Daily Answers

1-across – Is cutting politician not all there? That’s obvious : TRUISM

4-across – Objects for experiment satisfactory : PROTESTS

9-across – Breasts extremely large,and does my bum look big in this? : BUSTLE

10-across – Before children’s party,taking pill not planned : BYCHANCE

11-across – Loss of trust in ICE : CREDIBILITYGAP

13-across – Tree in Wigan sheep attacked : WEEPINGASH

14-across – Marge and Homer’s second sign : OLEO

16-across – Early singer’s a joke : LARK

18-across – Embarrassed aunt with secret observations : UTTERANCES

21-across – They take up defender’s responsibilities : BLOCKANDTACKLE

23-across – Playing well,Arsenal wingers relaxed : INFORMAL

24-across – What Vlad liked to do to support church : PIERCE

25-across – ‘Don’t mess with her!’ Hubby’s last lament : THRENODY

26-across – Heard A,I,O,U might be complicated : KNOTTY

1-down – Moving about after leaving centre not allowed : TABU

2-down – United clear-out involving boss finally leads to boost : UPSURGE

3-down – Dirty like Duke found inside dressing : SALADOIL

5-down – Bill needs this bloke unfortunately transferred : ROYALASSENT

6-down – Back shortly going round affected island : TAHITI

7-down – Dope turned up in secure country : SENEGAL

8-down – Female setters possibly receiving letter – they may be put on trial : SHEEPDOGS

12-down – John’s bar is pretty basic : BOGSTANDARD

13-down – Rugged cowboys not involved if so : WELLBUILT

15-down – Not allow back : SANCTION

17-down – Support announcement of D road : ROOTFOR

19-down – Dog eating left-over pie crust – it follows he’s the guilty party : CULPRIT

20-down – Risk coming a cropper on one in Chamonix : SKIRUN

22-down – Animal refuge – why say it’s fake news? : DENY

1-across – Went for drive in old banger perhaps : USEDCAR

5-across – OT figure has a very unsuitable garment on part of leg : ABRAHAM

9-across – Wear what ‘orseman did? : ERODE

10-across – A pedantic lunatic ran the ship : CAPTAINED

11-across – Strangely erotic,Sue’s polite gestures : COURTESIES

12-across – Airline,first from Tokyo that flies by night : BAT

14-across – Get set with flower arrangement to keep memory alive : LESTWEFORGET

18-across – Cheat is to withdraw a hasty joke : PULLAFASTONE

21-across – A court deed : ACT

22-across – A British friend? : ANGLOPHILE

25-across – Only partly interested,we hear,lunch not being offered with this : HALFBOARD

26-across – Tree,please don’t die! : OLIVE

27-across – Criticised heavily about opening piece of news being biased : SLANTED

28-across – Apparently good service in court for such a divorce : NOFAULT

1-down – Paris agency’s misfortunes concealed to some extent : UNESCO

2-down – Book showing a major departure from scripture : EXODUS

3-down – While eating,lean out to have a conversation? : CHEWTHEFAT

4-down – Last of four winners in competitions : RACES

5-down – Now time to open a gift : ATPRESENT

6-down – Horse raced round circle : ROAN

7-down – Like Thatcher,attacks accessories : HANDBAGS

8-down – Consider partner about to improve : MEDITATE

13-down – Robust demonstration designed to assure peace : SOUNDPROOF

15-down – Railway veto at first disappoints militia : TRAINBAND

16-down – Sensational news stories that may need clearing up : SPLASHES

17-down – Great number boarding to jam-pack a succession of craft : FLOTILLA

19-down – Buried in mausoleum I lie undisturbed in this setting : MILIEU

20-down – Object to being given another errand? : RESENT

23-down – Green cloth left,badly done : LODEN

24-down – Concerned with heartless neighbour : ABUT

1-across – Import notice on empty crate,should that be possible for me to pack it? : SIGNIFICANCE

9-across – A pretence,kidnap,conduit other-worldly? : ALIEN

10-across – See 9 : ABDUCTION

11-across – Survivor of battle with prime minister leaves : LETTUCE

12-across – Somewhere in Serbia,denied entry to another country,Germany : NOVISAD

13-across – European argument’s back: radio equipment is put on for shock jock? : POLEMICIST

15-across – Muck,say,in unopened passage : ISLE

18-across – See 24 Down : MEAT

19-across – Earning gift,romantic admits that brought pain : MIDASTOUCH

22-across – Hunter of Welsh snakes : SHEWOLF

24-across – A retreat by yours truly,most uncharitable : MEANEST

25-across – Trouble seeing image ultimately,OK,focus! : EYESTRAIN

26-across – The same outrageous documentation sent back : DITTO

27-across – Local boy here,I’m crazy for Hollywood’s plutonium blonde? : BARBENHEIMER

