Crosaire No 16731 by Crossheir – Saturday, August 25th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Lead (lead/principal = STAR OF THE SHOW) for big gun? (STAR OF THE SHOW),

10 Shipping figure’s (TONNAGE) mood (TON-E) overwhelms Harry (harry/harass = -NAG-) (TONNAGE),

11 Most of (e) the lion’s pride (mane) perhaps (‘mane’ without ‘e’ = MAN-), unknown quantity of (-X) tiger (CAT) (MANX CAT) and Douglas’s pet? (a pet from Douglas on the Isle of Man = MANX CAT),

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12 Rub up the wrong way (RILE) with some of the sacrileges (with some of the ‘sacrileges’ = RILE),

13 All the sides today (‘star’ on all sides of today’s grid = STARS) with big fishes (STARS),

15 Just one featured in 13 across (‘stars’ + one of = STAR) from the paper (STAR),

17 Drink (ALE) consumed in Sierra Leone (consumed in ‘Sierra Leone’ = ALE),

19 Denied (denied = INDEED) out of hand? (= anagram indicator) Really! (INDEED),

21 Employee (EARNER) takes dogs out of rose garden (takes ‘dogs’ out of ‘rose garden’ = rearen = EARNER),

22 Arty (arty = TYRA-) novel (= anagram indicator) by Pole (North Pole = -N-) from American city (-NY) (TYRANNY) concerns The Terror (TYRANNY),

23 Take a quick look at (GLANCE) golf (G-) spike (-LANCE) (GLANCE),

25 Relative (DA-) gets upsetting (= reversal indicator) fine (fine/ok = -KO-) – it’s little thanks (-TA) (DAKOTA) to one of those native Americans (DAKOTA),

27 Offer (BID) sample of wasabi dish (sample of ‘wasabi dish’ = BID),

29 Precious type (OPAL) of banks operating with our capital (banks “operating with our capital” = OPAL),

30 Knocks back (= reversal indicator) whiskey (-W) order (-O-) on purpose (aim = MIA-) (MIAOW) or so 11 across says (‘Manx cat’ says MIAOW),

31 Ends Hawaii benefit service mechanism (ends/last letters of “Hawaii benefit service mechanism” = ITEM) by communiqué, in the newsy sense (news ITEM),

34 Lunged away from guardian angel (‘lunged’ away from ‘guardian angel’ = ariaang = NIAGARA) and falls (NIAGARA Falls),

35 Unexpected disappointment (LET-DOWN) of accommodation (LET -) in Ireland (-DOWN) (LET-DOWN),

36 Con (ST-ING) involves crafty type (-ART-) providing access to both Houses (-GATES) (STARTING GATES) and, of course, some Arabians go into them from the off (STARTING GATES),

Down:

2 Politician (Teachta Dála= T-D) admits point of view (-ANGLE-) (TANGLED) is convoluted (TANGLED),

3 Oriental is missing on it (‘oriental’ is missing ‘on it’ = real = REAL) and that’s not imagined? (REAL),

4 Hand (FI -ST-) over key (music key -E-) to a (-A) (FIESTA) car (FIESTA),

5 Residence (HO-ME) accommodating religious (-BR-) (HOMBRE) type living in Madrid (HOMBRE),

6 Closing pages (closing “pages” = S-) by the pen of old journalist perhaps (-INK) (SINK) in decline (SINK),

7 Action (action = OC-ITAN) plan (= anagram indicator) covering castle (-C-) (OCCITAN) heard in old part of Provence (OCCITAN language),

8 If you’re not here, you’ll never go anywhere (STARTING POINT) from day one (STARTING POINT),

9 Something for the Diva (STAR TREATMENT) in The Sun (STAR) is just what the doctor ordered (TREATMENT) (STAR TREATMENT),

14 Gangster (AL- Capone) bar (-BAN-) opens in African (opens ‘in African’ = -IA) (ALBANIA) country (ALBANIA),

16 Go and get (FETCH) Furlong (F-) to engrave it (-ETCH) (FETCH),

18 Small craft (KAYAK) that can go back and forth (= palindromic indicator/spelling the same in reverse) on the water? (KAYAK),

20 Laid eyes on missing sea lion (‘laid eyes on’ missing ‘sea lion’ = dey = DYE) – the one that can change colour (DYE),

21 The butt, for instance (butt END), is a bit of the Golden Delicious (is a bit of the ‘Golden Delicious’ = END),

24 The eldest (ADAM-) worker (-ANT) (ADAMANT) in firm (ADAMANT),

26 End product (OUTCOME) is no longer stylish (OUT-) for company (-CO-) and yours truly (-ME) (OUTCOME),

27 Offers a welcome (hi = -IH-) back (= reversal indicator) in pub (B-AR-) to one (-I-) (BIHARI) from India, in a manner of speaking (BIHARI),

28 New (= anagram indicator) lodge (lodge = DOGLE-) is great (-G) (DOGLEG) and around the corner from the golf course (DOGLEG),

32 With AI research in part (‘with AI research’ in part = HAIR) – it’ll grow on you (HAIR),

33 Some street names (some ‘street names’ = ETNA) for Sicilian hotspot (ETNA).