Crosaire No 17439 by Crossheir – Saturday, December 5th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Doesn’t admit visitors (STAFF ENTRANCE), as that would be the approach the working men would take (STAFF ENTRANCE),

10 Head of cauliflower (head of ‘Cauliflower’ on top = -C-) in potato (TOP-OAT) soup (= anagram indicator) (TOPCOAT) – that should keep you warm in winter (TOPCOAT),

11 Sinatra, Martin & Co’s gang (the “Rat Pack”) slightly mixed up (“Rat Pack” = PACK RAT) by an American collector? (PACK RAT),

12 Garner from Roof Garden (‘garner’ from ‘roof garden’ = oofd = FOOD) produces all you need to sustain yourself (FOOD),

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13 Those employed by the manager (STAFF) on all sides today (STAFF on all sides of today’s grid),

15 Local criticism (local ‘criticism’ = BEEF) of honey producer (BEE-) getting fine (= -F) (BEEF),

17 Content of caramel-free (content of ‘caramEL-Free’ = ELF) spirit (ELF),

19 Nothing (O-) short (d) of odd (‘odd’ without ‘d’ = -OD-) to the Spanish (‘the’ Spanish = el) returning (= reverse indicator) (el = -LE-) to school (-S) (OODLES) in large numbers (OODLES)

21 A rise (‘a rise’ = ‘arise’ = COME UP) for Frenchman (-M-) in fixing (= anagram indicator) coupé (coupe = CO-E UP) (COME UP),

22 The leads from She Knows Y’Know (the leads from ‘She Knows Y’know’ = SKY) down in the dumps (BLUE) (SKY BLUE) in heavenly colour (SKY BLUE),

23 It’s key (music key F-) to Yeti’s (Yetis) movement (= anagram indicator) (Yetis = -EISTY) (FEISTY) that’s easily excitable (FEISTY),

25 Nutcase (PSYCHO) begins post seminary year (starts ‘Post Seminary Year’ = PSY-) at church (-CH-) order (-O) (PSYCHO),

27 Sample of House Music (sample of ‘housE MUsic’ = EMU) produced by fast-moving Australian bird (EMU),

29 Religious group (CULT) set-up (= reverse indicator) in Montluçon (in ‘montluçon’ = tluç = CULT),

30 Refuse (refuse/garbage = TRASH) first treatment (first ‘Treatment’ = T-) for reaction to poison ivy (-RASH) (TRASH).

31 Characters in Polaroid (characters in ‘poLAROid’ = laro) falling over (= reverse indicator) (laro = ORAL), in a manner of speaking (ORAL),

34 Beastly type (RACCOON) chews (= anagram indicator) acorn (acorn = RAC- ON) that’s firm (company = -CO-) in the middle (RACCOON),

35 The divisive doctrine (DUALISM) of the French (‘of the’ French = DU-) gangster (Al Capone = -AL-) is (-IS-) initially manageable (initially ‘Manageable’ = -M) (DUALISM),

36 Mace (STAFF OF OFFICE) workers (STAFF) from old French (Old French = OF) branch (OFFICE) (STAFF OF OFFICE).

Down:

2 A fair amount of (half) 5 down (half of ‘TIP-off’ = TIP-) found on 3 down (-TOE- found on ‘foot’) close to Wexford (close/end to ‘wexforD’ = -D) (TIPTOED) made moves in secret (TIPTOED),

3 Soft option to ignore points (‘soft option’ to ignore ‘points’ = ofto = FOOT) produced by one of those down at heel (FOOT),

4 Holding (ESTATE) the last bronze (the last ‘bronzE’ = E-) turkey (Turkey = -STATE) (ESTATE),

5 Slight argument (tiff = TI--FF) over flower (River Po = -P-O-) (TIP-OFF) information that’s preferential (TIP-OFF),

6 Bends (ARCS), in a roundabout way (= reverse indicator), to what’s concealed by Thomas Crammer (concealed by ‘thomaS CRAmmer’ = scra = ARCS),

7 Head Office (head ‘Office’ = -O-) finds retweet (-RT-), for example (e.g. = -EG-), in Clare (CE = C-E) (CORTEGE) produced by those going after leader (CORTEGE),

8 Garda’s (OFFICERS) baton (STAFF) – the first (= position indicator) (STAFF OFFICERS) produced by those in barracks working for a general employer (STAFF OFFICERS),

9 Club (club/stick = STAFF) issues (PROBLEMS) (STAFF PROBLEMS) such like, when the strikers are not doing their job? (STAFF PROBLEMS),

14 State (ALABAMA) of teetotaller (AA = A-A) entertaining the foreign (‘the’ = -LA-) graduate (-BA-) at the end of term (end of ‘terM’ = -M) (ALABAMA),

16 It’s stuffed into grapes? Tomato (it’s stuffed into ‘graPES TOmato’ = PESTO) sauce! (PESTO),

18 Spy (spy) adaptation (= anagram indicator) (spy = P-SY) about leads from Ocean’s Eleven (leads from ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ = -OE-) (POESY) written in an old-fashioned rhyming format (POESY),

20 Opening 22 across (opening ‘sky blue’ = SKY) in South (S-) Kerry? (-KY) (SKY),

21 Chalice (CUP) held up (= reverse indicator) by Capuchins (held up by ‘caPUChins’ = puc = CUP),

24 In a bad way (ILL-) going into top (‘Into’ top = - I-) court (CT = C-T) over one (-I-) (ILLICIT) criminal (ILLICIT),

26 Queen (queen / CARD-) opens in American coliseum (opens ‘In American Coliseum’ = -IAC) (CARDIAC) with Achy Breaky Heart? (CARDIAC),

27 Sea holly (ERYNGO) found around Eiffel Tower (found around ‘Eiffel toweR’ = ER-) with unknown quantity (-Y-) of new (-N-) heads? Get one! (heads ‘Get One’ = -GO) (ERYNGO),

28 Familiar with (USED TO) ousted (ousted) boss (= anagram indicator) (ousted = USED TO),

32 Retractable (= reverse indicator) sides of folding door (sides of ‘FOlding doOR’ = foor = ROOF) is on the house (ROOF),

33 Part of the body (CALF) producing some chemical formula (some ‘chemiCAL Formula’ = CALF).