Crosaire No 16741 by Crossheir – Thursday, September 6th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Watch your Ps and Qs (BEHAVE) recalling (= reversal indicator) one of the Peróns (Eva = -AVE) – almost (e) a goddess of youth (‘Hebe’ without ‘e’ = BEH-) (BEHAVE),

4 Is not shy about coming forward (ADVANCES) with breakthroughs (ADVANCES),

9 Keep (CASTLE) short soldier (Lieutenant = Lt) back (= reversal indicator) (Lt = -TL-) in case (CAS-E) (CASTLE),

10 Leading the pack (first/1st  = IS T-) caps (hats = -HAT S-) nothing? (-O) (IS THAT SO) Really! (IS THAT SO),

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12 Smoothed out the divisions in The House (PLASTERED the divisions/walls) off site (PLASTERER),

13 Where you’d expect to find 24 across (find ‘red wines’ = RIOJA) drunk in Spain (RIOJA),

14 Had a reservation (INDIAN reservation) for what’s presumably in season (SUMMER) (INDIAN SUMMER) or what’s pleasantly hot out of season? (INDIAN SUMMER),

18 Type of chateau (CLOS-) in (-IN-) German capital (‘German’ capital = -G) with bats (= anagram indicator), mites (mites = TIMES) (CLOSING TIMES) and types that end trading (CLOSING TIMES),

21 Make a note of (ENTER) show for Aberdeen terrier (show for ‘Aberdeen terrier’ = ENTER),

22 Artist (TATTOOIST) in tasteless clothes (TAT-) is also (-TOO-) the earliest to arrive (first = 1st  = -IST) (TATTOOIST),

24 Rides new (rides new = RED WINES) storm (= anagram indicator) in Bordeaux port? (Bordeaux and Port = RED WINES),

25 Curtailed part of (d) the stadium (“stand” without “d” = STAN-) with mid-sized (mid/centre of “sized” = -Z-) area (-A) (STANZA) for the linesman to workout (linesman/poet workout STANZA),

26 Is about (RE-) to place a value on (-ASSESS) (REASSESS) what it means to take more stock perhaps (REASSESS)

27 Can’t make this point strongly enough (STRESS) – this is not without its difficulties (STRESS).

Down:

1 A pink cab (a pink cab = BACK PAIN) convertible (= anagram indicator) with long suffering disc problem (BACK PAIN),

2 Hotel (H-) California is covered by (California is covered by the US = -US-) The Eagles, The Gypsy Kings (-BANDS) (HUSBANDS) and The Mates (HUSBANDS),

3 Dares to leave slave trade (‘dares’ to leave ‘slave trade’ = lavet = VALET) for job in the hotel (VALET),

5 Only over 21s allowed (DISCRIMINATE) to tell the difference (DISCRIMINATE),

6 Other bran (other bran = ABHORRENT) mixtures (= anagram indicator) can be disgusting (ABHORRENT),

7 Material (COTTON) produced by German (-OTTO-) in Cavan (C-N) (COTTON),

8 Guaranteed Irish (Guaranteed Irish = SLOGAN) loans (loans = SLO-AN) arranged around Gulf (-G-) (SLOGAN),

11 In a matter of speaking (IRISH), compilers (SETTERS) (IRISH SETTERS) are probably barking mad and should be in the dog house (IRISH SETTERS),

15 The reason for the bad reactions (ALLERGIES) in shooting (= anagram indicator) galleries (galleries = ALLERGIES),

16 Climate (AMBIENCE) change (= anagram indicator) menace (menace = AM-ENCE) consumes half of Birr (half of ‘Birr’ = -BI-) (AMBIENCE),

17 Off head (h) on drugs (‘hash’ without ‘h’ = ASH-) holding the drinks (-TRAYS) (ASHTRAYS) the smokers ordered (ASHTRAYS),

19 Listener (-EAR-) in northeast (north east = N-E-) is right (-R) (NEARER) – it’s more convenient (NEARER),

20 Nine released from East Indian (‘nine’ released from ‘East Indian’ = STADIA) venues (STADIA),

23 Oxford (O-) clubs (-C-) to let it stand (stet) without the leader (s) (‘stet’ without ‘s’ = -TET) (OCTET) of a number of musicians (OCTET).