Daily Answers

1-across – Critic used to demand entry : KNOCKER

5-across – Unbalanced when mounted? Best not say it then : GIDDYUP

10-across – Peak current setter goes after : ACME

11-across – Treat guest with grace — it’s not all bad! : CURATESEGG

12-across – Resent calling out characters in mid-canvas : ENVY

13-across – In prison, I drag around some­thing to keep me warm : CARDIGAN

14-across – It spreads cold vegetable over game : CONTAGION

16-across – The way it’s positioned is a real benefit : ASSET

17-across – Body temperature, approximately : TORSO

19-across – Log into a Tory’s daft predictions : ASTROLOGY

23-across – Plot set up that supports sleepers? : BEDFRAME

24-across – Charlie is playing Henry for money : CASH

25-across – Sound equipment Nigeria had distributed : HEARINGAID

26-across – Check out time for regime : DIET

27-across – Basically, he’s in a bitter environment : ATHEART

28-across – Meet demands for programme facility : APPEASE

2-down – Impossible for a knight to occupy dilapidated condo : NOCANDO

3-down – Substantial cut in charity limits : CHEWY

4-down – Attractive fellow leaving print work : ETCHING

6-down – Detain worker — for nothing? : INTERN

7-down – Mislaid at sea around ship? You get the sack : DISMISSAL

8-down – Promote happy class : UPGRADE

9-down – Favourite has lead perhaps — it could mean gold : PRECIOUSMETAL

15-down – Special group request church to follow trusted leader : TASKFORCE

18-down – Become angry when husband leaves? Get stuffed : OVEREAT

20-down – Summary arrest : ROUNDUP

21-down – Good guides, who can be very talkative : GUSHERS

22-down – Some children gawped over his ring : WAGNER

24-down – Bum gets day in lock-up : CADGE

7-across – Remainer’s regret about answer given in public? : EUROPEAN

9-across – Important person greeting boring old queen : ANYONE

10-across – See 17 : LINE

11-across – Honest, not rotten sinner in the appropriate place? : ONTHELEVEL

12-across – Bounder to stop working as a bagman? : CADDIE

14-across – Main fare from priest boarding vehicle heading for Ipswich : CALAMARI

15-across – Finish collecting fresh mud for Shakespeare character, who speaks the 17 10 seen here : EDMUND

17-across – Iffy bishop with request to be served some coke? : BORDER

20-across – Lets boxing man off in scraps : REMNANTS

22-across – When protesting, this follows up poet’s embraces : INARMS

23-across – Serialised works, those providing rosy depictions : IDEALISERS

24-across – By the sound of it, go lower in harmony : SYNC

25-across – Authorises king to enter Cyprus on vacation : CLEARS

26-across – Duke’s opening sherry in a mournful manner : DOLOROSO

1-down – Barrel that is holding feline or marine invertebrate : TUNICATE

2-down – Wanting top, picked out legwear : HOSE

3-down – Essentially deem ancient times a misery! : EEYORE

4-down – Downfall of criminal later put in court : WATERLOO

5-down – Plug and admire new interactive information system : HYPERMEDIA

6-down – Make beloved Eileen dis­heartened on date with something corny? : ENDEAR

8-down – Spot books in Mediterranean resort : NOTICE

13-down – Maybe possessed lake south of rocky Macedonia : DEMONIACAL

16-down – Jason’s jacket in suit tailored for martial art : NINJITSU

18-down – Room to accommodate Arab’s Catholic belief : ROMANISM

19-down – Mount of a leader of cavalry wearing mail : ASCEND

21-down – Final goal bagged by tall lad, netting on the spin : ENDALL

22-down – Pronoun the writer felt out of place, penning start of sonnet : ITSELF

24-down – Lacking home cover for certain : SURE

1-across – Capital found on the Thames? : BELFAST

5-across – Gentle sound putting butter on bread? : PITAPAT

10-across – Forward in Australian city dropping back : PERT

11-across – A virtual fool, thirty, dressed up as children’s character : TOOTHFAIRY

12-across – See 9 : CHANCE

13-across – Union in fun dismissing leader : ALLIANCE

14-across – Exciting piece from Bremen : ENTHUSING

16-across – Con fixer : SCREW

17-across – Prayer about body half lost in heaven? : ABOVE

19-across – Idiot called when first of messages missed, produced a tweet? : TWITTERED

