Daily Answers

1-across – Hornblower’s sweetheart eating cheese : GABRIEL

5-across – Heavyweight bear tush! : POOHBAH

9-across – 1930s actor and bandleader breaking wind : GABLE

10-across – Info on location of Bologna and Genova: they may be found under fig leaf : GENITALIA

11-across – Green bovine at core of catastrophic AI error : ECOWARRIOR

12-across – Cold one in dictator’s funerary stand : BEER

14-across – After outrageous cuts taken, drastic measures exercised to produce Emmy winner? : DRAMASERIES

18-across – Terrifying tales of beehive makers? : HAIRRAISERS

21-across – Greek characters Doctor Who companion picked up : RHOS

22-across – Across the pond, Mark’s a good-looker in rags, tattered and torn : DOLLARSIGN

25-across – Hippies: zeroes! They’re sure to fail : DEADDUCKS

26-across – Ship’s controller heading off to part of Jersey : UDDER

27-across – In retro pub game, you once went amiss : STRAYED

28-across – Tolkien beings pursuing punishment for porcupines? : RODENTS

1-down – Denied freedom of speech, yet made wisecracks : GAGGED

2-down – Degree, blessing for boor : BABOON

3-down – Claire Danes ripping off a riotous bunch of Cod Wars participants : ICELANDERS

4-down – Beverage for outspoken wagoners … : LAGER

5-down – … beverage from bean leaf’s fermentation : PINTOFALE

6-down – Pro athlete suppresses vulgar outburst : OATH

7-down – Report Slugà la Mode : BULLETIN

8-down – Restraint for revolting reds arrested by police : HEADREST

13-down – Goes hither and yon in park, drinking boozy teas : GETSAROUND

15-down – Monica and I dancing in promotion for body-builder : AMINOACID

16-down – It involves guesswork to crack hard case : CHARADES

17-down – Fuddy-duddy oddball is around : DINOSAUR

19-down – Cupboard contents including old copper tree : LINDEN

20-down – Shows contempt for tie-ups : SNARLS

23-down – Fiasco left unresolved to a degree : LOSER

24-down – Barbie greeting when out perhaps carrying daughter : GDAY

9-across – Hogwarts attendee with zero wit coming over : DRACO

10-across – Compilers, admitting pressure before a bloomer, getting encouragement after 25? : UPSADAISY

11-across – Edits with a pen, organising current changes : NEAPTIDES

12-across – Saw German by McDonald’s logo : MOTTO

13-across – Whistled stylish intros from Elgar and Debussy : SWISHED

15-across – North American blocking change in what sinners may do : PENANCE

17-across – Concerned with measurement of energy in Asian sea : AREAL

18-across – Tailback? Blimey! : GOD

20-across – Stripped off sexy postman, one who’s gone abroad : EXPAT

22-across – Went by 1, not half filled with sin : ELAPSED

25-across – British band thus shortened Autumn in New York : THEFALL

26-across – One of 14s modelled coat of astrakhan : SATAN

27-across – Will teams net shot before time? : TESTAMENT

30-across – Unofficially, hen do site gets in a mess : ONTHESIDE

31-across – What 6 feel, extremely sensitive about Old 27 figure : SHAME

1-down – Etonian who led Britain in terrible denial : EDEN

2-down – Nirvana’s kind of music turned up on odd A-side : PARADISE

3-down – Special group gathers, like 7’s 2 : LOST

4-down – Reporter’s teased Democrat over error when defending barking leader : GUIDEDOG

5-down – Consumes a portion of steakhouse supper : USESUP

6-down – Believe 1980s pop star hasn’t finished covers of Dickie Valentine : ADAMANDEVE

7-down – Cambridge University working to protect Latin poet : MILTON

8-down – After a reshuffle, Tory is one with little experience : TYRO

13-down – Senate’s leader almost uncovered treacherous person : SNAKE

14-down – Biker and great thinker penning lines and small article : HELLSANGEL

16-down – Earl with enormous clothing to praise : EXTOL

19-down – Hugely unpopular detective’s case tried : DETESTED

21-down – Starmer draping frilly material on an undeserving official : PLACEMAN

23-down – Accordionists, not content, disapprove over E sharp : ASTUTE

24-down – Item foremost of dealers trade online : DETAIL

26-down – Present husband, boring pig! : SHOW

28-down – Too advanced, therefore overwhelming learner : ALSO

29-down – Rogue has to leave floundering Theresa May, say : TREE

5-across – Hollywood director left bigger screens : WILDER

6-across – Lush exterior of diaphanous resins : ALKYDS

9-across – Accessories – boring items put on that woman shortened : SHAWLS

10-across – Assistant returning in a flash if you’re prepared to fork out : ATAPRICE

11-across – Motown star is good? Indeed! : GAYE

12-across – Has a craving to eat 1501 peaches : HUMDINGERS

13-across – Wary jockeys in difficulties – a dozen of them are in this grid : PLAYWRIGHTS

18-across – I wasted coins engaging agent to show some attractions of chemistry : IONICBONDS

