Daily Answers

8-across – Downcast beauty mislaid oriental flower : BLUEBELL

9-across – Cosmetic for girl entertained by libertine : ROUGE

10-across – Commit time to play a stroke : PUTT

11-across – Shortages damage urban areas : SCARCITIES

12-across – Bishop’s restless and vindictive : BITCHY

14-across – Excited about hairstyle seen at the coast : SEAFRONT

15-across – Assembled at three for drama : THEATRE

17-across – Dream of silver in island excavation : IMAGINE

20-across – Instruments curbing long-term depression : DOLDRUMS

22-across – Opponents for Jones, Bishop of Bury : ENTOMB

23-across – Corrupt grown-up English count : ADULTERATE

24-across – A swimmer’s assistant : AIDE

25-across – A warrant keeps Romeo on his toes : ALERT

26-across – European operation creates discharge : EMISSION

1-down – Display angry look when tucking into seafood : FLOURISH

2-down – An inclination to be dishonest : BENT

3-down – Fit? Yes! Possibly spirited : FEISTY

4-down – Prefers to be in church to give absolution : CLEANSE

5-down – Herald supporting petition : PROCLAIM

6-down – Left crew protecting queen? Exactly! : QUITERIGHT

7-down – Man takes control at this point : HEREIN

13-down – Cleaner hid broken ornament : CHANDELIER

16-down – Obstruction to appear in road? You can bet on it! : ROULETTE

18-down – Trying to impress improperly? Pardon me! : NAMEDROP

19-down – Cinders made trouble and is sorry : ASHAMED

21-down – Nothing legitimate about duke’s trial : ORDEAL

22-down – Quote me in retrospect — it’ll make you sick! : EMETIC

24-down – Further inside the Royal Society : ALSO

1-across – Expert’s light touch with cards : DABHAND

5-across – Hilarious person inhales small quantity in fashionable club : HOTSPOT

9-across – Very modest debtor might : POWER

10-across – In dons’ room fitter installs minute security device : SCRAMBLER

11-across – What peripatetic philosopher does is obvious : STANDSTOREASON

13-across – Deplored coarse speaking : RUED

14-across – Secure almost the best bottles shown initially here? : WINELIST

17-across – Abandon working at landing places, lacking energy : JETTISON

18-across – Pope is up for review : PIUS

21-across – Cheating a pair of zebras? : DOUBLECROSSING

23-across – Artist, an apprehensive type? : CONSTABLE

24-across – One is admitting personnel in pilgrim garb : IHRAM

25-across – Risk loading silver on back of truck? There’s no written record of it : DARKAGE

26-across – By main road, refuse collector about to leave north country : NAMIBIA

1-down – Information from page in browser : DOPE

2-down – Way in front, athlete 23 : BOWSTREETRUNNER

3-down – Twosome avoiding initial exposure : AIRING

4-down – Neglect of French entertainer heartless : DISUSE

5-down – Man trained with choir for musical : HARMONIC

6-down – Boy about to be put into cot made of wood : TIMBERED

7-down – Albanian pirates tortured refugee : PALESTINIANARAB

8-down – Bad stuttering may show evidence of intelligent behaviour : TURINGTEST

12-down – Before month half over, Democrat killed racist? : PREJUDICED

15-down – Wildly impetuous, missing note : VIOLETTA

16-down – Powerful Catholic overwhelmed by weakness : FORCIBLE

19-down – Only fellow not given a grave : SOLEMN

20-down – Expand very large element : OSMIUM

22-down – In poem, maid is girl : EMMA

9-across – Boy gets diamonds for wonderful girl : ALICE

10-across – Seduce EU partner with charm : ENRAPTURE

11-across – Spooner urinated toys in legal documents : DEEDPOLLS

12-across – On 51p, I would get fat : LIPID

13-across – 1 + 1? Without detection, I give up … : ABANDON

15-across – … propose wild guess, got nothing to lose : SUGGEST

17-across – Room for fish, but not starter of mackerel : SALON

18-across – Wearing dunce’s hat, I’m a little bit slow : DIM

20-across – Abbot puts on shirt and tie : TRUSS

22-across – Teachers writing about flower : MASTERS

25-across – Engine going about 760mph, extremely noticeable : MACHINE

26-across – Top worn by a barbarian : BEAST

27-across – Substitute every second : ALTERNATE

30-across – Most cold and damp, like the largest space heard : RHEUMIEST

31-across – Traveller to arrive on time : COMET

1-down – Group not allowed on the radio : BAND

2-down – Sack British concert artist, the possible end for a falling star : FIREBALL

