Crosaire No 16889 by Crossheir – Friday, March 1st, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Is after May (June is after May = JUN-E) over Government losing leaders (‘Government losing’ leaders = -GL-) (JUNGLE) in confusion (JUNGLE),

9 Trick (CON-) on Greek island (-CRETE) (CONCRETE) for securing the property (CONCRETE),

10 Wash one’s hands of (DENY) bank’s design company (banks ‘design company’ = DENY),

11 What graffiti artist is capable of (PENMANSHIP) when the writing is on the wall perhaps (PENMANSHIP),

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12 Accountant (CA-) on board (steamship = -SS-) returns (= reversal indicator) first class (AI = -IA) (CASSIA) with Senna (CASSIA tree),

14 Small (S-) debts (IOUs = -IOUS) in the end (= positional indicator) mushroom (cep = -PEC-) up?  (= reversal indicator) (SPECIOUS) That’s could be true but it’s not! (SPECIOUS),

15 9 across (‘concrete’ = CONCRETE) and 8 across (‘jungle’ JUNGLE-) with endless (end ‘less’ = -S) (CONCRETE JUNGLES) blights on the landscape (CONCRETE JUNGLES),

18 Self-restraint (“patience” = “PATIENTS”) on the radio (= homophone indicator) by those looking for something to be done about the cuts (PATIENTS),

20 Items (items = ST-MIE) discarded (= anagram indicator) around yard (-Y-) (STYMIE) in block (block/impasse = STYMIE),

22 It’s steamy (HUMID-) at the film institute (Irish Film Institute = -IFI-) for the leads in Easy Rider (leads in ‘Easy Rider’ = -ER) (HUMIDIFIER) and it changes the atmosphere in Room (HUMIDIFIER),

24 Some upsetting (= reversal indicator) language vocalised (‘language vocalised’ = evoc = COVE) in Safe Harbour perhaps (COVE),

25 Cellar (BASEMENT) workers (-MEN-) following (= position indicator) soldiers home (soldiers’ home = BASE-) for tea (-T) (BASEMENT),

26 Employs (WIELDS) women (W-) at new (= anagram indicator) delis (delis = -IELDS) (WIELDS).

Down:

1 Something to say about discovery (EUREKA) of retiring (= reversal indicator) model (brand/make) losing the head (m) (‘make’ without ‘m’ = ake = -EKA) on street in Paris (Paris/French ‘street’ = rue = EUR-) (EUREKA),

2 Urgently drops rent (‘urgently’ drops ‘rent’ = ugly = UGLY) and it’s far from fair (UGLY),

3 Better half perhaps (HELPMATE) of the maple (the maple = HELPMATE) chopped up? (= anagram indicator),

4 Celebrity (ICON) is charged (I-ON) over cocaine (-C-) (ICON),

5 Organisation (UN-) sounds like (= homophone indicator) it’s on drugs (“Es” =”ease” = -EASE) (UNEASE) – it’s a cause for anxiety (UNEASE),

6 It’s fashionable (-IN-) to go after (= positional indicator) The Media (PRESS-) for being repulsive (ugly), lacking a leader (u) (‘ugly’ without ‘u’ = -GLY) (PRESSINGLY) and that’s not putting it mildly (PRESSINGLY),

7 View (ATTITUDE) of a (A-) car  (model -T-) for bird (-TIT-) and bloke (dude) heading off (d) (‘dude’ without ‘d’ = -UDE) (ATTITUDE),

13 Face crisis (face crisis = SACRIFICES) showing off (= anagram indicator) gifts (SACRIFICES),

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

16 It’s prophetic (ORACULAR) for our Clara (our Clara = ORACULAR) in a way (= anagram indicator),

17 Opens up (UNSCREWS) to sisters (nuns) without starting (n) (‘nuns’ without ‘n’ = UNS-) on 24 down (‘crew’ = -CREW-) at school (-S)  (UNSCREWS),

19 Sermonise dismissing REM (‘sermonise’ dismissing ‘REM’ = sonise = NOISES) and the awful sounds (NOISES),

21 ANC leaves in advance (“ANC” leaves “in advance” = idvane = INVADE) of storm (INVADE),

23 A fraction (IOTA) of the characters in Caravaggio tableau (characters in ‘Caravaggio tableau’ = IOTA),

24 Critical review of both sides (‘critical review’ of both sides = CREW) with staff overseas (CREW).