Daily Answers

1-across – Oddly squad added no depth, losing power for a way to decide the outcome : SUDDEN

4-across – First of all, probing young journalist asked me about strange bedtime habit? : PYJAMAS

9-across – Smash hit podcast on radio originally — completely timeless and joyful : RHAPSODIC

10-across – One can be dressed, just like a jack-in-the-box! : WOUND

11-across – Improvised epilogue about taking heroin : ADHOC

12-across – After stripping, find adult agents will be generous : INDULGENT

13-across – One with plans for passing Tesla motorcar, say : TESTATE

15-across – Watch revolutionary go on TV show : REGARD

17-across – School’s covering my burn : SCORCH

19-across – Dive and jump, keeping fit inside — quite the opposite : FLEAPIT

22-across – Give clearance : TOLERANCE

24-across – Partially defrosting potato dish : ROSTI

26-across – Silent after vacation with a very loud man : STAFF

27-across – Fed gossip about rejected column — it’s possibly forged? : METALWORK

28-across – Soften bulletin describing support from the east : SWEETEN

29-across – See 25 : MARKET

1-down – One’s learned Queen must replace one American lady-in-waiting, for example : SERVANT

2-down – See 1 across : DEATH

3-down – One might seek comfort in this tranquil church song : EASYCHAIR

4-down – Publishing company with marketing men supporting single out on the radio : PICADOR

5-down – Ultimately, he saw the deal — Jack is first, possibly a diamond : JEWEL

6-down – Second service goes over net to get game : MOUSETRAP

7-down – Sample pitted fruit — it’s dull : SEDATE

8-down – Praise whenever I’m darning trousers in recession : ADMIRE

14-down – Crop cutter against visiting hospital department for period of recovery : SICKLEAVE

16-down – Irregular and liberal — mostly irregular and liberal : GUERRILLA

18-down – Content to thank Fed for word game : HANGMAN

19-down – Formula One is in Monaco on a holiday : FIESTA

20-down – Rent kit out — it’s of little value : TRINKET

21-down – Unaltered under street arrest : STASIS

23-down – Makeover with scope for sex change : REFIT

25-down – Family get together with boat for a base at last — but it can crash : STOCK

1-across – Councillor’s gutted by Oxford’s river disaster : CRISIS

5-across – Moved — not natural : AFFECTED

9-across – Tending to scare off star Liam : ALARMIST

10-across – Truncated fancy bra raised temperature : ABRUPT

11-across – Live within one’s means, as a contortionist could : MAKEENDSMEET

13-across – Essential element of Depression: onset of hunger : PITH

14-across – High earners taking in southern mountain air quality : RARENESS

17-across – Son with present : SNOWDROP

18-across – Break small piece off end of thick raised surface : KNAP

20-across – East Midlands town doctor set child free : CHESTERFIELD

23-across – Royal house’s beginning to encompass university : STUART

24-across – Bother an educator and an iconic rebel : HEADACHE

25-across – Feathers are better than a baton movement : DOWNBEAT

26-across – Uninteresting ladder trial : DRYRUN

2-down – Eggs, when split by line, part : ROLE

3-down – Old whaler’s work: capturing felons in Wash, possibly : SCRIMSHAW

4-down – Wearing the blue turned up, duck? Figure-hugging! : SLINKY

5-down – Immediately when Derby, say, fell : ATTHEDROPOFAHAT

6-down – European region’s loud people being grounded : FLANDERS

7-down – In public, a romantic American’s billiards shot : CAROM

8-down – State means to create a fast road : EXPRESSWAY

12-down – Move of bishop to China, not a fate that’s rectified : FIANCHETTO

15-down – Meadow saffron for the Coventry horsewoman? : NAKEDLADY

16-down – One who’s been caught arriving with drugs in need of support : ARRESTEE

19-down – Newspaper possibly reveals ‘Goddess married to heartless youth’ : HERALD

21-down – Proust’s character is weak, going in opposite directions : SWANN

22-down – You once cut many hundreds : THOU

1-across – Closing plant? Case of farewell, have fun in retirement : FLYTRAP

5-across – Wear belt : CLOBBER

10-across – Bath Oliver’s last in box : SPAR

11-across – Oliver’s compositions? Fine examples : SHOWPIECES

12-across – Work party : LABOUR

13-across – Want to arrange meeting time: hour put in : SHORTAGE

14-across – Painting with concerning mark inside mount : REMBRANDT

16-across – Like to stay in bed and take it easy : COAST

17-across – Tip of tape measure going round collar : SEIZE

19-across – Carpet to cover floor : DRESSDOWN

23-across – Figure with cake and tea getting biscuit at the back : BARCHART

24-across – Secretary regularly takes breaks : PAUSES

26-across – More unfinished canapés, crackers and cheese : MASCARPONE

27-across – Go out with model to get food : DIET

28-across – Over bowled from complex period of play : SESSION

29-across – Friend forced to accept retire­ment, primarily by firm : COMRADE

2-down – Upset friend has left: brilliant mathematician : LAPLACE

3-down – Tango close to body : TORSO

4-down – Country song about American hotel, essentially : AUSTRIA

6-down – Line to put into program for computer : LAPTOP

7-down – Football team with tendency to cross, winning corner at the end : BRENTFORD

