Crosaire No 16906 by Crossheir – Thursday, March 21st, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Confirm (RATIFY) First Lady dropped LSD (‘first lady’ dropped ‘LSD’ = firtay = RATIFY),

4 Frenchman (Monsieur = -M-) consumed by tragic (= anagram indicator) murders (murders = DRUM-ERS) (DRUMMERS) of band members (DRUMMERS),

9 Part of the Volkswagen damaged (part of the ‘Volkswagen damaged’ = AGENDA) by list of items (AGENDA),

10 No sense in pseudoscience (no ‘sense’ in ‘pseudoscience’ = pudociec = OCCUPIED) when engaged (OCCUPIED),

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12 The collective in old part of Russia (STATE FARM) and Ireland (STATE) with growing business (FARM) (STATE FARM),

13 Whet the appetite of (TEMPT) office worker (TEMP-) getting car (model -T) (TEMPT),

14 Blow (SOUND) the consequences (EFFECTS) (SOUND EFFECTS), as they’re responsible for creating noise and making a scene (SOUND EFFECTS),

18 CEO (chief executive officer = PRINCIPAL-) from City (city) loses head (c) (‘city’ loses ‘c’ = -ITY) (PRINCIPALITY) in Monaco (PRINCIPALITY),

21 Promote (BOOST) Kinky (= anagram indicator) Boots? (boots = BOOST),

22 Made less relaxed (TIGHTENED) by dental hygienist removing inlays (‘dental hygienist’ removing ‘inlays’ = detlhgenit = TIGHTENED),

24 Spicy type (CINNAMON) of con man in (con man in = CINNAMON) trouble (= anagram indicator),

25 It’s raw (fresh) for the most part (h) (‘fresh’ without ‘h’ = FRES-), and cold (-C-) going around (-O) (FRESCO) for the last supper, for instance (‘The Last Supper’ = FRESCO),

26 Shares (STOCK-) first (1st = -IST) (STOCKIST) place with plenty in reserve (STOCKIST),

27 Maurice (MO-E) takes in most of old European empire (most of ‘USSR’= -USS-) (MOUSSE) – it’s hair-raising stuff (MOUSSE).

Down:

1 Consider in a different light (REASSESS) most of (l) actual (“real” without “l” = REA-) engineering (-E-) found in two ships (SS-SS) (REASSESS),

2 Heat huge (heat huge = THE HAGUE) complex (= anagram indicator) in European city (THE HAGUE),

3 Legend (‘leg’ end = -G-) in disturbing (= anagram indicator) feud (feud = FUD-E) (FUDGE) gets to sit on the fence (FUDGE),

5 Opportunities for the Arabians to show how good they are at handling courses (RACE MEETINGS for Arabians /horses) with Irish (RACE) sessions (MEETINGS) (RACE MEETINGS),

6 Go up (MOUNT) summits of Everest, Trivor, Nuptse and (summits of Everest, Trivor, Nuptse and’ = ETNA) (MOUNT ETNA) one of the most active volcanos in the world? (MOUNT ETNA),

7 Force (-G- force) in Maine (Maine = ENI-MA) novel (= anagram indicator) (ENIGMA) provides a type of mystery (ENIGMA),

8 Teased (teased = SEDATE) criminal (= anagram indicator) with dope (SEDATE),

11 Stops working (MALFUNCTIONS) for most (e) stag (‘male’ without ‘e’ = MAL-) parties (-FUNCTIONS) (MALFUNCTIONS),

15 Tax (DIRT tax) what musicians make (TRACK) (DIRT TRACK) – that might need to be roughly road-tested first (DIRT TRACK),

16 Spike (PI-N-) welcomes a (-A-) number of honours from university (firsts = 1STS = -ISTS) (PIANISTS) for the musicians (PIANISTS),

17 Condition (SYNDROME) of some yobs needling democratic leaders (‘some yobs needling democratic’ leaders = SYND-) in Italy (-ROME) (SYNDROME),

19 Has an influence on the count (ABACUS), as what’s monitored is not in sodium carbonate (‘monitored’ is not in ‘sodium carbonate’ = sucaba = ABACUS),

20 Delivered (BORN-) by middle of September (middle of ‘September’ = -E-), order (-O) (BORNEO) to a primitive lad’s home perhaps (BORNEO),

23 Knocks back (= reversal indicator) old (-O) type of champagne (brut = TURB-) (TURBO) with one of those efficient types in a car (turbocharger = TURBO).