Daily Answers

1-across – Step back and dance guys, the musicians are here! : PETSHOPBOYS

9-across – Rising damp finally puts an end to hut one rebuilt : ONTHEUP

10-across – They say what the chippy does is not altruistic : SELFISH

11-across – Gauntlet thrown about before beginning a shoot-out : GUNBATTLE

12-across – Jeer half-heartedly about fine comedian : JOKER

13-across – Pinch and run : DASH

14-across – Activists disrupting top resorts : PROTESTORS

16-across – One overeating confectionery gets belly ache drinking dodgy hooch : CHOCOHOLIC

19-across – Jezebel’s man got it? Bravo! : AHAB

21-across – Misbehave with current male : ACTUP

22-across – Quiet pet, one of a pair? : HUSHPUPPY

24-across – Standard American banks invested in house : VANILLA

25-across – Casual get-togethers of medical practitioner circle before cutback : DROPINS

26-across – How to reach for a tip and make money : TURNAPROFIT

1-down – What to do with a 22 blunder : PUTONESFOOTINIT

2-down – Letter from old reservists : THETA

3-down – Not all relationships terrify cool dude : HIPSTER

4-down – Most elegant letters in The Lady? Just the opposite : POSHEST

5-down – Barely downplay every other sauce on taco starter : ONLYJUST

6-down – Stay focused two seconds before one gets into fancy photo tent : STICKTOTHEPOINT

7-down – Stubborn diner on diet starts to eat egg over easy : DOGGED

8-down – Science chief listens for marine creatures : SHARKS

15-down – Me? I’m not sure to follow twist about politician : COMPILER

16-down – Tea before 5 on vacation, very defnitely not 4 : CHAVVY

17-down – Cook the old man clam after shelling? Mon Dieu! : OOHLALA

18-down – Where some apples end up, said one who knows : INSIDER

20-down – Youthful one entering club to play tennis match at last : BOYISH

23-down – Double alcohol percentage for validation : PROOF

5-across – Some domestic leverets, by no means hare-brained : CLEVER

6-across – Rabbit’s friend finally gave the okay to enter home : EEYORE

9-across – Rabbit’s retreat from beach, going back into vessel : JABBER

10-across – eg scorpion in car had run amok : ARACHNID

11-across – Divine female among she-rabbits, a variety of hare : HERA

12-across – American rabbit time after time found in strange location : COTTONTAIL

13-across – Cheesy offering for poor performer in red jersey : WELSHRABBIT

18-across – VIP’s moving appearances in public : WALKABOUTS

21-across – Raise something that may be brought up by latecomers : REAR

22-across – Article’s lacking in inspiration regarding name for fellow believers : BRETHREN

23-across – Old marketplace importing new kind of yarn : ANGORA

24-across – Fluctuate in encounter, with tense change in second half : SEESAW

25-across – Punished author who supposedly prioritised catching hare, we hear : BEATEN

