Daily Answers

1-across – Lightweight compiler in trouble with a bunch of pedants : GRAMMAR

5-across – Delay use outside America : SUSPEND

9-across – Said extra large is better : EXCEL

10-across – At home in hell — probing Nazi group’s sinister quality : SHADINESS

11-across – They offer treatment to those almost past being cured : OSTEOPATHS

12-across – It’s painful to hear what drinks cost, though not poor : BARB

14-across – Prick! Empty rhetoric to Welsh about architectural feature : LANCETWINDOW

18-across – Football lover during Fulham tie: Get off! : THEBEAUTIFUL

21-across – Take home nursing assistant in the van — nice! : NEAT

22-across – ‘Is it wrong chopping heads off?’ : STRONGHOLD

25-across – Complicated procedure in part — current government getting hurt : RIGMAROLE

26-across – Fell about at first — relax! : CHILL

27-across – See 5 down : WESTERN

28-across – Vandalised old people’s tombs : DOLMENS

1-down – Hired thug carrying drugs proceeds : GOESON

2-down – Writer’s account, one side claimed, not at all measured : ALCOTT

3-down – Improved second-class accom­modation for priest and daughter : MELIORATED

4-down – Dreads person from flats arguing back : RASTA

5-down – Doubtful The Sting was Peter’s kind of film : SPAGHETTI

6-down – Did state charity previously lead to scrounging? : SAID

7-down – At lecture I see : EYECANDY

8-down – Department’s organised but slow — it isn’t productive : DUSTBOWL

13-down – Medical head going to follow books of worship : LITURGICAL

15-down – Nobleman’s wife coming in to put on show : COUNTDOWN

16-down – Endure religious classes with holy man : STANDREW

17-down – Makes crazy demand to begin with — called in to get it overturned : DERANGES

19-down – See 1 across : POLICE

20-down – Makes rotten drinks in big cups? On the contrary : ADDLES

23-down – Upright individual gets nude occasionally : ONEND

24-down – See 18 : GAME

1-across – Soldier to slip up in bank : TERRIER

5-across – Soldier sits or lies down : REPOSES

9-across – Criticise a society involved in corruption : ROAST

10-across – Briefly prince and his queen play around : PHILANDER

11-across – Priest introduced to smoother amphibian : SALAMANDER

12-across – Tight-fisted? Not far off! : NEAR

14-across – Dodgy dealers land in war zone : DARDANELLES

18-across – Reticent prisoner pushed to the limit : CONSTRAINED

21-across – Irish leader twice gets the bird : IBIS

22-across – Graphic artist uses wire and string : SIGNWRITER

25-across – Fugitive union member has internal operation : ELOPEMENT

26-across – Fast runner in dash to end of road : ELAND

27-across – Article’s about first believers : THEISTS

28-across – Notice director is with nuclear researchers : DISCERN

1-down – Force hospital into consortium : THRUST

2-down – Mass meeting about drug? Indeed! : REALLY

3-down – Allude to touring Idaho for cow : INTIMIDATE

4-down – Rent regularly taken in Yorkshire city : RIPON

5-down – Hit the roof, as Adam did : RAISECAIN

6-down – Pundit initially put down performance : PLAY

7-down – Duly ends assembly without warning : SUDDENLY

8-down – Firm adopting advertising is showing incredulity : SURPRISE

13-down – Ned resents contrived affection : TENDERNESS

15-down – Facility to see above one’s head : READINESS

16-down – Stress keeping identification in disaster : ACCIDENT

17-down – Oedipus’s daughter is against Greek individual : ANTIGONE

19-down – Calm, having had drinks in A&E : ATEASE

20-down – Tedious study of poet : DRYDEN

23-down – Letter on top of desk is prominent : NOTED

24-down – Canteen stew : MESS

1-across – Spot for revealing thong in front of group? : STRIPCLUB

6-across – Breaks sculptures : BUSTS

9-across – Ring man once your lad arranges supply : SUGARRAYLEONARD

10-across – Short story gripping English student group : YEAR

11-across – With model after love at first sight : LANDMARK

14-across – Move back in June — decor terrible, on reflection : RETROCEDE

15-across – Score as recorded, following header from Man United : MUSIC

16-across – Wood in church needing a lot of repair : CEDAR

18-across – Plots mum and dad start to rake with interest in retirement : BARGRAPHS

