled at the end.
| Across | |
| 1 | Term for driver in police tactical unit (5) |
| CORPS - CO(R)PS. I admit, I can't explain the 'R', as I don't suppose it refers to a regular-flex shaft indication on a golf driver, although it just might. The correct explanation is probably that it is a reference to an 'R driver' in Ireland and IOM. | |
| 5 | Yank holding power secure in the Act of Union? (7) |
| TUPPING - TU(P, PIN)G, a word familiar from Othello. | |
| 11 | ____ played away from home, European taken in by randy raver (9) |
| AVOUTERER - AV(OUT, E)RER, where the enclosing letters are an anagram of RAVER. An adulterer, a bit of an &lit clue, more or less. | |
| 12 | Who arranges westbound rockets (6) |
| RETROS - SORTER backwards, a particular sort of rockets in this case. | |
| 13 | Scots jag an item of footwear (6) |
| BROGAN - BROG + AN, another one I biffed. The Scots word is defined in most dictionaries as 'prod' or 'goad'. | |
| 16 | Insides of transistor radios left over in Lossiemouth (4) |
| ORRA - hidden in [transist]OR RA[dios], finally a Scots word I know! | |
| 17 | Cold, then one’ll stuff comprehensive antibiotic (7) |
| ALLICIN - ALL (I, C) IN. The antioxidant found in garlic, not primarily an antibiotic. | |
| 18 | Such as keeps lobster fresh in Sri Lanka (5) |
| CRAWL - C(RAW)L. Apparently, when Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, its vehicle registration code was CL. | |
| 19 | Certain swimmer inaptly, we hear, grasps nut for the biggest part (9, two words) |
| SEA SALMON - sounds like |
|
| 23 | Class of plant: first-rate, umpteen carried out from the east (9) |
| DIDYNAMIA - A1 MANY DID backwards, a classic Mephisto clue: hard word, easy wordplay. | |
| 25 | This stunner taken aback posed again (5) |
| TASER - RESAT backwards, one of the few chestnuts you'll ever find in a Mephisto. | |
| 26 | What’s in motor? Scotsman’s joint! It helps to stay steady (7) |
| OTOLITH - [m]OTO[r] + LITH. Fortunately, I knew the word, as LITH is not among the most well-known parts of the Scots vocaulary. | |
| 28 | A tiny bit a hustler (4) |
| ATOM - A TOM, presumably one who tomcats around. | |
| 30 | Weight of one’s jugs (6) |
| PITHOI - PITH O' I, or so I would suppose. A stock Bronze Age shipping container, they're found in wrecks all over the Mediterranean. | |
| 31 | Muck in bin, tie tightly (6, three words) |
| BE IN IT - Anagram of BIN, TIE - part of what the New York State Lottery Commission puts in all its ads. | |
| 32 | Blessed Virgin is foremost in maternal doctrine (9) |
| IRVINGISM - Anagram of VIRGIN IS + M[aternal], with a rather novel anagram indicator. Some sort of religious movement in the 19th-century, long forgotten. | |
| 33 | Spoil mitts being back in strong breeze (7) |
| SNIFTER - RET FINS backwards, not the easiest cryptic, as both bits rely on rather secondary meanings. The answer has its 18th-century sense. | |
| 34 | Month for Jews taking time off in old Yemen (5) |
| SHEBA - SHEBA[t], a simple one for once. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Possibly saloon lawsuit remains (7) |
| CARCASE - CAR + CASE, another easy starter clue. | |
| 2 | Take out cracking bit of lamb with a bone (6) |
| ROTULA - R +anagram of OUT + L[amb] + A. The patella, more or less, which was famous for the two girls sitting on it. | |
| 3 | Utter excitedly about joining Royal Engineers (4) |
| PURE - UP backwards + R.E. | |
| 4 | A stiff-upper-lip sort giving endless criticism about nowt (5) |
| STOIC - ST(O)IC[k]. | |
