Daily Answers

1-across – Planned diversity hasn’t succeeded in main court — not the ideal finding : MAJORITYVERDICT

9-across – Dexterity of extremely skilful boat crew : SLEIGHT

10-across – Barge carrying less cargo? : LIGHTER

11-across – Get rid of short test, on reflection : AXE

12-across – Queen regularly insulted reformed offenders : DELINQUENTS

13-across – Spotted second fielder conked out on the boundary : DISCOVERED

15-across – Muffle sound of punishment : WRAP

18-across – Grudge disheartened Eastern visionary : ENVY

20-across – Program by amateur brought in to deliver value : APPRECIATE

23-across – Like Rod, Henry leaves clinic hardly changed : CYLINDRICAL

25-across – Bath’s transport system 75% complete : TUB

26-across – Game on, following at once with run out : PONTOON

27-across – Going round is good in Paris, in small amount : AMBIENT

28-across – Means of opening adult’s first gift? : THEKEYOFTHEDOOR

1-down – Make a hash of announcing composer’s daughter? : MISHANDLE

2-down – My record’s held in derision : JEEPERS

3-down – Firemen all together out of bounds soon heading off for dance : RIGADOON

4-down – Unqualified bunch turns up full of thanks : TOTAL

5-down – Lively tune penned by lover bursting to propose : VOLUNTEER

6-down – Charity event banned highly seasoned food : RAGOUT

7-down – Reprobate not initially welcoming to monotonous speaker : INTONER

8-down – Ring? You could say it’s a sign : TORUS

14-down – Language of Home Counties sent up by queen in Christmas show : ESPERANTO

16-down – Minister from cabinet almost right about several bits of information : PRESBYTER

17-down – Workplace hampered by hierarchy that you should get over : SCALABLE

19-down – Group of medieval ancestors hanging round bed : VALANCE

21-down – Firm supporting dodgy trade in style between the wars : ARTDECO

22-down – Weep after a couple of cardinals drop off : SNOOZE

23-down – Get irrational in bed and suffer the consequences : COPIT

24-down – Beach ball grabbed by players : COAST

7-across – Carney’s predecessor on bank, looking back and gossiping? : YACKING

8-across – Struggle to keep hold of superior fighting force in disorder : TURMOIL

9-across – Dictator’s final word, one ousting English : AMIN

10-across – Tree of gold in curve by a narrow inlet : ARAUCARIA

12-across – Suspicious female, one reluctant to come forward : FISHY

13-across – Like something that can be ground down or cut with rope around? : CHEWABLE

15-across – Title for lady — a generous gesture, not half : DONA

16-across – This writer’s work gives hint : IMPLY

17-across – The solver not completely private is one would appreciate asceticism : YOGI

18-across – Fellows involved in grot­esque art with no beautification : ORNAMENT

20-across – Something published by American priest in the past : MAGUS

21-across – Mad fellow in playground rolling around, one who is 7 : CHATTERER

22-across – Concessions? There’s urgent request to keep quiet : SOPS

24-across – Continue mocking county town : TAUNTON

25-across – A mark is identifying type of worm : ASCARIS

1-down – China has millions — can one looking at it make predictions? : PALM

2-down – Problem with movement? Relations settle finally within continent : AKINESIA

3-down – Like the tempter around Eden originally? : SNEAKY

4-down – Wreck not the first to be flogged in seaside location? Shady practice : QUACKERY

5-down – Mountainous region abroad? You’ll find England’s hilly area less cold : UMBRIA

6-down – Help a female doomed to die : AIDA

11-down – Hawk shows caprice flying — the thing must be caught : ACCIPITER

12-down – Meal left for two couples maybe to consume : FLOUR

14-down – Seaman faced with delay in foreign port : LAGOS

16-down – For mental power I would dine at home with zero interruption : IDEATION

17-down – A guy loves to exude energy — active old European : YUGOSLAV

19-down – Word of rejection from a very little lady in the family : AVAUNT

20-down – Second woman in a bad mood : MOROSE

21-down – Earth’s best fighter once : CLAY

23-down – Balletic action requires power — rest afterwards : PLIE

1-across – Mark for every run : SCARPER

5-across – Where to learn to stay put amid change : VARSITY

10-across – Turned up? Rolls over : SNUB

11-across – Arnie misguidedly accepting mission on horseback : EQUESTRIAN

12-across – Maternal grandmother inhaling Italy’s noxious air? : MIASMA

13-across – Artwork seen in excursion to church on outskirts of Troy : TRIPTYCH

14-across – Puma perhaps devouring one affiliated to cheese : CAMEMBERT

16-across – Consent to match : AGREE

17-across – Block of Roman villas : ANVIL

19-across – Accommodation bit into end of prayer time : APARTMENT

23-across – Spillage ended by predator’s return : OVERFLOW

24-across – Gather opponent’s collecting scrap : FORAGE

26-across – Casual attitude to trees in waste : SLOPPINESS

27-across – Fight knocking stuffing out of type of coat : DUEL

28-across – One emulating Charlie in Flower of Scotland — Returning Officer first? : COPYCAT