8-down – Comes out of European Union, mostly with backing of idiots : EMERGES

9-down – See 25 : CONSIDERATION

15-down – Punk band raises excitement at the start : BUZZCOCKS

18-down – Cover of Escort: a celebrity back issue : EMANATE

20-down – Boss with certain way of working to absorb pressure : SUPREMO

21-down – Range of understanding after insignificant day: time to stop work : WEEKEND

22-down – Bob’s one hard song to perform : HAIRDO

25-down – After reshuffle, Nadine Dorries : UNDER

9-across – Composer didn’t have ‘unfinished’, with end of symphony penned : HAYDN

10-across – Bird or insect beside plant stem : CORMORANT

11-across – Sham flier heading north in gannet, acting like magpie? : PILFERING

12-across – Under spruce, hole’s opening : NEATH

13-across – Shag explorer lying back, commander : TOBACCO

15-across – Rogue payment in the news : CURRENT

17-across – Squawk by old bird, though not old bird! : MACAW

18-across – Money returned — woof! : YAP

20-across – Bird — tit : BOOBY

22-across – Terrible fear in turkey, seeing gull : DEFRAUD

25-across – Swallow against birds flying west : CONSUME

26-across – About right, brief idea for currency : FRANC

27-across – Shake tree, perhaps, where there’s cuckoo I feed a lot : DEFOLIATE

30-across – Birds in tree almost caught by dogs : COCKERELS

31-across – More than one bird rises up, it’s said? : RHEAS

1-down – See 7 : CHOP

2-down – Novel is by all contributors initially referring to language unit : SYLLABIC

3-down – Queen caught by pelican, neatly : ANNE

4-down – Venom bound to stuff a bunny : ACRIMONY

5-down – Unfortunate scrap defended by jerk : TRAGIC

6-down – Bird after song for competition : ROUNDROBIN

7-down – Controlled strike at parrot in windy park : KARATE

8-down – Ultimate characters seen in the magnificent Coptic church make an impression : ETCH

13-down – Corporation documents, puffed up : TUMID

14-down – Contract secured by quail for device used on American rails : COWCATCHER

16-down – Herb has heard bird : THYME

19-down – Dove, one perched on hand after uplifting eclipse : PACIFIST

21-down – Laud vet following surgery after duck produced eggs : OVULATED

23-down – Leader of Conservatives in bumbling oaf is humiliating disaster : FIASCO

24-down – Cook cooks old birds : DODOES

26-down – Bottom on turf, great tackle : FACE

28-down – Bird laugh : LARK

29-down – Some fugitive, as yet loose : EASY

1-across – Elaborate on line in bill, leading man to appeal : TICKLETHEFANCY

9-across – Forced to rise, being directed across sierra : ROUSTED

10-across – Greek city’s grain brought across current Turkish borders : CORINTH

11-across – Badger short of phosphorous compound : ESTER

12-across – Exile keeping unruly racists in order : OSTRACISM

13-across – Lawman, it’s said, puts down government supporters : LOYALISTS

14-across – Society invested in remedy for affliction : CURSE

15-across – Seabird uncommon in Atlantic state : NODDY

17-across – Transport bacon — ham’s off! : HANSOMCAB

20-across – Conductor against accepting old van on motorway : MANTOVANI

22-across – Name adopted by conventional poet : DONNE

23-across – Smart painter regularly showing bends in track : CHICANE

24-across – Colourful result of hitting buffers? : SHINERS

25-across – Trained stagehands do it, con­founding expectations : AGAINSTTHEODDS

1-down – Senseless victims in the crime bled horribly : THREEBLINDMICE

2-down – Consider empty rectory, taking steps to provide leisure activity : COUNTRY

3-down – Overdue improvement on the side : LATERALLY

4-down – Wearing crown of England during studio broadcast : TEDIOUS

5-down – Works up references in support of unopened congress : EXCITES

6-down – Craft gathering round a major vessel : AORTA

7-down – More subtle control upped following stir : CANNIER

8-down – Nearby chemists supply home flu protection, might you say? : CHIMNEYBREASTS

14-down – Head for crowded raucous square where ecstasy’s to be had? : CLOUDNINE

16-down – See 2 : DANCING

17-down – They’ll cheat hotel over chops with right stuffing : HOAXERS

18-down – Nothing fixed without a carpenter’s tool : NAILSET

19-down – Prisoner and guard meet head on : CONTEND

21-down – Took a picture featuring African browser : OKAPI