Crosaire No 17063 by Crossheir – Friday, September 20th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

8 Double agents don’t get stoned (‘double agents’ don’t get/without ‘stoned’ = ubleag = BELUGA) in the expensive fish restaurant (BELUGA caviar),

9 Justification (APOLOGIA) for a (A-) flower (flower/River -PO-) cut from the trunk of a tree (-LOG-) with a fair amount of (half of) chia (half of ‘chIA’ = -IA) (APOLOGIA),

10 Moving back and forth doing the rounds (‘MOving back and forTH’ doing the rounds = MOTH) can be a pest (MOTH),

11 Judge (ARBITRATOR) in 4 down loses the head (b) (‘barb’ without ‘b’ = ARB-) with pathetic (= anagram indicator) traitor (traitor = -ITRATOR) (ARBITRATOR),

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12 One (-I-) in Knock (knock/tap = TA-P-) with an (-AN) (TAIPAN) Australian slippery type (Australian snake = TAIPAN),

14 Give up (RENOUNCE) most of the lease (most of the ‘rent’ = REN-) by spring (bounce) starting off (b) (‘bounce’ without ‘b’ = -OUNCE) (RENOUNCE),

15 Primitive (UNSOPHISTICATED) organisation (UN-) linked to Cosmopolitan (-SOPHISTICATED) (UNSOPHISTICATED),

18 Removal (EVICTION) of home-wreaker? (EVICTION)

20 Caught (C-) wedding band (ring = -R-ING) around end of May (end of ‘maY’ = -Y-) (CRYING) performing The Waterworks (CRYING),

22 Not in good shape (ILL-), muse (ruminate) is heading off (r) (‘ruminate’ without ‘r’ = -UMINATE) (ILLUMINATE) to light up (ILLUMINATE),

24 Get the news (HEAR) from sweetheart releasing tweets (‘sweetheart’ releasing ‘tweets’ = hear = HEAR),

25 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) Garrett (‘Garrett’ = ‘garret’ = -ATTIC-) is in the French (Le = L-E-) district for opening (‘District’ for opening = -D) (LATTICED) of a cross-section of bars (LATTICED),

26 Part of the service (SAUCER) that has long been associated with The Cup (SAUCER).

Down:

1 Iron (FE-) rod (rod = -DOR-) bends (= reversal indicator) and initially (‘And’ initially = -A) (FEDORA) it can be tipped (FEDORA hat can be tipped),

2 Sell drugs (PUSH) for slight hit (PUSH),

3 A fat cat (SAVANNAH cat) in Georgia (SAVANNAH),

4 A feature of the fish hook (BARB on fish hook) on half the grill (half the ‘BARBecue’ = BARB),

5 One of the ranks (rank/smell = ROTTEN) is corrupt (ROTTEN),

6 All the buzz words, for instance (VOCABULARY), for the Lexus (the ‘Lexus’ = the ‘lexis’ = VOCABULARY), say (= homophone indicator),

7 Having practical knowledge of Split (DIVORCEE), left the match early (DIVORCEE),

13 Proust (Proust = PROS-UT-) travels (= anagram indicator) around Channel Islands (-CI-) on foot (toe) – briefly (e) (‘toe’ without ‘e’ = -TO) (PROSCIUTTO) it’s a cure for starters? (PROSCIUTTO),

14 It’s about (RE-) what’s not right (-SIN) (RESIN) in various plants and trees (RESIN),

16 All (all) turnovers (= reversal indicator) (all = -LLA-) in ovens (ovens = NOVE-S) baked (= anagram indicator) (NOVELLAS) for breakfast at Tiffany’s and others (Truman Capote’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and others = examples of NOVELLAS),

17 A sincere (a sincere = INCREASE) adaptation (= anagram indicator) of Spiral (spiral = INCREASE),

19 Rant isn’t in dictionary (‘rant’ isn’t in ‘dictionary’ = dicioy = IDIOCY) – how stupid is that? (IDIOCY),

21 Listener (-EAR-) in northeast (North East = N-E-) is right (-R) (NEARER) – it’s more convenient (NEARER),

23 Lends a hand to (AIDS) hero from Rhodesia (‘hero’ from ‘Rhodesia’ = dsia = AIDS),

24 Part of The House (‘hall’ = ‘HAUL’) report (= homophone indicator) produced by Transport (transport = HAUL).