Daily Answers

1-across – Society tries wrong random number generators : SONGWRITERS

9-across – Empty white sign for flags : WEARIES

10-across – Don unknown old pretty clothes : QUIXOTE

11-across – Relish one shot, a boundary : SHORELINE

12-across – Animal got nourishment, taken in hands : RATEL

13-across – Nanny rating Times covers : BABY

14-across – Stop talking twice before work’s close : SHUTUPSHOP

16-across – Suffering from cold, maybe curator has shivers : CATARRHOUS

19-across – Bar Council pens instruction for one on the fiddle : ARCO

20-across – One wearing ring turned a pale colour : LILAC

21-across – Briefly want right-wingers ruling state : WISCONSIN

23-across – Mobile phone ring right for loser : NOHOPER

24-across – Result where French book’s taken around : OUTCOME

25-across – Politician with dull look Chinese prepare to fire : MATTHANCOCK

1-down – Lily’s better half’s home, getting frisky : STAROFBETHLEHEM

2-down – Natural water flowing north : NAIVE

3-down – Liable to see red snake burrowing into pine : WASPISH

4-down – How explorers are engaged with legal procedure : INQUEST

5-down – Inscription I used between record and chart : EPIGRAPH

6-down – Jolt from spirits, Irish lagers and wine : SHORTSHARPSHOCK

7-down – Bold wife cutting girdle fastening : SWASHBUCKLING

8-down – The Guardian’s going to fill top post, offering good facilities : WELLAPPOINTED

15-down – Foolish Sally lifted up jumper : CRACKPOT

17-down – I see rising value in bookmaking family’s home : HAWORTH

18-down – Star with lowered head? A cape’s in need of a trim : UNSHORN

22-down – Beat off a gathering of people : OUTDO

1-across – Please spread out : ASLEEP

5-across – Rule out overture to include music finale : PRECLUDE

9-across – One’s into oddly erratic standards : CRITERIA

10-across – Firm bum? That’s crude! : COARSE

11-across – I see you said, not long ago, to follow skill with eloquence : ARTICULATELY

13-across – See 18 : SUIT

14-across – Most drunk end with most sleep : TIPSIEST

17-across – Descendant admits returning for stinger : SCORPION

18-across – Formal wear for men in clubs? : DARK

20-across – Mother’s in meeting ad infinitum, feeling fine : ASYMPTOMATIC

23-across – Part covering right hole : PIERCE

24-across – Not frightened of a fraud in development : UNAFRAID

25-across – Launch a steamship that’s partly corrupt : UNCHASTE

26-across – City speed beginning to scare the likes of Daphne : NYMPHS

2-down – Material deftly wrapped to cover Caesarean section : SARI

3-down – Fan of overlapping Thespians : EXTRACTOR

4-down – Tories say locking up Islamist leader means equality : PARITY

5-down – Torment resulting from unsympathetic law? Do a mischief! : PLAYCATANDMOUSE

