Daily Answers

9-across – Composer going round end of The Strand : BEACH

10-across – Deviation from a straight – old city tax to be invested in remedy : CURVATURE

11-across – Odd renovated jet,say,on estate,possibly as fun ride : DODGEMCAR

12-across – Doctor also called inside city : DAKAR

13-across – At which Blackpool is the main team : SEASIDE

15-across – Shads sweat it out : TWAITES

17-across – Fool around next to Gulf : ABYSS

18-across – Drive home over a month : MAR

20-across – Propose a pill when temperature’s taken : TABLE

22-across – Eastern politician wrong to eject Republican leader : EMPEROR

25-across – Confront detective at party : EYEBALL

26-across – Digs secondary rock group? : BANDB

27-across – Old-fashioned stage’s position on field : SQUARELEG

30-across – Sweet old men,unkempt with tie cut off : LEMONDROP

31-across – Succeed effortlessly when in bed : COAST

1-down – Live in a dream,initially sleeping? : ABED

2-down – Country boy at day’s end: traditional scourge of 13ac/26ac guests? : LANDLADY

3-down – Ball caught by female trainer? : SHOE

4-down – Treat unnamed Crimean wounded outside the church : ICECREAM

5-down – Politician on way back – threat to the cabinet? : DRYROT

6-down – Short-lived construction scandal set to blow up : SANDCASTLE

7-down – It contains rain a lot : BUCKET

8-down – Jack,always against leaving scoff : JEER

13-down – Suit-shortening tool : SPADE

14-down – Etching: ‘In Bed over Sunday in Georgian Capital’ : INSCRIBING

16-down – Hull put under fire : SHELL

19-down – Observer upset about crack supplies again : REEQUIPS

21-down – Love mixing with a bad lot? Just what the cruise company wants! : BOATLOAD

23-down – Hat,one switched between parents : PANAMA

24-down – Holiday spot needing to make new arrangements : RESORT

26-down – Dance and cry loudly to audience : BALL

28-down – A sticky sweet? : ROCK

29-down – Water etc with this added would create a scandal : GATE

1-across – This may be an advantage when one is in court : GAMEPOINT

6-across – Into mug,start to spit part of tooth : CUSP

8-across – Churchman’s ticket home to Alabama : CARDINAL

9-across – Gatherings of heartless adults : GROUPS

10-across – Left in high temperature,hot toast : HEALTH

11-across – Supposedly popular assumption : INTHEORY

12-across – Dick parking in Italian city : TURPIN

15-across – Stride along and dare to jump about like a bloodhound : LOPEARED

16-across – Enormous wife going on one leg : WHOPPING

19-across – Excellent from end of tail to head : TIPTOP

21-across – Aircraft finally cancelled,chap sounding mournful : PLANGENT

22-across – Religiously set aside as hard to let : HALLOW

24-across – Follower of Churchill emerges from battle,exhausted : ATTLEE

25-across – Holy book,short,was liable to be made longer : EXTENDED

26-across – Old city that attracted ten years of investment : TROY

27-across – Vegetarian period of Cleopatra’s youth : SALADDAYS

1-down – The opposite of a long after-dinner speech? : GRACE

2-down – Part of vehicle showing dirt – panic! : MUDFLAP

3-down – Puppet hit the drink : PUNCH

4-down – I shall twice hide whiskey,out of spite : ILLWILL

5-down – Difficulty getting undergarment to reach stomach : TIGHTSPOT

6-down – Infectious disease? Arrest her,is the call : CHOLERA

7-down – Batman say may be out of our sphere : SUPERHERO

13-down – Pad raised armrest? : UPHOLSTER

14-down – Top-ranked tennis player,small and quiet : NOISELESS

17-down – Ref’s decision may be fine : PENALTY

18-down – Understand our team will recover : GETWELL

20-down – On plate,toyed with mush : POLENTA

22-down – Felt revulsion for wrong order for death : HATED

23-down – Premonitions women silently suppress : OMENS

1-across – National organisation protected by proper payment : RENTAL

4-across – Clans to regroup by Dee here? : SCOTLAND

9-across – Fish,black,with three eggs : BONITO

10-across – Listener has obsession,running to ground : EARTHING

11-across – Trendy old man with holy books entertains animals : HIPPOPOTAMUSES

13-across – Hell – state with one cut off,separate : DISCONNECT

14-across – Priest in shortened jeans : LEVI

16-across – Stimulant cool chap’s regularly taken : COCA

18-across – Rapture with men excited in lab unit : AMPERETURN

21-across – Author in a biblical city organised charities : AGATHACHRISTIE

23-across – Resentment shown by a buddy – this person’s taken in : ACRIMONY

24-across – Point in the wrong direction,getting hurt crossing island : MISAIM

25-across – Sound of a number of machines making threads : TENDRILS

26-across – A tribe of old coming to Irish city : AGADIR

1-down – Medal king’s put on garment : ROBE

2-down – Minders given conflicting directions for protecting orphan : NANNIES

3-down – Soon accepting hint,church finally offers ecclesiastical response : ANTIPHON

