Daily Answers

8-across – Jam is what you’re filling with hair : GRIDLOCK

9-across – Othello’s principal fool absorbing energy from cat : OCELOT

10-across – What you’re reading is signal to bear left : CLUE

11-across – Heavy machinery stacked by runner : PILEDRIVER

12-across – Instrument with reversed polarity produces undergarment : CORSET

14-across – First of Russian boatmen disturbed by unspontaneous protesters : RENTAMOB

15-across – Badger securing journalist’s firm foundation : BEDROCK

17-across – Woman has kids in tune? : MELISMA

20-across – 1,000 disputes about keeping humble reptile : SLOWWORM

22-across – Soldiers beginning to talk to soldiers’ teacher : MENTOR

23-across – Language into which to translate 12 and 24 down : SERBOCROAT

24-across – Get out, blackbird! : BOWL

25-across – Fourth note on lake in wonderful world of yore : FAERIE

26-across – Headless head of tribe on board that’s not foregone : EVITABLE

1-down – Writer’s tipple : TROLLOPE

2-down – Pointless role model, allegedly : IDLE

3-down – Sweetheart writer’s keeping very quiet : POPPET

4-down – Songbird — Minogue? — that’s disappeared into island : SKYLARK

5-down – Precis of Studies in Figure : CONDENSE

6-down – Diplomatic activity involving consular leader’s treatment : MEDICATION

7-down – Some more lobsters turned up to dance : BOLERO

13-down – Town harridans lay to rest : SHREWSBURY

16-down – Note of time consumed by needlework : CROTCHET

18-down – Low, racist organisation set up to conceal source of white dance move : MOONWALK

19-down – Increase clout of Euro politician, one in debt : EMPOWER

21-down – Latitude for song about piss-up : LEEWAY

22-down – Blend involving art form’s formative environment : MATRIX

24-down – Hog finds love in watering hole : BOAR

1-across – Where one may spend time underground : DUNGEON

5-across – Commercials about fitting suits : ADJUSTS

10-across – The Spanish scholar returned, qualified : ABLE

11-across – Extremely slender, for example, that’s about all : EVERYTHING

12-across – He is part of America’s troubles : CASTRO

13-across – Account by clergyman should be reliable : ACCURATE

14-across – Play the part of engineer on stage : REPRESENT

16-across – Put one’s foot down, as a matter of duty : STAMP

17-across – Their victims got it in the neck : THUGS

19-across – Yet civilians lived such a life in the war : SHELTERED

23-across – A gastronomic treat? : FREEMEAL

24-across – Put new pep into endless diet with port : DIEPPE

26-across – Pet of a girl, perhaps, but recklessly extravagant : PROFLIGATE

27-across – Small pig has nose tip stuck in furrow : RUNT

28-across – Sense and Sensibility? : FEELING

29-across – Used when a path’s relaid around lake? : ASPHALT

2-down – Shade of grievance : UMBRAGE

3-down – Big jar, say : GREAT

4-down – Having our nose put out of joint is hard to bear : ONEROUS

6-down – I decry the making of gas for stage effect : DRYICE

7-down – A theatregoer’s guide : USHERETTE

8-down – He made an unexceptional plea for blessing : TINYTIM

9-down – Get back to front : REGAINTHELEAD

15-down – Ringleader felt urge to reform, being contrite : REGRETFUL

18-down – Unusual hoarder of fish eggs : HARDROE

20-down – Many snakes are associated with them : LADDERS

21-down – When there’s a change of plea, men select a jury : EMPANEL

22-down – Abandon school subject and make one’s name as a writer : RESIGN

25-down – Huge cost of electrical safety precaution : EARTH

1-across – The ultimate in non-celebrity? : UNKNOWN

5-across – Fighter is some giant, in more ways than one : SOLDIER

10-across – Archbishop weds two intimate solvers near the 17 23 : TUTU

11-across – Gym users taking oxygen for energy are arguably a dispiriting lot : EXORCISERS

12-across – See 24 : TROUVE

13-across – Nurse returned after putting in quiet hour working in kidney units : NEPHRONS

14-across – Uniform colour of foreign boulevard, one taken for university : OLIVEDRAB

16-across – Revealing pictures of 1 5s and other 1s : XRAYS

17-across – Monument to head crimper arranged : ARCDE

19-across – One may have a blowout meal after day out on the underground : INNERTUBE

