Crosaire No 17431 by Crossheir – Thursday, November 26th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Fudge (TOFFEE) by old (-O-) party (Fianna Fáil  = -FF-) consumed by golf supporter, of course? (tee = T-EE) (TOFFEE),

4 Able (TALENTED) to report (TALE-) on good books (New Testament = -NT-) by writer (-ED) (TALENTED),

9 Thoroughly despise (LOATHE) a hotel (a hotel) complex (= anagram indicator) (a hotel = LOATHE),

10 Object in a cultural way (ARTEFACT) to American (A-) station (-RTE-) taking loud music (forte = -F-) from a play (-ACT) (ARTEFACT),

READ MORE

12 Down-at-heel travel agent perhaps (FOOT-) on small (-S-) plane (-TOOL) (FOOTSTOOL) with one of the Ottomans (FOOTSTOOL),

13 Drops (drops) butcher (= anagram indicator) (drops = PRODS) in digs (PRODS),

14 Keeping an eye on the eagles and albatrosses (BIRDWATCHING) for peer (-WATCH-) following (= position indicator) high-flyer (BIRD-) hot (-IN-) at golf (-G) (BIRDWATCHING),

18 Emotionally encouraging (HEART-WARMING) central (HEART-) heating? (-WARMING) (HEART-WARMING),

21 One of the overheads (ALOFT) for a (A-) space in The House (-LOFT) (ALOFT),

22 Those looking after Holly and Hazel (FORESTERS looking after holly/hazel trees) by supporting (FOR-) Esther’s (Esthers) report (= homophone indicator) (‘Esthers’ = ‘esters’ = -ESTERS) (FORESTERS),

24 Dawn’s (dawns = SUNRISES) Irish (-I-) school (-S-) consumed by sick (= anagram indicator) nurses (nurses = SUNR-ES) (SUNRISES),

25 Function (SOCIAL) of lost (-L), first-class (AI = -IA-) Greek island (Cos = SOC-) going all the way back (= reverse all indicator) (‘l+ai+cos’ all reversed = SOCIAL),

26 Drag one’s feet dismissing soft (‘drag one’s feet’ dismissing ‘soft’ = dragneee = RENEGADE) type with a reputation for betrayal (RENEGADE),

27 Awful (= anagram indicator) demos (demos = SMO-ED) over weekend (‘weeK’ end = -K-) (SMOKED) showed signs of fire (SMOKED).

Down:

1 Break the news to (TELL) FBI (FBI) boss (= anagram indicator) (FBI = FIB-) leading search (leading ‘Search’ = -S) (TELL FIBS) for lies (TELL FIBS),

2 Impressions (FLAVOURS) of novice (learner -L-) overcome by acts of kindness (acts of kindness = favours = F-AVOURS) (FLAVOURS),

3 The cultural standards (ETHOS) in some Newmarket hospital (in some ‘newmarkET HOSpital  = ETHOS),

5 Violent (= anagram indicator) reprisal (reprisal = APRIL -ERS) over type of trial (SHOW- trial) (APRIL SHOWERS) – the type that could well have been forecasted in The Spring (APRIL SHOWERS),

6 The Observer (EYE) intro (OPENER) (EYE-OPENER) is a revelation (EYE-OPENER),

7 Drink (TEA-) and drugs (-POT) (TEAPOT) produced by home brewer (TEAPOT),

8 Feel animosity (DETEST) to writer (ed) over (= reverse indicator) (ed = DE-) trial (-TEST) (DETEST),

11 Wizard’s (Harry POTTER’S) sphere of influence (FIELD) (POTTER’S FIELD) in the dead centre of the poor man’s last home (POTTER’S FIELD),

15 Faction (wing = W-ING) includes everyone else (-REST-) starting to learn (starting to ‘Learn’ = -L-) (WRESTLING) sport with those in Ring (WRESTLING),

16 Jazz solo (lick =LI-CK) contains merit (merit) – missing the last (t) (‘merit’ without ‘t’ = -MERI-) (LIMERICK) five lines that’s poetic (LIMERICK),

17 Reports (= homophone indicator) row (“row” = “roe” = EGG S-) with a (-A-) young man (-LAD) (EGG SALAD) getting served in deli (EGG SALAD),

19 Scare a (scare a) careless (= anagram indicator) scare a = CAESAR) emperor (CAESAR),

20 Take part (JOIN IN) of border (border/seam = JOIN) up (= reversal indicator) north (NI = IN) (JOIN IN),

23 Charge (STORM) banks of supporters from (banks of ‘Supporters froM’ = S-M) around The Hill (-TOR-) (STORM).