Crosaire No 16890 by Crossheir – Saturday, March 2nd, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 In (HOT-) The Dáil (-HOUSE), informant (PLANT) (HOTHOUSE PLANT) is a fragile, delicate type (HOTHOUSE PLANT),

10 Three innocents at the centre (three ‘innocents’ at the centre = OCE-) lost (lost = -LOTS) wild (= anagram indicator) (OCELOTS) cats (OCELOTS),

11 Knight (Sir = RIS-) sends back (= reversal indicator) German (-OTTO) (RISOTTO) dish from Italian kitchen (RISOTTO),

12 A little bit (ATOM) of what’s served up (= reversal indicator) in Palermo takeaway (in ‘Palermo takeaway’ = mota = ATOM),

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13 Knock back (= reversal indicator) bottles of Mimosa, Fosters (bottles of ‘Mimosa, Fosters’ = safos = SOFAS) and popular types in the lounge (SOFAS),

15 Finishes all the dishes – spaghetti, veal, burrito (finishes all the ‘dishes – spaghetti, veal, burrito’ = SILO) from food store (SILO),

17 Duty (TAX) of Beaux Arts to remove abuser (‘Beaux Arts’ to remove ‘abuser’ = xat = TAX),

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

21 Lose track of (FORGOT) Passover? (pass over / FORGOT),

22 Hold spellbound (ENTHRAL) setting up (= reversal indicator) hotel (-H-) on square (-T- square) in Ulster port (Larne = EN-RAL) (ENTHRAL),

23 Shocked (AGHAST) gulag has trouble internally (‘gulag has trouble’ internally = AGHAST),

25 Gorge (RAVINE) on most of the fish (on most of the ‘ray’ = RA-) and Chardonnay (-VINE) (RAVINE),

27 Close (HOT) to all sides today (HOT on all sides of today’s grid),

29 Carry a torch (LOVE) to find what’s spewing up (= reversal indicator) out of active volcano (out of ‘active volcano’ = evol = LOVE),

30 Al Capone dismisses pal (‘Al Capone’ dismisses ‘pal’ = acone = CANOE) as a crafty type capable of sending you down the river (CANOE),

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

34 Instrument (OCARINA) in old (O-) transport (-CAR-) in (-IN-) America (-A) (OCARINA),

35 Chickpea starter (‘chickpea’ starter = C-) with tahini (tahini = -HIANTI) spread (= anagram indicator) (CHIANTI) and wine (CHIANTI),

36 Impetuosity (HOTHEADEDNESS) of Count (tot) losing the head (t) (‘tot’ without ‘t’ = -OT-) topped (-HEADED-) by Nazi leader (‘Nazi ‘leader = -N-) consumed by Hess (H-ESS) (HOTHEADEDNESS).

Down:

2 Individual (ONE-) capital rights (capital ‘rights’ = -R-) to remove one (I) from debts (‘IOUs’ without ‘I’ = -OUS) (ONEROUS) can be hard to take (ONEROUS),

3 Local belt (HOOK) taken by boxer perhaps (HOOK),

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

5 Could be (= anagram indicator) aware (aware = EARWA-), mystery man (-X) (EARWAX) is causing trouble for The Hearing (EARWAX),

6 Hostels not needing the (‘hostels’ not needing ‘the’ = osls = LOSS) tax right-off (LOSS),

7 Catching (NETTING) odd (= anagram indicator) intent (intent = NETTIN-) from Government (-G) (NETTING),

8 Henry (H-) from around (= reversal indicator) Rialto (Rialto = otlair) left (l) out (‘otlair’ without ‘l’ = -OT AIR) glass of brandy (BALLOON brandy glass) (HOT-AIR BALLOON) for those in inflated form of transport (HOT-AIR BALLOON),

9 Very close (HOT ON THE TRAIL) to where Stalker can be found (stalker can be found HOT ON THE TRAIL),

14 The latest taste (FASHION) of a shin of (a shin of = FASHION) stew (= anagram indicator),

16 Remove snow from crow’s nest (remove ‘snow’ from ‘crows nest’ = crest = CREST) on top of the mountain (CREST),

18 Old master knocks out Ted’s (‘old master’ knocks out ‘Teds’ = olmar  = MOLAR) wisdom tooth (MOLAR),

20 Is likely to go off (TNT) dentists not taking sides (‘dentists’ not taking ‘sides’ = ntt = TNT),

21 Not close by (FAR) to waterproof a refectory from the inside (‘waterproof a refectory from the inside  = FAR),

24 Try (HAVE A GO) to use a razor (to shave) trimming top (s) (‘shave’ without ‘s’ = HAVE) in olden times (ago = A GO) (HAVE A GO),

26 Identify opening (‘identify’ opening = I-) with acres of space (-LAND-) in ship (-S-S) (ISLANDS) surrounded by water (ISLANDS),

27 Laugh (H-A) about a (-A-) vehicle (-VAN-) (HAVANA) in The Big Smoke (HAVANA cigar),

28 What’s the point (point in fencing = TOUCHÉ) in saying you got me there clever clogs? (acknowledge a valid point/clever remark ‘touché’ = TOUCHÉ),

32 The essence (essence/heart = PITH) of what’s locked up in decrepit household (what’s locked up in ‘decrepit household = PITH),

33 Some stunning island (some ‘stunning island’ = ngis) backdrop (= reversal indicator) (ngis = SIGN) to The Omen (SIGN).