Crosaire No 17445 by Crossheir – Saturday, December 12th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Made tracks (LEFT) with Oasis (oasis/waterhole/spring = WELL) on first album (first ‘Album’ = A-) and poor (= anagram indicator) Noel (Noel = -LONE) (LEFT WELL ALONE) didn’t get involved? (LEFT WELL ALONE),

10 Cents (cents) scattered (= anagram indicator) (cents = ENC-ST) around backward (= reverse indicator) old city (Ur = -RU-) (ENCRUST) in cover (ENCRUST),

11 Nearly (s) passes (passes) (‘passes’ without ‘s’ = PASS-E) over the country’s top lawyer? (Attorney General = -AG-) (PASSAGE) That would be some admission! (PASSAGE),

12 Grow weary of (TIRE) Tiananmen Square banks (‘TIananmen squaRE’ banks = TIRE),

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13 Reception (SALON) for relative (S-ON) around area (-A-) close to Castleconnell  (close/end to ‘castleconneL’ = -L-) (SALON),

15 Opens for all sides today (LEFT on all sides of today’s grid) and starts for 14 down (starts for ‘left out’ = LEFT),

17 Type of fizz (PEP) consumed by grape pickers (consumed by ‘graPE Pickers’ = PEP),

19 The Star-Spangled Banner (US national ANTHEM) is obviously a type of country music? (ANTHEM),

21 Pay attention to (LISTEN) large (L-) institute (-I-) dividing the tennis players in a number of courts (nets) in retrospect (= reverse indicator) (nets = -STEN) (LISTEN),

22 In the end (= position indicator), Roman emperor (Nero) almost (o) (‘Nero’ without ‘o’ = -NER) split up (PART-) (PARTNER) with wife (PARTNER),

23 Cheated on the absent (‘cheated on’ the absent/without ‘the’ = caedon = DEACON) assistant to The Minister (DEACON),

25 Shortage (DEARTH) of writing (from the 3Rs = -R-) collected by life partner (‘life and death’ = DEA-TH) (DEARTH),

27 Kind of reaction (GUT reaction) covered up (= reverse indicator) by Portuguese (covered up by ‘porTUGuese’ = tug = GUT),

29 Secretariat holds this (‘secrETARiat’ holds this = etar) back (= reversal indicator) (etar = RATE) from judge (judge/assess = RATE),

30 Old master drops rods (‘old master’ drops ‘rods’ = lmate = METAL) of iron (METAL),

31 Hippy drug (ACID) in flipping (= reversal indicator) medication (in ‘meDICAtion’ = dica = ACID),

34 Digs up (= reverse indicator) hare (hare) with no head (h) (‘hare’ without ‘h’ = are = -ERA) and CSI (CSI = -ISC-) finds sign (V- sign) (VISCERA) of guts (VISCERA),

35 Constable, for one (John Constable, for one is a PAINTER), doesn’t rock the boat presumably (PAINTER rope holds/secures the boat),

36 Abandoned (LEFT TO ONESELF) in solitary confinement (LEFT TO ONESELF).

Down:

2 Quote (EXCERPT) from Last Supper (last ‘suppeR’ = -R-) in bar (bar/except = EXCE-PT) (EXCERPT),

3 Bully boy (THUG) gets time (T-) to show some affection (-HUG) (THUG),

4 Corner (ENTRAP) for Oriental (East = E-) good books (New Testament = -NT-) and music (-RAP) (ENTRAP),

5 Kitty (pot) and Buddy (pal) setting up (= reversal indicator) (pot = -TOP + pal = LAP-) (LAPTOP) computer (LAPTOP),

6 Gloss over disappearing grove (‘gloss over’ disappearing ‘grove’ = loss = LOSS) – it’s a tax right-off (LOSS),

7 Closest (NEAREST) to eastern (eastern) dish (= anagram indicator) (eastern = NEAREST),

8 The type of foreign vehicle (LEFT-HAND DRIVE) that isn’t right for some writers (LEFT- HAND) with ambition (DRIVE) (LEFT-HAND DRIVE),

9 Wasn’t informed (LEFT IN THE DARK) someone’s lights were punched out perhaps (LEFT IN THE DARK),

14 Ignored (LEFT OUT) the French (‘the’ French = LE-) paper (Financial Times = -FT) that is on sale (OUT) (LEFT OUT),

16 Retiring (= reversal indicator) editor-in-chief perhaps (top ed = DEPOT) of magazine (magazine/arms DEPOT),

18 Femme fatale (SIREN) on the outskirts of San Sebastian (on the outskirts of ‘San sebastiaN = S-N) getting to grips with hot temper (-IRE-) (SIREN),

20 Guy (MAN) sees off en masse (‘sees’ off ‘en masse’ = nma = MAN),

21 Showed the way (LED) around (= reverse indicator) what’s in Pays de la Loire (what’s in ‘pays DE La loire’ = del = LED),

24 Sweetheart is tested inside (‘sweetheART IS TEsted’ inside = ARTISTE) by skilful performer (ARTISTE),

26 Stage performance (RECITAL) leads to funny (= anagram indicator) article (article = RECITAL),

27 Delegation dine out (‘delegation’ ‘dine’ out = elgato = GELATO) in the Italian parlour (GELATO),

28 Sailor (TAR-) going to small fishing area (pond) shortly (d) (‘pond’ without ‘d’ = -PON) (TARPON) for the big game fish (TARPON),

32 Defeat (BEAT) both sides? Been there, done that! (both sides ‘BEen there done thAT’ = BEAT),

33 Supports (AIDS) in air-raid shelters (in ‘air rAID Shelters’ = AIDS).