Christmas Crosaire Competition by Crossheir – Monday, December 24th, 2018

A big “thank you” to all those who entered the annual Crosaire competition on Christmas Eve – we had a great response indeed.

The prize from Ireland’s Blue Book, a two-night stay for two people sharing in the five-star Hayfield Manor, Cork city, including breakfast on both days and dinner on one night, goes to:

Tim Casey, Celtic Park Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9.

Congratulations to Tim – and a “Happy New Year” to all cruciverbalists out there.

Across:

1 You’ll (“you’ll” = “yule” = CHRISTMAS) hear this (= homophone indicator) from 29 across (“card” = CARD) (CHRISTMAS CARD), as it’s in The Post at this time of year (CHRISTMAS CARD),

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10 Most of (m) the team (“team” without “m” = TEA) is on drugs (HIGH) from the start (= positional indicator) (HIGH TEA) – everyone else makes a meal of it? (HIGH TEA),

11 Chaps in (chaps in = SPINACH) trouble (= anagram indicator) with one of The Greens  (SPINACH),

12 Part of splendid lecture (part of “splendid lecture” = IDLE) doesn’t work (IDLE),

13 I’m out of stamina (“I’m” out of “stamina” = stana = SANTA) with dancer’s boss (SANTA),

15 One of the players’ (HI-FI player) characters in Delhi fiction (characters in “Delhi fiction” = HI-FI).

17 In part, making a spectacle (in part “making a spectacle” = GAS) with empty talk (GAS),

19 State (TURKEY) who’s expected for Christmas? (TURKEY),

21 Built (= anagram indicator) forts (forts = FOR-ST) around Spain (-E-) (FOREST) and around 21 down, for instance (FOREST is around “fir”),

22 Skip (= anagram indicator) Iran, etc., (Iran etc = CERTAIN) for sure (CERTAIN),

23 Old magistrate (ARCHON) on trial goes missing in North Carolina (“on trial” goes missing in “North Carolina” = rhcaon = ARCHON),

25 Integral to revolutionary (= reversal indicator) Shanghai’s surveillance (integral to revolutionary “Shanghai’s surveillance” = aissur = RUSSIA) of foreign state (RUSSIA),

27 The greatest (ALI) bit of optical illusion (bit of “optical illusion” = ALI),

29 Sides with Catherine Howard (sides with ‘Catherine Howard’ = CARD) or The King? (CARD),

30 6 down (“crib” = CRIB-) with endless (end “less” = -S) (CRIBS) seasonal accommodations (CRIBS),

31 Beastly type (CROC) of leaders from Cattle Raid of Cooley (leaders from “Cattle Raid of Cooley” = CROC),

34 NO CLUE (UNAWARE) – the setter doesn’t know this presumably? (UNAWARE),

35 Order more of the items (RESTOCK) for faulty (= anagram indicator) rockets (rockets = RESTOCK),

36 Holly presumably (CHRISTMAS TREE) provides cover for the present (CHRISTMAS TREE).

Down:

2 Hot-headed (“hot” headed = H-) large (large = -AG-LER) criminal (= anagram indicator) admits leader of gang (leader of “gang” = -G-) (HAGGLER) drives a hard bargain (HAGGLER),

3 A bit (IOTA) of canal coming out of Catalonia (“canal” coming out of “Catalonia” = taoi = IOTA),

4 Leaves home? (tea leaves home = TEA BAG) Fortune teller will presumably tell you what’s in it! (TEA BAG),

5 Useful skills (ASSETS) for a (A-) small (-S-) group (-SET-) at school (-S) (ASSETS),

6 Local rip-off (local rip-off/cheat = CRIB) of Charlie (C-) and Adam’s gift to Eve (-RIB) (CRIB),

7 Get the message (REALISE) travelling (= anagram indicator) Israel (Israel = REALIS-) and Spain (-E) (REALISE),

8 Group savings scheme (CHRISTMAS CLUB) for the seasonal (CHRISTMAS) staff (staff/stick = CLUB) (CHRISTMAS CLUB),

9 Noel (CHRISTMAS) Eccles (Eccles CAKE) (CHRISTMAS CAKE) is made up this time of year and that’s rather sweet (CHRISTMAS CAKE),

14 Tuna (tuna = NAUT-) salad (= anagram indicator) and starters of Irish lobsters, ikameshi, (starters of “Irish lobsters ikameshi” = -ILI) (NAUTILI) and molluscs (NAUTILI),

16 New (= anagram indicator) code (code = DECO-) for the last of the fishy (last of the “fishy” = -Y) (DECOY) bait (DECOY),

18 Leading businesswoman (leading “businesswoman” = B-) has a cross to bear (-ONUS) (BONUS) – to the workers it’s a gift this time of the year (Christmas BONUS),

20 Rant coming out of tannery (“rant” coming out of “tannery” = ney = YEN) in foreign capital (foreign capital/money = YEN),

21 Irish men (Irish “men” = FIR) from Douglas, lit up like a Christmas tree (Douglas FIR tree),

24 It could be automatic (CAR) for women (W-) heading off (c) to the capital (“cash” without “c”’ = -ASH) (CAR WASH) or working as a cleaner for the escorts (CAR WASH),

26 Present day miser (SCROOGE) gets flu coming off golf course (“flu” coming off  “golf course” = gocorse = SCROOGE),

27 Colloquially pick up (ARREST) Sartre (Sartre = ARREST) novel (= anagram indicator),

28 Some Voltaire biography (some “Voltaire biography” = airebi) reviewed (= reversal indicator) (airebi = IBERIA) south of the Pyrenees (IBERIA),

32 They have a reputation for being wise guys (MAGI) locked in the scrummaging (locked in the “scrimmaging” = MAGI),

33 Phil Silvers Show tribute opens (“Phil Silvers Show tribute” opens/first letters = PSST) with attention grabber that not everyone will get to hear (PSST).