Daily Answers

1-across – Kind mother? : NATURE

4-across – Exercise books lose one 11s : PEBBLES

9-across – Do Russian rebels become old-fashioned types? : DINOSAURS

10-across – After drink, sailor twirls to dance : RUMBA

11-across – Stoke-on-Trent’s code is a gem : STONE

12-across – Plant on which money might grow? : BREADTREE

13-across – Clever person — Sting, that is : SMARTIE

15-across – US fruit drink : SQUASH

17-across – Grounds for first divorce? I traded in sober adult : STADIA

19-across – Foundation of plot 11 : BEDROCK

22-across – It can help one get a start in life : INCUBATOR

24-across – Rule, which comes from above, they say : REIGN

26-across – 11’s fine dressing : FLINT

27-across – Docker does exert, working shifts 10 to 5 : STEVEDORE

28-across – Spooner to ask for stories as extras : LEGBYES

29-across – See 23 : GRABLE

1-down – When they’re busy, they’ve nothing on : NUDISTS

2-down – Drink made from brown leaves? Not half! : TANGO

3-down – Took time out squeezing muscle to be admired : RESPECTED

4-down – Questions about IT? No one notices : POSTERS

5-down – Not interested in meals being delivered? : BORED

6-down – Sparkling wine for meat course, almost cooked : LAMBRUSCO

7-down – Criticises 11s : SLATES

8-down – Utter problem — there’s no time for pieces of 11 : RUBBLE

14-down – Fighting animal volunteers upset leader : ATTACKING

16-down – Foreign articles close to home in war briefs, perhaps : UNDERWEAR

18-down – Declares at cricket matches : ATTESTS

19-down – Quarrel breaking out nearby : BARNEY

20-down – German philosopher covers the Spanish, English or Finnish instrument : KANTELE

21-down – Enough to get you drunk: no end of drink — is that morally wrong? : SINFUL

23-down – ’40s actress is tee­total and fit, eating yogurt regularly : BETTY

25-down – Encircle part of Britain or Belgium : INORB

1-across – Generous applause? A bit : HANDSOME

5-across – Agree with right-wing scoundrel : CONCUR

9-across – Show appreciation of the hard stuff without hesitation : LIKEASHOT

11-across – Island of the Greeks, or of the Spanish : DELOS

12-across – Orienteering involves partners in selfish behaviour : MANSPREADING

15-across – Hello, sailor! : AHOY

16-across – Altering a single letter, strong grip secretary’s taken on bureaucratic nightmare : PAPERCHASE

18-across – Water could flow and came thus from woodwork? : CRAWLEDOUT

19-across – Lament singular country expressed? : WAIL

21-across – Run into tax on business producing hypocritical poster : CONCERNTROLL

24-across – A disguise said to be useful : AVAIL

25-across – Drunk, be taken over by hopeless inertia : INEBRIATE

26-across – It’s unavoidable when born a dame : NEEDBE

27-across – A descendant tours one foreign capital : ASUNCION

1-down – Success, covering top of lift shaft : HILT

2-down – Viciously attack note on instrument : NUKE

3-down – Soviet leader chucked in a German camp : STALAG

4-down – Leading pair in heretic group of mine almost converted Diana : MYHUSBANDANDI

6-down – Soldiers move gleefully, clutching new weaponry : ORDNANCE

7-down – Appeal Lily put out to Doris: stop work : CALLITADAY

8-down – Bank stores finished letter with agreement but no will : RESIGNEDLY

10-down – Backs small numbers to receive mercy : THREEQUARTERS

13-down – Drinking tea, endlessly observing Albert : WATCHCHAIN

14-down – theguardian.com is one no man made work : DOMAINNAME

17-down – Delight to beat American singing group : GLEECLUB

20-down – Not good to throw around gold coin : FLORIN

22-down – Using loose pad, I dry bed : WADI

23-down – Agog to see Wounded Knee : KEEN

1-across – 12.5% too much in a pub. : ONEOVERTHEEIGHT

9-across – Leave time to visit cities rebuilt in vain : EGOTISTIC

10-across – Fancy grocer’s stealing hearts in Asian city : DELHI

11-across – Drink Guardian keeps providing for swimmer : ALEWIFE

12-across – Smoker getting sack over complaint : LUMBAGO

13-across – Club dropping marks for good service : ACE

14-across – Illumination is found around start of darkness : INSIGHT

17-across – Proof one’s settled right round westward part : RECEIPT

19-across – Rancour? Yes, unfortunately, where there was compulsive rowing : GALLEYS