1-down – Extremely depleted bag, ie awfully bad result of rabbiting? : VERBIAGE

2-down – Satisfied with strain in neck reduced? Not like hands and feet : METRIC

3-down – He’s taken on terrible combat, making great sacrifice : HECATOMB

4-down – From which rabbits may emerge — often with tails behind? : TOPHAT

5-down – Caught and destroyed, like hare at start of spring? : CRAZED

7-down – Conclusion reached by judge on lawful extract : ELICIT

8-down – Seasonal deliverer of eggs, but mostly in Queens etc : EASTERBUNNY

14-down – Kind of rabbit from south of European peninsula : SIBERIAN

15-down – Doctor getting into hot water : IRRIGATE

16-down – Writer about cunning rabbit in part of Scottish island : HARRIS

17-down – Architect’s taken over interior of barn for Peter’s home : WARREN

19-down – Small violin and half of score for one of Hazel’s family : KITTEN

20-down – Second animal rather like rabbit, right? Not hog : SHARER

1-across – Request for light haircut is in slightly bad taste : ABITOFF

5-across – In middle of day poor horse is an unusual shape : NONAGON

10-across – One may be snapping on the phone : CAMERA

11-across – Church having had steeple replaced showed a sign of life : RESPIRED

12-across – A threatening alternative : ORELSE

13-across – Spirit of the theatre? : SURGICAL

14-across – Rascal that can beat ten? : KNAVE

15-across – Curious boy tracks what happened before start of film : BACKSTORY

18-across – These toadies produce feeling of revulsion : THECREEPS

20-across – Extremely sick and ailing, get expertise : SKILL

23-across – Avalanche made by returning crew : LANDFALL

25-across – Careless sort of work : CASUAL

26-across – Such a seal disguising the crime : HERMETIC

27-across – Acres certain to be plentiful : ABOUND

28-across – One attending royalty has no time for messenger : COURIER

29-across – Shortly get money for church in Borders town : SELKIRK

2-down – West African spun a fib and fled : BIAFRAN

3-down – Theatre using those ancient Roman numerals : THEOLDVIC

4-down – Said by some to be confused, having weaknesses : FLAWED

6-down – Preparing to face bowler — out! : ONSTRIKE

7-down – Some criminal I bill for this defence : ALIBI

8-down – Start a song where one is in the garden : OPENAIR

9-down – Glass to position around a side : CRYSTALPALACE

16-down – Review what shoplifter did : TAKESTOCK

17-down – Witty speech when replanting pear tree : REPARTEE

19-down – Keep pulling the sack : HEAVEHO

21-down – Right to feed more underweight student : LEARNER

22-down – Group of eight moving to cave : OCTAVE

24-down – Refuse to be less than modest : DEMUR

9-across – Strange reduction in present : INTRODUCE

10-across – Starter spread over large dish : PLATE

11-across – Close to fire put out a match : EVENT

12-across – One serving in trade receives tip : BARTENDER

13-across – Family enters throne room with head of guards watching : LOOKING

14-across – Arrogant politician breaking river promises to free current : POMPOUS

17-across – James IV occasionally besieged old city to get old coins : AUREI

19-across – Divide 1, 2, 3 … oddly : CUT

20-across – Birds travelling west, for example, taking in view : GEESE

21-across – Marked and forced right out : STAINED

22-across – Clipping leg stump? Initially overturned stroke : SNIPPET

24-across – Fiddling the profits, loses first 10% of reputation with cry for help : STOPTHIEF

26-across – Stories in Sun’s issue about Poles : YARNS

28-across – Singer Rita taking record back for work : OPERA

29-across – As pets quarrelling savagely? : CATANDDOG

1-down – Bounder spilling first drink : WINE

2-down – Monstrous woman inside gets the nod : STHENO

3-down – Remorse of prisoner, one jailed by god : CONTRITION

4-down – Spooner’s wrong to cherish a boiled sweet : HUMBUG

5-down – Worn out striking pierced tip of tongue : DECREPIT

6-down – After start of encounter, go for weapon : EPEE

7-down – Beautiful cab caught : HANDSOME

8-down – Improved, not dry, perhaps mild : BEER

13-down – On top of silicon, metal conducts : LEADS

15-down – Government stopping main review by rushing to expel Labour leader for exaggerating : MAGNIFYING

16-down – What’s coming up in television film? : SHEET

18-down – Argued with royal veteran losing crown : REASONED

19-down – Fish pie course wanting contents in pouch : CODPIECE

22-down – Express keeps paper to secure European protection : SAFETY

23-down – Soldier deserted on 2nd of February or March : PARADE

24-down – Drunk injects heroin and crack : SHOT

25-down – Leaves with a bit of kindling wood : TEAK

27-down – Shakespeare’s complete world view: timeless and wise : SAGE

8-across – Rolling in it as the result of my agitation : WELLTODO

9-across – Police team taking top off chain guard : WATCH

10-across – Mark wastes comeback : SPOT

11-across – Provided inverted crannies designed for gnomes? : FINANCIERS

12-across – Place associated with fever epidemic : PLAGUE

14-across – Alight one more time on bench : RESETTLE

16-across – Mouthy thing elected Conserv­ative — is nothing right? : INCISOR

18-across – One tree in the French island : LAPALMA

21-across – Fancy decaff tea — not one that’s pretentious : AFFECTED

23-across – Fruit makes pop star extremely randy : CHERRY

24-across – Intermission. It’s not good for a server : BREAKPOINT

26-across – Mere game? : POOL

27-across – Odious ultimately servile character, one lacking initiative : SHEEP

28-across – Tip when carrying table: middle of leg is joined : ENLISTED

1-down – The one that ended in disaster was the first to leave the band : ZEPPELIN

2-down – Spoil line inserted in software program : BLOT

3-down – Commodity box not popular with central Greece : COFFEE

4-down – Land matter disheartened revolutionary : COUNTRY

5-down – Small pasty-faced bulb developer : SWAN

6-down – It provocatively reveals band drinks last of moonshine : STRIPTEASE

7-down – Type of music sung in French or Albanian : CHORAL

13-down – It brings relief to a minor reptile that’s swallowed abandoned wiper : GRIPEWATER

15-down – Large liquid expanse of hydrogen discharged from small African tree : SEA

17-down – See 26 : OUT

19-down – Presented a rear view across a river that’s cut off : MAROONED

20-down – Fan of Slough confined by a physician! : ADMIRER

22-down – New one, perhaps, needs backing of the others : FOREST

23-down – Don’t start deliberately to sink a marine creature! : CUTTLE

25-down – Police finally after father who released a bull : POPE

26-down – Action on the pitch made public swoon : PASS