Crosaire No 17277 by Crossheir – Saturday, May 30th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) a lion (‘a lion’ = ‘align’ = STRAIGHTEN) is missing from cage? (OUT) (STRAIGHTEN OUT) Deal with it! (STRAIGHTEN OUT),

10 Dramatic scene (TABLEAU) of forces off the Beaufort Scale (‘forces’ off the ‘ Beaufort Scale’ = beautal = TABLEAU),

11 Make-up (= anagram indicator) artist (artist = TRA-SIT) goes around top of nails (top of ‘Nails’ = -N-) (TRANSIT) in passage (TRANSIT),

12 Broadcasts (AIRS) produced by Israeli dismissing lie (‘Israeli’ dismissing ‘lie’ = isra = AIRS),

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13 Discovered in bundle theory (discovered in ‘bundLE THEory’ = LETHE) – the flowery underground segment that helps you forget your life (a river in Hades/Greek mythology LETHE),

15 The zone (AREA) on both sides of Arabian Sea (on both sides of  ’ARabian sEA ‘ = AREA),

17 Soak up (DRY) isotope from depository (‘isotope’ from ‘depository’ = dry = DRY),

19 A Mass (‘amass’ = GATHER) for Gareth (Gareth) Cook (= anagram indicator) (Gareth = GATHER),

21 Turns up (= reverse indicator), war primarily (‘War’ primarily = -W-) divides soldiers (GI + GI = -IG-IG) starting battle (starting ‘Battle’ = B-) (BIG WIG) with hot shot? (hotshot = BIGWIG),

22 Manages (RAN-) causes for complaint (aches) heading off (a) (‘aches’ without ‘a’ = -CHES) (RANCHES) to American farms (RANCHES),

23 Temporary dwelling (tent = TEN-T) accommodating a (-A-) new (-N-) (TENANT) occupant (TENANT),

25 Architectural sites (digs = DIG-S-) around Spain (-E-) take time (-T) (DIGEST) to breakdown (DIGEST),

27 Big shot doesn’t get gist (‘big shot’ doesn’t get ‘gist’ = bho = HOB) of what’s on the range (HOB),

29 Very small amount (IOTA) amidst audiotapes (amidst ‘audIOTApes’ = IOTA),

30 It’s just (it’s just/ethical = MORAL) end of term (end of ‘terM’ = M-) for 33 down (‘oral’ = -ORAL) (MORAL),

31 Brings to account characters found concealed (‘bringS TO Account’ characters found concealed = STOA) by great hall in Athens (STOA),

34 Country (HOLLAND) worker (worker/hand = H-AND) welcomes gangster’s girlfriend (moll) right (r) off (‘mOLL’ without ‘r’ = -OLL-) (HOLLAND),

35 Starters of antipasto under (starters of ‘Antipasto Under’ = AU-) grainy dish (rice = -RIC-E) served around large (-L-) (AURICLE) atrium (atrium cavity in the heart = AURICLE),

36 Plain-speaking (STRAIGHT) initially favoured (initially ‘Favoured’ = F-) by one of The Greens (one of the greens = lush = -LUSH) (STRAIGHT FLUSH) is as good as any hand to play (STRAIGHT FLUSH).

Down:

2 Time (T-) to show (cabaret) off the top (c) (‘cabaret’ without c’  = -ABARET) (TABARET) upholstery fabric (TABARET),

3 Vines from expansive (‘vines’ from ‘expansive’ = expa = APEX) summit on the mountain, for example (APEX),

4 Silence (gag = GA-G-) over university (-U-) getting writer (-ED) (GAUGED) assessed (GAUGED),

5 Easily annoyed (TETCHY) city father missing fair (‘city father’ missing ‘fair’ = ctythe = TETCHY),

6 Bread (NAAN) and jus from San Juan (‘jus’ from ‘San Juan’ = anan = NAAN),

7 Lift the lid on (UNSCREW) organisation (United Nations = UN-) with small (-S-) work force (-CREW) (UNSCREW),

8 This is strictly between two candidates (STRAIGHT FIGHT) to level (STRAIGHT) with one of those in Ring (FIGHT) (STRAIGHT FIGHT),

9 Resisting the temptation to laugh at (STRAIGHT-FACED) Frank (STRAIGHT) – the one behind The Mask (FACE-) along with director (-D) (STRAIGHT-FACED),

14 Big plot of land (TRACT- of land) for either partner (either -OR) (TRACTOR) advertised in the Farmers Journal perhaps (TRACTOR),

16 Transfer art out (‘transfer’ minus ‘art’ = nsfer = FERNS) of place in Wexford (FERNS),

18 Drop-in (drop in = VISIT) centre activists (centre ‘actiVists’ = V-) for second time (second ‘tIme’ = -I-) take seats (-SIT) (VISIT),

20 One of those from The Maze (RAT) capsized (= reverse indicator) in The Ouachita River (in ‘the ouachiTA River’ = tar = RAT),

21 Fragment of YouTube diatribe (fragment of ‘youtuBE Diatribe ‘ = BED) typical of one those in The Plot (BED),

24 Turns up (= reverse indicator), a long fund-raising programme (telethon) discards the letter before I (in the alphabet, the letter “H” is before “I” – so: ‘teletHon’ without ‘h’ = teleton = NOTELET) produced the card (NOTELET),

26 Smooth talks (ENTICES) those characters from The Apprentice show (those characters from ‘the apprENTICE Show’ = ENTICES),

27 Fast food (HOT DOG) from pig (pig/hog = HO-G) includes starters to take delivery of (starters to ‘Take Delivery Of’ = -T DO-) (HOT DOG),

28 Sailor (able-bodied seaman = AB) retires (= reversal indicator) (AB = BA-) from the sea (-SALT) (BASALT) and is found to be over the moon (BASALT is a rocky substance found on the moon),

32 Revolutionary (= reverse indicator) sample of cholera vaccine (sample of ‘cholerA VACcine’ = avac = CAVA) produced by the drinks industry in Catalonia (CAVA),

33 Face-to-face examination (ORAL exam) of Don from Orlando (‘Don’ from ‘Orlando’ = orla = ORAL).