Daily Answers

1-across – Like lightning strike: power cuts : RAPID

4-across – Brilliant person standing to perform : CLASSACT

8-across – Deals in these clubs: Chelsea missing Abramovich, ultimately in arrangement with Arsenal : CLEARANCESALES

10-across – Nonsense to members? Conservative backtracking : TOMMYROT

11-across – Check mirror: learner driver in place to practise religiously? : CHAPEL

12-across – The Lion after game: weak spot in order : RULEOFLAW

15-across – Pull to get sex, specifically? : TOWIT

17-across – Checked out patient before doctor’s introduction : CASED

18-across – Awareness of time, I must go in : SENTIENCE

19-across – Crazy state of uniform: note frilly edging : LUNACY

21-across – Weight on American, mostly comfort eating? It goes up and down : SAWTOOTH

24-across – Surgical procedure: model figure receiving it for partner? : OPPOSITENUMBER

25-across – Learning timetable as friend’s coming back by coach : SYLLABUS

26-across – Mythological creature, Erinyes, primarily, following couple of Greek characters : PIXIE

1-down – More costly dental procedure to cover cap of tooth: measure for changing plates : RICHTERSCALE

2-down – They introduce prince and Epstein, originally during walks : PREAMBLES

3-down – Liverpool fan upset? Not after their match with Everton? : DERBY

4-down – Cuddles lots after stripping bare : CANOODLES

5-down – Cuts lines on graphs : AXES

6-down – Food put out past eight : SPAGHETTI

7-down – Man acquiring ecstasy that’s easily obtained : CHEAP

9-down – Three schools needing repair to get drier : CLOTHESHORSE

13-down – Getting on train that’s traditional : OLDSCHOOL

14-down – Wife and a new catch make out on return: they dream of a new life : WANNABEES

16-down – Opening present and flowers in this? : WINDOWBOX

20-down – Sleep with unoccupied playboy like Terry? : NAPPY

22-down – He’s not entirely honest, supported by Mike Pence? : TRUMP

23-down – Shoot up, wanting cocaine in arm? : LIMB

7-across – Victoria’s one abysmally low year? : ROYALWE

8-across – Country hotel’s playing ball : LESOTHO

9-across – Censor’s current turnover : EDIT

10-across – Insult by a President at Conference? Make yourself scarce! : DISAPPEAR

12-across – Bird pen fixture with round ridge opening tipped over : ROBIN

13-across – Fun is editing leader for paper : TREATISE

15-across – Jack Ball at Houston bankers’ convenience : JOHN

16-across – Brother’s kitchen item reported : FRIAR

17-across – With Dicky, one could be left in it : WILL

18-across – Touchdown, in two words, makes you experience sadness : FEELBLUE

20-across – Sun bear: unstable potential killer : SABRE

21-across – A smashing time here for a rock star? : HOTELROOM

22-across – A dive’s possible feature food : TUCK

24-across – Cast is turning fat – a hindrance when on the road : BOLLARD

25-across – Potential big name actor going around college: time to go red : SCARLET

1-down – Club’s court date : WOOD

2-down – Office item used to be involved in bet : WASTEBIN

3-down – Vegetable garden’s boundary land : SWEDEN

4-down – ‘1812’, for one, is bound to have noisy climax and corny bit : LEAPYEAR

5-down – It has a canopy of raised support : FOREST

6-down – Former actor producing ‘Female Resistance’ : SHER

11-down – Position sack and turn over light : SETFIRETO

12-down – Polish river comes first as major river : RHONE

14-down – What you aim to do, only without Victor : SOLVE

16-down – Stories of old people taking on new role : FOLKLORE

17-down – Gale’s hiding book, a dictionary : WEBSTERS

19-down – Small US state capital – not Hudson? : LITTLE

20-down – Obnoxious type of quiet Scottish island : SHMUCK

21-down – Criminal carrier has nothing to hide : HOOD

23-down – Company was boastful : CREW

1-across – House Gale’s men : WINDSOR

5-across – Racing management : RUNNING

10-across – Rock band right to return payment : REEF

11-across – It’s used for cleaning the bottom of fabric and dirty poster : TOILETROLL

12-across – Player gets second note about love : STEREO

13-across – Bad dates first eaten producing disgust : DISTASTE

14-across – Man complains not exposing at first those covering for rackets : HANDGRIPS

16-across – Buffet at church presents difficulty : HITCH

17-across – Charlie perhaps acquires independent group of restaurants : CHAIN

19-across – Trendy length uniform adopted by guard to show authority : INFLUENCE

23-across – Firm butt delivered : STUBBORN

24-across – Notes poet describing mature woman : GRANNY

26-across – Trip won’t half divide? : SPLITINTWO

27-across – Kink in pot – sent back : LOOP

28-across – No Parisian soldier takes Holy Communion having come back to get haircut : CHIGNON

