Daily Answers

1-across – Cat springs a bit higher — is robin alright? : BRITISHLONGHAIR

9-across – Most piano stools start with toes sculpted round feet : SOFTEST

10-across – One very happy about male form of sexual reproduction : ISOGAMY

11-across – Glad to revel in the extremes of one’s senility : OLD

12-across – Flyer, after going astray, at last coming into port : HERRINGGULL

13-across – Stupid as either Wag or one-time unruly adolescent? : HALFWITTED

15-across – Large number coming to grief over catty remark : MEOW

18-across – Bottom has drink at Puck’s initiation : RUMP

20-across – Marketing gamble by Joe, with his big band role : LOSSLEADER

23-across – Painting cricketer, sailor and philosopher : JACKRUSSELL

25-across – See 11 : AGE

26-across – Range covered by bad rainfalls : NIAGARA

27-across – Very powerful novel, Attica, about a cat somehow lacking : VIOLENT

28-across – Complaint found in most cats’ homes : STOMACHDISORDER

1-down – Boob job has that woman singing Tom Cat About Town : BUSTOPHER

2-down – Pagan with Manx feline, I’d suspect : INFIDEL

3-down – Reserve puts on display for skating events : ICESHOWS

4-down – Earth moved for lover? Anything but : HATER

5-down – Agents involved in chemistry affecting Dixie Ross : OXIDISERS

6-down – Dazed and unsteady Greek cat, not male : GROGGY

7-down – Sport found in a town in Greater Manchester, usually : ASARULE

8-down – China cat? Sorry nothing left, we’re out : ROYAL

14-down – A she-cat put out, round about 10pm in Dublin : TAOISEACH

16-down – See 8 : WORCESTER

17-down – In the pink bustle? Certainly not in the red : WELLTODO

19-down – Construction set in holy city, on roundabout : MECCANO

21-down – A hideout in semi-wooded cul-de-sac : DEADEND

22-down – Mistakes noted when raising a little cat? Arrest them! : ERRATA

23-down – See 1 : JONES

24-down – Author’s last words, delivered with leaden voice : ENVOI

1-across – Increase progress : ADVANCE

5-across – Concentration required when driving in France : ESSENCE

10-across – His mock title for writers : NIBS

11-across – Sparing sort of item sailors ring us about : ABSTEMIOUS

12-across – Notice split coming : ADVENT

13-across – Heartless person who’s well known for speed : CELERITY

14-across – Relate to an unusual pet pirana : APPERTAIN

16-across – Gate for all competitors : ENTRY

17-across – Brilliant combination of the Hebrew and the Spanish : JEWEL

19-across – Pat and Ernest have split up now : ATPRESENT

23-across – Visitor excited, being around Centre Court maestros : VIRTUOSI

24-across – It’s senseless to dispose of capital : MADRID

26-across – Number given bill for sleeping accommodation : FOURPOSTER

27-across – I make an offer in place of a previous quotation : IBID

28-across – Naval man, quite the opposite of a landlady! : SEALORD

29-across – A breach of security : LEAKAGE

2-down – Forgot production lines : DRIEDUP

3-down – Such a passage is a tissue of lies : AISLE

4-down – Small bird needs tail bent when in bed : COALTIT

6-down – Australian girl gets German greeting in South Africa : SHEILA

7-down – They’ve left me staring in bewilderment : EMIGRANTS

8-down – After class, complete confusion : CLUTTER

9-down – Those with the mind to study say this script is flawed : PSYCHIATRISTS

15-down – Sort of roll : ELECTORAL

18-down – Part of the story is in verse : EPISODE

20-down – Pity the Royal Engineers have adopted the signallers’ system : REMORSE

21-down – Driving a point home, Newton is out of order : NAILING

22-down – Cash or credit? : HONOUR

25-down – Tea and toast : DRINK

1-across – Phil’s in pieces going over lines : COLLINS

5-across – He beats stranger after dreadful start : DRUMMER

9-across – Deprived of minibus not in the same place : MINUS

10-across – Fervent disorder with Paisley, perhaps, in charge : MESSIANIC

11-across – Journal covering leaderless lawsuit’s volume of words : DICTIONARY

12-across – Masters Genesis number : MAMA

14-across – IRA’s grit seen to emerge from this event? : EASTERRISING

18-across – He makes cheeky revelation in Times about English novel : THEMOONSTONE

21-across – See 24 : GAEL

22-across – Masterpiece of gun surgery by American : MAGNUMOPUS

25-across – Steady second indep­endent Liberal returned in contested seat : STABILISE

