Crosaire No 17141 by Crossheir – Friday, December 20th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 The Bog (MORASS) is big in the Gaeltacht (‘big’ in Gaeltacht = ‘mór’ = MOR-) area (-A-) south (-S) of Spiddal primarily (‘Spiddal’ primarily = -S) (MORASS),

9 Most of (m) the group (‘team’ without ‘m’ = TEA) going to labour (Labour PARTY) (TEA PARTY) function for Alice (TEA PARTY / Alice in Wonderland),

10 Business partner’s (business partners = SONS) produce from 13 down (produce from ‘fatherhood’ SONS),

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11 Under the circumstances, it’s convenient (EXPEDIENCY) divorcee (EX-) heard (= homophone indicator) Jim (‘Jim’ = ‘gym’ = PE-) met Cyndie (Cyndie = -DIENCY) Cook (= anagram indicator) (EXPEDIENCY),

12 Artist’s impressions (DRAFTS) of Dublin (D-) Boat (-RAFT-) Show – the first (‘Show’ – the first = -S) (DRAFTS),

14 Suspicious tendencies (PARANOIA) of soldier (PARA-) on a small charge (ion) arising (= reversal indicator) (ion = -NOI-) from being absent (-A) (PARANOIA),

15 Film (PICTURE) opening (opening/job = POST-) with comedian (-CARD) (PICTURE POSTCARD) – the type that’s reminiscent of someone’s holidays (PICTURE POSTCARD),

18 Epidemiologist’s study (DISEASES) cut from case studies (‘cut’ from ‘case studies’ = asesdies = DISEASES),

20 Tidies up (CLEANS) to do some homework (CLEAN-) at school (-S) (CLEANS),

22 Revolutionary (= reversal indicator) not (not = -TON) behind (= positional indicator) money-laundering perhaps (WASHING-) (WASHINGTON) of the American capital (WASHINGTON),

24 Guiding light (SAGE) in news agency (in the ‘newS AGEncy’ = SAGE),

25 Paid tribute (HONOURED) to 1 down (‘honour’ = HONOUR-) working on the paper (-ED) (HONOURED),

26 Shady type (tan) slips up (= reversal indicator) (tan = -NAT-) in view (SE-E) (SENATE) of the house (The House = SENATE).

Down:

1 Celtic is not in technicolour (‘celtic’ is not in ‘technicolour’ = hnoour = HONOUR) – there’s no shame in that! (HONOUR),

2 Knock’s (knocks = TAPS) system for distributing water (TAPS),

3 Young woman (lass) needs no introduction (l) (‘lass’ without ‘l’  = ASS-) showing off (= anagram indicator) roses (roses = -ESSOR) (ASSESSOR) in The Examiner (ASSESSOR),

4 Sitting on (ATOP) what’s dug up (= reversal indicator) in Mesopotamia (in ‘mesoPOTAmia’ = pota  = ATOP),

5 Lugosi is the lead (L- is the lead in ‘Lugosi’) taking on The Count (-ADDER) (LADDER) for a particular run in a tight situation? (LADDER is a run in tights),

6 Part of the church (TABERNACLE) sets up (= reversal indicator) club (bat = TAB-) on cleaner (cleaner) ground (= anagram indicator) (cleaner = -ERNACLE) (TABERNACLE),

7 Is rocket (is rocket) salad (= anagram indicator) (is rocket = STOCKIER) comparatively meaty? (STOCKIER),

13 Is responsible for a number of issues (FATHERHOOD) at (-AT-) her (-HER) hotel (-H-) in type of chain (food chain = F- -OOD) (FATHERHOOD),

14 Churchwarden’s (churchwardens = clay PIPES) pastries (PI-ES) – soft (soft/piano = -P-) at the centre (PIPES),

16 Plagiarist (IMITATOR) is not capable of anything original (IMITATOR),

17 An issue for the HSE? (SICKNESS) One is better off without it! (SICKNESS),

19 Criminal (= anagram indicator) rents (rents = SENTR-) yard (-Y) (SENTRY) from guard (SENTRY),

21 Strange (= anagram indicator) things (things = NIGHTS) seen during dark periods (NIGHTS).

23 Ross gets off steroids (‘Ross’ gets off ‘steroids’ = teid = TIDE) – the current trend suggesting it has a yo-yo effect (yo-yo effect = TIDE),

24 Get rise out of sentries (get ‘rise’ out of ‘sentries’ = sent = SENT) posted (SENT).