Crosaire No 16860 by Crossheir – Saturday, January 26th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 In a manner of speaking (IRISH), describes the US for example (example of REPUBLIC) (IRISH REPUBLIC) as a free state (IRISH REPUBLIC),

10 Take back (RECLAIM) what’s lost (-L-) in troubled (= anagram indicator) Crimea (Crimea = REC-AIM) (RECLAIM),

11 Looking for justice (AVENGER) in Geneva (Geneva = AVENGE-) going crazy (= anagram indicator) meeting resistance (-R) (AVENGER),

12 Take no notice of (SNUB) slap in the face (SNUB),

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13 Showy plant (IRIS-) with lasting flourish (lasting ‘flourish’ = -H) (IRISH) visible in all borders today (IRISH on the four borders/sides of today’s grid),

15 Charges (FEES) Irish for getting out of fisheries (‘Irish’ for getting out of ‘fisheries’ = fees = FEES),

17 Divorce lawyer concealed (‘divorce lawyer’ concealed = ela) in retrospect (= reversal indicator) (ela = ALE) what the barman is capable of pulling (ALE),

19 Walk unsteadily along (TOTTER) Dodder (TOTTER),

21 Hand (fist = FI -ST-) over key (music key -E-) to a (-A) (FIESTA) car (FIESTA),

22 Missing (GONE) graduate (BA-) from department (-D) (GONE BAD) went to hell in a handcart perhaps (GONE BAD),

23 Have a go at another sketch (REDRAW) of retiring (= reversal indicator) prison officer (warder = REDRAW),

25 Hound (BEAGLE) flighty type (-EAGLE) after (= positional indicator) bad start (‘bad’ start = B-) (BEAGLE),

27 Provençal farmhouse (MAS) in part of pass – a mountain (in part of ‘pass a mountain’ = sam) retreat (= reversal indicator) (sam = MAS),

29 Sample of Pinot Grigio was (sample of ‘Pinot Grigio was’ = IOWA) produced in America (IOWA),

30 Backbiter (MOLAR) gives moral (moral = MOLAR) version (= anagram indicator),

31 So far (YET-), one (-I) (YETI) presumably has big shoes to fill (YETI),

34 The trappings of royalty (REGALIA) found in (= anagram indicator) Algeria (Algeria = REGALIA),

35 Frame missing from Afro-American (‘frame’ missing from ‘Afro-American’ = oarican = OCARINA) musical instrument (OCARINA),

36 In times such as this one (IRISH Times), a training plan (REGIMEN-) for those leading (‘those’ leading = -T) (IRISH REGIMENT) part of the army (= IRISH REGIMENT).

Down:

2 Report (RECOUNT) of what outgoing house worker, the loser, might ask for in the station (house worker/politician might ask for RECOUNT in polling station),

3 Selection bias by the banks (‘selection bias’ by the banks = SEAS) in the red and in the black (Red Sea and Black Sea = SEAS),

4 One of the suckers among the swimmers (suckerfish = REMORA) found in 3 down (REMORA found in ‘seas’),

5 Wax lyrically about (PRAISE) Persia (Persia = PRAISE) on the rampage (= anagram indicator),

6 Last word from world-beaters (‘last word’ from ‘world-beaters’ = beer = BEER) drunk in the public house (BEER),

7 Boss (= anagram indicator) resigns (resigns = INGRESS) with the arrival of The Sun (INGRESS),

8 Jack Russell’s relatives (IRISH TERRIERS) in Ráth Chairn (IRISH words + Gaeltacht area) produced unholy (= anagram indicator) rites (rites = T-IERS) about sin (-ERR-) (IRISH TERRIERS),

9 One of those whose roots is in Homeland (IRISH-AMERICAN) left Fair City for Dallas (IRISH-AMERICAN),

14 One (I-) line (-L-) from 16 down (‘legal’ = -LEGAL) (ILLEGAL) is banned (ILLEGAL),

16 Nigella drops in (‘Nigella’ drops ‘in’ = gella = LEGAL) for kosher? (LEGAL),

18 Sends up (= reversal indicator) colourful type (red = -DER) in charge (ic = CI-) (CIDER) of drink (CIDER),

20 Revolutionary (= reversal indicator) conversational piece (word) doesn’t end (d) (‘word’ without ‘d’ = wor = ROW) in argument (ROW),

21 Eliot gets out of lifeboat (‘Eliot’ gets out of ‘lifeboat’ = fba = FAB) in swell? (swell = FAB),

24 Party (DO-) pledge (-WAGER) (DOWAGER) to old lady with no husband (DOWAGER),

26 Grace in (grace in = GRECIAN) trouble (= anagram indicator) describing someone from Athens (GRECIAN scholar),

27 Material (MOHAIR) for McDormand’s first (‘McDormands’ first = M-) Oscar (-O-) will grow on you (-HAIR) (MOHAIR),

28 Ballad (S-ONG) about a (-A-) recipe (-R-) (SARONG) for a foreign wrap (SARONG),

32 Some upsetting (= reversal indicator) criticism lamented (some ‘criticism lamented’ = smla = ALMS) by charity (ALMS),

33 Lamb (lamb = BALM) stew (= anagram indicator) can be soothing on the lips (BALM).