21-across – Buff host with no clothing is what could alarm Sky viewer : UFOS

22-across – Erotic quality in caress that’s out of control : RACINESS

23-across – Steer car? One may go on foot : OXFORD

24-across – Back from hols – bit of a laugh and wine in Split : SHARED

25-across – Cooks a kind of bread in fires, now and again : FRYERS

1-down – Pilot, with excited cry, getting large bit of machinery : FLYWHEEL

2-down – Son, breaking pieces, taps good egg : MENSCH

3-down – Appealing face of police chief : PLEADING

4-down – Knocked over Scottish port and syrup – it’s on a Swede’s floor : RYARUG

5-down – Musical sound effect radio collaborator brought up : WAHWAH

7-down – Safe spot to catch dog : SECURE

8-down – Reasonable to protect soldiers from small country : SANMARINESE

14-down – What chatterbox did ruined Baby Reindeer’s second half : YABBERED

15-down – Chocolates or last portion of fruit ripples : TRUFFLES

16-down – Model catching painter in confused situation : MORASS

17-down – Tough lioness ultimately keeping old squirrels away : HOARDS

19-down – During 11/05, fellow makes polite request : IFIMAY

20-down – Awful, boring cover of Smiths tracks : SPOORS

8-across – Male detective’s kind of party : COCKTAIL

9-across – Preface perhaps key : OPENER

10-across – Degree of warmth attending a kind of party : TOGA

11-across – Little rabble in party : BABYSHOWER

12-across – Party where rubbish bags left : HOOLEY

14-across – Piece behind bar broken by drunk, finally – good shot! : MARKSMAN

15-across – Small hamper for kind of party : SLUMBER

17-across – Party disrobing heir in spoilt child : CEILIDH

20-across – Reflection of love child, say – as whoopee made? : GERONIMO

22-across – Like dripping taps, odd bits cast in silver : GREASY

23-across – Foreign senator keeps party leader in opposition very close : ATONESDOOR

24-across – Party clobber : BASH

25-across – Diva’s first private kind of party : DINNER

26-across – Two kinds of party drink : GREENTEA

1-down – Driver second if not invested in hard work : MOTOROIL

2-down – One bird or more soaring? : SKUA

3-down – Bottle shown by male driver? : CARBOY

4-down – State where a woman ruined by gin after a party : ALABAMA

5-down – Keep party dish out : CONSERVE

6-down – Miss show that is holding auction : DEMOISELLE

7-down – Classes where dope given time : GENERA

13-down – Sending up light starter in grapefruit, pickled onion on top! : LAMPOONING

16-down – Semi-intoxicated, for example, bedding Republican delegate : EMISSARY

18-down – Fancy dress with it, a failure : DISASTER

19-down – Back of ghetto toured by buddy, I don’t like that part of town : BOROUGH

21-down – Call for help when discovered with a tin, rattled about for collection : ENTAIL

22-down – Kind of party in office after charitable event set up : GARDEN

24-down – Launch backhander : BUNG

1-across – Go to visit fox? Abandon this fantasy! : COMEDOWNTOEARTH

9-across – Clear O for what hopes to attract many Xs : MANIFESTO

10-across – Legal to be executed? That’s dreadful : AWFUL

11-across – Woman’s clothing said to be shaggy : HIRSUTE

12-across – Seaside clown, and maybe why his theatre is closed : PIERROT

13-across – Concerning, drinking unknown whiskey : RYE

14-across – In Franglais, October is wet a little : MOISTEN

17-across – More demanding guide to go round our ships : STERNER

19-across – Pop these in a pot and rudely eat lots : TEABAGS

22-across – Cleaning seat, start to cheer City : HIPBATH

24-across – Vegetable repeats in the stomach : PEA

25-across – Cheese is extravagant in one of the Costas : RICOTTA

26-across – Do this on the donkey or duck : PINTAIL

28-across – Spanish man’s first to leave card game : OMBRE

29-across – In panic, if retired, shaking : TERRIFIED

30-across – A cryptic clue for the Y in ‘Independence Day’ : THEFOURTHOFJULY

1-down – Chose more tomato salad that had nasty consequences for one : CAMEHOMETOROOST

2-down – Staff alternative country house : MANOR

3-down – Flat due for renovation but a failure to do it : DEFAULT

4-down – A film of our civilisation? : WESTERN

5-down – Actors on tour store up plays : TROUPES

6-down – Stand before entrance barrier needing to be raised : ETAGERE

7-down – Judge has purpose in period for public consultations : REFERENDA

8-down – School break in sum– ? : HALFTERMHOLIDAY

15-down – Easily provoked, slice a rib in pieces : IRASCIBLE

16-down – The Origin of : EGG

18-down – Japanese fish: the answer is initially obvious : TAI

20-down – Are a month old? This is a century old : ARTDECO

21-down – Splash drops over small pitch : SPATTER

22-down – Two heights enclose a harbour of very little value once : HAPORTH

23-down – Bishop quietly taking on brief quarrel : PONTIFF

27-down – Fail to wear a uniform and I’ll see you : ADIEU