Mephisto 2723 & 2724

[gester]

Was 2723 particularly difficult? I could not get 50%, almost the whole
lefthand side.
Am agog to see the solution next Sunday.
Ive done 2724 without any major head banging.

[Cruciformist]

It sometimes helps to know a little about the setter. Paul McKenna is I believe a classicist; Tim Moorey is, inter alia, a cricket umpire. Don Manley I don't know anything about, but he is definitely the easiest of the setters. P.M. is most difficult, as I believe he has Scottish connections, judging from the no. of references to Scottish words. TM sometimes makes reference to "excretory functions". 2723 took me 6 hours; 2724 about 3 hours.
I don't bother to enter the comp. any more - the prizes do not justify the postage costs. I do the Meph for the mental exercise.

[Cruciformist]

Gester, here are a few hints for Meph 2723, left hand side:
Across: 1 hipple; 10. elaeis; 12 mescalin; 15 embrue; 17 dreikantern; 19 lorn;
25 scyes; 28 sabs; 31 casca; 33 kohen.

Using these, you can finish the down clues yourself! Bonne chance, mon ami!

[roslyn251254]

cruciformist - you can enter online now so no postage costs!

[Cruciformist]

Thanks for that Roslyn - I will investigate! I've won three times over about 15 years- last in 2008 when I won the fantastic Bloomsbury dictionary as first prize. (not boasting!)

[kayakamina]

Hi gester

I had a couple of slightly different solutions to those given by cruciformist-
1a Hirple - PL (Place) in HIRE (reserve)

31a Casco - CAS(H) CO(W) - (height & weight ignored)

[Cruciformist]

Sorry - you're right about those two typos by me! I always do the Meph on a photocopy, and had to rescue 2723 from the recycle bin!

[gester]

Cruciformist & Kayakamina,
many thanks for your comments ,albeit delayed.
I dont have computer,have to use library facility
and they close for elections (police et al) unfortunately.