Financial Times 17,753 by ARTEXLEN

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As usual, Artexlen employs a wide variety of cryptic devices–nothing too exotic, but hardly a walk in the park, either.

I really enjoyed this one.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1 DOWNSIDES
Mortal sins we’d do revealing weaknesses (9)
Anagram of (mortal) SINS WE’D DO. Chambers lists “very drunk” as one definition of “mortal”–news to me.
6 SUM UP
Assess reservoir in which uranium’s found (3,2)
SUMP (reservoir) around (in which . . . [is] found) U (uranium)
9 SIDEARM
Weapon is turned against beloved maiden (7)
IS reversed (turned against) + DEAR (beloved) + M (maiden)
10 GAGARIN
Long-distance traveller’s smile welcoming Turkish chief (7)
GRIN (smile) around (welcoming) AGA (Turkish chief), referring to the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. Poekhali!
11 SMELT
Sensed odour of fish (5)
Double definition
12 NO-BRAINER
Figure outside uncovered venomous snakes and runs — that’s obvious! (2-7)
{NINE (figure) around (outside) interior letters of (uncovered) [C]OBRA[S] (venomous snakes)} + R (runs)
14 CON
Not supportive of Tory (3)
Double definition
15 CHENIN BLANC
Wine portion from kitchen in blancmange (6,5)
Hidden in (portion from) [KIT]CHEN IN BLANC[MANGE]
17 RESUSCITATE
Bring round adaptable crate and use it to store spades (11)
Anagram of (adaptable) {CRATE + USE + IT} around (to store) S (spades)
19 ASS
This equine caught in brier would get louder (3)
Inserting ASS (this equine) inside (caught in) BRIER yields (would get) BRASSIER (louder)
20 OVERSIGHT
Error during hours of darkness, taking south for north (9)
OVER[N]IGHT (during hours of darkness) exchanging (taking . . . for) S (south) for N (north)
22 KOALA
Arboreal creature ruined western half of Oklahoma area (5)
Anagram of (ruined) first four letters of (western half of) OKLA[HOMA] + A (area)
24 ARTLESS
Simple description of looted gallery? (7)
Double/cryptic definition
26 NEARING
Coming last in procession with carriage, not first (7)
Last [letter] in [PROCESSIO]N + [B]EARING (carriage) minus (not) first [letter]
27 AHEAD
Regularly seen, cashier adds up (5)
Alternate letters of (regularly seen) [C]A[S]H[I]E[R] A[D]D[S]
28 HESITANCE
That man with attitude squashing one’s doubt (9)
HE (that man) + {STANCE (attitude) around (squashing) I (one)}
DOWN
1 DISCS
Talk about disposing of US records (5)
DISC[US]S (talk about) minus (disposing of) US
2 WIDGEON
Bird got around ridges after striking wings out (7)
WON (got) around [R]IDGE[S] minus outside letters (after striking wings out)
3 SPARTACUS
Rebel set up snares when interrupted by copper (9)
TRAPS (snares) inverted (set up) + {AS (when) around (interrupted by) CU (copper)}
4 DOMINEERING
Overbearing monk in middle of meek group (11)
DOM (monk) + IN + middle [letters] of [M]EE[K] + RING (group)
5 SAG
Give idle talk up (3)
GAS (idle talk) inverted (up)
6 SIGMA
Author about to pen good letter in Greek (5)
AMIS (author) inverted (about) around (to pen) G (good), referring to Kingsley Amis or Martin Amis
7 MIRANDA
Thought about sun-god with a female name (7)
{MIND (thought) around (about) RA (sun-god)} + A
8 PINPRICKS
Willy between legs showing small piercings (9)
PRICK (willy) inside (between) PINS (legs)
13 BRIGANTINES
Sea water’s hiding Godzilla, primarily hostile to ships (11)
BRINE’S (sea water’s) around (hiding) {first letter of (primarily) G[ODZILLA] + ANTI (hostile to)}
14 CARBONARA
Sauce is element paired with a shelled crab (9)
CARBON (element) + A + interior letters of (shelled) [C]RA[B]
16 BREAKFAST
Resistance to split bill including small with big meal (9)
R (resistance) inside (to split) BEAK (bill) + S (small) inside (including . . . with) FAT (big)
18 SCEPTRE
Staff having misplaced respect (7)
Anagram of (misplaced) RESPECT
19 ARABIAN
Contents inside dark cabin, pans from Middle East (7)
Central letters of (contents inside) [D]AR[K] + [C]ABI[N] + [P]AN[S]
21 SPEND
Consume power within broadcast (5)
P (power) inside (within) SEND (broadcast)
23 ANGLE
‘Fish learn’: upcoming article (5)
GLEAN (learn) with the AN (article) moved to the top (“upcoming”)
25 SOH
Note second old shed in part of London (3)
SOH[O] (part of London) minus (shed) the second O (old)

12 comments on “Financial Times 17,753 by ARTEXLEN”

  1. COTD: OVERSIGHT (a beautiful surface almost like an extended def).
    Other faves: DOWNSIDES, ASS, PINPRICKS and ANGLE.

    Thanks Artexlen and Cineraria!

  2. SIDEARM
    IS turned/reversed, against/by the side of/in contact with, DEAR M. That’s how I read it.

  3. Thanks for the blog, very enjoyable and a neat set of clever clues. NO-BRAINER was well constructed and avoided the obvious supporter references. OVERSIGHT very sound and precise with the replacement. SOH also precise and convise.

  4. I’m in agreement with the positive reception this puzzle has received so far. Good solid constructions with decent surfaces and, as Roz observes, with admirable precision when it comes to deletions and replacement. Fortunately I was on the setter’s wavelength from the get go so the cryptic definitions all made sense, making for a very satisfying solve. Faves inc SIDEARM, RESUSCITATE, ARTLESS, AHEAD, HESITANCE, DOMINEERING, PINPRICKS and ANGLE.

    Thanks Artexlen and Cineraria

  5. Some setters seem to delight in words of monumental obscurity which presuppose esoteric knowledge that few of us possess. No such complaints about this one which a challenging but fair test of the solvers ability. Well done Artexlen and Cineraria. My favourite was 19 across

  7. How did the editor allow 8d? 🤔 Or am I missing something? He he. Anyway, an enjoyable one by this setter who has an ‘x’ in his pseudonyms

  11. Really enjoyed this one and solved it all.. A rarity for me but also a sign of enjoyment and sticking to it. Thank you all

  12. Late, but not too late.
    I thought for a bit that the FT had strayed into Private Eye’s crosswordland, not that I’m complaining.
    I agree with KVa@2, and with Roz@3 and Beak.
    A nice puzzle, well-crafted, and a nice blog, carefully explained. I liked the sly little 14A and also 13D, as well as the rudies. Thanks, all.

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