Crosaire No 17890 by Le Corsaire

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across

1 To pass the time (= ELAPSE), electronic engineers start (i.e. first letters of ‘electronic engineers’ = EE) with circuits (= LAPS) inside.

4 Uses up what is 14 across (‘mass-produced’) maybe (= CONSUMER), like fire (= CONSUMER).

9 Seen quite clearly at the Capitol (= CUPOLA), at least fifty (= L) were involved in (indicates anagram) a coup (= A COUP).

READ MORE

10 What one might call 18 across (‘period pieces’) in Atlanta, perhaps (= GEORGIAN)?

12 A cleaner (= SOAP) - Martha, Norma or Lulu, perhaps (= OPERA) - will look at it in the middle of the day (= SOAP OPERA).

13 Use for hose (= NYLON), only in the North (anagram, ONLY and N).

14 What father (ref. priest) brought out during ceremony (i.e. ‘produced’ during ‘mass’) was hardly unique (= MASS-PRODUCED).

18 Stop-starts (i.e. begins with ‘PERIOD’) and in bits at the end (i.e. ends with ‘PIECES’) - very old-fashioned altogether (= PERIOD PIECES).

21 Complex actuarially, giving (indicates hidden word, i.e. ‘complEX ACTuarially) accurate result (= EXACT).

22 Might worried (indicates anagram), religious sister (= NUN) lament (= LAMENT) the break-up (= ANNULMENT)?

24 I hear some are salty (sounds like ‘somersaulty’ i.e. somersault), like this maybe (= BACKFLIP)?

25 Has the most expensive eggs in Russia, perhaps (= BELUGA, ref. ‘Beluga caviar’)

26 Lives here (= DWELLING) in wild glen (anagram of WILD GLEN).

27 Leading carol singers (= C S) around (indicates anagram) here (= HERE) get three (ref. ‘three cheers’) with applause (= CHEERS).

Down

1 It would seem cue (= SEEM CUE) given around ten (= X) was incorrect (indicates anagram) - apologies (= EXCUSE ME)!

2 To evaluate (= APPRAISE) a paper is tricky (indicates anagram of ‘A PAPER IS’).

3 Sudden outburst (= SALVO) from colossal volcano (i.e. ‘colosSAL VOlcano’).

5 Excessive (= OVERBAUNDANT) and odd-looking (indicates anagram) tub on veranda (TUB ON VERANDA).

6 Vast wildlife reserve (= SERENGETI) might be the greenest (= GREENEST) one (= I) around (indicates anagram).

7 That one (= I), on the outside (indicates outer letters), looks quite masculine (= MANLY), by and large (= MAINLY).

8 Confrontations (= RUN-INS) like these make running captains lose heart (i.e. remove central letters from ‘running captains’ = RUNning captaINS).

11 Villification (= DEMONISATION) of Tom in Indonesia (anagram, TOM INDONESIA).

15 What’s 14 across (‘mass=produced’) is this and might give fluent lip (anagram of FLUENT LIP).

16 Various (indicates anagram) clues he’d (= CLUES HED) lined up (= SCHEDULE).

17 Are these ill-made (indicates anagram) trash, say (= TRASH SAY), or are they now regarded as 18 across (= ASH TRAYS, ref. reminiscent of a former time)?

19 Intricately (ref. webbed) connected (= WEBBED) online perhaps (ref. ‘Web’ i.e. internet)?

20 Lacking polish (= GAUCHE), hag (HAG) takes cue (CUE) erroneously (indicates anagram).

23 Adorable echidna might host (indicates hidden word, i.e. adorabLE ECHidna) parasite (= LEECH).