Crosaire No 17006 by Crossheir – Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 A pair of journalists (hack + ed = HACKED) got into the computer business (HACKED),

4 They’re not working (STRIKERS) in swinging (= anagram indicator) skirts (skirts = STRIK-S) going around the ward (-ER-) (STRIKERS),

9 Part of the diagnosis terrified (part of the ‘diagnoSIS TERrified’ = sis ter = SISTER) one of the family members (SISTER),

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10 Keeping an eye on (WATCHING) awkward (= anagram indicator) chinwag? (chinwag = WA-CHING) About time! (-T-) (WATCHING),

12 Do they spend time between the locals down at heel (PUB CRAWLS), and will you get bitter and twisted with them? (PUB CRAWLS),

13 Open gin (opens ‘gin’ = G-) for party boss (-HOST) (GHOST) – it’s an unbelievable spirit (GHOST),

14 Benefit (PROFIT) to bank? (bank/edge = MARGIN) (PROFIT MARGIN) That’s one for the books! (PROFIT MARGIN),

18 Produced (= anagram indicator) ten portraits (ten portraits = TRAINSPOTTER) for one of those obsessive types (TRAINSPOTTER),

21 Blame oneself (regret) for losing the head (r) (‘regret’ losing ‘r’ = EGRET) with flighty type (EGRET),

22 13 across (‘ghost’ = GHOST) won’t (wont = TOWN) work (= anagram indicator) (GHOST TOWN) in soulless place (GHOST TOWN),

24 Sentence (LIFE-) for young man (-B-OY) hiding upstart (‘up’ start = -U-) (LIFE BUOY) with float (LIFE BUOY),

25 Initial flavour (initial ‘flavour’ = -F-) in exotic (= anagram indicator) Mirin (Mirin = IN-IRM) (INFIRM) is weak (INFIRM),

26 Drunk (= anagram indicator) Merlot (Merlot = MOT-ERL-) around hotel (-H-) – an unknown quantity (-Y) (MOTHERLY), like one nursing a few small ones perhaps (MOTHERLY),

27 Border (MARGIN) at the end of 14 across (end of ‘profit margin’ = MARGIN).

Down:

1 Heroin (H-) from South American capital (capital/money = peso = -OSEP-) served up (= reversal indicator) at address (-IP- address) with ecstasy (-E) (HOSEPIPE) and something synonymous with the hookah (HOSEPIPE),

2 Chef (C- -OOK) admits organising (= anagram indicator) bash (bash = -ASH B-) (CASH BOOK) for one of those in accounts (CASH BOOK)

3 Host is not part of threesome (‘host’ is not part of ‘threesome’ = reeme = EMEER) with unconventional Arab leader? (unconventional ‘EMEER’ can be spelt emir / amir / ameer),

5 In retrospect (= reversal indicator), Ross (Ross = -SSOR) finds European Research Group (ERG = GRE-) rants (rants = TRANS-) confusing (= anagram indicator) (TRANSGRESSOR) – could be a place in hell for one of them! (offender/criminal = TRANSGRESSOR),

6 Anonymously (INCOGNITO) and illicitly copy (-COG-) popular (in = -NI-) review (= reversal indicator) dividing teachers (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation = INTO = IN-TO) (INCOGNITO),

7 Runs daily (EDITOR) and gets to ride to (ride to = EDITOR) work (= anagram indicator),

8 They’re on top of the pieces (SIGHTS on top of the arms/guns) The Tourists should take a look at (SIGHTS),

11 Shared funds (POOL) going overseas (SWIMMING) from the start (= position indicator) (SWIMMING POOL) provides opening for those doing strokes (SWIMMING POOL),

15 Prickly (IRRITABLE) Blairite (Blairite = IR-ITABLE) angry (= anagram indicator) about first Referendum (first ‘referendum’ = -R-) (IRRITABLE),

16 Sort (sort = STRO-) out (= anagram indicator) family (-KIN-) starting to glorify (starting to ‘glorify’ = -G) (STROKING) local thieving (STROKING),

17 Francis (Fran = FR- -AN) holds old (-O-) books from The Bible (New Testament = -NT) at mass (-M-) (FRONT MAN) for leading musician (FRONT MAN),

19 It’s admirable dismissing the air (‘admirable’ dismissing the ‘air’ = dmable = BEDLAM) of chaos (BEDLAM),

20 Opening 14 across (opening ‘profit margin’ = PROFIT) in the black (PROFIT),

23 Dance (= anagram indicator) tango (tango = TONGA) in friendly islands (‘Friendly Islands’ = TONGA).