Daily Answers

8-across – Lock fixer and musical stagehand : HAIRGRIP

9-across – Pam too slack for graft : POMATO

10-across – Put in a good word for Seal : PLUG

11-across – Young producer, calculating type : MULTIPLIER

12-across – Gear pin hindrance? Not quite : TACKLE

14-across – Weird things — state in which stars may be seen : NIGHTSKY

15-across – Clotho’s from south Middlesex location? : SPINNER

17-across – Iodine in gin’s a stimulant — Tramp : TRAIPSE

20-across – Star’s debut appearance in daily soap? : CLEANSER

22-across – Fly at an early age : MAGGOT

23-across – Vehicle 101 has complete lack of data that produces growth : CARCINOGEN

24-across – Brook’s headless fish : RILL

25-across – Kind of heathen, one to be avoided : GENTLE

26-across – Cynic died before seeing about having a ball : DIOGENES

1-down – Irk privileged American pest : GALLWASP

2-down – Medic wants silver for headache : DRAG

3-down – Unit’s music award not quite the ultimate in prestige : GRAMME

4-down – Stone-like work by a band : OPALINE

5-down – Bounder’s pet? : SPRINGER

6-down – Discontented Salzburg to restrict shopping venue? Fine — no big deal : SMALLTHING

7-down – Band’s run exposed : STREAK

13-down – Spiky catkins, say, found in the American Midwest : KANSASCITY

16-down – German city with little time to turn up distinctive qualities : ESSENCES

18-down – Burn unseen, as sculptor under sun : SMOULDER

19-down – Soldiers providing vessel support via radio : BRIGADE

21-down – President’s view of newspaper? : LEADER

22-down – Mo has present for an unimportant person : MINNOW

24-down – River fish’s swim : REEL

9-across – Diversion — something necessary to get round European soldiers : AMUSEMENT

10-across – Religious establishment backed vote for protecting bishops : ABBEY

11-across – Refers to tourist attractions, repeatedly mentioning these locations : SITES

12-across – For start of book, two things a knight has? : TITLEPAGE

13-across – Female not just a provider of entertainment : FUNFAIR

14-across – Like some old people here, having reduced fishing around area : ANGLIAN

17-across – Final stanza that may be read in broken voice : ENVOI

19-across – Cast lacking confidence in company : SHY

20-across – Head off old car, producing road rage, for example : ANGER

21-across – Portray female author as pro­gressively involved : DRAWNIN

22-across – Diamonds I’d turned into money, like a rotter : CADDISH

24-across – Page about fictional hero holding one cold and negative attitude : PREJUDICE

26-across – Sense of achievement from hunting animals collectively : PRIDE

28-across – Demolish east wing of building in a sorry state : RUING

29-across – A short sentence added to American volume without changing any characters : LITERATIM

1-down – Crews in race circuit site missing leading article : MANS

2-down – Writer with 27 endlessly able to produce 9 : AUSTEN

3-down – Body covering USA revised one set of beliefs : PERSUASION

4-down – Right part of book — right for father of 6 2, for one : RECTOR

5-down – Sculptures or other form of art, say, divided by working group : STATUARY

6-down – Romantic heroine, Juliet, with a new energy, Romeo coming into view : JANE

7-down – Scraping racket in a game : ABRADING

8-down – See 6 : EYRE

13-down – Stop and return, if led astray : FIELD

15-down – Musical performance originally arranged round old piano : GRANDOPERA

16-down – PM once linked with partner in 19th-century novel : NORTH

18-down – The writer is caught by very upset assistant in compromis­ing position : VIAMEDIA

19-down – Displaying either component of a novel by a lady : SENSIBLE

22-down – Author in part of Greece penning article : CREATE

23-down – Stupid people do it after change of heart, interrupting lives : IDIOTS

24-down – Explorer in rescue vessel put under pressure : PARK

25-down – For instance, game briefly written up in press : URGE

27-down – Eponymous heroine, such as Madame Bovary : EMMA

9-across – One maybe put on runs: deliveries knocked over the top : OVERSHIRT

10-across – Great first love letter : OMEGA

11-across – Breakfast supplier back to cook scrambled egg roll right away : KELLOGG

