Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 12, 2020
We are starting to see a lot of Artexlen in this space. My favourites in this puzzle are 10ac (UNTENABLE), 15ac (GALLANT), 22ac (LIMOUSINES) and 13dn (CLOSE SHAVE).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DODECAGON | Frisky dance with good form (9) |
| Anagram (frisky) of DANCE GOOD | ||
| 6 | THUMP | Hit hard in belly with power (5) |
| H (hard) in (in) TUM (belly) + P (power) | ||
| 9 | CAMEL | River the Parisian recalled is brown shade (5) |
| CAM (river) + LE (the Parisian) backwards (recalled) | ||
| 10 | UNTENABLE | Rocky powerless boxing figure (9) |
| TEN (figure) in (boxing) UNABLE (powerless) | ||
| 11 | DRAWING PIN | Pulling leg that one’s applied to the board (7,3) |
| DRAWING (pulling) + PIN (leg)
For the benefit of American solvers, what you call a push pin we call a drawing pin. |
||
| 12 | ANTE | Insect close to vegetable stake (4) |
| ANT (insect) + [vegetabl]E | ||
| 14 | BIOMASS | Fraud is a mob’s source of power (7) |
| Anagram (fraud) of IS A MOBS | ||
| 15 | GALLANT | Daring US girl inclined to ignore English (7) |
| GAL (US girl) + L[e]ANT (inclined to, ignore English) | ||
| 17 | TORRENT | Rush to let out grasping Republican (7) |
| TO (to) + R (Republican) + RENT (let out) | ||
| 19 | INSIPID | Weak inside of mind, depression is back (7) |
| [m]IN[d] + DIP IS (depression is) backwards (back) | ||
| 20 | ONLY | Just functioning, lady disheartened (4) |
| ON (functioning) + L[ad]Y | ||
| 22 | LIMOUSINES | Cars learner smashed – not totally minor issue (10) |
| L (learner) + anagram (smashed) of MINO[r] ISSUE | ||
| 25 | HOMESTEAD | Grey matter around domed stripped stone property (9) |
| [d]OME[d] + ST (stone) together in (around) HEAD (grey matter) | ||
| 26 | AGAIN | Foreign commander inches over (5) |
| AGA (foreign commander) + IN (inches) | ||
| 27 | DERBY | German’s the next to race (5) |
| DER (German’s the) + BY (next to) | ||
| 28 | SORCERESS | Witch turned back posse recrossing bridges (9) |
| Reverse (turned back) hidden word (bridges) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DICED | Policeman with month to retire took gamble (5) |
| DI (policeman, i.e. Detective Inspector) + DEC (month) backwards (to retire) | ||
| 2 | DEMEANOUR | Enamoured with characters changing conduct (9) |
| Anagram (with characters changing) of ENAMOURED | ||
| 3 | CULMINATES | Finishes copper layers, first article removed (10) |
| CU (copper) + L[a]MINATES (layers, first article removed) | ||
| 4 | GRUDGES | Envies good sport, regularly given daggers (7) |
| G (good) + RU (sport) + D[a]G[g]E[r]S | ||
| 5 | NOTHING | With husband in heart, indicating love (7) |
| H (husband) in (with…in heart) NOTING (indicating) | ||
| 6 | TINY | Very little money end of January (4) |
| TIN (money) + [januar]Y | ||
| 7 | URBAN | Vessel carrying sailor from south of city (5) |
| AB (sailor) backwards (from south) in (carrying) URN (vessel) | ||
| 8 | PREVENTED | Publicity meeting journalist stopped (9) |
| PR (publicity) + EVENT (meeting) + ED (journalist) | ||
| 13 | CLOSE SHAVE | Narrow escape as Charlie evades bear (5,5) |
| C (Charlie) + LOSES (evades) + HAVE (bear) | ||
| 14 | BETROTHED | Intended resolving other debt (9) |
| Anagram (resolving) of OTHER DEBT | ||
| 16 | APPENDAGE | Accessory a writer finally used, filling part of book (9) |
| A (a) + PEN (writer) + [use]D together in (filling) PAGE (part of book) | ||
| 18 | TRICEPS | Moment leads to pain and sore muscles (7) |
| TRICE (moment) + P[ain] S[ore] | ||
| 19 | IN ORDER | Suitable having systematic arrangement (2,5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | LEMUR | Primate gripping bird between both hands (5) |
| EMU (bird) in (between) L and R (both hands) | ||
| 23 | SENDS | Despatches object aboard ship (5) |
| END (object) in (aboard) SS (ship) | ||
| 24 | ASHY | Area reserved is dusty (4) |
| A (area) + SHY (reserved) | ||
Thanks Artexlen and Pete (and Merry Christmas to the both of you)
Enjoyable as ever from this setter that I sat down to on the weekend and was able to get through in a single session without too many issues … apart from a glitch at the start. The first one in was NATAL (which I wrongly thought was a river in Africa – and then LA TAN as ‘the French colour’). It was also my last one in when DICED at 1d gave me the last crosser and was able to determine that I was looking for a colour with ‘river the French recalled’ involved instead).
Took a little while to spot the reversed hidden at 28a, although the answer was clear enough from crossers at the time. UNTENABLE evoked a grunt of appreciation when the penny dropped on the word play.
Nice puzzle.
Yes, I’ve enjoyed Artexlen’s weekend appearances too. The SE quadrant proved trickiest here for me but 26a (my LOI) was the only one which caught me out – I had ALIEN from ‘foreign’ but couldn’t parse it and it wouldn’t fit with APPENDAGE.
Very much liked the surface of 22a where I imagined the ‘learner’ (gate)crashing rather than ‘smashing’ those ‘cars’. I also thought SORCERESS was a rather wonderful reverse hidden answer. DRAWING PIN was another favourite.
Some fine surfaces overall and an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to Artexlen and Pete. Merry Christmas to all.
Thanks to Artexlen and Pete. Well done by both. I would submit, however, that on 6d, “in heart” can be interpreted more narrowly as “in the center of”. Of course, if you interpret it that way, nothing changes, or rather it doesn’t.
Happy Holidays to all.
Thanks for the enjoyment Artexlen – this turned out to be a nice little afternoon filler. The sheer effrontery of hiding a word the size of SORCERESS was a highlight. Well done. Thanks for the explanations Pete. Christmas Day here ha dawned cloudy and a touch damp. Have a good time all.
Thanks Artexlen, I enjoyed this quite a bit. UNTENABLE, INSIPID, DERBY, TRICEPS, and LEMUR were among my favourites. Great surfaces throughout. Thanks Pete for the blog.
Diane and Mystogre, Thank you for commenting. I think I should have given Artextlen more kudos for SORCERESS. It was, as you say, an impressive highlight.