Daily Answers

9-across – Social animal’s head nibbled a filling form of food : ABITOFADO

10-across – Clue to father of animal? : PANDA

11-across – Animal of rank eating half a horse : TIGER

12-across – It’s not normal to make dancing bear caper without money : ABERRANCE

13-across – Has-been, broken spirit, lamenting : BANSHEE

14-across – Employ uniform — form of cover is covert : UTILISE

17-across – Caracas: not as exotic as an African capital : ACCRA

19-across – A welcome approach? : AVE

20-across – Teaching of animal by its parent : DOGMA

21-across – Waddle about with right loafer : DAWDLER

22-across – Pressure intensified and produced hail : PRAISED

24-across – Amusing chap, Don: perhaps he might join AA? : CARDRIVER

26-across – Making an animal noise, children hang around : MOOCH

28-across – Animals given quarter in hovel, with hindsight : MULES

29-across – Misguided terror legislation introduced — it maintains an open wound : RETRACTOR

1-down – See 24 : LAST

2-down – Animal spirit of small wooden vessel : PIGGIN

3-down – Dramatic split worth a full apology? : FOURTHWALL

4-down – Container to take animal food : CANAPE

5-down – Animal clue: odd little thing : MOLECULE

6-down – Prompt small audible noise from animal : SPUR

7-down – Slaughter of gnu in den without respite : UNENDING

8-down – Produced from animal earmarked as a potential father : MALE

13-down – Animal with a number of whiskers : BEARD

15-down – Take wild animal and dine on hot food : INDIANMEAL

16-down – Animal spirit, ultimately wild : ELAND

18-down – Animal only just taking off head of chicken : COWARDLY

19-down – Animal, one last pair to appear, God willing, on vessel to save them : AARDVARK

22-down – Boatman, cruel to put animal in oven dish : PIRATE

23-down – Way to get food for animals : STOATS

24-down – Failed animal in role of team leader : CAME

25-down – Mounted headless horse in horror : ROSE

27-down – Animal with pronounced whiskers : HARE

1-across – See 26 : RUSSELL

5-across – Somewhat facing gun : ATRIFLE

9-across – See 26 : BEALE

10-across – Stripper in ecstasy I’d fooled around with : ECDYSIAST

11-across – Dyer’s work around America is holding up : SUSTAINING

12-across – Surface broke, though not entirely : SKIN

14-across – Tory laid into liberal, being dependent : CONDITIONAL

18-across – 10 player in fanciful Midlands fen, say? : DUDLEYMOORE

21-across – US composer into percussive sounds : IVES

22-across – Washington pop group good for stuffing trim­med green vegetable : REDCABBAGE

25-across – Examiner biting lip in term time : TRIMESTER

26-across – Actor’s interpretation of Lear, no less, sublime : SIMON

27-across – Final word, taking a penny off inexpensive English port : CHEERIO

28-across – I have endured set slipping around — might this fix it? : DENTURE

1-down – Strong, short stick has snapped : ROBUST

2-down – Thin poles on top of edifice : SPARSE

3-down – Attention-grabber last seen in Tennessee, however touring California with singer : EYECATCHER

4-down – Right to tuck one in for a late snooze : LIEIN

5-down – TV presenters Dec ___ in love, moving quite slowly : ANDANTINO

6-down – Grass or speed : RUSH

7-down – Half of a half, say, overcoming monarch in controversial underground operations : FRACKING

8-down – Intertwine ground net and fish : ENTANGLE

13-down – Fluid arrives carrying first of buffalo over in area of drained land : RIVERBASIN

15-down – Brown in town, unsettled as deputy : NUMBERTWO

16-down – Sea a tad icy in reality, starts out cold : ADRIATIC

17-down – See 28 : ADHESIVE

19-down – Old Kenyan revolutionaries, two paws cut : MAUMAU

20-down – False name, that is, for villain : MEANIE

23-down – Might meat be better? : CURED

24-down – Honey at a premium : DEAR

1-across – In exercise, exalt bishop — and thank the Lord! : PRAISEBE

5-across – Dance has the talent, if you 16 : CANCAN

9-across – A soft fabric binding linen at first, in sewing technique : APPLIQUE

10-across – Pure beginner? : NOVICE

12-across – Plant ending in posy behind first of flowers picked by Eric Cantona, perhaps? : MANUFACTORY

15-across – Men in leggings for riders : CHAPS

17-across – See 21 : CENTURION

18-across – Scottish author nevertheless Samoan at the end, by the way : STEVENSON

19-across – At that point, gathered’s gathered : THERE

20-across – Book learned in Oxford, only covers erased : OBLITERATED

24-across – Fashion worn by companion in babyish sort of clothes, initially : SHABBY

25-across – Promise clothes with identically matching tops for bikinis etc : SWIMWEAR

26-across – Model, a dolly? : SITTER

27-across – Novel unread, it went : URINATED

1-down – Drug dealer providing agriculturalist with abnormal growth, say? : PHARMACIST

