Crosaire No 17460 by Crossheir – Thursday, December 31st, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 A French (a = UN-) sauce (sauce = -JUS-) for tempura starter (‘Tempura’ starter = -T) (UNJUST) isn’t right (UNJUST)

4 All back (= reverse all indicator) to go downhill (ski), mostly (i) (‘ski’ without ‘i’ = sk = -KS) with Síle (Sile = -ELIS-) and a fair amount of (half) boys (boys) (half of ‘BOys’ = bo = OB-) (OBELISKS), in columns (OBELISKS),

9 Instrument synonymous with Chippy (carpenter’s CHISEL) Carter is off the Richter Scale?  (‘Carter’ is off the ‘Richter Scale’ = ihscle = CHISEL),

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10 Unexpectedly (= anagram indicator) find Yeti (find Yeti = IDENTIFY) and give him a name (IDENTIFY),

12 Destabilise (UNBALANCE) one nice figure (one Nice/French figure/number: 1 = UN-) off set? (offset = -BALANCE) (UNBALANCE),

13 Clare (-CE-) is part of story (lie) told (= homophone indicator) (‘lie’ = ‘lye’ = LY-E) (LYCEE) to the French Institute (LYCEE / school),

14 Doesn’t come back with Sally (doesn’t come back with sally/attack = UNRESPONSIVE), and I’m keeping schtum (UNRESPONSIVE),

18 Organisation (UN-) at stable? (-DEPENDABLE) (UNDEPENDABLE) Certainly not the type you’d bet everything on! (UNDEPENDABLE),

21 Lawyer (Senior Counsel = SC-) for Band Aid (-AMP) (SCAMP) is a holy terror (SCAMP),

22 One (-I-) stuck in tight (= anagram indicator) entrance (entrance = NECTAR-NE) (NECTARINE) coming out of the orchard (NECTARINE),

24 Have just enough in one’s locker (SCRAPE BY) to beat (= anagram indicator) pacy Serb (pacy Serb = SCRAPE BY),

25 Hay from Himalayas (‘hay’ from ‘Himalayas’ = imlaas = SALAMI) or sausage from the deli? (SALAMI),

26 Sets up (= reverse indicator) Patsy (patsy/sap = PAS-) for scores on the rugby pitch (-TRIES) (PASTRIES) from a number of turnovers? (a number of turnovers = PASTRIES),

27 Shows contempt (SNEERS) for Head of State (head of ‘State’ = S-) backing (= reverse indicator) Partition (screen) without initial clue (‘initial Clue’ = ‘c’) (‘sCreen’ without ‘c’ = sreen = -NEERS) (SNEERS).

Down:

1 Uncut (uncut) version (= anagram indicator) (uncut = UNCTU-) out initially (‘Out’ initially = -O-) from America (-US) (UNCTUOUS) is excessively flattering (UNCTUOUS),

2 Robin (-BIRD) Mountjoy (Mountjoy JAIL-) is the first (= position indicator) (JAILBIRD local type having conviction (JAILBIRD),

3 Time (SPELL) to get all the characters in the right order (get all the characters/letters in the right order = SPELL),

5 Shift (BUDGE-) to Right is final (‘righT’ is final = -T) – talk (SPEECH) (BUDGET SPEECH) is, the Minister for Finance is responsible for it (BUDGET SPEECH),

6 Extended (LONG-) backing for (= reverse indicator) Old Nick (devil = LIVED) (LONG-LIVED) Hardy? (LONG-LIVED),

7 Barman (Senior Counsel = S-C-) protects funny fellow (-WIT-) from hotel (-H) (SWITCH) getting on (SWITCH on),

8 Designed (STYLED) eyesore (STY-) with one light (light-emitting diode = -LED) (STYLED),

11 A foreign (UN-) run (-GOVERN-) on banks? Abominable (banks ‘ABominabLE’ = -ABLE)  (UNGOVERNABLE) and impossible to control! (UNGOVERNABLE),

15 Smooth (SANDPAPER) star (Star newspaper = -PAPER) on beach blanket (SAND-) from the start (= position indicator) (SANDPAPER),

16 Sailor (able-bodied seaman = AB-) taking LSD (acid) recalls (= reverse indicator) (acid = -DICA-) going around trial judge (going around ‘Trial judgE’ = -TE) (ABDICATE) to avoid ruling (ABDICATE),

17 Beef isn’t (beef isn’t) bad (= anagram indicator) (beef isn’t = BENEFITS) and does you good (BENEFITS),

19 Finishes the lot (USES UP) and takes drugs (USES) to stay awake (UP) (USES UP),

20 Crazy (MAD-) Irish race (Irish ‘race’ = rás = -RAS) (MADRAS) from old India (MADRAS),

23 Some of those put up (= reverse indicator) in Pennsylvania garret (put up in ‘pennsylvaNIA GArret’ = niaga = AGAIN) and not for the first time (AGAIN).