The Sunday Crossword No 3181, Sunday 19 Dec 2021

 

Rangoli by Gowri

ACROSS

1   Bay's home, standing firm (6) STALLS [DD]

4   Clots in kitchens, cooking (8) THICKENS*

9   Communist, English, ultimately smitten with posh ladies (6) ENGELS {E}{s...eN}{GELS} Posh ladies/Gels?

10 Cave in, having consumed most of ale, in resort port on the Med (8) VALENCIA {CAVE+IN}* over {ALe}

12 Up to cultivate the land (4) TILL [DD]

13 What moon reveals after autumn in Oregon Trail (4,6) FALL BEHIND {FALL}{BEHIND}

15 With no humility, half of mum's brothers advanced (11) UNCHASTENED {UNCles}{HASTENED}

18 Pulling muscles earlier in inattentive state (11) ABSTRACTION {TRACTION}<=>{ABS}

21 'Pudding!' announced by footballer in glad rags (6,4) SUNDAY BEST (~sundae){SUNDAY}{BEST}

22 By sound of it, put up with a swine (4) BOAR (~bore)

24 Arrest, finding weapon in bibliophiles' association (4,4) BOOK CLUB {BOOK}{CLUB}

25 Trained gudong, one working with hunters (3,3) GUN DOG*

26 Stir herb stews; they're regenerative (8) REBIRTHS*

27 Fancy: 'Prussia' contains name of another country (6) CYPRUS [T]

DOWN

1   Range small, not large – pick! (8) SPECTRUM {S}{PlECTRUM}

2   Perhaps Merkel's eaten 40% of icing that's used on cakes (8) ANGELICA {ANGEL{ICing}A}

3   Flower, gilt edges removed, clutched by gutted lady (4) LILY {La{gILt}dY}

5   Old range destroyed in quiet stampede (8,4) HEADLONG RUSH {H{OLD+RANGE}*USH}

6   Smarty-pants, cold, the French musician, vacuous crook (6,4) CLEVER DICK {C}{LE}{VERDI}{CrooK}

7   Setter had cryptic clue earlier: 'father of geometry?' (6) EUCLID {I'D}<=>{CLUE}*

8   'How do you spell "shy"?' That's pretty light stuff (6) SHANDY {S}{H}{AND}{Y}

11 Silly, stupid, bad: a fast scramble (4,2,1,5) DAFT AS A BRUSH {BAD+A+FAST}*{RUSH}

14 Primarily modernized African democracy, although governor's a strongman called Andry Rajoelina? (10) MADAGASCAR Acrostic &lit

16 Incomplete romantic gift Everyman had offered up in muddle (8) DISORDER {RED ROSe}{I'D}<=

17 Perhaps krypton might make you angriest? (5,3) INERT GAS*

19 Weatherman's line: 'I weep over a drop of rain' (6) ISOBAR {I}{SOB}{A}{Rain}

20 A little belligerent ombudsman in Bury (6) ENTOMB [T]

23 Report of low reef in wharf (4) QUAY (~ key)

Reference List

Muscles = ABS, Small = S, Large = L, Cold = C, The in French = LE