Crosaire No 17129 by Crossheir – Friday, December 6th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Guaranteed to drop true (‘guaranteed’ to drop ‘true’ = gaaned= AGENDA) list of things to discuss (AGENDA),

9 Postscript (EPILOGUE) to short (c) poem (‘epic’ without ‘c’ = EPI-) written by captain (-LOG-), that’s outstanding (due), starting off (d) (‘due’ without ‘d’ = -UE) (EPILOGUE),

10 Moron leaves front room (‘moron’ leaves ‘front room’ = frot = FORT) of castle (FORT),

11 Having found a job at last (shoemaker’s ‘last’ = tool for SHOEMAKING) working with loafers (SHOEMAKING),

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12 Travelling (= anagram indicator) horde (horde = RED HO-) taking car (model -T) (RED HOT) that’s smoking? (RED HOT),

14 Support (HANG-) one of the three sisters (one of the “three sister” rivers / one of “Barrow, Nore or Suir” = Nore) returning (= reversal indicator) (Nore = -ER ON) (HANGER-ON) with lackey (HANGER-ON),

15 Outrageously admiring (HERO-WORSHIPPING) 4 down (HERO-) over (= reversal indicator) row (row = WOR-) with all the crafty types collectively (-SHIPPING) (HERO-WORSHIPPING),

18 Display (SHOWCASE) of starter (‘Of’ starter = -O-) surrounded by flaky (= anagram indicator) cashews (cashews = SH-WCASE) (SHOWCASE),

20 Guard (SCREEN) detected (seen = S-EEN) getting hold of credit (-CR-) (SCREEN),

22 State’s (= homophone indicator) sense of duty (‘principle’ = ‘principal’ = PRINCIPAL-) to school (-S) (PRINCIPALS) teachers (PRINCIPALS),

24 Ship- (ship-) -shape (= anagram indicator) (ship = HIPS) joints (HIPS),

25 One looking after another (carer = CARE-R) crossing French capital (‘French’ capital = -F-) for drugs (-EE) (CAREFREE) without anxiety (CAREFREE),

26 Loses rag in Reichstag (loses ‘rag’ in ‘Reichstag’ = eichst = ETHICS) with study of moral philosophy (ETHICS).

Down:

1 Take no notice of (IGNORE) Gore in (Gore in) trouble (= anagram indicator) (Gore in = IGNORE),

2 For example, Granny (Granny KNOT) Pat is abandoning tank top (‘Pat’ is abandoning ‘tank top’ = nkto = KNOT),

3 Latest (latest = -ALSETT-) sacking (= anagram indicator) in foreign office (Foreign Office = F-O) (FALSETTO) is off the scale and everyone will hear about it (FALSETTO),

4 Champion (HERO) what’s covered up by beach erosion (what’s covered up by ‘beacH EROsion’ = HERO),

5 Shrug off human rights (‘shrug’ off ‘human rights’ = hmanit = HITMAN) working for The Mob expected to hit targets (HITMAN),

6 Handles the financial affairs (BOOKKEEPER) of reserve (BOOK-) team player (-KEEPER) (BOOKKEEPER),

7 Chance to play (TURN-) for the county? (-DOWN) (TURNDOWN) No thanks! (TURNDOWN),

13 Fooled (HOODWINKED) by local tough (HOOD-) women (-W-) employed by the newspaper (-INK-) journalist (-ED) (HOODWINKED),

14 Atheist loses it (‘atheist’ loses ‘it’ = athes = HASTE) in Rush (rush = HASTE),

16 In that place (-THERE-) beyond (positional indicator) Spain (E-), a fair amount of (half of) 23 down (half of ‘ALes’ = -AL) (ETHEREAL) is heavenly (ETHEREAL),

17 Firmly demanded (INSISTED) at home (IN-) by relative (sister) almost (r) (‘sister’ without ‘r’ = SISTE-) straightforward to the end (‘straightforwarD’ to the end = -D) (INSISTED),

19 Listen (= homophone indicator) – be home (‘be’ home = ‘bee’ home = APIARY) for the honey! (APIARY),

21 Assume (EXPECT) former lover (EX-) has record (extended-play record = EP) brought up (= reversal indicator) (EP = -PE-) in front of (= positional indicator) court (-CT) (EXPECT),

23 Compromise lawyer holding (‘compromiSE LAwyer’ holding = sela = ALES) up (= reversal indicator) those drunk at The Bar (ALES),

24 Very funny (HA-HA) sign removed from Shanghai (‘sign’ removed from ‘Shanghai’ = haha = HA-HA).