Daily Answers

1-across – Position at end of battle after officer’s retreat : LOCATE

4-across – Radical replacing agnostic’s in charge, having an official staff : SCEPTRED

9-across – Second home of modest form, such as stoker uses : SHOVEL

10-across – Noble short crusade given God’s protection : MARQUESS

11-across – Wartime provision made by Disraeli — rather unorthodox : AIRRAIDSHELTER

13-across – Pious argument repelled all on aboard, you might say : WORSHIPFUL

14-across – Larva eats root : GRUB

16-across – River — harmful water source : RILL

18-across – Decorative scrollwork details on limo : CARTOUCHES

21-across – Finding success, mother and knight agreed to differ : MAKINGTHEGRADE

23-across – Leading couples refused to attend agency course : TENDENCY

24-across – Very game old soldier returning punch : VIGOUR

25-across – Deliberately furtive about online meeting? : SEDATELY

26-across – Colleges of yore catering for all : UNISEX

1-down – Many turning tail never to be found : LOST

2-down – Episcopal staff from down under featured in Herald : CROZIER

3-down – Divine government chief welcomed by people in general : THEARCHY

5-down – Fireside repository of weird occult tales? : COALSCUTTLE

6-down – Sound made by little dogs is irritating : PIQUES

7-down – Tenant clutching bottle’s last to come in again : REENTER

8-down – Extremely desperate copyists giving marks out : DESCRIBES

12-down – Overlooking the very last pair, Nutmeg’s almost useless : IMPRACTICAL

13-down – Collaborators make worst bombs : WORKMATES

15-down – Protective paper : GUARDIAN

17-down – Compared with acquaintance in song : LIKENED

19-down – Ghastly appeal for sanctuary has nothing in it : HIDEOUS

20-down – Introduce trendy judge without filling court : INJECT

22-down – Nonconformist church raised cross — what’s the point? : CRUX

8-across – Reserve hotel with flower in cool place : ICEHOUSE

9-across – Ambassador, found with smut, is calm : SOOTHE

10-across – Wader’s good sense on westward track : GODWIT

11-across – Slate masons remove : DISLODGE

12-across – Dash in road, back to the start : ELAN

13-across – Landlord’s stewed tripe scoffed by approving soldiers : PROPRIETOR

15-across – Vain fellow with sense to wear jacket of organdie : OFNOUSE

16-across – Sulphur and more acid in dish : STARTER

18-across – Worn after study, lawyers must don article : THREADBARE

19-across – Russian front east of Iceland’s capital : IVAN

20-across – Problem around heroin, with opportunity to shoot up : MUSHROOM

22-across – Bent lawman gets round the law : FLEXED

23-across – Wife gets joint that’s beef : WHINGE

24-across – Pretender wants pastry, having uncovered buffet : TARTUFFE

1-down – Perspective from train, even if stopping regularly : SCHOOLOFTHOUGHT

2-down – Supply inn with hogsheads, now disclosing plans : SHOWINGONESHAND

3-down – Judge and posh tax criminal sat next to one another : JUXTAPOSED

4-down – Potent smell’s caught that’s representative of pupils : HEADBOY

5-down – In the current circumstances, fool takes one in : ASIS

6-down – English run grim economy badly: things’ll get ugly! : NOMOREMRNICEGUY

7-down – 2, perhaps, means 6 : THEGLOVESAREOFF

14-down – Scientist’s lady’s cross, oppressed by dull routine : RUTHERFORD

17-down – Like some leaves having two buds? : PALMATE

21-down – Outstanding poet’s encouragement to unite : OWED

1-across – In middle of round sheltered by tree : POPULAR

5-across – Refers to big men, both losing their heads : ALLUDES

9-across – Reviewed, in short, erotica from yesteryear : RETRO

10-across – Aid to presentation for Pam : FLIPCHART

11-across – Thoughts of love dismissed? Fancy one’s smitten : SENTIMENTS

12-across – Number two crosses line — game up! : POLO

14-across – Exciting nights are fiction : SIGNIFICANT

18-across – Race, methinks, largely fixed — it won’t interest many : NICHEMARKET

21-across – Keep secret Mr Nasty told : HIDE

22-across – Soon feel at home because of English on board : BEFORELONG

25-across – In no way a quack, some might say : HOMEOPATH

26-across – About to engage with comic hero — it’ll provide colour : OCHRE

27-across – Preference was first to get drunk : PICKLED

28-across – Course director dismissed sign : REDCARD

1-down – Study for a purpose : PERUSE

2-down – Marvel! Right away is able to have sex : POTENT

3-down – Sign I’m struggling with rents in Herefordshire town : LEOMINSTER

4-down – Winchester’s one awfully common pupil gets detention : RIFLE