| 6 | Unlikely tale lifting the lid on headdress — wow! This is pulled off (9, two words) |
| URBAN MYTH - [t]URBAN + MY + TH[is]. Mostly known as an 'urban legend' in the US. | |
| 7 | Malevolent Persian being against dance (7) |
| PERICON - PERI + CON, a Uruguayan dance. It's also a plant, but nearly everything is a plant. | |
| 8 | At home with good butter? Thick, as it was (6) |
| INGRAM - IN + G + RAM. Thick as in ignorant, a word that was apparently used a couple of times in the 17th century, and then dropped. | |
| 9 | Fancy the new air? It’s virtually colourless (9) |
| NEAR WHITE - Anagram of THE NEW AIR. | |
| 10 | German on preposterous way of cheek (5) |
| GENAL - G + LANE upside-down, not all that preposterous in these puzzles. | |
| 14 | Height of delight about English verse (9) |
| ELEVATION - EL(E.V.)ATION. | |
| 15 | A long-standing producer of oil will video flaring (9, two words) |
| WILD OLIVE - Anagram of WILL VIDEO. | |
| 20 | Charles de Gaulle, eg, left pressed by publicity (7) |
| AIRPORT - AIR + PORT. | |
| 21 | Balmoral or other stuck into mature woman’s guru (7) |
| MAHATMA - MA(HAT)MA. | |
| 22 | Young thug is to stand up and will make a break for it (6) |
| TSOTSI - IS TO ST[and] upside-down. Yes, this was the word I saw but didn't believe. | |
| 24 | Cartoon girlfriend that delivers eggs (6) |
| MINNIE - Well, the answer is obvious enough, but I don't follow the cryptic. Minnie Pearl, perhaps? Guesses welcome. It's a reference the the 'moaning minnie', formally known as a Nebelwerfer. | |
| 25 | Get money from a small snack (5) |
| TAPAS - TAP + A + S, where 'tap' is a slang word from the early 20th century. | |
| 27 | Open University being for chaps from Jo’burg (5) |
| OUENS - O.U + ENS, a slang word for ordinary blokes in South Africa. | |
| 29 | Dear mortal (4) |
| HIGH - Double definition. | |
| ACROSS | |
| 1 | 20 shillings, cents or euros? (5) |
| SCORE — S(hillings) + C(ents) + OR + E(uros) | |
| 4 | Marine guide possibly working for island (6,3) |
| DORSAL FIN — (for island)* I guess the appendage can fulfill other functions, hence the “possibly.” | |
| 9 | Best time to run in defeat (9) |
| WORTHIEST — WOR(T)(HIE)ST Yes, “worst” can mean “best,” in referring to coming out ahead in a competition. | |
| 10 | Golden arches—usual rubbish is consumed, primarily (5) |
| AURIC — Gag me with a spoon! First letters, COD. The irony is that the most (in)famous patron of the fast-food chain so clearly alluded to here doubtlessly does not know the answer word, nor could even guess its sense (even though it is the first name of the James Bond villain Goldfinger). It has nothing to do with the ear—unlike auricular!—but it is the last name of French composer Georges. It has a very precise meaning in chemistry, and a homonym refers to the auras that soi-disant psychics supposedly see. | |
| 11 | Perhaps those in rubber will excite more of us (8) |
| FOURSOME — (more of us)* I suppose the reference is to the game of bridge. I have included “will” in the anagrind, because otherwise it isn’t doing anything. | |
| 12 | Go about as a bird would go! (4,2) |
| BEAT IT — BE A TIT This phrase has been clued many times here by breaking up the words this way, with sometimes TIT meaning a silly person. | |
| 14 | Liquid runs so if retaining “A”, “X” being liquid property (7,7) |
| SURFACE TENSION — (runs so if)* surrounding ACE + TEN | |
| 17 | Keep going to Latin classes (3,11) |
| NIL DESPERANDUM — You can probably attend them remotely now… ”Never despair!” in Latin. A watchword for our fraught time. Keep Calm and Carry On! | |
