Crosaire No 17713 by Crossheir – Saturday, October 23rd, 2021

Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication

Across:
1 As good as gold (BEST BEHAVIOUR) in Belgium (BE-) at street (-ST) performance (BEHAVIOUR) (BEST BEHAVIOUR),

10 Half of those in 4 down (half of ‘EYElet’ = EYE-) presumably dig it (-HOLE) (EYEHOLE)? In my view, I’d look through it before opening up! (EYEHOLE),

11 One is played by a plucky sort (UKELELE) from Neighbours (UK-) – the first ever (first ‘Ever’ = -E-) to be covered by women’s magazine (Elle = -EL-LE) (UKELELE),

12 Streetcar (streetcar) up (= reverse indicator) (streetcar = TRAM) in Montmartre (up in ‘montMARTre’ = mart = TRAM),

READ MORE

13 They (they = HE-TY) bake (= anagram indicator) over open fire (open ‘Fire’ = -F-) (HEFTY) that’s well built (HEFTY),

15 The Number One (BEST) starting for all sides today (BEST on all sides of today’s grid),

17 Check out (TRY) old city (Troy) – it lacks nothing (o)? (‘troy’ without ‘o’ = TRY),

19 Run (r) away from more distant (farther) (‘farther’ without ‘r’ = FATHER) relative (FATHER),

21 Detailed (t) formal order (formal order/decree = ‘fiat’ without ‘t’ = FIA-) for Glaswegian (Scot) doesn’t end (t) (‘Scot’ without ‘t’ = -SCO) (FIASCO) in disaster (FIASCO)

22 The benefit (DOLE) to going on holiday (on holiday = OUT)? (DOLE OUT) Share it with others! (DOLE OUT),

23 Get stock in again (RELOAD) for stormy (= anagram indicator) ordeal (ordeal = RELOAD),

25 Odd (= anagram indicator) menu (menu = NU-ME-) includes tea (-T-) with little measure (gram = -G) (NUTMEG) of spice (NUTMEG),

27 Outstanding (owed) report (= homophone indicator) (‘owed = ‘ODE’) produced by Keats (ODE produced by John Keats),

29 Characters embraced by Kate Chopin (characters embraced by ‘katE CHOpin = ECHO) in The Nymph (ECHO),

30 Graduate (BA-) starts to scrape a living (starts to ‘Scrape A Living’ = -SAL) (BASAL) at the lowest level (BASAL),

31 It’s a measure (UNIT) of trade unionists lacking adroitness (‘trade unionists’ lacking ‘adroitness’ = tuni = UNIT),

34 Renaissance man (Leonardo DA VINCI) produces French wine (French ‘wine’ = ‘vin’ = VIN-) integrating fresh (= anagram indicator) acid (acid = DA -CI) (DA VINCI),

35 East Berlin dismisses ban (‘East Berlin’ dismisses ‘ban’ = esterli = STERILE), as it’s unproductive (STERILE),

36 Given the options, take the advice of the man upstairs (BEST THING TO DO) and live like a saint (BEST THING TO DO).

Down:
2 Sweetheart ('swEet' heart = E-) set (set = gel) up (= reverse indicator) (gel = -LEG-) by worker (-ANT)? (ELEGANT) Charming! (ELEGANT),

3 Characters raised (= reverse indicator) in Mandalay or Tyre (characters in ‘mandalaY OR Tyre’ = yort =TROY), a really old city (TROY),

4 Hole in spikes (running spikes/running shoes) (EYELET) found in scan (scan = EYE-) for athletics at the centre (‘athLETics’ at the centre = -LET) (EYELET),

5 Mental sharpness (ACUITY) of American (A-) going to university (-U-) in LA, for one (Los Angeles  = city = -C-ITY) (ACUITY),

6 Lead from Adelaide (‘lead’ from ‘Adelaide’ = aide = IDEA) in theory (IDEA),

7 Of no help (USELESS) to Sue (Sue) Cook (= anagram indicator) (Sue = USE-) from Takeaway (-LESS) (USELESS),

8 Under the circumstances, better (BEST) to switch (switch off = OF F-) drunk (= anagram indicator) diners (diners = -RIENDS) (BEST OF FRIENDS), as they’re very close (BEST OF FRIENDS),

9 If you’ve any sense, don’t bring up (BEST FORGOTTEN) principal (BEST) cut out (FORGO-) tea (-T-) before Jack? (in a pack of cards, 10 is before Jack = -TEN) (BEST FORGOTTEN),

14 Fairly free (fairly/half of ‘FRee’ = FR-) to dine (dine) out (= anagram indicator) (dine = - IEND -) with school (-S) (FRIENDS) pals (FRIENDS),

16 Found up (= reverse indicator) in Rostrevor – a deciduous (up in ‘rostrevoR A DECiduous’ = radec = CEDAR) tree (CEDAR),

18 Backing (= reverse indicator) places (puts = S-T UP) around island (-I-) (SIT UP) to exercise (SIT UP),

20 Bar (ROD) set up (= reverse indicator) in Benidorm (in ‘beniDORm’ = dor = ROD),

21 Kitty (fund) isn’t finished (d) (‘fund’ without ‘d’ = FUN) with amusement (FUN),

24 Her veal (her veal) stew (= anagram indicator) (her veal = LE HARVE) with port used in France (LE HAVRE),

26 Crazy (MA-D) about new (-N-) family (-KIN-) (MANKIND) in The People (MANKIND),

27 Old (O-) American (-A-) swimmer (-FISH) (OAFISH) can be uncouth (OAFISH),

28 Enjoys home-cooking (EATS IN) starters of aromatic tender steak (starters of ‘Aromatic Tender Steak’ = -ATS-) consumed by a German (German ‘a’ = ein = E- IN) (EATS IN),

32 Link (KNIT) to pepper (KN- pepper) and iodine (-I-) and tetraethyl lead (‘Tetraethyl’ lead = -T) (KNIT),

33 Pep (ZEST) sides with Zen Buddhist (sides with ‘ZEn buddhiST’ = ZEST).