20-across – Caught opening pair for Australia out with tail : CAUDATED

21-across – Quickly like a post at the beginning : ASAP

25-across – First to read new Little Miss Punk children’s book : RUMPELSTILTSKIN

26-across – Rod Stewart’s gutted with track : STRUT

27-across – Thin buttery layer, essentially on fatty roll : SPARETYRE

1-down – One son wearing pair of smalls close to lady, getting wet : SISSY

2-down – Now powerful outrage upset conservationists : REGNANT

3-down – Pull up grass here? : PARK

4-down – Live wire : LEAD

5-down – Singers need pieces of 15 to cover live Adele hit? : BALLADEERS

6-down – Drink by mayor and old drunk : BLOODYMARY

7-down – Insects regularly suck on horses : SCARABS

8-down – Party with thrills for partners : SIDEKICKS

12-down – Do specify books for competition : TOURNAMENT

13-down – Rock star beds her, ignoring top birds : REDBREASTS

14-down – They give information for meeting people: funny people! : RACECARDS

17-down – Moon was one day on right: no sun in season : DRUMMER

19-down – I don’t know Basic code : PASSKEY

22-down – Number one across North Carolina and number two in Washington : PENCE

23-down – Girl lives in city : LISA

24-down – Issue with looker left out of Vogue : STYE

1-across – Somewhat nondescript old PM and his bats : GREYISH

5-across – Almost cut China’s temperature etc : CLIMATE

9-across – No help for foresaid coarse fish : ORFES

10-across – Unable to say yea or nay, when one’s left out of ‘no VAT on gin’ scheme : NONVOTING

11-across – Carbon tip in abseil device, suitable for climbers : ASCENDIBLE

12-across – Boast of seating quite near the stage? : CROW

14-across – Nature’s rich mixture: ‘obi’ clued cryptically? : BIODIVERSITY

18-across – Company-free community seems to break down the corporate defence : IMMUNESYSTEM

21-across – Large insertion in tool shaft : HOLE

22-across – Transverse cover provides shading : CROSSHATCH

25-across – Rest of MPs no one backs, leading to decline : RECESSION

26-across – What might call on you to strike a match : UNION

27-across – Wife preparing for a fight: ‘Like a bowl of hot soup?’ : WARMING

28-across – One given an assurance: ‘Step into the extremes of pleasure’ : PLEDGEE

1-down – Reconfigure a long lab? Not an earthly : GLOBAL

2-down – Swear euphemistically etc to redistribute produce : EFFECT

3-down – Dead popular thought, disposing of male! : INSENTIENT

4-down – Afghan oilfield yielding capital : HANOI

5-down – Assemblies left in depressed circumstances ultimately : CONCLAVES

6-down – ‘Advanced’ changed to ‘Old’ by country club : IRON

7-down – Cops break into a shower, which makes for a bad atmosphere : ACIDRAIN

8-down – ‘Advantage’ means ‘lateral’ : EDGEWAYS

13-down – Unqualified legislative body that covers up bloomers : GREENHOUSE

15-down – Worthy undoing a waiter’s work? : DESERVING

16-down – Accompanying date naked? Absent yourself! : WITHDRAW

17-down – Somehow crams everyone inside this? : SMALLCAR

19-down – Useful for securing Rex in police operation : STRING

20-down – Some coins are different : CHANGE

23-down – Dawn’s body found in drink : SUNUP

24-down – Elevated contribution to Miss Saigon that’s naturally important : SSSI

7-across – Varnish covering jacket of almanac : SHELLAC

8-across – Rifle from the east protecting women during time of conflict : BOERWAR

9-across – Potato initially excluded from list of fruit : SLOE

10-across – See 21 : WEDNESDAY

12-across – Opening of cavity next to worn out bit of tooth : CROWN

13-across – Report of slug at home : BULLETIN

15-across – Fabric lining small awnings? : LAWN

16-across – Insignificant conclusion to booklet in badly set type : PETTY

17-across – Author married to his work … : POEM

18-across – … knocks back melted brie snack : SPARERIB

20-across – Camp next to large Swiss city : BASEL

21-across – Corrupt Welsh FA is defended by unknown football club : SHEFFIELD

22-across – Novel about crossing rook with another bird : WREN

24-across – Good insect drinking close to sunken well : BENEFIT

25-across – Earl Sandwich ordered to conceal recipe for a scientist : CHARLES

1-down – Pulse found in fractured hallux : DHAL

2-down – Mineral deposit down toilet? : BLUEJOHN

3-down – See 25 : DARWIN

4-down – Rope twisted into whip for slap and tickle? : FOREPLAY

5-down – Cooler fellow on saddle : FRIDGE

6-down – Service vehicle lifted onto end of jetty : NAVY

11-down – Resting, when standing on furniture, is controversial : DEBATABLE

12-down – Winner of set capturing hearts : CHAMP

14-down – Model in independent trade : IDEAL

16-down – Fuel made from palm fibres clipped into container : PARAFFIN

17-down – Relatives given weapon with access code : PASSWORD

19-down – Fish inside bloody wound : REELED

20-down – Pal had reincarnated spiritual leader … : BUDDHA

21-down – … killed in a raft : SLEW

23-down – Vessel for liquids essential to brewery : EWER