Daily Answers

1-across – Flipping anxious old monarch failing to provide items for scoffing fools? : DESSERTSERVICE

8-across – Say butter’s rejected, getting this instead? : MARGE

9-across – Reliable staff one’s hired to work in TV or film : SOUNDMAN

11-across – Opera company led by Latin American revolutionary : NABUCCO

12-across – Condemn point put in plain language : DECRYPT

13-across – Vacuous twerps without intelligence? : TWITS

15-across – As far as US leader’s concerned, getting invaded by Germany is ruled out : FORBIDDEN

17-across – eg McCartney, Boy George at first, and a member of Morrissey’s group? : SONGSMITH

20-across – Green vehicle reversing into rural settlement : TESLA

21-across – Called for managed fund to save mobile phone company pounds : NEEDFUL

23-across – Whence two gentlemen came and left to get sedative : VERONAL

25-across – Sweet soldier brought in kind of battery for defence : APOLOGIA

26-across – Blithe Spirit’s leading character back in the country : SYRIA

27-across – Novelist pens mad, inauthentic and pedestrian advice : GREENCROSSCODE

1-down – Making valueless nude? Monet is in Giverny framing it : DEMONETISING

2-down – Maybe Holly Hunter wants filling in sandwich : SHRUB

3-down – Train strike’s beginning, which creates worries : EXERCISES

4-down – Bosses regularly filling bigwig’s drink quickly : TOSSOFF

5-down – Country’s financial district gets universal love, almost : ECUADOR

6-down – Very brief rule of old Indian scripture : VEDIC

7-down – Said why tucking into crab dish could be a danger, in the main : CHARYBDIS

10-down – Fun for eg young Boris, having surprisingly low mental age : ETONWALLGAME

14-down – Banks perhaps following current news host : INNKEEPER

16-down – Terrible triteness has the capacity to fascinate : INTERESTS

18-down – Invalid thinking ‘I’m going to smoke last of tobacco up’ : ILLOGIC

19-down – Try lots of port and case of amontillado, guzzling gallons : HAVEAGO

22-down – River Seine’s banks not straight : FALSE

24-down – Refusal to accommodate crooked car dealer who breaks the law : NARCO

1-across – Friend kept back after school scripture lesson: it increases pressure : COMPRESSOR

6-across – Substitute rejected pads : SWAP

10-across – Bishop playing slow sport with Jack : BOWLS

11-across – See VIP opt to play high hat : STOVEPIPE

12-across – With nothing to lose, goes to the dodgy parts of town : GHETTOES

14-across – Returning note following a case of ‘fair dos’ : AFROS

16-across – A government called to answer a criminal charge : ARRAIGN

18-across – Force girl to keep one tipsy : MILITIA

20-across – Trace of sewage found in abandoned septic tank : CESSPIT

22-across – Strong desire with artist returning for sculpture : CARVING

23-across – A German bearing last of gifts for her? : AGNES

25-across – Most graceful Soviet letters regularly focus with Putin : SVELTEST

28-across – Newsreader briefly struggles with little fish : ANCHOVIES

29-across – Apathetic Labour’s leader in bed : BLASE

31-across – Pitcher throwing last of balls from gutter : EWER

32-across – Tailless fish rolled in seed, nuts and cooked in breadcrumbs : ESCALLOPED

