Crosaire No 17173 by Crossheir – Thursday, January 30th, 2020

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:

1 Empty (blank), unfinished (k) (‘blank’ without ‘k’ = BLAN-) church (-CH) (BLANCH) in Pale (BLANCH),

4 Turns up (= reverse indicator), S. Ross (S Ross = -SSORS) is independent (-I-) conservative (-C-) bearing (South = S-) (SCISSORS) the responsibility for the cuts (SCISSORS),

9 Fancy (NOTION) it (it) is served up (= reverse indicator) (it = -TI-) during the middle of the day (noon = NO-ON) (NOTION),

10 Senses (MEANINGS) popular (-IN-) legend (‘leG’ end = -G-) consumed by wealth (MEAN-S) (MEANINGS),

READ MORE

12 Drops (FALLS) uniform (FLAT) (FALLS FLAT), as it doesn’t deliver the desired effect (FALLS FLAT),

13 Doctor (= anagram indicator) cures (cures = CURSE) with bitter pill (CURSE),

14 Band (TAPE) take album (RECORD-) to engineer (-E-) from Queen (queen/Regina = -R) (TAPE RECORDER) with sound system perhaps (TAPE RECORDER),

18 Fundraiser (BENEFIT NIGHT) for most of those in 1 down (most of ‘benefits’ = BENEFIT) and 19 down (nights) cut short (s) (‘nights’ without ‘s’ = NIGHT) (BENEFIT NIGHT),

21 Dopey is one (IDIOT) gnome leaving in good time (‘gnome’ leaving ‘in good time’ = iodti = IDIOT).

22 Describe the state of affairs (ENLIGHTEN) in form? (inform = ENLIGHTEN),

24 Shape (HEPTAGON) of girls’ night out (HE-N night) consuming Prosecco primarily (‘Prosecco’ primarily = -P-) to order (-O-) after (= position indicator) child’s play (-TAG-) (HEPTAGON),

25 Straight man loses sight (‘straight man’ loses ‘sight’ = traman = MANTRA) of what gets repeated (MANTRA),

26 Separate into layers (STRATIFY) of pastries (tarts) served up (= reverse indicator) (tarts = STRAT-) with dotted (i = -I-) frozen yogurt tops (‘Frozen Yogurt’ tops = -FY) (STRATIFY),

27 Got the impression (SENSED) society (S-) needs (needs) changing (= anagram indicator) (needs = -ENSED) (SENSED).

Down:

1 Beef isn’t (beef isn’t) bad (= anagram indicator) (beef isn’t = BENEFITS) and does you good (BENEFITS),

2 Complex (= anagram indicator) open late (open late = ANTELOPE) in the zoo (ANTELOPE),

3 Split’s (splits/cuts = CHOPS) college (C-) dances (-HOPS) (CHOPS),

5 Flirt cheesed (flirt cheesed) off (= anagram indicator) (flirt cheesed = CHESTERFIELD) by The Chair (CHESTERFIELD suite chair),

6 Star (SUN-) from The Mask (-CREAM) (SUNCREAM) and Cream offering protection (SUNSCREEN),

7 Those legally in possession (OWNERS) of home taken away from horsewomen (‘home’ taken away from ‘horsewomen’ = rsewon = OWNERS),

8 Organisation (SYSTEM) produces mass hysteria dismissing Sharia (‘mass hysteria’ dismissing ‘Sharia’ = mssyte = SYSTEM),

11 Took time out (SLACKENED OFF) to let one’s hair down (SLACKENED OFF),

15 Retaliate (react = RE-ACT) over divorcee (-EX-) raising (= reverse indicator) retweet (RT = -TR-) (RE-EXTRACT) to be taken out again (RE-EXTRACT),

16 It’s a Gate (it’s a Gate) production (= anagram indicator) (it’s a Gate = AGITATES) of Ruffles the Feathers (AGITATES),

17 Position (STAND-) on a (-A-) road (-RD) (STANDARD) out of type of bog (bog STANDARD),

19 Sporting (= anagram indicator) hints (hints = NI-HTS) about golf (-G-) (NIGHTS) for those in the dark (NIGHTS),

20 Captain (skipper) loses head (s) (‘skipper’ without ‘s’ = KIPPER) with swimmer who is likely to be cured (KIPPER),

23 Barely touch (GRAZE) bone from Bronze Age (‘bone’ from ‘Bronze Age’ = rzage= GRAZE).