Daily Answers

7-across – I’m fed up with the wet country : BAHRAIN

8-across – American drink in French house : BOURBON

9-across – Spooner’s man with a beard in prayer? : HAIL

10-across – Gone to collect windcheater, finally given a coat : VARNISHED

12-across – Notice rifle shot : FLIER

13-across – Pay people running competition? : FOOTRACE

15-across – Range one voluntarily holds back : OVEN

16-across – A tree drops on author : ADAMS

17-across – See 5 : DENT

18-across – Taken before lunch, stuff including black seafood : CRABMEAT

20-across – Creation of 16 across in shade of tree? : HAZEL

21-across – Measure of cycles is very painful, reportedly? : MEGAHERTZ

22-across – Bloke having lemon sole in the end : DUDE

24-across – Space vacated after journey including a trek : TRAIPSE

25-across – See 6 : PREFECT

1-down – Spanish drink — it’s okay for the French : CAVA

2-down – Singin’ about a creation of 16 across : TRILLIAN

3-down – Creation of 16 across, money : SILVER

4-down – Make bombs to defend old game : DOMINOES

5-down – A day daughter enters payment for creation of 16 across : ARTHUR

6-down – Creation of 16 across, cross monitor : FORD

11-down – Telescope on, characteristic rings appear, ultimately : REFRACTOR

12-down – Creation of 16 across, money : FIVER

14-down – Note obsessive passage : CANAL

16-down – Purple: the mast after rigging containing hint of yellow : AMETHYST

17-down – Almost twelve taking lift became unconscious : DOZEDOFF

19-down – Creation of 16 across, head honcho : BIGWIG

20-down – Risk a couple of sharp bends, challenging corners : HAZARD

21-down – See 9 : MARY

23-down – Avoid cricketing failure : DUCK

1-across – Saw fewer people in business : LIMITEDCOMPANY

9-across – Pilot participating in raid and a rescue : DANDARE

10-across – Refuse cold chop sent back for demanding chap : EXACTOR

11-across – Something hot? The opposite when picked up : CHILI

12-across – Love a portion sliced by cook : ADORATION

13-across – Denies president’s hosting new billionaire : ABNEGATES

14-across – Tory grandee’s hot with fever : HAGUE

15-across – Bear first sign of tailspin : TEDDY

17-across – Passage of a good king, dressed with flourish : PARAGRAPH

20-across – Ponders brief massage — setter’s back and bum! : RUMINATES

22-across – Head of patriotic state who puts out flags : PAVER

23-across – English prompt to store wood in rural work : ECLOGUE

24-across – Experience high oil supply from this city? : TRIPOLI

25-across – Thug about to stop washing pants : HEAVYBREATHING

1-down – Boy and unknown person talking on line, a seeker of romance : LADYCHATTERLEY

2-down – Two males welcoming one making a pile : MANSION

3-down – Drink alone in a provocative way : TEASINGLY

4-down – Moulded terse version of Caesar’s Rubicon speech? : DIECAST

5-down – Weighty responsibility saving deposit up : ONEROUS

6-down – Red paper out of very fashionable company : PRADA

7-down – Love alcoholic drink that’s kept diluted : NOTHING

8-down – Dreamboat preparing to hug dissolute chancer : PRINCECHARMING

14-down – Gyrating hip, thong covering one’s best part? : HIGHPOINT

16-down – Demi Moore’s outside with grand French film-maker : DEMILLE

17-down – Maybe Rosemary’s Baby’s opening after fuss : POTHERB

18-down – Dry wine European bottles getting badge of honour : ROSETTE

19-down – Where air’s kept awfully volatile after temperature drops : ALVEOLI

21-down – Edible plants raised by Nile’s banks in arid area : NEGEV

1-across – Order, say, two lots of aluminium with cheap bit thrown in : ALPHABETICAL

8-across – Carried by sea westwards, third of team’s missing coats : ENROBES

9-across – Abandoned South American stopped ringing : DISUSED

11-across – Trendy soldier’s over visiting, notes swinger outside bar : INNSIGN

12-across – When swimming, plaice swallow gallons of ocean : PELAGIC

13-across – Work hard to acquire some essentially sexy allure : OOMPH

14-across – Queen once has European hat back to front in part of UK : NEFERTITI

16-across – Storyteller regularly read books in heart of Paris : RACONTEUR

19-across – Children hand in tin : SPAWN

21-across – Our neighbour’s front replaced with first of painted struts : PRANCES

