Crosaire No 14858 by Crossheir – Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Across:

8 It’s a bit of a stretch (WARM-UP) not to be cool (not to be cool = WARM) and alert (alert = UP),

9 Hear girl in Wonderland (Alice) is (is) following an (an) (‘Alice is’ following ‘an’ = ‘an Alice is’ = ANALYSIS) investigation (ANALYSIS),

10 Stud (TACK) comes during attacks (atTACKs),

11 Not hard (EASY) to find tree (-TREE-) in road (S-T) for lottery winner’s address perhaps (financial security = EASY STREET),

12 Against (VERSUS) the work of poets (verses = VERSUS) reportedly,

14 Jump hurdle (OVERLEAP) on top of (OVER-) vault (-LEAP),

15 Before national (national = CITIZEN-) jewel (jewel = DUAL) we hear boat (-SHIP) is registered in Dublin and New York (DUAL CITIZENSHIP),

18 Antagonise (ESTRANGE) Ecuadorean leader (Ecuadorean leader = E-) near ridge (ridge = -RANGE) at end of street (-ST-) (E-ST-RANGE),

20 Catch sight of (DESCRY) some French (some = DES-) lament (lament = -CRY),

22 Dickensian character (RAGAMUFFIN) perhaps has piece of cloth (RAG-) with a (-A-) cake (-MUFFIN),

24 Lose thorn with this fruit (HAWthorn) after temperature (Temperature = T = T+HAW) begins to get warm (THAW),

25 Crawls along the ground (CREEPERS) and tries to get over walls (CREEPERS),

26 Draw out (ELICIT) it (-IT) in the end breaks up louse (louse = lice = ELIC-).

Prompt (ELICIT) it (-IT) to come after parasite (lice = ELIC-) collapses.

Down:

1 Has a taste (PALATE) for assistant (PA-) being late (-LATE),

2 Needs a run (run) to behave disruptively (run AMOK),

3 Source killed in action (Killed In Action = K.I.A = A- -KI) covering media (-PRES S-) after skiing (APRES SKI),

4 Great for waving (FANS are great for waving) at autograph hunters (FANS),

5 Long-haired dog (long-haired dog = collie = LASSIE) that is (-IE) following young woman (LASS),

6 Roland (-ROLY-) and little sister (-SIS) behind leather (leather = hide = HYD-) say has reaction to water (HYDROLYSIS),

7 Literary intelligentsia (LITERATI) is spinning first class (-A-I) rubbish (litter = LITER-T-),

13 Catches sun (SOLAR PANEL) with pal (pal = -LA- P-) in Salerno (Salerno = SO-R -ANEL),

14 Oil producer (OLIVE) has oxygen (O-) to breath (-LIVE),

16 Puts on airs (puts airs = UPSTAIRS) in a manner of speaking where the brains of the operation are (brains/mental function often referred to as operating UPSTAIRS)

17 With the end (END-) so close, irritation (-ANGER) is put at risk (ENDANGER),

19 Revulsion (NAUSEA) for Una breaking down (Una = NAU-) near water (-SEA),

21 The street (ROAD) that is (-IE) setting up the equipment (ROADIE),

23 French leader (French leader = F-) is first (-IST) on hand (FIST),

24 American writer (Mark Twain) without a (TwAin without ‘a’ = TWIN) double (double = TWIN),