1-down – Trace evil farmer via gossip? : SCINTILLA

2-down – Game well beyond drunk couple? : GINRUMMY

3-down – A nine,that’s one over the eight,silly : INANE

4-down – Batting accomplished as I played for country : INDONESIA

5-down – A squeeze getting a hundred in anteroom : ALCOVE

6-down – 11 bags elected for change : COINS

7-down – Bitter blow? : WALLOP

8-down – Anxious,I originally dropped grandma’s eggs : ONEDGE

14-down – Knackered in fact having caught race leader : CHIEFTAIN

16-down – Something for the wet,sweet and sour balls : SOUWESTER

17-down – Anyhow,currency the cause of fission? : ATRANDOM

18-down – Motor mogul being on another planet in old banger? : MUSKET

20-down – Bath liquid and meat in container with a lid? : HATBOX

21-down – Vessel for water I see bubbling up? : HOTTUB

23-down – Bottom on fire,up-end so be it? : ENEMA

24-down – How might one make team – and what to make of losers? : MINCE

1-across – Likes to include piece of music in gymnastic exercise : PARALLELBARS

9-across – Brought on board after failing company made a decision : OPTED

10-across – Are reckless Don and him : ADHOMINEM

11-across – Colour not on visual spectrum,one adopted by dissolute artist : FAUVIST

12-across – Playwright increasingly accepting story : MOLIERE

13-across – Places for mixologists in prison? : BEHINDBARS

15-across – City each year filled with heartless Italians? : PISA

18-across – Time right to bring in new revolutionary measure of speed : KNOT

19-across – Member of orchestra having fish served with trifle : BASSFIDDLE

22-across – Life tutor ignoring a source of green energy? : BIOTECH

24-across – Cheers monarch going to Southern gate : TAKINGS

25-across – Bar moving one supporter : BRASSIERE

26-across – Deserved to bag round in fight : JOUST

27-across – Strain to see Trump,say,having certain behaviour found in groups : PEERPRESSURE

1-down – Moving picture about husband and love? His love’s considered a handful : PETRUCHIO

2-down – Storm enveloping two-thirds of more unsettled star : REDGIANT

3-down – Minimum area,small,included in rent : LEAST

4-down – Corrupt empires imprisoning the man producing almanac : EPHEMERIS

5-down – Minor official’s bottom,pornographic,not for the refined? : BUMBLE

6-down – Fashion bringing in new collection of styles : RANGE

7-down – Discussion implying support for right-wing views? : CONFAB

8-down – Simple creature,nameless one in possession of a business degree? On the contrary : AMOEBA

14-down – Summer clothing to support accommodating every individual width : BEACHWEAR

16-down – Contract,one getting navy a lot of choppers? : INDENTURE

17-down – Animal perversion a Judge banned? Not entirely : KINKAJOU

18-down – Some glamorous babe keeps up the cooked meat : KEBABS

20-down – Substitute located in the heart of Germany? Not initially : ERSATZ

21-down – Stunning item about Pasquale’s latest puzzle : TEASER

23-down – Speak in great detail,forgetting note : ORATE

24-down – Article on limits of weakness or strength : THEWS

1-across – It’s impossible to manufacture a bird : FORGETIT

5-across – Latest fake ‘art’ may be seen here : LATTES

9-across – Removing bottom from lacy gown isn’t half irresponsible : NEGLIGENT

11-across – Bit of lightheartedness in western martial arts : TRALA

12-across – Squeezebox lost in a thousand pounds of Royal Albert Hall gear : CONCERTGRAND

15-across – Unexplained phenomena among retrograde moons of Uranus : UFOS

16-across – Bench-sitters shift buttocks : ALTERNATES

18-across – Former wife’s grip that’ll need painkiller : EXTRACTION

19-across – Went to neaten garden : WEED

21-across – One taking it to the edge fancifully guzzling rotten gin and a fifth of mulled wine? : BINGEDRINKER

24-across – Invitation word Don expressed? : WHERE

25-across – Deep-sea swimming,both directions,for sunken gem : SEEDPEARL

26-across – Rover was one sort of dog : SETTER

27-across – Top Android,say,goes after toxic element in hazardous material : ASBESTOS

1-down – Almost slice up rat : FINK

2-down – Joplin composition: a Bollywood soundtrack tune : RAGA

3-down – Tesla rival is done screwing around : EDISON

4-down – Photo edges cropped from crude close-up pictures of ephemeral art : ICESCULPTURES

6-down – Sophocles heroine in favour of sticking around? : ANTIGONE

7-down – Genteel affairs in which pirates ate bats : TEAPARTIES

8-down – Get out of way of bear chased by first-string team? : STANDASIDE

10-down – Wise monkeys count dogs in long baskets : THREEPOINTERS

13-down – Great Hooters contests,stateside : SUPERBOWLS

14-down – Able to contain it with internal force? It’s conditional : CONTINGENT

17-down – You can see Venus with this device externally held by eccentric Yankee : NAKEDEYE

20-down – Part of the head’s religious centre : TEMPLE

22-down – Lisa’s brother is a spoiled brat! : BART

23-down – Chains raised in child’s play : ALPS