Crosaire No 16578 by Crossheir – Wednesday, February 28th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Clanswomen reject laws (“clanswomen” reject “laws” = cnomen = CONMEN) produced by hustlers (CONMEN),

9 Risk-takers (INSURERS) certainly (-SURE-) in (IN-) opening (= positional indicator) a fair amount of (half of) bars (half of ‘bars’ = -RS) (INSURERS),

10 Brought out sides (‘brought out’ sides = BRUT) with type of champagne (BRUT),

11 Half of those in 8 across (half of “conmen” = CON-) found on Irish beach (Irish “beach” = trá = -TRA-) near Ring (ring/circle = -BAND) (CONTRABAND) destined for the black market (CONTRABAND),

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12 Runny (= anagram indicator) sauce (sauce = C-AUSE) is left (-L-) inside (CLAUSE) by one of those on a short sentence perhaps (CLAUSE),

14 Scrutiny (RESEARCH) of new (= anagram indicator) cars here (car here = RESEARCH),

15 Misinterpret (CONFUSE THE ISSUE) most of (s) 24 across (“cons” without “s” = CON-) and marry (-FUSE) the man (-HE) consumed by all living stuff (T- ISSUE) (CONFUSE THE ISSUE),

18 Stanley (STAN-) and Diana (-D-I-) join school (National School = -NS) (STAND-INS) as temporary workers (STAND-INS),

20 Give the go-ahead (ENABLE) to bandoleer to get rid of Rod (“bandoleer” without “Rod”= banlee = ENABLE),

22 The Gathering at home (HOUSE PARTY) with The Greens? (The Greens = Green Party in Dáil/House = HOUSE PARTY),

24 The work of 8 across (the work of “conmen” = CONS) with fiddles (CONS),

25 Detective (-DI-) in Bergen (Bergen = BREE-NG) force (= anagram indicator) (BREEDING) generating an income from a number of stock options (BREEDING),

26 Put down (PENNED) from writer (PEN-) and new (-N-) writer (-ED) (PENNED).

Down:

1 Irritated (SOR-E) over running start (running start = -R-) by novice (learner = -L) (SORREL) – it’s the nag’s tone! (SORREL horse),

2 Old magazine (Time = EMIT) reviews (= reversal indicator) issue (EMIT),

3 They haven’t a good word to say about anything (KNOCKERS) connected to The Doors (KNOCKERS),

4 Louis I of Naples leads (Louis I of Naples leads/first letters = LION) one of those with pride (LION),

5 Crowds out (USURPS) for United (U-) playing (= anagram indicator) Spurs (Spurs = -SURPS) (USURPS),

6 Catch a glimpse of (“see” = “SEA”) broadcast (= homophone indicator) with horse (ARABIAN) out in front (= positional indicator) (ARABIAN SEA) from the Indian Ocean (ARABIAN SEA),

7 Family member (grandmother = GRAN-) going to Washington (Washington -D C-) from Russian Domain (Russian domain = .ru = -RU) (GRAND CRU) produced fine wine (GRAND CRU),

13 A French (a = UN-) and Finnish (“Finnish” = “finish” = FINISH-) report (= homophone indicator) by writer (-ED) (UNFINISHED) of The Castle, the famous Kafkaesque one, in a literary sense (UNFINISHED),

14 Judges (RATES) those put out by hotels (hotel RATES),

16 Tudor (Tudor = OUTD-R-) settlement (= anagram indicator) around old (-O-) order (-O-) and school (-S) (OUTDOORS) with open space (OUTDOORS),

17 Agent (ENEMY SPY) in Yemen (Yemen = ENEMY) going crazy (= anagram indicator) for notice (SPY) (ENEMY SPY),

19 Damage (IMPAIR) one (I-) foreign politician (-MP-) and publish (-AIR) (IMPAIR),

21 Connected (LINKED) to fake (= anagram indicator) Kindle (Kindle = LINKED),

23 Runners (RUGS) lose the head (d) on illegal substances (‘drugs’ without ‘d’ = RUGS),

24 Bank’s cash machine (banks/sides “cash machine” = CANE) staff (staff/stick = CANE).