12-across – Part of organ not quite audible around old church : COCHLEA

13-across – Model to pose for job  : TASK

14-across – Now feel bad about director cutting salary : PRESENTDAY

16-across – Fire single sniper shot : INSPIRE

17-across – Mismanage second team that’s winning : SCREWUP

19-across – 27 on pub game : LOCALDERBY

22-across – Relating to listener in two ticks : OTIC

24-across – One gave charity millions, one recluse admits  : ALMONER

25-across – Winged sandals in Australia? American’s going out : TALARIA

26-across – Rider thrown off maiden : DRIER

27-across – Play score and hear a classic, perhaps : HORSERACE

1-down – Red backs? Lilo tip for swimming pool : POCKETBILLIARDS

2-down – They bow as terrorist group gets time in prison : CELLISTS

3-down – Meeting Charlie in one boozer : ASCOT

4-down – Smalls remain outside for idle … : LINGERIE

5-down – … mark in smalls remains : STICKS

6-down – Patient one cross in place for work : JOBCENTRE

7-down – Improved attention span for top-grade student : HEALED

8-down – Power arm? A special gym to work out for sporting event? : PARALYMPICGAMES

15-down – Wearing eye make-up, Britney Spears primarily concealing bags : BINLINERS

17-down – Help to protect Britain; politician that might cause upset : SOBSTORY

18-down – Were covers not stained ultimately in the morning with this? : WETDREAM

20-down – Groom mostly attractive and sweet : COMFIT

21-down – Crude painting? What gallery finally frames? : EARTHY

23-down – Foreign film : ALIEN

1-across – Have impossible aims: go after bad weather gives way : CHASERAINBOWS

10-across – Regularly awry is pic: why I go for such a preview? : WYSIWYG

11-across – Put old boy on back — it does nothing to cure him : PLACEBO

12-across – Return homework about the French revolutionary : YIELD

13-across – Movement of eyes in modest lowering : DECREMENT

14-across – European visits prosperous kingdom : REICH

16-across – Sort of progression of cortege I’m organising : GEOMETRIC

18-across – Chew gum, having drunk tea : MASTICATE

19-across – Russian cavalry dropping lettuce in bags : SACKS

20-across – Doll has teeth and ears in the wrong places : TEARSHEET

23-across – Smooth old jazzmen : COMBO

24-across – Several overtures made by man to woman : LEONORA

25-across – Caustic, say, about indefinite number admitted to craft : PUNGENT

26-across – Absurd mother’s horrid in these? : BERMUDASHORTS

2-down – Unscrupulous lawyer heading off one’s constant suppressed laughter : HYSTERICS

3-down – Said by some to have risen rapidly, but cut : SAWED

4-down – Stiff sort of card supports equipment : RIGID

5-down – Succeeded dodging fare-checker? Outcome finally undisclosed : INPECTORE

6-down – Innocent bishop deprived of golden fabric? : BLAMELESS

7-down – Place question : WHERE

8-down – On vacation, no one may use computers! : AWAYFROMITALL

9-down – Approaches some seaside towns for football and rugby : CONTACTSPORTS

15-down – After heroin, moralist turns to a drop of the hard stuff : HAILSTORM

16-down – Serious distance to one’s final destination : GRAVEYARD

17-down – Lying about boss, nearly new : RECUMBENT

21-down – Around the same thing, live and love : ADORE

22-down – Pasta cooked as appetisers : TAPAS

23-down – Positive attitude in small company letters : CANDO

1-across – Level playing field : PITCH

4-across – Scornful father recoils, breaking joint : DERISIVE

8-across – Have no scruples, but never rise : STICKATNOTHING

10-across – Gunners knocked over Nutmeg’s battered case : ARGUMENT

11-across – Sportive fellow, hairy : FRISKY

12-across – Delighted about content of songs being extended : ELONGATED

15-across – Apparent end of iconic king on stage : CLEAR

17-across – Where to put fuel for military vehicles : TANKS

18-across – Summon up prayer on religious subject : RECOLLECT

19-across – Insubstantial lake with silver lining : MEAGRE

21-across – Wife no longer covered bust, I admitted : DIVORCEE

24-across – Main base : BOTTOMOFTHESEA

25-across – Particular contingent of troopers on alert : PERSONAL

26-across – Cantankerous head dismissed, not employed for some time : RUSTY

1-down – Put one’s foot down after Gestapo trashed collector’s item : POSTAGESTAMP

2-down – Setting limits on Spooner’s borough that’s failing? : TYINGDOWN

3-down – No problem with pong surrounding rubbish : HOKUM

4-down – Upcoming duty list observed, one sets off : DETONATOR

5-down – Castle where felon’s beheaded : ROOK

6-down – Organisation of parish clerks, last three dropping round : SPHERICAL

7-down – Archdeacon attending American Beauty : VENUS

9-down – New trophy ready, supporting hospital’s remedial treatment : HYDROTHERAPY

13-down – Talk, endlessly cliched, is a source of irritation : GASTRITIS

14-down – Fraudulent cutie fled in disarray : DECEITFUL

16-down – Cutting of taxes by queen works out : EXERCISES

20-down – In rebellious age, sailor came to prominence : AROSE

22-down – Additional gold-coated article : OTHER

23-down – Males below average to begin with? So be it : AMEN