My first blog of an Artexlen puzzle.
I don’t think I’ve ever solved an Artexlen puzzle, but I know it’s the first time I’ve blogged one.
I was impressed by the accuracy of the clues and some of the misdirection, and ticked a couple of the longer answers.
Nothing contentious, in my opinion, and look forward to solving and/or blogging another one.
Thanks Artexlen.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BUSHEL | US president against opposing wings in equal measure (6) |
| (George) BUSH (“US president”) against [opposing wings in] E(qua)L | ||
| 5 | CALABRIA | Vehicle going round a lake and river valley in Italian region (8) |
| CAB (“vehicle”) going round A L (lake) + RIA (“river valley”) | ||
| 9 | TURN DOWN | Tango drink covering container for refuse (4,4) |
| T (tango) + DOWN (“drink”) covering URN (“container”) | ||
| 10 | AFRESH | He’s far at sea, once more (6) |
| *(he’s far) | ||
| 11 | WELLIE | Turned poorly, squeezed into small footwear (6) |
| <=ILL (turned “poorly”) squeezed into WEE (“small”) | ||
| 12 | LENIENCY | Criminal nicely drawing in opponents showing mercy (8) |
| *(nicely) drawing in E and N (East and North, “opponents” in bridge) | ||
| 13 | BASKING SHARK | Leader in boat requesting quiet with ship following marine creature (7,5) |
| [leader in] B(oat) + ASKING (“requesting”) + SH (“quiet”) with ARK (“ship”) | ||
| 17 | CLARINETTIST | Player at home in Bordeaux strip’s regularly first to tackle (12) |
| IN (“at home”) in CLARET (“Bordeaux”) + (s)T(r)I(p)S [regularly] + [first to] T(ackle) | ||
| 19 | FEASIBLE | After refurbishment, see if lab is workable (8) |
| *(see if lab) | ||
| 22 | ECHOES | Sounds reverberating from city hotel lovers occasionally used (6) |
| EC (“city” of London) + H (hotel) + (l)O(v)E(r)S [occasionally used] | ||
| 23 | TEMPER | Revolutionary agent encountered moderate (6) |
| [revolutionary]<= REP (“agent”) + MET (“encountered”) | ||
| 24 | IMPROPER | Unseemly Cockney’s that man with crutch coming before the Queen (8) |
| (h)IM “(that man” to a Cockney) with PROP (“crutch”) coming before ER (“Queen”) | ||
| 25 | STARCHED | Made rigid cart, developed in outhouse (8) |
| *(cart) in SHED (“outhouse”) | ||
| 26 | GO-KART | Fine picture on rear of big racing vehicle (2-4) |
| O.K. (“fine”) + ART (“picture”) on [rear of] (bi)G | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | UNUSED | Extra group of students in university education (6) |
| N.U.S. (National Union of Students, so “group of students”) in U (university) Ed. (education) | ||
| 3 | HANDLEBAR | Animal trainer clamps front of bridle with a part for rider to grip (9) |
| HANDLER (“animal trainer”) clamps [front of] B(ridle) with A | ||
| 4 | LOOKERS-ON | Witnesses lad following attractive person (7-2) |
| SON (“lad”) following LOOKER (“attractive person”) | ||
| 5 | CANDLE IN THE WIND | Mournful song’s line chanted differently with twist (6,2,3,4) |
| *(line chanted) with WIND (“twist”) | ||
| 6 | LEARN | Knight supporting king as master (5) |
| N (“knight” in chess notation) supporting (King) LEAR | ||
| 7 | BARGE | Bump boat (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 8 | INSECURE | Loose cover draped around middle of deck (8) |
| INSURE (“cover”) draped around [the middle of] (d)EC(k) | ||
| 14 | GUINEA PIG | Test subject – old tender pigeon with age ignored (6,3) |
| GUINEA (“old tender”) + PIG(eon) [with age ignored] | ||
| 15 | HITCHCOCK | Director’s prickling sensation constant in joint (9) |
| ITCH (“pricking sensation”) + C (constant) in HOCK (“joint”) | ||
| 16 | FLEETEST | Most speedy escape from ordeal (8) |
| FLEE (“escape from”) + TEST (“ordeal”) | ||
| 18 | VENEER | Finish shift after introducing new head of engineering (6) |
| VEER (“shift”) after introducing N (new) + [head of] E(ngineering) | ||
| 20 | SUPER | Great meal apart from starter of prawns (5) |
| SUP(p)ER (“meal” with [starter of] P(rawn) apart) | ||
| 21 | BIRCH | Erected hard bed made of wood (5) |
| <=H(ard) CRIB (“bed”) | ||
*anagram
In a different context, Artexlen (he has form) could of course rub his hands and give us a fiendish Aracurian work-out if he so wished. But there’s always always room for a fluent and elegant coffee-time solve and this is one of those, I think, so I enjoyed it on that level. Thanks to both.
Thanks setter and blogger.
An enjoyable, if gentle, test today.
Small edit: The vehicle in 5ac is a cab not a car.
Thanks to Artelexen and loonapick. Very enjoyable. I’m still not clear about the parsing of CALABRIA. Whether the “vehicle” is a car or a cab there is still a missing A or B.
Thanks to loonapick and Artexlen
I’m fairly sure this is my first from this setter. No complaints except for the redundant AFTER in 18d.
Thanks, Steven, for pointing out the typo (now corrected).
acd@3 – it was CAB, and there is no missing A.
Dansar – the “after” in the clue does no harm, but I see what you mean. The surface is slightly better with it, imo.
I agree the clue still works but I thought a little reworking might have made it a little tighter.
BTW @26a I think RACING is part of the definition
Thanks Artexelen and loonapick
A typically enjoyable crossword from this setter which allowed . Started with GO-KART and progressed steadily at a steady and entertaining rate to finish up with UNUSED and WELLIE in the opposite quadrant.
Liked both long across clues and thought that BIRCH was also very clever.