Crosaire No 16629 by Crossheir – Saturday, April 28th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Distinguishing feature of head (PORT-WINE STAIN) barman? Might have poured both of these (barman might have poured “port + wine” = PORT-WINE) for a spot of tea perhaps! (a spot of tea perhaps = STAIN) (PORT-WINE STAIN),

10 Raw from soap powder (“raw” from “soap powder” = sopode = OPPOSED) – I’d be against that! (OPPOSED),

11 Lay (lay = -ALY-) off (= anagram indicator) top people (top “people” = -P-) in statistical office (Central Statistics Office = C-SO) (CALYPSO) for singing in the Caribbean (CALYPSO West Indian music),

12 Slice from lacklustre kitchen (slice from “lacklustre kitchen” = TREK) in March (march/walk = TREK),

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13 Women (W-) fear (fear = -AFER) baking (= anagram indicator) (WAFER) type of biscuit (WAFER),

15 Today, it’s on all sides (PORT on sides of today’s grid) of the computer (socket/plug = PORT),

17 Bob (bob/bow = NOD) and Maria leaving main road (“Maria” leaving “main road” = nod = NOD),

19 Sounds like outcome (UPSHOT) of one of those at 21-gun salutes? (UPSHOT),

21 New (= anagram indicator) purse (purse = SUPER-) for top boxer (top “boxer” = -B) (SUPERB) is remarkable (SUPERB),

22 Numerically speaking, not everyone (fraction) dropped resistance (r) (“fraction” without “r” = FACTION) to Ring (ring = FACTION),

23 Contract workers perhaps (HIT MEN) losing rag in nightmare (losing “rag” in “nightmare” = nihtme = HIT MEN),

25 Sounds like a crowd (BABBLE) with British (B-) beer (-A-LE) outside hostelry (B&B = -BB-) (BABBLE),

27 Fragment of videotaping (fragment of “videotaping” = TAP) from The Wire (TAP),

29 Relax (REST) – this is only part of the Welfare State (part of the “Welfare State” = REST),

30 Finishes 9 down (“portable radio” = RADIO) playing a tune in the car (RADIO),

31 Some plans of action (some “plans of action” = SOFA) for those looking for seats in The House (SOFA),

34 Hotel (-H-) in Ulster (Ulster = T-URLES) run (= anagram indicator) (THURLES) from town in Tipperary (THURLES),

35 It’s kind of an assumption (A PRIORI) that impresarios dismiss mess (“impresarios” dismiss “mess” = iprario = A PRIORI),

36 Left on board (left on a ship facing forward = PORT side) with two girls that could be the same person (Eliza + Beth = ELIZABETH) (PORT ELIZABETH) in South Africa (PORT ELIZABETH).

Down:

2 Exotic (= anagram indicator) posers (posers = OP-RESS) going around park (-P-) (OPPRESS) trample under feet (OPPRESS),

3 Leads the endless summer tour (leads “the endless summer tour” = TEST) to Japan playing New Zealand, for example (TEST match),

4 Raises (= reversal indicator) donations (aid = -DIA-) in pub (IN-N) (INDIAN) dinner (INDIAN),

5 Go over (EXCEED) to Spain (E-) with Ray (-X- ray), Clare (-CE-) and Teddy (-ED) (EXCEED),

6 Inform (TELL) the four characters in Bagatelle (the four characters in “Bagatelle” = TELL),

7 Pray (IMPLORE) in one (I-) place (-PL-) in Rome (Rome = -M-ORE) compound (= anagram indicator) (IMPLORE),

8 Sommelier perhaps (PORT AUTHORITY) knows everything about what’s going into Bordeaux, for example (PORT AUTHORITY),

9 One of those handily picking up signals (PORTABLE RADIO) could be easily moved (PORTABLE) by a Dior (a Dior = RADIO) dress (= anagram indicator) (PORTABLE RADIO),

14 By the way, old robber (highwayman operating on foot rather than on a horse = FOOTPAD) has no getaway vehicle (FOOTPAD),

16 Office boy (GOFER) is one of the swingers (golfer) left (l) out (“golfer” without “l” = GOFER),

18 Tribunal releases bit (“tribunal” releases “bit” = runal = LUNAR) that relates to a cycle (LUNAR/moon),

20 Bronze (TAN) found in Titanic (found in “Titanic” = TAN),

21 Starters with sides of beef (starters with “sides of beef” = SOB) with blubber (SOB),

24 Ancient screen (TESTUDO) offering The Tortoise (TESTUDO = Latin “tortoise”),

26 Throw down the drain (BLOW) on holiday (OUT) (BLOW OUT) in flat (BLOW OUT),

27 Beanie sports one (beanie hat has a TASSEL) at The Fringe (fringe/bobble = TASSEL),

28 Nothing (zip = PIZ-) gives rise (= reversal indicator) to a (-A-) lot of snoring (-ZZ) (PIZAZZ) from local class (local “class” = PIZAZZ),

32 Storyline (PLOT), page (P-) and line (-L-) from good books (Old Testament = -OT) (PLOT),

33 Charlie (C-) made the first lady (Eve) what she became (-RIB) (CRIB) in the nursery (CRIB).