Daily Answers

7-across – Relate where Italian author inspired by Hamlet? : RECOUNT

8-across – Messy home embraced by pig, in a way : SOMEHOW

9-across – Pig in competition to cross terrain? : LAND

10-across – Drink, plonk with fish guzzled by pig : SPARKLING

12-across – Fully matured beef, we hear? : GROWN

13-across – Training one side, I take charge? : DEIONISE

15-across – Laid-back pig makes plans : MAPS

16-across – Ring-leader almost throttling head of Mafia : CHIME

17-across – Beef sandwiches right for winger : CROW

18-across – A painful delivery? : LEGBREAK

20-across – Hollow heart in darkish sci-fi warrior : DALEK

21-across – Heart flutters, and grass skirts worn : WEATHERED

22-across – Average corps unavailable? : NORM

24-across – Where pig rider seen heading for ditch, committed : ONBOARD

25-across – Give performance originally in lacy pants : PLIANCY

1-down – Guess a second letter : BETA

2-down – Rasher drivers? : ROADHOGS

3-down – Concert, issue of educational institution? : UNISON

4-down – Husband kids lean on tragically swallowed by pig, completely : HOOKLINE

5-down – See fit boxing champions ultimately drawing : DESIGN

6-down – Sound of bell or drum curtailed : BONG

11-down – See 4 : ANDSINKER

12-down – Jar opening, finger finally poked in : GRATE

14-down – Small pig eating hybrid? : SPORK

16-down – County where treasury cut rent : CHESHIRE

17-down – 9 23 being slaughtered, its days are numbered : CALENDAR

19-down – Lighter pig fed last of cabbage : BEACON

20-down – Fleece carried out, then ring stolen from charity : DIDDLE

21-down – See 10 Across : WINE

23-down – See 9 Across : RACE

6-across – Sport, an energy-filled fight : WEAR

7-across – Jam pot’s first in hamper : CRAMP

8-across – Half a ball missing in match : TEST

9-across – Postwar children pack large underclothes : BLOOMERS

10-across – Festival you will shortly open getting closer : EYELID

11-across – I’m surprised, eating cereal, it sticks to the chin : GOATEE

13-across – I censor a depraved plot summary : SCENARIO

14-across – Lecturer gives this pain, to secure first in Italian : REPRIMAND

18-across – For Linnaeus, say, maggot active isn’t bad : BOTANIST

19-across – Learnt about income from property : RENTAL

20-across – Book Month: nothing surpasses a good book : OCTAVO

21-across – New love in the far north for a number? : NARCOTIC

23-across – Turning stomachs, dirty talk : SMUT

24-across – Young swimmer constantly circling lake : ELVER

25-across – Answer by half the people, or all of them : AMEN

1-down – One composer and another shortly visiting down under : BERLIOZ

2-down – In life, king’s vigour : BRIO

3-down – Not happy about one having to mount platform : DAIS

4-down – Mayfly makes border in record time : EPHEMERA

5-down – A short whisky say at noon that dulls the pain : ASPIRIN

7-down – Taking afternoon off, make for island : CRETE

8-down – Time to cut down forest for first book in series : THEWARDEN

12-down – Scold shedding a tear over Trump’s policy, something biblical : TERMAGANT

13-down – Shorebird from the pole : STILT

15-down – Attempted murderer maybe has a bit of respect for one old lag : PRISONER

16-down – Vain man from Apple for one with tidy hair : COXCOMB

17-down – Scientist forced to lie long ago: no good coming out of that : GALILEO

19-down – For Aristotle and Euclid to appear from the start among elements of basic education is not so normal : RARER

21-down – Its journey being through Russian city, one van avoiding periphery : NEVA

22-down – Why Norwegian king can’t relieve himself? : OLAV

1-across – Idiot husband attracted to old goddess sealing fate : CLOTHO

4-across – A theologian with hesitation about death, as shown in final notes? : ADDENDUM

9-across – Wreath made specially with a name on the front : ANADEM

10-across – Crustacean, a sort confused with fish : OSTRACOD

11-across – Mad Parisian, top bod acquiring condemnation : DISAPPROBATION

13-across – Opposing team with angry thought? : CONSIDERED

14-across – A bit of tin blocking public entrance : CENT

16-across – Power shown by lustful man in small vehicle : PRAM

18-across – Case when number one inhabitant amasses millions : NOMINATIVE

21-across – Panic? It’s over – go out to get something to eat : VICTORIASPONGE

23-across – Rector, I start with hymn, somehow showing verbal skill : RHETORIC

24-across – Newest info from the French game : LATEST

25-across – To be gripping not everyone, one put in power : ENTHRONE

26-across – Energy’s associated with enzyme : PEPSIN

1-down – Nipper gets caught – something illegally broken? : CLAW

2-down – Speech offering worship putting a daughter off : ORATION

3-down – Priest’s greeting wayward, not right : HIERATIC

5-down – Finds very big lake’s behind dance venue : DISCOVERIES

6-down – Lord, the old man turning up in a flap : EARLAP

7-down – Say no to commercial product after end of Christmas month : DECLINE

8-down – Saleswoman in eating area by motorway : MIDINETTE

12-down – Put outside theatre or inside? : PREPOSITION

13-down – Island nation in which peak always starts to delight everyone : CAPEVERDE

