Daily Answers

1-across – In compartment stand opposite, looking humourless : POFACED

5-across – Pass round the port, my man? : HUSBAND

9-across – A hairpin bend in seven reconstructed roads : AVENUES

10-across – Quietly divide up onion : SHALLOT

11-across – Party at son’s place, a cheap lodging : DOSSHOUSE

12-across – Take car and leave it here overnight? : DRIVE

13-across – Sort of seat: dog needs it back : TIPUP

15-across – Flourishing growth of company that’s hard to enter : BUSHINESS

17-across – Others endlessly mull over; I have an answer : RESPONDER

19-across – President leaves a drop of red wine : MACON

22-across – Fine fabric in reddish-yellow : FLAME

23-across – Insignificant person, ruthlessly squeezed for money? : PIPSQUEAK

25-across – Permitted not to pay anything yet? : ALLOWED

26-across – Put straight crooked dealing : ALIGNED

27-across – This selection produced all sorts of creatures : NATURAL

28-across – Ruin of the French city sacked by Greeks : DESTROY

1-down – Place at examination brings praise : PLAUDIT

2-down – Makes available broadcast of icy conditions : FREESUP

3-down – Bed cold: that’s painful : COUCH

4-down – Birds’ duet rudely interrupted : DISTURBED

5-down – Have you energy? Hurry! : HASTE

6-down – Bear company and don’t be swayed : STANDFIRM

7-down – A couple of lines on paper briefly make such a record : ALLTIME

8-down – Takes ages going to pot this red : DITHERS

14-down – Struggle of telecoms companies in 1939/40? : PHONEYWAR

16-down – Call to use metric in recycling centre : SCRAPYARD

17-down – Don’t be a burden : REFRAIN

18-down – Result of wound allowed to become a sort of fever : SCARLET

20-down – Daily, Charlie gets thinner : CLEANER

21-down – Having no cover led Yank astray : NAKEDLY

23-down – On your bike — get moving! : PEDAL

24-down – Leaves with a double alternative : QUITS

1-across – Leading male with dad bod : FATHER

4-across – See 1 : FIGURE

9-across – Element of surprise, initially therein a memoir isn’t true : IMMERSIONHEATER

10-across – State two answers when tackling Latin question : ALASKA

11-across – Old relation in favour of European support : FOREBEAR

12-across – Cuts uncertainty in wagers : BRISKETS

14-across – Called in time to get sex? Did escort? : TITLED

15-across – Cool morning, rejected air conditioning for fan : MANIAC

18-across – One next to Carol, not caught messing about in school photo : POLAROID

21-across – Person raking in money in dock after court briefly disrupted : CROUPIER

22-across – Conservative leading referendum vote that’s split : CLEAVE

24-across – Not following rules? PM Sunak silent or worried? : UNSPORTSMANLIKE

25-across – In ecstasy tablet, rat poison extremely reckless : ENRAPT

26-across – Let conservationists put grass outside : RENTED

1-down – One dropping pound, picked up and pocketed by smoker : FUMBLER

2-down – Spectator going up to support opener in the Ashes? : TREES

3-down – Catch second name after nurse runs into empty ambulance : ENSNARE

5-down – Be left at home with husband, flipping bore : INHERIT

6-down – Labour wants to lose bankers with redistribution for capital : ULANBATOR

7-down – Increase tax in confused battle, member must go : ELEVATE

8-down – Make love with fellow, American idiot : DOOFUS

13-down – One doing sport to take off short top : SKIJUMPER

16-down – Score from area? Right to practise shooting here? : ARRANGE

17-down – Tweet letter: pleased Tom might do this in retirement : CHIRRUP

18-down – Couch potato originally to share nuts : PHRASE

19-down – Towards the end, accepting work to feed the kids? : LACTATE

20-down – Called upon second couple to bonk: video shot : INVOKED

23-down – Lie around snorting cocaine in ostentatious display : ECLAT

1-across – Daughter is chased by pig that’s let out : DISGORGE

5-across – Here’s a surprise about the French overture from Ravel? It’s not an overture : BOLERO

9-across – Rung number? Most of class engaged, possibly : SPOKENFOR

11-across – Feminine reserve about husband’s file : FICHE

12-across – Set subsequently including father has to fail : GODOWNTHEPAN

15-across – Love to have sex, not about to retreat : EROS

16-across – Star culture mostly irregular of form : STRUCTURAL

18-across – Argument about curtailment of embroidery to finish church feature : ROSEWINDOW

19-across – Scent trace of oranges in country near Australia : PONG

21-across – Dislike about university’s hint to suppress one crime? What’s cooking, seriously? : HAUTECUISINE

24-across – Motivation beginning to recede in downmarket bar : DRIVE

25-across – Feel something of a blow to experience second sight thus? : SEEDOUBLE

26-across – Discriminating person is engaged in a purchase : AGEIST

27-across – Wrong to besiege Troy without end : IMMORTAL

1-down – Ready to cheat mum : DOSH

2-down – Small quantity in narrow opening : SLOT

3-down – US state with mines mostly worked out? : OREGON

4-down – Suggestion to ditch leader unfortunately blocked by eccentric toff with the ability to speak unknown languages : GIFTOFTONGUES