1-down – Island copper gets qualification : CUBA

2-down – Jaws was back, with Bond’s boss replacing head of Spectre : MAW

3-down – Examination in Art is erroneously withdrawn : RESIT

4-down – Poet’s old love choked by nerve gas : SASSOON

5-down – Creature arisen, upset after prince cracks eggs : OPOSSUM

7-down – Where in Lancashire fans make such a noise? : WHIRR

8-down – Bullies ultimately keen to break media injunctions : PRESSGANGS

9-down – Troops run shelters to follow drug dealer : RETAILER

13-down – Devil’s features shaved top to bottom : HORNS

15-down – Drive a taxi, reversing round church in drunken scenes : BACCHANALE

17-down – Fake daughter removed from Sir Tom podcast : IMPOSTOR

19-down – Gets toupee in case of thinness : TWIGS

21-down – Jenny entertained by draws in Scottish cups : TASSIES

22-down – Side salad of eel has slice of cucumber on top : CHELSEA

24-down – He follows Nick, losing task finally: a comfortable position : NICHE

26-down – Brass instrument, large and cylindrical : TUBAL

27-down – He died pinching a loaf : HEAD

30-down – Mountain with friend pushing Penny to the bottom : ALP

1-across – My dogs : SETTERS

5-across – Tea that’s fizzy? It’s a ridiculous pretence : CHARADE

10-across – Republic occasionally rejected suggestion : CLUE

11-across – Anger with medic breaking imitations of old dragons : FIREDRAKES

12-across – Organ observed outside playing Liszt preludes : SPLEEN

13-across – National press once grasping English most swiftly? : FLEETEST

14-across – Thunberg annoyed after losing right to communicate : GETACROSS

16-across – Discussion with daughter and son over gold : WORDS

17-across – Eccentric lady buying Independent newspaper : DAILY

19-across – Invitation for Keats: a novel to devour : TAKEASEAT

23-across – No one 20 calls for minimal underwear : GSTRINGS

24-across – Sun’s against religious education being about you! : SOLVER

26-across – Meaning to return number 1 metal? I’d accept iron : DEFINITION

27-across – Network held no protective clothing : GRID

28-across – Normal liberal Australia joins America travelling west : ASUSUAL

29-across – Landlord’s post : LETTERS

2-down – Oval tablet swallowed up by doctor, see : ELLIPSE

3-down – You once include Mike in subject : THEME

4-down – Perhaps Shell’s about to get penalty, right? : REFINER

6-down – Cook did stuffing for chicken out of sight : HIDDEN

7-down – Responses to preparing nice roast : REACTIONS

8-down – Tended to send back 75% of puddings after start of dinner : DRESSED

9-down – Skill of two vessels going around small island : CRAFTSMANSHIP

15-down – Dislikes balconies when end of rung is lowered : ALLERGIES

18-down – Netflix initially promises to put acting first to get results : ANSWERS

20-down – Head back into church, uplifted by key spirit : ESSENCE

21-down – Studio exposed by ultimate lie, regrettably : ATELIER

22-down – Articles about drink causing disease : ANGINA

25-down – Lawful escape? : LEGIT

1-across – Herald’s up on one leg, out of control : RAMPANT

5-across – Spinning stick, first to break little bulb : DISTAFF

9-across – Normal to cut the end off vegetable : PARSNIP

10-across – Your lad misbehaving, Mary? : OURLADY

11-across – Flower seen in a spring month foolish to cut back : AMARYLLIS

12-across – Ready for Nigerian heretic to revert : NAIRA

13-across – Time to fight? : ENEMY

15-across – Resist, as Indian state profits start to tumble : GOAGAINST

17-across – Meeting two holding hands at bar : ENCOUNTER

19-across – Half-hearted floor cleaner is a misery : MOPER

22-across – Presumably he doesn’t mind being sacked at Christmas : SANTA

23-across – Nerveless behaviour, if dragons are flying around : SANGFROID

25-across – Gorge or diet: what’s in it for northerner? : GEORDIE

26-across – Her Nibs used to take a dip here : INKWELL

27-across – Convertible frequently held by red light : SOFTTOP

28-across – Leave wife the means to settle the bill : GODUTCH

1-down – Swap corded cloth with finer material : REPLACE

2-down – Spread round a square in town : MARGATE

3-down – Some hold refusal to be irritating : ANNOY

4-down – Best route to the attic? : TOPFLIGHT

5-down – Before surgery, medic gives some medicine : DROPS

6-down – Snort gram to get high and use violence : STRONGARM

7-down – 12 up, astride a black horse : ARABIAN

8-down – Race history put together in moving tribute : FLYPAST

14-down – It was not I who made that remark, I agree : YOUSAIDIT

16-down – Fixing drink in Scottish island? Good : ARRANGING

17-down – Flags regularly seen with emblems : ENSIGNS

18-down – Close lane, source of confusion for a special occasion : CONEOFF

20-down – Demonstration, a nuisance, about to go off : PROTEST

21-down – One on the pull for 22, showing symptom of a cold? : RUDOLPH

23-down – Check for bugs in room: it’s a lottery : SWEEP

24-down – Pretended enthusiasm about karate, losing heart : FAKED

1-across – Accomplished lines about a comprehensive : OVERALL

5-across – Settled on entering working party : SQUARED

9-across – Career that’s stimulating : SPEED

10-across – Choked elongated fish perished : GARROTTED

11-across – Symbolic 5 includes guitar riff : FIGURATIVE

12-across – Detailed description of small muscle : SPEC

14-across – Anniversary bash outside eastern entrance out of control : TERCENTENARY

18-across – Guardian articles on Republican political group that heralds a storm? : WEATHERFRONT

21-across – State service : MASS

22-across – Drink that in Spanish means ‘island’ : MARTINIQUE

25-across – Umlaut scrawled over man’s name; accept it or else! : ULTIMATUM

26-across – Brother gets over Dutch scam : FRAUD

27-across – Sought to circulate around river’s low points : TROUGHS

28-across – Ostentatious as kids in a puddle? : SPLASHY

1-down – Loss, if York houses become fixed : OSSIFY

2-down – Go grey, perhaps, after near death : ENERGY

3-down – European football team abroad clear end by half-time : ANDERLECHT

4-down – Fair’s awkward situation: no parking : LIGHT

5-down – US state split by ex-monarch’s notary : SCRIVENER

6-down – America’s holding of heaven-bound heavenly objects : UFOS

7-down – Drumming sound coming from grass on a plot : RATAPLAN

8-down – Performed turn on ends of rickety stool, being two-toed : DIDACTYL

13-down – Significant base in Gulf conflict : MEANINGFUL

15-down – Versace, not busy, dropping round to see writer : CERVANTES

16-down – Feel dizzy taking diamonds, say, for beachwear : SWIMSUIT

17-down – Wrong time and time again — love rather strained : FALSETTO

19-down – Matches squeal when lit : EQUALS

20-down – Implacable insensitive heartless sexual partner : DEADLY

23-down – Newspaper ‘X’? : TIMES

24-down – Sticks up for superior : SMUG