Daily Answers

7-across – Head of Defence follows one branch of military around protecting another in rural setting : FARMYARD

9-across – Feeling about a quarter : HAUNCH

10-across – Right to interrupt awful poet : BARD

11-across – Toscanini initially upset with orchestration,it should be breezy : INSOUCIANT

12-across – More mature book starts to be more daring : BOLDER

14-across – Evasive action leads to swearing if Dawn French is recording : SIDESTEP

15-across – Yogi Bear ultimately stops Boo-Boo becoming zoo attraction? : GIRAFFE

17-across – Progress without regulation – to begin with that hurt Marx? : GROUCHO

20-across – Quickly be silent for screening – 17’s brother mostly is : SHARPISH

22-across – The two making love on back of sofa pant? : BREATH

23-across – Doctor adapting an endangered species : GIANTPANDA

24-across – Complain about rep on vacation : CARP

25-across – Cut ending to Moon River : SEVERN

26-across – Area policeman handling case of revenge in court : PRECINCT

1-down – Type of pasta a vehicle on motorway is carrying : MACARONI

2-down – Surrounded by morning papers : AMID

3-down – Somehow parried short sword : RAPIER

4-down – Bears eating,say,3 bones : SHOULDER

5-down – Puzzle annoys over one thousand : RUBIKSCUBE

6-down – After supporting small carbon light fitting : SCONCE

8-down – What’s found inside commodes is toxic – stop! : DESIST

13-down – Lookalike not working with band,Queen : DEADRINGER

16-down – Facetious old man’s boring flick books : FLIPPANT

18-down – Sporting achievement of bowler – perhaps fast one : HATTRICK

19-down – Look on the bright side and exercise : CHINUP

21-down – Next in line holds iron lower : HEIFER

22-down – See 4 : BLADES

24-down – Charlie painting snake : COIL

1-across – Mutants staff vessel; what can be expected from amateurs? : SPORTSMANSHIP

10-across – Not first class management of resources : ECONOMY

11-across – Floor covering as standard: I must leave without a sound : PARQUET

12-across – Sketch doctor at back of ship : DRAFT

13-across – Band made up for lumbar puncture : SPINALTAP

14-across – Second trim not needed : SPARE

16-across – Make record of lower value : WRITEDOWN

18-across – Watch player taking first ball get a surprise : EYEOPENER

19-across – Religious teacher,live in Westminster : SWAMI

20-across – Subscriptions cover board game for ladies : DUCHESSES

23-across – Such a pushy mother,a Lily : TIGER

24-across – Enjoy following pet round,almost divine : GODLIKE

25-across – Midlander mum sort of tucks in to cheese : BRUMMIE

26-across – Clearing mouth,look forward to public speaking : EXPECTORATING

2-down – Pass on article for actor,a marble : PROPAGATE

3-down – Without hesitation cock finds somewhere to sleep : ROOST

4-down – They make for painful viewing : STYES

5-down – One will give you a bigger volume : AMPLIFIER

6-down – Hysterical people mess violently with carer : SCREAMERS

7-down – One night in Montreal for Canadian perhaps : INUIT

8-down – Yesterday a dog disrupted starter’s orders : READYSTEADYGO

9-down – The way I write journals for magistrates : STIPENDIARIES

15-down – Often a short word liable to be deleted : EXPLETIVE

16-down – Dishevelled and put out of breath,son cried : WINDSWEPT

17-down – Trump a Protestant? : ORANGEMAN

21-down – Book in secret language unknown : CODEX

22-down – Serious,therefore live right : SOBER

23-down – Financial arrangement to have confidence in : TRUST

1-across – World of possibility unknown in nurse short of capital : OYSTER

4-across – Spice girl on the ball : NUTMEG

9-across – Australian’s arrested on backing loser : ZERO

10-across – Trouble entering bids,those finally going in : TAILENDERS

11-across – Pooka chowin’ down in the audience? : GOBLIN

12-across – Fool in cult,or out : TRINCULO

13-across – Voguish,cooler hat for a baby : INFANTILE

15-across – Empire builder where 2 is,with 25 at the 25,say? : INCA

16-across – See 7 Down : SUIT

17-across – Couple on trail of solitary tree,perennial also able to survive wintry conditions : LAURELAND