23-across – Country in Iran having disheartened Slovak, unfortunately : SRILANKA

24-across – Off past this London station goes old raconteur in speech? : EUSTON

26-across – Fur in beard made of ice, did you say? : CHINCHILLA

27-across – God returned in screen idol : ODIN

28-across – Novelist and ex-con back in custody for sport : ARCHERY

29-across – Old lover in affair showing some muscle? : FLEXING

2-down – Criminal nowhere — Butler did it! : EREWHON

3-down – Comfortable furniture in airport initially changed : FUTON

4-down – Comfortable furniture in place over river : SETTEES

6-down – See 9 : INHELL

7-down – Overwhelming quantity 15, according to the French? : AVALANCHE

8-down – Speaker’s authority in chamber : AURICLE

9-down – Drunk low on Stella has Chenin blanc never! : NOTASNOWBALLS

15-down – Eat meat having dropped article inside loin and leg : HAVELUNCH

18-down – King’s predecessor in restaurant listened to old citizen : BURGHER

20-down – Tail one wags, extreme part : TOENAIL

21-down – English poet, sensation : EMOTION

22-down – Attachment to boat behind 25 10 in large ship, by the sound of it? : ANCHOR

25-down – People in North America : SIOUX

1-across – Sort of dress said to restrain a disciplinarian? : STRAPLESS

6-across – Is a consumer jailed without society? : PUTS

8-across – Old German’s attempt to interrupt call by hospital : VISIGOTH

9-across – Beaune, not the ultimate in wine, drunk with date and flowing water : DANUBE

10-across – Brood that might be disengaged : CLUTCH

11-across – Employ information technology in low-key, on-screen assistance : SUBTITLE

12-across – Disease makes son shapely : SCURVY

15-across – Shortage of boxes? Shame, but no pressure : SPARSITY

16-across – Bullying has journalists con­vinced to drop leader : PRESSURE

19-across – To some extent includes cryptic spot : DESCRY

21-across – Provided glass on a mobile : ASLONGAS

22-across – Bear out of honey finally, after changing fiver : VERIFY

24-across – Drive time around noon — can’t wait! : URGENT

25-across – Fast current at the start makes you anxious : INSECURE

26-across – See 6 : AWAY

27-across – A girl more suited for performance : RIGMAROLE

1-down – Pitch spread in piles : SPIEL

2-down – List includes Independent Party : ROISTER

3-down – Pound back on hot dog : POOCH

4-down – Losing hair, Uriah Heep’s playing southern city of old : EPHESUS

5-down – Bank management furniture : SIDEBOARD

6-down – Underwear that is contributing to heavy breathing : PANTIES

7-down – Maybe spreadsheet user thanks innovative Labour technology head : TABULATOR

13-down – Irish town’s company provides assistance to wine drinker? : CORKSCREW

14-down – Wagging tongues in your heartless youth : YOUNGSTER

17-down – Wet person in debt included in cast : SHOWERY

18-down – Course initially falls short in banqueting : EASTING

20-down – Wind is getting up — fabulous flyer needs company : SIROCCO

22-down – Senior Tory leaders getting in by means of Panorama : VISTA

23-down – Rival holding back Greek fashion : FORGE

8-across – Religious text worthily translated : HOLYWRIT

9-across – Lusty husband later becoming gross : EARTHY

10-across – Bends over in bars : STOOPS

11-across – Source of electricity not new in providing illumination : LIGHTING

12-across – Kiss a little, turning head away : PECK

13-across – I note holy man is longing to be laughing : INSTITCHES

15-across – Reckon US author is to marry : BETROTH

16-across – Drug I take during a trip : ASPIRIN

18-across – Many a retiree, say, gets a bittern hatchling? : BABYBOOMER

19-across – Zero energy? Source of hydroelectricity : NILE

20-across – Gold metal reflected information identifying gas : NITROGEN

22-across – Electronic pioneer keeping in farmyard sounds : MOOING

23-across – Visiting many places in Canadian province for us : ONTOUR

24-across – Fiddled, printing stuff in ‘dead tree’ version : TINKERED

1-down – Victims of wars less involved with negotiator about end to confrontation : LOSTGENERATIONS

2-down – Having determination to show authorship rests between pirate and criminal : BYHOOKORBYCROOK

3-down – Experts over piece of meat bringing in one to make ham : PROSCIUTTO

4-down – In confusion as to how some tax avoidance schemes operate? : ATALOSS

5-down – Austrian composer about to enter another European country after upset : BERG

6-down – No pottery income redirected, without which there may be some ‘accidents’! : PROTECTIONMONEY

7-down – Offshore figure, one blocking direct defamation : CHANNELISLANDER

14-down – Meaning to play guitar for a time — or a flute? : INSTRUMENT

17-down – Put out and mostly worried about bloke : EMANATE

21-down – Board game roundly omitting content that’s graphic : GORY