Daily Answers

1-across – Sleeping on the streets in support of aristocrat : OUTFORTHECOUNT

8-across – Worm’s bit of good luck : FLUKE

9-across – Delighted with next July: it’s pants without clothes! : EXULTANT

11-across – Nice expensive copy inside — not so expensive : CHEAPER

12-across – Finally, mountain climb is beginning : NASCENT

13-across – Where flies are unfair : BELOW

15-across – St Stephen’s lower, discarded greeting : BOXINGDAY

17-across – Spongy clue for boars? : ABSORBENT

20-across – Capturing part of the city : TURIN

21-across – Cancellation period definite : ERASURE

23-across – Grants immunity to plotter, primarily involved in Semtex explosion : EXEMPTS

25-across – In dunce’s cap, a delinquent frolic : ESCAPADE

26-across – Premium oil mixed in this? : AIOLI

27-across – Finally, Dilys and Victor in a bed, cavorting — perhaps they’ll be given a last-minute reprieve : SAVEDBYTHEBELL

1-down – Polar feature : OFFICEBEARER

2-down – The curtain rising over a lull in hostilities : TRUCE

3-down – Somehow prove it hurts the Queen to conquer : OVERPOWER

4-down – Bather unexpectedly catching cold is a sign of cancer : THECRAB

5-down – Biannual event is mostly horse and bull : EQUINOX

6-down – Pledges to serve cereal in hospital? On the contrary! : OATHS

7-down – Should one engage with errand to attend literacy class? : NONREADER

10-down – Sally sitting around, motionless : STAYINGSTILL

14-down – Thrice adrift? : LOSTATSEA

16-down – Derelict and remote cathedral : NOTREDAME

18-down – Young female or male caught up in tangled web : EWELAMB

19-down – See 13 : THEBELT

22-down – Guest argues regularly as a matter of habit : USAGE

24-down – Call that’s mostly fraudulent : PHONE

1-across – Where crafty people meet Cathy’s bolshie staff : YACHTCLUB

6-across – Location of oral sense : SITE

8-across – Prelude to a fever abroad? Don’t worry : CHILLOUT

9-across – Tennis player’s scoop? : SERVER

10-across – Left in front of a large entrance : PORTAL

11-across – Type of heating, I say, needing line and shot : OILFIRED

12-across – Rank shabby material in South America : STATUS

15-across – Ground gave in when roping a tense steer : NAVIGATE

16-across – Miles got into strange, bad habits : GARMENTS

19-across – Relishes getting round in that way : LIKESO

21-across – It produces the latest novel: Second Opportunity : NEWSROOM

22-across – In which items to be sent do better in a ring? : OUTBOX

24-across – Scope of party chief : DOMAIN

25-across – Invent a top and await : LIEAHEAD

26-across – Advantage Mantel : EDGE

27-across – Reprimand after cardinal walked over by VIPs : REDCARPET

1-down – Grass up old love beast : YAHOO

2-down – Flyer’s fancy tie stuffed into gun : COLETIT

3-down – Ill-tempered character of rector in charge : TROLL

4-down – Disappointed officer covers Estonia’s premier with feathers : LETDOWN

5-down – Mean to get even — ‘Water erosion of land stops here!’ : BASELEVEL

6-down – Going over the water, Channel-hopping? : SURFING

7-down – Article on government branch by cabinet minister: Low point of misery! : THEDEPTHS

13-down – Figure transported to a prize day : TRAPEZOID

14-down – Star needs relaxant — a timely drink : SUNDOWNER

17-down – Word manipulation: replace A with E : MESSAGE

18-down – Had a taste of winter transport fitted with electrical unit : SAMPLED

20-down – Dressing up to pursue sailing vessel : KETCHUP

22-down – Head to be removed from fool, right? Put before a Salome? : OPERA

23-down – Ring member for visually stimulating work : OPART

1-across – Explore online and draw back from excess : SURFEIT

5-across – Cameron is recollected in Italian city : CREMONA

9-across – Major heard where Augusta is : MAINE

10-across – Trick panel for magicians : CONJURORS

11-across – Leisurewear right for author’s work : SHORTSTORY

12-across – A lot of birds drink, so it’s said : BEVY

14-across – Broadly humorous Blair, afflicted with amnesia, miles away : RABELAISIAN

18-across – Thatcher may be seen here presenting song by the Drifters : UPONTHEROOF

