Daily Answers

9-across – One making a stir has to deal with blank look : POKERFACE

10-across – State after declaration: a start in the middle, grabbing wicket : ATWAR

11-across – Improve on tea, say, with more of it: that’s a test for humanity : CAPTCHA

12-across – Not turning back after getting close to the French city : PRESTON

13-across – Plummets from roof : LEADS

14-across – Capitalists are not gang members, gangster admitted : LONDONERS

16-across – Unusual event in diffuse nebula is not so exciting : UNEXCEPTIONABLE

19-across – Plant’s spike at unusual angle : EGLANTINE

21-across – Vegetable is cold and undercooked : CHARD

22-across – Sweaty exercise very popular years past making a comeback : HOTYOGA

23-across – Poet, endlessly quiet and mischievous : LARKISH

24-across – Blinded maybe follows this sound made by newt : EFFED

25-across – Change of government has to depose king, in theory : EVOLUTION

1-down – A shot decapitated bird of prey, raising a lot of insects : APICULTURE

2-down – Cut narrow passage for Arctic transport : SKIPLANE

3-down – Comforter brought over to settle a heated quarrel : FRACAS

4-down – Spinach with a little anchovy? It’s legendary : SAGA

5-down – Lacking some energy, regret entering capital river and lake : SERPENTINE

6-down – French house, private, in city : CAPETOWN

7-down – ‘Broadband in Devon’: two articles : SWATHE

8-down – He built right through congested city : WREN

14-down – Edge closer up near wild horse : LIPPIZANER

15-down – One keeps close control, having had ten days off : STEADYHAND

17-down – A place in Paris for rapid transport once : CONCORDE

18-down – So happy to have pulse, at two low temperatures : BEATIFIC

20-down – Discharged from unsatisfactory service, going away : LETOFF

21-down – Part of army besieging University College : CORPUS

22-down – Desired to be relieved of pressure, so turned over in bed : HOED

23-down – In toilet, finally unwrap contraceptive : LOOP

1-across – Foreign minister’s transition periods : INTERIMS

5-across – Off-peak drop in crew members vehicle oddly ignored : ABSEIL

9-across – Spicy pepper in pan in South American country : CHIPOTLE

10-across – What street vendor might use in pub altercation : BARROW

12-across – Tied down repeatedly : NECKANDNECK

15-across – Cake-maker, say, drinking one more bitter : ICIER

17-across – Bit of a joint bloke’s rolling inhaled by queen : ANKLEBONE

18-across – Revered African, saving time, runs a trip in Africa? : RASTAFARI

19-across – Cycling around Asian city, or the local capital : TOKYO

20-across – The urban area here contains light Scottish flora : THISTLEDOWN

24-across – Cambridge University figure’s winter warmer : MITTEN

25-across – Drunken idiot receiving Murray’s first service : HIGHMASS

26-across – Peer around Eastbourne, not content to drive : TEEOFF

27-across – Papers about case of turpitude judge went over again : ITERATED

1-down – Playing nice new record, ‘Firestarter’ : INCENDIARY

2-down – Least cool women’s smallest clothes : TWITCHIEST

3-down – Red has drink during revolutionary song : RIOJA

4-down – Weirdly calm mediator, with emotions running high : MELODRAMATIC

6-down – Want to break boxer’s nose with hit, which shows a good fighter : BLACKBELT

7-down – Make tea or coffee in this, we hear : EARN

8-down – Dirty residence half scrubbed up : LEWD

11-down – This area’s for walking dog, said policeman brooking no nonsense : PEAKDISTRICT

