Daily Answers

1-across – Small guard required for small piece of carpet : SWATCH

4-across – Players beginning to drink liquor? Just one in the percussion section : SIDEDRUM

9-across – Stop eating father’s food : REPAST

10-across – Old Fellows with a new lecturer? Not all the time : OFFANDON

11-across – Help pair out with adhesive for operation : HIPREPLACEMENT

13-across – European figures about return of competition vehicles : ESTATECARS

14-across – Classic ship in the past seen around river : ARGO

16-across – Woman’s throttling a judge : HEAR

18-across – Cadge trousers – they’re useful for travellers : SPONGEBAGS

21-across – Spa’s constant inclination for annual overhaul? : SPRINGCLEANING

23-across – Galvanises return of vigour with injection of energy : ANIMATES

24-across – American satisfied about University lecturer’s charm : AMULET

25-across – Ain’t Mass traduced in this? : SATANISM

26-across – Key argument in computer encryption process : ESCROW

1-down – Kind hearts absent in brief : SORT

2-down – A quiet fielder put in position : APPOINT

3-down – Scoundrel among performers with a bit of oomph is performer missing something : CASTRATO

5-down – As it happens, that is accommodating new symbol of nationalist tirade : INFLAGRANTE

6-down – Member of syndicate wearing the Spanish coat : ENAMEL

7-down – Podcast’s studied expensive target of hunters? : REDDEER

8-down – Stuns room, misbehaving: outrageous : MONSTROUS

12-down – Those against scabs covering scar in nippers : PICKPOCKETS

13-down – Members of Biblical flock, as in ‘sheep’, possibly : EPHESIANS

15-down – Prison leading famous people to develop pseudonyms : PENNAMES

17-down – Emergency aid? One international link initially filling gap : AIRLIFT

19-down – Invalidate second and third of marriages with a ring : ANNULAR

20-down – Very, very good to reside in pub, but pointless : INVAIN

22-down – Broadcaster finally dodging broadcast trouble : STEW

5-across – Pointed item: observe cutter, did you say? : ICICLE

6-across – In protest, I only want meat loaf! : VEGOUT

9-across – Fix good fish dish : SCAMPI

10-across – So energy has filled object – pumped up : ENTHUSED

11-across – Tragic narrative as wally thrown in river? : TEAR

12-across – One side hearing report of lofty Harry? : HYPOTENUSE

13-across – Cold hand uncharged? : PASSIONLESS

18-across – Way to press button on watch for alarm call : WAKEYWAKEY

21-across – Girl in suit’s half twirl? : MAID

22-across – Dictator king fed to Jaguar? : AUTOCRAT

23-across – British imperialist channels on the radio? : RHODES

24-across – Enemy, O my, has kidnapped crack recruit : ENGAGE

25-across – See 11 : JERKER

1-down – Drink in The Crown for temptress: they call me Queen of the Night, say : TIAMARIA

2-down – Language of spirits the King articulated when tipsy? : ELVISH

3-down – Dry, English child having been rescued by duck : TEETOTAL

4-down – Trashing of mundane cliches on having forsaken Hamlet, say – critic’s lot? : COLUMN

5-down – See 4 : INCHES

7-down – Crime under control in the centre, I believe : THEIST

8-down – Pots of gravy in bottomless trousers : DEEPPOCKETS

14-down – Filthy liquid in vessel quaffed by pandit : SEWERAGE

15-down – Fiddle embraced by aforementioned soul artist : SAMCOOKE

16-down – Toast ending on plate with cheese on, port forgotten : SALUTE

17-down – Straight organ, over which zip pulled up : LINEAR

19-down – Opera company that’s awful shut up! : ENOUGH

20-down – Ball in house, on having bounced back : YORKER

1-across – It can energise a mobile horse : CHARGER

5-across – Father figure’s load : FREIGHT

9-across – The French prepare something welcomed by car passenger? : LEGROOM

10-across – Cloth, weak type – angler’s bait? : RAGWORM

11-across – Postpone decision regarding what to do with a four-poster? : SLEEPONIT

12-across – Capital provided by a country’s leader – endless stuff : ACCRA

13-across – Played by musician just starting out? : INTRO

15-across – Unacceptable extremes, not to be gone into : OFFLIMITS

17-across – Wedding collection of tense, naive painter : TROUSSEAU

19-across – Diver taking part in quelling rebellion : GREBE

22-across – Hardly a lead actor’s ‘bye’ : EXTRA

23-across – Joker on table, showing boxing material : CARDBOARD

25-across – Well, I messed up with gala : MYALGIA

26-across – Planner who produces a graph? : PLOTTER

27-across – Dramatic character, Lear, tentatively put back : LAERTES

28-across – One college involved in developing alder rootlet : RADICLE

1-down – Titanic individuals giving officer brief SOS: ‘crashed against tip of iceberg’ : COLOSSI

