Daily Answers

1-across – Redhead enters a make-believe retreat : ASHRAM

5-across – Frank develops with time : HONEST

8-across – Commando in Burma introduces Indian language to court : CHINDIT

9-across – Stars, intrinsically American : PERSEUS

11-across – Request reliable cooker or vessel : PLEASURESTEAMER

12-across – Peaceful flat : EVEN

13-across – Boy has pineapple with family? Potential upset! : BANANASKIN

17-across – Die when embracing Georgia in corridor : PASSAGEWAY

18-across – Border plant needs no introduction : EDGE

20-across – Finished article with location in disarray : ALLOVERTHEPLACE

23-across – Promised to be busy : ENGAGED

24-across – Performers’ bad posture : TROUPES

25-across – Nick priest who’s working : PRISON

26-across – Revolutionary queen’s toast : CHEERS

2-down – Old Bob sleeps in? Terribly weak! : SPINELESS

3-down – Plant has detective covered in spots : RADISH

4-down – Trace room used for sports event : MOTORRACE

5-down – Grubs around plants initially and keeps fingers crossed : HOPES

6-down – Scandinavian orchestra leader admitted to bad manners : NORSEMAN

7-down – Son comes upon gang in mist : STEAM

8-down – Small change to portion of handwriting : COPPERPLATE

10-down – Emphasise taking in article with information about oddity : STRANGENESS

14-down – Chap ate it, involved or not involved : APATHETIC

15-down – Joiner upset when tucking into processed fish? That’s criminal! : KIDNAPPER

16-down – Girl embraces star here in the US : LASVEGAS

19-down – Take on work with model : OPPOSE

21-down – Drink left to mature? Right : LAGER

22-down – Artist put on gas : RADON

1-across – Crappy smash hit out to convey seasonal message : HAPPYCHRISTMAS

9-across – Learners without financial support — it hurts, making one sick : LAIDLOW

10-across – Joke about educated woman, who didn’t recognise Noel? : PURITAN

11-across – Church anthem — it’s lacking jazzy element : INTRO

12-across – About to go flying : ONTHEWING

13-across – Virtue having rows in upper part of theatre : GODLINESS

14-across – Musical set left escon­ced in comfortable seat : SOLFA

15-across – Edible plant, yellow and long, getting chopped : ORACH

17-across – Drug starts to take effect with little woman admitting state of confusion : TEMAZEPAM

20-across – Head’s essential nature comes through in speech : PRINCIPAL

22-across – Say nothing in card game : WHIST

23-across – One runt suffering — it’s very small : NEUTRON

24-across – Vehicles covering dist­ance — they may collect bins : CELLARS

25-across – A mellow beer had to be brewed — yeast essential for making it : WHOLEMEALBREAD

1-down – Big business street must be this for Scot : HOLDINGCOMPANY

2-down – Was curious about Matthew etc, becoming impressed : PRINTED

3-down – To make a lot of noise over something wanted is a bit sensational? : YELLOWISH

4-down – Please explain why resid­ence contains old loo : HOWCOME

5-down – Big road heading north — favourite American drive : IMPETUS

6-down – Brief winter season — victory a boy delivered : TERSE

7-down – A new work outside hospital in a mound of earth : ANTHILL

8-down – Amsterdam again is seen to be this! : ANAGRAMMATISED

14-down – It’s a source of power, laments 19 audibly : SIZEWELLB

16-down – Angle presented by extreme characters — I say nothing must be forbidden : AZIMUTH

17-down – Name of place in which American uncle stables horse : TOPONYM

18-down – Mum sitting on varnish can, losing sight of bottom, stick : MALACCA

19-down – Thomas Becket? Proper troublemaker! : PRIMATE

21-down – Old peasant conveys love for girl in song : CAROL

1-across – Guardian’s put through edited parody, being sorry? : IBEGYOURPARDON

8-across – A range of Italian desserts : ANDES

9-across – Mother, perhaps, is unable to do/does dressing : DECANTER

11-across – Back at university, London one, after writer’s urge to act : IMPULSE

12-across – Paint not thinly applied is gone in one second : IMPASTO

13-across – Lining of coat’s easily lost : ATSEA

15-across – Hertz clients taken out for some food : SCHNITZEL

17-across – Showing admiration, Enigmatist is doing Mr Rusbridger’s job! : IMPRESSED

20-across – Liking condition No 1 to become No 3 : TASTE

21-across – Feather-brain needs help to catch leggy bird : AIRHEAD

23-across – Unnecessarily wily fleeing rocks : NEEDLES

25-across – Honey and lemon’s first sipped by loathsome author : MELVILLE

26-across – Not quite full backing for Queen and Country : NIGER

27-across – Declaration from elocutionist who won crown, movingly taking in bow : HOWNOWBROWNCOW

