Crosaire No 17137 by Crossheir – Monday, December 16th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Iron (FE-) Maiden (-M-) is on the beer (-ALE) (FEMALE) with one of the Spice Girls, for instance (FEMALE),

9 Work unit (erg = GRE-) upsets (= reversal indicator) peer of the realm (-NOBLE) (GRENOBLE) at the foot of the French Alps (GRENOBLE),

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

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11 Agent (rep = PER-) sets up (= reversal indicator) Oxford (-O-) allotment (-RATION) (PERORATION), bringing things to an end, in a manner of speaking (PERORATION),

12 Drink (TEA-) and drugs (-POT) (TEAPOT) produced by home brewer (TEAPOT),

14 Prenatal (prenatal = PATERNAL) doctor (= anagram indicator) is very sympathetic to one of the family (PATERNAL),

15 Proposes marriage to someone (POPS THE QUESTION) from pet shop (pet shop) breaking-up (= anagram indicator) (pet shop = POPS THE) with a poser (QUESTION) (POPS THE QUESTION),

18 Artist (RA-) great (-G) at painting, for example (TRADE) (RAG TRADE), the fashion business (RAG TRADE),

20 Munch (chew = C-HEW) covers-up heads for Anxiety, Scream (heads for ‘Anxiety Scream’ = -AS-) (CASHEW) – and it’s nuts (CASHEW),

22 Updates (MODERNISES) novel (MODERN-) by increments (rises) starting off (r) (‘rises’ without ‘r’ = -ISES) (MODERNISES),

24 Clears up without cure (‘clears up’ without ‘cure’ = lasp = LAPS) in stages (LAPS),

25 Tie up (FINALISE) files in a (files in a) bundle (= anagram indicator) (files in a = FINALISE),

26 More (more) confusion (= anagram indicator) (more = -EMOR-) in my (M-Y) (MEMORY) powers of recollection (MEMORY).

Down:

1 Take out (DELETE) Ted Lee (Ted Lee) Duff (duff = anagram indicator) (Ted Lee = DELETE),

2 Limits cabinet ministers (limits/sides ‘CAbinet ministeRS’ = CARS) having more than one for the road (CARS),

3 The latest intelligence (DESPATCH) of squabble (-SPAT-) between Germany (Germany domain = .de = DE-) and Switzerland (-CH) (DESPATCH),

4 Part of the seaweed (AGAR) served up (= reversal indicator) in sample? Never again! (in sample ‘neveR AGAin’ = raga = AGAR),

5 Sad to say (REGRET), no pubs in Petersburg (no ‘pubs’ in ‘Petersburg’ = eterrg = REGRET),

6 Medic (doctor) is short (r) (‘doctor’ without ‘r’ = DOCTO-) with judges (-RATES) (DOCTORATES) with college degrees (DOCTORATES),

7 Awful (= anagram indicator) ordeal (ordeal = EL DORA-) for party (-DO) (EL DORADO) in place of great wealth (EL DORADO),

13 Permit (PASS) most of them (most of ‘them’ = THE) from Panama (Panama HAT) (PASS THE HAT) to seek change (PASS THE HAT),

14 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) what’s on top of Carrauntoohil, for example (‘peak’ = ‘PIQUE’), leads to irritation (PIQUE),

16 Nothing (O-) to do with rising (= reversal indicator) pitch (tar = -RAT-) from old (-O-) group of musicians (trio) starting to go off (t) (‘trio’ without ‘t’  = -RIO) (ORATORIO) Handel’s Messiah, for example (Handel’s Messiah, for example = ORATORIO),

17 Let off (EXCUSE) for first murder? (first ‘Murder’ = M-) It’s an eye-opener (‘Eye’ opener = -E) (EXCUSE ME), begging your pardon! (EXCUSE ME),

19 Relative (AUNTIE) of Russell (George William Russell = AE = A-E) welcomes a foreign (a = -UN-) bit of advice (tip), for the most part (p) (‘tip’ without ‘p’ = -TI-)  (AUNTIE),

21 Point is (compass point East = E-) – it’s wrong (-X-) to drink (-PORT) (EXPORT) what’s sold overseas (EXPORT),

23 Identify (SEE-) initial drummer (initial ‘Drummer’ = -D) (SEED) with Genesis (SEED).

24 One of The Greens (LIME green) in Muslim establishment (in “musLIM Establishment” = LIME).