Crosaire No 14948 by Crossheir – Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Across:

8 Holy cow! (OH DEAR!) Head Office (HO = OH) sent back to open letter (open letter = DEAR … ) (OH DEAR),

9 Philosopher (PLATO-) finds Ulster (Northern Ireland = -NI-) cold (-C) (PLATONIC) without real desire (PLATONIC),

10 Afterthought (PS-) to holy man (Saint = -ST) (PSST) grabs attention (PSST),

11 Very small (TEENY-WEENY) driver’s aid (golf ball peg = TEE-) in America (-NY) gets to little (-WEE-) US city (-NY) (TEENY-WEENY),

12 At last, can (can = -NAC) return to go (go = -OG-) back with Charlie (C-) (COGNAC) for an after-dinner drink (COGNAC),

14 Company (CO-) near Nevada (-NV-) is nice (nice = -INCE) alternative (CONVINCE) to set someone’s mind at rest (CONVINCE),

15 Single guys (BACHELORS) to some extent (to a DEGREE) (BACHELOR’S DEGREE) are part of academic programme (BACHELOR’S DEGREE),

18 Traffic obstructions (BOLLARDS) creates bit of a stink (body odour = BO-) for learners (L + L = -LL-) going to Down peninsula (Ards peninsula in Down = -ARDS) (BOLLARDS),

20 Sailor (able-bodied seaman = AB-) on street (-ROAD) (ABROAD) in France perhaps (ABROAD),

22 Tom’s sleeping arrangements (CAT’S CRADLE) is child’s play (CAT’S CRADLE game),

24 Race (TT Race = T-T) embraces account (-AC-) (TACT) of diplomacy (TACT),

25 Soup (BOUILLON) Aid (BO-ON) admits you (-U-) in a bad way (-ILL-) (BOUILLON),

26 Turns up, me (me = EM-) and man in charge (-BOSS) (EMBOSS) mould a design (EMBOSS).

Down:

1 Benchwarmer perhaps (sits/warms the bench during games = PHYSIO) takes the strain away (PHYSIO takes the strain away),

2 Handy (DEFT) for German domain (DE-) to get paper (Financial Times = -FT) (DEFT),

3 Judge (CRITIC-) and gangster (Al Capone = -AL) (CRITICAL) in grave situation (CRITICAL situation),

4 On record (Extended-Play record = EP-) and at ease (Es = -EE) (ÉPÉE) with blunt weapon (ÉPÉE),

5 Can (CAN-) way out there (-YON) (CANYON) be so far down (CANYON)?

6 Place in front of (FORE-) pointer (-FINGER) (FOREFINGER) on hand (FOREFINGER),

7 Sorted out place (place = P-ACLE) around hotel (-INN-) (PINNACLE) summit (PINNACLE),

13 Up north (Northern Ireland = NI-) greeting (-HI-) list (-LIST-) I see (-IC) (NIHILISTIC) is meaningless (NIHILISTIC),

14 Public relations officer (PRO = -ORP-) takes a turn in civil service (C-S) (CORPS) unit (CORPS),

16 Wicklow town (AVOCA-) parties (Dos = -DOS) (AVOCADOS) for alligator pears (AVOCADOS),

17 Comes across a figure (DIAMETER) to aid (aid = DIA-) breakdown on gas recorder (-METER) (DIAMETER),

19 Seldom (RARELY) gets artist (RA-) to depend on this (-RELY) (RARELY),

21 Point finger at (ACCUSE) a (A-) carbon copy (-CC-) to use (-USE) (ACCUSE),

23 Director (D-) with foreign article (-UNE) (DUNE) on the beach (DUNE),

24 Container (TUB-) with a (-A) (TUBA) brass instrument (TUBA).