Daily Answers

8-across – Central heating also aggravated old lady’s skin condition : CHLOASMA

9-across – Origami work that’s only superficially strong? : PAPER

10-across – Social gathering following complaint : BEEF

11-across – Primate taking in conference party air? : APPEARANCE

12-across – Organisation responsible for other people having died : THEMOB

14-across – See 2 : CLOTHING

15-across – See 22 down : DRESSED

17-across – Orbit’s not stable with constant spinning : STROBIC

20-across – Drug movie, Scum, which runs for hours : EPICFILM

22-across – Singular doctrine that does away with rate reversal at heart of economic policy : MONISM

23-across – Western Asian strait once cheekily stolen — help! : HELLESPONT

24-across – Unchecked downward motion caused by trip over natural obstruction : FREE

25-across – See 9 : TIGER

26-across – Broad English chronicler : TROLLOPE

1-down – Main animal that replaced agricultural labourers : THRESHER

2-down – Virginia, possibly deprived of oxygen, wearing a fleece — more scary than it looks : WOLF

3-down – See 22 : ASLAMB

4-down – Paparazzi allowed space for Frank and his buddies : RATPACK

5-down – Make a bold statement after second point disallowed : SPEAKOUT

6-down – Securing place in band with Sad Space Mission’s end? : SPLASHDOWN

7-down – Beacons required to follow this, if range is to be obtained : BRECON

13-down – Gloomy playing besets universal, faithfully reproduced Chopin study, maybe : MUSICOLOGY

16-down – Delegate English female to change, discarding top : EMISSARY

18-down – See 2 : INSHEEPS

19-down – Meaning to have singular items brought in : IMPORTS

21-down – Player’s quick to eliminate right-winger from City : PRESTO

22-down – Oldie inappropriately turned out to be last damned USSR suspect after top spy : MUTTON

24-down – See 24 across : FALL

1-across – Have fun exciting two lasses in wood? : SOWONESWILDOATS

9-across – Lever in middle of lounge, lifted : UPRISEN

10-across – Loose woman’s first to break up partners at the end of the day : SUNDOWN

11-across – Tool knocking head off pump, perhaps : HOE

12-across – One’s likely to drop off Eric Clapton after taking a spin : NARCOLEPTIC

13-across – Reckon one’s reaching a sweet African city : ADDISABABA

15-across – Connect Maltese and Spanish borders : MESH

18-across – Some bike pinched, in gendarme’s possession : KEPI

20-across – Badger bait sent back, large cask having snared a mammoth : GARGANTUAN

23-across – Erotic love’s surprisingly sedentary : LOCORESTIVE

25-across – Wait to drop two rivers — for one? : TAY

26-across – A writer in a newspaper cut the coffee : ARABICA

27-across – Funny second series on television’s beginning : STRANGE

28-across – See 5 : ANDITSNOTCLEVER

1-down – Given little money, appear grateful having secured British home for the National Theatre : SOUTHBANK

2-down – One’s charged a bundle of money to trap bird : WARHEAD

3-down – Curiosity has no function on ship : NOSINESS

4-down – Ultimate in father figures, upstanding European chap : SENOR

5-down – That’s small and thick? Grow up! : ITSNOTBIG

6-down – Fool reciting 11 and 25 after this in book? : DONKEY

7-down – Bitter hiding place for missionary : APOSTLE

8-down – Very fine, but not entirely speedy : SONIC

14-down – Crew member heading for bathroom, then waits on a potty : BOATSWAIN

16-down – Try to hold on with extra climbing, as arboreal mammal : HONEYBEAR

17-down – Whole jumbo jet then ends up south of island : INTEGRAL

19-down – Bird requires school to catch fish : POCHARD

21-down – Old raconteur seen one month after the second half of another? : USTINOV

