Daily Answers

1-across – Slip in cowslip, perhaps? : BLOOMER

5-across – Auntie’s second home in proposal for demolition : SALFORD

9-across – Feminist principles, did you say, in government rather extraneous, extremely rare : GREER

10-across – Here evidence of man’s inhumanity has friendly purpose? I’m not sure : WARMUSEUM

11-across – Comply with girl, one in condition : TOETHELINE

12-across – God making brief point : THOR

14-across – Unexpected setback, finding leech on horse : SUCKERPUNCH

18-across – Downright incapable : UNQUALIFIED

21-across – Member of a jazz band going west, motorway’s blocked for the holiday : XMAS

22-across – Removing moisture from clothes in last drops of cold water, looking to squeeze them? : SPINDRYING

25-across – Thieves cryptically, where first crime committed? : THEGARDEN

26-across – Having shaved head, servile type reveals part of the skull : INION

27-across – Old superhero to beat, I am a certain criminal : CAPTAIN

28-across – See 27 : AMERICA

1-down – John books a South American destination : BOGOTA

2-down – See 25 : OFEDEN

3-down – Certain disaster, the rule of King Edward? : MURPHYSLAW

4-down – Part of a spur that’s further down, left to right and vice versa : ROWEL

5-down – Plain, quiet housing good: it getting erected : SERENGETI

6-down – Praise God in speech : LAUD

7-down – Threaten to put raven and hog in a stew : OVERHANG

8-down – Month in river showing initiative : DEMARCHE

13-down – Arachnid covering cut skin layer in venom : SPIDERMITE

15-down – Contributed, as a golfer may have done? : CHIPPEDIN

16-down – Impractical to team up with short, smart clothing? : QUIXOTIC

17-down – Prepare to fight 25 as opposed to 16, say? : SQUAREUP

19-down – Ridin’ with minimum of insurance, very little cover : BIKINI

20-down – A report of sex in diary : AGENDA

23-down – For starters, naturally I’m nimble — Japanese assassin? : NINJA

24-down – Old footballer disheartened, getting a strip? : GAZA

8-across – Lovingly played characters recalled during the Roman occupation : CONAMORE

9-across – A poet penning nothing on a ship : ABOARD

10-across – Deer with short leg : STAG

11-across – A bid failing, last of coal seen in mine? That’s daunting : FORMIDABLE

12-across – Weapons manufacturer has cut hole around bent yew : BOWYER

14-across – House arrests good for headbanger? : HANGOVER

15-across – Failure to impress Jack in time to get award : ADJUDGE

17-across – A US composer taken aback, about to leave Spanish guitarist : SEGOVIA

20-across – Bit of a fox on song as features editor : AIRBRUSH

22-across – Sheriff once on telly in dereliction of duty, gawped : DEPUTY

23-across – Expressionless seeing something red hot, tipped over coffee : POKERFACED

24-across – Respectful title all leaders in Karachi have adopted naturally : KHAN

25-across – I start to panic over something drawn on the turn, duelling weapon? : PISTOL

26-across – Pluck around swallow and head of tropical bird : GREATTIT

1-down – It will probably never be finished in truth — hard one? Bloody impossible! : DONTHOLD

2-down – See 22 across : DAWG

3-down – Lift someone with a whistle, I say, seeing dancer : HOOFER

4-down – Try these hot surfaces, initially, as warm places : HEARTHS

5-down – Change around a short clue for the card game : PATIENCE

6-down – Wearing jumper, mother has splashed out so to be warmer in winter? : TOMATOSOUP

7-down – Quiz game ultimately grating : GRILLE

13-down – See 1 : YOURBREATH

16-down – Girl securing collar on old beast popular with children : GRUFFALO

18-down – Somewhat minimalist hat? I think I expected more! : ISTHATIT

19-down – Looking good, back in US city : CHICAGO

21-down – Very famous rich blonde, intoxicating for every heart : ICONIC

22-down – Ken and Elizabeth tremble in old age : DODDER

24-down – High-flyer in gear change, finally : KITE

1-across – Muse as priest struggling with Job : TERPSICHORE

9-across – Opener of window used in plunder into saloon? : CROWBAR

10-across – Bereaved man gets fatter without old wife : WIDOWER

11-across – Men returning by vehicle check revealed to be most sturdy : ROBUSTEST

12-across – Tragic king losing energy gets to die slowly : LARGO

13-across – To be paid pounds for a fight : DUEL

14-across – The car to me is mysterious — this is just one instrument : TACHOMETER

16-across – Mineral lets delicate little person keep healthy : SPHALERITE

19-across – Light support : BEAM

21-across – One trapped in car in water inlet : FIORD

22-across – An academic, university lecturer at institute held in high regard : ADULATION

24-across – Effeminate English subject, terribly nice being drunk : EPICENE

25-across – More distant relation, first in reunion to be hugged : FARTHER

26-across – Disappeared, as ET had done once : GONETOEARTH

1-down – Wounded marksman may have this process to resolve problem : TROUBLESHOOTING