6-down – Little item in proposal not entirely complete, not entirely pure : OFFWHITE

7-down – More space arranged around old game venue : ESCAPEROOM

8-down – Green picked up correspondence — nothing to replace a study of the sea : OCEANOLOGY

10-down – Dismissed old fellow leading second eleven to finish exhausted? : RUNOUTOFSTEAM

13-down – Heartbroken to block dubious trade in pyramids : TETRAHEDRA

14-down – One amongst majority to get prominent about source of ugly work with cosmetics? : MOISTURISE

17-down – They’ll carefully select social media users getting variable for time : TWEEZERS

20-down – Keen on repeating second half, considering everything : INTOTO

22-down – Passing comment? Nothing had an effect : OBIT

23-down – German composer I overlooked successfully : WELL

1-across – Artists first impressed by youngsters : CUBISTS

5-across – Dishevelled engineers put back more grating : ROUGHER

9-across – Brief top : PRIME

10-across – A grim tortuous character performance : RIGMAROLE

11-across – Prayer leads to our redemption, I gather : COLLECTOR

12-across – Spades cut in dull card game : OMBRE

13-across – Physician left after a woman’s protracted delivery : DRAWL

15-across – Music for dancing bears spanning prohibition era : HABANERAS

18-across – Mum stops a sailor boarding container vessel : CATAMARAN

19-across – Study setter’s material : DENIM

21-across – Sailor in action regularly dropped off here? : CABIN

23-across – Hip fractured recently in pursuit : PHILATELY

25-across – WWII fighter to make unauth­orised flight, returning seaman : DESERTRAT

26-across – Sauce recipes, tomato included : PESTO

27-across – Below par wage? : SICKPAY

28-across – Degenerate Republican’s falling asleep : RELAPSE

1-down – English medic turned up with hat on, first landing here? : CAPECOD

2-down – Outstanding lakes in Britain polluted : BRILLIANT

3-down – School’s top people finally cracking Nutmeg’s riddle : SIEVE

4-down – Those with orders to carry out on battlefield? : STRETCHER

5-down – Renowned athlete bearing name initially misprinted in schedule : ROGER

6-down – Bare northern parts a Breton loved : UNADORNED

7-down – Little Boy’s younger and nastier cousin admitting personal problem to hospital doctor : HBOMB

8-down – Touring East, passes on hand-rolled ciggies : REEFERS

14-down – Tart flavouring a little bit sweet : LEMONDROP

16-down – See 5 : BANNISTER

17-down – Not the best variety of bean to eat? : RUNNERSUP

18-down – Scoundrel blocking intelligence agency’s bugs : CICADAS

20-down – Seasonal post with strings attached? : MAYPOLE

22-down – Modern language degree, so it appears : BASIC

23-down – See 4 : PARTY

24-down – Outrage as a Guardian setter’s reported : APPAL

1-across – Pub holds back 12 bottles of wine for festival : PESACH

4-across – Provider of juice to warhorse : CHARGER

9-across – Members of the clergy 2 and 3? : CARDINALS

10-across – Cereal for everyone kept in barrel : DURUM

11-across – Dog free of lead, might one take flight? : EAGLE

12-across – Politician caught in awkward recline with unnatural material : CRIMPLENE

13-across – Put away slice : SECTION

15-across – Looter’s assistant breaks into expensive car : RAIDER

17-across – God sleeps on : KRONOS

19-across – Ranked ‘secret’, provided I quit : CLASSED

22-across – See how day developed with make-up : EYESHADOW

24-across – Outspoken pub reducing headcount by 90%? : VOCAL

26-across – Colossal insect chasing soldier : GIANT

27-across – At first, critics likely upset if shown Finding Nemo? : CLOWNFISH

28-across – Vampire actor, he punctured child’s skin and drew blood : LEECHED

29-across – Stun grenade in China made of wood ends disastrously : DEAFEN

1-down – Travellers going without support of boxers? : PACKERS

2-down – A little bit of sherbet for good kid : SPROG

3-down – Standard Catholic ceremony on top of wrought iron : CRITERION

4-down – Dismiss bank clerk : CASHIER

5-down – Sum 500 + 500 + 1? : ADDUP

6-down – They take special need cutting wild grass, endlessly : GARDENERS

7-down – Engine to drive Jack over Egypt on vacation : RAMJET

8-down – Golfer swaps one party for another to make birdie? : FALCON

14-down – Soap delayed? Missing one link : CORRELATE

16-down – 500 against adult being bitten by naughty canine earlier : INADVANCE

18-down – Tempted by rum used about December : SEDUCED

19-down – Rogue trader’s modest about fancy bow : COWBOY

20-down – Strangely upholding skinless mammal, in the main : DOLPHIN

21-down – Mountain lass found in area around Kolkata : BENGAL

23-down – Couple’s welcome to church — nothing’s forgotten : HITCH

25-down – Conservative lawbreaker ignoring the first leader : CHIEF