Daily Answers

7-across – Compliant power at fault : PLIABLE

8-across – Down a foreign drunk : UNHAPPY

9-across – Stand back – one’s covered in blue : DAIS

10-across – Determine before spilling drop in ear : PREORDAIN

12-across – Turkish address housing a king with prominent nose : BEAKY

13-across – Only approved heads held in high regard, so anger on the way : ROADRAGE

15-across – See 23 Down : PACK

16-across – Fast as a crab? : NIPPY

17-across – See 6 Down : MIND

18-across – Articles on a controversial illusionist that are used by setters : THESAURI

20-across – Periodical reduced by Guardian wise guy : MAGUS

21-across – Jail outside America – my flight goes around it : STAIRWELL

22-across – Cut end of grass and beard of barley : SAWN

24-across – Using mobile to ring politician is challenging : IMPUGNS

25-across – Failure of foreign cable broadcast : DEBACLE

1-down – It could produce an itch to escape, say : FLEA

2-down – Stay relaxed if included in reporter’s ‘fodder pile’ : HAYSTACK

3-down – Sentimental agent accepts cut : SLOPPY

4-down – Centre at York exhibiting suit : ENTREATY

5-down – Rod, circling one African country, stalls here : BAZAAR

6-down – Old writer takes care to show objectivity : OPEN

11-down – Puerile shenanigans with – oh! – a Remainer? : EUROPHILE

12-down – Flashy underwear’s hot! : BRASH

14-down – They’re passed down clothes reportedly : GENES

16-down – Run into trouble trapping energy particle : NEUTRINO

17-down – Swift game played against dwarf? : MEGASTAR

19-down – Rank, inferior stuff imported by South America : STATUS

20-down – Element of one’s deceitful character on the outside : MILIEU

21-down – Northern folk of note perversely like being put first : SAMI

23-down – Beastly group put away stuff : WOLF

1-across – Wolves regularly circling after playing with a small creature : WATERFLEA

6-across – Number near four grasped by cow : MOON

8-across – Hypothetical splashing of urn across pressure cooker : UNPROVEN

9-across – Dog kennels new realm for 12 : BARREL

10-across – See 22 : SHOWER

11-across – ‘Rat’, and translated into ‘donkey’ : BETRAYER

12-across – Potion originally drunk by pigeon for Alice, say? : COOPER

15-across – Western residence, minister recalled, for anybody : WHOMEVER

16-across – Muzzles worn by boy with right outfit : GLADRAGS

19-across – Ultimately, gnats and bats like Bengal cats? : SPOTTY

21-across – Boy in a crib discontented after spilling child’s drink : BABYCINO

22-across – Cat catching 18 out, heavenly sight : METEOR

24-across – Make last dance work: the tango you suspect last of all? : EKEOUT

25-across – Short dash for food delivery? : TAKEAWAY

26-across – Journey of hiker traipsing about? : TREK

27-across – Case where filth ending in slammer, put back in prison : CARTRIDGE

1-down – Lift half a bottle? : WINCH

2-down – Ralph Richardson’s initial put, how funny! : THROWUP

3-down – See 6 Across : RIVER

4-down – Toll reduced for Spooner, 18 at Agincourt? : LONGBOW

5-down – Huge winger’s heavy weight? : ALBATROSS

6-down – Resort where horse pierced by 18 : MARGATE

7-down – Flog patent with deposit of English king : OVEREXERT

13-down – Vessel at end of channel tipped up to feed pig : OILTANKER

14-down – Natural park, a tip I found in it : REALISTIC

17-down – A body for modelling permissible in journal : DAYBOOK

18-down – Owl after small piece : SHOOTER

20-down – Apparent, circulating roll of banknotes should feature head of royal : OUTWARD

22-down – See 9 Across : MAKER

23-down – Letters from author a template for lecture : ORATE

1-across – Leading actors, high-pitched? : UPCAST

5-across – Superficial harm resulting from friction among climbers : ROPEBURN

9-across – Piano included in arrangement of eg Irish or Italian composer : RESPIGHI

10-across – Extended rant from one caught in traffic : TIRADE

11-across – Doctor agreed on cure – given new heart : REENCOURAGED

13-across – Accumulation of ice in December gales : BERG

14-across – Campanological scandal? Pay to get through it : TOLLGATE

17-across – Herb and I coming across right area for capital : BRASILIA

18-across – His jumble is included by Disraeli – for instance! : EARL

20-across – Measure concealing dishonest statements about firm is most unwise : FOOLHARDIEST

23-across – Colour used finally in my opening statement? : INDIGO

24-across – Plant one in Guardian, perhaps, with indication of hesitancy : ORIGANUM