5-down – Liberal hit back: It’s unfair! : ABITTHICK

6-down – Villa centre half welcomes tie : LACE

7-down – Full of energy, play with new guide : DRAGOMAN

8-down – 13 from TV castle — hard : SETFORTH

13-down – Go to this place saving time, then do a flit : HITTHEROAD

15-down – Decorate country house for the King : GRACELAND

16-down – Dominating male Henry caught unawares : ONTHEHOP

17-down – Mike supporting Bill Edmondson and Don? : ACADEMIC

19-down – Book a top fighter : JOSHUA

20-down – Yes, Vice-Admiral’s first to go above : AGREED

23-down – See 14 : OTHER

24-down – Possibly saw money being picked up : TOOL

1-across – Something metallic covering behind or something 18 covering much more? : CAFTAN

4-across – Acquaintance gets sealed deal? Not right : CONTACT

9-across – Suit constrains part of belly : PINSTRIPE

10-across – Where some Brummies find home in Glastonbury : ASTON

11-across – Move furtively and quietly behind cowboy’s enemy? : CREEP

12-across – Former type of exam: English composition : PASTORALE

13-across – What colonist will do, having captured a foreign city : SEATTLE

15-across – Meal with nasty smell, the thing to send back : TIFFIN

17-across – Rev in moving circle? : CLERIC

19-across – Little dog eats poet’s works and causes trouble : PLAYSUP

22-across – Subsequently stifles one pet’s noise, solution being found : LIMEWATER

24-across – Indication of freezing time : TEMPO

26-across – Kind of senior officer leading army corps : GENRE

27-across – Get your butts on the ground! : ORDERARMS

28-across – After travelling, you finally stayed for 24 hours : TUESDAY

29-across – Like a rogue child invading a railway : ARCHLY

1-down – Strikes briefly undermining firm making money : COPECKS

2-down – Crime, but not of one type of criminal : FENCE

3-down – Alexander the Great’s regent rebelling against father? : ANTIPATER

4-down – One may shed some light, destroying secrets : CRESSET

5-down – Maoris hang around New Zealand writer : NGAIO

6-down – A curate is naughty? We understand the risks : ACTUARIES

7-down – Mess about with difficult puzzle, not beginning : TINKER

8-down – Extra money request when in need of a drink : TIPPLE

14-down – In Parisian avenue, fellow would briefly dance : ALLEMANDE

16-down – French brother endlessly drinking coffee is 11 : FLATTERER

18-down – Like some fabric in bed, fashionable : COTTONY

19-down – Remuneration restricts staff — it’s a travesty : PARODY

20-down – Collecting financial documents, work steadily and devotedly : PIOUSLY

21-down – Escape from land after start of fighting : FLIGHT

23-down – Exercise in part of south-east England being reported : WIELD

25-down – See 5 : MARSH

1-across – Nook in which a copperhead is enamoured? : ALCOVE

4-across – Threaten to touch a steamer? : COWPAT

9-across – Unfortunately, Ofsted has killed inspirational leaders, the final nail in the coffin? : KISS

10-across – Side with keepers of the royal estate? : QUEENSPARK

11-across – Inhaler for this? That’s a good idea : WHEEZE

12-across – I believe printing stuff in spirit : METHINKS

13-across – Nothing to lose in battlefield after short run for a particular worker? : JOBSWORTH

15-across – Squarish front cut with axes : BOXY

16-across – Body lacking in width, lifted belt : WHUP

17-across – They refuse to adapt and ours is changing : DINOSAURS

21-across – Good time to cover a royal seat, wiping one for John’s chamber : BATHROOM

22-across – Not concentrating, skin stuck on zip : DOZING

24-across – Cocktail, a small drink sent over, lay unfinished in the end : PINACOLADA

25-across – Decorated more than three weeks before Christmas, looking back : ICED

26-across – Mediocre craft behind good racer : GOKART

27-across – Good health makes you feel better : CHEERS

1-down – Sound of hooter, it has gone off with two rings : ATISHOO

2-down – Class act finally dressed in suit : CASTE

3-down – A reservation almost captured by very old cowboy : VAQUERO

5-down – Elaborate talk about ultimate in decoration : ORNATE

6-down – Ground spice infusing most of cold drink : PEPSICOLA

7-down – Old screw’s failure to secure pole : TURNKEY

8-down – Arbitrary comment, I agree, is kind of average : GEOMETRICMEAN

14-down – London’s Borough Market has endless foil to wrap up : SOUTHWARK

16-down – This slaughter’s controversial, for crying out loud? : WHALING

18-down – See 9 : OFDEATH

19-down – See 10 : RANGERS

20-down – Pass over the Guardian’s prejudice : COLOUR

23-down – Old country with two sharp bends on river : ZAIRE