13A Arab "freshman" in lawsuit periodically before term's end. (5) N-S-M. Looks like NASIM (Arab name meaning "fragrant air") but if so, I don't get the NASI bit.
Seems harder than usual this week. Struggled through to last one: 23A: Stage king free of inner character (7) A-C-A-D. By the way - 3 Down is a (5,4) not a (4,5) as printed.
Wrong puzzle posted on Crossword Club today - next week's 2608 by Mike Laws - although the posting instructions refer to Mephisto 2607 by Paul McKenna. After last week's vanishing 2606, they really...
9A: Split up part of guitar (4). The answer is clearly FRET - but what does this have to do with Splitting, or Splitting Up? Is it intended to be an "&Lit"? If so, it's extremely obtuse...
15D Don't waste time worrying about this as a "6,3". It's a "9". TLS seems particularly capricious in this area. (e.g. last week's DRTHORNE (7)) 19D Charles Johnson's pseudonomous...