1-down – One’s opening is always repeated twice : ISAYISAYISAY

2-down – Nude dancing? Take a little Peter Pan out! : ENDUP

3-down – Leader having dropped right down, scrutinises excuses rather! : YESPLEASE

4-down – Diabolical ruses employed to get around North Dakota, The Altogether State : UNDRESS

5-down – Quite esurient, rather like a 1962 Oscar winner? : PECKISH

6-down – A low approach shot towards the hole, presumably to come second : RUNUP

7-down – Such as XL and I zero in on nameless poetry : OVERSIZES

10-down – Does such an attraction have no point? One, actually, for each side : GOALLESSDRAW

14-down – Very posh, a woman’s in Kent, say : SUPERHERO

16-down – Rip centre of kitchen out today and fly! : INTHEKNOW

18-down – Pessimistic canon’s portion of ground cabbage salad : SODSLAW

19-down – Arty male performer excited 70% of Sun readers : DANSEUR

22-down – Self-willed velocity witnessed in dash : ELVAN

24-down – Correct reasoning traps soldier in mountain pass heading north : LOGIC

1-across – One who struggles to steer a boat : CONTENDER

6-across – A chemist using current measures : AMPS

8-across – Sort of society in which people want to take part? : DRAMATIC

9-across – What you shouldn’t do with a thousand fish around : FAMISH

10-across – British admiral gives stick to French marshal : RODNEY

11-across – Side passage for those taking flight? : AIRSTRIP

12-across – Guides woman’s place in American society : USHERS

15-across – Transport system invented by a one-track mind? : MONORAIL

16-across – It’s plain to see it’s a terribly cruel act : CLEARCUT

19-across – To do this illegally is a grave offence : EXHUME

21-across – Don’t drop round — it will produce no response : FALLFLAT

22-across – Union left got in extremely easily : EQUITY

24-across – Samuel’s teacher has turned out to be a prophet : ELISHA

25-across – A lunatic, crazy about the sea : NAUTICAL

26-across – Divinity course at Oxford : ISIS

27-across – Omission that may be taken as an offence : EXCEPTION

1-down – Vehicle to travel as freight : CARGO

2-down – He must have a supporter and may get one in me : NOMINEE

3-down – Record number starting school? : ENTRY

4-down – Inveigh against medical treatment : DECLAIM

5-down – Testimonial for a source : REFERENCE

6-down – It goes with the flow : AMMETER

7-down – Not thinking much of the future? : PESSIMISM

13-down – One has one of them, another three : SYLLABLES

14-down – An off break? : SICKLEAVE

17-down – Collected books of maps at jumble sales : ATLASES

18-down – It’s flipping Brown in charge — what a disaster! : TITANIC

20-down – He escaped to become famous : HOUDINI

22-down – Fit of wild pique : EQUIP

23-down – He wrote books in two parts : TWAIN

7-across – Shock for Tory in Slough : FRIGHTEN

9-across – Ridicule setter ultimately for puzzle : TEASER

10-across – Sarcastic American detectives : ACID

11-across – Trace toxin circulating in blood : EXTRACTION

12-across – Embarrassed about battle for payoff : REWARD

14-across – Old soldiers scared to regroup : REDCOATS

15-across – Clean fight with oriental : SCRAPE

17-across – Arcade aboard ship supplies underwear : SMALLS

20-across – A president has cause to be clear : APPARENT

22-across – Second-best comic : SCREAM

23-across – Judgement of visitor with current partner : GUESTIMATE

24-across – Ruth’s heartless devotion : PITY

25-across – People mature in a family unit : MENAGE

26-across – She hates broken sporting trophy : THEASHES

1-down – Mad cyber criminals : CRACKERS

2-down – By no means all stage directors are old : AGED

3-down – Go to listen : ATTEND

4-down – Foreign money found in scrap by chance : ATRANDOM

5-down – Sportsman lent a hat : FASTBOWLER

6-down – Soldier gets wrong answer : RETORT

8-down – Sailor in drama with youth leader and official : NOTARY

13-down – Flying officer’s demeanour harms prince : AIRMARSHAL

16-down – Propositions made in place of business : PREMISES

18-down – Examine fastenings of women’s underwear : SCANTIES

19-down – Foolishly trust a royal house : STUART

21-down – Father takes advantage of breaks : PAUSES

22-down – Transfix king found hiding in drain : SKEWER

24-down – Pole position : POST