5-down – I will crow,as old clown left with joy all around : CHANTICLEER

6-down – Emblems – see them held by little kids : TOTEMS

7-down – A series of lies under discussion : ATISSUE

8-down – So dieting may change this bodily process? : DIGESTION

12-down – Criticise a Caledonian,concerning bum provision for marine transport : PANAMACANAL

13-down – One announces new deal about to be sealed – bombastic speech : DECLARANT

15-down – Fastening a bone in where it belongs : LEASHING

17-down – Annoyance of completely heartless geezer in row : CHAGRIN

19-down – Garment beginning to unravel – darn it possibly : UNITARD

20-down – Fiery beast without tail in Anglican gown : CHIMER

22-down – Old measure as part of home rule : OMER

1-across – Transformative sun dries black hair on head : SIDEBURNS

6-across – A call just for you from ship in port : PSST

10-across – Pep up to be a knight : LIVEN

11-across – Freeing muscles,really enjoying putting pounds back : ABSOLVING

12-across – Strongman’s betrayer summoned back,left imprisoned : DELILAH

13-across – Right to end fuss about suitable plug-in : ADAPTOR

14-across – Absolutely manage without add-on,changing a couple of lines : FORGOODANDALL

17-across – Two pitches perhaps player’s first going to book : MANSFIELDPARK

21-across – Mortification as horse racing scrapped : CHAGRIN

22-across – Ring character has a scrap of cloth,gold fused with navy : ARAGORN

24-across – Centre of government,a little bit – what,the lot? : WHITEHALL

25-across – In golf,a very short distance,principally excused : GIMME

26-across – Sound disappointed as vision finally fades : SIGH

27-across – Church office that may require an operation to replace? : ELDERSHIP

1-down – Note,top provided to cover base of cookery set : SOLIDIFY

2-down – One’s dead wicked? : DEVIL

3-down – Gang meeting lion suggests a very anxious state : BUNDLEOFNERVES

4-down – Got to have felt hurt again? : REACHED

5-down – Pollution traps American bear : SUSTAIN

7-down – Spark from fault with steering mechanism,say : SCINTILLA

8-down – Nobel author of old volunteers blood : TAGORE

9-down – Cover with sticker that describes an intriguing novel : CLOAKANDDAGGER

15-down – Storming around calling for stuff to be brought over : RAMPAGING

16-down – Understand about gentle power being superficial : SKINDEEP

18-down – Display of enthusiasm for food provided for football crowd? : FANFARE

19-down – Sent message to put me up,having gone sick : EMAILED

20-down – Lowers small hood over son : SCOWLS

23-down – Doubled round one sitting with husband,showing vigour : OOMPH

1-across – Divide the other across answers – classify as good or bad : SORTTHESHEEP

9-across – Elizabeth I’s favourite cheese : LEICESTER

10-across – Name for boy sheltered by Irish aunt : SHAUN

11-across – Mythical deities remained years later : SATYRS

12-across – Buffoon in staff initially unfriendly,needing change of heart : CLODPOLE

13-across – They invariably obey head of state in Arab country : YESMEN

15-across – Not knowing what a dozen Popes were called : INNOCENT

18-across – Some highly-placed Asians live surrounded by strongmen : TIBETANS

19-across – Libertine casting lascivious look over letters found in bathroom : LECHER

21-across – Wicked person always embracing false idol : EVILDOER

23-across – Silly people doctor’s seen in pairs : DUMBOS

26-across – Camera equipment that’s used for play : DOLLY

27-across – Cereal crop on island,one delivered in late December : CAPRICORN

28-across – See 1 ac : FROMTHEGOATS

1-down – Small movement inserting call for peace attracting much attention : SPLASHY

2-down – Party is in decline : ROIST

3-down – Endless speculations on sacred books – source for wise men? : THEORIENT

4-down – Repast is oddly deficient in food : EATS

5-down – Daughter in sport,running and jumping athletically : HURDLING

6-down – Relieved to have finished ousting Conservative leader : EASED

7-down – Work on tiny scale,otherwise he can not : NANOTECH

8-down – Get absorbed? Not seriously,by the sound of it : INGEST

14-down – It’s included in nuanced addition to foreign movie : SUBTITLE

16-down – I govern US badly,behaving like overzealous employer : OVERUSING

17-down – Deliverer of messages from printer company : INTERCOM

18-down – Hear about object that’s hot or cool : TRENDY

20-down – Eastern state calls out for protests : RISINGS

22-down – Whiskey-guzzling doctor that completes shock treatment? : DRYER

24-down – Plants and animals in book I translated : BIOTA

25-down – Height a river must rise for fish : OPAH