| 19 | Lounge lizard initially bends over (6) |
| SPRAWL — L[-izard] + “bends,” WARPS<=“over” | |
| 20 | Ready for battle (3,5) |
| WAR CHEST — Got your mask on? CD, “Ready” in the sense of available money | |
| 23 | Old magistrate taking bible class the day before (5) |
| REEVE — R(eligious) E(ducation) + EVE | |
| 24 | Spring lecture given without single drink (9) |
| ORIGINATE — OR(I)(GIN)ATE | |
| 25 | Sea lion swallows a large piece of meat (9) |
| MEDALLION — MED(A)(L)LION, “Sea” being the MEDiterranean | |
| 26 | Dyed fabric clothing sailor returned (5) |
| BATIK—“Clothing,” KIT + “sailor,” AB<=“returned” | |
| DOWN | |
| 1 | Forced to leave prune? (3,3) |
| SAW OFF — DD “See off” with this precise meaning was new to me; it’s a strictly British usage. | |
| 2 | Work in China for US? (3,6,6) |
| OUR MUTUAL FRIEND — “China,” of course, being CRS for ”pal,” and “US” an example of the deceptive capitalization we haven’t seen on Sunday lately. We had a reference to this book not so long ago. | |
| 3 | Standards maintained by internet hosting (5) |
| ETHOS — Hidden | |
| 4 | Daughter opens robe in fantastic scene (10) |
| DREAMSCAPE — Paging Dr. Freud… D(aughter) + REAMS, “opens” + CAPE, “robe” The closest definition I’ve found for REAM is “to enlarge (a hole) as with a reamer” (Collins). MER at CAPE clued by “robe”; the words are not synonyms of each other at thesaurus dot com, nor listed as such anywhere else that I’ve found. | |
| 5 | No introduction needed for gospel book (4) |
| RUTH — [-t]RUTH | |
| 6 | Greek hero soon captures willing maiden (9) |
| AGAMEMNON — A(GAME)(M)NON | |
| 7 | Officer left in tears, unit disbanded (5,10) |
| FIRST LIEUTENANT — (left in tears, unit)* | |
| 8 | Good to admit oxygen can poison (8) |
| NICOTINE — This is actually true! NIC(O)(TIN)E The substance is merely addictive taken via conventional tobacco products, but liquid nicotine and e-cigarettes can be hazardous, as the stuff in a purer form and at higher doses is indeed quite toxic. | |
| 13 | Result of zero fare? A motorhome to take Channel crossing (10) |
| STARVATION — No, this isn’t the clue to the next one…! CD, ST(A)(RV)ATION | |
| 15 | Coast, where waves seem to gather? (9) |
| FREEWHEEL — (where)* caught up in FEEL, “seem” | |
| 16 | Physicist’s worry over traveller (8) |
| ANGSTROM — ANGST, “worry” + ROM, “traveller,” singular for Roma, which is short for Romani (sometimes called Gypsies, which some take as pejorative). The unit of length named after Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström, equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimeter, is mainly useful in expressing wavelengths and distances between atoms. | |
| 18 | Run out of clothes? (6) |
| STREAK — Well, the closest laundromat is limiting its hours now, but I’m not going out much or for very long, and most things can be washed in the tub… CD | |
| 21 | Conservative member’s rise (5) |
| CLIMB — C + LIMB Bit of a chestnut, easiest clue here. | |
| 22 | Wet place over one dry place (4) |
| GOBI — BOG<=“over” + I I guessed GOB was a “wet place” in the sense of “mouth,” either yer own or even perhaps that of a river, until Peter pointed out what should have been obvious! | |
| Across | |
| 1 | Mock? In a second almost comes to like Greek drama (6) |
| TRAGIC – RAG in TIC[k]. | |
| 5 | In unstable state, I must avoid responsibility (8) |
| LABILITY – take an I out of LIABILITY, to get this unfamiliar word. | |
| 9 | Damaging fall in a Jersey ditch? (4,4) |
| ACID RAIN – A, C.I. (Channel Island), DRAIN. Lovely, well-hidden definition. | |