2-down – Those bits that are extra mature, snapped off externally : APPENDAGES

3-down – Challenging body : STIFF

4-down – Lively man, children’s entertainer? : BOUNCYCASTLE

6-down – Soldier shackling a young rogue, one solving others’ problems? : AGONYAUNT

7-down – See 24 : CHIC

8-down – Christmas prize giver, gutted : NOEL

11-down – Submarine part defrauding tug? : CONNINGTOWER

13-down – Banker close to golfer, one getting green fee on the house? : RIVERTRENT

14-down – Into bottom, bottom-pinching man with pretty woman aroused : ENGENDERED

16-down – Experience an illusion having date with a large drink : SEEDOUBLE

21-down – Old commander in love with unit or wayward battalion, ultimately : ROMAN

22-down – Goddess has life, if you 16 : ISIS

23-down – Don’t eat seconds in lard : FAST

1-across – Bosses’ exclusion of yob that’s drunk wine, wasting hours : LOCKOUT

5-across – Old publisher, strange breed never boozing : DEBRETT

9-across – Comes first, eats inside — problem with digestion? : WINDINESS

10-across – In the finish this person is correct : EMEND

11-across – Be disloyal to work — keep quiet at first : SHOP

12-across – Former PM’s about to have drink, making a series of notes : MAJORSCALE

14-across – Old trader in posh car going to meet the Queen : MERCER

15-across – Ornament — spot one to be collected : BIBELOT

16-across – What you do when going to a bishop for pardon : ABSOLVE

18-across – Party to entertain province’s exile : BANISH

20-across – Report of model well above size zero brings confusion : HURLYBURLY

21-across – A bird such as this may be seen in Egyptian city : SWAN

24-across – Bright bunch of blokes with a certain sort of appeal : MENSA

25-across – Getting bigger, no longer needs looking after : EXTENDING

26-across – Estate workers catching salmon primarily in river : DEMESNE

27-across – More flexible meal deal finally being introduced : SUPPLER

1-down – Grounds surrounding West Sussex market town : LEWES

2-down – Where those drinking from tinnies gather for song? : CANZONE

3-down – Egg and something greasy served up in meat dish : OLIO

4-down – Enquire: A fee, possibly? — you once having penned that poem : THEFAERIEQUEENE

5-down – Upsets in party — then see a mob bustle about : DISCOMBOBULATES

6-down – Wicked stabber may land on one : BREASTBONE

7-down – I shout, it is said, and watch closely : EYEBALL

8-down – One girl in exam is neater than all the rest : TIDIEST

13-down – Excursion transporting a hundred female partners to watch men? Rascals! : SCALLYWAGS

16-down – A phoney party leader being sheepish? : ASHAMED

17-down – Country fellow’s upset about ancient city, one going under : SURINAM

19-down – Bird observed on promontory : SAWBILL

22-down – Name of political leader wanting Right to oust Left in the country : NIGER

23-down – Type of biscuit containers in kitchen knocked over : SNAP

1-across – Where player might record his scores — bottom entry on Twitter? : BEDPOST

5-across – Main virtually left in Pizza Hut served with cold sauce : KETCHUP

9-across – Smut from regular girlie meet : GRIME

10-across – Without opening blue KFC tub, in pieces how much chicken’s there? : BUCKETFUL

11-across – Sample from Coltrane CD, Otis tells one relating story : ANECDOTIST

12-across – Declines sauces : DIPS

14-across – Bar Venice? Split the drink between the three of them : ADRIATICSEA

18-across – Stirs again tea, craves it badly : REACTIVATES

21-across – Opponent books into first class : ANTI

22-across – Early vegetarian sausage primarily out — or bran flakes? : BRONTOSAUR

25-across – Those worshipping fantastic soldiers protecting Iraqi’s right : IDOLISERS

26-across – America to pass on uranium: cheers! : ADIEU

27-across – Beauty tries small, squeezing in big breasts : GODDESS

28-across – Satellite TV charge up : SKYWARD

1-down – McDonald’s sign a copyright letter for this? : BIGMAC

2-down – Go large, getting waffle : DRIVEL

3-down – Banks’ lending arrangements done with checkers : OVERDRAFTS

4-down – Country tense, no doubt : TIBET

5-down – Provoke thrill — Banksy’s work? : KICKSTART

6-down – Throw it down and be full : TEEM

7-down – Most powerful Playboy head ties knot at last : HEFTIEST

8-down – Director of top Soho dancer? : POLESTAR

13-down – Position for it girl — one working a line : MISSIONARY

15-down – Runner retrieves bananas : RIVERTEES

16-down – See 20 : BREAKING

17-down – What to eat on a diet? Not : FASTFOOD

19-down – It’s in fine — cross off European side order for Mexican? : FAJITA

20-down – Innovative Burger King ad on broadcast : GROUND

23-down – Fits together starters from Nando’s — exotic salads to specials : NESTS

24-down – Tart crossing legs, initially, to make packet : PILE