2-down – American nutmeg assortment – swell! : AUGMENT

3-down – See 24 : GROUP

4-down – A feature of Nero’s name, or son, ‘Dicky’ : ROMANNOSE

5-down – Splendid start to one’s education? : FIRST

6-down – Burying a work of art : ENGRAVING

7-down – One leaves Chicago possibly around noon for pasta : GNOCCHI

8-down – Female-chasers – most act abominably : TOMCATS

14-down – Byron’s laugh, thought to embody ‘offensive’ : ONSLAUGHT

16-down – Entrance to front parlour’s molten mineral : FLUORSPAR

17-down – Article on a naval corps has a line which is uplifting : THERMAL

18-down – Unreleased film clip issued by Nick : OUTTAKE

20-down – Flexible sort of ice-covered shoe form : ELASTIC

21-down – Give support to ‘ack that came last? : ENDORSE

23-down – See 5 : CLASS

24-down – O, it might well be family gathering : BLOOD

9-across – Candour shown by this type of operation : OPENHEART

10-across – Driver reaches the end here? : DELTA

11-across – Policeman at ease coming to grips with issue : EMANATE

12-across – Tony Blair, not heartless yob, may be appearing before a judge : ONTRIAL

13-across – Drawing unopened boat : KETCH

14-across – Appreciate a couple of drinks when starting a meal : DIGGINGIN

16-across – Moves to cover one person who can’t spell with arse essentially in minimal attire : BUDGIESMUGGLERS

19-across – Party not settled? Seatbelt fastened incorrectly : BEANFEAST

21-across – Fire is strong, then weak : FLAME

22-across – Skirt-wearing Hanks undressed to put this on for the beach? : MANKINI

23-across – Locate last piece of shrapnel in bone before hospital or perish? : PUBLISH

24-across – Lamenting golf after bankruptcy : RUING

25-across – Away, clutching can, and sober : ABSTINENT

1-down – Before work half finished, darling, up for some food? : DONERKEBAB

2-down – Some indeed left for dead : DEPARTED

3-down – The brief thoughtless beat : THRASH

4-down – Gestapo agent at last can become our confidante : GATE

5-down – Perhaps armour’s forte : STRONGSUIT

6-down – Unusual feature of night clue : ODDTHING

7-down – Like little birdie said, why affair kept hidden? : FLYING

8-down – Lark about with comedian and philosopher : KARL

14-down – First to dig mine in Alaska generated an influential book : DASKAPITAL

15-down – Doctor set us in NHS basic premises : NISSENHUTS

17-down – Trendy hairstyle that can be seen in Edinburgh break : INFRINGE

18-down – Auditor’s first letter held by Scargill? : EXAMINER

20-down – A free woman : AUNTIE

21-down – From Cardiff, a bricklayer’s material : FABRIC

22-down – See 8 : MARX

23-down – See 4 : POST

8-across – Crumbling bone found in barrow : MORIBUND

9-across – Bombast of husband provoked a riot : HOTAIR

10-across – Some assume owls sound like cats : MEOW

11-across – Grasp twisted hempen cord : COMPREHEND

12-across – Wish father to follow leads of distinguished elite : DESIRE

14-across – Caution ex-PM, cycling on motorway in front of Tesla : MISTRUST

15-across – Head of Anatomy Department eviscerated lamprey with skill : ADEPTLY

17-across – Singing and strip poker after strong drink knocked back : KARAOKE

20-across – Rubber blanket reused interminably : MASSEUSE

22-across – Poet in squalid room without alcohol : DRYDEN

23-across – Result of shaving beard off a furry animal : CHINCHILLA

24-across – Retrospective benefit for apprentice : NOOB

25-across – Bears almost killed badger : HASSLE

26-across – Dismantled esoteric cabals : COTERIES

1-down – Idiot born with a certain effervescence : BONEHEAD

2-down – Struggle with belief : VIEW

3-down – Strength of mollusc escaping trap : MUSCLE

4-down – European lady taking mum’s pulse : EDAMAME

5-down – Allure of pharmacist dancing naked : CHARISMA

6-down – Ignoring pressure, Pat Cash prepared for action : ATTHEREADY

7-down – Aims to support motor racing addicts : FIENDS

13-down – Filling one’s head with nonsense and mischief : IMPISHNESS

16-down – Hilarity left child with face flushed : LAUGHTER

18-down – Hearing vital flame is faint : KEELOVER

19-down – Gentle, quivering embraces start to compensate for inattention : NEGLECT

21-down – Retreat in silence, following alpha male on farm : ASHRAM

22-down – Want touch of romance in the end : DEARTH

24-down – Emperor amid Eddystone Rocks : NERO