Across |
Answers and Clues |
Explanations |
1 |
SCHEMES |
|
|
Men, before finishing in chess, developed strategies (7) |
(ME)n inside anagram of CHESS |
5 |
PREAMP |
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Piano salesperson moved around AM stereo equipment (6) |
P + REP outside AM |
9 |
A-FLAT |
|
|
Group of football players engaged in musical production (1-4) |
AFL + AT |
10 |
CRESCENDO |
|
|
Finish in soccer rematch is a high point? (9) |
END insider anagram of SOCCER |
11 |
ESCORTED |
|
|
Guided business established in redeveloped desert (8) |
CO inside anagram of DESERT |
12 |
BLOATS |
|
|
Craft handling large swells (6) |
BOATS outside L |
13 |
PIPE |
|
|
Spot butt from cigarette smoker (4) |
PIP + cigarett(E) |
14 |
INCEPTION |
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|
Awkward one on about carbon’s rise (9) |
(INEPT + I + ON) outside C |
17 |
ABERRANCE |
|
|
Deviation can be rare in disorder (9) |
Anagram of CAN BE RARE |
18 |
SCAR |
|
|
Mark is writing inside Christmas cards (4) |
christmaS CARds |
20 |
TOP HAT |
|
|
Surgery conducted in that head gear considered first-class (3,3) |
OP inside THAT |
21 |
GROUPING |
|
|
Alcohol banking up in class (8) |
GROG outside (UP + IN) |
24 |
COLLISION |
|
|
Company is hostile about active opposition (9) |
CO + [(IS + ILL) reversed] + ON |
25 |
GREEN |
|
|
Reduction of energy excited environmentalist (5) |
Anagram of (ENERG)y |
26 |
STATIC |
|
|
Steady activist not supporting one against changing (6) |
Anagram of ACTIVIST minus (I + V) |
27 |
SADNESS |
|
|
“The Blues Brothers”, at the end, damaged sedans (7) |
brother(S) + anagram of SEDANS |
Down |
Answers and Clues |
Explanations |
1 |
SHAKE |
|
|
Small fish flourish (5) |
S + HAKE |
2 |
HELICOPTER PILOT |
|
|
Rich IT people distributed group’s flyer (10,5) |
Anagram of RICH IT PEOPLE + LOT |
3 |
MATURE |
|
|
Experienced amateur, missing start, messed up (6) |
Anagram of (a)MATEUR |
4 |
SECRETION |
|
|
Discharge core of bureau in region (9) |
bu(RE)au inside SECTION |
5 |
PEEL |
|
|
Remove skin from head of poached fish (4) |
(P)oached + EEL |
6 |
EUCALYPT |
|
|
Worried acutely about prominent branch of pine tree (8) |
Anagram of ACUTELY outside (P)ine |
7 |
MANDARIN CHINESE |
|
|
Fellow, insincere, had translated language (8,7) |
MAN + anagram of INSINCERE + HAD |
8 |
LOOSENER |
|
|
Laxative seen tossed in toilet, right? (8) |
Anagram of SEEN inside (LOO + R) |
13 |
PLASTICS |
|
|
Synthetic materials remain fresh in pictures (8) |
LAST inside PICS |
15 |
CLEARINGS |
|
|
Pockets of vacant land are not normally enclosed by sticks (9) |
Anagram of ARE inside CLINGS |
16 |
ORGANIST |
|
|
Love arrangement of a string instrument player (8) |
O + anagram of A STRING |
19 |
BULGED |
|
|
Leg broken in shoot showed signs of swelling (6) |
Anagram of LEG inside BUD |
22 |
GANGS |
|
|
Head of government in difficulty upset criminal groups (5) |
(G)overnment inside (SNAG reversed) |
23 |
ZINC |
|
|
Sample of quartz in compound is a trace element (4) |
quartZ IN Compound |