6-down – I’m leaving limo during getaway for some meat : ESCALOPE

7-down – Rose petal arrangement : LEAPT

8-down – First to limbo dance outside — absolute revelation : DISCLOSURE

12-down – Following report of breastfeeding episode? : SUCCESSION

15-down – Home code broken, uncovering Trump’s vulgarity : INDECORUM

16-down – Don’t enumerate so much, it’s dull : LISTLESS

19-down – Sexercise tension? : STRAIN

21-down – At first, Megan upset Harry, throwing away a gift of perfume : MYRRH

22-down – See 5 : WITH

1-across – Reserve yen covering reduced squad’s grant : SUBSIDY

5-across – Removed from bench for not playing well : OFFFORM

10-across – Small piece of eight initially forged, 17 : PESO

11-across – Dog collars primarily blue in state run by the 8 : PLUTOCRACY

12-across – Idiot guards Catholic church entrance : ACCESS

13-across – Flag male amongst female Gaels, perhaps : IRISHMEN

14-across – When most watch proper sci-fi film on writer’s tablet : PRIMETIME

16-across – American preserves tiny egg parts : UNITS

17-across – It’s known to charge money : RHINO

19-across – These days journalists mostly fill a marquee : ATPRESENT

23-across – Cooperate in dance drama first : PLAYBALL

24-across – Raucous artist’s son immersed in Times : BRASSY

26-across – Flighty governess entertains current 17 : SOVEREIGNS

27-across – Took action that fitted the bill without it : SUED

28-across – Republican avoids beginners, 17 in Athens of old : STATERS

29-across – Ring agents about acting : ONSTAGE

2-down – Leaving outskirts, caused carnage driving this? : USEDCAR

3-down – Pinched vestment : STOLE

4-down – Security is raised in warehouse : DEPOSIT

6-down – Fellow cut across river for 10p once : FLORIN

7-down – Get your bins out to find old 17? : FARTHINGS

8-down – Superlatively flush in Berlin, I fitted in holiday : RICHEST

9-down – Miners’ group is to register in spring, collecting 17 : NUMISMATOLOGY

15-down – Personal cash store where the 8 live? : MONEYBELT

18-down – Last offer : HOLDOUT

20-down – US singer’s instruction to peers before procession? : ROBESON

21-down – Reserve receives breaking news from the south : NESTEGG

22-down – Nurse retains European CV : CAREER

25-down – Hound bishop off property : ASSET

9-across – Early text dismissing model of Ford Escort : CHAPERONE

10-across – Pink organ pinching : THEFT

11-across – A pair of animals, or an insect, for instance? : ANAGRAM

12-across – Jersey etc stolen by a European back in Italian city : BRESCIA

13-across – Team boasted : CREW

14-across – I’m ready for anything, so tackle book about origin of crosswords : SOCKITTOME

16-across – Professional performer: I start dancing, beginning to entertain : ARTISTE

17-across – County allied with rose, briefly : CUMBRIA

19-across – Composition of red lentils covering offbeat Jamaican-style bread : DASKAPITAL

22-across – Ending in food, peculiar herb : DILL

24-across – Drink less gin to inspire sheer love : NOTHING

25-across – Carried away, rotates? : MOVEDTO

26-across – Travel for miles the wrong way in US city : FARGO

27-across – Stupefied, practising social distancing? : SPACEDOUT

1-down – What dog with fleas and a cold might do, with essence as yet undiscovered? : SCRATCHANDSNIFF

2-down – A playboy in love — small pecker? : PARAKEET

3-down – See 25 : TEARS

4-down – Sound around shape initially absent in hypothetical tunnel : WORMHOLE

5-down – Drink served up, suitable for antelope : REEBOK

6-down – I don’t know what my self-flagellation does : ITBEATSME

7-down – Trademarked material in novel, cross-referenced : VELCRO

8-down – Last lot* silly? Each to his own : ITTAKESALLSORTS

15-down – A country once in centre of stormy peninsula : ASIAMINOR

17-down – Fine seafood, bream unfortun­ately swiped by grimalkin : CRABMEAT

18-down – River rapid on fresh bit of water : RAINDROP

20-down – Put wrath in provocative writing : SATIRE

21-down – Eat, tongue in cheek by the sound of it? : INGEST

23-down – Box 5 in trial upended : TVSET

1-across – A threesome firmly quashed — loser, big time! : SLIMMER

5-across – Particular recollection of cool drinks coming round : SPECIAL

9-across – Woman around hotel bar’s one : RHODA

10-across – It’s very small at first, doctor : ANATOMIST

11-across – Traveller in the main story sounding keen to tour India : PILOTWHALE

12-across – Thousands spent by top clubs? : SUIT

14-across – Mean to temper disc of steel : CLOSEFISTED

18-across – Fashion worth wearing in the event : HAMMERTHROW

21-across – Rector’s away on retreat : ROUT

22-across – Some games of short tennis arranged and unlikely to be changed : SETINSTONE

25-across – Did suffer going round in that new red number : UNDERWENT

26-across – Swore what Emirates official did’s not right : EFFED

27-across – Secretly maintain hotel’s leafy area : HARBOUR

28-across – Old writer involved in problem over collected works : OMNIBUS

1-down – Fix fight closer to time : SCRAPE

2-down – One’s smart about working — I wish it were true : IFONLY

3-down – Cattle Mike flogged for financial security : MEALTICKET

4-down – Get to be moralistic when out of power : REACH

5-down – Local issue that’s not serious : SMALLBEER

6-down – Point out emperor’s a god : EROS

7-down – Vice beginning to increase in New York — I’m going! : INIQUITY

8-down – Occasionally subdued after making love below lecturer’s room : LATITUDE

13-down – Vague about taking sweetheart back, with wife in such a state : MIDWESTERN

15-down – See 1 across : OFTHEYEAR

16-down – Love to impale non-stop, being conscientious : THOROUGH

17-down – Sure old rogue’s carrying money to look sexy! : SMOULDER

19-down – Discussion about female in Hackney : CONFAB

20-down – For one promoted, Horace’s work rocks : GEODES

23-down – Start, not finish, at site of siege : INTRO

24-down – Beer’s always off — port or spirit? : BRIO