Daily Answers

1-across – Novel’s plot comprehended by a fine lady : ADAMBEDE

5-across – Smash hit set to be I’m A Believer : THEIST

9-across – Cloth coat for iniquitous husband dressed as a woman? : DISHRAG

10-across – I’d like to be given a bell making little sound : PHONEME

11-across – Man on board hasn’t left station : CASTE

12-across – Old boy dances with wife during Black Sabbath hits : BODYBLOWS

13-across – It will make capital, figure-hugging setter’s top? : MONEYSPINNER

17-across – Isn’t America able to contain rogue Korean being grumpy? : CANTANKEROUS

20-across – In Spain, boy’s clad in girl’s hemp : MARIJUANA

22-across – Free verse entertains old magistrate : REEVE

23-across – Short passage only about a king : EXCERPT

24-across – Introduce air to cool apartment number 5? : INFLATE

25-across – Passionate group playing in Sleepy Hollow : STEAMY

26-across – A chap to scoff: This is nutty! : AMANDINE

1-down – Illegally take sailor over Channel : ABDUCT

2-down – They’re stupid and second rate : ASSESS

3-down – Footballers save clubs, raising a cheer from their fans : BARCELONA

4-down – Follow small holiday firm in a mess : DOGSBREAKFAST

6-down – Doctor following TV channel, one that might be dropped? : HBOMB

7-down – Heavily frosted diamonds? Sure! : ICEBOUND

8-down – Hear about a user playing for funds : TREASURY

10-down – President aims to shatter eco-friendly movement : PEDESTRIANISM

14-down – Number one bread’s eaten for iron : IBUPROFEN

15-down – Holidaymaker boarding ship in rushes : SCAMPERS

16-down – React with net shot, when players are resting : ENTRACTE

18-down – Asian from north-east India crossing China : NEPALI

19-down – Colour error in still life finally in colour again : REDEYE

21-down – Knocked back soft drink and spirits in drinking bowl : JORUM

1-across – Fair to abolish Sabbath for good … er … god! : JUPITER

5-across – A classic, right? Sun’s back chasing topless figure : ODYSSEY

10-across – President’s son steals 500 old bricks … : ADOBES

11-across – … to cast magic over father’s new crusade : CAMPAIGN

12-across – Copy sample evenly : APE

13-across – Massive British trip hop artist being difficult … : TRICKY

14-across – … in front of the microphone, a number like a rousing song : ANTHEMIC

15-across – Drug ring back in Dorset town : POOLE

16-across – Moon rocks left this forge as standing stones : MONOLITHS

19-across – After spinner’s six deliveries, yorker initially provides breakthrough … : DISCOVERY