22-down – Bacon, say, last of meat eaten by short lady, perhaps? : ARTIST

23-down – It’s beastly in the morning, everyone getting up : LLAMA

24-down – Batting position entered : INSET

9-across – Pass one bill in ten after amendment : ENACT

10-across – Looking back at closing moves : NOSTALGIC

11-across – Sweet store often buzzing with activity : HONEYCOMB

12-across – Given no credit apparently, being slow : LENTO

13-across – A game to cut short : ABRIDGE

15-across – Free delivery : RELEASE

17-across – One knows them to be well-informed : ROPES

18-across – Leaves for some refreshment : TEA

20-across – Grew agitated about a gambling venture : WAGER

22-across – Colour reserved for fans : SAFFRON

25-across – A shady put-up job : PARASOL

26-across – Begin drunken spree : BINGE

27-across – Evaluate performance of stroke on river : TESTDRIVE

30-across – Broke nine-volts circuit : INSOLVENT

31-across – Shun sailor with horror? Not half! : ABHOR

1-down – Me and mum work together : MESH

2-down – Soldiers parachuting — a bit of a shower : RAINDROP

3-down – Remain a supporter : STAY

4-down – Saucy books supporting part of Oxford? : INSOLENT

5-down – Boris upset about article describing Met line : ISOBAR

6-down – One lacking a blooming partner? : WALLFLOWER

7-down – Things to be done in company : AGENDA

8-down – Sound of their own voices heartens the choir : ECHO

13-down – Through which Hamlet drove home his point : ARRAS

14-down – Prudently involved city elders : DISCREETLY

16-down – Knowledge picked up about new recruit : ENROL

19-down – Suitable belief accepted by primate : APPOSITE

21-down – Neon? : GASLIGHT

23-down – Polish, perhaps — or not, by the sound of it : FINISH

24-down – Name and number for subordinate : NETHER

26-down – Liveliness of Brazilian capital and port : BRIO

28-down – Popular entertainer gets minor rise : DRAW

29-down – Big lake rising in Ireland : EIRE

1-across – Fatty fish : BLOATER

5-across – Fail about right, poor grade for examination : LOOKSEE

9-across – Defence shown by boxer with giant cut : ALIBI

10-across – See 26 : PRINCIPLE

11-across – Character billed as land devastated — do nothing about it : DONALDDUCK

12-across – Spike Milligan’s back scrubbed? God! : THOR

14-across – Expectation of rush hour delays, an empty promise? : JAMTOMORROW

18-across – Demonstrate that it’s possible to light up games : TESTMATCHES

21-across – Bird jaw : CHAT

22-across – In ecstasy after short film packages endure? That’s the stuff of Wallace and Gromit : PLASTICINE

25-across – Tough promises by Miliband’s lot, or … : LABORIOUS

26-across – … safe leader, say, rising to a height of incompetence, as a rule : PETER

27-across – Similar, it’s told : RELATED

28-across – Dutch painter admits not all of art good, in general : LARGELY

1-down – Mark Antony’s extreme spirit : BRANDY

2-down – Bulbs shining, these charged : ONIONS

3-down – Journey ends in the hajj, entering mass event : TRIPLEJUMP

4-down – Fleet seeks power in attack : RAPID

5-down – Pass up around hip, unwilling to go lower for wrap-around garment : LOINCLOTH

6-down – Black and white beast turning up in zebra crossing : ORCA

7-down – Stone — rock perhaps describing one : SAPPHIRE

8-down – A couple faced listening to what a cow says she does? : EYEBROWS

13-down – Queue up with overseas trader for prayer : WORSHIPPER

15-down – Arsenic, for example, in it: old meal poisoned : METALLOID

16-down – Perfectionist, model ultimately wearing label : STICKLER

17-down – Transcontinental location, a Butlins resort : ISTANBUL

19-down – Minor left among offspring, having bottom wiped : LITTLE

20-down – At sea, tar yeh? : HEARTY

23-down – Fibre found in legumes is a lot : SISAL

24-down – Bits of stone balls : GRIT

8-across – Water jug back in sink for so long : FAREWELL

9-across – They are partial to a good loaf : IDLERS

10-across – Enjoy corresponding : LIKE

11-across – He outshone in a fashion, at someone else’s expense : ONTHEHOUSE

12-across – Intriguing little parties : CABALS

14-across – A translation showing hostility : AVERSION

15-across – Two points in dog delight : BEWITCH

17-across – Imperfect we hear, so knocked down : FLOORED

20-across – Composer has part played back for a single-minded man : BACHELOR

22-across – Go round with a list at half-term : ROTATE

23-across – About to appeal — yet again! : REPETITION

24-across – Bank of Scotland : BRAE

25-across – I had to stand in line — it’s neater : TIDIER

26-across – Former spouse to create trouble, resulting in hate : EXECRATE

1-down – Humorous repartee may appear hurtful in time : BADINAGE

2-down – Present the woman’s beginning to expect : HERE

3-down – He is leader of many old slaves : HELOTS

4-down – Plant making two light carriages : FLYTRAP

5-down – Team not assumed to be of star quality : SIDEREAL

6-down – Initiates left in fox-hunting? : BLOODSPORT

7-down – Forces change in form of decoration : FRESCO

13-down – Crime that somehow involves one in school subject : ARITHMETIC

16-down – The dog on the line is mine : COLLIERY

18-down – They’re taken out of context : EXTRACTS

19-down – Judge turned irritable, losing one pound : ARBITER

21-down – One getting over show of nerves can be really sour : ACETIC

22-down – Give up and get plastered : RENDER

24-down – Poet’s endless stream : BURN