Crosaire No 17327 by Crossheir – Tuesday, July 28th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Cladding (FACING) of flying saucer – surely it’s missing? (‘flying saucer’ without ‘surely’ = fingac = FACING)

4 Translate (= anagram indicator) email (email = AMI-LE) about law enforcement agency (Criminal Assets Bureau = -CAB-) (AMICABLE) – not the hostile type (AMICABLE),

9 Iran is (Iran is) wrong (= anagram indicator) (Iran is = RAISIN) – this is what you get when Shiraz (city in Iran/and grape variety) is really dry? (RAISIN),

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10 Is (-IS-) on Right (-R-) in political party (Democratic Unionist Party = D-UP-) with no leader (i) – its (‘its’ without ‘i’ = -TS) (DISRUPTS) causes? Chaos! (causes chaos = DISRUPTS),

12 Hurry up (MAKE HASTE) with hakes, meat (hakes meat = MAKE HASTE), salad (= anagram indicator) (hakes meat = MAKE HASTE),

13 Rabelais hasn’t got ear (‘Rabelais’ hasn’t got ‘ear’ = blais = BASIL) of Herb (BASIL),

14 End of autumn (end of ‘autumN’ = -N-) in The Mediterranean (sea = S-EA-) on weekend (‘weeK’ end = -K) – park (P-) and explore (-REVIEW) (SNEAK PREVIEW) what a critic gets to see first! (SNEAK PREVIEW),

18 Any (any) problem (= anagram indicator) (any = -Y AN-) following (= position indicator) tally (COUNT-) in Meath (-TRIM) (COUNTY ANTRIM) or in Ulster? (COUNTY ANTRIM),

21 She’s a gem (PEARL) producing listening device (-EAR-) in Poland (PL = P-L) (PEARL),

22 Gasometer (gasometer) broken (= anagram indicator) (gasometer = MEGASTORE) in very large shop (MEGASTORE),

24 Game (WILD DUCK) is out of control (WILD) – avoid! (DUCK) (WILD DUCK),

25 Put to the test (HAD A GO) by surprise (HA-) party (do = -D -O) absorbing barman (Attorney General = A G-) (HAD A GO),

26 Relatively friendly (SISTERLY) with some leading (‘Some’ leading = S-) lyrist (lyrist) working (= anagram indicator) (lyrist = -IST-RLY) around Spain (-E-) (SISTERLY),

27 Astronautics with no air con (‘astronautics’ with no ‘air con’ = stauts = STATUS) in place (place/rank = STATUS).

Down:

1 Some fort (some fort = FOREMOST) built (= anagram indicator) by first-rate type (FOREMOST),

2 Type of pulse from salad bar (CHICKPEA) in local provincial (local ‘provincial’ = -HICK-) gym (-PE-) in California (CA = C-A) (CHICKPEA),

3 Mourns leaving nursing home (‘mourns’ leaving ‘nursing home’ = nighe = NEIGH) to the sound of The Bay? (the sound of the Bay/horse = NEIGH),

5 Horse race (MAIDEN) for those hoping to make the trip? (VOYAGE) (MAIDEN VOYAGE) That’s a first in a crafty way for one in 6 down, for example (a first in a crafty way = MAIDEN VOYAGE in ‘Caribbean’),

6 A (A-) kid (kid/tease = -RIB-) born (-B-) in Caen (Caen) out (= anagram indicator) (Caen = C-EAN) (CARIBBEAN) by the sea? (CARIBBEAN Sea),

7 Avoid (BYPASS) fish (bass = B-ASS) swimming around bottom of Treaty (bottom of ‘treatY’ = -Y-) Port (-P-) (BYPASS),

8 Nimbly comes off assembly line (‘nimbly’ comes off ‘assembly line’ = assele = EASELS) set up by crafty types (EASELS),

11 Tough (strong), unfinished (g) (‘strong’ without ‘g’ = -STRON-) ring (-O-) with shiny mineral (-MICA-) found in Alabama (AL = A-L) (ASTRONOMICAL) is heavenly (ASTRONOMICAL),

15 King (K-) won (won) over (= reverse indicator) (won = -NOW-) Liberals from the start (‘Liberals’ from the start = -L-) on The Border (-EDGE) (KNOWLEDGE) with understanding (KNOWLEDGE),

16 Haughty (ARROGANT) answer (A-) to diatribe (-R-ANT) about capital’s rate of growth (capitals/first letters of “Rate Of Growth” = -ROG-) (ARROGANT),

17 Rome reps (more reps) travelling (= anagram indicator) (more reps = EMPERORS) for those expanding into new territories (EMPERORS),

19 Produces successors (SPAWNS) to some leading (‘Some’ leading = S-) puppets (-PAWNS) (SPAWNS),

20 Shady Canadian types (MAPLES) of drones (males = MA-LES) flying over Pelly Peak (‘Pelly’ peak = -P-) (MAPLES),

23 Pitch (SLANT) with the slippery slope perhaps? (SLANT).