13-down – Exquisite items from factory with zero emission of gas : WORKSOFART

14-down – Distinguished company sing about earl, boring King Edward : RECOGNISED

16-down – Like filling tripe and grouse cut on a Sunday? : ROASTBEEF

21-down – What could put you under intensive therapy, in part : ETHER

22-down – Business’s ending belly up, getting black mark : SMUT

23-down – Way to disregard liberal viewer’s complaint : STYE

8-across – Animal’s awfully cute rear : CREATURE

9-across – To obtain acknowledgement, order direct : CREDIT

10-across – Have a break! Have a ginger biscuit! : SNAP

11-across – Having many factories on River Test : INDUSTRIAL

12-across – Aerial transport suggested for the prairies : PLAINS

14-across – Book on trendy South Coast resort : BRIGHTON

15-across – Reprimands favourite fellow travellers? : CARPETS

17-across – Hatbands for mourners : WEEPERS

20-across – Rugby international follows a VIP eccentric to clubhouse : PAVILION

22-across – Foreigner needs help back into lodging : INDIAN

23-across – Spin doctor live, on tour : REVOLUTION

24-across – Exhausted marksman : SHOT

25-across – Stop dead and liberate heartless zombie : FREEZE

26-across – Contents from small Red strongholds : COMFORTS

1-down – Lawn weed? Cut the whole lot up : PRUNELLA

2-down – Bulb – its brightness? : LAMP

3-down – Vengeful trio that is wearing winter outfits : FURIES

4-down – Originally named ‘Beds’ – to change is necessary : NEEDSBE

5-down – Middle East and Sicily somehow give rise to unfriendly grin : ICYSMILE

6-down – Horribly wrong, like certain Satie compositions : PEARSHAPED

7-down – One of the Kardashians upset over a party for emperor : MIKADO

13-down – Surprising dim person I kept behind bars : IMPRISONED

16-down – Magistrates taking native American families around UN : TRIBUNES

18-down – Chooses to run again arranging ad and poster : READOPTS

19-down – St Paul’s destination, travelling to China : ANTIOCH

21-down – Egyptian god from tops of ancient monument near ruins : AMENRA

22-down – Pub ‘Half of 21’ for fictional purposes : INNAME

24-down – Precipitation ultimately unknown in Tamworth, perhaps? : SNOW

8-across – Appease one caught in institute’s scandal? : MITIGATE

9-across – Love to be a woman : OLIVE

10-across – Defunct car maker returns, as we hear from the flock : BAAS

11-across – One completes one’s task with conviction : PROSECUTOR

12-across – Sluggishness of shattered troop on run : TORPOR

14-across – Old time theatre one enters : STONEAGE

16-across – Makes meaning clear in Christmas verses? : DECODES

18-across – Carries out goods : EFFECTS

21-across – It’s hard, running along the motorway! : SHOULDER

23-across – Tolerates being without right clothes : ENDUES

24-across – Money and a tiny bit of comfort: is it for the birds? : BREADCRUMB

26-across – Nonsense piece of photoshopping : TOSH

27-across – Parts of body, on the bottom? : SOLES

28-across – This porn should be buried in the earth : HARDCORE

1-down – Dress is fine in open air, being fashionable : PINAFORE

2-down – Use tongue, just about spit out what may be round your mouth : LIPS

3-down – It’s a fag preparing grapes : GASPER

4-down – Homer is involved in tales of this? : HEROISM

5-down – Predict cold atmosphere at first in Arden? : FORE

6-down – Nominal leader would be sacked if he argued : FIGUREHEAD

7-down – Take ages to fit in : BELONG

13-down – Awkwardly curb parole that’s possible to get : PROCURABLE

15-down – Commit foul — dismissed before full time : OFF

17-down – See 15 : END

19-down – Greatly value this fictional island : TREASURE

20-down – Like some iron, approximate in weight : WROUGHT

22-down – Bully, almost injure, American bum : HARASS

23-down – Bring me up part of tree to make board : EMBARK

25-down – See 5 : CAST

26-down – See 2 : TICK

1-across – 21 men once carried this young woman on dock : CUTLASS

5-across – Scratch round opening of Porsche’s exhaust : DEPLETE

9-across – Unclear second issue published additional books : SEMITRANSPARENT

10-across – Pages bearing ring for groom : PRIMP

11-across – Old pirate misused instrument going through locks : DEPILATOR

12-across – Subjective view will exploit perk of job? : TAKELEAVE

14-across – China impounds contents of this vessel : PHIAL

15-across – Male individual that originally created an impression? : MONET

16-across – Rogue star upset body double : SURROGATE

18-across – Throw away about 50% of what’s used for training and education? : SCHOOLING

21-across – All over the place, in the main : ATSEA

22-across – What may be read as 221? : THREEMENINABOAT

23-across – This may be required to enter an empty ground : PAYMENT

24-across – One consumed by fear had visions : DREAMED

1-down – Replaces spittoon containing pool of foul liquid : CESSPIT

2-down – Random dirty hack affected everybody : TOMDICKANDHARRY

3-down – George Best estate has raised a fortune : AUTOPILOT

4-down – Doctor sounds surprised about smashing result : SHARD

5-down – Treat a lord with contempt in speech and make a quick exit : DISAPPEAR

6-down – Precious material in ring worn by queen : PEARL

7-down – Correct all items damaged in violent upheaval : ELECTRICALSTORM

8-down – Put in case for appeal related to food processing facility : ENTERAL

13-down – Sober sailor sent to collect money : ABSTINENT

14-down – Pass on support for each reporter’s way of making progress : PROPAGATE

15-down – Teacher regularly ignoring attempt to go wrong : MISSTEP

17-down – Promoted partner after demerger dealt with new organisation : EXALTED

19-down – Some microbes emulsify fat : OBESE

20-down – Network infiltrated by New Labour : GRIND