Daily Answers

8-across – Impenetrable row of crops at one end of the country? : CORNWALL

9-across – Scores four? Many more : EIGHTY

10-across – Work to do, then, promptly : ONTHEDOT

11-across – Philosopher speaking in a crackly whisper : RUSTLE

12-across – One’s stocking up, ready for the occasional visitor to drop in : FATHERCHRISTMAS

15-across – Boxed in, one has a trying time : JUROR

16-across – Request directions, being awry : ASKEW

20-across – Not really expect to describe Bob’s family quarrel? : HOPEAGAINSTHOPE

21-across – Run after small girl, who may be on thin ice : SKATER

23-across – Mountain originally broken in seven pieces : BENNEVIS

25-across – Audibly breathe a cunning plan : WHEEZE

26-across – Many distributed our menus : NUMEROUS

1-down – No working period; time for lunch? : NOONDAY

2-down – How mortgage may be secured free of charge : ONTHEHOUSE

3-down – Crazy about one girl : MAID

4-down – Spotted large number at church in past : BLOTCHY

5-down – Miserly girls just avoided accidents : NEARMISSES

6-down – Are they before or after chickens? : EGGS

7-down – Starry artists tell a reviewer’s hiding : STELLAR

13-down – High-level plot for gore and mayhem : ROOFGARDEN

14-down – All the same, these letters give a basic education : THETHREERS

17-down – Factory on holiday emptied and idle : WORKSHY

18-down – Grand group of swingers : BIGBAND

19-down – Pick one parent as the best : OPTIMUM

22-down – Secured change of diet : TIED

24-down – Handle call : NAME

1-across – Students read this current old diary in Times : BIOLOGY

5-across – A short delay in Switzerland leads to complaint : CATARRH

10-across – Mark awards ceremony, taking sides : SCAR

11-across – Charlie stops negotiating drugs course : MEDICATION

12-across – Film posh Young Conservative dancing : PSYCHO

13-across – Annual growth margins excluded insulin supplier : PANCREAS

14-across – Very funny rocks lecturer kept in cupboard : PRICELESS

16-across – Plump person regularly feasts on turkey, apart from innards : FATTY

17-across – A lot of sailors secure firm part of mast : ACORN

19-across – Check rooms in monastery for controversial sources of therapy : STEMCELLS

23-across – Hero fell among stars : ACHILLES

24-across – Spot the sack that’s put on board : NOTICE

26-across – Dracula’s health indicator? : BLOODCOUNT

27-across – Bring up Republican auditor behind back : REAR

28-across – Georgia came across art in French cells : GAMETES

29-across – Question odd features of ballet during concert : PROBLEM

2-down – Fake coins found in Ireland — one’s coated in enamel : INCISOR

3-down – Joely Richardson’s helping London theatre : LYRIC

4-down – Tropical plant, one with large swelling on root? : GUMBOIL

6-down – Grave, perhaps, that may reveal one’s origins : ACCENT

7-down – A fine caterer arranged support, following operation : AFTERCARE

8-down – Old order to disperse rhino at intervals with sensitivity : RIOTACT

9-down – Relish opening a huge English paper that’s 16 : ADIPOSETISSUE

15-down – Steroid is working after short time in heart : CORTISONE

18-down – A 22 ordered article in the Listener? : COCHLEA

20-down – Keep watch on idiot in Othello, for one : MONITOR

21-down – Briefly want sugar magnate to produce food for young : LACTATE

22-down – Protection in bed? That’s old hat : CLOCHE

25-down – Beat biblical epic, getting shot of the Tablets : THROB

1-across – Like the Ancient Mariner’s ship, tide- and weather-battered : DEADINTHEWATER

9-across – Refuse to accept bad copy? Yes man! : SYCOPHANT

10-across – African mentioning child’s foot : TUTSI

11-across – Criminals being executed? They start off being first rankers : ROOKS

12-across – One enforcing a go-slow emptied water barrel into reservoir : SPEEDBUMP

13-across – Character of composition briefly requires pens : STYLUSES

14-across – PC in court opened eyes? : WOKEUP

17-across – Private meal changed in second : SAPPER

19-across – Large amount put on paper in set period : TIMESLOT

22-across – A month back, foul up badly in it? That’s irregular : GUERRILLA

24-across – A lot of insects took to the water to cross river : SWARM

25-across – Notice a lady is president twice : ADAMS

26-across – Fish product is ready to drink? : ISINGLASS

27-across – Perhaps church support aero­nautics, though something hairy : FLYINGBUTTRESS

