Daily Answers

8-across – Defensive work from a side playing China at first : PALISADE

9-across – It may keep one warm, although one’s not cool : ANORAK

10-across – Awful cakes left with nothing on top : BALD

11-across – Cocktail of lime – men add extra designation : MIDDLENAME

12-across – Cheap old whiskey drunk by Grant : LOWEND

14-across – Artist periodically seeing red frames shows anger : IRRITATE

15-across – Palace of Versailles excursion not finishing soon : TRIANON

17-across – Fish lie low, oddly, in Hants river : TELEOST

20-across – Enormity from rogue seen stopping loving gestures : HUGENESS

22-across – Lots disheartened about novel maths theorems : LEMMAS

23-across – Person who has issue receiving letters about diet : PARLIAMENT

24-across – Republican Party without energy for overhaul : REDO

25-across – Figure Jade knocked back is a greedy so-and-so : GANNET

26-across – Handle thief following specific way of working : MONICKER

1-down – A horny male caught in rain, perhaps Romeo : PARAMOUR

2-down – E.g. part of Leicester thoroughfare sheltering home : RIND

3-down – What musicians perhaps did in heavy traffic at the seaside? : JAMMED

4-down – Rock star’s curse about broken 2 : HENDRIX

5-down – Shopping centre periodically evicted a grimier poet : MALLARME

6-down – With the current drink, master gets hammered : DOWNSTREAM

7-down – Make a mess of French word for rodent : MARMOT

13-down – Nigella mixing with men doing some decorating : ENAMELLING

16-down – Is very theatrical account welcomed by public school’s head? : OVERACTS

18-down – Son walked awkwardly dressed like a baby : SWADDLED

19-down – Thinks a lot of rising stars meet security guards : ESTEEMS

21-down – Statesperson, you heard, thanks Chinese people : UTAHAN

22-down – Shakira, perhaps, or half-cut Lana Turner : LATINA

24-down – Cedric Kane’s 11 : RICK

1-across – Sweaty Conservative confronting Labour politician : CLAMMY

4-across – Meat in cold paper to dispatch all around : SCRAGEND

9-across – Shine as one wanting desperately to be heard : LUSTRE

10-across – Strange capital with unknown content, not as you would expect : ATYPICAL

11-across – Engineer vets car on site where one’s been brought in – here? : SERVICESTATION

13-across – What’s put on the table, raised audibly by directors? : BREADBOARD

14-across – City’s sexual stimulant knocking six out : AGRA

16-across – Daughter entering one town or another : RYDE

18-across – Trendy program on old computer location not appropriate : INAPPOSITE

21-across – One restructured NHS attendance, becoming more influential : INTHEASCENDANT

23-across – ‘Up-to-the-minute’ is about right for ‘very hot’ : TROPICAL

24-across – Scottish river visible around posh quarter : FOURTH

25-across – Artist endures rooms that aren’t very nice : RATHOLES

26-across – Old woman blamed for being awkward? : BELDAM

1-down – Young player left in bed : COLT

2-down – A superior holy person before becoming self-abnegating : AUSTERE

3-down – Mum showed great enthusiasm when given one old coin : MARAVEDI

5-down – Lion perhaps a pet? That leads to explosive disaster : CATASTROPHE

6-down – Seem to have a change of direction? That could be it : APPEAL

7-down – Attractive but not loud, creating an impression : ETCHING

8-down – Describe energy policy during appointment : DELINEATE

12-down – Bird had to protect its home in national property : CROWNESTATE

13-down – Exceptional arbiter’s primarily real legal expert : BARRISTER

15-down – Aged with hint of spasms in the heart – the effect of a virus : COLDSORE

17-down – City right for some foreigners outside – and for their sort occupying it : DETROIT

19-down – I blush – woman ultimately hugged and treated disrespectfully? : IGNORED

20-down – Sheep tick evident around Ireland : MERINO

22-down – Female and male who survived the Flood : SHEM

1-across – Screen third attempts : REREDOS

5-across – Tautological petrolhead publication : AUTOCAR

9-across – Tries to get into authentic attire to lead final run : DRESS

10-across – See 9 : REHEARSAL

11-across – Senior manager’s allowance producing hatred : EXECRATION

12-across – Supervisor protecting deviant : PERV

14-across – When the heart flutters, it’s through groping : PALPITATION

18-across – Not long ago wrap-around skirts would be evocative : REMINISCENT

21-across – As they say, end of story! : TALE

22-across – Mother bound by patience breaking free : EMANCIPATE

25-across – A few knights errant led by man into bonfire and so forth : GUYFAWKES