25-across – Like English author, they check for flaws in material : ASSAYERS

26-across – Stuff thrown out from jet ace reassembled : EJECTA

2-down – Hold up for quick inspection : PEEK

3-down – Vegetable in a healthy establishment, with sauces added : ASPARAGUS

4-down – Bouncer putting two grand in bank : TIGGER

5-down – Rule, as stated, over Persians, Afghans, and others – come down hard on all : RAINCATSANDDOGS

6-down – Terriers in pub still running amok : PITBULLS

7-down – Early problem raised in land of cats? : BURMA

8-down – Those mortified by bad cluemanship? They’re still aware of grouse : REDSETTERS

12-down – Does try to outrun these pursuers : DEERHOUNDS

15-down – Breed in Grand National from Europe : GREATDANE

16-down – Infamous criminal better placed in solitary : ALCAPONE

19-down – Like certain animals in pounds and ounces, say : FELINE

21-down – Pioneer space-traveller left, otherwise called about one : LAIKA

22-down – Male you tease audibly, fool : MUTT

7-across – Create too much suspense in project : OVERHANG

9-across – Man, old, was suffering : OSWALD

10-across – Comfy as an insect in a carpet? : SNUG

11-across – Cheddar is too bad : HARDCHEESE

12-across – Give some bribes to warden : BESTOW

14-across – Taken by surprise, confess to being exhausted : AMBUSHED

15-across – Robust door finally installed in workroom : STURDY

17-across – Home leave, only a little : INPART

20-across – Seat that you filled in serious cinema : ARTHOUSE

22-across – Pile into business that’s worth little : CHEAPO

23-across – Random scans for measles? : SPOTCHECKS

24-across – Feminine, quiet, gliding movement : FLOW

25-across – The colour of an old house : ORANGE

26-across – He cannot work out modern engineering : NANOTECH

1-down – Seekers of justice squirted nerve gas : AVENGERS

2-down – Pick up dress to show off : BRAG

3-down – Money we raised for a tree : CASHEW

4-down – Enter body of aircraft for start of journey to Pennsylvania Avenue? : LOGCABIN

5-down – Keeps a stew bubbling – it’s a bit of a gamble : SWEEPSTAKE

6-down – One palace in two dioceses : ELYSEE

8-down – Hamburger, say, one that infects a number : GERMAN

13-down – Criterion for judging fool on stage : TOUCHSTONE

16-down – At sea, guard the offspring : DAUGHTER

18-down – Excellent shirt, not check? : TOPNOTCH

19-down – Senior cleric keeping care of a junior one : DEACON

21-down – Bear name of rugby forward : RUPERT

22-down – About to go astray ending with nothing here, I bet : CASINO

24-down – That’s your lot! : FATE

1-across – Floors warp slowly at first with buff carpeting : BOWLSOVER

6-across – Anchor, one swallowed by fish : BASIS

9-across – Lost when navigating? : ATSEA

10-across – Affluent London district with bitter constituents, by the sound of it? : MAIDAVALE

11-across – Quiet when kids finally kicked out, eh? : HUH

12-across – Blandishments from Wellington at Waterloo? : BOOTLICKING

14-across – Stick figure, head in Hangman to go – in trouble up there? : GUMTREE

15-across – Recognise extract : PICKOUT

16-across – Great Arsenal leader in Italian stallion perhaps tackled by those from Chelsea? : BIGGUNS

19-across – Stole 23 across? : MUFFLER

22-across – A tight shirt features again on back of striker in Scottish team : RAITHROVERS

23-across – Quiet quip : GAG

24-across – Central politician or whip stymied by it : IMPORTANT

26-across – Last of five huge boxes to lift : EXTOL

27-across – Where one might be putting London park : GREEN

28-across – Bath full of beer ultimately quaffed by difficult setter : HAIRSPRAY

1-down – Grasp Spooner’s headlouse? : BEARHUG

2-down – You and I pretend to save time for team : WESTHAM

3-down – Very difficult installing engine part in Yorkshire town : SCARBOROUGH

4-down – Go low boarding vessel : VAMOOSE

5-down – One mistake at end of game in suburb of West London : RUISLIP

6-down – ‘Cold-blooded’ killer, swine wanting closure : BOA

7-down – Sixties singer bringing power into song in brief theatrical performance : SHAPIRO

8-down – Top and bottom of small cube in trick : SLEIGHT

13-down – Tip over beer in London station : COCKFOSTERS

16-down – Bananas, except top banana : BARKING

17-down – Catch monkeys in valley when ground cleared : GLIMPSE

18-down – Food processor plugged in connects to machine : STOMACH

19-down – Art is with me modelling for great artistes : MAESTRI

20-down – Swine loses top match : LIGHTER

21-down – Maiden coming into Bank via Victoria, say? : REGALLY

25-down – Career issue : RUN