When I agreed to stand in for Ringo today I was hoping for a puzzle that I could get my teeth into, perhaps a Monk or an Io. It turned out to be an Artexlen, though this proved to be an enjoyable challenge despite there being a few very easy clues. Some other entries however needed a fair bit of thought because there was some inventive cluing as we have come to expect from this setter in his various incarnations.
Across
1 Hasten to get around one drunk showing abusiveness (10)
SCURRILITY – SCURRY (hasten) around I (one) LIT (drunk)
6 Without resistance, liberated transport route (4)
FEED – F[r]EED (without resistance, liberated)
9 Georgia – criminal Rosa Klebb almost escapes from custody (10)
GAOLBREAKS – GA (Georgia) plus an anagram (criminal) of ROSA KLEB[b] (Rosa Klebb almost)
10 Brand of Christmas card (4)
SCAR – hidden in (of) ‘christmaS CARd’
12 Checking how to spell that bloke from The Police (12)
WITHSTANDING – WITH ST AND ING (how to spell that bloke from The Police) – a reference to Sting
15 With half-hearted server coming at last, get shot of strong drink (9)
FIREWATER – WA[i]TER (half-hearted server) after (with … coming at last) FIRE (get shot of)
17 Demand and obtain dismissal to be revoked before court (5)
EXACT – AXE (dismissal) reversed (to be revoked) CT (court)
18 Stranger died in European river (5)
ODDER – D (died) in ODER (European river)
19 Arise achy having broken comfy furniture (4,5)
EASY CHAIR – an anagram (having broken) of ARISE ACHY
20 Detective without pressure feeling relief (12)
DISPENSATION – DI (detective) SENSATION (feeling) around (without) P (pressure)
24 Beast primarily butchered with bladed implement (4)
BOAR – B[utchered] (primarily butchered) OAR (bladed implement)
25 Tore up Brick Lane, going around hot and sticky (10)
BRANCHLIKE – an anagram (tore up) of BRICK LANE around H (hot) – a definition reminiscent of Mudd/Paul/Punk!
26 Goals from two opposing players, defenders gutted (4)
ENDS – E N (two opposing players {bridge}) D[efender]S (defenders gutted)
27 Seemly to hug son after Irish setter’s shot (10)
IRIDESCENT – DECENT (seemly) around (to hug) S (son) after IR (Irish) I (setter)
Down
1 Gesture, as Tom Jones does with name-dropping (4)
SIGN – SING (as Tom Jones does) with the N moved down (with name-dropping)
2 Fare for Japanese bus extremely prohibitive, I’d moan regularly (4)
UDON – [b]U[s] (bus extremely prohibitive) [i]D [m]O[a]N (I’d moan regularly) – a thick noodle made from wheat flour used in Japanese cookery
3 Pious man on time to join a bishop in recent uprising forming underground network (6,6)
RABBIT WARREN – RABBI (pious man) T (time) A RR (a bishop) in NEW (recent) reversed (uprising)
4 Sponge dirty old man with extra energy (5)
LEECH – E (energy) in LECH (dirty old man)
5 Protecting king and earl, junk and vessels participate in rotation (4,5)
TAKE TURNS – TAT (junk) around (protecting) K (king) E (earl) URNS (vessels)
7 A clean dish might be the result after having cooked that (10)
ENCHILADAS – an anagram (after having cooked) of the answer can give (might be the result) A CLEAN DISH
8 Get embarrassed over a politician being critical (10)
DEROGATORY – GO RED (get embarrassed) reversed (over) A TORY (a politician)
11 Clobber a Parisian, Roman Catholic reluctant to take part in rearing children (12)
UNDERCLOTHES – UN (a Parisian) RC (Roman Catholic) LOTH (reluctant) in (to take part in) SEED (children) reversed (rearing)
13 A myth about car being economical (10)
AFFORDABLE – A FABLE (a myth) around (about) FORD (car)
14 Female companion lifts old lady with superficial desire (10)
BRIDESMAID – RIDES (lifts) MA (old lady) in (with superficial) BID (desire)
16 Arrest suspect crossing Yorkshire river, one charged with acquiring loot (9)
TREASURER – an anagram (suspect) of ARREST around (crossing) URE (Yorkshire river)
21 Love to break mounting depression, showing a benefit of exercise (5)
TONED – O (love) in (to break) DENT (depression) reversed (mounting)
22 Father, one lamenting vocally (4)
SIRE – a homophone (vocally) of ‘sigher’ (one lamenting)
23 Able editor’s given up on paper (4)
DEFT – ED (editor) reversed (given up) FT (paper)
Well done and thanks, Gaufrid. I had only intermittent goes at this crossword because I was travelling, but I managed three-quarters; however, some clues were so contorted I felt as though I was back at school 60 years ago being forced on to various instruments of torture in the gym. Sorry, Artexlen, if I was off -form. I was proud of the ones I completed (like 15ac)
I enjoyed this and found it quite a challenge. I must have missed the few easy clues that Gaufrid mentions. It’s nice to finish a puzzle with an almost complete understanding of the wordplay. My only quibble was with enchiladas. I’m no expert on Mexican cooking but I should have thought that they should be defined as them rather than that.
Thanks Artexlen and Gaufrid
Another backlog puzzle that I got to today – my third by this compiler. Have mentioned how this guy does tend to construct quite complex clues that take some thinking to parse after you do get the solution. Same again. I could only partially parse BRIDESMAID – I had rides and maid … and couldn’t justify the B … so thanks Gaufrid for showing me the way.
Was happy to find my way through RABBIT WARREN and UDON.