Crosaire No 17595 by Crossheir – Tuesday, June 8th, 2021

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:
1 Sets up (= reverse indicator) trade (swap = PA-WS) agency (Associated Press agency = AP = PA-) (PAPAWS) for tropical fruits (PAPAWS / also pawpaw + papaya),

4 Hides (OBSCURES) half of Jacob’s (half of ‘jacOBS’ = OBS-) smokes (-CURES) (OBSCURES),

9 Where most peat is sourced (most of ‘bog’ = BO-) is where grapes are grown? (-VINE) (BOVINE) That’s a load of bull! (BOVINE),

10 The foreign (the foreign/ Spanish = -EL-) lieutenant (-LT-) in romance (T-ALE) (TELLTALE) revealing a betrayal (TELLTALE),

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12 The meaty type (RUMP STEAK) behind (RUMP) vocal (= homophone indicator) prop (prop/pole = ‘stake’ = ‘steak’ = STEAK) (RUMP STEAK),

13 On the trail of (AFTER) Sue from Features (‘Sue’ from ‘Features’ = featr = AFTER),

14 To take gold (come first = WIN-) and a fair amount of (half of) emeralds (half of ‘EMERalds’ = -E MER-) from church (-CH-) worker (-ANT) (WINE MERCHANT) – a dealer in Bordeaux (WINE MERCHANT),

18 Swindle (-STING) by new (N-) ring (-O-) in British museum (Tate = TA- -TE-) is close to audacious (close to ‘audaciouS’ = -S) (TASTING NOTES) – and the author of suchlike? Presumably 14 across! (TASTING NOTES authored by ‘wine merchant’),

21 If you follow the advice in 11 down (‘learn to drive’) you might go on the road with these (cars / MINIS) little ones (MINIS),

22 Strike (DOWN TOOLS) in Northern Ireland (DOWN) associated with rakes (TOOLS) (DOWN TOOLS),

24 Briefly (n) curdle (turn) (‘turn’ without ‘n’ = TUR-) starter of Manchurian (starter of ‘Manchurian’ = -M-) rice (rice) dish (= anagram indicator) (rice = -ERIC) (TURMERIC) with aromatic powder (TURMERIC),

25 A glove (a glove) used (= anagram indicator) (a glove = LOVAGE) by one in the herb garden (LOVAGE),

26 Makes available (SUPPLIES) to drink (SUP-) with port (-P-) and red herrings? (-LIES) (SUPPLIES),

27 The Press (press = CLOSET) fail to win (-LOSE-) in court (ct = C-T) (CLOSET).

Down:
1 Creep (CRAWL) chases (= position indicator) a stout dealer (PUB) (PUB CRAWL) from a local tour (PUB CRAWL),

2 Make way (PAVE- the way) for London Police (Metropolitan Police = MET = -ME-T) arresting Pole (North Pole = -N-) (PAVEMENT) – the one obviously getting walked on (PAVEMENT),

3 Ports (WINES) opening in 14 across (opening in ‘wine merchant’ = WINE-) near Slea Head (‘Slea head’ = -S) (WINES),

5 She went (she went = THE NEWS) berserk (= anagram indicator) after (= position indicator) short holiday (BREAK) (BREAK THE NEWS) – expose it by being first to go on Twitter (BREAK THE NEWS),

6 Dishy type (COLCANNON) of officer (COL-) gets fired from the base perhaps (-CANNON) (COLCANNON),

7 Sunday dinners (ROASTS) of grub from Strasbourg (‘grub’ from ‘Strasbourg’ = straso = ROASTS),

8 Is not very talkative (shy = SH-Y) about blunder (-ERR-) (SHERRY) by one of those in 3 down (one of those ‘wines’ = SHERRY),

11 Pick up a few tips from a swinger (golfer) (LEARN TO DRIVE) or go down the route of an autodidact on how to handle a racy type (car) (LEARN TO DRIVE),

15 The average (average/middle course = MEAN-) dandy in America (dandy/swell = -S WELL) (MEANS WELL) has good intentions (MEANS WELL),

16 German (OTTO-) chap (-MAN-) with the last of the clowns’ (the last of the ‘clownS’ = -S) (OTTOMANS) parlour pieces (OTTOMANS),

17 In my opinion (AS I SEE IT), it’s easiest (easiest) swimming (= anagram indicator) (easiest = AS I SEE -T) around current? (I-) (AS I SEE IT),

19 Times (times = SMITE-) broke (= anagram indicator) scandal – the first (‘Scandal’ the first = -S) (SMITES) of a number of hard-hitting blows, poetically speaking (SMITES)

20 Open (UNWRAP) to women (-W-) following (= positional indicator) a foreign (a = UN-) type of music (-RAP music) (UNWRAP),

23 Trollope dismissed Poe (“Trollope”’ dismissed “Poe” = troll = TROLL) as an ugly monster (TROLL).