Crosaire No 16953 by Crossheir – Wednesday, May 15th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Medic (DOCTOR) or coordinator fails to get on air (‘coordinator’ fails to get/without ‘on air’ = coodtr = DOCTOR),

9 Lodger in The Shoe (‘There was an OLD WOMAN who lived in a shoe ...’) dated (OLD) and won (WO-N) over graduate (= -MA-) (OLD WOMAN),

10 The limits to social housing (the limits to ‘social housing’ = SONG) on Raglan Road, for instance (‘On Raglan Road’ = SONG),

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11 One of the Magi (WISE OLD MAN) informed (WISE) on Pops (the OLD MAN) (WISE OLD MAN),

12 Take for granted (ASSUME) part of the overseas sum earned (part of ‘overseas sum earned’ = as sum = ASSUME),

14 Bishop (B-) does someone a service (-ASSISTS) (BASSISTS) with musicians (BASSISTS),

15 Type of work that’s in your face (COSMETIC SURGERY) can help get something off your chest perhaps (COSMETIC SURGERY),

18 They have a thing for bars (SCANNERS scan barcodes) the medical practitioners use (SCANNERS),

20 Literary agent drops elegant (‘literary agent’ drops ‘elegant’ = itrary = RARITY) collector’s item (RARITY),

22 They’re organised to slow down the traffic (SPEED TRAPS) of drugs (SPEED) primarily targeting (primarily ‘targeting’ = T-) upsetting (= reversal indicator) practice in Ring (spar = -RAPS) (SPEED TRAPS),

24 No sense in Messenger (no ‘sense’ in ‘messenger’ = mger = GERM) offering the start of an idea (GERM of an idea),

25 Is well disposed towards (INCLINES) popular (IN-) college (-C-) bars (-LINES) (INCLINES),

26 Selection drops lot (‘selection’ drops ‘lot’ = seecin = NIECES) of family members (NIECES).

Down:

1 Is able to absorb fluids (POROUS) with soup or (soup or = POROUS) broth (= anagram indicator),

2 For the men only (STAG) in Fleet exiting stage left (‘fleet’ exiting ‘stage left’ = stag = STAG),

3 Trouble (-ROW-) in bed and breakfast (B&B = B-B-) with missing starter (m) of meat (‘meat’ without ‘m’ = -EAT) (BROWBEAT) of cow (cow/bully = BROWBEAT),

4 Peaks (TOPS) within despotism (within ‘despotism’ = spot) in retrospect (= reversal indicator) (spot = TOPS),

5 Fools (IDIOTS) turn up (= reversal indicator) almost (c) saint-like (‘stoic’ without ‘c’ = stoi = -IOTS) meeting detective (DI = ID-) (IDIOTS),

6 Key (music key G-) opens 9 across (opens ‘old woman’ = -OLD) unnaturally (= anagram indicator) rigged (rigged = DIGGER) (GOLD DIGGER) by bounty hunter (GOLD DIGGER),

7 Dirty (BAD) player (ACTOR) (BAD ACTOR) isn’t destined for the bigger stage (BAD ACTOR),

13 A foreign (a = UN-) method (-MANNER-) for emptying (a) place (‘lay’ without ‘a’ = -LY) (UNMANNERLY) is discourteous (UNMANNERLY),

14 What the strikers have to face? (football BACKS) Champions! (champions/supports = BACKS),

16 Cut short (y) takeover (‘occupy’ without ‘y’ = OCCUP-), as can’t (cant) ignore head (c) (‘cant’ without ‘c’ = -ANT) (OCCUPANT) resident (OCCUPANT),

17 Pigs ruin (pigs ruin = UPRISING) building (= anagram indicator) – it’s what you’d expect from rebellious behaviour (UPRISING),

19 Having one’s fill (EATING) of the chair (seating) losing the head (s) (‘seating’ without ‘s’ = EATING),

21 Mark (mark = TARGET) consumed by Gibraltar getaway (immersed in ‘Gibraltar getaway’= tar get = TARGET),

23 Pal leaves appeals (‘pal’ leaves ‘appeals’ = peas = APSE) in the section of the church (APSE),

24 Consumed by Channel Goose (consumed by ‘Channel Goose = nel G) flying back (= reversal indicator) (nelg = GLEN) from valley (GLEN).