29-across – New net I twist … again : ENTWINE

2-down – Popular queen meeting Spanish aunt resulting in inactivity : INERTIA

3-down – Strip the dog? Some might say: hold off : DEFER

4-down – Cross over by university theatre’s entrance in the fresh air : OUTDOOR

6-down – Upset Teresa enunciates showing anxiety : UNEASE

7-down – Rate VAR in broadcast report : NARRATIVE

8-down – Loves Mo ignoring back of runner : NILOTIC

9-down – Confused deity not ultimately limited by speed? : TIEDUPINKNOTS

15-down – Doctor, one born British, meets Heather running slowly : DRIBBLING

18-down – Cheek expressing disgust after dwelling on the last character : HUTZPAH

20-down – Hat’s on instrument : LEGHORN

21-down – Associate giving prisoner unfinished spliff : CONJOIN

22-down – Piece seen seldom in opera houses : DOMINO

25-down – Permit unused but not at the beginning : ALLOW

9-across – Cancelled change, it stops things working : OFFSWITCH

10-across – Gas from lightweight individual : OZONE

11-across – Outstanding restaurant’s curt rejection of booking enquiry : NOTABLE

12-across – Team removing wobbly set for pop duo : WESTHAM

13-across – Firm’s paid regularly to supply fighters : IMPI

14-across – Secure management group that shows results : SCOREBOARD

15-across – Old coach reportedly cut away joint : HACKNEY

17-across – Government official is bang on shifting river to the west : PREFECT

19-across – Geographic features linked with antihero : HEATHCLIFF

22-across – Half of gold bike, it’s covered in sand : GOBI

23-across – Arrange and keep protection for one praying? : KNEEPAD

24-across – Rest needed by stand-up? Just the opposite : LIEDOWN

26-across – It’s dismal in poetry putting attention on darker edges : DREAR

27-across – Awfully late run chasing gold with little preparation : AUNATUREL

1-down – Connected with youths, but complaining about them? : DOWNWITHTHEKIDS

2-down – Heading for photograph not giving the right message : OFFTOPIC

3-down – Surgeon wipes around bowel openings to take a sample : SWAB

4-down – Time to be served unknown but flexible : STRETCHY

5-down – Cut sailor receives in major international conflict : THEWAR

6-down – Information qualified lawyer supplied to gang? It could happen : POSSIBLE

7-down – Banter over posh amateur producing book : JOSHUA

8-down – Builder rang team deployed in dangerous location : BERMUDATRIANGLE

16-down – Spooner wanders around hospital identifying those likely to fail : NOHOPERS

17-down – Having constant F pitch is not that important : PIFFLING

18-down – French city supports English company, they attract green travellers : ECOTOURS

20-down – Distant relatives having last word about exercising : APEMEN

21-down – Partially unclad, Maggie might be seen in one? : LADMAG

25-down – Worries when early rounds have not begun : EATS

1-across – The limit starts to need adjustment in principle : LASTSTRAW

6-across – Father of poetry? : POPE

8-across – With last of goulash consumed, have too much stew : OVERHEAT

9-across – On the same page, I stay calm, ultimately : IBIDEM

10-across – Gold on key, little time for lead : ESCORT

11-across – Less in order? : TAKEAWAY

12-across – 26 19’s bottle-opener applied to thin bottle : BLITHE

15-across – Forecasters recalled problems in storms : TEMPESTS

16-across – Dabbler teases swingers : HAMMOCKS

19-across – See 26 : COWARD

21-across – Doctor of Literature endlessly circled by European ballerina : DANSEUSE

22-across – 26 19’s tart? : BITTER

24-across – See 12 : SPIRIT

25-across – Sovereign on flag, an individual from western Europe : IRISHMAN

26-across – Chicken expecting turkey, perhaps – to wit? : NOEL

27-across – Once ref roughed up by Royal Engineers, impose rule again : REENFORCE

1-down – See 6 : LIVES

2-down – Overcoat or tutus for tailoring : SURTOUT

3-down – See 22 Across : SWEET

4-down – Rap artist thanks junk : RATATAT

5-down – Cocktail: fancy drinking the blue one shortly : WHISKYMAC

6-down – 26 19’s kind of wire in sensitive area : PRIVATE

7-down – Inferior versifier, one sampling American author? : POETASTER

13-down – Dog also has a pee when tickled : LHASAAPSO

14-down – See 22 : ENCOUNTER

17-down – Wind in low cloud slowing, mostly : MISTRAL

18-down – Uncontaminated, set free over bug : STERILE

20-down – Greeting witness heard? : WOTCHER

22-down – 26 19’s fire once ignited in fictional schoolboy : BRIEF

23-down – Knock out boxer as everyone gulps : ERASE