I found this one more tricky than recent Mephistos, and filled in the grid largely from the bottom up. As is typical with Paul McKenna's Mephisto puzzles there is a pun in the top row (this time on FORTNIGHT) but knowing there was going to be a pun didn't help me finish the grid.
I was held up a little by guessing a different anagram at 20 down (ECRUITE) but the long across answers eventually took care of that.
Away we go...
I was held up a little by guessing a different anagram at 20 down (ECRUITE) but the long across answers eventually took care of that.
Away we go...
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | FOUGHT: opposed in courts - F, then OUGHT(owed) |
| 6 | KNIGHT: K, NIGH, T |
| 11 | PERCOLATE: anagram of TO,REPLACE |
| 13 | REJONEO: E |
| 14 | TINGE: TIN(money), G(grand), E |
| 15 | URES: another name for URUS - SURE(stable) with the S moved to the end |
| 17 | MATRIC: MAT(dull) and RIC |
| 18 | PUTURE: PURE(clean) containing UT(as) |
| 19 | LEATHERHEAD: LEATHER(clobber, clothing), HEAD(crisis). I was surprised by this one because in the US it refers to a policeman |
| 21 | BLUNDER,BUS,S |
| 25 | RECTOR: sounds like WRECKED(whistled, drunk), OR(once, before) |
| 26 | NUANCE: remove IS from NUISANCE |
| 29 | FEIS: FEISTIER missing TIER(stage) |
| 30 | SAICS: I,C(see) inside SAS |
| 31 | ASTILBE: anagram of IS,ABLE outside of 'T |
| 32 | EUTRAPELY: anagram of SUPPLY,TEACHER,I minus CHIPS |
| 33 | SKEELY: EEL(foxy fellow) inside SKY(empyrean) |
| 34 | SENSE,I |
| Down | |
| 1 | FORUMS: FOR(in spite of), UMS(hesitant interjections) |
| 2 | OVERALLED: sounds like how a Cockney may say OVERHAULED |
| 3 | UP,JET |
| 4 | HEN,BIT |
| 5 | TRENCHER CAP: TRENCHER (one digging deep) and CAP(Capiat, let her take) |
| 7 | NOTOUR: or NO TOUR |
| 8 | ILIA: AIL,I all reversed |
| 9 | GANGUES: U in GANGES |
| 10 | TEEMED: TEE(start of a golf hole), MED(holiday region) |
| 12 | COPPER NOSES: sponge being a drunk |
| 16 | IRASCIBLE: IRA Levin,'S, C, then an anagram of BILE |
| 20 | EUCRITE: anagram of TRUE,ICE |
| 21 | BRISES: the left hand letter in B |
| 22 | DOSSAL: DO(rob) then LASS reversed |
| 23 | BUTTLE: BUT(without), then an anagram of LET |
| 24 | SESELI: anagram of SELFIES missing F |
| 27 | NELIS: IS after PANEL(bit of fence) missing PA |
| 28 | ACRE: hidden reversed in Plough-joggER CAnnily |