Mini 4 Thursday #22

Solutions below:

3A: ||Engineer = RA, (ALANFLEDA)* = FAELNADAL -> RAFAELNADAL||

7A: ||Spielberg = STEVEN, minus saint = ST, he's = STEVEN --> EVENSTEVEN||

8A: ||Average = PAR, under which A = A, (sharp)* = PHRAS, backing of refuge[E] house[S] = PARAPHASES||

10A: ||6 = VI, 5 = V, in the style of = ALA, six = VI, lawyers = DA = VIVALAVIDA||

12A: ||Party = BENDER, topless = ENDER, under woman = GAL inside rented accommodation = LET = LE[GAL]T+ENDER = LEGALTENDER||

1D: ||To receive = TAKE, unfortunate = SAD, half of endive = IVE --> TAKESADIVE||

2D: ||Receipt = TAKE, changing from T to F --> FAKE||

4D: ||In Har[ARE NA]tion-state = ARENA||

5D: ||The = THE, first three of "artisans" = ART, under "the" in Spanish = LOS --> LOSTHEART||

6D: ||Elder = AGED, in which is enclosed: "Before" archaic = ERE, muscle = LAT -> AG[ERELAT]ED --> AGERELATED||

9D: ||a = A, legal claim = LIEN --> ALIEN||

11D:||A = A, fish = GAR --> AGAR||

Whew, pretty difficult with so many long entries! I think 5D was my favorite, though 7A was very fun too. My main quibble is with 8A, I don’t think [under] works like that in an across clue, something like “after” would make more sense, or just start the clues with […average] maybe? Love the tricky definition on that one though. Thanks for the puzzle!

11x11 Cryptic: Spielberg

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