Daily Answers

7-across – So,Tutu’s Q&A challenged how things are : STATUSQUO

8-across – Writing ‘Happy Birthday’ or something else that’s sweet : ICING

10-across – Having disrobed,Bea Arthur lit wee pipe : URETHRA

11-across – Start to consume last of fine Rioja : EATINTO

12-across – Confers great honour upon what foreign actor does : DUBS

13-across – Lie about where the booze is stored: that’ll get the message across : FIBREOPTIC

15-across – Quiche Eaters Society included Amol Rajan etc? : NEWSMEN

16-across – A little diaphanous top,gaping: that’ll do now : STOPGAP

18-across – Protective material later found to be explosive? : BUBBLEWRAP

21-across – <span>Lead character in </span><i>Zorba</i><span>?</span> : ZETA

23-across – ‘Aviatrix’,very cancelled,needing replacement – but what’s she piloting? : AIRTAXI

24-across – <span>Regular characters in </span><i>Jamaican On Ice</i> : CANONIC

25-across – Italian madam said something like ‘sheesh’ : DONNA

26-across – Fluid words to live by,bold in retrospect: ‘Let’s drink!’ : BOTTOMSUP

1-down – Pâtissiers’ moral conduct,as expressed by the Reverend: bravo! : TAKEABOW

2-down – Unkempt,like a US president on two separate occasions? : BUSHY

3-down – Part of the problem: workshop inquorate without rector : EQUATION

4-down – One who’ll have to share is strangely heroic : COHEIR

5-down – Against welcoming riotous rowdy musicians : VIRTUOSOS

6-down – Singer allowed in pub? Quite the reverse : LINNET

7-down – One listening to ideas yawning audibly? : SOUNDINGBOARD

9-down – Grilling technique in which heat regularly turned up? : GOODCOPBADCOP

14-down – Have doubts and cover entirety of ‘Bad’ spa town that’s upwardly mobile : SMELLARAT

16-down – This may put you on edge: small Tex-Mex pancake stuffed with inappropriate meat : STACCATO

17-down – Somewhat naive,like softening Net Zero targets : GREENISH

19-down – I’m surprised to be in large buildings supplying financiers : BARONS

20-down – Welsh struck by Yorkshire seaside town : WHITBY

22-down – One day in Paris,scratching rear that’s pear-shaped : ANJOU

1-across – Hoity-toity boy Indian ignored now and again : LADIDA

4-across – E.g. Gen Z or Millennials in Peru,agog when travelling : AGEGROUP

9-across – Stylish girl wearing coat for ceremony : CLASSY

10-across – Requirement to enter castle tower,submerged to a certain extent : KNEEDEEP

11-across – Hint Stewart Lee adapted Shakespeare play : THEWINTERSTALE

13-across – Voyager,say,to stride sporting special dress : SPACEPROBE

14-across – American doctor’s rounds : AMMO

16-across – Caesar’s fateful day that is in Latin,mostly : IDES

18-across – <span>Perhaps Hazel in </span><i>Watership Down </i><span>has no time for religious Bigwig</span> : CHIEFRABBI

21-across – Crow casually drew in parrot after temperature drops : COCKADOODLEDOO

23-across – Supposed Dynamo crazy,ingesting alcohol and drug : IMAGINED

24-across – A bit of a looker dressed in beret in Arles : RETINA

25-across – Ruby perhaps gets on with me badly : GEMSTONE

26-across – Dark time,we hear,for man on board : KNIGHT

1-down – Some public exposure for bloodsuckers : LICE

2-down – Old Athenian’s money starts to cause havoc in play : DRACHMA

3-down – Rejected terrible downside : DISOWNED

5-down – Spice Girl given money and sweet food : GINGERBREAD

6-down – John Travolta was in this part of Europe,it’s said : GREASE

7-down – Way of bowling six balls,ready for combat : OVERARM

8-down – After vegetable,I refuse to put up with starter of Italian sausage : PEPPERONI

12-down – Maybe Kim,Karen and Ron,hot when dancing : NORTHKOREAN

13-down – English pop singer admits longing for some needlework : STITCHING

15-down – Empty tin filled with cigarette containing cannabis plant from a wood : TREEFERN

17-down – Cry out with energy before wild climax : EXCLAIM

19-down – What anti-monarchist might do,making reservation : BOOKING

20-down – Cruel person is miserable first : SADIST

22-down – Silly bit of publicity around newspaper : DAFT

4-across – Too dry to wear something up top : ATTHAT

6-across – One man’s name and number being ill-directed? : MISTAKEN

9-across – I’ll take badgers a drink : ICETEA

10-across – See 6 : IDENTITY

11-across – Fish with it: rivers matter : HIPPOCAMPUS

15-across – A near-Earth asteroid with the coordinates of comms facility : AEROSAT

17-across – Code bearer carries refined poet’s words along parts of canal : DUODENA

18-across – Birth to 2-year-old &amp; 9+-year-old groups look to be excluded from these : AGEBRACKETS

