Crosaire No 17887 by Dominic

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across

1 B (bachelor) + lithe (graceful) = blithe = carefree

4 Anagram (mixing) of “Soy” and “Pasta” = apostasy = heresy

9 Funfair (amusement park) removing f (opening letter) = unfair = not right

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10 Eg (for example) + Y and P (first letters - tips of young and parsnip) + tian (earthenware dish) = Egyptian = from Africa

12 Hermitage (museum in st Petersburg); Her (woman’s) + age (time) around (protecting) MIT (US college)

13 Three meanings of Raise = secure (as in raise funding); upgrade (as in make better); recruit (as in raise an army)

14 Anagram (break up) of “Chilean plots” = plain clothes which cops might wear

18 If the security council (of the UN) is policing a territory it is described as UN controlled leading to uncontrolled = wild

21 Pro (favouring) + xy (male chromosome) = proxy = factor (as in agent, deputy etc)

22 Anagram (wound as in twisted) of “I clean out” = inoculate = protect from disease

24 Ensconce = settle in; hidden inside (some of) queENS CONCErt

25 Middle letters of kaDIri alWAys poLIte = diwali an indian festival

26 Ma (mother) inside cot (bed) = comat + ose (first letters of Opening Sleepy Eyes) = comatose = unresponsive

27 New (original) + ton (measure of weight) = Newton = scientist

Down

1 Brush (conflict as in brush with the law) + Ups (good times as in Ups and Downs) = brush ups = quick studies (e.g. I must brush up my French)

2 Internal (private) removing t (tension) = inernal around (grabbing) f (female) = infernal = damnable

3 Remove tot (child) from outside of “the idiot” leaves Heidi

5 Anagram (needs reformation) of “painting to me” = pigmentation = colour

6 Super (great) + her + o (round) = superhero of which the Flash is an example

7 Acidic = sharp; CID (British cops) inside (arrested) AIC i.e. CIA (american agents) reversed (turned up)

8 Y (yankee) + on (working) + der (German for the) = Yonder = some distance away

11 Anagram (wrong) of “coalpit feels” = fall to pieces

15 Nanny (governess) + go at (attack) = nanny goat = one nurturing kids (baby goats)

16 Plea (prayer) + saint (holy one) less i (island) = pleasant = gracious

17 A + noise (sound) + HD (high definition) reversed = adhesion = gripping quality

19 Every second letter (occasionally) of “gasp in silence” = apneic = stopping breathing for a short period

20 Folsom Prison Blues is a record by Johnny Cash

23 EU around (imports) tin (can) reversed (when rising) = unite = make one