| 10 | Look about and pull back (6) |
| REGARD – RE (about), DRAG (pull) backwards. | |
| 11 | Girl rejecting dance shows bachelor out (6) |
| STELLA – [b]ALLETS, backwards. | |
| 12 | Rail supporter is overwhelmed by jokes (8) |
| BANISTER – IS ‘overwhelmed’ by BANTER. | |
| 14 | We barristers’ works bearing fruit (12) |
| STRAWBERRIES – (WE BARRISTERS*), ‘worked’. | |
| 17 | With surprising delicacy, open book (12) |
| ENCYCLOPEDIA – (DELICACY OPEN*), ‘surprisingly’. | |
| 20 | Weirdly unlucky defendant gets run in (8) |
| ACCURSED – R in ACCUSED. | |
| 22 | Ring cleaner (6) |
| WASHER – double definition. | |
| 23 | Human being virtuous? About time (6) |
| MORTAL – MORAL (being virtuous ) ‘about’ T for time. | |
| 25 | Claire regularly takes foreign language, not the right subject (8) |
| LIEGEMAN – every second letter of cLaIrE, then GE[r]MAN. | |
| 26 | Criminal proposal to compass death (8) |
| OFFENDER – OFFER to ‘compass’ END. | |
| 27 | First element of telephone number provides lead (6) |
| TETHER – T[elephone], ETHER (numbing agent=number). | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Deliver on location, as told (6) |
| RECITE – RE (on), CITE sounds like (‘as told’) SITE. | |
| 3 | Buy good new clothes reduced in response to explosion (3,5,3) |
| GOD BLESS YOU – (BUY GOOD*) ‘new’, ‘clothing’ LESS (reduced). | |
| 4 | Man arrives at a lake in dense thickets (9) |
| CHAPARRAL – CHAP (man), ARR. (arrives), A, L (lake). | |
| 5 | Extended courtesy for killer at Agincourt (7) |
| LONGBOW – a double definition, the first a touch fanciful. | |
| 6 | His poetry attributed to Hubbard? (5) |
| BYRON – L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology. Was Byron’s poetry BY RON? Puh-lease! | |
| 7 | Stage set up (3) |
| LEG – GEL (set), ‘up’. | |
| 8 | Novelist’s revolutionary opening enthrals press (8) |
| TURGENEV – URGE (press), inside (‘enthralled by’) TNEV, which is ‘revolutionary’ VENT (opening). I’d never heard of this Russian writer, and felt none the worse for that. | |
| 13 | One can fill lots of cells — start making a bed? (11) |
| SPREADSHEET – another double definition, the second a touch fanciful this time. | |
| 15 | Source of funds to stop a pair of lifts trapping people (9) |
| ENDOWMENT – END (stop), OWT (TWO, ‘lifting’), ‘trapping’ MEN. | |
| 16 | Stop work as pirate (5,3) |
| KNOCK OFF – yet another double definition. | |
| 18 | Boat’s propeller: one gets feet wet (7) |
| PADDLER – and yet another. | |
| 19 | Open taking this seed for a spell (6) |
| SESAME – a quaint reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and its magic spell, ‘Open Sesame’. | |
| 21 | Firm one enters changed hands (5) |
| SOLID – I (one) entering SOLD. | |
| 24 | Almost level in match (3) |
| TIE – TIE[r] (level), TIE (match). | |
I took quite a bit longer than usual to complete this QC finishing in just under 7 minutes, but we've had quite a few head-scratchers already over the last 2 weeks, haven't we? I had a few hold-ups with this, such as failing for ages to see the answer to the anagram at 3D, remembering the word for the hairstyle at 14D, and bunging in the wrong answer at first for 20A. But there are plenty of straightforward clues to get you going, making this a fair challenge, I think. I liked the pun at 1A, the 4-part charade at 17A, the misdirection at 4D and, especially, the topical instructions on how to do our enforced home-schooling at 17A and 17D. Thank-you Hurley. Lovely job, as they say round here. How did everyone else get on?
