Crosaire No 17144 by Crossheir – Tuesday, December 24th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Is getting out of Carlisle (‘is’ getting out of ‘Carlisle’ = carlle = CELLAR) for a basement in Bordeaux (CELLAR),

4 Keep (PRESERVE) page (P-) from book (-RESERVE) (PRESERVE),

9 Minor annoyance (NIGGLE) for horse (-GG-) in river (NI-LE) (NIGGLE),

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10 Edit (= anagram indicator) verbose (verbose = OBSERVE-) writing (from the 3Rs = -R) (OBSERVER) by reporter (OBSERVER),

12 One of the key men (LOCKSMITH) provides security (LOCKS-) at the state’s college (Massachusetts Institute of Technology = -MIT-) hospital (-H) (LOCKSMITH),

13 Fiction (LIE-), for example (e.g.), upsets (= reversal indicator) (e.g. = -GE) (LIEGE) one of those in Belgium (LIEGE),

14 Type of pot (CHAMBER pot) that goes with reggae, for example (reggae MUSIC) (CHAMBER MUSIC), the sort orchestrated by a small ensemble (CHAMBER MUSIC),

18 Bound (bound/leap = JUMP-) to find one of the journalist’s (one of the journalists = -ED) article (THE) on local shooter (GUN) (JUMPED THE GUN) was somewhat previous (JUMPED THE GUN),

21 Finished off (ATE UP) in a (A-) backward (= reversal indicator) place (put = -T- UP) around Spain (-E) (ATE UP),

22 Like a roller-coaster (TURBULENT) with powerful engine (turbo) briefly (o) (‘turbo’ without ‘o’ = TURB-) utilised heading (‘Utilised’ heading = -U-) for a fast time (-LENT) (TURBULENT),

24 Pilot (TEST) from Bath (TUB-), England (-E) (TEST TUBE), is observed under laboratory conditions (TEST TUBE),

25 Materialist dismisses miser (‘materialist’ dismisses ‘miser’ = atalit = ATTILA) as an old scourge of the man upstairs (Attila the Hun was known as ‘The Scourge of God’ = ATTILA),

26 We’re unlikely to forget these (MEMORIES) in short (o) written reminder (‘memo’ without ‘o’ = MEM-) from conservatives (Tories) losing the head (t) (‘Tories’ without ‘t’ = -ORIES) (MEMORIES),

27 Raise (grow) tailless (w) (‘grow’ without ‘w’ = GRO-) horse (-GG-) at yard (-Y) (GROGGY) – staggering! (GROGGY).

Down:

1 A local French cop (flic = -FLIC-) follows (= position indicator) criminal (CON-) for time (-T) (CONFLICT) in The Troubles (CONFLICT),

2 Having good reason (LOGICIAN) to join the network (log in = LOGI-N) welcoming spies (-CIA-) (LOGICIAN),

3 Greek taken out of Great Lakes (‘Greek’ taken out of ‘Great Lakes’ = atlas = ATLAS) has a lot on his shoulders (in mythology, ATLAS has the weight of the world on his shoulders),

5 What the employees of Spa do (employees/masseuse RUB SHOULDERS) to socialise? (RUB SHOULDERS),

6 Drop a line (-FISH) after (= positional indicator) nutcase (SHELL-) (SHELLFISH) is found on the cocktails in seafood restaurant (SHELLFISH cocktails),

7 Criticism (REVIEW) of Republican (R-) and Oriental (east = -E-) philosophy (-VIEW) (REVIEW),

8 Made (EARNED) to read (read) novel (= anagram indicator) (read = EAR-D) about leaders of Northern Europe (leaders of ‘Northern Europe’ = -NE-) (EARNED),

11 Infamous (DISREPUTABLE) detectives (DI’s = DIS-) from Anti-Corruption? (anti-corruption = -REPUTABLE) (DISREPUTABLE)

15 Something to raise when leaving the port (BLUE PETER) in Down (BLUE) for favourite (PET-) half of bitter (half of bitter/‘beER’ = -ER) (BLUE PETER),

16 Being in harmony (AGREEING) in Reggae (in Reggae) mix (= anagram indicator) (in Reggae = AGREEING),

17 Rocky (UNSTEADY) is due a fall but not now (UNSTEADY),

19 Bar (BAN-) opens for the angry men (opens for ‘The Angry Men’ = -TAM) (BANTAM) going to the boxing match (BANTAM),

20 They take off (JETS- off) before noon (-AM) (JETSAM) with one coming off boat (JETSAM),

23 One of those fat types (butter) loses head (b) (‘butter’ loses ‘b’ = UTTER) with Express? (express = UTTER).