Daily Answers

7-across – Chef covering up hot item used for kitchen storage : CUPHOOK

8-across – Party attended by composer leaving new widow : DOWAGER

9-across – Country involved in formal investigation : MALI

10-across – Schubert composition about a European capital : BUCHAREST

12-across – Film-maker in scruffy anorak limps on : ROMAN

13-across – Check design of trainers : RESTRAIN

15-across – Eagle never crossing valley : GLEN

16-across – Country losing territory on North Island to old Britons : ICENI

17-across – One attempting to lose runs level : TIER

18-across – Strangely tasty cep seen as belonging to the same sort : TYPECAST

20-across – Set of clubs given to girl : CLASS

21-across – Game played by poets nursing sick setter : BILLIARDS

22-across – Bird that can cough things up? : HAWK

24-across – Vagrant stealing first part of investigator’s brief : DOSSIER

25-across – Sticky stuff coating large end of rectangular dressing : PLASTER

1-down – Animal turned up with mother : PUMA

2-down – One who oversees meeting with Chinese pilot : CHAIRMAN

3-down – Spool for thread endlessly going up and down : BOBBIN

4-down – See 12 across : POLANSKI

5-down – In a rush to charge queen : CAREER

6-down – End of scarf covered by moist part of cloth : WEFT

11-down – Fish go into chippy : CARPENTER

12-down – Type of race put down again : RELAY

14-down – Aides trained to make plans : IDEAS

16-down – Independent publications losing Azerbaijani leaders’ pictures : IMAGINES

17-down – Experiment involving long container : TEACHEST

19-down – Space given to lean recruit : ENLIST

20-down – Social 20 across accepting large, grand residence : CASTLE

21-down – Hit boy below the belt : BLOW

23-down – Bird heard when crossing river : WREN

1-across – Good knight with lot lost, hit on the field : GLANCE

4-across – Man of class, maybe English, with old money and gold : EDUCATOR

9-across – Performers walk in the auditorium : TROUPE

10-across – Service just the same, no good : EVENSONG

11-across – Bohemian learner joining a foreign religious house on holy island : UNCONVENTIONAL

13-across – Unhappy fellow ‘gutted’, we hear? Support found in church : MISERICORD

14-across – Trench in meadow ending with silt : LEAT

16-across – Only off when mad dogs go out? : NOON

18-across – Grander lie broadcast by chief villain : RINGLEADER

21-across – One left in workplace after final day is all right : SATISFACTORILY

23-across – Vehement cheat — PM, I fancy : EMPHATIC

24-across – Downtrodden worker keeping a promise : PAROLE

25-across – Lie dying, sadly giving up : YIELDING

26-across – Harry is safe — son’s in hiding : PESTER

1-down – Not all bowling at Edgbaston will get a wicket? : GATE

2-down – First of all, horses must be given numbers : AMOUNTS

3-down – Conservative meeting leading bosses — are there skeletons hiding here? : CUPBOARD

5-down – The driving idea originally conjured up for supposed royal prerogative : DIVINERIGHT

6-down – Open Voltaire’s work — don’t close it : CANDID

7-down – Pound troy — half-forgotten weight : TROUNCE

8-down – Soldier keeps to rules I lay down : REGULATOR

12-down – Most in French resort upset during holiday? One should minimise health risk : VACCINATION

13-down – Skill needing to keep working in male community : MONASTERY

15-down – Cut back on iron? : DECREASE

17-down – Top clue cunningly constructed? This one is word-wise! : OCTUPLE

19-down – Party with yob carrying drug to distribute : DOLEOUT

20-down – One with fifty occupying beach, say, in Ibiza? : ISLAND

22-down – What’s loud has listener showing anxiety : FEAR

1-across – Top money for US chain : STARBUCKS

6-across – See 13 : LOCKS

9-across – See 8 : COURT

10-across – Relax, having forced in the plug : LIGHTENUP

11-across – Local news after one : INN

12-across – Can with ten free nuts, last of those going in tin? : ENTRANCEFEE

14-across – Blow into hole in burner : GASLAMP

15-across – Wood taking minutes instead of seconds in film studios : ELMTREE

16-across – Less clear, fade in drum beat : MUDDIER

19-across – Broadcast about child ending in squalor — here? : SKIDROW

22-across – Bees, perhaps, built honeytrap to trap me! : HYMENOPTERA

23-across – Fastener lacking in a zip for Americans? : NIL

24-across – Rocky, having struck bow in tilt — narrow vessel : CANALBOAT

26-across – Island where unknown character has broken bone, having struck head : IBIZA

27-across – Refusal to admit someone good is bad : NASTY

28-across – Verbally, was jousting for some time : FORTNIGHT

1-down – Expulsion, rough stuff : SACKING

2-down – Old student in compound before sunup : ALUMNUS

3-down – Damn sexist filmed pinching the bottoms of Israeli and Filipino women : BOTHERATION

