Crosaire No 16786 by Crossheir – Monday, October 29th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Build (build = DUBLI-) redevelopment (= anagram indicator) with new (-N) (DUBLIN) capital (DUBLIN),

9 Keep this under your hat (TUCK AWAY) – it sounds like friar (Friar TUCK) is on holiday (AWAY) (TUCK AWAY),

10 Ran away from break-in (‘ran’ away from ‘break-in’ = beki = BIKE) on the velodrome (BIKE),

READ MORE

11 Too bad (HARD CHEESE) for Lincolnshire poacher, for one (Lincolnshire Poacher is HARD CHEESE),

12 Joined (MERGED) United? (MERGED),

14 Hurry up (STEP ON IT) and put your foot down (STEP ON IT),

15 Free from interruption (“quiet” = “QUITE”) on the radio (= homophone indicator), most of them (most of ‘them’ = THE) back out? (REVERSE) (QUITE THE REVERSE) On the contrary! (QUITE THE REVERSE),

18 Olive’s relative (relative of the olive tree = ASH-) from time (-T-) in school (-RAY- in school of fish) started smoking (started ‘smoking’ = -S) (ASHTRAYS) by holding the ends of the butts (ASHTRAYS),

20 Rested (rested = DESERT) awkwardly (= anagram indicator) in ditch (ditch/abandon = DESERT),

22 Some compliments, possible unwelcome (unwelcome ATTENTIONS), for what one of The Strypes said (one of the “strypes” = “stripes” = sergeants said = ATTENTION-) reportedly (= homophone indicator) to One Direction (south = -S) (ATTENTIONS),

24 Blast! (BOMB) Short cut (short hair cut = BO-B) goes around motorway (-M-) (BOMB).

25 Feel a bit (feel a bit  = FLEA BITE) upset (= anagram indicator) in what’s an irritable spot (FLEA BITE),

26 Feel bitter about (RESENT) bank’s research department (banks ‘research department’ = RESENT).

Down:

1 Useless (FUTILE) record (F-ILE) about Utah (-UT-) (FUTILE),

2 Women left unwelcome (‘women’ left ‘unwelcome’ = uelc = CLUE) hint (CLUE),

3 Where one finishes one sentence (ON THE DOT) exactly (ON THE DOT),

4 “Stewardess kicks out Swedes” (‘stewardess’ kicks out ‘ Swedes’ = tars = STAR) – The Sun (STAR),

5 Hanging around freezing (ICICLE) with couple of those in charge (in charge = IC x 2 = ICIC-) of The Spanish (the = el) Review (= reversal indicator) (el = -LE) (ICICLE),

6 Some cartel (some cartel = LATECOMERS) goes crazy? (= anagram indicator) They’ve missed the boat! (LATECOMERS),

7 Women (W-) on parish (parish = -ARSHIP-) tour (= anagram indicator) with endless (end ‘less’ -S) (WARSHIPS) crafty lot that could be carriers (WARSHIPS),

13 Approach one of those warming the bench (approach judge = GO TO THE BAR) to get the drinks in (GO TO THE BAR),

14 Spy (SEE-) and detective (-DS) (SEEDS) up to their necks in the plot (SEEDS),

16 Confuse (UNSETTLE) uniola at first (‘uniola’ at first  = U-) with wild (= anagram indicator) nettles (nettles = -NSETTLE) (UNSETTLE),

17 Consumers (END USERS) wind-up (END) those taking drugs (USERS) (END USERS),

19 Realise (ATTAIN) a (A-) temperature (-T-) ain’t (aint = -TAIN) problematic (= anagram indicator) (ATTAIN),

21 Take one back (REMIND one) for short (i) dress (“mini” without ‘i’ = -MIN-) in red (RE-D) (REMIND),

23 Old (O-) Wesley (-WES) (OWES) is in the red (OWES),

24 Amongst microbes tested (amongst ‘microbes tested’ = BEST) in the cream (the BEST).