Crosaire No 17384 by Crossheir – Friday, October 2nd, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Layperson has no son (‘layperson’ has no ‘son’ = layper = PLAYER) working in the abbey (working in The Abbey Theatre  = PLAYER),

9 Greek character (22nd character of Greek alphabet = -CHI) following (= position indicator) woman (MARIA-) (MARIACHI) in group of strolling musicians (MARIACHI),

10 Contemplates (muses) cutting 1000 (m) (‘muses’ without ‘m’  = USES) functions (USES),

11 Harry (harry/harass = DOG) from Nice (Nice BISCUIT) (DOG BISCUIT) provides a treat your setter (dog) appreciates (DOG BISCUIT),

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12 Is not slow (PROMPT) to offer a few lines to struggling actor (PROMPT),

14 Set (set) play (= anagram indicator) (set = EST-) from one (-I-) friend (-MATE) (ESTIMATE) – a ballpark figure (ESTIMATE),

15 Most of those (s) in 25 across (‘forwards’ without ‘s’ = FORWARD-) dreaming about (= - THINKING) (FORWARD-THINKING) what’s involved in fortune telling (FORWARD-THINKING),

18 A line from unsentimental (‘a line’ from ‘unsentimental’ = unstment = STUNTMEN) risk takers in a film (STUNTMEN),

20 Arrangement (FORMAT) for class (FORM-) act heading (‘Act’ heading = -A-) for Top Ten (top ‘Ten’ = -T) (FORMAT),

22 Numerous infections (disorders/ailments = CONDITIONS) in state (CONDITION-) school (-S) (CONDITIONS),

24 Partnership (TEAM) to curate a museum’s content (‘curaTE A Museums’ content = TEAM),

25 Rugby players (FORWARDS) shameless (FORWARD-) at first scrum (first ‘ Scrum’ = -S) (FORWARDS),

26 Deliberating avoid using (ESCHEW) drugs (E-) with barman (Senior Counsel = -SC-) and hack (-HEW) (ESCHEW).

Down:

1 Stuffier (CLOSER), cold (C-) and may be sore (sore -LOSER) (CLOSER),

2 The Observer’s (the observers = EYES) content recalled (= reverse indicator) by Jersey entrepreneur (content recalled by ‘jerSEY Entrepreneur’ = seye = EYES),

3 Director (director) working (= anagram indicator) (director = CREDITOR) with at least one of them in accounts (CREDITOR),

4 Groomsman dumps Norma (‘groomsman’ dumps ‘Norma’ = goms = SMOG) in a haze that pollutes the atmosphere (SMOG),

5 A (A-) retweet (-RT-) is (-IS-) close to racist (close/end to ‘racisT’ = -T) (ARTIST) from one creating a scene (ARTIST),

6 Maguire and Paterson (match maker = MATCHMAKER) working at Lisdoonvarna festival (MATCHMAKER),

7 Name in a church (CHRISTEN), college (C-) building (= anagram indicator), shrine (shrine = -HRIS-EN) over time (-T-) (CHRISTEN),

13 Cutting of grass (MOWING) for The Blues (DOWN) (MOWING DOWN) leads to shooting that comes in bursts that’s deadly (MOWING DOWN),

14 Taken in (EATEN) by Eton (Eton) speech (= homophone indicator) (“Eton” = “EATEN”),

16 Conventional (ORTHODOX) alternative (OR-) to hot (hot), wild (= anagram indicator) (hot = -THO-) party (-DO-) for mystery man (-X) (ORTHODOX),

17 Popular (IN-) street (-ST-) covered with fodder (feed = -FE-ED) (INFESTED) crawling with rats (INFESTED),

19 Grown up (MATURE) friend (mate = MAT-E) taking in old city (-UR-) (MATURE),

21 Wipe the sleep from eyes (AWAKEN), as water snake is not taking rest (‘water snake’ is not taking ‘rest’ = wanake = AWAKEN),

23 Put out (OUST) by what’s apparent in nervous tissue (what’s apparent in ‘nervOUS Tissue’ = OUST),

24 Sample of Robusta coffee (sample of ‘robusTA COffee’ = TACO) served up in Mexican restaurant (TACO).