Crosaire No 16592 by Crossheir – Friday, March 16th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Give up the ghost (PERISH) parking (P-) – it’s an eye-opener (“eye” opener = -E-) to Trim (trim/cut = i) people locally (“Irish” without “I” = -RISH) (PERISH),

9 Has all the letters at fingertips (KEYBOARD) for important (KEY-) committee (-BOARD) (KEYBOARD),

10 Sounds like a warning (BELL) limits Benny Hill (limits/borders of “Benny Hill” = BELL),

11 Explosive types (POWDER KEGS) offering the white stuff (POWDER) and full of drink (KEGS) (POWDER KEGS),

READ MORE

12 Prefer (FAVOUR) four (F-OUR) over a (-A-) five? (-V-) (FAVOUR),

14 Pokes funs at (LAMPOONS) showing off (= anagram indicator) man’s pool (LAMPOONS),

15 The intense spirit (FIRE IN ONE’S BELLY) of what you’re left with if you swallow everything in The Inferno (FIRE IN ONE’S BELLY),

18 The fall guys (STUNTMEN) for actor’s actors (STUNTMEN),

20 No wall in stairwells (no ‘wall’ in ‘stairwells’ = stires = SISTER) or in the abbey (SISTER),

22 Lack of enthusiasm (RESISTANCE) for The Underground perhaps (RESISTANCE),

24 Close to (NEAR) some characters in Byzantine aristocracy (some characters in “Byzantine aristocracy” = NEAR),

25 Sack (FIRE) for opening spirits (opening spirits  = S-) to drink (-ALE) (FIRE SALE) and for pushing the hot stuff perhaps (FIRE SALE),

26 Throw cold water on (DAMPEN) study (D-EN) covering Band Aid (-AMP-) (DAMPEN).

Down:

1 Gym work (PE-) for prop (-SET-) taking advantage (-A) (PESETA) of old European capital (capital/money = PESETA),

2 Bishop (B-) is not in good shape (-ILL) (BILL) making way through the house (BILL making way through The House/Dáil),

3 Church (CH-) primate (-APE-) starts reading out notices (starts/first letter of reading out notices = -RON) (CHAPERON) from The Guardian (CHAPERON),

4 Stitch up (S-EW) over the weekend (week end = -K-) (SKEW) to distort the facts (SKEW),

5 Lucy (Lucy = LYC-U-) travels (= anagram indicator) around Spain (-E-) and Central Germany (central/middle “Germany” = -M-) (LYCEUM) with old school (LYCEUM),

6 Arrange in advance (BOOK) for those on the board (TOKENS) (BOOK TOKENS), the resources for a number of novel acquisitions (BOOK TOKENS),

7 First (ORIGINAL) to open outlet (open outlet = O-) near European capital (capital of Latvia is Riga = RIG-A-) around popular (-IN-) lake (-L) (ORIGINAL),

13 Indian, for one (Indian OCEAN), gets to ship (LINER) (OCEAN LINER) lots of sand (OCEAN LINER / floor of ocean),

14 Bar (LINE-) is not open (not open = -N) (LINEN) for men of the cloth perhaps (LINEN),

16 Papers (I-D) covering Pinter (Pinter = -NTREPI-) play (= anagram indicator) (INTREPID) likely to have a go (INTREPID),

17 Squanders money (S-PENDS) all across America (-US-) (SUSPENDS) and hangs one out to dry (SUSPENDS),

19 Jeff’s partner (Mutt & Jeff) isn’t finished (t) (“Mutt” without “t” = MUT-) losing the head with twin (losing the head with twin/ ‘dual’ = -UAL) (MUTUAL) and it’s reciprocal (MUTUAL),

21 No width in Harris Tweed (no “width” in “Harris Tweed” = arrsee = ERASER) – you could clean up on the patterns if you had that? (ERASER),

23 It’s a requirement (NEED) for ne’er-do-well to dump Orwell (for “ne’er-do-well” to dump “Orwell” = need = NEED),

24 Some Latin American (some “Latin American” = NAME) Big Cheese (NAME).