Daily Answers

8-across – Crucial line in a Humphrey Bogart film : KEYLARGO

9-across – Angry protest you are texting : UPROAR

10-across – Score of one thousand : MARK

11-across – Dishes cook made without recipe succeeded : DREAMBOATS

12-across – Save contents of bevy put back in container : VESSEL

14-across – Set off from eastern sea : EMBARKED

15-across – Sybil regularly scratched by earl’s bristles : STUBBLE

17-across – One navigating in extreme places is capsizing : KEELING

20-across – Fine food shop close to boutique : DELICATE

22-across – Vacuous American? Very much so! : ANDHOW

23-across – Banditry as well as a case for gendarme : BRIGANDAGE

24-across – Debut for Anto — and what Boatman says to get attention : AHOY

25-across – Time to tuck into huge pieces of lamb : GIGOTS

26-across – Nobleman’s address in either end of Lichfield : LORDSHIP

1-down – Self-indulgent English scoundrel overwhelmed by depression : DECADENT

2-down – Stick a lot of chocolate on an ice cream : FLAK

3-down – Most of party bags free for the lady tying the knot : BRIDAL

4-down – Did quail in bit of stock with European wine : COWERED

5-down – Like a catchy tune Mike included in album he composed : HUMMABLE

6-down – Member getting the Guardian’s extremely colourful advert in mail : ARMOURCLAD

7-down – British PM’s unfinished struggle : BATTLE

13-down – Smaller group waggling bums outside royal party : SUBKINGDOM

16-down – Being scrawny, rest head : LEANNESS

18-down – Making new terms, one developed area of philosophy : NEOLOGIC

19-down – Cricket side team up without breaking rules : LEGALLY

21-down – What you might do with a bug or a creepy-crawly : EARWIG

22-down – Rulers like to host Picaroon on turning up : AMEERS

24-down – Taking top off, slip in recess : APSE

8-across – Retired auditor’s uncertainty about branch? : BOWEDOUT

9-across – Present case for scholarly dissent : HERESY

10-across – Argue about pressure to get ready : GEARUP

11-across – Drug ring close to dodgy corporation : POTBELLY

12-across – Derelict house with deficient facilities : HOBO

13-across – Corrupt chief when serving board : LEADASTRAY

15-across – Bland answer and negative response deny breaking up : ANODYNE

16-across – Rule international court is constrained by another : DICTATE

18-across – Newly arrived Australian staff guarding vessel for experienced worker : JOURNEYMAN

19-across – Inspects entrances for sewers : EYES

20-across – Worries about including child’s final appearance : SWANSONG

22-across – Article is defending singular argument : THESIS

23-across – Secret police start to subvert stable state : STASIS

24-across – Firm debate is bound to stop hunt : SHOPTALK

1-down – I won’t go on the big swings for now : TOBEGOINGONWITH

2-down – Book that reveals the origins of Kurtz’s nativism? : HEARTOFDARKNESS

3-down – Excessive coverage about king shielded by conspicuous wealth : CORPULENCE

4-down – Prevent doctor taking care of adult as a temporary measure : STOPGAP

5-down – Go round : SHOT

6-down – Over time, he treated them badly with many offensive items? : ARMEDTOTHETEETH

7-down – Ancient ground is all she had lost : ASOLDASTHEHILLS

14-down – Emotional detachment of American people consuming fake news? : ALIENATION

17-down – Poetic movement’s message largely accepted by spiritual leader : IMAGISM

21-down – Get rid of piece of superfluous text : OUST

1-across – Delectable and scrappy : SCRUMMY

5-across – Brave and forceful at first, ran away confused : BAFFLED

9-across – Inadequate figurehead protected by soldiers : UNFIT

10-across – On their feet and cheering for eradication : UPROOTING

11-across – Age-old gent playing game in California? : GOLDENGATE

12-across – See 2 : ABLE

14-across – Key mistake, wiping report in panic : TYPINGERROR

18-across – Disturbing book about money : TROUBLESOME

21-across – Rare earth element found primarily in underwater ridge : REEF

22-across – Book that tells us where to find the finest wines : BESTSELLER

25-across – Aide’s wild notion : CRAZYIDEA

26-across – Trophy with a drawback : AWARD

27-across – Delicate letter at first kept by source : SLENDER

28-across – Respect harassed staff : SCEPTRE

1-down – Spot of glorious mud? Genuinely : SMUDGE

2-down – About trouble in fairy tale that can be replenished : REFILL

3-down – One’s expecting a different robot theme : MOTHERTOBE

4-down – Bonnie prince after botox? : YOUNG

5-down – Cry for one artist? : BURSTINTO

6-down – Like Kermit, of greedy make-up : FROG

7-down – The French innkeeper’s first bread pudding on display : LAIDBARE

8-down – Word botcher finding treacherous bog in county : DOGBERRY

13-down – Slow divorce case? Then have a party from which husband heartily excluded : DECELERATE

