Crosaire No 16702 by Crossheir – Monday, July 23rd, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Closing time? (BURIAL) That will be the death of you! (BURIAL),

9 Opens for 15 across (‘cabinet minister’ = CABINET-) and One Direction (south = -S) (CABINETS) and The Chippendales, for example (Chippendale furniture / CABINETS),

10 Revolutionary (= reversal indicator) guns (guns = SNUG) found in the bar (SNUG),

READ MORE

11 The beasty types (GREAT DANES) in Hamlet (GREAT DANE-), the first for Shakespeare (the first for ‘Shakespeare’  = -S) (GREAT DANES),

12 Silence (Sh = S-H-) over small computer program (application = -APP-) means nothing (-O) (SAPPHO) to old poet (SAPPHO),

14 Measure (TEST) pipe (TUBE) (TEST TUBE) for experimental purposes (TEST TUBE),

15 Keeps an eye on finance, for one (CABINET MINISTER), for what carpenter put together (CABINET) in the church (MINISTER) (CABINET MINISTER),

18 Finishes with 15 across (‘cabinet minister’ = MINISTER) and one of the clergy (MINISTER),

20 Sorry (RUEFUL) – this isn’t a reference to the local chipper? (local ‘chipper’ = ‘cheerful’ and not RUEFUL),

22 Take orders (WAIT) to use up (= reversal indicator) Gene’s make-up (DNA = AND) on spot  (SEE) (WAIT AND SEE) and just be patient (WAIT AND SEE),

24 Part of speech opens (part of ‘speech opens’ = HOPE) with expectation (HOPE),

25 Play charades (M-IME) around neat (neat = -EANT-) set (= anagram indicator) (MEANTIME) in the interval (MEANTIME),

26 Point out (ADDUCE) in site (“site” = “cite” = ADDUCE) report (= homophone indicator).

Down:

1 Golfer’s (Golfing Union of Ireland = GUI-) well-kept (neat) for the most part (t) (‘neat’ without ‘t’ = -NEA) (GUINEA) in Africa (GUINEA),

2 Folk (KIN-) legend (‘leg’ end = -G) (KING) on board (KING on chessboard),

3 One of those of in Bath (bath PLUGHOLE) and Cork (PLUG-) synonymous with golf course (-HOLE) (PLUGHOLE),

4 A measure of one of those grounded types (ACRE) of sources coming off racecourses (‘sources’ coming off ‘racecourses’ = race = ACRE),

5 Peter’s out (peters out = ABATES) with a (A-) troop leader (‘troop’ leader = -T-) in new (= anagram indicator) base? (base = -BA-ES) (ABATES),

6 Fashionable (IN) grave? (BAD) Sense (TASTE) (IN BAD TASTE) this is a sick joke! (IN BAD TASTE),

7 Albert (Albert = ATR-BLE) Cook (= anagram indicator) holds me (me = -EM-) back (= reversal indicator) (ATREMBLE) swaying (ATREMBLE),

13 Old man from Middle East (PHILISTINE) gets hip (hip = PHI-) replacement (= anagram indicator) on schedule (-LIST-) in (-IN-) Spain (-E) (PHILISTINE),

14 Pay (pay = remit = TIMER) back (= reversal indicator) by track official (TIMER),

16 Unsettles (AGITATES) American (A-) soldiers (GIs = -GI-S) outside museum in London (Tate Museum = -TATE-) (AGITATES),

17 At the front, novice (at the front ‘novice’ = N-) loses head (h) with jockey (‘horseman’ without ‘h’  = -ORSEMAN) (NORSEMAN) and one of the old raiders (NORSEMAN),

19 Game (TENNIS) time (T-) in Clare (-ENNIS) (TENNIS),

21 Unburden oneself (UNPACK) to a French (a = UN-) group of players (-PACK) (UNPACK),

23 Catch sight of (SEE-) first drummer (first “drummer” = -D) (SEED) with Genesis (genesis/origin = SEED),

24 Hitting one’s stride going around (‘hitting one’s stride’ going around = HIDE) in leather (HIDE).