2-down – Puzzle can be hell without a starting point : REBUS

3-down – Bird coming from mire swimming in salt water : SERIEMA

4-down – Plant one of the others in the coven? : COWITCH

5-down – Sheep beginning to go down, feeble — there may still be affection for such : OLDFLAME

6-down – Somehow with regret he’d had to relinquish ‘R : EDWARDTHEEIGHTH

7-down – Injured soldier finally escaping with no desire to fight? : SCARED

8-down – Enthusiasm not so easy without leader, you’d say? : ARDOUR

15-down – BBC boss spotted in adult performing club : BLUDGEON

16-down – Temper evident in little son time and again : SOFTEN

17-down – Chemical engineers needing time with conservationists : REAGENT

18-down – Sweet as source of tummy upset : TRUFFLE

20-down – Foreign character covered in horse muck : MANURE

23-down – More beautiful female sent out to provide help in laundry : AIRER

1-across – Spoke to skilled prisoner first : CONVERSED

6-across – Tiresome beat starts to test hotel resident’s unruffled manner : THRUM

9-across – Sally follows English outfit : EQUIP

10-across – Took legal action about slur that’s lasting : SUSTAINED

11-across – Obvious successor holds a broadcast : OVERTHEAIR

12-across – Legendary creature one follows still : YETI

14-across – Priest endlessly seeking promotion is a fool : FATHEAD

15-across – Militant caught slashing tyre : RADICAL

17-across – Composer has staff fiddle with opening of opera : RODRIGO

19-across – Old king alone a short while with knight : SOLOMON

20-across – Girl keeps king safe : SURE

22-across – Dunce’s unfortunate to say it again : ILLITERATE

25-across – After a drink, German enthusiast gets a biscuit : GINGERNUT

26-across – Nothing’s charged for fruit : OLIVE

27-across – Tory leader licking fish : TROUT

28-across – Exhausted when deliveries get impounded : OVERSPENT

1-down – Officer adopts Soviet ideology : CREDO

2-down – Una, awkwardly placed, is queasy : NAUSEATED

3-down – Understanding it makes one sick, when circuiting course : EMPATHETIC

4-down – Lay aside the Guardian among waste : SUSPEND

5-down – Vagrant clutches one set of papers : DOSSIER

6-down – Drop speed : TEAR

7-down – Nationalist in revolt may cause a splash : RINSE

8-down – I’m all done cooking piece of meat : MEDAILLON

13-down – Cheating ruled out as arranged : ADULTEROUS

14-down – Gift horse dealt with providence : FORESIGHT

16-down – Tower that’s ostentatious on a river : CAMPANILE

18-down – In Florida, king’s to arrive wearing spectacles : ORLANDO

19-down – Knock over sketch and get let off : SKITTLE

21-down – Musical piece, where start of recapitulation’s on the tonic : RONDO

23-down – Player’s opening match : EVENT

24-down – Excitement when trickster loses his head : HEAT

8-across – Agreement about hemming woolly angora jumper : KANGAROO

9-across – What’s hoarded by materialistic celebrities : ALIST

10-across – One about to follow fellow in blazer? : FIRE

11-across – Maybe schizophrenic spasm after pet gets dreadfully pale : CATALEPTIC

12-across – Men in gloves and underpants? : BOXERS

14-across – Two African countries I must leave to avoid labour : MALINGER

16-across – Fool’s coat for exhibitionistic ecstasy in seedy joint : DECEIVE

18-across – Gag about chap finally missing another tie : REMATCH

21-across – The two leaders in Scotland hear many tantalising plans : SCHEMATA

23-across – Lover right to leave old city with ruffian about : TOYBOY

24-across – Tools for farmer and group of workers back from tailor with loud suit : TURFSPADES

26-across – European novelist’s vocal parrot : ECHO

27-across – Something juicy, long and round in pieces : MELON

28-across – Backing horse lacking experience, we’re told? That’s rot : GANGRENE

1-down – Old king entertains foreign allies in underwear : CAMISOLE

2-down – Revolting, I must grab right brute! : OGRE

3-down – Menswear or ladieswear bedecking Anglicans : BRACES

4-down – Outfit has function with paunch beginning to expand : COSTUME

5-down – Love skirts ardently, at first, and collar : NAIL

6-down – Boots possibly dressy — pain when moving : DISPENSARY

7-down – Way Republican president gets sock or belt : STRIKE

13-down – Mischief-maker pinches uniform worn several times over : ELEVENFOLD

15-down – Exist without 5 or 16 : LIE

17-down – With old Liberal retiring, voila, a way for Berlus­coni! : VIA

19-down – The theme here is what’s put on block, judge admitted, chopping off king’s head : CLOTHING

20-down – Ensemble with silver top from Esprit and dress : BANDAGE

22-down – Conservative with funny pants : CRUMMY

23-down – One’s drunk or sober after it’s knocked back : TISANE

25-down – Gasp after adult’s gone for upper-class boot : PUNT

26-down – Cardigan, say, almost stripped off : EARL