Crosaire No 17175 by Crossheir – Saturday, February 1st, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 It’s not true (WORK OF FICTION), of Dubliners, for example (Joyce’s Dubliners, for example, is WORK OF FICTION),

10 Cargo in (cargo in = ORGANIC) complex (= anagram indicator) is all natural (ORGANIC),

11 Drunk (= anagram indicator) Merlot (Merlot = TREMOL-) that’s initially oaky (initially ‘Oaky’ = -O) (TREMOLO) with a wavering type of note (TREMOLO),

12 Reviews (= reversal indicator) time (-T) for the writers to use (ink = KNI-) (KNIT) to bond together (to KNIT together).

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13 Plants (WORKS) in all borders today (WORKS on all sides of today’s grid),

15 Making sure to drop Regina (‘making sure’ to drop ‘Regina’ = mksu= MUSK) in Cologne (MUSK),

17 Items from tiresome (‘items’ from ‘tiresome’ = roe = ROE) fish delicacy (ROE),

19 Teacher (sir = -RIS), soldier (GI = -IG-) and tenor (T-) setting up (= reversal indicator) (TIGRIS) one those with banks in Iraq? (TIGRIS river has banks in Iraq),

21 Burned (burned) out (= anagram indicator) (burned = BURDEN) by the responsibility one has to carry (BURDEN),

22 Government (G-) labour leader (‘Labour’ leader = -L-) divides board (board), excited (= anagram indicator) (board = -O-D BAR) (GOLD BAR) by what’s in the bank’s vault (GOLD BAR),

23 Turns up (= reversal indicator), front entrance opens (‘Front Entrance’ opens = fe = -EF-) into lounge (bar = R-AB) with piano (P-) (PREFAB) – it’s a temporary setting (PREFAB),

25 Globe (Globe) cast (= anagram indicator) (Globe = GOBLE-) primarily from The (primarily from ‘The’ = -T) (GOBLET) Glass ...? (glass = GOBLET),

27 Clears up, removing ulcer (‘clears up’ removing ‘ulcer’ = asp = SAP) and liquid that circulates in the vascular system (SAP),

29 Sample of the natural gases (sample of the ‘naturAL GAses’ = ALGA) found in seaweed (ALGA),

30 Superior (UPPER) meal (supper) with no starter (s) (‘supper’ without ‘s’ = UPPER),

31 Realists dismissing lies (‘realists’ dismissing ‘lies’ = rats = STAR) in The Sun (STAR),

34 Opening (EYE- /opening of a needle) tender (-SORE) (EYESORE) is an ugly sight (EYESORE),

35 Praise (admire) briefly (e) (‘admire’ without ‘e’ = ADMIR-) for a (-A-) novice (learner = -L) (ADMIRAL) running The Fleet (ADMIRAL),

36 How to manipulate circumstances beneficially (WORK THE ORACLE) to test wisdom of Delphi prophet perhaps (WORK THE ORACLE).

Down:

2 Round-the-clock (ONGOING) broadcast (ON-) is critical for those at The Curragh (-the GOING) (ONGOING),

3 Folk (KIN-) legend (‘leG’ end = -G) (KING) in The Palace (KING),

4 Influence (FACTOR) of female (F-) in the abbey (-ACTOR in The Abbey Theatre) (FACTOR),

5 Ain’t (aint = INTA-) sick (= anagram indicator) on a fair amount of (half of) hike (half of ‘hiKE’ = -KE) (INTAKE) with consumption (INTAKE),

6 Holly (TREE) aims to leave Emirates (‘aims’ to leave ‘Emirates’ = erte = TREE),

7 Order (O-) stout (-ROTUND) (OROTUND) that’s rich in a manner of speaking (OROTUND),

8 Writings (works = WORK -S) about Cessation (STOPPAGE-) (WORK STOPPAGES) leads to strikes (WORK STOPPAGES),

9 Presumably, they’re canvassing to get into Government (WORKING TO RULE) by organising a go-slow (WORKING TO RULE),

14 Oscar (-O-) consumed by tragic (= anagram indicator) drama (drama = R-AD MA-) – first part (first ‘Part’ = -P) (ROAD MAP) might lead one somewhere peaceful (ROAD MAP),

16 One (I) cultural association (GAA) mostly (a) (‘GAA’ without ‘a’ = -GA-) in credit (C-R) (CIGAR) in The Big Smoke (CIGAR),

18 One of twelve (JUROR) jugglers (conjuror) missing early trick (con) (‘conjuror’ without ‘con’ = JUROR),

20 Show emotions (SOB) concealed by Alfonso Borgia (concealed by ‘alfonSO Borgia’ = SOB),

21 Some of the scuba gear (some of the ‘scuBA Gear’ = BAG) in portmanteau (BAG),

24 Old painter (EL GRECO) broke (= anagram indicator) leg (leg = EL G-) on short (n), short fact-finding mission (short ‘reconnaissance’ = ‘recon’ without ‘n’ = -RECO) (EL GRECO),

26 Faithful (LITERAL) to the original Gospel? (LITERAL),

27 In a manner of speaking, a delivery (SPEECH) of wild (= anagram indicator) sheep (sheep = SPEE-H) to go around castle (-C-) (SPEECH),

28 Characters videotaped a lobster (characters ‘videotaPED A LObster’ = PEDALO) from pleasure boat (PEDALO),

32 Most of 13 down (most of ‘works’ = WORK) in Labour (WORK),

33 Welfare organisation (YMCA) served up (= reversal indicator) sides of Acadian chef’s gastronomy (sides of ‘ACadian chef’s gastronoMY’ = acmy = YMCA).