Crosaire No 16830 by Crossheir – Wednesday, December 19th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 College (-C-) in Sofia (Sofia = FIAS-O) staggered (= anagram indicator) (FIASCO) by disaster (FIASCO),

9 Heard talking to the secretary writing things down (DICTATOR) for slave driver (DICTATOR),

10 Hook (HAND) and Sutherland dismiss result (‘Sutherland’ dismiss ‘result’ = hand = HAND),

11 Takes back legally (EXTRADITES) as actor (EXTRA-) stops working (dies = -DI-ES) overtime? (‘time’ = -T-) (EXTRADITES),

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12 Cleaning windows (ODD JOB) is awkward (ODD) for those at the end of 13 down (‘just the job’ = JOB) (ODD JOB),

14 Stormy (WILD) Daniels initially (‘Daniels’ initially = D-) needed no introduction (d) to The Donald (‘Duck’ without ‘d’ = UCK) (WILD DUCK) – there’s a name for this game (WILD DUCK),

15 In Europe (BRUSSELS), Proust’s (Proust’s = SPROUTS) novel (= anagram indicator) (BRUSSELS SPROUTS) cultivated around the plot (BRUSSELS SPROUTS),

18 Tiny piece (PARTICLE) in Post (P-) written by journalist (-ARTICLE) (PARTICLE),

20 Characters in 4 down (‘edit’ = -EDIT) at opening (= position indicator) about (RE-) (RE-EDIT) to change again (RE-EDIT),

22 Local respect (STREET CRED) for O’Connell, for instance (O’Connell STREET), Castro initially (‘Castro’ initially = C-) and Che, for one (-RED) (STREET CRED),

24 Starts 13 down (‘just the job’ = JUST) by the skin of one’s teeth (JUST),

25 Playing (= anagram indicator) on cellos (on cellos = COLONELS) or working on the base? (COLONELS),

26 Change over (SWITCH) casing for Swiss watch (casing for ‘Swiss watch’ = SWITCH).

Down

1 Uplifting (= reversal indicator) sketch (sketch = draw = W-ARD) includes current (-I-) Zionist leader (‘Zionist’ leader = -Z-) (WIZARD) of Oz (WIZARD of Oz),

2 Took advantage of (USED) some curious educationalist (some ‘curious educationalist’ = USED),

3 Charming (LOVEABLE) deep affection (LOVE-) for built-up (= reversal indicator) Italian island (Elba = -ABLE) (LOVEABLE),

4 Cut it out (EDIT) or change (= anagram indicator) diet (diet = EDIT),

5 It’s hard to read (SCRAWL) Edison leaving out of cowardliness (‘Edison’ leaving out of ‘cowardliness’ = cwarls = SCRAWL),

6 Whatever way you look at it, it’s the same (PALINDROME) – Dennis and Edna sinned? (“Dennis and Edna sinned” can be read backwards = example of PALINDROME),

7 It can be energy sapping (POWER CUT) perhaps when the Government is kicked out (POWER CUT),

13 Unbiased (JUST) article (THE) from Post (post = JOB) (JUST THE JOB) – is that what the doctor ordered? (JUST THE JOB),

14 What the binmen have to deal with (WASTE) in Ottawa’s tenements (in ‘Ottawas tenements’ = WASTE),

16 Response (REACTION) to an erotic (an erotic = REACTION) novel (= anagram indicator),

17 Is (-IS-) found in review (review/parade = PARAD-E) (PARADISE) of Utopia (PARADISE),

19 Caught (C-) by State (-UTTER) (CUTTER) Patrol travelling overseas (coastal patrol boat = CUTTER),

21 Nicest (nicest = INSECT) hybrid (= anagram indicator) or Beetle (INSECT),

23 Limits to Roquefort cheese (limits to ‘Roquefort cheese’ = ROSE) sold in the wine bar (ROSE wine),

24 Combine (JOIN) with the extremes of Joseph Stalin (the extremes of ‘Joseph Stalin’ = JOIN).