1-down – Girl’s staidness cracked: maybe a flare-up : DISTRESSSIGNAL

2-down – Fish : ANCHOVY

3-down – There’s no way to break sinful fraud : IMPOSTURE

4-down – In football move, run faster to leave United floundering : TRANSFER

5-down – Approval as European joins up : ESTEEM

6-down – Took part, having excellent day — about time : ACTED

7-down – More than usually insulting, artist chucked press out : EXTRUDE

8-down – After fruit drink, book entertains those who like to wallow : HIPPOPOTAMUSES

15-down – Slip-up on particular area in speech : OVERSIGHT

16-down – Sweet I stuff into ill-fitting suit : TIRAMISU

18-down – Overcome impudence that holds state up : PREVAIL

20-down – Before a long time, lake lost because of this? : LEAKAGE

21-down – Being extravagant with jewellery all over uniform : BLUING

23-down – Sage from Dublin I dropped completely : RISHI

1-across – Bewildered, did he thirst for gossip? : DISHTHEDIRT

9-across – One Greek character left in time to find another : EPSILON

10-across – High priest number two holding mass for stricken city : POMPEII

11-across – Batting pundit ran informal game of cricket : TIPANDRUN

12-across – Land cultivation hard on slope : TILTH

13-across – Quits flat : EVEN

14-across – Hold tailless mammal back pretty quickly : ALLEGRETTO

16-across – Sport available on large rescue vessel : LARKAROUND

19-across – Snappy greeting between clubs repeated : CHIC

20-across – Conduced round home, given internal protection : LINED

21-across – Call round, unfortunately missing member of the House : LORDLUCAN

23-across – Handiest resolute knight sent to the front : NEAREST

24-across – Arrogance of man averse to keeping uniforms apart : HAUTEUR

25-across – Opportunists, one waiting to open morning paper : TIMESERVERS

1-down – About to withdraw bill that 21 is known for? : DISAPPEARINGACT

2-down – String of shops alongside beauty parlour : SALON

3-down – End trial with explosion destroy­ing a part of plant : TENDRIL

4-down – Scrap previous wordplay raised as an example : EXPUNGE

5-down – Adolescent cheers up dons put in prison : IMMATURE

6-down – ‘This bed’s horrid’, says Violet Elizabeth, as story intensifies : THEPLOTTHICKENS

7-down – Wasn’t tempted to interfere — neither Jack nor Jill did : LEFTWELLALONE

8-down – Conservative HQ’s prerogative? : RIGHTOFCENTRE

15-down – Fancy dress mostly ready-made : DAYDREAM

17-down – Former filling stations unopened — dedicated people sought : OBLATES

18-down – Wind resistance in middle of Channel different : NORTHER

22-down – Look to exploit wretch : LOUSE

1-across – Sausage and mash — was butter right substitute for energy? : BRATWURST

6-across – Allegedly, food banks produce little fire starters : PYROS

9-across – Bother with a horse, say, otherwise go back : AGGRO

10-across – Basic gluing regularly for a DIY tool? : STAPLEGUN

11-across – Sends reports of plot discovered in steelworks? : TELEGRAPHS

12-across – Leaders suggest England’s ruled by a European : SERB

14-across – Giant bikes require work to replace a bearing : CYCLOPS

15-across – Before first kiss, nervously phone fabulous bird : PHOENIX

17-across – Type of irrigation: 99? : COLONIC

19-across – Jeans exchange hands — initially, elongated stripes become checks : REVISES

20-across – Drunk knocked back small drink : TOSS

22-across – Toad, rabbit and sea dog : NATTERJACK

25-across – For Penn and Teller, according to Carroll, it’s a driving mechanism : PROPELLER

26-across – Film-maker Shyamalan wants opening of movie to be darkness : NIGHT

27-across – American guitarists have the last word over vote : AXMEN

28-across – Electrical devices grill her toast on Sunday : RHEOSTATS

1-down – Pound locks up special animal : BEAST

2-down – A new setter, I state, is heavenly : ANGELICAL

3-down – Cryptically, God in sin? : WRONGDOING

4-down – Racing cars like to carry 50 7s : RASCALS

5-down – Restaurant where Spooner’s woman to come first : TEASHOP

6-down – Light beer after a drop of pilsner : PALE

7-down – Scoundrel to attempt return, hiding in Paris street : ROGUE

8-down – Rock bands love sex from behind in isolated environments : SANDBOXES

13-down – I never slow cook animals : WOLVERINES

14-down – Approximately 1000 top best in revolt — it’s a really nasty place to be : CACOTOPIA

16-down – Longing for battle, lost again : NOSTALGIA

18-down – Sycophant in slow-moving vehicle : CRAWLER

19-down – Umpire trading iron for titanium — now he no longer works : RETIREE

21-down – Most annoyed about a little bit of rainy weather : STORM

23-down – Football clothing starts to excite strikers and wingers : KITES

24-down – Capital to be seen during October/November : BERN