15-down – See 4 : PRETENDER

16-down – Draws attention to terrible rebel leaders’ deeds : ATTRACTS

17-down – News reporting from cage? : COVERAGE

19-down – One’s recruited by factory that’s yielding : PLIANT

20-down – See 11 : BRIDGE

23-down – See 5 : TEARS

24-down – See 6 : EYED

7-across – Biscuits for European royalty : BOURBONS

9-across – Manager securing old craftsman needed by distillery : COOPER

10-across – Summer smile : BEAM

11-across – Exits scene that’s transformed lives : EXISTENCES

12-across – Rabid hounds that can be seen running through New York : HUDSON

14-across – Islanders whose whisky has added character : IRISHMEN

15-across – Mountain dew bringing expression of disapproval by church : HOOTCH

17-across – Mixed drink including last of Irish at home that’s said to raise spirits : CHINUP

20-across – Two people speaking, nothing more, for large-scale musical work : ORATORIO

22-across – Rum or malt not lasting forever : MORTAL

23-across – Criticise bars used by sailors or alcohol suppliers : DISTILLERS

24-across – Americans serving whiskey inside returned for large draught : SWIG

25-across – Stone monuments for dogs : CAIRNS

26-across – Lackadaisical friends knocked back a little drink : SLAPDASH

1-down – Flowering plant grew on uncultivated area : ROSEBUSH

2-down – Play ultimately lacking a little bit of spirit : DRAM

3-down – What’s still produced illegally in Ireland? : POTEEN

4-down – Such people prefer it to Scotch for themselves : SCOTTISH

5-down – Doctor seen by soldier about damaged eye who operates illicitly? : MOONSHINER

6-down – Cheap liquor that’s taken by fly-by-nights? : REDEYE

8-down – Falls over after swallowing one strong drink : SPIRIT

13-down – Drams taken with party person? That’s less than novel : SHORTSTORY

16-down – Impetuous extremes of love seen in amorous action : CARELESS

18-down – Exercise covering a sample around island — most like Scotch? : PEATIEST

19-down – Gives energy to people minimally in debt? : POWERS

21-down – Fulminate against a time for closing bar initially : RAILAT

22-down – Be unable to find mass-producer of usquebaugh : MISLAY

24-down – A party’s set up — it goes well with whisky : SODA

1-across – Shortening parts of legs to make bear a little lower : CALVE

4-across – Staff sign half-hearted complaint about naughty class : BASSCLEF

8-across – After further endless fighting, lovers getting means to clear the air : EXTRACTIONFANS

10-across – Broadway musical not getting bravo for dance : RIGADOON

11-across – Scientist’s second wife leaving Stevenage or Basildon? : NEWTON

12-across – Where to place volumes of luggage with caution, initially : BOOKCASES

15-across – Without right, criticise golf hit from driver : PRANG

17-across – State of Massachusetts? Just a western part : ASSAM

18-across – Back massage after sex welcomed by sweet redheads? : POLITBURO

19-across – Fool, say, losing heart where water is scarce : DESERT

21-across – Cross after hints about what a naughty child might throw : SPITBALL

24-across – Track gets pushed back, but for Elvis song : GODSAVETHEKING

25-across – Socialist banks in Newcastle investing Asian’s cash capital : CHEYENNE

26-across – Curvy figure initially lost kilo, say : EIGHT

1-down – Spirit shown by singer online getting b__ excited! : CHERRYBRANDY

2-down – Having a fondness for suits, bright soldier’s overwhelmed by debts : LITIGIOUS

3-down – Bovid’s dash over delta : ELAND

4-down – Cheers in prosperous periods, entertaining times ahead : BOTTOMSUP

5-down – Rat out in spring after first sign of sun : SHOP

6-down – Whence we get stimulant, no longer taking three drugs after cocaine : COFFEEPOT

7-down – Surrealist painter of birds with head lowered : ERNST

9-down – Working outside of Hamburg to dig an oil well : INAGOODLIGHT

13-down – Creamy elastic clothing remains unlikely to get snapped : CAMERASHY

14-down – Possible explosive bad mood stops Jack learning about religion : SALTPETRE

16-down – American liked penning old language, being a flatterer : ADULATING

20-down – Say nothing about group’s aversion to effort : SLOTH

22-down – Possible crossword feature: article on setter : THEME

23-down – Scandinavian, Sicilian, Vienna, English, and Nimzo openings : SVEN