Crosaire No 16637 by Crossheir – Tuesday, May 8th, 2018

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 How you might describe the profile (... describe the profile/face = FACIAL) when there’s no iron in California (no ‘iron’ in ‘California’ = calfia = FACIAL),

4 Exceptional (SPECIAL) starter salad (starter ‘salad’ = -S) (SPECIALS) in the restaurant can be different every day (SPECIALS),

9 A (A-) time in Europe (Central European Time = -CET-) at Botticelli Centre (‘Botticelli’ centre = -IC) (ACETIC) might leave a sour taste in people’s mouths (ACETIC),

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10 A (A-) place in Italy for the locals (-ROMA-) – it (it = -TI-) is around (= reverse indicator) Calabrian capital (‘Calabrian’ capital = -C) (AROMATIC) with a fragrant disposition (AROMATIC),

12 Lynch (lynch = EXECUT-E) welcomes one  (-I-) to sign (-V- sign) (EXECUTIVE) for manager (EXECUTIVE),

13 Relatives out east (‘relatives’ out/without ‘east’ = rlive = LIVER) producing bile (LIVER),

14 Culinary artist (CH-EF) admits starter is (starter ‘is’ = -I-) for the court figures to dish out (JUSTICE) (CHIEF JUSTICE) to person on the top bench (CHIEF JUSTICE),

18 Blog entry (POST) by the other woman (-MISTRESS) (POSTMISTRESS) having a job sorting the letters (POSTMISTRESS),

21 Lures (BAITS) con artist away from abstractionist (‘con artist’ away from ‘abstractionist’ = bstai = BAITS),

22 New (= anagram indicator) fanlight (fanlight = NIGHTFAL-) provides light at the front (‘light’ at the front = -L) (NIGHTFALL) when it starts to get dark (NIGHTFALL),

24 Material (CORDUROY) is cut for delivery (umbilical cord / CORD-) to your (your = -UROY) building (= anagram indicator) (CORDUROY),

25 Dramatist dismisses mad (‘dramatist’ dismisses ‘mad’ = ratist = ARTIST) creative type in atelier (ARTIST),

26 Informers (rats = STAR-) upset (= reversal indicator) by those from school (-FISH) (STARFISH) lying on the beach (STARFISH),

27 Show up (ATTEND) to lure out of laundrette (‘lure’ out of ‘laundrette’ = andtte = ATTEND).

Down:

1 Dance (FLAMENCO) from The Inferno (FLAME-) is not commissioned in quarters (non-commissioned officer = -NCO) (FLAMENCO),

2 Caught (C-) agent (-REP-) near lake (-ERIE) (CREPERIE) in small restaurant (CREPERIE),

3 Farewell (ADIEU) to colourful type (‘dye’ = ‘die’ = -DIE-) on the radio (= homophone indicator) in Australia (A-U) (ADIEU),

5 Prize money (PURSE) going to group of horses (STRING- of houses) coming first at Sandown (coming first at ‘Sandown’ = -S) (PURSE STRINGS) held by one of those in the bookmaking business (PURSE STRINGS),

6 Firm (CO-) contacts American college (Massachusetts Institute of Technology  = M-IT) over unbalanced (= anagram indicator) clip (clip = -PLIC-) (COMPLICIT) – they’re also to blame! (COMPLICIT),

7 Energetic (ACTIVE) part of the play, for example (Act IV = ACTIV-), linked to direction (direction east = -E) (ACTIVE),

8 Rescue (rescue = SECURE) jockey (= anagram indicator) from stable (SECURE),

11 Describe how competitors arrived for photo finish (SIMULTANEOUS) at the same time (SIMULTANEOUS),

15 Course requirement (FOOD-) and bits and pieces (-STUFF) (FOODSTUFF) for those who are picky (FOODSTUFF),

16 Don’t reward (PENALISE) writer (PEN-) from academy (-A-) making up (= anagram indicator) lies  (lies = -LISE) (PENALISE),

17 Does tail (does tail = ISOLATED) wag (= anagram indicator) in quarantine? (ISOLATED),

19 Has an influence on The Count (ABACUS), by all accounts (ABACUS),

20 Cuckoo (= anagram indicator) is rare (is rare = SIERRA) in the foreign mountain range (SIERRA),

23 Count (count/add = T-OT) admits blood type (-A-) is right (-R-) (TAROT) – it’s from the hand of the fortune-teller (TAROT card).