Good evening. Regarding Mephisto 3138, I have done it but can’t for the life of me parse some answers
-pupil
-Rebecca
-Hesper
-sister
-Horace ( I know the poet and Rumpole’s first name but clownish chap etc?)
pupil - double definition [the 2nd being very long 'round opening of water pump', where 'water pump' = 'eye'].
rebecca - 'reb' = mr (Hebrew) + 'c' = 'caught' inside 'ace' [upturned] - see 'the Rebecca riots.'
hesper - he's + per = 'a' def - star.
sister - a female 'fellow' of an institution Internal security = IS [inside] STER(ling).
HO(b) is the clown ('wanting black' = minus 'b') + 'juice' = race
Yes, 'piquancy' appears to be the synonym common to both words but there doesn't appear to be a direct correlation - I don't like to see setters adopting this practice with regard to definitions (things are complicated enough with cryptic wordplay). Still, there might be something I'm missing.