4-down – Horse carrying daughter and old man up — one of two runners? : COLDTAP

5-down – It indicates the gang, I suspect, somewhat set up : SIGNAGE

6-down – Brilliant books : LIT

7-down – Wood: one saved by grant : CONIFER

8-down – Legal body that’s corrupt use suspect to stitch me up : SUPREME

13-down – First of inspectors, people parting tidy hair — might they be on the case? : COMBINATION

16-down – Complain about noise coming from boozer, perhaps, punk style : MOHICAN

17-down – Execute mythical king in US chain : DOMINOS

18-down – Accusation by theatre where fiddler played? : REPROOF

19-down – Loud speaker, improvisation of tenor underway? : STENTOR

20-down – Creator of famous solver given good position : RANKING

21-down – US chain bringing up regulations on public transport? : WALMART

25-down – Place where cap knocked from toy : LAY

9-across – I am on time; you sound unprepared : IMPROMPTU

10-across – Cause embarrassment to a party : ABASH

11-across – Toy with some fish, say? It’s not a fish : DOLPHIN

12-across – Where to wash at dilapidated hut in temporary accommodation : BATHTUB

13-across – Excited to take part in advanced gymnastics : EDGY

14-across – Such sickness and suffering orig­inate with medic, ultimately : IATROGENIC

16-across – Type of truck where one could live and sleep : FLATBED

17-across – Flawed heroic figure’s end concealed for so long : CHEERIO

19-across – Here your panniers get lost : ONYOURBIKE

22-across – Objections rejected in the end : STUB

24-across – Greeting composer and setter with a barbecue : HIBACHI

25-across – Quality found in an aria or a hymn, when done right : HARMONY

26-across – Sit with reformed impostor, having forsaken devil : ROOST

27-across – Doling out tea brought in for mayoral decoration : GOLDCHAIN

1-down – Clue for hotel in remote location? : MIDDLEOFNOWHERE

2-down – Game soldier entered as defence : APOLOGIA

3-down – Coffee from Kilmacolm? Och aye! : MOCHA

4-down – European resort outlet on the rise : SPANIARD

5-down – Burger prepared with toppings of Danish bacon, egg mayo, Iberico ham and a spanner : HUMBER

6-down – Reveller in some wild orgy taking ecstasy : PARTYGOER

7-down – Loose and weak heavyweight was victorious over soldier : WANTON

8-down – The 1d? : THEBACKOFBEYOND

15-down – Blur and Oasis, Britpop founders, could alienate the establishment at the outset when touring America : OBFUSCATE

17-down – Trap found in a Bundt : CAKEHOLE

18-down – Working in atrial fibrillation is sensible : RATIONAL

20-down – Uncouth people discussing why boobs wobble : YOBBOS

21-down – See 5 : BRIDGE

23-down – Loud music and dress : FROCK

1-across – Confesses personal matter, upon reflection : OWNSUP

5-across – Rushing wind postponed start of mission : BLASTOFF

9-across – Prevarication unlikely in serenade : STALLING

10-across – On German lake, last of the morning sun shimmers : GLEAMS

11-across – One thing or a couple? : ITEM

12-across – See 2 : INTHEWORLD

13-across – Bloke that is limiting expense, essentially : MEANIE

14-across – Animated character’s loud warning cry turned attention : YOGIBEAR

16-across – Tiniest particle in balance : REMOTEST

19-across – Disorder created by politician in government : RUMPLE

21-across – Rationalise current business : STREAMLINE

23-across – Nothing in Lancashire town demolished : NOWT

24-across – Very unhealthy, like large country houses : VILLAS

25-across – Remain fair, but refuse to pay penalty : KEEPFINE

26-across – Give a hand to catch bull : CLAPTRAP

27-across – Metal content of cage? : SILVER

2-down – How flawless execution proceeds, despite all one’s efforts? : WITHTHEBESTWILL

3-down – Wise man’s got millions, working unaided to begin with : SOLOMON

4-down – Pharisee admitting ignoble end for gentile is right : PRIVILEGE

5-down – Valiant attempt to repress one’s initial prejudice : BIGOTRY

6-down – Several seaweeds good in salad uncovered close to shore : ALGAE

7-down – One particular doctor choking to death : THETOMB

8-down – What could make any fellow claim a discontinued benefit? : FAMILYALLOWANCE

15-down – Pressman backing into barn with small cultivators : GARDENERS

17-down – Finished drink, partly a coincidence : OVERLAP

18-down – Devise fine trophy for orators : THINKUP

20-down – Attentive guard taken short : MINDFUL

22-down – 13 swears regularly behind setter’s back : MISER