Crosaire No 17379 by Crossheir – Saturday, September 26th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 “Make sure you’re in the right gear?” (DRIVING LESSON) – you might get this from swinging pro! (Golf DRIVING LESSON),

10 Nice where (Nice/French ‘where’ = -OU-) the French (‘the’ French = -LE-) find top agent (top ‘Agent’ = -A-) in Russia (RU = R-U) (ROULEAU) with a stack of silver (ROULEAU = stack of coins),

11 The first to think of the idea (CREATER) to trace or (trace or) treat? (= anagram indicator) (trace or = CREATOR),

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12 An old instrument (VIOL) played by 51,050 (5 = V + 1 = I + O = O + L = 50 = VIOL),

13 Local outfit (GET UP) from revolutionary (= reverse indicator) place (place = put = -T UP), for example (e.g. = GE-) (GET UP),

15 Bookie verified deposit in (‘booKIE Verified’ deposit in = KIEV) European city (KIEV)

17 Extension (ARM) for bit of ham radio (bit of ‘haM RAdio’ = mra) wound-up (= reverse indicator) (mra = ARM),

19 Curl up (NESTLE) in front of (= positional indicator) the foreign (the = -LE) tree house (NEST-) (NESTLE),

21 Miracle from American eagle (‘miracle’ from ‘American eagle’ = aeneag= AEGEAN) in part of the Mediterranean (AEGEAN),

22 All sides today (DRIVING on all sides of today’s grid) parking the bus, for instance (DRIVING),

23 Most (r) not good (wicked) (‘wicked’ without ‘d’ = WICKE-) at reading (-R) (WICKER) material in a chair outside (WICKER),

25 Unfinished (t) shelter (‘tent’ without ‘t’ = TEN-) causes offence to religious type (sin) up (= reversal indicator) (sin = -NIS) (TENNIS) for the game (TENNIS),

27 Bundle (WAD) discovered in Irrawaddy River (discovered in ‘irraWADdy river’  = WAD),

29 Where you’ll find all of us (EIRE) involved in setting up (= reverse indicator) galleries (involved in setting up ‘gallERIEs’= erie = EIRE),

30 Found in Italy (MILAN) and parts of Louisiana, Limerick (parts of ‘louisiaNA LIMerick = nalim) going all the way back (= reverse indicator) (nalim = MILAN),

31 Make an impression (ETCH) with no sink in kitchens? (no ‘sink’ in ‘kitchens’ = tche = ETCH),

34 Placed a bet, for example (LAID a bet), on Down (LOW) (LAID LOW) and kept to oneself (LAID LOW),

35 Friend in the Gaeltacht (Irish ‘friend’ = CARA-) has heads of Black Angus, oxen (heads of ‘Black Angus Oxen’ = -BAO-) (CARABAO) and water buffalo (CARABAO)

36 For those checking out The Woods (the golf woods/clubs) (DRIVING RANGES) going for a spin (DRIVING) on grazing areas (grasslands = RANGES) (DRIVING RANGES).

Down:

2 Precious type (gold = -AU-) in church (Roman Catholic = R-C-) heading off (heading ‘Off’ = -O-) to America (-US) (RAUCOUS) – that sounds like a disturbance? (RAUCOUS),

3 Scene (VIEW) with leads from Venus In Evening Wear (leads from ‘Venus In Evening Wear’ = VIEW),

4 Revulsion (NAUSEA) of central piece (central ‘piEce’ = -E-) in new (= anagram indicator) sauna  (sauna = NAUS-A) (NAUSEA),

5 Empty (a) place (‘lay’ without ‘a’ = LY-) beside church (Church of England = -CE) opens for Unitarian ministers (opens for ‘Unitarian Ministers’ = -UM) (LYCEUM) famous for teaching philosophy (where Aristotle taught philosophy = the LYCEUM),

6 Sage (SEER) to sell down the river banks (‘SEll down the rivER’ banks  = SEER),

7 Rough idea (OUTLINE) – match in Ring (bout) off from the start (b)? (b) (‘bout’ without ‘b’ = OUT-) That’s for one of the players to say! (players/actors say -LINE) (OUTLINE),

8 Those powering the locomotive (DRIVING WHEELS), guiding Herbie (car) (guiding car = DRIVING) Ferris (Ferris Wheel) and Catherine ­– a real firecracker! (‘Catherine Wheel’ = firework / and an old torture) (wheel x 2 = WHEELS) (DRIVING WHEELS),

9 One teaching the peculiarities of pike (position in diving and in gymnastics) (D-IVING SCHOOL) around river (-R-) (DRIVING SCHOOL), offering lessons in how to get a licence (DRIVING SCHOOL),

14 Car (model T-) competing (rival = -RIV-AL) around island (-I-) (TRIVIAL) is of little value (TRIVIAL),

16 Loses the head (w) with one of those carrying a torch (‘welder’ without ‘w’ = ELDER) for patriarch (ELDER).

18 See the light without the 1st (‘see the light’ without ‘the ist’= eelgh = HEGEL) philosopher (HEGEL),

20 Make a mistake (ERR) getting back (= reverse indicator) into arrears (into ‘ aRREars’ = rre = ERR),

21 Three characters in Guantánamo Bay (three characters ‘in Guantánamo Bay’ = tan) back (= reverse indicator) (tan = ANT) one from The Hill (ANT),

24 Old town newsman (crier = C-RIER) consuming a (-A-) river (-R-) (CARRIER) of porter (CARRIER),

26 Public figure (NOTABLE) in Lord (noble = NO-BLE) Sandwich’s part-time army (Territorial Army = -TA-) (NOTABLE),

27 Fail to lose (WIN-) for a fair amount of the (half of the) winter (half of the ‘WINter’ = -WIN) (WIN-WIN) without a Down side? (without a downside = WIN-WIN),

28 Lie from Icelander (‘lie’ from ‘Icelander’ = cander = DANCER) discovered in Charleston? (DANCER discovered in Charleston dance),

32 Some gorgeous lavender (some ‘gorgeouS LAVender’ = SLAV) found in The Balkans (SLAV),

33 One of the boys (WREN boys) or one of the birds? (WREN).