Crosaire No 17749 by Crossheir – Saturday, December 4th, 2021

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:
1 Negotiate uncompromisingly (DRIVE A BARGAIN) for Trim (trim/cut = 'r') golf club (driver) ('driver' without 'r'  = DRIVE) with a (A) pub (BAR-) that's initially alluring (initially 'Alluring' = -A-) in spirit (gin = -G-IN) (DRIVE A BARGAIN),

10 Draws (RAFFLES) agent from General Staff (‘agent’ from ‘general staff’ = RAFFLES),

11 One with stock (RANCHER) as merchandisers missed out? (‘merchandisers’ ‘missed’ out = erchanr = RANCHER),

12 Container of flowers (VASE) raised (= reverse indicator) in Haute Savoie (raised in ‘hautE SAVoie’ = esav = VASE),

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13 The ambition (DRIVE) of starting for all sides today (DRIVE on all sides of today’s grid),

15 Bulgar (SLAV) or sage from Las Vegas? (‘sage’ from ‘Las Vegas’ = lvas = SLAV),

17 In short, type of directions (East North East = ENE), in general (in ‘gENEral’ = ENE), whichever way you look at it (= palindrome indicator/reads the same backwards as forwards: ENE = ENE),

19 Resonantly drops rate (‘resonantly’ drops ‘rate’ = sonnly = NYLONS) for leggy types (NYLONS),

21 Warm or (warm or) fresh (= anagram indicator) (warm or = MARROW), it grows in the vegetable garden (MARROW),

22 A turnip (a turnip) stew (= anagram indicator) (a turnip = PURITAN) produced by Mrs Grundy (“Mrs Grundy” is a very conventional person = PURITAN),

23 Repulsive (ODIOUS) party (do) reviews (= reversal indicator) (do = OD-) debts (IOUs = -IOUS) (ODIOUS).

25 Found in the gardening section (ROCKET) – a mainstay of The Magazine (ROCKET in magazine/arms store),

27 Every second character turning up (= reverse indicator) in Memento (every second character is ‘mEmEnTo’ = eet = TEE) is a shirty type (TEE shirt),

29 It’s reckless (RASH) digging up (= reverse indicator) contents of Sharm El-Sheikh Sarcophagi  (contents of ‘sharm el sheikH SARcophagi’ = hsar  = RASH),

30 Rabelais hasn’t got ear (‘rabelais’ hasn’t got ‘ear’ = blais = BASIL) of Herb (BASIL),

31 Leads from Commitments, Room, Once, Cal (leads from ‘Commitments Room Once Cal’  = CROC) and The Snapper seen on The Nile (CROC),

34 Like many new mothers (NURSING) working in an orderly place (NURSING),

35 Reason for seeing the barber for longer (HAIRIER) is terrifying in the local sense (HAIRIER),

36 Types of restaurants for those taking car (DRIVE-THROUGHS) ferry (DRIVE-), in a manner of speaking (= homophone indicator)? True (‘true’ = ‘through’ = -THROUGH-) on starboard (-S)! (DRIVE-THROUGHS).

Down:
2 Does this mean in a roundabout way (= reverse indicator) sci-fi weapon (laser = RE-SAL) captures UFO (UFO), for the most part (o) ('ufo' without 'o' = uf  = -FU-) (REFUSAL)? No!  (REFUSAL),

3 Novelist releases Nits (‘novelist’ releases ‘nits’ = ovel = VOLE) from The Mouse-Like Rodent? (VOLE),

4 Give one’s word (ASSURE) to answer (A-) Old Bob (‘old bob’ = shilling = -S-) – satisfied? (-SURE) (ASSURE),

5 Land (ARRIVE) leads to a (A-) meandering (= anagram indicator) river (river = -RRIVE) (ARRIVE),

6 Those generally drunk (GINS) sing (sing) badly (= anagram indicator) (sing = GINS),

7 Trendy (IN-) hot (-H-) drink (-ALE-) to go with ultimate starter (ultimate ‘starteR’ = -R) (INHALER) – handy for anyone who needs a breather (INHALER),

8 Tee-shot (DRIVE-) heads nastily towards open (heads ‘Nastily Towards Open’ = N TO) water (DRINK) (DRIVEN TO DRINK) – that’s enough to be taken to the 19th hole by golf buggy (DRIVEN TO DRINK),

9 Motivation (DRIVE) for comedian (WIT-) to reach (reach) out (= anagram indicator) (reach = -H CARE) (DRIVE WITH CARE) to offer advice to take it easy on road tour (DRIVE WITH CARE),

14 Provokes (INCITES) popular (IN-) conurbations (cities) with no institute (i) (‘cities’ without ‘i’ = -CITES) (INCITES),

16 Trendy (IN-) place (-PUT) (INPUT) for computer figures (data/figures = INPUT),

18 Way of approaching things (manner) on the telephone (= homophone indicator) (‘manner’ = ‘MANOR’) from country house (MANOR),

20 Get your head around local (SUS or suss) characters taken in by James Ussher (characters taken in by ‘jameS USsher’ = SUS),

21 Ruin (MAR) discovered in Montmartre (discovered in ‘montMARtre’ = MAR),

24 Unfinished (n) public house (‘inn’ without ‘n’ = IN-) is bound to (-SURE-) encounter resistance (-R) (INSURER) from guarantor (INSURER),

26 Rush kid (Rush kid) out of place (= anagram indicator) (Rush kid = KURDISH), in a manner of speaking (KURDISH),

27 Coached (TAUGHT) for tense (tense) speech (= homophone indicator) (tense = ‘taut’ = ‘TAUGHT’),

28 One of two (EITHER) slithered dropping LSD (‘slithered’ dropping ‘LSD’ = ithere = EITHER),

32 Bookie verified deposit in (‘booKIE Verified’ deposit in = KIEV) European city (KIEV),

33 Some Mancunians (some ‘mancUNIAns’ raised = unia) raised (= reverse indicator) (unia = AINU) by indigenous Japanese people (AINU).