29-across – Slowing down earthbound light : CLARITY

2-down – Is woman allowed into bar? : CANTINA

3-down – Puzzle concerning people carrier : REBUS

4-down – Female infant’s precious thing topped by a medic : EWELAMB

6-down – Attack making halfwit become unwell : ASSAIL

7-down – Plan to have stone layers on top : STRATAGEM

8-down – Portion of hospital in dazed condition : TRANCHE

9-down – Daft words dreamt up for source of condiment : MUSTARDPOWDER

15-down – Inscriptions putting end to male chauvinist musical genre hastily disembowelled : EPIGRAPHY

18-down – Breaking right away from lovelorn songwriter : NOVELLO

20-down – Turning down authentic setting for Much Ado : REFUSAL

21-down – Name chosen to encapsulate gerbil’s initial lack of attention : NEGLECT

22-down – Thurman, badly lit, swallowed last syllable : ULTIMA

25-down – 11 proviso : RIDER

1-across – Wrapped up ring, retailing with £1,000 discount : OVERLOOK

5-across – Option for sewer system, originally being underdeveloped? : STITCH

9-across – Present option, having bent top of Barbie’s letter? : GIFTTOKEN

11-across – In Africa, killer degrees : MAMBA

12-across – Officers afloat, overseeing result of Ferrari’s fix? : SUPERCARGOES

15-across – Left country : TOGO

16-across – Spooner’s plan to attract mods to Bordeaux store, perhaps : WINECELLAR

18-across – Sell proper pants : PROPELLERS

19-across – At regular intervals, star seeks plod : TREK

21-across – Plenty of ready members : ANARMANDALEG

24-across – Put off, I must abandon one dropping pounds : DETER

25-across – Gang joins retiring bishop making toy weapon : STINKBOMB

26-across – For instance, stare and compare my bust with hers : RHYMES

27-across – Crumbs John and Paul often found here? : BYGEORGE

1-down – Party that’s wild for gym bags : ORGY

2-down – Swears very loudly, splitting case of euros : EFFS

3-down – Some call it music : LITMUS

4-down – Link dry season to wind hitting archipelago : ORKNEYISLANDS

6-down – Endeavour to populate island rising here? : TIMORSEA

7-down – Rubbish spy admits Foreign Office employed by Cameron? : TOMFOOLERY

8-down – Illness takes other forms after treatment : HEATSTROKE

10-down – Moving any U film screening fine for parents and kids : NUCLEARFAMILY

13-down – Temporary flight in summer carrying large pets up : STEPLADDER

14-down – One working for queen or lying deviously about it, showing stupidity : IGNORANTLY

17-down – Say band always returns to appear again : REEMERGE

20-down – 27 in Paris, the bait : HECKLE

22-down – Fell from space, pointing at sky : MOOR

23-down – Clever bloke’s opening beer bottles : ABLE

7-across – Busy trophy wife regularly featured in love record … : OCCUPIED

9-across – … leaving former partner nothing — dirt, for the most part : EXODUS

10-across – Boy’s chance to go topless : LUKE

11-across – I clean silver in Germany and pour on cold water : DISCOURAGE

12-across – Uncontrolled actor ignores book on The Origin of Method : RANDOM

14-across – Review article is in abstract paper : APPRAISE

15-across – Man makes tea for Israelites : HEBREWS

17-across – Seeing explosion — small or big bang? : GENESIS

20-across – Is he an insect or a great beast? : BEHEMOTH

22-across – Copper’s exam brings forth the cleverest : CUTEST

23-across – Twist a handle in to animate display : REVELATION

24-across – Yank’s clothing slips off hip : JERK

25-across – Economical plan : BUDGET

26-across – Words of 3 for doing words : PROVERBS

1-down – Bill Clinton’s first turn — worth being faithful? : ACCURATE

2-down – Law book : JUDE

3-down – Do swim at sea to have the experience : WISDOM

4-down – Rehabilitate policemen giving up cocaine for dessert : LEMONPIE

5-down – Boxing chaps turn to a dramatic series of bouts : TOURNAMENT

6-down – First goal accepted by 2 special referees : JUDGES

8-down – Diamonds with income support? — Home Secretary’s alarm : DISMAY

13-down – Perhaps chocolate’s the cause of universal expansion? : DARKENERGY

16-down – Social workers sabotaged stand supporting film director : WOODANTS

18-down – Mark breaks sonic barrier, emitting dreadful roar! : INSCRIBE

19-down – 1960s’ model rejects fashion of bright pink : SHRIMP

21-down – Enigmatist’s debut puzzle divided Heaven and Hell : EREBUS

22-down – It’s rumoured minister could get fired : CANNON

24-down – Sign card about American singer-songwriter : JOEL