23-across – A short distance divides Greek and Arab school : GRAMMAR

24-across – Distance covered reversing, say, a cart : YARDAGE

25-across – Pen round old popular invention : COINAGE

26-across – Cynic with dope and ale disrupted source of dope : ENCYCLOPEDIA

1-down – A chum married Nimby, for one : ACRONYM

2-down – Issue one pound raised in merchandise : PUBLISH

3-down – Dimwit previously stole ‘A New Feature of Poetry’ : ASSONANCE

4-down – Turn out to be the last to join in eastern party : ENDUP

5-down – Remote city in ruins rebuilt : INSULAR

6-down – African leader is circling a long time, twirling his weapon : ASSEGAI

7-down – English team in large firm chart last of May and Johnson’s work : LEXICOGRAPHY

10-down – Some stars support speech, the result of 7 : DICTIONARIES

15-down – American wears fake top and army headgear : FORAGECAP

17-down – Series covering last British king’s mortification : CHAGRIN

18-down – Workers collect delicious drink from this battered crate in city : NECTARY

19-down – Flier, black one, blocks main road : SEABIRD

20-down – Motorists in Malta spoiled former capital : ALMAATA

22-down – Period working out in southern lakes : SPELL

1-across – Forced to serve jam and egg crackers : PRESSGANGED

9-across – Stream barred return of predatory beast : OUTFLOW

10-across – Artist and writer among group trying not to drink coffee, potentially : ARABICA

11-across – Corps put faith in security : UNITTRUST

12-across – False teeth regularly scrubbed fast : FLEET

13-across – Queen to withdraw for this reason? : ERGO

14-across – Highly awed seamen ran into harbours : STARSTRUCK

16-across – Rough sketches outlining germ warfare devices of 1940s : DOODLEBUGS

19-across – Go out to lunch when retired : STAB

21-across – Maybe sharper children worry : CHEAT

22-across – Most brawny supplier in business grabs last of range : STOCKIEST

24-across – False clone claiming ambassador’s rank : ECHELON

25-across – Fancy tie? Here’s one in hand for Democrat to wear : BANDANA

26-across – Inmate welcoming Oscar back after recital here? : READINGGAOL

1-down – Assembling, as partners may be, on green? : PUTTINGTOGETHER

2-down – Brilliant display mounted in oriental centre : ECLAT

3-down – Handyman’s powder spotted above shower : SAWDUST

4-down – Leaders in acoustics designed more suitable connector : ADAPTER

5-down – Unauthorised artwork revolutionary provided in strongly Labour newspaper : GRAFFITI

6-down – Made mad excursion, when put off by everyone : DRIVENUPTHEWALL

7-down – Mass publication : VOLUME

8-down – Note-writer’s favourable report on Simpson Jr? : BARTOK

15-down – Case for money secured by First Lord of Admiralty primarily for small 12 : FLOTILLA

16-down – Invoice in pouch-like holder, with penny change : DOCKET

17-down – Dog’s home supported by judge in Ulster : BASENJI

18-down – Portable bed intended for nursery? : GROWBAG

20-down – Risk taken by fish shop : BETRAY

23-down – Family lawyer of sorts? : KINDA

1-across – America backed Biden-Trump leadership election? At first, it’s not obvious : SUBTLE

4-across – Substance affected Michael Caine’s head : CHEMICAL

9-across – Starts to ‘accentuate the affirmative’ gripping this poet : YEATS

10-across – Type of school for angling round at home : FINISHING

11-across – Organising a relay run takes a bit over 50 weeks : LUNARYEAR

12-across – Not reactive or interactive : INERT

13-across – Forking out to cover outrageous bill is charming : SPELLBINDING

17-across – Redundancy offensive involves only Conservative leader separately : OBSOLESCENCE

20-across – The 8 are about to change in Camberwell : AMBER

21-across – Right lane to turn one of us to strangers : EARTHLING

23-across – Digs up 12 butchered in Norfolk town : DISINTERS

24-across – Cutter’s back at last with nickel and iron : KNIFE

25-across – Boreal throne toppled by sailors : NORTHERN

26-across – In China, 2000 and 2012 are tedious : DRAGON

1-down – Telescope upset mostly Bohemian young woman : SPYGLASS

2-down – British prince getting smarter : BRAINIER

3-down – Girl captivating girl with the dancing beams : LASER

5-down – Event in which the murders end badly : HUNDREDMETRES

6-down – Fervent and overexcited about the central part of confessional : MESSIANIC

7-down – My regularly acerbic major : CRIKEY

8-down – See 3 : LIGHTS

10-down – Summarily dismissed with this noise, lean out in panic : FLEAINONESEAR

14-down – Los Angeles Times editor’s final hint about intricate passages : LABYRINTH

15-down – Authentic ingénue’s attractive : ENTICING

16-down – Groom welcomes New Age colour : PEAGREEN

18-down – Hideaway by river in London : CAMDEN

19-down – Does one leave a terrible bruise? : ABUSER

22-down – Somebody who rambles for an hour about US president : HIKER