Daily Answers

9-across – Do too much at a stretch? : OVERREACH

10-across – It flows by river edge : RHONE

11-across – Impressive work by the bookmaker : TOOLING

12-across – Painter, sanctimonious and a fool in company : PICASSO

13-across – Samuel’s teacher turns to George : ELIOT

14-across – Rate balsa as a smooth material : ALABASTER

16-across – Eager, ready and equal to winning at Wimbledon : GAMESETANDMATCH

19-across – Company store : REPERTORY

21-across – Concern of painters about love — a thing from the heart : AORTA

22-across – Change of lab gear required for this subject : ALGEBRA

23-across – They ensure a good reception for some speakers : AERIALS

24-across – Left port with cargo on board : LADEN

25-across – Actor gives reading at new production : TRAGEDIAN

1-down – One operating still as a pirate : BOOTLEGGER

2-down – Points me out as example of relative favouritism : NEPOTISM

3-down – I start to develop as a model employer : ARTIST

4-down – Scots go in a group : GANG

5-down – Father’s office provides tea, basic and cosy, not overlarge : CHAPLAINCY

6-down – Announce that one’s no longer an amateur? : PROCLAIM

7-down – Stays in confinement : CORSET

8-down – Object of the lady’s love? : HERO

14-down – They may travel far to Saturn as a diversion : ASTRONAUTS

15-down – Taking part in a dramatic trial : REHEARSING

17-down – Dance orchestra with a female leader : SARABAND

18-down – I take new partner round to see small reptile : TERRAPIN

20-down – A deity father observed outside a temple : PAGODA

21-down – A sinful desire of one mind : AGREED

22-down – Totally childless friend : ALLY

23-down – A girl finally loses direction, sad to say : ALAS

1-across – Escape? Never! : GETAWAY

5-across – Wrong treatment — not the first to cause extreme suffering : TORTURE

9-across – Superior part of Oxford? : UPPER

10-across – Clapped out software program subsequently much admired : APPLAUDED

11-across – Top horse for an executive scout : HEADHUNTER

12-across – Endlessly stroke stomach : CRAW

14-across – Spooner’s rig fabricated for forward movement : PROGRESSION

18-across – Treat me with transplanted nerve tissue : WHITEMATTER

21-across – Adolescent right to leave wooden utensils : TEEN

22-across – Around the end of night shift, concierge becomes selfish : EGOCENTRIC

25-across – Clarify dodgy clue that’s holding a little back : ELUCIDATE

26-across – Muscle, a little thing in the ear : MIGHT

27-across – Get ready to stop mum’s bagpipes : MUSETTE

28-across – He runs down animal outside stall — tail sliced off : DECRIER

1-down – Call for quiet, say, being tactless : GAUCHE

2-down – Large tile exactly placed around edges of plinth : TOPHAT

3-down – Bicker over one dispatching a member of the flock : WORSHIPPER

4-down – Barney scratches head — terrible itch : YEARN

5-down – Classified status protects English constitution : TOPSECRET

6-down – Rise up behind parent : REAR

7-down – Corroborate where Nabokov placed comma? : UNDERPIN

8-down – Providing funds, though die in the red? : ENDOWING

13-down – Tremendous novel, so romantic : ASTRONOMIC

15-down – Pop round letter bearing oven bill inside : ORANGEADE

16-down – Firing squad place inventor in line : SWATTEAM

17-down – Salad ingredient or Spooner’s green nightmare? : PINENUTS

19-down – Good cook rehashes Italian starters for a spell : GRIGRI

20-down – Duck! A wheels’s worked free from the motorbike : SCOTER

23-down – Faith burned missing mat : CREED

24-down – Intimate clinch in TV part : HINT

1-across – Pad or shorten? : COMPRESS

5-across – Unruffled college head dressed in tartan : PLACID

9-across – Same ship, different stress : EMPHASIS

10-across – A ship-to-shore cable : HAWSER

12-across – Tall and thin and large, awkward Yank : LANKY

13-across – Big-headed celebrity! : GREATNESS

14-across – Assortment of cigars there’s to be found in a shop : CASHREGISTER

18-across – The French marche militaire? : MARSEILLAISE

21-across – Long-term category for art students? : LIFECLASS

23-across – United to make reparation : ATONE

24-across – Ruined, becoming used to it : INURED

25-across – Snakeskin shoe? : MOCCASIN

26-across – Biblical judge required? Dig one out : GIDEON

27-across – Cut that could be needless : LESSENED

1-down – American language with new role in church : CREOLE

2-down – Feeling depressed, give doctor a ring : MOPING

3-down – Previously prepared to study, boy and girl pulled up : READYMADE

4-down – Way to avoid duty at sea? : SWINGTHELEAD

6-down – This said, repair is quickest : LEAST

7-down – Recorder involved in test case : CASSETTE

8-down – When Roy rides out, it’s laughable : DERISORY

11-down – Ike and Monty rent a shop : GENERALSTORE

15-down – Examples of incessant change : INSTANCES

16-down – The little devil! Telling stories, making insinuations : IMPLYING

17-down – With great insight, golf club has filled a key staff vacancy : PROFOUND

