Crosaire No 17217 by Crossheir – Saturday, March 21st, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Court reporters presumably (tennis court reporters = SPORTS WRITERS) reporting on the fights (SPORTS WRITERS),

10 Prepared to wait (PATIENT), as pet ain’t (pet aint) sick? (= anagram indicator) (pet aint = PATIENT),

11 Pulpits (pulpits) out of sorts  (= anagram indicator) (pulpits = SPLIT UP) with divorce (divorce = SPLIT UP),

12 Sample of Grand Cru incomparable (sample of ‘grand cRU INcomparable’ = RUIN) to scotch (scotch/wreck = RUIN),

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13 Most of those in 21 across (most of those in ‘sports’ = SPORT) pass time? (pastime = SPORT),

15 Slight (SLUR) regulars with no gear (‘regulars’ with no ‘gear’ = ruls = SLUR),

17 Settle down (SIT down) and retire (= reversal indicator) in The Blasket Islands? (in ‘the blaskeT ISlands’ = tis = SIT),

19 Items (items) spread (= anagram indicator) (items = ST-MIE) around yellow primarily (‘Yellow’ primarily = -Y-) (STYMIE) in snooker (snooker/obstruct = STYMIE),

21 Physical activities (SPORTS) of all sides today (SPORTS is featured on all sides in today’s crossword),

22 Collection (CLUSTER) of cruets (cruets) knocked over (= anagram indicator) (cruets = C-USTER) containing the last of the oil (last of the ‘oiL’ = -L-) (CLUSTER),

23 A (A-) woman (-NORA-) gets cocktail (‘cocK’ tail = - K) (ANORAK) that’ll keep her warm on a cold night (ANORAK),

25 Write a (write a) novel (= anagram indicator) (write a = WAITER) working by a table (WAITER),

27 Flighty type (TIT songbird) consumed by attitude (consumed by ‘atTITude’ = TIT),

29 Poses (SITS) with leaders somewhere in the snow (leaders ‘Somewhere In The Snow’ = SITS),

30 Cash in on his missing (‘cash in on’ ‘his’ missing = canon = CANON) list of quality books (CANON).

31 Uncle Tom’s dismissing colts (‘Uncle Toms’ dismissing ‘colts’ = unem = MENU) from list of courses (MENU),

34 Angry (= anagram indicator) purist (purist = IR-UPTS) locks door at foundation (‘dooR’ at foundation = -R-) (IRRUPTS) or enters forcibly? (IRRUPTS),

35 Distorted (TWISTED) by local drunk (TWISTED),

36 Fishing and surfing (SPORTS) for film workers (EDITORS) (SPORTS EDITORS) – the ones responsible for latter section of The Post? (SPORTS EDITORS).

Down:

2 Put the fear of God into (PETRIFY) trophy wife who leaves (‘trophy wife’ ‘who’ leaves/without ‘who’ = trpyife = PETRIFY),

3 Upsets (=reverse indicator) vocal (= homophone indicator) Shakespearean character (‘Lear’ = ‘leer’ = REEL) in turn (REEL),

4 Ace gets out of spacesuit (‘ace’ gets out of/ from ‘spacesuit’ = spsuit = SIT-UPS) for a number of exercises (SIT-UPS),

5 Retweet (R-T) about type of wine (rosé) served up (= reversal indicator) (rosé = -ESOR-) (RESORT) for the tourists to enjoy (RESORT),

6 Scrap from particles (‘scrap’ from ‘particles’ = tile = TILE) on the house (TILE),

7 A snaky type (RATTLER) put off one’s stroke (RATTLE-) on second green (second ‘gReen’ = -R) (RATTLER),

8 Fair play (SPORTSMANSHIP) to jockey (SPORTSMAN-) employed overseas (-SHIP) (SPORTSMANSHIP),

9 Endless (end ‘lesS’ = S-) drinks (-PORTS) for one thousand (grand = G-) bought at the bar (-ROUNDS) (SPORTS GROUNDS) showcasing the games (SPORTS GROUNDS),

14 Type of cloth (OILSKIN) used by painter’s (used by painters = OILS-) folks (-KIN) (OILSKIN),

16 Minister (VICAR) is against (versus = V-) taking island (-I-) transport (-CAR) (VICAR),

18 Boss (= anagram indicator) parts (parts = SPRAT) with one of those from school (SPRAT),

20 Member of the beastly lodge (Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks  = ELK) taken in by Immanuel Kant (taken in by ‘immanuEL Kant’ = ELK),

21 Follow the pattern perhaps (SEW) with segment of ‘The Viennese Waltz’ (segment of ‘the viennSE Waltz’ = SEW),

24 Motion picture released in time (‘motion picture’ released ‘in time’ = oopctur = OUTCROP) provided exposure for The Rock (OUTCROP),

26 Possible troll (possible internet troll / TWEETER) with loudspeaker (TWEETER loudspeaker),

27 Sailors (TARS-) from America (-US) (TARSUS) in southern Turkey (TARSUS),

28 Promoted (TOUTED) tea (T-) no longer in the closet (-OUTED) (TOUTED),

32 Local shot in the arm (local ‘prod/prompt’= SPUR) with stimulant (SPUR),

33 General sense (GIST) of characters caught up (= reverse indicator) in short-sightedness (characters reversed in ‘shorT SIGhtedness’ = tsig = GIST).