Crosaire No 14981 by Crossheir – Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Across:

8 A follower (‘b’ follows ‘a’ = B-) coming across you (-U-) returning lair (lair = -RIAL) (BURIAL) for final act (BURIAL),

9 Directs boat (COX-) and grooms (-COMBS) (COXCOMBS) for old vain dandies (old dandies = COXCOMBS),

10 Fly (fly = GNAT) alcoholic away from Anglo-Catholic (‘Anglo-Catholic’ missing ‘alcoholic’ = ngat = GNAT),

11 Give weapon (ARM-) to old (-AGED-) Mafia boss (-DON) (ARMAGEDDON) for final battle (ARMAGEDDON),

12 There’s a hole (a hole = a pit = -APIT-) in the Women’s Institute (W-I) (WAPITI) produced by American dear we hear (American “dear” = deer = WAPITI),

14 Beans (beans = BAN-ES) dropped over woman (-SHE-) (BANSHEES) with dead howlers (BANSHEES howl to warn of death),

15 Keeps an eye on department (CABINET MINISTER) store (CABINET) for priest (MINISTER) (CABINET MINISTER)?,

18 Chap (MAN-) with one (-I-) remedy (-CURE) (MANICURE) for attending to someone hand and foot perhaps? (MANICURE),

20 Old forces (Royal Irish Constabulary’s = RIC’s = R-ICS) guarding the Spanish (the = -EL-) (RELICS) remains (RELICS),

22 Strong suit (FORTE-) with set of keys (-PIANO) (FORTE-PIANO) sounds loud then soft (FORTE-PIANO),

24 Cry (cry = HOOT) for there’s no sun in Houston (‘Houston’ missing ‘sun’ = hoto = HOOT),

25 Didn’t have enough hands (OUTVOTED) around (O-) northern station (-UTV-) to (to = -OT-) back editor (-ED) (OUTVOTED),

26 Convince (INDUCE) Ulster (NI = IN-) to come back with Italian leader (-DUCE) (INDUCE).

Down:

1 African country (GUINEA) provides old professional fee (GUINEA),

2 At last, politician (TD = D-T) comes back over Ulster (NI) (DINT) to make mark (mark = DINT),

3 It’s a minor inconvenience (FLEA BITE) to get away (“flee” = FLEA) we hear with sting (BITE) (FLEA BITE)

4 Lawyer (SC-) expresses hesitation (-UM) (SCUM) with film on water (SCUM),

5 O (OXYGEN), there’s less of it up there (OXYGEN),

6 It’s not warm (COLD) near church (CH-) on rough isle (isle = -ISEL) (COLD CHISEL) for cutting metal (COLD CHISEL),

7 Outdated (OBSOLETE) old boy (OB-) found solitary (-SOLE-) Lawrence (T.E. Lawrence = -TE) (OBSOLETE),

13 First person (I-) gets to local (-N-ATIVE) holding it (-IT-) with island (-I-) (INITIATIVE) plan (INITIATIVE),

14 Shell (BOMB-) egg head (head of egg = -E) (BOMBE) for dessert (dome-shaped dessert = BOMBE),

16 Alone (alone = AN-LO-E) in a way around August (Aug = -A-GU-) (ANALOGUE) conversion from old signal (ANALOGUE signal),

17 Going back on (on = N-O-) entering crescent (-ARC-) for little sister (-SIS) (NARCOSIS) sleepy from drugs (NARCOSIS),

19 In favour of (up = UP-) compassion (-PITY) (UPPITY) for the high and mighty (UPPITY),

21 Go down (CROUCH) with credit (CR-) and pained expression (-OUCH) (CROUCH), 23 Connects figures (ADDS) for Dads (Dads = ADDS) all over the place,

24 Say hello (HI-) to Germany (-DE) (HIDE) in secret location (HIDE).