Mephisto 3042 by Paul McKenna – Multilingual Edition

In this puzzle a knowledge of Celtic, French, German, Greek, Javanese and Bantu will also help.

The trademark top line pun is yeggman.

In the clues, definitions are underlined. Wordplay explanation is followed by very helpful comments.

ACROSS

1 English wrapped in endless cloth what French put on their sticks (6)
BEURRE: B(E)URRE(l); cloth=burrel; “stick” is a reference to delicious French bread; French butter;
6 Breaking golden rule could find this cheat done (6)
GULLER: (golden rule – done)*; to gull is to cheat;
11 Run through quaggy peat, otherwise enter therein (9)
PENETRATE: (peat)* surrounds (enter)*;
12 Grand present sticks in trees (9, two words)
GHOST,GUMS: G-HOST-GUMS; a whitish looking tree that is native to Central Australia.
13 Initially pernicious and harmful being ill-gotten gains (4)
PELF: P(ernicious)-ELF; not sure the little people will appreciate “harmful” begorrah; a word associated with “pilfer” that means money obtained by questionable means;
14 Lofty lines on reserve force (4)
TALL: TA-LL;
15 Balancing box, eg, such is nailed to the mast (9)
CROSSTREE: CROSS-TREE; balancing=CROSS as in cross checking totals; box is a type of tree;
16 May, in the past, / showing intensity of feeling (5)
MIGHT: two meanings;
17 Dudley Do-Right’s vessels stick close to waters around Quebec (7)
BATEAUX: BAT-EAUX; French for waters=EAUX; French for vessels=BATEAUX, particularly on Canadian rivers; Dudley Do-Right is a cartoon character Canadian Mountie;
21 Prepared son in unusual hype about entering degree (7)
PSYCHED: (hype + s + c)*-D; s=son; c=about; D=degree; mentally ready;
23 Crooked account concealing demand for payment (5)
ADUNC: A(DUN)C; demand for payment=DUN; hooked;
24 Untangling this tangle would leave Romeo glib (9)
EMBROGLIO: (Romeo glib)*; The UK and Brexit; an extremely confused situation;
28 Harvest turned around but for what’s left in inlet (4)
RABI: BAR = but for what’s left, reversed – I(nlet); Rabi crops are found in southern Asia;
29 Old school inscription that’s familiar to Celts (4)
OGAM: O-GAM; school of whales=GAM; ancient Irish alphabet
30 Shut up over well-balanced source of sugar (9)
PENTOSANE: PENT-O-SANE; pentose is a monosaccharide produced from pentosan
31 Papal edict sent electronically that is not bright and breezy? (9)
EBULLIENT: E-BULL-IE-N’T;
32 Miss tucking in a navy woolly (6)
LANOSE: L(A-N)OSE;
33 Postgrad able to make free ingredient for beer (6)
MABELA: MA-(able)*; a grass (sorghum) similar to sugar cane used to make beer

DOWN

1 Fancy man in Grenoble craftily producing pink flower (12, two words)
BOG,PIMPERNEL: (Grenoble)* surrounds PIMP; a plant found in boggy heath land;
2 Electroplated support (penny spent) is a feature of fair mug? (7)
EPHELIS: EP-HEL(p)-IS; mug=face; Greek for freckle
3 Upper-class folio on dull study of transport? (7)
UFOLOGY: U-FO-LOGY; dull in Dallas=LOGY; looking for ET;
4 Comeback concerning damaging wrong? (6)
RETORT: RE-TORT;
5 Wrap up engraving on particularly rounded branch (7)
ENGLOBE: ENG-LOBE;
6 Rampant spruce overshadowing English plants (5)
GEUMS: SMUG reversed contains E; spruce=SMUG; rampant=reversal indicator; rose-like plant;
7 Last in Utah, decent having ceded what’s core (6)
UTMOST: UT-MO(de)ST;
8 Landslide in this year in Libya (5)
LAHAR: L(AH)AR; Libya=LAR; in this year=AH; Javanese for a violent type of mudflow;
9 SNP’s intention is to corral a mob apart from leader (5)
ETTLE: (k)ETTLE; intention in Inverness;
10 Reference lexicon on papal treasury’s image maker (12, two words)
REFLEX,CAMERA: REF-LEX-CAMERA; papal treasury=CAMERA; a camera that permits the photographer to view the image that will be seen through the lens, as distinct from viewfinder cameras where the viewed image could be different from what will be captured.
18 Appointed to represent unfortunate lad over article (7, two words)
AD,LITEM: (lad)*-ITEM; when we fostered we deal with a lot of guardians ad litem;
19 Test elfin yak on base? (7)
AUFGABE: AUF-GAB-E; elfin=AUF; yak=talk=GAB; mathematical base=E; a psychological test from the German for task;
20 Stop from holding the reins one in French compartment (7)
UNPANEL: UN-PANEL; to unsaddle a horse;
22 Places to stay could be fresh and exciting extensions? (6)
HOTELS: HOT-ELS; extensions=ELS;
23 In Bantu it is not about symbol next to adjective (6)
AIKONA: A-IKON-A; an informal Bantu expression meaning “no way”
25 Death-dealing African voodoo priestess accepted for ordinary (5)
MAMBA: African voodoo priestess = mambo then change “o” to “a”;
26 Rev supporting what implies very soft particular piece (5, two words)
BB,GUN: BB-GUN; rev an engine=GUN; very soft=BB; a type of air gun designed to shoot metallic balls called BBs
27 Macron’s embarrassment extended by one who grants wishes (5)
GENIE: GEN(I)E; embarrassment in Essone = GENE;