21-across – … in the ’80s, Cook departs after knowing ball’s caught : FLOYD

24-across – Stage device returning characters without skill : STARTRAP

26-across – Archer who’s on the fiddle : BOWMAN

27-across – Prince shall be undressed : HAL

28-across – Cryptically, three in existence? : OUTTHERE

29-across – Does comic admit working the cinemas? : ODEONS

30-across – God’s peach and raspberry slice : CHANDRA

31-across – Pop idol gains 1,000 pence by euro’s collapse : IMPLODE

2-down – Become bankrupt, when parts are traded for experience : UNDERGO

3-down – Stupid single honour for Croatian tennis player : IMBECILIC

4-down – Studies dissertations : ESSAYS

6-down – Downgrading Germany’s European proposal : DEMOTION

7-down – Gap sells pullovers and cardigans — even tops : SPACE

8-down – Play Nigel Short’s hardest openings — such as this one? : ENGLISH

9-down – Scientist works here with harpoon and cage? Not he : OCEANOGRAPHER

17-down – It transfers rotations to wellie he’d thrown : IDLEWHEEL

18-down – Manager’s racing car problem: Tesla’s been stolen : OVERSEER

20-down – Acquainted with molten tin? That hurts! : INTOUCH

22-down – Pined for salary received in Japan? : YEARNED

23-down – Efflorescent answer by Orlando, perhaps : ABLOOM

25-down – Betray no sailor in uprising : RATON

9-across – Performed in a group of profligate character : ABANDONED

10-across – Number love to be included in break dance : GALOP

11-across – Man in a whirl — fuel’s his trouble? : DERVISH

12-across – Animal that’s old and can play dead : OPOSSUM

13-across – Gave the players a hand : DEALT

14-across – Old Greek totaliser cock-up : ARISTOTLE

16-across – Highland fling? : TOSSINGTHECABER

19-across – Team directors found in the dining room : SIDEBOARD

21-across – Point of thorn extracted : NORTH

22-across – Drag man out to see aged parent : GRANDMA

23-across – Firm follows new trade style : ARTDECO

24-across – About to notice, for example, returning birds : GEESE

25-across – It flies, but gets down for cover at night? : EIDERDUCK

1-down – Potential MPs out­spoken over unsettled seat : CANDIDATES

2-down – Good routes for long-distance drivers : FAIRWAYS

3-down – Drug user did wrong as lawbreaker : ADDICT

4-down – Part of the foot and chin broken : INCH

5-down – Warned about diam­onds he ordered : ADMONISHED

6-down – Acting so strangely, not knowing what to believe : AGNOSTIC

7-down – Shut head teacher in the cupboard : CLOSET

8-down – Set up plans for junk mail : SPAM

14-down – Annoyed, having made things worse : AGGRAVATED

15-down – Banks that can stop advances : EARTHWORKS

17-down – One thousand planted out and firmly set : IMBEDDED

18-down – Port or claret? : BORDEAUX

20-down – Temple ornament I’d made badly : DIADEM

21-down – An upright and stylishly true character : NATURE

22-down – Makes sick jokes : GAGS

23-down – It’s said to produce a killer disease : AIDS

1-across – Regulators behind bars providing scientific study : OPTICS

5-across – Mother’s daughter flees religious slaughter : MASSACRE

9-across – Crystalline mineral cast down toilet : BLUEJOHN

10-across – Where peacekeepers send their reserves, based on dodgy evidence? : UNSAFE

11-across – Last of dogs with docked tail : SCUT

12-across – Riveting work that could make servant spit : PAGETURNER

13-across – Old church keeps back wine aplenty for dur­ation of festival : OCTAVE

14-across – Drink consumed by Arabs, in theory : ABSINTHE

16-across – Footwear all kids init­ially held in derision : SNEAKERS

19-across – Arrange completely powerless travel document : ASSORT

21-across – Spoilt deck shuffled and put in store : STOCKPILED

23-across – Book? English author gets nothing for one : AMOS

24-across – Unexpected point concluding a second-rate game : ABRUPT

25-across – Being right to worry, with smoke closing in : CREATURE

26-across – Christian playing partners no golfer’s backing : WESLEYAN

27-across – Ice in fixed form circling globe : SORBET

2-down – Officer in charge of feeding European prisoners on board : POLICECONSTABLE

3-down – Nudged, I retain dis­inclination to move : INERTIA

4-down – Exhibit involving cow and sheep, Hirst’s second : SHOWPIECE

5-down – Staff car JR scratched in American capital : MANAGUA

6-down – President’s taken over, throwing master off jet : SPURT

7-down – No winner’s too stretched : ALSORAN

8-down – New student in resort finds means of getting up to date : REFRESHERCOURSE

15-down – Sports venue broadcasting darts news … : STANDREWS

17-down – … report of a barbarous gathering : ACCRUAL

18-down – £1 among loose coins used for chips? : SILICON

20-down – Dish to get the runners moving? : STARTER

22-down – Junior’s favourite toy’s lost its stuffing : PETTY

1-across – Wipe over new cab bonnet : MOBCAP

5-across – Poor Billy, regularly infested with moth : BEGGARLY

9-across – Not aware Italian worker has lost son : IGNORANT

10-across – Eagerly accepts two drinks : LAPSUP

11-across – Soft drink?, one snorts : COKE

12-across – St Francis’s body beginning to strengthen after long periods on soup : BROTHERASS

13-across – Extract from record small, more than enough : SAMPLE

14-across – What family shares includes island country : SURINAME

16-across – Fisherman’s position on water’s edge : STANDREW

19-across – Period in which court is closed: left on foot : DACTYL

21-across – Set of labels dotted about, bearing the same important title : DOMAINNAME

23-across – Slippers into which these go : EELS

24-across – Make a grab: hello, sailor! : HIJACK

25-across – After exercise, got fit? Wrong to quibble : PETTIFOG

26-across – In both hands, you may grasp smooth character from Athens : LYSANDER

27-across – Controller fitted with 5 down? Unlikely : REMOTE

2-down – Love fine 8, say, in tiny new case, as one may well believe : ONGOODAUTHORITY

3-down – Leave no gaps for picture : CLOSEUP

4-down – Fruit brought round rest area — take it as it comes : PLAYBYEAR

5-down – Panto character putting bum on seat, no worry : BUTTONS

6-down – Caught lover’s head in embrace, falling into ravine : GULCH

7-down – Poisoner I contact, lacking ultimate drug : ASPIRIN

8-down – She wrote automatically, so needing editing : LOUISAMAYALCOTT

15-down – Soundly interpreted character as special : REDLETTER

17-down – An Indian tune, popular, rises and falls : NIAGARA

18-down – Striker puts on women’s jacket : WRAPPER

20-down – Fragments of music: A, E, and Cs : CAESIUM

22-down – No head wound without 18 : NAKED