26-across – Key to apartment No 5? : EFLAT

27-across – Hunk goes over to relax, say, in swingers’ bar : TRAPEZE

28-across – Such rulers stop seditious faction after revolution : DESPOTS

1-down – Arrive at party and face problem : COMEDO

2-down – Girl entertains a name over in folly : LUNACY

3-down – One of the originators, possibly, but no hero : INSTIGATOR

4-down – Writer’s filling issue for singer and playwright : SIMON

5-down – Strand grass for sand hopper : DESERTRAT

6-down – One needing exercise wants female : UNIT

7-down – Bloke’s endlessly reckless language : MANDARIN

8-down – Soldiers rush to load batteries again : RECHARGE

13-down – They check cards and figures on green flags : PINNUMBERS

15-down – Hesitant but alert, relegating leading pair : TENTATIVE

16-down – Mark to remain a long time confined in flats, typically : STAGESET

17-down – Rum compound made out of rare fluid : DEMERARA

19-down – Spacecraft left in a swimming pool : APOLLO

20-down – The way things are, wine’s flooding Italy : ASITIS

23-down – Lots light up, beginning to drink : NOEND

24-down – Party’s feeling agit­ated about answer : FINE

8-across – This may suggest I held capital : NEWDELHI

9-across – On the surface, some accommodation is empty : AFLOAT

10-across – Country poetically taking sheep to its heart : ERIN

11-across – Mixed salad prepared in island : SALMAGUNDI

12-across – Doctor accepts critic­ism, taking a strong drink : GRAPPA

14-across – Be prone to run into officers in ships : COLLIERS

15-across – Plentiful work endlessly offered by library : OPULENT

17-across – Call to be silent — it leaves some out : ENTITLE

20-across – Winger spoils shot, receiving tackle from in front : MARSHTIT

22-across – Noisily eat all round one city : MUNICH

23-across – Mean to take double-length science magazine among papers : ILLNATURED

24-across – Free cover includes at first nearly all there : SANE

25-across – Awaiting summons from head of court in plain wrapper, to be returned : ONCALL

26-across – One that breaks down, as nearly mad : ANALYSER

1-down – After damage, no longer use one shed : TEARDROP

2-down – Not right for sculptor to make a god : ODIN

3-down – State of a chess champion spoken about : ALASKA

4-down – Short book of words about beer that not all may understand : DIALECT

5-down – Sort of belt in vehicle — a girl is knocked over : VANALLEN

6-down – English currency Scotsman holds in error — such mysteries : ELEUSINIAN

7-down – Cyclist punched by a surprise assailant : RAIDER

13-down – An occasion in early spring when uplands may flourish : PALMSUNDAY

16-down – A short denial : NOTATALL

18-down – Large cubes seen floating about in drink he supplies? : LICENSEE

19-down – Guide for the night has no shelter to sleep, clutching short black coat : STARMAP

21-down – Lion tamer’s head not straight : ASLANT

22-down – Hothead’s plan to arrest officer : MADCAP

24-down – So Tom’s called for this milk : SOYA

1-across – Spring hasn’t begun in rank coastal town : SEAPORT

5-across – Sample tea, short of a brew : TESTOUT

9-across – Sally online? Fit! : EQUIP

10-across – Reason criminal on trial, a crime, ultimately! : RATIONALE

11-across – Move precariously around vehicle that’s four feet long : TETRAMETER

12-across – Sweet sucker : FOOL

14-across – Ridiculous extremes disco and rap: doubly hard to play instruments : HARPSICHORDS

18-across – Enemy capturing the remainder of Derbyshire initially, then an area of Gloucestershire : FORESTOFDEAN

21-across – Here, private views prisoner stealing military vehicle, heading off with mum : PEEP

22-across – The monster’s wobbly bottom : NETHERMOST

25-across – Booty trafficker, half slippery, geezer almost getting nicked — what’s his explanation? : ITFELLOFF

26-across – See 28 : BACON

27-across – See 25 : THEBACK

28-across – A sizzler, artist producing blurred lines? : STREAKY

1-down – See 4 : SHEETS

2-down – Urban capital in a metropolis showing keenness : ACUITY

3-down – There’s been a minor accident as mess turns up on platform, ending in delay : OOPSADAISY

4-down – The dessert wine with the hot liquid is drunk : THREE

5-down – See 4 : TOTHEWIND

6-down – See 21 : SHOW

7-down – See 25 : OFALORRY

8-down – Short of large plants, lock filled with fish : TREELESS

13-down – Where to rest during play? Little time to take a breather, possibly? : THEATREBAR

15-down – Collection of numbers, piano jingle encapsulating one album’s third : PHONEBOOK

16-down – Reproduced article from newspaper covering publicity at home : OFFPRINT

17-down – Putting price on feeding information gratis, not right : GREENFEE

19-down – Barbarian arresting head of conspiracy with a You’re nicked! : GOTCHA

20-down – Rotten atmosphere around vessel : STINKY

23-down – Handkerchief under funny, frilly, sleeveless tops, fits : HUFFS

24-down – Page back to front, which can be irritating : FLEA