21-across – Reversing,run free over old,unpaved track : DIRTROAD

22-across – Prompt review of other banking times : EXHORT

24-across – Pop star sees passionate violin player in decline : DAVIDBOWIE

25-across – Lift up buttocks : REAR

26-across – Good day,man,for outdoor pursuit : HIKING

27-across – Not all there,unlikely granny will return diamond : ARGYLE

1-down – It’s done now,having been worked out : ONEDOWN

2-down – Asian capital someone discussed? : SEOUL

3-down – Dead nice,oddly,poking something akin to a dead parrot? : EXTINCT

5-down – Sent up,quote on sporting union – leaked? : URETIC

6-down – Fed narcotics originally,rum I claimed – having similar effect? : MEDICINAL

7-down – Case against thug in fancy dress? : GORILLA

8-down – Spat with in-laws to put right,day breaking – what then? : PISTOLSATDAWN

14-down – Quite slow,though not cricket? : ABITTHICK

16-down – Drive a coach that’s emptied – then leaves : SPINACH

18-down – Public school short of an emergency room for Eurasian native : ROEDEER

19-down – Describe vermin in trap having lifted lid : NARRATE

20-down – Sweet VIPs on the rise : BONBON

23-down – See 17 Across : HARDY

8-across – Singer’s strong emotion in costume : WHEATEAR

9-across – Do not apply for ring : ARENA

10-across – Bargain I secured in party : SNIP

11-across – Steps in dog mess clearly marked : SIGNPOSTED

12-across – Fraud involving press ticket : COUPON

14-across – Yankee dropping in moving near jam pot : MARYJANE

16-across – Excuse me: shut away poison : HEMLOCK

18-across – David,say,has not succeeded as fortune-teller : PALMIST

21-across – Extremely happy in financial district,not going anywhere : ECSTATIC

23-across – Rock band’s half season : BASALT

24-across – Stamp coin on reverse,incising line : PENNYBLACK

26-across – Scottish island? Objection: English : BUTE

27-across – Join together,but it turns loose : UNTIE

28-across – Ill-educated,go in for rambling tirade : IGNORANT

1-down – Excelled protecting one note well: it may be hacked : SHINBONE

2-down – Charge covering mass swindle : RAMP

3-down – Concerned about a youngster’s sanity : REASON

4-down – Birth almost taking a month,but this shouldn’t end in tears : ORIGAMI

5-down – Buzzer didn’t make much noise? : WASP

6-down – Two judges see a mess,after torturing outlaw : JESSEJAMES

7-down – As a precaution putting in last protein : CASEIN

13-down – A classical language has spread outside old German province : PALATINATE

15-down – Memorial needs much slimming down for narrow inlet : RIA

17-down – Pretend not to see prune : CUT

19-down – Hairy bit of damage in small place I look after : SPLITEND

20-down – Scuffle that is a problem for flock : SCRAPIE

22-down – Butcher has no time to train darling child : CHERUB

23-down – No good cycling on island,not much cover : BIKINI

25-down – In speech,Oxbridge representative breathed hard : BLEW

26-down – Difficulty over bit of ribbon that may stick to one’s coat : BURR

1-across – Gnomes check bank : PROVERBS

5-across – Voiced foreign drama turned into film : PHONIC

9-across – Preparing a case to tour part of UK,but losing it completely : PANICKING

11-across – Stir up nonsense about fellow compilers : ROUST

12-across – One on march that was long ago ending with pix to be developed : DENGXIAOPING

15-across – Second word of fairy story you ponder somewhat : UPON

16-across – In front,rich female relative : FOREFATHER

18-across – Undue influence to get long-established group on the stage? : OLDPALSACT

19-across – Information would give one traditional pronunciation of these creatures : GNUS

21-across – Committee meeting avoids addressing what should be easy to dispatch : SITTINGDUCKS

24-across – Get very hot right in front of kiln : ROAST

25-across – Miranda,for one,such a dish : SATELLITE

26-across – Guardian’s small admission : SENTRY

27-across – Granny is moving in London society : GRAYSINN

1-down – Dog at a non-feeding stage : PUPA

2-down – Circle something in pen,which sounds like this? : OINK

3-down – Avoid getting key cut : ESCHEW

4-down – Large-sounding cross,a tourist attraction : BRIDGEOFSIGHS

6-down – Initially happy over normal changes produced by chemicals in body : HORMONAL

7-down – Wholesome common sense in short supply,old PM no good : NOURISHING

8-down – Classify as Burmese,say? I rebel : CATEGORISE

10-down – Rogue erecting false detector : GEIGERCOUNTER

13-down – Peaky,unable to make new arrangements? : OUTOFSORTS

14-down – Transporter’s commendable exertion : GOODSTRAIN

17-down – Perhaps tea here from American is terrible : CANISTER

20-down – Thin gruel,bad to fill TV channel : SKILLY

22-down – Wife provided with one means of communication : WIFI

23-down – A new fancy to have a change from milk : WEAN