Crosaire No 17080 by Crossheir – Thursday, October 10th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Julius Caesar got rid of juries (‘Julius Caesar’ got rid of ‘juries’ = luscaa = CASUAL) – how flippant is that? (CASUAL),

4 The local faces (‘local’ faces = MUGS) at contest (GAME) (MUG’S GAME) of benefit to no one (MUG’S GAME),

9 Add a touch of sparkle (sparkle/bubbles = AERATE) as Judge (-RATE) Russell (AE-) is up first (= position indicator) (AERATE),

10 Mixed (ASSORTED) with a (A-) society (-S-) model (-SORT-) and writer (-ED)  (ASSORTED),

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12 That woman (SHE-) is on record (extended-play record = -EP-) as initially saying (initially ‘Saying’ = -S-) family (-KIN) (SHEEPSKIN) provides a lot of warmth for member of flock (SHEEPSKIN),

13 Sides (TEAMS) of butcher’s (butchers = anagram indicator) meats (meats = TEAMS),

14 Opens 18 across (opens ‘foot soldiers’ = FOOT-) at dance (-BALL) for most of 13 across (most of  ‘teams’ = TEAM) (FOOTBALL TEAM) and all the players (FOOTBALL TEAM),

18 The spear carriers, perhaps (FOOT SOLDIERS) around Tarsus (FOOT is around the tarsus bones in foot), expecting war (SOLDIERS) (FOOT SOLDIERS),

21 Tony, for example (Tony AWARD), for boy off Broadway (‘boy’ off ‘Broadway’ = radwa = AWARD),

22 Has to have (NEEDS) grape juice (MUST) (NEEDS MUST) and it’s unavoidable (NEEDS MUST),

24 Those at the end of 18 across (end of ‘foot soldiers’ = SOLDIERS) taken on by a major employer (SOLDIERS taken on by a major employer/army),

25 Widow’s due (widow’s due/share = dower = DOW-ER) around noon (-N-) (DOWNER) – for the locals it’s a depressing experience (DOWNER),

26 Cut grass (mown = M- -OWN) around old flood defence (-ARK) near Dublin (-D) (MARK DOWN) to reduce costs (MARK DOWN),

27 Note (music note A-) to police (-CID-) in charge (-IC) (ACIDIC) is very bitter (ACIDIC),

Down:

1 Put in sets of (CLASSIFY) wild (= anagram indicator) salsify (salsify = -LASSIFY) behind (= position indicator) head of cabbage (head of ‘Cabbage’ = C-) (CLASSIFY),

2 Drunk (= anagram indicator) very sour (very sour = SURVEYOR) type on site for good measure perhaps (SURVEYOR),

3 Cause trouble (ACT UP) offering a (A-) college (-C-) place (put = -T UP) in retrospect (= reversal indicator) (ACT UP),

5 Star (sun) loses the head (s) (‘sun’ without ‘s’ = UN-), is supported (-SANCTIONED) (UNSANCTIONED) and isn’t punished (UNSANCTIONED),

6 Blunt (SHORT-) with worker (-HAND) (SHORTHAND) taken down by a person of note perhaps (SHORTHAND),

7 Crafty types (arts = -STRA-) in American city (LA) all make a comeback (= reverse all indicator) (LA = A-L) (ASTRAL) like the stars (ASTRAL),

8 Maid from Middle East (‘maid’ from ‘Middle East’ = dleest = ELDEST) is not the youngest (ELDEST),

11 The staff down to the bare bones presumably (SKELETON CREW) working on the archaeological dig (SKELETON CREW),

15 What the cutting staff did presumably (what hairdressers/barbers did = BLOW-DRIED) with local drugs? (‘local’ drugs = BLOW-) Smoked! (smoked/cured = -DRIED) (BLOW-DRIED),

16 Went back (RETUREND) to Rick (rick/sprain = -TURN-) in grass (reed = RE-ED) (RETURNED),

17 Son (-S-) is involved in corrupt (= anagram indicator) coterie (coterie = E-OTERIC) (ESOTERIC) and that’s difficult to understand (ESOTERIC),

19 Lost (= anagram indicator) on Mars (on Mars = RANSOM)? For such a fee, this will get you back! (RANSOM),

20 Editorials dismiss diet (‘editorials’ dismiss ‘diet’ = orials = SAILOR) with salt? (salt/old salt = SAILOR),

23 Is patient (STOIC) with most of (k) the animals (‘stock’ without ‘k’ = STO-C) around island (-I-) (STOIC).