Daily Answers

8-across – Master follows amateur into interior with weapon : CLAYMORE

9-across – Wrote about in column : TOWER

10-across – Tense worried comedian : TATE

11-across – Ignores dried grass being threshed : DISREGARDS

12-across – Barman: c-climb aboard : CHOPIN

14-across – Prince blows top over catching maiden with Edward and shook : TREMBLED

15-across – National fractured his rib touring Thailand : BRITISH

17-across – Bad tempered mole left to retire indoors : STROPPY

20-across – Perhaps Boris Johnson welcomes special European : ESTONIAN

22-across – New demo broken up by force : MODERN

23-across – Ground had scarlet buildings : CATHEDRALS

24-across – Boy’s father has regular build : PAUL

25-across – Illustrated in Crimean War during revolution : DRAWN

26-across – Urine not flowing? It’s definitely not a big thing! : NEUTRINO

1-down – Part of wimple — a thermal material : PLEATHER

2-down – Literary alter ego in cloak, say : HYDE

3-down – Eccentric imprisons neighbour­hood extremists in capital : LONDON

4-down – Study with pen restrains one’s stupidity : DENSITY

5-down – Most costly sword picked up between two streets : STEEPEST

6-down – Work very hard to forge two blades — takes love : SWEATBLOOD

7-down – Newly-wed receives £1,000 cross : BRIDGE

13-down – Motor enthusiast modifies other pedal : PETROLHEAD

16-down – Moving without control, starting to stretch then pulling leg : SKIDDING

18-down – Following criminal turns up around Australia : PURSUANT

19-down – Sun hack is not to remove the halo : UNSAINT

21-down – Difficult to break into small, small pieces : SHARDS

22-down – Think outside of uniform heritage centre : MUSEUM

24-down – Outdoor area, one surrounded by three men? : PARK

8-across – Leading lady’s retreat just after party goes west : BALMORAL

9-across – Here Livingstone found father in main road, car being tailed : AFRICA

10-across – Develop grand argument : GROW

11-across – Child introduced to light music, part of suite? : EASYCHAIRS

12-across – Sew unlined articles together to form bandage : SWATHE

14-across – Routers created with British investment less likely to break down : ROBUSTER

15-across – Our bosses reviewed corruption within faction : EDITORS

17-across – Former hamper missing in display : EXHIBIT

20-across – Galilean satellite first penetrating rings : CALLISTO

22-across – Length initially taken off decorative chain : ANKLET

23-across – Foremost dons moaned about con­tribution to online address : DOMAINNAME

24-across – Sporting contest, though there’s nothing in it : BOUT

25-across – Colonel’s first to board plane, after troops decline : REJECT

26-across – Doesn’t care for rebellious general Celts butchered : NEGLECTS

1-down – US agent skirting shaft dropped litter : FARROWED

2-down – Singular sound of cat getting bird : SMEW

3-down – Abruptly stop talk of ransoms : FREEZE

4-down – Resolution almost lost in course of recovery : CLOSURE

5-down – Strikers in this game come to blows : MATCHBOX

6-down – Bachelor scans second item from bakery : BREADSTICK

7-down – Wanting courage primarily to stop fright : SCARCE

13-down – It’s a little naughty and teases : TITILLATES

16-down – Consider acquiring inverted nose ring : RESONATE

18-down – Where unionised actors met prejudice? : INEQUITY

19-down – Old Indian currency note turned up, praise be : HOSANNA

21-down – Ultimate height of a river that amazes me : APOGEE

22-down – Exact payment for archdeacon to get old clothes : AVENGE

24-down – Root crop and pulse picked up : BEET

4-across – Cheat to get violin : FIDDLE

6-across – Islander supplying vessel for underage drinker? : MINORCAN

9-across – Increase affection for organ stop first : ENDEAR

10-across – Gloomy start to musical performance? : DOWNBEAT

11-across – Strongly opposed to good person having copped it twice before : DEADAGAINST