19-down – I snoop around to discover cause of death : POISON

20-down – Did lines, when kept in : PENNED

22-down – Communist firm about belief : CREDO

9-across – Hark! Chirping, cooing in tree and soft sun represented in this piece? : ONHEARING

10-across – Insincere phrases and love verses : CANTO

11-across – See 25 : STALE

12-across – Bouncer grabs bottom in circuit training — it’s pungent stuff : HOTPEPPER

13-across – See 8 : SEASONS

14-across – Prepared to pass through study : READIED

17-across – See 25 : INTER

19-across – Milk or some butter on the turn : TAP

20-across – Fire somewhat disappointing leader : INGLE

21-across – Woman cheers, wrapping present with son : THERESA

22-across – Theory about universe’s function is grasped by millions : COSMISM

24-across – Record introduction of injection still concerned with genetic interaction : EPISTATIC

26-across – Pompous little girl’s two mothers : MADAM

28-across – A key passage : AISLE

29-across – Gone mad, raging about Australia’s old chairman : MAOZEDONG

1-down – Racket by small banks : ROWS

2-down – A bit macho, an aggressive nasal feature : CHOANA

3-down – Champion enters run with starter, perhaps, here : RACECOURSE

4-down – See 15 : NIGHTS

5-down – Political art or new pop art soldier’s framed : AGITPROP

6-down – Desire husband with fabulous clothing : ACHE

7-down – See 9 : INSPRING

8-down – Noted piece following Guardian’s main issue : FOUR

13-down – Riddle takes week for writer : SWIFT

15-down – Cracking grin, mum had sat immersed in fairy tale : AMIDSUMMER

16-down – See 15 : DREAM

18-down – See 9 : THEFIRST

19-down – Gold pot in fashion in poem : TOAUTUMN

22-down – See 9 : CUCKOO

23-down – Batting, stick around to catch ball — not out : INDOOR

24-down – Where to buy and sell drug : EBAY

25-down – List new theatre plays, or a classic one : THEW

27-down – Great American rock making comeback : MEGA

1-across – As a player, stroke something soft, then accept the applause : DOWNBOW

5-across – Hairy, hairy thing stopped to pluck third of hairs : BEARDED

9-across – Greek character writing name : SIGMA

10-across – Hormone required, or one gets high : OESTROGEN

11-across – See 24 : WELLINGTON

12-across – See 2 : ROOM

14-across – Partner having left, really in debt, sums wasted, money spent! : DISBURSEMENT

18-across – One so puffed up right to punch man with beauty : PRAWNCRACKER

21-across – Blight a schedule : ROTA

22-across – Spring back for a little extra time : LEAPSECOND

25-across – Duck on edge of roof remains for the pot? : TEALEAVES

26-across – Though not dawning, shepherd’s warning? : AMBER

27-across – Set well back, marsh east of Senegalese capital : STIFFEN

28-across – Retired female minister into dictionary is stuffed! : OVERFED

1-down – Ignore broadcast amid racket : DISOWN

2-down – False hair and artificial leg, Othello turns up for play! : WIGGLE

3-down – Nationals Blessed and May catching Minnelli up : BRAZILIANS

4-down – Country not always upset over leadership in government? No! : WRONG

5-down – See company of writers cornering market in Irish : BISHOPRIC

6-down – A short jumper in style going over head? : AFRO

7-down – Despised philanthropist has to improve, when grammatically failing? : DOGOODER

8-down – Brilliant in sticks? : DYNAMITE

13-down – Slow eel reacted when tickled : DECELERATE

15-down – Meals on wheels serving maggot up with raven porridge : BURGERVAN

16-down – Essential to Knesset, a report that’s written up works : OPERATES

17-down – Old singers assigned parts, then deserter given one : CASTRATI

19-down – Englishman in Normandy, say, can’t be trusted with gold after uprising : ROSBIF

20-down – Trouble over cardinal being worshipped : ADORED

23-down – Slug, say, with duck sauce : PESTO

24-down – One required to trudge through honey, perhaps, eating starter in fragrant dish? : BEEF