21-across – Unable to proceed in recession, king offloaded shares : CUTS

22-across – Fully-fledged monarch took in food for doctor : ADULTERATE

25-across – Capricious magician dropping in to entertain court : MERCURIAL

26-across – Brown made castles, finally, with lots of sand : DUNES

27-across – Well-fed traveller allowed back in cafe : REPLETE

28-across – Conveyance with horse taken from ancient city : CARTAGE

1-down – Greek island associated with a savoury snack : SAMOSA

2-down – Horn is ordered for Leeds players : RHINOS

3-down – Attlee gets involved with core group of voters : ELECTORATE

4-down – In Minnesota citizenship is implied : TACIT

5-down – Noted female officer in funny cartoon : CONTRALTO

6-down – Measure American or Australian runners : EMUS

7-down – Single note in old, old song : OSOLEMIO

8-down – Testing a small saw : ASSAYING

13-down – Bush supports ascendant though unintelligent player : MIDFIELDER

15-down – Diner able to rejoin food queue : BREADLINE

16-down – Girl entertaining millions with right instrument : DULCIMER

17-down – Swedes, say, providing ferret with haircut : ROOTCROP

19-down – New song about knight in realm of fantasy : NARNIA

20-down – Tenant with a smaller amount midweek : LESSEE

23-down – Tree providing shade : LILAC

24-down – In Strasbourg I must accept one follower of May : JUNE

1-across – Withdraw from competition, having a slight injury : SCRATCH

5-across – Sheltered area where diesel is spilt at end of lane : LEESIDE

9-across – Could be rasher returning no cab, it seems : BACKBACON

10-across – Former church leader’s beginning to be superior : EXCEL

11-across – Clumsy American baulks at first jump : LUTZ

12-across – Rambling around Corinth, seen topless : INCOHERENT

14-across – Mariner finally leaves golf spectators’ boat : GALLEY

15-across – Medical officer bags Aussie owls : MOPOKES

16-across – Egyptian city’s stone home in highway that’s not deserted : ROSETTA

18-across – Flying Gulf Air, one missed out having to use economy : FRUGAL

20-across – Rewrote scene or act? Bless! : CONSECRATE

21-across – Some conservatoire backing debauchery : RIOT

24-across – Man the pumps regularly, having finished the lot : ATEUP

25-across – Oceanarium, not posh, spilt coffee : AMERICANO

26-across – Pasta course — dip into it! : LASAGNE

27-across – Vest — and what finishes it off : SINGLET

1-down – Oracle is upset near the top side of lake : SIBYL

2-down – Cheese for girl in bed? On the contrary : RICOTTA

3-down – Man and dog associated with jug : TOBY

4-down – London Taxi: sorry horse : HACKNEYCARRIAGE

5-down – Anthem offering trade-offs with hymnal, possibly : LANDOFMYFATHERS

6-down – Exam — this one makes twelve : ELEVENPLUS

7-down – King under threat turns chicken … : INCHECK

8-down – … early stone implements working the soil : EOLITHS

13-down – Sheet anchor? : CLOTHESPEG

16-down – Shipping area, which is proverbially steady on everything : ROCKALL

17-down – Boy at practice session getting lines! : SONNETS

19-down – Old lady’s maid is a sizeable American, one needing leading liposuctionist : ABIGAIL

22-down – Tutor rearranged piano quintet : TROUT

23-down – Regularly taking out cloisonné cat : LION

1-across – It may soothe trouble with guts : HOTWATER

5-across – See 1 : BOTTLE

9-across – Castro, for one, cared about growth in America : REDCEDAR

10-across – I’m surprised line’s lost in taunting remark : HECKLE

11-across – European is by peaks, getting cut off : ESTRANGE

12-across – Go somewhere else and act like a fool? : BEATIT

14-across – Celebrities refuse to load gun with one : GLITTERATI

18-across – Mince pies and a pint — good and tasty! : APPETISING

22-across – Pressed current Liverpool player to keep running : IRONED

23-across – Vow in ceremony by posh president once : POMPIDOU

24-across – In recession, US city rents increase continually : SPIRAL

25-across – Fix injected by 14, one getting high? : ALPINIST

26-across – Feeling less cold, singer engages career accountant : NUMBER

27-across – See 26 : CRUNCHER

1-down – Rough old invader, say, behind horse one’s ridden : HARLEY

2-down – Why I’ve used Tinder thus far : TODATE

3-down – Cut staff for someone on 8 21? : AXEMAN

4-down – Good person is stopping fallen woman to give a sermon : EVANGELISE

6-down – Watchful old marshal’s into weed : OPENEYED

7-down – What’s said to accompany hit band : TAKETHAT

8-down – Feature of rock or glacier with tier cut out : ELECTRIC

13-down – Money raised by cop for formal wear : ETONCOLLAR

15-down – See 1 : DAVIDSON

16-down – Saw mishap jumping over sort of gate : APHORISM

17-down – Cattle are getting on part of ship : STEERAGE

19-down – Choice beverage with lower phosphorus : OPTION

20-down – Ingest too much food and a little rum : ODDISH

21-down – See 8 : GUITAR