26-across – See 25 : NIGHT

27-across – One’s out – to score? : STRIKER

28-across – Still into recent infantile stuff : LAYETTE

1-down – End of butter and milk source guide : RUDDER

2-down – Referee briefly popped out for a smoke : REEFER

3-down – Record parent misbehaving in conflict : DISCREPANT

4-down – See 24 : SPRAT

5-down – Beauty Editor sacked after an acid test : APHRODITE

6-down – Wings of the archetypal duck : TEAL

7-down – Excellent packaging in universal make-up : COSMETIC

8-down – Material about part of the Middle East : RELEVANT

13-down – Act over fickle destiny of film maker : WALTDISNEY

15-down – Most of all, smokers suffering from nonprofit venture : LOSSMAKER

16-down – Students of Portuguese may be ignoring us : PROTEGES

17-down – Boss’s ruse in Windermere : EMPLOYER

19-down – Worked in a school that sounds rigid : TAUGHT

20-down – Affectionately move into multinational conglomerate : NESTLE

23-down – Space explorers start to like this type of voice : NASAL

24-down – Raises idiot healthy eater? : JACK

1-across – Tough, one novel Sandy’s penned? : SINEWY

4-across – Millionaire briefly plying rich man with lagers : CHARLES

9-across – London borough behind minister’s brief : REVEALING

10-across – Say what to do to get that whole number? : DIGIT

11-across – Aggravated, son donned trousers : WORSE

12-across – A flower adorning garment for recipient : ADDRESSEE

13-across – Hot shower steamy, ultimately : PEPPERY

15-across – Dead ant less filling, one feeds on termites : NUMBAT

17-across – Black article scraped off back of sofa bed : BOTTOM

19-across – Dalliance in essence over, Andrew? I don’t believe it! : WONDERS

22-across – Club in there, or bats : THREEIRON

24-across – Encore: a band not entirely welcoming one : AGAIN

26-across – See 19 : CEASE

27-across – Where crumbs may be taken from book in story of a sentence? : BIRDTABLE

28-across – Old English poet meaning to cover page with rhymes, primarily : SPENSER

29-across – See 4 : INGRAM

1-down – Drink spiked by staff – sabotage : SCREWUP

2-down – See 19 Across : NEVER

3-down – Flesh from the ocean offered 24 in old song, loosely speaking? : WHALEMEAT

4-down – Noise after composer of noteless music shut up : CAGEDIN

5-down – Turn seat, lifting lid : ADDLE

6-down – Lay down rules where supporter is delayed : LEGISLATE

7-down – Poser: one surely won’t be missed : SITTER

8-down – Goody-goody above naughty crime : PIRACY

14-down – Top career excited father : PROCREATE

16-down – Ray secures lid on new cocktail : MANHATTAN

18-down – Sweet thing in pub with poisonous atmosphere? : MARSBAR

19-down – Obtain and taste bitter : WINTRY

20-down – According to Spooner, cake layer light : SUNBEAM

21-down – Small nails – a lot : STACKS

23-down – Powerful people announcing the score of the Roman Empire? : EXECS

25-down – Slope initially dropped a shade : AMBER

1-across – Day off for witches’ meeting? : SABBATH

5-across – Nick catches dance : COPSHOP

9-across – It is a moral Titan that struggles with this tyranny : TOTALITARIANISM

10-across – Competent to join a section of company : ADEPT

11-across – One’s past caring : HISTORIAN

12-across – Concerned with new student’s course : REFRESHER

14-across – Set out after pet in hiding : DOGGO

15-across – As churchgoer, get down to it : CRYPT

16-across – Unusual race for paper : NEWSPRINT

18-across – On land presumably lad’s quiet time : OFFSEASON

21-across – Several tarts, not all, get to the table : ALTAR

22-across – Strange reaction to knowledge, which this isn’t : CREATIONSCIENCE

23-across – Attack arrangement that’s working : SETUPON

24-across – Modesty of fling with head : SHYNESS

1-down – Mount outdoor entertainment, rain not expected : SETFAIR

2-down – The huge difference a comma can make? : BUTTERFLYEFFECT

3-down – There’s growing interest in what the council may offer : ALLOTMENT

4-down – Make fast travel free : HITCH

5-down – It’s one’s turn to open the wine : CORKSCREW

6-down – Philosopher’s occupational therapy: mountain climbing : PLATO

7-down – How far away is the storm that is within earshot? : HAILINGDISTANCE

8-down – Just over three people taking to pepper : PIMENTO

13-down – Delivers with no trouble at all : HANDSDOWN

14-down – Criminally divert pay — such wickedness : DEPRAVITY

15-down – Picks items from ice-cream van, but not one cold : CHOICES

17-down – Simple learning offered by Mirror? : THREERS

19-down – Commonly take the chill off and not leave a scrap : EATUP

20-down – Smells arising from cheeses once : NOSES