| Across | |
| 1 | Inferior cow girl catches cold (5-5) |
| LOWER-CLASS - LOWER (cow - as in a low-er, a thing that lows/moos) LASS (girl) catches/holds C(old) | |
| 8 | Valuable coin found in item of food (7) |
| RAREBIT - RARE (valuable) BIT (coin). Is there anything on Earth that's rare and isn't valuable? (Anything not unpleasant, that is.) | |
| 9 | Animal fancied occupying the back of your house (5) |
| RHINO - IN (fancied/fashionable) occupying R ("back" of youR) HO (abbrev. for house) | |
| 10 | One going round hospital in pain (4) |
| ACHE - ACE (one) round H(ospital) | |
| 11 | Dad has system of paying — such is his family duty (8) |
| PARENTAL - PA (dad) RENTAL (system of paying) | |
| 13 | Manage to secure superior type of vehicle (5) |
| COUPE - COPE (manage) to secure U (superior, vs. non-U/inferior). I gave up on this, unable to see past CAUSE, which was clearly wrong. | |
| 14 | Fellow ejected from chapel, the German high-up in congregation (5) |
| ELDER - CHAP (fellow) ejected from CHAPEL leaves EL ; DER (the, German) | |
| 16 | Declare times in statistical information (8) |
| AVERAGES - AVER (declare) AGES (times) | |
| 17 | Crew said something at Chiswick in boat race (4) |
| EYOT - is pronounced/said as EIGHT (crew, in rowing). Variant spelling of "ait", a small island, especially in a river. The Chiswick Eyot is the halfway mark in the Boat Race. I also gave up on this - got the sounds-like-eight bit, but the spelling could have been a few things, and I'd already given up on 13ac. | |
| 20 | Taking newspaper (5) |
| THEFT - The FT (newspaper). "Taking" as a noun. | |
| 21 | Fantastic eagle in descent (7) |
| LINEAGE - anagram (fantastic) of EAGLE IN | |
| 22 | Sour disposition of US men, prigs being awkward (10) |
| GRUMPINESS - anagram (being awkward) of US MEN PRIGS | |
| Down | |
| 1 | This girl is hugged by sailor, naturally (5) |
| LORNA - "hugged" by the letters of saiLOR NAturally | |
| 2 | Chaps who should know what's in store (12) |
| WAREHOUSEMEN - cryptic definition, the literal referring to men anticipating, the cryptic to warehouse stock. | |
| 3 | King with honour producing garment (4) |
| ROBE - R (Rex/king) with OBE (honour) | |
| 4 | All the changes of a deadly nature (6) |
| LETHAL - anagram (changes) of ALL THE | |
| 5 | Hidden under lots of loose rocks is Edmund (8) |
| SCREENED - under SCREE (lots of loose rocks - especially on a mountainside) is NED (Edmund) | |
| 6 | Bakery — I'd chat about one of its products maybe (8,4) |
| BIRTHDAY CAKE - anagram (about) of BAKERY ID CHAT | |
| 7 | Model and artist turned up to make a bit of money (6) |
| DOLLAR - DOLL (model) and AR (RA = artist, "turned up") | |
| 12 | Margaret, a very good type, a right “superperson” (8) |
| MEGASTAR - MEG (Margaret) A ST. (a Saint/very good type) A R(ight). In my (dubious) haste when solving, I misparsed the good type as "a star". | |
| 13 | Sings about Hampshire (6) |
| CHANTS - C (Circa/about) HANTS (Hampshire) | |
| 15 | Commotion in place of rest left in the morning (6) |
| BEDLAM - BED (in place of rest) L(eft) AM (in the morning). | |
| 18 | Rows with ferocious beasts, not good (5) |
| TIERS - TIgERS (ferocious beasts, minus the G for good) | |
| 19 | Some frantic person opposing something (4) |
| ANTI - "some" of frANTIc | |
