ARTEXLEN kicks off the week…
A lovely start to the week, a fun puzzle. I now need to watch the football.
Thanks ARTEXLEN!
ACROSS
1. Directly hit twice (4-4)
SLAP-BANG
6. Queen carried in taxi close to getting irritable (6)
CRABBY
R (queen) in CABBY (taxi)
9. I’m coming in for article of waste to be sparing (6)
SCRIMP
IM coming in for (A article of) SCRAP (waste)
10. Grip carton tight, keeping it overturned (8)
TRACTION
(CARTON)* (*tight) keeping (IT)< (<overturned)
11. Parent cycling son joins (4)
ADDS
DAD (parent, cycling), S (son) joins
12. English girl and a priest uncovered spies (10)
EMISSARIES
E (English) + MISS (girl) and A + [p]RIES[t] (uncovered)
14. Emptying circle a ringmaster goes around (8)
CLEARING
[cir]CLE A RING[master] (goes around)
16. Fine starters from oyster kitchen are yummy (4)
OKAY
O[yster] K[itchen] A[re] Y[ummy] (starters from)
18. Opponent cannot win regularly (4)
ANTI
[c]A[n]N[o]T [w]I[n] (regularly)
19. Old enclosure surround by grass is unlocked once again (8)
REOPENED
(O (old) + PEN (enclosure)) surrounded by REED (grass)
21. Alcohol good with unlimited herb crackers and biscuits (6,4)
GINGER NUTS
GIN (alcohol) + G (good) + [h]ER[b] (unlimited) + NUTS (crackers)
22. Say when retiring is wise (4)
SAGE
(EG (say) + AS (when))< (<retiring)
24. Aquatic plant, nothing small, ultimately spread (8)
DUCKWEED
DUCK (small) + WEE (small) + [sprea]D (ultimately)
26. Visibly embarrassed admitting row sounded ferocious (6)
ROARED
RED (visibly embarrassed) admitting OAR (row)
27. Bothersome thing, extremely lamentable grinding tool (6)
PESTLE
PEST (bothersome thing) + L[amentabl]E (ultimately)
28. Concluded fellow back in alehouse exaggerated (8)
OVERDONE
OVER (concluded) + DON (fellow) + [alehous]E (back in)
DOWN
2. Secured case of champagne guarded by boy (5)
LACED
C[hanmpagn]E (case of) secured by LAD (boy)
3. Father on social media site? Man is careful (11)
PAINSTAKING
PA (father) on INSTA (social media site?) + KING (man)
4. Pastry a very quiet Greek character consumed in shelter (5,3)
APPLE PIE
A + PP (very quiet) + (PI (Greek character) consumed in LEE (shelter))
5. Finally addressing being active, couple announced (7,6,2)
GETTING AROUND TO
GETTING AROUND (being active) + “two” = TO (couple, “announced”)
6. Elegant girl in Cyprus (6)
CLASSY
LASS (girl) in CY (Cyprus)
7. Sailor has sunken top craft (3)
ART
RAT (sailor, has sunken top)
8. Go-between’s business is out of money? Madness! (9)
BROKERAGE
BROKE (out of money) + RAGE (madness)
13. House acquired by poor saddler in US state (5,6)
RHODE ISLAND
HO (house) acquired by (SADDLER IN)* (*poor)
15. Some distance until dog collapsed close to me (9)
LONGITUDE
(UNTIL DOG)* (*collapsed) + [m]E (close to)
17. Keep fiddles before hosting summit for violinists (8)
CONSERVE
CONS (fiddles) + ERE (before) hosting V[iolinists] (summit for)
20. Be very cold following winds, when exposed (6)
FREEZE
23. Wind energy mostly environmentally- friendly (5)
GREEN
(ENERG[y] (mostly))* (*wind)
25. Use needles knocking out new teamwear (3)
KIT
K[n]IT (use needles, knocking out N (new))