Crosaire No 17451 by Crossheir – Saturday, December 19th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Arresting, tight-lipped, American agents (SECRET SERVICE) for the china nobody knows about presumably (china/delph dinner service nobody know about = SECRET SERVICE),

10 Aer Lingus (E-I) carry party (Fianna Fáil = -FF-) from last (-END-) (EFFENDI) address in Turkey (EFFENDI),

11 Cello (cello) played (= anagram indicator) (cello = COLLE-), for example (e.g.), back (= reverse indicator) (e.g. = -GE) (COLLEGE) in academy (COLLEGE),

12 Extraordinary (RARE) firsts in rock-and-roll excesses (firsts in ‘Rock And Roll Excesses’  = RARE),

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13 Tips (DUMPS) for serving up (= reverse indicator) starter of mashed (starter of ‘mashed’  = -M-) potato (spud = DU-PS) outside (DUMPS),

15 Sample of Zeno’s paradoxes (sample of ‘zenoS PARadoxes’ = SPAR) in practice in Ring (practice in boxing ring = SPAR),

17 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) something the swinger is capable of (‘putt’ = ‘PUT’) in park (park/place = PUT),

19 Concerns of writers (THEMES) from border (-HEM-) seduced by set- (set = T-ES) -back? (= reversal indicator) (set = T-ES) (THEMES),

21 Those starting for every side today (SECRET on all sides of today’s grid), with a skeleton in the cupboard (SECRET),

22 Detective (Private Investigator = PI-) finds most of 3 down (most of ‘rang’ = -RAN-) and a fair amount of (half of) hake (half of ‘HAke’ = -HA) (PIRANHA) – a ferocious fish  (PIRANHA),

23 Rabelaisian (VULGAR) university (University of Limerick = -UL-) in very good (V-G-) area (-A-) on river (-R) (VULGAR),

25 In the early stages of life (EMBRYO) coming from Rome by (Rome by) train (= anagram indicator) (Rome by = EMBRYO),

27 Aged (OLD) escargot taken out of cold storage (‘escargot’ taken out of ‘cold storage’ = old = OLD),

29 Person of note (NAME) concealed by backward (= reverse indicator) office manager (concealed by ‘officE MANager’ = eman = NAME),

30 An imitation (APERY) of all the characters in 16 down (repay) doing a jig (= anagram indicator) (‘repay’ = APERY),

31 Some psychedelic (some ‘psycheDELIc’ = DELI) food market (DELI),

34 Parson (parson = SOPRAN-), doctor (= anagram indicator), leader of orchestra (leader of ‘Orchestra’ = -O) (SOPRANO) and member of a choir (SOPRANO),

35 Roughly out of control? (VIOLENT) Dicky (= anagram indicator), not Levi! (not Levi = VIOLENT),

36 GoldenEye (sea BIRD) opens (= position indicator) with a job for Miss Moneypenny (SECRETARY) (SECRETARY BIRD)? Producing African flyer with a feather quill! (SECRETARY BIRD).

Down:

2 Prosecute (ENFORCE) fence or (fence or) criminal (= anagram indicator) (fence or = ENFORCE),

3 Used one’s cell in America (‘cell’ = ‘mobile’ = RANG) producing excerpt from Dr Strangelove (excerpt from dr stRANGelove = RANG),

4 Expose lie (TRIP UP) around (= reversal indicator) place (put = T- UP) overlooking Split (split/tear = -RIP) (TRIP UP),

5 Bar (EXCEPT) portion (excerpt) doesn’t include side of rolls (side of ‘Rolls’ = r) (‘excerpt’ without ‘r’ = except = EXCEPT),

6 Against (versus = V-) old (-O-) soldier (Lieutenant = Lt = -LT) (VOLT) from battery unit (VOLT),

7 Reviews (= reverse indicator) record (rec = C-ER) about aristocrat (peer = -REEP-) (CREEPER) from The Ivy (CREEPER),

8 Having a hidden talent presumably (SECRETIVENESS) for a recipe that keeps everything under wraps (SECRETIVENESS),

9 The Establishment (SOCIETY) is behind (= positional indicator) mystery (SECRET) (SECRET SOCIETY) of who organised the Easter Rising (SECRET SOCIETY),

14 Shifting notions (MUTABLE) for sides on main menu (sides on ‘Main menU’ = MU-) from the restaurant (-TABLE) (MUTABLE),

16 Return the favour (REPAY) to swimmer (R-AY) retaining record (Extended Play record = -EP-) (REPAY),

18 Heard (= homophone indicator) it’s used to suggest (‘seems’ = ‘SEAMS’) joints found in jeans (SEAMS),

20 Educationalist (SIR) raised (= reverse indicator) in impoverishment (in impoveRIShment  = ris = SIR),

21 That woman (SHE) in logistics headquarters (in ‘logisticS HEadquarters’ = SHE),

24 Mary’s pet (Mary had a little LAMB) project – introducing (‘Project’ introducing = P-) Ireland (Ireland domain = -IE) (LAMB PIE) to a hearty dinner (LAMB PIE),

26 Does mate (doe’s mate = ROE DEER) get lobster, eggs (lobster eggs = ROE) from venison producer? (DEER) (ROE DEER),

27 Old (O-) pensioner starting (‘Pensioner’ starting = -P-) petition (petition/solicit = tout  = -T OUT) (OPT OUT) to decline the invitation (OPT OUT),

28 Golf club (DRIVER) close to Waterford (close/end to ‘waterforD’ = D-) on the Barrow (-RIVER Barrow) (DRIVER),

32 Is it reasonable (FAIR) to get off frigate? (‘get’ off ‘frigate’ = fria = FAIR),

33 American relative (mom) loses the head (m) (‘mom’ without ‘m’ = -OM-) inside the hostelry (B&B = B-B) (BOMB) in Blitz (BOMB).