22-across – Briefly horrible,honking smell at source? : HYDROGEN

23-across – Repair 75% of car light bulbs : GARLIC

24-across – See 22 : SULPHIDE

25-across – Understood terms have not been taken in : ATHOME

1-down – Brand new university appointee’s mislaid cope : MAKEDO

2-down – Predator plunges medic upside down into Löwenbräu? : BIRDSPIDER

3-down – Prepares for engagement feast and stocks reserves : STANDSTO

4-down – <i>Carmen</i><span> playing in top theatre is inspired? Mercury seen to rise in it?</span> : ANIGHTAT

5-down – See 4 : THEOPERA

7-down – One leading Kurds from the south can unite : KNIT

8-down – We’re not for feeding easy answers from the floor : NAYS

12-down – Forgetting conflict,rather wary about part of army set : ATTHEREADY

13-down – Weaver locked in cell since not entirely religious event of 1819 : PETERLOO

14-down – See 13 : MASSACRE

16-down – Coke woman’s snorting up features in Scottish tour : SEALOCHS

19-down – Virgin hunted down in reception : CHASTE

20-down – What’s at #20 – with missing humour – is ___ : THIS

21-down – Left downtrodden,20 writer does object to worship : IDOL

1-across – Military department’s butterfly test not right : ADMIRALTY

6-across – Old Northerner caught in coalmine : PICT

8-across – One requiring payment from managing director : CREDITOR

9-across – Universal acts amounting to policy reversals : UTURNS

10-across – What I’m presenting is the ultimate in petty unorthodox belief : HERESY

11-across – Old university teacher’s form of address hosting a gala opening : MAGISTER

12-across – Body image display of soldiers : TATTOO

15-across – Frank’s antithesis not long ago – it’s about being on the inside : RETICENT

16-across – Knife loosened tiles – flipped over the top : STILETTO

19-across – Onset of panic attacks is around where white water occurs? : RAPIDS

21-across – One’s following intended course at last – for now : MEANTIME

22-across – Block request for material : DAMASK

24-across – Sound honest over the radio : STRAIT

25-across – Ring Ben to remove top theatre seating : ENCIRCLE

26-across – See 6 Down : ACID

27-across – He had thoughts,so he was a philosopher : DESCARTES

1-down – Grant’s one vice: dropping date : AGREE

2-down – US region where ‘e’s located : MIDWEST

3-down – Judas-like cross : RATTY

4-down – Blimey,Brummie’s about to turn harness-worker! : LORIMER

5-down – After play’s end,tongues wagging – ‘Rep’s top juvenile!’ : YOUNGSTER

6-down – Cupid’s arc is possibly a deadly threat : PRUSSIC

7-down – Heartless men,caught by Fraud Act,declared unfit : CONDEMNED

13-down – Real gold,so automatic response : AUTHENTIC

14-down – Got the better of a demand to depose Edward – not hard : OUTWITTED

17-down – Whistle at the end of this Dylan composition describing Arkansas? : LANYARD

18-down – Unity’s only cape : ONENESS

20-down – Sweet wrestled from pet : POMFRET

22-down – In demand: a charming country house : DACHA

23-down – Poor souls,alone on the stage : SOLUS

1-across – Change Labour party: use consultants for new style : BEAUTYPARLOURS

8-across – Security organisation cut short fight that’s excessive : UNDUE

9-across – Uses old charts to get around India : EXPLOITS

11-across – My son has sixth sense around group of mummies? : CORPSES

12-across – Drug to port smuggled by suspect that’s dangerous : SERIOUS

13-across – One quotes King,penning short article : CITER

15-across – Daughter eats ice cream,initially is prepared to dry up : DESICCATE

17-across – Drug to have sex? It might slow you down : SPEEDHUMP

20-across – One case of beer switched for bitter : ACERB

21-across – Briefs of wife found in sheets : LAWYERS

23-across – Piece together back of diplodocus,say – our bones kept here : OSSUARY

25-across – Found fake Titian that is for framing : INITIATE

26-across – Cold month mostly for island : CAPRI

27-across – Equalise in match,getting behind marker : COUNTERBALANCE

1-down – Jump on this bus,not a cycle,after crash : BOUNCYCASTLE

2-down – One put on scales going over this : ADDER

3-down – Did value fine stamp for collection : TREASURED

4-down – Delighted prince getting let out : PLEASED

5-down – Sits around first and rests : REPOSES

6-down – Perfume from men about to cheat on you : ODOUR

7-down – Reason to restrict booze : RATIONALE

10-down – Row following meeting in part of factory : ASSEMBLYLINE

14-down – Take out women paid for by party; one might kick back in this : TAEKWONDO

16-down – Callas in production keeping so elegant : CLASSICAL

18-down – Dwarf raised leg : UPSTAGE

19-down – Saw deliveries bowled with spin : PROVERB

22-down – Each container to corrode : EATIN

24-down – Like fence and tree : ASPEN