22-across – Lesbian, maybe French girl, goes through Channel regularly : HELLENE

24-across – Overseas, China’s capital spanning miles : AMI

25-across – Barmy army boxes tough cockney: a bit of a spar : YARDARM

26-across – Olympic city’s head returned greeting abroad : BONSOIR

28-across – Little boring tease uttered brief comment : TWEET

29-across – French statesman wants fatty pork pie in Brussels : RICHELIEU

30-across – Looked after poorly old lady nursed by boy : MALADMINISTERED

1-down – Windows conceivably get panes misty or foggy : OPERATINGSYSTEM

2-down – Eat at party, turning up before hosts : ERODE

3-down – Making sound adjustment to very old decoration : VOICING

4-down – Queen stopping King Edward’s upcoming retirement : RETREAT

5-down – Ambassador and clerk pounded knocker : HECKLER

6-down – Medicine one dispensed with odd type of disease : ENDEMIC

7-down – With wind around, camper is to get going : GALVANISE

8-down – Dash to hen night with drinks hard to find : THINONTHEGROUND

15-down – Current producer of coral involved in retail : SOLARCELL

16-down – Knight Rider’s barge? : HOY

18-down – Where to get milk jug that’s bottomless : EWE

20-down – Claimed previous lover faked it : EXACTED

21-down – One with a strong spirit like revolutionary warrior : SAMURAI

22-down – German barman stuffing hot starters for Indians in grill : HIBACHI

23-down – Art desiring to be the greatest? : LONGEST

27-down – What makes basket more comfortable is losing its lid : OSIER

9-across – Separate craft in which father’s conveyed : APART

10-across – Willing female : TESTATRIX

11-across – Mother wisely included it — or else! : OTHERWISE

12-across – Oarsmen include a soldier in the overturned boat : EIGHT

13-across – Quickest way home for some workers : BEELINE

15-across – One under instruction to make a stand about wet weather : TRAINEE

17-across – He told tales for soap set around English capital : AESOP

18-across – Hal stopped with him : TED

20-across – VAT, say, for nails : TACKS

22-across – Wanted to be a schoolmaster, in fact : DESIRED

25-across – A ruler’s confused in a dream world : SURREAL

26-across – French painter changes, not me : MONET

27-across – Made to look great! : MAGNIFIED

30-across – Even a prig could be a passer-on of gossip : GRAPEVINE

31-across – Nothing to to do at this end : LOOSE

1-down – Upper Circle : HALO

2-down – Sacks those that take money : CASHIERS

3-down – Start to wake up in prison : STIR

4-down – Safety first with missile launched from submarine grating : STRIDENT

5-down – Nod when told to go? : ASSENT

6-down – Criminal macho characteristic : MALEFACTOR

7-down – Formidable woman appears to be tedious : DRAGON

8-down – Get out of this! : EXIT

13-down – Feature of barley used to make bread : BEARD

14-down – Foreign parts? : IMPURITIES

16-down – Peg-legged supporter of the school board : EASEL

19-down – Intended to put one’s name in a legal document : DESIGNED

21-down – The settlement is due to him : CREDITOR

23-down – It’s bound to go on foot : SANDAL

24-down – Obtuse humour of a stupid person : DIMWIT

26-down – Wise men have a month in Paris about the end of spring : MAGI

28-down – Unemployed paid less at the centre : IDLE

29-down – Might it turn the tide for those overweight? : DIET

1-across – Start on ugly birds! — blue comic : BUILDERSBUM

9-across – Soccer bosses scrapping third division — this rule isn’t democratic : FASCISM

10-across – Condemned equal rights dispute : QUARREL

11-across – Reserve position on illegal drug : SUBSTANCE

12-across – Guided by instinct, didn’t do much : IDLED

13-across – Lie back when listening : TALE

14-across – It’s often full — I book a break in Caribbean resort : MONTEGOBAY

16-across – Handle not normally used to open or close : MIDDLENAME

19-across – Heard Rashford’s header got ruled out for United : TIED

21-across – Field in America very muddy at first : REALM

22-across – Creator of Wendy houses not a nice man — block! : BARRICADE

24-across – Sign to new Catholic claiming spiritual knowledge : GNOSTIC

25-across – It should have been settled … with force : OLDBILL

26-across – Underworld boss has standing arrangement : DISPOSITION

1-down – Ruth’s former workplace is bad — blame an old problem : BASEBALLDIAMOND

2-down – Charlie returned to south of France with no money : IDIOT

3-down – Spaniard, one often spotted around German : DOMINGO

4-down – Ask some more questions : REQUEST

5-down – Call base, maybe without awareness of position : BEARINGS

6-down – Worked a lot with original mob — one ought to be discharged : MORALOBLIGATION

7-down – Make up for not shooting? : OFFSET

8-down – First slice of gateau large woman’ s eating with pleasure : GLADLY

15-down – Climber’s claim set to collapse : CLEMATIS

16-down – Vision of motorway madness : MIRAGE

17-down – Islander upset army leader and king, played by 3 : NABUCCO

18-down – Telegraph man appearing to interrupt one runner-up : MARCONI

20-down – Copper’s very likely saved lives : DWELLS

23-down – During third night picked up Madagascan native : INDRI