15-down – Bad act of wise man, imprisoning head monk heartlessly? : SABOTAGE

17-down – A new coin seen here? One held to be very old : ANCIENT

19-down – One who painted over second entrance : INGRESS

20-down – See inside enclosed area cut green? : COLOUR

22-down – Shock report finally appearing in tabloid : STUN

1-across – State of Britain boosted with a victory song : BAVARIA

5-across – Chap needs a support of course – a ‘cow’ mainly! : MANATEE

9-across – Stew of sheep’s head and flounder : SWELTER

10-across – Career Oscar? Not finalised – go berserk! : RUNWILD

11-across – Silly novel ‘Four’ is at heart only half a book : FRIVOLOUS

12-across – Heading off for relative release : UNTIE

13-across – Dash off genuine short : LEGIT

15-across – Don’t be so appreciative – it’s unrewarding : THANKLESS

17-across – No star fouled a sporting opponent : BITPLAYER

19-across – Supplier, in quotes, ‘Corporation’ : TESCO

22-across – Apple disheartened by this device? : CORER

23-across – New, albeit fancy, consumers’ drink : TABLEWINE

25-across – Musical bag, lock container : HAIRNET

26-across – Hill in position above city : TORONTO

27-across – South, if not cloud-covered : SUNLESS

28-across – Supermarket workers disposing of small notebooks : CAHIERS

1-down – Retiring party, almost packed : BASHFUL

2-down – Contend with annexe inspection : VIEWING

3-down – Secret royal houses in a past style : RETRO

4-down – Rarity who is excited to be allowed to fly : AIRWORTHY

5-down – Anti-capitalist’s sound old currency : MARKS

6-down – College intrudes on UK tenant developing Massachusetts resort : NANTUCKET

7-down – What I have here: yarn – not a thing to prick you : THISTLE

8-down – Aims to keep the French Sabbath going for ever : ENDLESS

14-down – Dream about cry of encouragement abroad leading to resistance : TOLERANCE

16-down – Short book Croatia translated, about performing as a gymnast : ACROBATIC

17-down – ‘God’ misspelt as such, after carriage return : BACCHUS

18-down – Is turning up with nothing to cut rent twisting? : TORSION

20-down – See 24 : SCIENCE

21-down – Love, jumpy but not very demanding : ONEROUS

23-down – Stupid person, American, becomes an emperor : TITUS

24-down – Climatology possibly makes Chinese react badly : EARTH

1-across – Uncomplicated type, not altogether sensible, shoots back : SANSERIF

9-across – Recount including old clubs – transfer 5 or 14 across, say : RELOCATE

10-across – Repetitive phrase from ghost in a tomb : OSTINATO

11-across – Outside parties held back by force in extremely dark time : MIDNIGHT

12-across – Divert wagons I had ordered westward ahead of time : DISTRACT

13-across – Like ten to four on watch? Just the reverse : OPPOSITE

14-across – How to read how one-two generally proceeds : FROMLEFTTORIGHT

20-across – In testing situation, misrepresented grand larceny of a kind : LANDGRAB

21-across – Excel in ring, being absurdly tough and fit : OUTFIGHT

22-across – Pawn opening followed by a check, pieces captured – level drawing position : PAVEMENT

23-across – Records debates and leaves – they’re all this : TWOSIDED

24-across – It’s nothing trivial, for example, backing Indian leader : GERONIMO

25-across – Widespread European employment for spa worker : MASSEUSE

2-down – Jack counts up – he quickly passes 5 : ABSEILER

3-down – Serve in revised matins in elevated religious state : SAINTDOM

4-down – Novel instrument and music – each of them is this : READABLE

5-down – How this solution is put into place, fully : FROMTOPTOBOTTOM

6-down – Awfully proud about grant, leading to heavy fall : DOWNPOUR

7-down – Offering as bait from end of rod, fishing : DANGLING

8-down – Affected by rain around North, then South, got destroyed : WENTWEST

14-down – Following up legal changes, both 14 across and 5 : FULLPAGE

15-down – Moron I’ve converted who’ll swallow all kinds of things? : OMNIVORE

16-down – Tissue a body needs, crying about private upset : LIGAMENT

17-down – Eggs on a great deal, engulfing the speaker in lots of applause : OVATIONS

18-down – Out of bounds? Trendy form of punishment covers it : INFINITE

19-down – Royal title that diminishes 5 : HIGHNESS