3-down – Germany’s European record is extreme : DEEP

4-down – Ant’s partner fibbed about competition’s close being avoided : DECLINED

5-down – Conservative returning knighthood — is this a serious issue? : CRISIS

6-down – Unfortunately, I get cold chasing a mint — sorry! : APOLOGETIC

7-down – Clean tackles, Premier League headers by blue and red United : PURPLE

8-down – Lead, helium and nitrogen escapes : HEAD

13-down – Fool rises in the morning for tea : ASSAM

14-down – Daughter’s body clock deter­mines when to have food : DINNERTIME

16-down – Sense of style : TASTE

19-down – Mineral made from two-item compound? : MIMETITE

21-down – Annoyed that shirt’s missing from counterfeit Man U strip : UPINARMS

23-down – Ghost in sunglasses? : SHADES

24-down – Rescues about 50 captives : SLAVES

26-down – Back massage by Norse causes skin injury : BURN

28-down – Sweet music : ROCK

29-down – Puts away chair, front to back : EATS

7-across – 12 across bread crusts about right, 11 in the boulangerie? : BRONZED

8-across – Country lacking nothing, cause of Brexit? : CAMERON

9-across – Dirty five in 24 : BLUE

10-across – Keeper of fortification filling tin with lager : CASTELLAN

12-across – Coffee four in 24 : BROWN

13-across – Metal objects in the raw, no rivets to knock about : IRONWARE

15-across – See 6 : CAST

16-across – Nauseous three in 24 : GREEN

17-across – Bay, position docked : COVE

18-across – Like, possibly, not half enigmatic feature of Whistler, say? : SKISLOPE

20-across – City pontiff : URBAN

21-across – Settler close in or out : COLONISER

22-across – Drink picked up for Father Christmas, possibly? : LAPP

24-across – Thwart revolutionary American artist and sovereign : SNOOKER

25-across – Toll on Belgian town, economical : SPARING

1-down – Top right by mouth : ORAL

2-down – Betting choice patent and so unlikely : ANTEPOST

3-down – Light shade finally captured by artist : BEACON

4-down – Better move to new African city : CAPETOWN

5-down – Chicken two in 24 : YELLOW

6-down – 9 shed overlooked by hill : DOWN

11-down – 5 like crabs, worms and insects, say? : SPINELESS

12-down – Jet seven in 24 : BLACK

14-down – Heading off 5, 12 down : RAVEN

16-down – Good description of a corporation perhaps, firmly established : GROUNDED

17-down – Moonshine drinks : COBBLERS

19-down – 23 or 5 fruit from 4? Not English : SALMON

20-down – Pee in urine, worryingly 16 across : UNRIPE

21-down – Shape square for white bishop? : CONE

23-down – Prick six in 24 : PINK

1-across – The occident’s fatal day, right? : WESTSIDESTORY

10-across – John escorts royal couple circling behind nurse : LOOKAFTER

11-across – Rookie wearing militia’s diving gear : SCUBA

12-across – Buccaneer, heading off, stops here : ORGAN

13-across – Exceptional catch found swimming around : UNHEARDOF

14-across – Cotton? It beats worsted : BATISTE

16-across – Hears about extremely old valves : TRIODES

18-across – American folk playing short melody with it : OLDTIME

20-across – Fine tunes coming from women : FAIRSEX

21-across – What to eat in a basement together? : HUMBLEPIE

23-across – Finished wrapping rare part of bagpipes : DRONE

24-across – Royal bash involves performing music : RONDO

25-across – Odd way of talking doesn’t begin in Morecambe : ECCENTRIC

26-across – British in Marseilles defaced art there : LESMISERABLES

2-down – Thrilled about playing grand that’s pulled out : ELONGATED

3-down – Tango with a modern writer : TWAIN

4-down – Horn in tune I’d arranged to impress Rattle initially : INTRUDE

5-down – Is someone talking about you in this range? : EARSHOT

6-down – Maestro’s opera popular in part of UK : TOSCANINI

7-down – It’s in chamber music that’s sung in parts : ROUND

8-down – Initiate men in order : BLOODBROTHERS

9-down – A chef explains cooking : HALFASIXPENCE

15-down – Pantry in big house, ideal place to hear music : STILLROOM

17-down – Dance music on river drowns small talk : DISCOURSE

19-down – Train voice : EXPRESS

20-down – More strong doubt about concert opening in Queens : FIERCER

22-down – Place for minister’s son in Hair : MANSE

23-down – Star turns up during the Benedicite : DENEB