23-across – See 17 : TRIOMPHE

24-across – Deserted child found by extremely 1 5 after note translated : ENFANT

26-across – Pigment from 17 23 location, featuring in advertisement : PARISGREEN

27-across – Return of the French Lieutenant’s first 1 5 supporter : ALLY

28-across – Mentally prepares to pronounce name of Dickensian murderer : PSYCHES

29-across – Like a colour that is reflected in a red glow : BLUEISH

2-down – An Ulster deployment, initially starting out impartial : NEUTRAL

3-down – Island republic some guru annually turns up in : NAURU

4-down – Small boy finally asked what could be long and dirty : WEEKEND

6-down – Protest movement raised firm support at start of year : OCCUPY

7-down – Run away with turncoat 5 : DESERTRAT

8-down – Deviant tendency of drunk, heading off to drink another can : ERRANCY

9-down – Went climbing with Ben before journalist comes round : MOUNTAINEERED

15-down – Pre-DVD CD programme divides round number by a hundred : VIDEODISC

18-down – 5s repeatedly sad, messed up studies again : REREADS

20-down – Girl group going on for ever? : ETERNAL

21-down – Fish found in case of brass ornaments : BANGLES

22-down – Highest point I somersaulted in a gym : APOGEE

25-down – Send rude online message to lover : FLAME

1-across – Doctors’ bills cause such outcry! : QUACKS

5-across – An Englishman in New York from Elton? Nonsense! : JOHNBULL

9-across – Captive hugging frisky sheep? It’s erotic to some … : PEEPSHOW

10-across – … perhaps, holding nothing is gloomy : MOROSE

11-across – Incredibly, an old age actor finally ran for president : RONALDREAGAN

13-across – Jumper for playing golf : FROG

14-across – Back in goal with utter ease, bearing number : NINETEEN

17-across – Canine, beginning to eat, still has nothing to go with hot stew : EYETOOTH

18-across – Superheroes, followers of Ximenes’ lead? : XMEN

20-across – Those in society on form : WORKINGCLASS

23-across – Bad idea to restrain navy against attack : INVADE

24-across – Scott’s companion, devouring lots of dessert and biscuits : OATCAKES

25-across – When special army group is retired with new killer? : ASSASSIN

26-across – Sings flowing melody on Sunday without mass : YODELS

2-down – One addicted to American TV series : USER

3-down – Officer doubly correct to provide protection : COPYRIGHT

4-down – Monster’s swaying hips gets knight cross : SPHINX

5-down – India’s Koh-i-noor? : JEWELINTHECROWN

6-down – US strikes hard: Republican peacekeepers are in some trouble : HOMERUNS

7-down – Back massage with spirit to cover the whole body : BURKA

8-down – Slave’s uprising about iron regularly fears tropical disease : LASSAFEVER

12-down – Short of time, they run about in stadia : GREYHOUNDS

15-down – In the US, rank and duty — it’s an order by duke : TAXISTAND

16-down – Doormen supply deliveries : BOUNCERS

19-down – Very much against the pointless subject of rickrolling : VASTLY

21-down – Bear a left, then a right, then reverse : KOALA

22-down – In Belize, a lover showing passion : ZEAL

1-across – New lease negotiated to include game, which is instrumental in a funny way : SWANEE

4-across – See 1 : WHISTLE

9-across – Sally cosies up to blokes in alien gear : EQUIPMENT

10-across – Instrument makes woman calcium-deficient : REBEC

11-across – State place with enclosures, which has vocalist buzzing : KAZOO

12-across – Most rocks, overcoming resistance, cross over house’s extra weather protection : STORMDOOR

13-across – Unmoved, one has to pursue academic success? : PASSIVE

15-across – Tinker’s days standing in line : FIDDLE

17-across – Tolls made by regions weather-wise hot, rather than large : CHIMES

19-across – Explicit, grand form of pop with inebriated sound? : GRAPHIC

22-across – Wool-producer’s call to introduce alkali-treated article with few strings : BALALAIKA

24-across – Teacher not quite making a buck? : RABBI

26-across – Personal protection for cutting article : APRON

27-across – Underground mythical treasure guard lacks good ticker : METRONOME

28-across – It’s involved with horm­­ones and it’s involved with hydro treatment : THYROID

29-across – Crow rig : CACKLE

1-down – I can’t hear you drink outside Crown : SPEAKUP

2-down – Ace spaceman humming with excitement? : ABUZZ

3-down – You mock spoken speech hesitancy as a music-maker : EUPHONIUM

4-down – Chicory’s the thing, with length covered in bark : WITLOOF

5-down – Hair woven on masculine religious garment : IHRAM

6-down – Bananas, both with a blue Mediterranean salad dish : TABBOULEH

7-down – Model on road: wow, in tailored set! : ESCORT

8-down – Appendage of quality that is a monstrous thing : NESSIE

14-down – Knowing about choral arrangement as an acad­emic : SCHOLARLY

16-down – Motions not welcomed from her radio broadcast at one : DIARRHOEA

18-down – Read superficially, Kipling tale is set in southern sea : SKIMMED

19-down – President’s awards? : GRANTS

20-down – Receiver of beating in eastern temple: bones click, he crumbles : CHINESE

21-down – Bard’s exclamation and dash for region of Russia : OBLAST

23-down – Love to lift and move tongue : LINGO

25-down – See 20 : BLOCK