15-across – Speak about march returning sooner or later : SOMEDAY

17-across – Prospect of thug securing nothing satisfactory : LOOKOUT

18-across – Playing piccolo, Lara becomes compulsive swearer : COPROLALIAC

22-across – Franklin, say — contributor with poles reversed : INVENTOR

23-across – America turned into one of its states — not smart! : CASUAL

24-across – Northern European keeping the French dancing : BALLETIC

25-across – Indulge Prince and Queen : PANDER

1-down – Opening letter, account for hotel’s animal : ALPACA

2-down – Passage for big hill and little Dickensian in river : RITORNELLO

3-down – Blimey! Supermarket no longer selling ice cream : CORNETTO

4-down – That’s my lot, eaten by swimmer of evil intent : FIENDISH

5-down – Mad days out involving Roger in sitcom : DADSARMY

7-down – Revolutionary with fish head to cook : CHEF

8-down – Crazy for health food : NUTS

12-down – Not obviously ill, wanting mother never to meet : ASYMPTOTIC

13-down – Inactive bone in heap : MORIBUND

14-down – Second comedian — pedant! : STICKLER

16-down – Vessel to drive, empty, at reasonable lick : DECANTER

19-down – Manifestation of a French department receiving thanks : AVATAR

20-down – Member’s got nearly nowhere : LIMB

21-down – Shape of toilet turning round first : OVAL

1-across – Desire confession after tanning naughty boy : WILLIAMBROWN

8-across – New cool shelters additionally for a Great Dane : NIELSEN

9-across – Fresh concern in place with vermin returning : STARTUP

11-across – Joining figure that is prancing in fur coats : UNIFIER

12-across – Not failing with rugby goal, side’s active : ONTHEGO

13-across – Withdraw foreign article by Express : UNSAY

14-across – Sage in meat rejected by a European sending starter back : MAHARISHI

16-across – Painter is imprisoned in shock judgment : APPRAISAL

19-across – Philosopher’s almost impossible to get into : LOCKE

21-across – Tasteless mix is in eg hummus from the east : INSIPID

23-across – Set free in space with zero repressive force : GESTAPO

24-across – Praise cuckoo flying, or leaving north : GLORIFY

25-across – Like 3 down or like 1 and 9 : ASININE

26-across – Star of 1 across? : LEADINGLIGHT

1-down – Little pastries — confections full of corn? : WEEPIES

2-down – Hyacinth, say, crossing posh street with vigour : LUSTILY

3-down – Dropping back, dismiss a total flipping idiot : IGNORAMUS

4-down – Make a mess of date coated in soya bean paste : MISDO

5-down – Pan with King Edward potato, perhaps : ROASTER

6-down – See eg red and white Sierra carrying tonnes : WITNESS

7-down – During summer, what kids’ film has swearing in : INAUGURATING

10-down – Benefits maintaining online work? Sweet! : PROFITEROLES

15-down – Dancing girl lay behind house, the object of desire : HOLYGRAIL

17-down – Person who investigates pilfered money : PISTOLE

18-down – Tinder, maybe, wasn’t reliable or practical : APPLIED

19-down – Doris and Grace going topless : LESSING

20-down – Brew gas for vehicle : CHARIOT

22-down – Veteran cook given Asian bread : DOYEN

8-across – Rich source, fish served with last drops of sardine oil : ELDORADO

9-across – Stick securing old, hollowed out puppet : POODLE

10-across – Fish, a freak doing the backstroke? : TUNA

11-across – In death, evoke praise : FELICITATE

12-across – OK to put away bed and lie around? : EDIBLE

14-across – Two things smoked, queer fish : CRACKPOT

15-across – My Lord has invested currency — big fish : GRANDEE

17-across – Deep, deep fish : SEABASS

20-across – Fish good with two fish : GRAYLING

22-across – See 21 : WINKLE

23-across – Croatian boxers reportedly bringing carp : SPLITHAIRS

24-across – Stonefish? : ROCK

25-across – Fish not a sausage male’s thrown back : MARLIN

26-across – Transport used on street, most reliable : SOUNDEST

1-down – Fish get into difficulties : FLOUNDER

2-down – Little bit of Africa to investigate, travelling north : IOTA

3-down – Draw spirit miles up : RAFFLE

4-down – Fish ball with different starter : POLLOCK

5-down – Contemporary scholar gathering speed : SPACEAGE

6-down – Temporary office left, using this handle over ditch : PORTAKABIN

7-down – Drinking litres, bum virtually drunk : BLOTTO

13-down – Ladies scantily dressed, Barbra Streisand’s initials covering her topless picture : BUNNYGIRLS

16-down – Realisation, where I happen to change personality, ultimately : EPIPHANY

18-down – Fish is covered in cream after gutting error : SOLECISM

19-down – V fishy stain under unopened receptacle : AGAINST

21-down – Kipper in front, farewell forever seafood sandwiches! : RIPVAN

22-down – Come to understand thread about European Union : WISEUP

24-down – Fish bleeding briefly : RUDD