MEPHISTO 2588

[crucifernz]

Tough this week, but last one!

2 DOWN
Rod from Australia is hit (4)
TOR_

Thanks in advance.

[Mampara]

I have TOL? and was looking at Toll.

Can you help with 11a please?

[crucifernz]

I have MARDAITES for 12 ACROSS, though can't see the wordplay fully - what do you have?
At 11 ACROSS I have BUDAPEST

[Mampara]

I have MELCHITES

This is a guess based on Bradfords but I cannot find the logic

Thanks for the other.

[kayakamina]

Hi crucifernz

It is a tough one this week.

I have pencilled in TONK for 2d. It is apparently the Aussie word for the male member
(Rod) and also means to hit.

I have also pencilled in MONDAINES for no other reason than it fits with the checking letters MNDAIE

[dontwakemeimbusy]

Mandaeans

[crucifernz]

Mampara: Although MELCHITES are also Syrian Christians, the 'C' conflicts with 4 DOWN, for which I hve ABAS - Kayakamina would agree with this solution I think? Perhaps Kayakamina can see the wordplay in MARDAITES - presuming MS refers to OLD WRITINGS, but ARDAITE is a chemical, so doesn't make sense. Sorry, Kayakamina, but I can't see that MONDAINES 'women belonging to fashionable society' have anything to do with Christian sects. So I'm back to TOR_(4) for 2 DOWN.
Rather than pencil, I've used a lot white-out this week!

[kayakamina]

Thanks dwmib

All clear now.

[crucifernz]

Thanks for the suggestion DontWakeMe, but Mandaeans conflicts with the 8th letter which I have as 'E' from 6 DOWN. There seem to be an awful lot of Syrian Christian sects beginning with 'M'.

[crucifernz]

Hi Kayakamina - can you explain please!

[crucifernz]

I have SAETER (Norwegian hut) at 6 DOWN.

[kayakamina]

Mandaites to fit the grid.

[crucifernz]

Thanks Kayakamina - I've just googled Mandaites and they seems to fit the bill (though do you see the wordplay?), so will go with TONK.

[kayakamina]

Hi again

That was quite a slog today!

Thankfully Azed & EV were easier.

Regards K

[JMR27]

Hi folks - for 12a I've got Mendaites...followers = men + are = a inside dites (obsolete writings)

[Zabadak]

I think JMR27 is right, though I also think followers =MEN is not the best bit of cluing I've ever seen, even if it is supported in Chambers. 14d took me longer, because I wasn't thinking too clearly about what a generic Jose might look like. At least the wordplay is easy enough.
Is it just me, or are references to genital slang increasing in frequency these days: there must be lots of better ways of cluing ROD, surely?

[crucifernz]

Thanks JMR27 - MENDAITES makes better wordplay sense than MANDAITES - back to the white-out! Re the use of ROD, I guess it sounds like an Aussie man's name. In NZ, I had never come across the 2 DOWN slang expression. It must be one that arrived in Australia with the convicts but never made it across the Tasman to middle-class NZ. Or perhaps I just don't move in the appropriate circles!