Crosaire No 17231 by Crossheir – Tuesday, April 7th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Cover old ground (REHASH) with imp leaving Hampshire (‘imp’ leaving ‘Hampshire’ = hashre = REHASH),

4 Dish the dirt (SPEAK OUT) starting security (starting ‘Security’  = S-) summit? (-PEAK) That’s unacceptable! (OUT) (SPEAK OUT),

9 The Stones’ (GRAVEL) great (G-) composer (Maurice -RAVEL) (GRAVEL),

10 Miss (LEAVE OUT) Holiday (LEAVE) is no longer in fashion (OUT) (LEAVE OUT),

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12 Bully (COW-) drunk (= anagram indicator) a cider (a cider = -ARDICE) (COWARDICE) and left before the fight (COWARDICE),

13 Hoodoo (spell / CURSE) similar to 3 down (‘swear’ is similar to CURSE),

14 New issues (DEVELOPMENTS) to improve (DEVELOP-) worker’s (workers = -MEN-) shirt (-T- shirt) with top-stitching (top ‘Stitching’ = -S) (DEVELOPMENTS),

18 Broadcast (TRANSMISSION) in part relates to petrol heads (car TRANSMISSION),

21 Po-faced (prim = PRI-M) about school (-S-) (PRISM) sending colourful types in a number of directions (PRISM),

22 Anyone can (anyone can) disguise (= anagram indicator) (anyone can = ANNOYANCE) irritation (ANNOYANCE),

24 Study (READ-) community foundation (‘communitY’ foundation = -Y) briefly (h) with (‘with’ without ‘h’ = ‘WIT’) (READY WIT) a sense of humour that’s off the cuff (READY WIT),

25 Sharp knock at the door (RAT-TAT) of opium dens outside studio apartment (‘opium dens’ outside ‘studio apartment’ = taartt = RAT-TAT),

26 It’s indicative of Holly showing age (TREE RING) starting trouble (starting ‘Trouble’ = T-) by lough (Lough Ree = -REE) in Waterford (RING) (TREE RING),

27 Show up (ATTEND) to lure out of laundrette (‘lure’ out of ‘laundrette’ = andtte = ATTEND).

Down:

1 What that murderous lot in The Palace did (REGICIDE) about (RE-) soldier (-GI-) not finishing (r) drink (‘cider’ without ‘r’ = -CIDE) (REGICIDE),

2 What The Sun’s fans are looking for (HEATWAVE) leads to local pressure from police department (local ‘pressure’ = HEAT) to renounce (waive) report? (= homophone indicator) (‘waive’ = ‘WAVE’) (HEATWAVE),

3 Promise to keep omertà (SWEAR) ultimately to Mafia’s (ultimately to ‘mafiaS’ = S-) Don (-WEAR) (SWEAR),

5 Agree in advance (PREDETERMINE) to briefly (p) get ready (‘prep’ without ‘p’ = PRE-) to put a stop to (-DETER-) quarry (-MINE) (PREDETERMINE),

6 Promoters (ADVOCATES) of Scottish silks (Scottish silks/Scottish barristers = ADVOCATES),

7 Smells (ODOURS) funny? (= anagram indicator) Ours do! (ours do = ODOURS),

8 Test pilot blows top (‘test pilot’ blows ‘top’ = estilt = TITLES) with a number of counts (a number of Counts = noble TITLES),

11 Detective’s (DIs = DIS-) record (Extended-Play record = EP) turning (= reversal indicator) (EP = -PE-) extreme agents (extreme ‘agentS’ = -S-) in Republic, for one (-N-ATION) (DISPENSATION), leads to immunity (DISPENSATION),

15 Turns up (= reverse indicator), Doctor (MD = -D M-) Rowe (rowe) fairly (half of) (half of ‘ROwe’ = ro = -OR-) welcomed by sovereign (royal = L-AYOR) (LORD MAYOR) – the first citizen? (LORD MAYOR),

16 Brief description (VIGNETTE) of engineer (= anagram indicator) vetting (vetting = VIGN-TTE) Oriental (East = -E-) inside (VIGNETTE),

17 Heads of university not (heads of ‘University Not’ = UN-) scrutinised (-TESTED) (UNTESTED) or is that not proven yet? (UNTESTED),

19 Staggers (trips) back (= reversal indicator) (trips = SPIR-T) around island (-I-) (SPIRIT) from the bar (SPIRIT),

20 Detective (PI-) and judge (-RATE) (PIRATE) working overseas with Grace O’Malley (PIRATE),

23 All those in favour (YEAS-) of the leading (‘The’ leading = -T) (YEAST) agent behind The Rising (YEAST).